Episodes
Monday Apr 15, 2019
Monday Apr 15, 2019
Today’s guest is Blair Hurley, who received her A.B. from Princeton University and her M.F.A. from NYU. Her stories are published or forthcoming in Ninth Letter, The Georgia Review, West Branch, Mid-American Review, Washington Square, Hayden’s Ferry Review, Descant, Fugue, and elsewhere. She has received a 2018 Pushcart Prize and scholarships from Bread Loaf and the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts. Her debut novel, THE DEVOTED, was published in August 2018 from WW Norton & Company.
Blair joined me today to talk about writing your own interests, even if that places your story in a quieter place, and the misconception of dismissing clarity in writing for simplistic novels. Also covered: the difficulty of breaking into the short story market and the motivations for doing so.
Links for Blair:
Website: http://blairhurley.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhurley
IG: https://www.instagram.com/blairlhurley/
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Saturday Jan 19, 2019
Saturday Jan 19, 2019
Today’s guest is Anica Mrose Rissi the author of the Anna, Banana chapter-book series, the picture books Watch Out for Wolf! and The Teacher’s Pet, as well as a YA novel, Always Forever Maybe. Her essays have been published by The Writer and the New York Times, and she plays fiddle in and writes lyrics for the band Owen Lake and the Tragic Loves. Anica grew up in Maine and spent many years in New York City, where she worked as an executive editor in children’s book publishing.
Anica joined me today to talk about writing from a place of pain, and methods to redirect the endless feedback loop of anxiety towards something creative and productive, as well as how process can change from project to project and across age categories. Also covered: considering the performance of reading aloud versus the narrative that is meant to be read silently, writing for other writers, and how essays can both remind of your own authority on the subject, as well as open yourself up to vulnerability.
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Sunday Dec 30, 2018
2019 Resolutions For Writers
Sunday Dec 30, 2018
Sunday Dec 30, 2018
Capping off 2018 with 10 resolutions for writers in 2019... and 10 things NOT to do in 2019.
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Monday Oct 15, 2018
Portraying Mental Illnesses Responsibly in Fiction: S Gonzales
Monday Oct 15, 2018
Monday Oct 15, 2018
Today’s guest is S Gonzales who writes Young Adult contemporary books with twisty plots and a generous dose of romance, featuring witty yet vulnerable characters. She joined me today to talk about landing her agent, Twitter contests, and balancing time difference while living in Australia and interacting with her American audience and publishing contacts. Also covered: Why publish with an initial standing in for her first name? Writing about mental illnesses responsibly and rom coms for queer people.
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Monday Aug 20, 2018
Monday Aug 20, 2018
Today’s guest is Lamar Giles, a two-time Edgar Award finalist for his YA thrillers FAKE ID and ENDANGERED His third YA thriller, OVERTURNED received a glowing New York Times review. Lamar is a contributor to the YA anthology THREE SIDES OF A HEART and the editor of the forthcoming We Need Diverse Books YA short story anthology FRESH INK.
Lamar joins host Mindy McGinnis to talk about the over confidence he had as a young writer, and how he took the time to reflect on 8 years worth of rejection before landed his agent in 2010 with his sixth novel. Also covered: diversity in publishing and how genre writing can be looked down upon, and the complexities of writing a book set in a city you are unfamiliar with, and how research can help you get… most things… right.
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Monday Jul 02, 2018
Monday Jul 02, 2018
Today’s guest is Rachel Pudelek who joins host Mindy McGinnis to talk about querying, the agent hunt, and how heavily trends impact both. Other topics inlcude common writing advice they both hate, as well as tempting the possibility of creative burnout when you write every day.
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Your Destination Is On The Left by Lauren Spieller
All For One by Sophia Beaumont
Monday Jun 18, 2018
Lauren Spieller: Writing Routines.... Good or Bad?
Monday Jun 18, 2018
Monday Jun 18, 2018
Today’s guest is Lauren Spieller debut author of YOUR DESTINATION IS ON THE LEFT, which releases from June 26th Lauren joins host Mindy McGinnis to talk about the querying process, how finding your people will keep your sane in the writing world, how a writing routine can be a good thing… or a bad thing, and the difference between writing on your own and writing on a contract. Also covered: life choices, and experiencing stories across different mediums.
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Monday May 14, 2018
Mindee Arnett: Rejection Letters
Monday May 14, 2018
Monday May 14, 2018
Today’s guest is Mindee Arnett author of THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR series, the Sci Fi titles AVALON and POLARIS as well as the upcoming fantasy ONYX & IVORY. Mindee joins host Mindy McGinnis to talk about rejection letters – both physical and by email – and realigning expectation with reality once you become published. Also covered: how being a mid-lister can be a benefit when it comes to genre jumping and how to know when you’re researching too much.
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Monday May 07, 2018
Beth Revis: A Decade of Publishing Rejection
Monday May 07, 2018
Monday May 07, 2018
Today’s guest is Beth Revis author of New York Times bestselling ACROSS THE UNIVERSE trilogy, as well as THE BODY ELECTRIC, THE WORLD WITHOUT YOU and The Paper Hearts series for writers. Beth joins host Mindy McGinnis to talk about writing ten books before hitting it big with the eleventh one, receiving nothing but rejections for a decade… and how that made her a better writer.
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Monday Apr 23, 2018
Amy Trueblood: Selling A Book Without An Agent
Monday Apr 23, 2018
Monday Apr 23, 2018
Today’s guest is Amy Trueblood author of NOTHING BUT SKY which released from Flux Books earlier this year. Amy joins host Mindy McGinnis to talk about selling her book without an agent, the importance of maintaining writerly friendships – even when jealousy wants to come between you, and balancing the demands of research versus forging forward with your story when writing historical fiction.
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