Novelist and former professor at the Naval Academy Laura Kamoie (aka Laura Kaye) discusses her transition from the academy to self-employed writer. She explains how she uses historical thinking and skills in her fiction career, shares her thoughts on the diversity of paths available to history students, and offers advice for budding novelists. This interview was taken at the 2015 American Historical Association annual meeting in New York City. This video is part of the "What I Do" video series by the American Historical Association's Career Diversity for Historians Initiative. The American Historical Association is the largest professional organization serving historians in all fields and all professions. The AHA is a trusted voice advocating for history education, the professional work of historians, and the critical role of historical thinking in public life. https://www.historians.org/ The AHA's Career Diversity for Historians initiative is working to better prepare graduate students and early-career historians for a range of career options, within and beyond the academy. With generous funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Career Diversity is working to explore the culture and practice of graduate education and how it can better support the changing needs of PhD students. https://www.historians.org/jobs-and-professional-development/career-diversity-for-historians