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Writers talk craft, agent hunt, query trenches, publishing industry, and more. Hosted by Mindy McGinnis.
Episodes
Tuesday May 14, 2019
Tuesday May 14, 2019
Today brings a special guest to the show. Number one internationally bestselling author Jeffery Deaver dropped by to talk about his newest release - The Never Game - which introduces a new series character, Colter Shaw. Also covered: character as setting, blending the world of survivalism with gaming, and writing a message without hitting your audience over the head with it.
Monday Apr 01, 2019
Monday Apr 01, 2019
Today’s guest is Anne O’Brien Carelli author of Skylark and Wallcreeper, a middle grade story that alternates between Brooklyn in 2012 and the German-occupied town of Brume in 1944. Anne joined me today to talk about writing for children, and the amount of research required to write historical fiction – no matter the age, as well as using incubation and your subconscious to think your way around the sticky spots in your manuscript.
Links for Anne:
Website: https://www.anneobriencarelli.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aobc
IG: https://www.instagram.com/anne.o.carelli/
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Heroine by Mindy McGinnis amzn.to/2pjEWYh
Monday Feb 04, 2019
Monday Feb 04, 2019
Today’s guest is Elizabeth Tammi, author of Outrun the Wind which released from Flux in 2018, and the forthcoming The Weight of a Soul, coming in December of 2019. Elizabeth studies creative writing and journalism at Mercer University, where she works for her college’s newspaper and literary magazine.
Elizabeth joined me today to talk about landing a publishing deal without an agent and achieving publication as a teenager, the enduring qualities of mythology, and how modern perspectives can open up old tales, as well as the different skills at work in both journalism and creative writing.
Links for Elizabeth:
Site: http://www.elizabethtammi.com
Tumblr: http://annabethisterrified.tumblr.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElizabethTammi
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabeth_tammi/
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Monday Oct 08, 2018
Monday Oct 08, 2018
Today’s guest is Sandra Gulland is an American-born Canadian novelist. She is the author of The Shadow Queen and Mistress of the Sun, novels set in the court of Louis XIV, The Sun King, and a trilogy of novels based on the life of Josephine Bonaparte: as well as The Game of Hope. A YA historical about Josephine’s daughter.
Sandra joined me today to talk about how publishing has changed over time, the differences in the Canadian publishing world vs. the American, and researching for historical novels. Also covered: assigning personalities to people that actually existed, sexism in researching female historical characters, and how to know when to bend the facts in order to keep your fiction interesting.
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Monday Oct 01, 2018
Monday Oct 01, 2018
Today’s guest is Katherine Locke, author of THE GIRL WITH THE RED BALLOON and the upcoming THE SPY WITH THE RED BALLOON.Katherine joined me today to talk about landing her agent, and how her process of drafting ignores the need to be perfect, putting that responsibility on the editing process. Also covered: data for writers – and why we might not want it anyway – and how Katherine approaches historical facts while working with fiction, plus her process of research while writing.
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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 09, 2018
Monday Jul 09, 2018
Today’s guest is Abigail Johnson, author of the YA contemporary titles EVEN IF I FALL, THE FIRST TO KNOW and IF I FIX YOU. She became a tetraplegic after breaking her neck in a car accident when she was seventeen, but hasn’t let that stop her from bodysurfing in Mexico, and becoming a published author. Abigail speaks with host Mindy McGinnis about the process of getting an agent, how branding can limit your writing in some ways once you have a career, the ease of world building when writing contemporary – not to be confused with the idea that writing YA is easy - and how Abigail’s accident shapes her unique perspective of life and people, and where to find her online.
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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 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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Sunday Feb 11, 2018
Sunday Feb 11, 2018
Today’s guest is Michelle Houts, a fellow Ohioan who also writes across multiple genres. Michelle joins host Mindy McGinnis to talk about the importance of letter writing and journaling from a personal perspective, as well as the historical, as these are a primary source for biographers. Also, the importance of a writer having a physical space specifically for creative work. And, how the story will tell you whether it is a picture book, novel, or non-fiction.
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Sarah Aronson Highlights Workshop