Writers talk craft, agent hunt, query trenches, publishing industry, and more. Hosted by Mindy McGinnis.
Today's guest is Mag Dimond, author of Bowing to Elephants, which recently won Best Indie Biographies & Memoirs from Kirkus). Her book has been compared to EAT PRAY LOVE in professional reviews and has received accolades from many thought leaders in the mindfulness space. Mag joined me today to talk about using mindfulness practice to help ease your writing experience during the pandemic.
Links for Mag:
Today’s guest is Caroline Zancan author of the novel Local Girls, as well as her latest, We Wish You Luck. She is a graduate of Kenyon College and holds an MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars. A Senior Editor at Henry Holt, she lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their children.
Caroline joined me today to talk about unique mix of art and business that is the publishing industry. Aslo covered - being both an author, and an editor, and the often misunderstood author / editor relationship.
Links for Caroline
Twitter: https://twitter.com/carolinezancan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinezancan82
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Today's guest is Sarah Jane Stratford. Her first novel, Radio Girls, was based on the early days of the BBC and its pioneering talks producer, Hilda Matheson. Red Letter Days, her newest novel, continues that tradition by similarly highlighting a little known but influential woman in media set during the 19 fifties Red Scare and inspired by the real life TV producer Hannah Weinstein, Red Letter Days reveals the untold story of women who escaped the Hollywood blacklist. Sarah joined me today to talk about the inspiration for Red Letter Days and the research involved in writing about the Red Scare. Also covered - the challenge of basing a fictional character on a real person, and the last repercussions of the Red Scare.
Links for Sarah:
Site: http://www.sarahjanestratford.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stratfordsj
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SarahJaneStratfordAuthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahjanestratford/
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Personal Revolution Podcast: https://www.himalaya.com/revolution1
Today’s guest is Tom Lutz, editor in chief of the LA Review of Books a nonprofit dedicated to promoting writing about literature, culture and the arts.. He teaches creative writing at the University of California in Riverside and is on a quest to visit every country in the world: 135 down, only 60 to go. Tom has dovetailed his wanderlust and passion for writing into seven nonfiction books—some on travel, one on the history of slackers, another on the history of tears. His first crime novel, Born Slippy, was published in January.
Tom joined me today to talk about some of the monumental changes he’s seen in publishing during this decade, as well as how global trade and politics affects every day artists, as well as his first crime novel, Born Slippy, and tackling the topic of toxic masculinity.
Links for Tom:
Site: https://www.tomlutzwriter.com/
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Today’s guest is Rebecca Syme, creator of the Better-Faster Academy, producer of the Quit Cast for Writers, as well as being an author herself. Rebecca joined me today to talk about how knowing your personality strengths can help you be a more productive writer. Also covered: how to deal with burnout – and how to know when you’re in it.
Links for Rebecca:
Website: https://betterfasteracademy.com/
QuitCast Podcast: https://betterfasteracademy.com/podcast/
Smarty Pants Book Marketing Podcast: https://www.rlsyme.com/category/podcasts/
Writing as R.L Syme & Becca Boyd: https://www.rlsyme.com/
Clifton Strengths Assessment: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/home.aspx
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A Map For Wild Hearts by Andrea Hannah
Today’s guest is Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl With A Pearl Earring. Her tenth novel, A Single Thread, released recently. Tracy joined me today to talk about the the plight of “excess women” in England post World War 1, how writing leads her to hobbies - not the other way around – and how a writer needs something in their lives that isn’t word-based. Also covered: the pressure of an expectant audience, and learning your own rhythms as a writer.
Links for Tracy
Website: https://www.tchevalier.com/index.php
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When the Truth Unravels by RuthAnne Snow
Today’s guest is Melissa DeLa Cruz #1 New York Times bestselling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for readers of all ages. With her 50th novel The Birthday Girl releasing earlier this month. Melissa joined me to talk about longevity in publishing, retaining the spark of creativity, and how writers need community.
Links for Melissa:
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Today’s guest is Lauren Mechling, who has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Slate, The New Yorker online, and Vogue, where she writes a regular book column. She's worked as a crime reporter and metro columnist for The New York Sun, a young adult novelist, and a features editor at The Wall Street Journal. A graduate of Harvard College, she lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children.
Lauren joined me today to talk about how her own experiences in print media helped form the world of her new novel, How Could She, the complexities of female friendships as a storytelling concept, and how podcasts figure into Lauren’s new novel.
Links for Lauren:
Website: https://www.laurenmechling.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurenmechling
IG: https://www.instagram.com/laurenomics/
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A Map for Wild Hearts: How to Make Art Even When You're Lost by Andrea Hannah
Remember Me by Chelsea Bobulski
Today’s guest is Katya de Becarra, who was born in Russia, studied in California, lived in Peru, and then stayed in Australia long enough to become a local. She was going to be an Egyptologist when she grew up, but instead she earned a PhD in Anthropology and now works as a university lecturer and a researcher. Her debut What The Woods Keep was released in three countries in 2018. Katya joined me today to talk about blending genres in her debut title, and how she managed to find a publisher that believed it was a strength, rather than a marketing weakness, writing in your non-native language, and how Katya made the decision to write her novels in English.
Support the Podcast https://writerwriterpantsonfire.com/support-the-blog/
Links for Katya:
Website: http://katyabecerra.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KatyaDeBecerra
IG: https://www.instagram.com/katyadebecerra/
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A bonus episode for my listeners! I was recently interviewed by my local radio station, and thought I would re-broadcast for you.
