Join us for a queries and first pages panel with agent Stephanie Winter (P.S. Literary). Submit your work for a chance at live feedback from our panel–plus, of course, a publishing Q&A. This event is designed to be supportive, uplifting, encouraging–and 100% introvert-friendly. (Wear pajamas! We’ll never know.) A replay will be available 15 minutes after the end … Read more
We love this experiment! We asked you to send in your queries, pages, and questions–all in the hopes of a meeting with our mystery agent. This month, our mystery agent chose a beautiful, intricate thriller–and spoke with the writer about optimizing for how agents read. The edits include reordering, swapping out descriptions, and making sure … Read more
We are so excited for this episode! It’s truly a case of good things happening for good people. Sierra Godfrey is part of the team that built ManuscriptWishList.com, and now her very own book is coming out TODAY: A Very Typical Family. We invited Sierra and her agent, Melissa Edwards, to talk about the long … Read more
We love this episode! Emmy Nordstrom Higdon, agent at Westwood Creative Artists, was kind enough to join us for a live coffee break with our members—and we ended up talking about so many things! We cover: — How agenting is a style choice — Why writers should have more confidence — How even the IRS … Read more
How do you write for graphic novels? How do you collaborate with an artist? And what mistakes do most authors make when starting out–and how can you avoid them? Whatever your genre, join us for this fun, funny episode where we cover how to enter this thriving, creative world. Mat Heagerty is a graphic novel … Read more
The authors of the book Dating Your Character believe that all character work should actively explore your protagonist’s potential for more selfish, problematic dark impulses. It’s important to recognize your protagonist’s flaws, trauma and past history to round out their motivation and provide opportunities for action that shows them regress from their stated goals. Join them as … Read more
When Mahi Cheshire sent out the first version of what would become Deadly Cure, it was a New Adult novel about med school rivals. Now, in final form, it’s a medical thriller with a rivalry at the heart of the plot. Mahi had to learn “on the job,” as it were, how to write a … Read more
We are so proud of writer Robyn Ryle! She’s the first person to get feedback twice from our feedback panels—and by the time she’d incorporated the feedback from the first panel, the second panel was blown away by her revision, her stakes, and her quick turnaround. We go over versions one and two, talk about … Read more
Feeling stuck? Need some good energy? Or just considering a turning point in your work–or your life? Join Thalia Elie, our resident good vibes expert, for a workshop on how setting can lead to a turning point–and turning points lead to inspiration. This class will open you up to thinking of new ways to use conflict, … Read more
We are so happy to welcome the creative and delightful Anna Sargeant, editor at Sourcebooks, to the podcast! We talk about Anna’s journey from curriculum development to children’s books, Sourcebooks and their growth mindset, what makes for good children’s nonfiction, and how being an editor changed her approach to rejection. Plus, we talk about her … Read more