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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The Wood by Chelsea Bobulski 

Pulp by Robin Talley 

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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The Wood by Chelsea Bobulski 

What they don’t know by Nicole Maggi 

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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The Wood by Chelsea Bobulski 

What They Don’t Know by Nicole Maggi 

A roundup of this month's guests and topics, as well as my advice on how to grit your teeth and get the first draft down.

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Sleight by Jennifer Sommersby

It’s a Wonderful Death By Sarah J. Schmitt 

Today’s guest is Olivia Valcarce an assistant editor at Scholastic.

Olivia joined me today to talk about how different houses function within the publishing industry, what “commercial” means, and the benefits of working with a more junior editor.

To hear the entire episode in October support the podcast through Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/MindyMcGinnis to learn more.

The guest for the October 1st agent episode is Melissa Edwards of Stonesong Literary. Melissa joined me today to talk about how her background in litigation helped prepare her for agenting, as well as providing the foundation for her private business, MLE Consulting. Also covered: differences between the adult and children’s publishing worlds, what “timeless” Middle Grade feels like and the benefits of working with an agent vs. going on your own.

To hear the entire episode in October support the podcast through Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/MindyMcGinnis to learn more.

Today’s guest is Lauren Gibaldi author of THE NIGHT WE SAID YES, AUTO FOCUS and THIS TINY PERFECT WORLD. Lauren is a public librarian who’s been, among other things, a magazine editor, high school English teacher, bookseller, and circus aerialist (seriously). She has a BA in Literature and Master’s in Library and Information Studies. 

Lauren joins host Mindy McGinnis to talk about landing her agent, and how her process of being a punster can occasionally backfire, but nothing is ever wasted. Also covered: how being a librarian has helped Lauren feel more connected to teens and benefited her writing career, as well as portraying artistic teens in fiction.

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Ten After Closing by Jessica Bayliss 

Sleight by Jennifer Sommersby

Support the podcast through Patreon for weekly writing advice, query and first page critiques, as well as exclusive episodes featuring agent and editor interviews. Visit our Patreon to learn more.

Today’s guest is Kelly DeVos author of FAT GIRL ON A PLANE. Kelly holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from Arizona State University. Her debut novel, FAT GIRL ON A PLANE is available now from Harlequin Teen. Her work has been featured in the New York Times as well as SheKnows and Bustle. Kelly joined me today to talk about landing her agent, and how her particular process of being a hardcore planner works to turn the spark of an idea into a novel. Also covered: the inspiration for FAT GIRL ON A PLANE, a discussion of the fashion world and body acceptance and how short stories can help you experiment with new ideas, characters, or methods.

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Nothing But Sky by Amy Trueblood

It’s a Wonderful Death By Sarah J. Schmitt 

Today’s guest is Megan Shepherd, author of THE MADMAN’S DAUGHTER trilogy, THE CAGE Trilogy, THE SECRET HORSES OF BRIAR HILL and THE GRIM LOVELIES. Megan joined me to talk about her process, and how the spark of an idea can sometimes get lost during the execution. Also covered: writing trilogies versus standalones, and why dark stories appeal to us. 

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Sleight by Jennifer Sommersby 

Midnight by Jeanna Armas

A roundup of the guests and topics for the month, and Mindy's advice on writing unlikeable characters.

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Sleight by Jennifer Sommersby 

Midnight by Jeanna Armas