Every writer wants to make something that their reader cannot put down. We might even want readers to go through an emotional change, as if experiencing the shifting world of the story themselves. But what makes us keep turning those pages? What makes us feel the impact of time along with fictional characters? What is the … Read more
We love this conversation about a part of the industry few writers know about–script-to-book, or when a writer is hired to novelize a project originally designed for the screen. Both Bethany and Gigi have successful projects in this area–Bethany Baptiste is the author of Izzy Hawthorne: Destiny Awaits, a script-to-book project based on Disney’s Buzz … Read more
We are so happy to speak with author Rachel Harrison about her new feminist werewolf novel, Such Sharp Teeth! This isn’t horror as you’d normally expect it—the cover is pink, the setting includes Target and Starbucks, and the main character is a twin just trying to get control over her new werewolf tendencies—and her love … Read more
Like most writers, you probably think you know the humble verb well. But come to this fun, interactive session and you’ll discover a few new ways of evaluating your verbs to achieve explosive improvement in your writing. Participants will discover how to wield verbs to reveal more about character, setting, even aspects of plot—as well … Read more
We loved this episode! We talk with agent Ismita Hussain (Great Dog Literary) about short stories, writers making mistakes with QueryManager, New Adult, and what makes a query work for her—and for the majority of agents. Listen in as she goes over what ten writers did right, did wrong—and how their work can help you … Read more
We love this book! You can hear it in our voices, of course, but it’s worth saying again. This is a beautiful and fun historical work—kind of like a female James Bond—and we love the conversation about history and gender roles, building tough worlds but retaining hope, excelling at pacing—and how to write characters who … Read more
We’re thrilled to welcome Bobby Finger, whose book, The Old Place, is so full of twists and turns—many of them with internal, past, and multi-layered conflict—that we had a terrible time not spoiling the ending for you! (Yes, you’ll hear several shout-outs that will make sense if you read the book.) We also talk about … Read more
by Helen Lane (she/ her), Junior Literary Agent | Booker Albert Agency In this blog I’m going to try to give context to some of the most hated phrases querying authors receive from agents: the dreaded, “I liked your book but didn’t love it enough to represent it” or “I love it but I’m not … Read more
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