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<itunes:summary>Welcome to the Writer’s Digest Podcast! Hosted by Gabriela Pereira, this monthly podcast features interviews with experts and icons of the writing world whose insights will help ignite your creative vision, hone your skills, build your platform and get your work out into the world.</itunes:summary>
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<item>
<title>Breaking In: Interview With Whiteout Conditions Author Tariq Shah</title>
<link>https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/breaking-in-interview-with-whiteout-conditions-author-tariq-shah</link>
<comments>https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/breaking-in-interview-with-whiteout-conditions-author-tariq-shah#comments</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2020 14:49:10 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Cassandra Lipp]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Breaking In Writers Digest]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[The Writer's Dig]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Breaking In]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.writersdigest.com/?p=668615</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Read our full Breaking In interview with Tariq Shah about his debut novel, Whiteout Conditions, from Two Dollar Radio.
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/breaking-in-interview-with-whiteout-conditions-author-tariq-shah">Breaking In: Interview With Whiteout Conditions Author Tariq Shah</a> by <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/author/cassielipp">Cassandra Lipp</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com">Writer's Digest</a>.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The synopsis of the novel Whiteout Conditions (Two Dollar Radio, March 2020) by Tariq Shah has me hooked: “Ant is a death worshiper returning home to Illinois after a long absence to attend the funeral of a friend’s young cousin who suffered a violent death, and as the situation deteriorates amid a nasty bit of weather, he reckons with his roots.”
A death worshiper at a funeral? I need to see where this goes, so I’m going to buy Whiteout Conditions from an indie bookstore that’s still taking online orders. Here’s my interview with Tariq Shah about his debut literary fiction release.
<hr />
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-668616 size-full" src="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-design3.jpg" alt="" width="336" height="280" srcset="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-design3.jpg 336w, https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-design3-300x250.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 336px) 100vw, 336px" />
<h3>Where do you write from? </h3>
Brooklyn, New York.
<h3>Briefly, what led up to this book? What were you writing and getting published before breaking out with this book? 
</h3>
I was writing/submitting/publishing poems and short stories in literary journals prior to this book’s acceptance.
<h3>What was the time frame for writing this book? </h3>
The idea first began as a series of poems that occurred to me while I was working on my MFA thesis. That original thesis idea fell apart over winter break, and I came back to that poem idea and reimagined it as a work of fiction. The first draft was written in a few months, and then revised and refined over the course of a few more.
[<a href="https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/breaking-in-interview-with-the-girl-with-the-louding-voice-author-abi-dare" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read about another Breaking In 2020 debut author: Abi Daré</a>.]
<h3>How did your book deal from Two Dollar Radio come about? 
</h3>
I don’t have an agent. I submitted the manuscript during Two Dollar Radio’s open reading period. A year and a day after submitting, I received an email from Eric (one of the co-founders) asking if the book had been picked up, and after speaking with him on the phone a few days later, we got to work on readying the manuscript for publication.
<h3>What were your biggest learning experiences throughout the publishing process?</h3>
Working with TDR’s editors to open up the story, deepen the characters, and enrich the text as a whole while keeping the book true to its original spirit was a great learning experience for me. Additionally, the amount of attention and support I was given while revising was a pleasant surprise.
<h3>Looking back, what did you do right that helped you break in?</h3>
Two Dollar Radio has been a press that I have greatly admired for a long time; I had read a few of their books prior to submitting, and so felt I had a bit of a handle on what sort of literature they published, and I think that made a great difference.
<h3>On that note, what would you have done differently if you could do it again?</h3>
Top-to-bottom, it has been a true pleasure working with Two Dollar Radio. Except for possibly submitting earlier, I don’t think I’d change anything.
<h3>What are you doing the build a platform and gain readership?</h3>
There is a website coming soon! I have been terribly neglectful of this aspect of the writing profession, to be honest. That said, I love doing readings/interviews/talks whenever possible, and so I try reaching and deepening my audience through these channels.
<h3>What is the best piece of writing advice we haven’t discussed?</h3>
Write about what you can’t (or don’t) casually talk about, and stay true to your vision.
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-669067 size-full" src="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Tariq-Shaw-Quotes.png" alt="Tariq Shah Quote" width="940" height="788" srcset="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Tariq-Shaw-Quotes.png 940w, https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Tariq-Shaw-Quotes-300x251.png 300w, https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Tariq-Shaw-Quotes-768x644.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px" />
<h3>What’s next? 
</h3>
I’m working on a collection of poems and one of short stories as well.
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-668675 size-full" src="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Tariq-Shah-White-Out-Conditions.jpeg" alt="Tariq Shah | Whiteout Conditions" width="193" height="261" />
Support debut author Tariq Shah by ordering your copy today.
<a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781937512910?aff=WritersDigest" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">IndieBound</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/whiteout-conditions-tariq-shah/1134035823?ean=9781937512910" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Whiteout-Conditions/Tariq-Shah/9781937512910?id=7706425513912" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Books a Million</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Whiteout-Conditions-Tariq-Shah/dp/1937512916/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1585229611&sr=8-1&linkCode=ll1&tag=home-fw-20&linkId=5099d7ba30776c9db2577ebdc202359a&language=en_US" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Amazon</a>
[WD uses affiliate links.]
<hr />
<a href="https://writersdigestconference.com/panel-debut-authors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-668673" src="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/WDC-2020-MayDeadline-600x300-2.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="300" srcset="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/WDC-2020-MayDeadline-600x300-2.jpg 600w, https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/WDC-2020-MayDeadline-600x300-2-300x150.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></a>
Learn more about Tariq Shah’s experience as a debut author on the <a href="https://writersdigestconference.com/panel-debut-authors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">debut author panel</a> at the 2020 <a href="https://writersdigestconference.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Writer’s Digest Annual Conference</a>.
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/breaking-in-interview-with-whiteout-conditions-author-tariq-shah">Breaking In: Interview With Whiteout Conditions Author Tariq Shah</a> by <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/author/cassielipp">Cassandra Lipp</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com">Writer's Digest</a>.
]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss>https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/breaking-in-interview-with-whiteout-conditions-author-tariq-shah/feed</wfw:commentRss>
<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
</item>
<item>
<title>Breaking In: An Interview with Debut Middle-Grade Author J. Kaspar Kramer</title>
<link>https://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/breaking-in-writers-digest/breaking-in-an-interview-with-debut-middle-grade-author-j-kaspar-kramer</link>
<comments>https://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/breaking-in-writers-digest/breaking-in-an-interview-with-debut-middle-grade-author-j-kaspar-kramer#respond</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 06 Mar 2020 16:37:35 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Cassandra Lipp]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Breaking In Writers Digest]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[The Writer's Dig]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[author interviews]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Breaking In]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.writersdigest.com/?p=667307</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The debut middle-grade author answers questions about writing and publishing her folklore-inspired historical fiction set in Communist Romania.
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/breaking-in-writers-digest/breaking-in-an-interview-with-debut-middle-grade-author-j-kaspar-kramer">Breaking In: An Interview with Debut Middle-Grade Author J. Kaspar Kramer</a> by <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/author/cassielipp">Cassandra Lipp</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com">Writer's Digest</a>.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[J. Kasper Kramer’s debut middle-grade novel The Story That Cannot Be Told has been named a <a href="https://imaginationsoup.net/best-books-12-year-olds/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">“B</a><a href="https://imaginationsoup.net/best-books-12-year-olds/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">est Books for 12 Year Olds</a>” by Imagination Soup. Her second book, The List of Unspeakable Fears, sold to Atheneum and will be published in Fall 2021. To celebrate, we’re publishing Kramer’s Breaking In interview. A shorter version ran in the <a href="https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/unveiling-the-writers-digest-november-december-2019-cover" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">November/December 2019 issue of Writer’s Digest.</a>
<hr />
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-663407 size-full" src="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-design-9.jpg" alt="J. Kaspar Kramer The Story That Cannot Be Told" width="336" height="280" srcset="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-design-9.jpg 336w, https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-design-9-300x250.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 336px) 100vw, 336px" />
It’s no wonder that The Story That Cannot Be Told has been praised as a best book for 12 year olds. Set during the final months of Communist Romania, the novels blends historical fiction and fantasy to tell the story of Ileana, who must find her voice and the strength to use it. The Story That Cannot Be Told was published in October 2019 by Atheneum. Kasper, a Chattanooga, Tennessee based author, answers a few questions for WD about her debut release.
What led up to this book? What were you writing and getting published before breaking out?
I had been living in Japan for about five years, writing novels in my spare time while teaching, when I finally decided to give my dream of becoming an author a real shot. I moved back to the States to attend graduate school at UT Chattanooga and landed a couple short, creative nonfiction publications. Story was my master’s thesis.
What was the time frame for writing this book? 
Story was inspired by my Romanian friends in Japan, who taught with me at an international school. With their help, I conducted research for about two years. I finally sat down to draft the book during my second semester of graduate school. It took six months.
How did you find your agent?
Getting my agent involved a lot of right place, right person, right time. After reading the first draft of Story, my amazing thesis director, Sarah Einstein, put me in touch with Yishai Seidman, who’d represented her in the past. One query later, I had an agent.
What were your biggest learning experiences or surprises throughout the publishing process?
I was fortunate enough to speak to several editors by phone before Story went to auction. The thing that surprised me the most was realizing how truly subjective writing can be. One editor’s favorite part of the book was the same part another editor wanted to cut! Similarly, some editors thought Story was an adult novel, when in the end it sold as a middle-grade book.
Looking back, what did you do right that helped you break in?
I went back to school. Getting my MA in Creative Writing gave me the time, focus, feedback, and professional contacts I desperately needed. However, this meant I had to leave the life I’d built in Japan behind, which was incredibly difficult.
On that note, what would you have done differently if you could do it again?
I don’t think I would have done anything differently. Maybe I would have done certain things sooner? This isn’t to say I haven’t made tons of mistakes—because I have—but each one was a learning experience that led me to where I am now.
Did you have a platform in place? What are you doing the build a platform and gain readership? 
 
I had a couple thousand followers on Twitter before getting an agent, mostly from my efforts to join the writing community online. Now, I spend my time participating in debut author groups, such as Novel19s and Class of 2k19. We host chats, circulate advance copies, and support each other’s work.
What is the best piece of writing advice we haven’t discussed? 
Don’t be afraid to let the story tell itself. So often, when I start working on a new novel, I have all these ideas about where it will go and what it will be. It’s only after I let go of the reins that the real shape of the book finds its form.
What’s next?
I’m currently revising a folklore-inspired YA, set in 1850s Poland, about a young woman whose family believes she’s a changeling. I’m also drafting a middle-grade ghost story, set in 1910 NYC on North Brother Island.
Website: JKasperKramer.com
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/breaking-in-writers-digest/breaking-in-an-interview-with-debut-middle-grade-author-j-kaspar-kramer">Breaking In: An Interview with Debut Middle-Grade Author J. Kaspar Kramer</a> by <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/author/cassielipp">Cassandra Lipp</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com">Writer's Digest</a>.
]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss>https://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/breaking-in-writers-digest/breaking-in-an-interview-with-debut-middle-grade-author-j-kaspar-kramer/feed</wfw:commentRss>
<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
</item>
<item>
<title>Breaking In: Interview With Abi Daré, Author of The Girl With the Louding Voice</title>
<link>https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/breaking-in-interview-with-the-girl-with-the-louding-voice-author-abi-dare</link>
<comments>https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/breaking-in-interview-with-the-girl-with-the-louding-voice-author-abi-dare#respond</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 24 Feb 2020 16:12:42 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Cassandra Lipp]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Breaking In Writers Digest]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[The Writer's Dig]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[author interviews]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Breaking In]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.writersdigest.com/?p=666506</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Daré is a Book of the Month pick for February. To celebrate, we're publishing an unabridged version of Abi Daré's interview that originally ran in the Breaking In column of the January/February 2020 issue of Writer's Digest.
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/breaking-in-interview-with-the-girl-with-the-louding-voice-author-abi-dare">Breaking In: Interview With Abi Daré, Author of The Girl With the Louding Voice</a> by <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/author/cassielipp">Cassandra Lipp</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com">Writer's Digest</a>.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Daré is a Book of the Month pick for February. To celebrate, we’re publishing an unabridged version of Abi Daré’s interview that originally ran in the Breaking In column of the <a href="https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/unveiling-the-writers-digest-january-february-2020-cover" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">January/February 2020 issue of Writer’s Digest</a>.

<hr />
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-666508 size-full" src="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-design2.jpg" alt="The Girl With The Louding Voice | Abi Daré" width="336" height="280" srcset="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-design2.jpg 336w, https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-design2-300x250.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 336px) 100vw, 336px" />
 
I read The Girl With the Louding Voice quickly over a few days because I couldn’t rest until I heard the story of Adunni, the novel’s 14-year-old protagonist with a huge heart. Published in February by Dutton in the U.S. and forthcoming in March by Sceptre in the U.K., The Girl With the Louding Voice follows Adunni as she is sold to be the third wife of a local man who is eager to have a son. When Adunni runs away to Lagos, dangers await her as she works as a maid for a wealthy family. But Adunni dreams of getting an education and finding a voice to stand up for herself and girls like her.
Abi Daré, the London-based author, talked to WD about the challenges of writing her debut novel, winning the UK Bath Novel Awards, and getting the book published.
<h3>Briefly, what led up to this book? What were you writing and getting published before breaking out with this book?</h3>
I had been writing for over a decade before I decided to pursue an MA in Creative Writing for two reasons: to validate my writing existence, and to have a community of like minds I could work (and vent!) with. I was also determined to finish a “publishable” book during the two-year course. The book was born as a result of my growing up in Lagos and living with housemaids and seeing how many of them were treated, how these girls had to give up dreams and aspirations to work for families. The book is my way of telling their story, of giving a voice to these girls.
<h3>What was the time frame for writing this book?</h3>
I started the first draft about a week before I was due to submit about 3,000 words to my dissertation supervisor. I wrote the first sentence in my character’s voice and did not stop writing until I had the required 3,000 words. When I went to see him a week later for his review and assessment, I was pleasantly surprised when he told me that he loved it! He asked if I could sustain the voice for an entire novel, and I said no-way! But I did it in the end. I wrote the first draft in about eight months just in time to enter for the UK Bath Novel Awards for unpublished manuscripts. I won the competition and secured an agent shortly after. With pre- and post-acquisition revisions, the book took about three years.
<h3>How did you find your agent?</h3>
Following the shortlist announcement for the Bath Novel Awards, I had multiple requests for the full manuscript and a number of agent offers, but I waited until the winning announcement to decide who to work with. I am so glad I did, because my agent is the amazing Felicity Blunt of Curtis Brown. She was a judge for the Bath Novel Awards in 2018 and we met shortly after I was announced as winner.
<h3>What were your biggest learning experiences or surprises throughout the publishing process?</h3>
I learned that nothing can be rushed. That a book can and should continue to be revised until it is ready to be submitted. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed having a great team working with me to get the book out to readers. I was initially nervous, being a debut author, but everyone involved has been amazing.
<h3>Looking back, what did you do right that helped you break in?</h3>
Starting my MA in Creative Writing, working hard at writing (and finishing) the book during the course, and entering for the Bath Novel Awards I think were crucial to my timing for breaking in.
<h3>What would you have done differently if you could do it again?</h3>
During the decade or so I spent honing on my craft, I had moments where I felt like giving up and drove myself so hard. And at a point, I did give up writing and thought I could sell shoes instead! Now I realize that every single word I wrote and re-wrote as I waited for an opportunity to break in only contributed to making me a better writer. I should have been more patient and kinder to myself in the process.
<h3>Did you have a platform in place? What are you doing the build a platform and gain readership?</h3>
I was moderately active on Twitter and Instagram and had a blog (now defunct). I am on Instagram and Twitter as @abidare_author and working building my website.
<h3>What is the best piece of writing advice that we haven’t discussed yet?</h3>
It is great to revise the work until it is as good as it can be, but sometimes, it might be better to let go of that project and start something new. Knowing when to let go and trusting your instinct on what works and doesn’t work in a project/ story.
<h3>What’s next?</h3>
Working on my next book.
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-666544 size-full" src="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Abi-Daré-Girl-With-Louding-Voice.jpeg" alt="Abi Daré | The Girl With the Louding Voice" width="183" height="276" />
Order your copy of The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Daré.
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[<a href="https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/breaking-in-an-interview-with-such-a-fun-age-author-kiley-reid" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read our Breaking In interview with debut novelist, Kiley Reid, author of Such a Fun Age.]</a>
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The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/breaking-in-interview-with-the-girl-with-the-louding-voice-author-abi-dare">Breaking In: Interview With Abi Daré, Author of The Girl With the Louding Voice</a> by <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/author/cassielipp">Cassandra Lipp</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com">Writer's Digest</a>.
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<title>Breaking In: An Interview With Such a Fun Age Author Kiley Reid</title>
<link>https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/breaking-in-an-interview-with-such-a-fun-age-author-kiley-reid</link>
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<pubDate>Tue, 04 Feb 2020 15:00:43 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Cassandra Lipp]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Breaking In Writers Digest]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[The Writer's Dig]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[author interviews]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Breaking In]]></category>
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<description><![CDATA[Such a Fun Age author Kiley Reid discusses her writing process and what she learned working to get her bestselling novel—a Reese's Book Club pick—published.
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/breaking-in-an-interview-with-such-a-fun-age-author-kiley-reid">Breaking In: An Interview With Such a Fun Age Author Kiley Reid</a> by <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/author/cassielipp">Cassandra Lipp</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com">Writer's Digest</a>.
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[Such a Fun Age author Kiley Reid discusses her writing process and what she learned working to get her bestselling novel—a Reese’s Book Club pick—published.
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<img class="size-medium wp-image-665700 aligncenter" src="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-design-1-300x250.jpg" alt="Kiley Reid interview" width="300" height="250" srcset="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-design-1-300x250.jpg 300w, https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-design-1.jpg 336w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
I couldn’t have been more excited when I saw the press release for Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid (December 2019, Putnam) in my inbox. Lena Waithe had already bought the film and television rights months before the book was published. While I’ll watch whatever the Emmy-winning screenwriter writes or stars in, the premise of Such a Fun Age is equally interesting.
One Saturday night, 25-year-old Emira babysits three-year-old Briar in a high-end grocery store, when another shopper alerts security that this looks suspicious. Upon seeing a black woman with a white child, the security guard accuses Emira of kidnapping. This sets in motion the events of the book, including Briar’s mother setting out right the night’s wrongs. Unfortunate histories are brought to light when the two women realize they have something, or someone, in common.
It’s no wonder Such a Fun Age was selected by Reese Witherspoon as her January 2020 book club pick and debuted at number three on The New York Times bestseller list for hardcover fiction. Although I finished reading the book long ago, I’m still dissecting many layers of the story. Reid makes it hard to decipher who’s the “bad guy” at times, brings up the question of how others help us (and who has the right to) form our identities, and examines the subtle ways prejudice manifests—all while remaining freshly comedic (Briar is hilarious and we can see why Emira finds such joy in babysitting her).
The Philadelphia-based author was featured in the Breaking In column of the <a href="https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/unveiling-the-writers-digest-january-february-2020-cover" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">January/February 2020</a> issue of WD. Here’s Kiley Reid’s full-length interview about her experience writing Such a Fun Age, from first draft to publication.
<h3>Briefly, what led up to this book? What were you writing and getting published before breaking out with this book?</h3>
I had written a few other novels before this book but nothing that I was truly proud of. In the few years before this novel, I had been writing and publishing short stories in literary journals, which was a nice way to work with different editors but also get used to receiving rejection letters.
<h3> 
What was the time frame for writing this book? 
</h3>
In 2015, I came upon the idea for this book but it took a few months to take pen to paper. I weakly started it then, continued writing in 2016 when I moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas, for a year, and then completed it in my first year of graduate school in Iowa City. There was a big turning point as I shared the first 50 pages with a writer whom I trust. He said that the idea was there, but to start over. He was right and that’s what I did. In short – I sat on the idea for a year and took about 2.5 years to complete a solid first draft.
<h3>How did you find your agent? 
</h3>
Claudia Ballard was the first agent I’d ever met and one of 14 that I later queried. The Iowa Writers’ Workshop brings in agents to meet and pitch to, and I met Claudia and 4 other agents this way in my first year. After I sent my letters, I received offers for representation. Some agents wanted to change everything about the novel and some thought it was perfect as it was. Claudia fell somewhere in the middle. I kept coming back to her vision for the book and I’m very happy that I did. I’ve had a wonderful experience at WME and I feel thankful for their team every day.
<h3>What were your biggest learning experiences or surprises throughout the publishing process?</h3>
The biggest surprise was how many people it takes to publish a book. From editors to book sellers to artists to proofreaders to lawyers, I had no idea how many people see one single book all the way through to publication. The great thing is that most of these people just really love books and their enthusiasm makes the process not so endless.
<h3>Looking back, what did you do right that helped you break in?</h3>
I had the opportunity to move from New York City to Arkansas, which is a very inexpensive and beautiful place to live and write. I’d just been rejected by nine graduate programs and while it was dramatic, my decision to move to Arkansas and apply again ended up being the right decision. For a year, I worked at a coffee shop and bought no new clothes or gadgets. It was a year to reset and put my finances toward my writing, and the difference in the quality of my work became evident very quickly.
<h3>On that note, what would you have done differently if you could do it again?</h3>
If I could go back, I would have not focused so much on my process. I think a lot of readers and writers romanticize the writing process. Some will tell you that you have to write in the morning, or you have to put on real work clothes, or if you don’t write every day, you’re not a “real writer.” In reality, there were days that I stared at my computer for an hour and produced nothing, and other days that I wrote for 10 hours. Sometimes I had real clothes on and sometimes I was in pajamas. In the pajama days, I felt guilty and that I wasn’t doing it “right.” If I could go back, I’d try to think less about how I was writing and more about what I was writing.
<h3>Did you have a platform in place? On this topic, what are you doing the build a platform and gain readership?</h3>
I did not have a platform in place when I sold the novel, but the Iowa Writers’ Workshop was absolutely a foot in the door. I like Instagram, and I used to try my hand at tweeting but I don’t think I’m fast enough. I’ve recently started a second novel with a more sincere effort and so I’ve signed off Twitter completely to keep my writing efforts in the right place. Mostly, I trust my team at Putnam to help me gain a readership.
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-665919 size-full" src="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Kiley-Reid-Quote.png" alt="Kiley Reid quote" width="600" height="600" srcset="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Kiley-Reid-Quote.png 600w, https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Kiley-Reid-Quote-300x300.png 300w, https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Kiley-Reid-Quote-113x113.png 113w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />
<h3>What’s the best piece of writing advice we haven’t discussed?</h3>
Your first thought isn’t always your best thought! I can’t remember who told me this, but it’s been a great help and challenge to work toward making my scenes bulletproof by testing the parameters that I’ve set up. Sometimes this means re-writing a scene from a different point of view. Or writing the same scene three times but in three different settings. Most often this shows me something that my first take was missing and then I can address it, and sometimes it makes me realize that my first though actually was my best thought, but then I understand why.
<h3>What’s next? 
</h3>
Upcoming projects include novel #2 and the film adaptation of Such A Fun Age.
<img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-665917" src="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Such-a-fun-age-Kiley-Reid-300x300.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Such-a-fun-age-Kiley-Reid-300x300.jpeg 300w, https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Such-a-fun-age-Kiley-Reid-113x113.jpeg 113w, https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Such-a-fun-age-Kiley-Reid.jpeg 336w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
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<title>The Lessons I’ve Learned From Writing About the History of Another Country</title>
<link>https://www.writersdigest.com/online-exclusives/writers-digest-magazine-november-december-2019-online-exclusives/the-lessons-ive-learned-from-writing-about-the-history-of-another-country</link>
<comments>https://www.writersdigest.com/online-exclusives/writers-digest-magazine-november-december-2019-online-exclusives/the-lessons-ive-learned-from-writing-about-the-history-of-another-country#respond</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 18 Sep 2019 12:00:44 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[J. Kasper Kramer]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Breaking In Writers Digest]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[The Writer's Dig]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Writer's Digest Magazine November/December 2019 Online Exclusives]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Breaking In]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.writersdigest.com/?p=663404</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Author of the middle-grade historical fantasy novel The Story That Cannot Be Told J. Kasper Kramer tells what lessons she learned from writing about the Romanian revolution, and the truths that the histories of other countries can teach us about our own present.
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/online-exclusives/writers-digest-magazine-november-december-2019-online-exclusives/the-lessons-ive-learned-from-writing-about-the-history-of-another-country">The Lessons I’ve Learned From Writing About the History of Another Country</a> by <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/author/jkasperkramer">J. Kasper Kramer</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com">Writer's Digest</a>.
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[Author of the middle-grade historical fantasy novel The Story That Cannot Be Told J. Kasper Kramer tells what lessons she learned from writing about the Romanian revolution, and the truths that the histories of other countries can teach us about our own present. Read her debut author interview in the Breaking In column of the <a href="https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/unveiling-the-writers-digest-november-december-2019-cover" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">November/December 2019 issue of Writer’s Digest</a>.
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<img class="aligncenter wp-image-663407 size-full" src="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-design-9.jpg" alt="J. Kaspar Kramer The Story That Cannot Be Told" width="336" height="280" srcset="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-design-9.jpg 336w, https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-design-9-300x250.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 336px) 100vw, 336px" />
Picture a leader who holds parades and celebrations in his own honor, who makes certain those who work for him praise him regularly and publicly. Picture a leader who owns a bathroom made of gold, who admires and befriends the dictator of North Korea.
Picture a government, run by this leader, building an incredible, astronomically expensive structure as a symbol of power. It’s so large, it can be seen from the moon. Picture an administration that constantly vilifies the media, that lashes out at any public critique and condemns it as fake, actively trying to silence all press that isn’t positive.
Picture police raiding homes and workplaces. Picture rampant poverty and fear of outsiders.
If you think you know where and when and who I’m talking about, you might be in for a surprise. What you’ve just pictured is life in Communist Romania, where Nicolae Ceausescu’s authoritarian regime came to a violent, bloody end 30 years ago during the 1989 Romanian Revolution.
I’d been living abroad for several years, writing in the margins of my life while teaching at an international school, when I got the idea for The Story That Cannot Be Told. The novel taking root in my head was based around 10-year-old Ileana, an aspiring writer living in Bucharest in 1989. Writing in Communist Romania was quite dangerous, something my young protagonist would discover early in the book. Her uncle would publish an anti-Communist poem. He’d be disappeared by the Securitate, the secret police. In response, Ileana would be sent away to stay with unfamiliar grandparents in a rural, mountain village, where she’d learn lessons about friendship and family and bravery, and ultimately be forced to confront the danger she’d left behind. When I decided to interweave feminist retellings of Romanian folklore and fairytales throughout the historical fiction, I realized my new idea was starting to look very much like an actual book.
I began extensive research with the help of some of my closest friends, Romanian women who’d lived through the 1989 Revolution. Some of them translated political documents for me. Some contacted relatives so that they could tell me their family stories and favorite folklore more accurately. When I moved back to the States for graduate school about a year later, I finally sat down to write. Once I had a first draft, I sent it to my friends, who each Skyped with me for hours at a time, lovingly explaining page by excruciating page all the many details I’d gotten wrong.
After that, things moved with a quickness I’d never expected. I got an agent, and before I knew it, I was on submission. I started getting phone calls from executive editors at publishers I’d only dreamed of. The book went to auction. And suddenly, I was an author.
Then Donald Trump was elected president.
And I started seeing this story I’d written—this story about to go out into the world, set in a troubled time and troubled place far away—in an entirely different light.
I won’t spell out the parallels between the current climate in America and the climate in 1980s Communist Romania leading up to the Revolution. If you read my novel or read some history, you’ll find those parallels on your own. You’ll find those parallels when you look through the blog posts of Romanian expats and exiles. You’ll find them when you learn that white supremacists in our country, such as those at the 2017 Charlottesville rally, wear T-shirts with the name and face of Corneliu Codreanu splayed across their chests.*
I won’t spell out these connections because it means more when you find them yourself.
What I will do instead is tell you about hope.
Because even though it’s taken me some time to see it, at its core, that’s what my novel is really about.
The incredible thing about history is that we can get further away from it, but like any story let loose in the world, we can’t ever erase it completely, no matter how hard we try.
And people do try, all the time.
In Communist Romania, propaganda was everywhere. Media was strictly controlled. Those whose voices might convince others to look past the façade—teachers and artists and scientists—were frequent targets of the Securitate. Textbooks were altered to frame Romania in a more positive historical light. The government painted the country’s participation in the Holocaust, for example, as trivial and innocent. Romanians were victims of fascism, they said. They saved Jews, they said.
Yet people remembered the truth. People like Elie Wiesel, who’d emigrated to the United States after surviving Auschwitz and Buchenwald. The Romanian institute named after him is still digging up mass graves in their forests, and slowly, the textbooks are being rewritten.
There’s hope in history because remembering the past—both the good and the bad—gives us the chance to build a better future.
In Communist Romania, it was dangerous to remember too loudly, to tell the truth, to even get caught listening—but people wrote poetry anyway. They told jokes. They sang anti-Communist songs. They bought illegal movies and music from abroad off the black market and had secret dance parties and screenings at the risk of their careers and their families and maybe even their lives.
They hoped, against all odds, even after decades and decades of living in fear, that things could get better. And when the slightest crack appeared in the glass—when the first riots broke out in Timisoara on December 16, 1989—Romanians ran full force toward revolution.
After The Story That Cannot Be Told sold to S&S/Atheneum, I was anxious—and not just the “normal” anxious that all debut authors feel. (“Is my book really good enough? Do I really deserve this? What if this is my only shot and I fail?”)
I was anxious because I realized that even though my novel was set in the past of another country—a country we rarely even hear about in America—it was steeped in the controversial issues currently fueling our tense political climate: contested freedom of speech, corrupt governments, abuses of power, poverty, police violence, and misinformation.
What if readers saw these connections in Story?
Worse yet, what if they didn’t?
I suppose now that particular anxiety has worn off. The long stretch leading up to publication gives writers time to grow comfortable with the work that they’ve done. (Though it would be a lie to say I don’t often sit back and take a slow, shaking breath, thinking of all the strangers who’ll soon be holding my heart in their hands.)
I told my story, which means it’s no longer mine. It belongs now to the people who read it—and there’s little I can do about what they see or don’t see in its pages.
The new dream is that those it touches will seek more—more Romanian history, more history about other countries that survived similar hardships. And after they’ve been filled up with stories, perhaps they’ll be able to use them to do good. Because remembering the past of places and times far away can help us make the here and now better.
Stories are powerful, but only if we choose to listen.
<hr />
*Codreanu was the pre-WWII Romanian leader of the fascist Iron Guard, also called the Legion of the Archangel Michael. He was an open anti-Semite and nationalist, who organized death squads and advocated for genocide. Though Communist Romania was founded on (and maintained by) loud declarations of anti-fascism, the day-to-day realities of life in Communist Romania, such as widespread censorship of the media and general oppression of freedom of speech, were often fascist in nature.
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<title>Breaking In: Fantasy author Sarah J. Sover on Finding Home at a Small Press</title>
<link>https://www.writersdigest.com/publishing-insights/breaking-in-fantasy-author-sarah-j-sover-on-finding-home-at-a-small-press</link>
<comments>https://www.writersdigest.com/publishing-insights/breaking-in-fantasy-author-sarah-j-sover-on-finding-home-at-a-small-press#respond</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 15 Aug 2019 14:00:43 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Cassandra Lipp]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Breaking In Writers Digest]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Publishing Insights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[The Writer's Dig]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Breaking In]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Science Fiction/Fantasy]]></category>
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<description><![CDATA[Debut author Sarah J. Sover talks about finding the perfect home for her comedic fantasy novel Double-Crossing the Bridge with the indie publisher The Parliament House. 
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/publishing-insights/breaking-in-fantasy-author-sarah-j-sover-on-finding-home-at-a-small-press">Breaking In: Fantasy author Sarah J. Sover on Finding Home at a Small Press</a> by <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/author/cassielipp">Cassandra Lipp</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com">Writer's Digest</a>.
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[In the Breaking In column of our <a href="https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/unveiling-our-september-2019-cover" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">September 2019 issue</a>, debut author Sarah J. Sover talked about finding the perfect home for her comedic fantasy novel Double-Crossing the Bridge with the indie publisher The Parliament House. Here is her unabridged Breaking In interview. Hear more about Sover’s publishing journey during the debut authors panel at the <a href="https://writersdigestconference.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Writer’s Digest Annual Conference</a> Aug. 22-25.
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<img class="size-medium wp-image-662241 aligncenter" src="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Sarah-Sover-Double-Crossing-the-Bridge-300x203.png" alt="Sarah Sover Double-Crossing the Bridge" width="300" height="203" srcset="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Sarah-Sover-Double-Crossing-the-Bridge-300x203.png 300w, https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Sarah-Sover-Double-Crossing-the-Bridge.png 528w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<a href="https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/why-writers-should-embrace-their-weird-side" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read Sover’s essay about how she learned to embrace her weird side in her writing.</a>
Tell us about Double-Crossing the Bridge.
When a grog-chugging, baby-eating troll finds herself facing eviction, she only sees one way to get the landlord off her back: Lead a misfit crew on the heist of the century.
Where do you write from?
John’s Creek, Ga.
Briefly, what led up to this book? What were you writing and getting published before breaking out with this book?
I had a short story included in the 2019 JordanCon Anthology back in April, and this is my second novel. The first, an epic fantasy, will remain with my journals of bad poetry until the day I die and my kids try to make a buck on it! Joke’s on them, it’s terrible! Like every determined writer, the years leading up were filled with rejection broken up by glimmers of hope until it happened.
What was the time frame for writing this book? 
Double-Crossing the Bridge took two years since I have two young children. Some people write to music; I write to the sounds of chaos, despite my husband’s best efforts. I also work in bursts of hyper-focus, with months passing between. This book held my attention mostly because I wrote it purely for my own amusement. That’s why you’ll find over 20 heist flick Easter eggs throughout!
Tell us how your book deal came about without an agent.
I was in the midst of querying agents when I began to realize how niche my book is. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a market for it as is evidenced by the success of Deadpool, Hitchiker’s Guide, etc., but humor is frequently a hard sell. A good small press makes the perfect home for oddball manuscripts. The day I decided to look into them, someone on Twitter shared an acquisitions announcement from The Parliament House, and it included four weird, dark fantasies. It was fate! After researching, I submitted, had a full request within the week, and the offer came shortly after.
What were your 1-2 biggest surprises throughout the publishing process?
I’ve always been the type to take control of projects and work alone, reluctant to reach out. The idea of workshopping my writing still makes me cringe and fidget. But the writing community, particularly my amazing critique group and the Debut Authors 2019 group, gave me a legion of writers that I would kill and die for. Their collective knowledge and support keep me sane through this rollercoaster, and I never saw that coming.
Looking back, what did you do right that helped you break in?
My first novel was the sacrifice to learning, and jumping in like that, opening myself up to screwing it all up, devouring any and all resources, participating in pitch events and competitions—it all led to where I am now.
On that note, what would you have done differently if you could do it again?
I joke that I’m the Juggernaut, basically inertia in the flesh. I have two modes: stop and go. Any mistakes I made were because I hit everything I do at a full run, but so are the successes. I could have opened myself up to other writers sooner or queried longer, but ultimately, I’m thrilled to be where I am. Changing any of those things would put me somewhere else. The only thing that I still kick myself over is clicking send on that awful first query letter!
Did you have a platform in place? 
I have a community in place where others support me and I support them. While I have a website, Facebook page, and Instagram, I’m more active on Twitter because that’s where I interact with people the most. I rely mostly on organic growth and creating connections.
I’m also having a ridiculous little game created. Readers like throwing exploding unicorn poo at goats, right?
What’s the best piece of writing advice you have that we haven’t yet discussed?
Only listen to the advice that supports your process. There’s so much noise out there, but the only right way to write a book is the way that gets the book written. That means something different to every individual. So, block out the well-intentioned advice that feeds your imposter syndrome monster (we all have them), grab onto the advice that fuels you, and get your story out there. On the publishing side, whether you go with an agent or a small press, research!
What’s next?
I’m working on a fantasy noir called Fairy GodMurder in which a fairy godmother goes rogue to hunt down the serial killer who slaughtered her first charge. When I finish revisions, it’ll be back to the query trenches for me. I’ll be making it to some conventions over the next year, so when you see me around the convention circuit, ask for a #BewareTheGoats badge ribbon!
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<h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://writersdigestconference.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-661938 size-full" src="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/WDC-2019-Keynotes-Full.jpg" alt="Writer's Digest Annual Conference" width="600" height="486" srcset="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/WDC-2019-Keynotes-Full.jpg 600w, https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/WDC-2019-Keynotes-Full-300x243.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></a><a href="https://writersdigestconference.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Write better. Get published. Build your network.</a>
Writer’s Digest Annual Conference | New York City</h3>
 
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/publishing-insights/breaking-in-fantasy-author-sarah-j-sover-on-finding-home-at-a-small-press">Breaking In: Fantasy author Sarah J. Sover on Finding Home at a Small Press</a> by <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/author/cassielipp">Cassandra Lipp</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com">Writer's Digest</a>.
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<title>Breaking In: The Ash Family Author Molly Dektar on Creating Her Chilling Cult Fiction</title>
<link>https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/breaking-in-the-ash-family-author-molly-dektar-on-creating-her-chilling-cult-fiction</link>
<comments>https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/breaking-in-the-ash-family-author-molly-dektar-on-creating-her-chilling-cult-fiction#respond</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 10 Aug 2019 16:00:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Cassandra Lipp]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Breaking In Writers Digest]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[The Writer's Dig]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Breaking In]]></category>
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<description><![CDATA[Debut author of The Ash Family Molly Dektar talks about picking one project to focus on at a time, the importance of taking research trips, and how she landed her dream agent in this unabridged Breaking In interview.
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/breaking-in-the-ash-family-author-molly-dektar-on-creating-her-chilling-cult-fiction">Breaking In: The Ash Family Author Molly Dektar on Creating Her Chilling Cult Fiction</a> by <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/author/cassielipp">Cassandra Lipp</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com">Writer's Digest</a>.
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[Debut author of The Ash Family Molly Dektar talks about picking one project to focus on at a time, the importance of taking research trips, and how she landed her dream agent in this unabridged Breaking In interview. Hear more about Dektar’s publishing journey during the debut authors panel at the <a href="https://writersdigestconference.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Writer’s Digest Annual Conference</a> in NYC this August.
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<img class="size-medium wp-image-663108 aligncenter" src="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-design-3-300x250.jpg" alt="The Ash Family Molly Dektar" width="300" height="250" srcset="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-design-3-300x250.jpg 300w, https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-design-3.jpg 336w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Tell us about The Ash Family.
When a young woman leaves her family—and the civilized world—to join an off-the-grid community headed by an enigmatic leader, she discovers that belonging comes with a deadly cost.
Where do you write from? 
I live in Brooklyn, New York. I wrote most of the book in Brooklyn, but I also wrote some of it in North Carolina, where I’m from, and where the novel is set.
Briefly, what led up to this book? What were you writing and getting published before breaking out with this book?
I’ve kept a daily journal since I was 11, and I wrote a very bad middle-school novel, a very bad high-school novel, and a pretty bad college collection of short stories. I got several short stories published in small online publications in 2012-2013. But—and this is not recommended really anywhere, and I don’t mean it to be a recommendation—I found that the time cost, and the emotional cost, too, of sending short stories to various magazines was not worth it. I thought, I ought to pour all this energy straight into a single book project instead. I was very fortunate to get into Brooklyn College’s MFA program, whose director, Josh Henkin, creates a sanctuary feel, without pressure to publish.
What was the time frame for writing this book? 
I started writing the Ash Family during my time at Brooklyn College. A version of the book’s second chapter was my first workshop submission in my first MFA workshop in fall 2013. I thought it would just be a short story, but it kept growing from there. I wrote the first draft of the book in a year and a half. Then I sold the book in fall 2015. The editing process took three years.
The book changed a lot, but the vision didn’t: I made lots of structural changes, like unbunching the plot, combining or eliminating extraneous characters, and clarifying the rules of this off-the-grid homestead so that transgressions against the rules are clearer. A major thing I learned in editing was not to be cagey about what the narrator, Berie, is thinking. I had to learn to work in some detail about what she believed she was seeing, even though those reaction sentences can feel a bit too on-the-nose when I’m writing them. So many strange things happen in this novel and it’s hard for both the reader and Berie to tell if people are getting injured and dying by accident or on purpose.
How did you find your agent? 
My agent is P.J. Mark at Janklow and Nesbit. I was extremely fortunate to be able to work with him. He represents many literary heroes of mine, and it happened because one of my Brooklyn College teachers, Dinaw Mengestu, shared my manuscript with him.
What were your 1-2 biggest surprises throughout the publishing process?
In school, I was always the kind of student who couldn’t stand to read a teacher’s comments on my work. I would read comments or evaluations as quickly as possible or not at all. With my fiction, I have always found it very uncomfortable, even embarrassing, to expose my work to friends, family, and acquaintances. I’m a very consistent person in general and so I was shocked to find that not only was it manageable to read my editor’s comments and suggestions (my editor was Emily Graff at Simon & Schuster, who is incredibly detailed and thoughtful), I actually craved her feedback. It probably doesn’t come as a surprise to you that editing can make a book objectively better, but I’m used to lots of hand-wringing and uncertainty and vague, undirected anxiety, and it was amazing to discover that how truly helpful, and even relaxing, the editing process was.
Another surprise is that it takes a long time to publish a book! I am a different person now from when I sold the book in 2015. Writing is very solitary, and you really depend only on yourself when you’re writing the draft. Then once you enter the publishing process, it’s a group project. You have to give up control. There’s apocalyptic thinking in my novel, and in my life, too. But the publishing world, and the world at large, are not going to fall apart before your book comes out. There’s time. Also, and I didn’t fully appreciate this before I sold my book: There’s more than one book deal in the world.
Looking back, what did you do right that helped you break in?
One thing I did right was I set very low bars for myself. I dismissed the big questions—the “What’s the best possible book I can write?” “What should my style be like?” the expansive side, the endless opinions. There are so many great works of literature and so many intriguing ideas about what good fiction should be. (Right before starting this book, for example, I remember reading Dennis Cooper and thinking, “This is the answer!” Same for Speak, Memory, and for Hemingway’s short stories—I wanted to write exactly like them, and for a period I was tortured by this.) And there are so many rules about how much time you should write and how much time you should revise and so on. And I let my mantra be, “Whatever works!”
It was helpful to find my project and work intensely on that project, and not, as I mentioned before, force myself also to write and send out short stories. It was helpful to find my references. There were not many but I was obsessed with the ones I found. While writing this novel, I became obsessed with Sacred Harp singing, a communal, decentralized, self-taught folk music tradition. I listened pretty much only to Sacred Harp music the entire time I was writing this book. I spent a year working on farms and didn’t concern myself with all the other kinds of traveling I could have been doing. I was also obsessed with reading about back-to-the-landers—I loved “Voices from the Farm,” and “West of Eden.” I also loved reading Murray Bookchin, bell hooks, and farming manuals. It’s very difficult for me to find references that resonate with me and I learned that you don’t need too many, just as you don’t need too many readers weighing in on your drafts. A friend of mine told me about the <a href="https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-scale/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Duckworth “Grit Scale”</a> and the short version of this answer is just that, to finish the book, I sacrificed voraciousness for grit.
On that note, what would you have done differently if you could do it again? 
 
I wish I had traveled to where I set my book—the mountains of North Carolina—earlier in the process. I went there to stay on a farm in 2017 after the book had already gone through many drafts. It’s difficult to sink the time and money into a research trip, which is why I didn’t do it earlier. And I’d worked on lots of farms in many other locations, and herded plenty of sheep, and I am from North Carolina, and I’d done a lot of reading about the area. Farmers often find arrowheads in the fields, I’d read. But then when I got to the farm and actually saw the farmer’s collection of arrowheads, it all felt completely different. This would be a difficult change to implement, because a research trip early on in the process can feel like a risky investment if you’re not sure where the book is going and if you have other constraints and obligations. But it hugely improved the book’s sense of place, which is one of its essential elements.
Did you have a platform in place? 
Early on, someone at Simon & Schuster told me to pick between Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and really use one of them, and I picked <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mollydektar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Instagram</a>, because I’ve always liked taking photos. I also recently got on Goodreads. I’m so inherently retiring so it’s going to be a challenge.
What is the best piece of writing advice you have that we haven’t discussed yet?
I have two. One is something that lots of people say but I heard it from my teachers Bret Johnston and Josh Henkin: Make sure your character has something to want. Desire—even for something simple, like a glass of water—drives all suspense and all plot. It sounds too prescriptive, and when I first heard it I got defensive, because I love a listless, confused narrator. But the character’s desire provides a backbone for any story.
The other thing is something that transformed the writing of my second novel. I had no idea how to write a novel while holding down a day job. I thought the key would be “write an hour a day at a set time” but that wasn’t really working. Then last summer Jami Attenberg made this profoundly helpful newsletter called “1000 Words of Summer” (the archive is <a href="https://tinyletter.com/1000wordsofsummer/archive" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>) with a daily encouragement to write 1,000 words. I had never even imagined trying to write that much. And changing my rubric from “time spent” to “words written” had a surprisingly huge impact. I couldn’t keep pretending that clicking around doing “research” was part of the writing, and I started adding pages. (I can only really force out 500 words at most. 1,000 only happens on special days.) In one of the newsletters, Will Leitch <a href="https://tinyletter.com/1000wordsofsummer/letters/day-8-of-1000wordsofsummer" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">quotes Roger Ebert</a>, saying “The muse visits during the act of creation, not before.” I think about that every day.
What’s next?
I just finished the first draft of this adulterous romance book. I tell people “romance”—it’s very amorous! As embarrassed as I am to show my work to family and friends, I also keep plunging forward into the very heart of embarrassing topics. Like a death drive. So we’ll see how it changes in editing.
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<h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://writersdigestconference.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-661938 size-full" src="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/WDC-2019-Keynotes-Full.jpg" alt="Writer's Digest Annual Conference" width="600" height="486" srcset="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/WDC-2019-Keynotes-Full.jpg 600w, https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/WDC-2019-Keynotes-Full-300x243.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></a><a href="https://writersdigestconference.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Write better. Get published. Build your network.</a>
Writer’s Digest Annual Conference | New York City</h3>
 
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/breaking-in-the-ash-family-author-molly-dektar-on-creating-her-chilling-cult-fiction">Breaking In: The Ash Family Author Molly Dektar on Creating Her Chilling Cult Fiction</a> by <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/author/cassielipp">Cassandra Lipp</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com">Writer's Digest</a>.
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<title>How to Protect Your Artistic Integrity: Let Go of Expectations</title>
<link>https://www.writersdigest.com/online-exclusives/writers-digest-magazine-october-2019-online-exclusives/how-to-protect-your-artistic-integrity-let-go-of-expectations</link>
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<pubDate>Wed, 07 Aug 2019 14:00:33 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kira Jane Buxton]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Breaking In Writers Digest]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[The Writer's Dig]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Writer's Digest Magazine October 2019 Online Exclusives]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Breaking In]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[writing advice]]></category>
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<description><![CDATA[Hollow Kingdom author Kira Jane Buxton shares the writing journey that led her let go of expectations while writing. 
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/online-exclusives/writers-digest-magazine-october-2019-online-exclusives/how-to-protect-your-artistic-integrity-let-go-of-expectations">How to Protect Your Artistic Integrity: Let Go of Expectations</a> by <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/author/kirajanebuxton">Kira Jane Buxton</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com">Writer's Digest</a>.
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[In the Breaking In column of our <a href="https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/unveiling-the-wd-october-2019-cover" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">October 2019 issue</a>, Hollow Kingdom author Kira Jane Buxton says that letting go of outside expectation and writing the book that was bubbling inside her led to the publication of her debut novel. In this hilarious essay, she shares the writing journey that led her letting go of expectations while writing.
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<img class="size-medium wp-image-663000 aligncenter" src="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-design-300x250.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="250" srcset="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-design-300x250.jpg 300w, https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-design.jpg 336w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
I have enjoyed telling stories for as long as I can remember. The first story I ever wrote was about an overweight dragon. The stories segued into some luminous poetry—“I feel happy when I read, I make my mum happy when I speed” (spelled “spead”)—and eventually into lengthy tween Word documents about my feverish obsession with horses (an obsession that was tempered when I was thrown from a strawberry roan gelding named Century Fox and torpedoed face first into the sand like a stubbed cigarette).
I was an artistic kid, interspersing the writing with drawings—some memorable early pieces were “Daddy on Wheels” and “Cat with Boobs”—and making up dances to C & C Music Factory in my bedroom. I was always an avid animal lover, famously setting out to rollerblade in our Jakarta neighborhood and returning with puppies or a survivalist guinea pig—we are still not sure how Algernon survived the tropical wilds of our complex where there were often king cobra sightings. I grew up an expat and wherever we were living, we rescued animals. In school, I wrote mini theses about conservation—wolves and sea turtles and about the negative impact of tourism in Indonesia’s Thousand Islands. I found my way back to writing after a decade-long detour to LA where I attempted to become very specifically either Whoopi Goldberg or Gary Oldman. My now-husband bought me creative writing classes at Santa Monica college and when I started diving into stories it felt like a rather novel experience for a lifelong expat—it felt like coming home.
My first book was a mystery that took place in a direct ripoff of Hearst Castle. I might as well have called it Cearst Hastle. It was filled with Clue-like characters and an inordinate number of animals exacting their revenge on people. There were tigers, a bloodhound, and a rhino named Earnest (I thought this spelling of it to be of particular hilarity). I queried agents to a deafening response of cyber crickets and popped a bottle of Prosecco over the couple of form rejections that beeped into my inbox. It turns out that no one wanted to read about Cearst Hastle.
Naturally, the next long-form writing project I tackled, at ripe old age of 29, was a memoir. It was about a strange experience I’d had while living in LA, a place where I had many strange experiences. I queried. Agents were interested in this one, but quickly said there wasn’t enough happening in the memoir. One very prestigious and kind agent wrote to say she loved my writing, but thought she could see the memoir as a fictionalized series. I loved the idea and set about turning strange truth into even stranger fiction. I turned memory to mystery, sent it to her and she said it wasn’t quite there. We went back and forth, while I hired two wonderful editors and reworked the novel until I literally couldn’t see it. I would open up the document and stare at the screen blindly—as if I were squinting into the blustering white confetti of a snowstorm.
What is the sensible thing to do when you can’t see a novel? Write its sequel of course! I did. Then I returned to the novel that was once a memoir over a year later and still couldn’t see a single line of it. Things fizzled out with the gracious and patient agent. I was now sitting on four novels. I felt worse than when I was bucked from Century Fox, winded and sucking in sand.
I was crushed. Pinned under the weight of many years of relentless rejection—from writing, acting, painting, and a ridiculously good-looking horse. I felt destined to fail. I rolled around the floor a lot and drank wine from a salad bowl. My husband, who is very perceptive and noticed something was wrong, suggested that I “go and write the thing about the crows.” I love those beautiful black birds more than I can express and had wanted to write about them for a long time, but didn’t know how. So I picked myself up off the floor and spent time reading nonfiction about the natural world, sitting outside with the two wild crows and the hummingbirds I’d befriended. Time in nature and reading about flora and fauna reminded me why I write in the first place—because I love this planet and I want to protect it. Perhaps a key ingredient in an artistic journey is having terrier-like tenacity, and I decided to take my husband’s advice and write a new book like no one would read it.
This allowed me total freedom. I wrote about the extinction of the human race as told by a feisty, Cheeto-loving crow. It would be literary, but funny and satirical, and have elements of horror but also poetry. I called it Hollow Kingdom. I filled it with the animals I loved—there were tigers and bloodhounds (alas, no Earnest). There would have to be a narcissistic cat and a giant Pacific octopus because I am so enamored of them. I didn’t think about approaching an agent with this book, because who would touch a book narrated by an indelicate crow I impenitently named Shit Turd? And honestly, I had the most fun I’ve ever had writing anything. When I finished, I shared the beginning of it with a friend, and after some sage advice from a Seattle author who felt there was something special about the book, I queried agents. Why not?
The response was immediate. Agents requested the full manuscript. Many wrote to tell me that they loved it, but just didn’t know how to sell this enigmatic beast of a novel and would be cheering me on from the sidelines. I eventually flew to New York City to meet with several agents that wanted to represent me and signed with the illustrious Bill Clegg of The Clegg Agency. Hollow Kingdom sold at auction to Grand Central Publishing/Hachette and AMC optioned the TV rights. We have sold the foreign rights in many countries and it is an Indie Next Pick for August 2019.
I think that, aside from the many necessary years of writing practice and routine, what made the difference with the response to Hollow Kingdom was that I didn’t let outside expectation influence this novel. I wrote unapologetically and combined my passions—humor, nature, adventure, environmentalism, and hope. It’s easy to get caught up in the rat race of accomplishment and the pernicious game of comparison—let it go. You’re the only one who can write your novel; every author and every book is going to have their own unique adventure.
Rejection has been one of my greatest teachers. It’s how I improved, motivated myself, and built my comedy chops. My best writing advice is also the most simple—just have fun with it. Take the pressure off and allow yourself the freedom to stretch creatively. The external goals—agent, book deals—are all attainable, but what lovely landscape opens up artistically if they aren’t the core reason for your art? Write the thing that’s fizzing and bubbling inside you. Stay true to yourself and explore your passions (even personality-disordered horses!), and remember that you will always be the utmost authority on your writing.
I always have the option to go back, dust off, and resurrect my previous novels, but I’m not sure I will. I have no regrets—each was a guerrilla masterclass in novel writing, a pleasure and a privilege to write. Hollow Kingdom stands on the shoulders of those books. The only regret I have is that somewhere in our many expat travels, we lost my early masterpiece “Cat With Boobs,” which might have eventually taken the art world by storm.
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Writer’s Digest Annual Conference | New York City</h3>
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/online-exclusives/writers-digest-magazine-october-2019-online-exclusives/how-to-protect-your-artistic-integrity-let-go-of-expectations">How to Protect Your Artistic Integrity: Let Go of Expectations</a> by <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/author/kirajanebuxton">Kira Jane Buxton</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com">Writer's Digest</a>.
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<title>Breaking In: Keah Brown on Going From Viral Hashtag Creator to Debut Memoir Author</title>
<link>https://www.writersdigest.com/publishing-insights/breaking-in-keah-brown-on-going-from-viral-hashtag-creator-to-debut-memoir-author</link>
<comments>https://www.writersdigest.com/publishing-insights/breaking-in-keah-brown-on-going-from-viral-hashtag-creator-to-debut-memoir-author#respond</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 06 Aug 2019 17:00:43 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Cassandra Lipp]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Breaking In Writers Digest]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Publishing Insights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Breaking In]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[memoir]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.writersdigest.com/?p=663052</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Happy pub day to Keah Brown! Her debut memoir, The Pretty One, released today from Atria Books. To celebrate, we're publishing the unabridged version of Keah's interview featured in the Breaking In column of the September 2019 issue of Writer's Digest. You can catch Keah on the debut authors panel at the Writer's Digest Annual Conference.
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/publishing-insights/breaking-in-keah-brown-on-going-from-viral-hashtag-creator-to-debut-memoir-author">Breaking In: Keah Brown on Going From Viral Hashtag Creator to Debut Memoir Author</a> by <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/author/cassielipp">Cassandra Lipp</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com">Writer's Digest</a>.
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[Happy pub day to Keah Brown! Her debut memoir, The Pretty One, released today from Atria Books. To celebrate, we’re publishing the unabridged version of Keah’s interview featured in the Breaking In column of the <a href="https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/unveiling-our-september-2019-cover" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">September 2019 issue</a> of Writer’s Digest. You can catch Keah on the debut authors panel at the <a href="https://writersdigestconference.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Writer’s Digest Annual Conference</a> in NYC Aug. 22-25.
<hr />
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-663053 size-medium" src="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/PrettyOne_cover4-197x300.jpg" alt="Keah Brown The Pretty One" width="197" height="300" srcset="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/PrettyOne_cover4-197x300.jpg 197w, https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/PrettyOne_cover4-768x1170.jpg 768w, https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/PrettyOne_cover4.jpg 672w" sizes="(max-width: 197px) 100vw, 197px" />
Tell us about The Pretty One.
 The Pretty One is an exploration of living with cerebral palsy through a journey to joy.
Where do you write from? 
I write from Lockport, N.Y. I write at my desk in the home I share with my mother, sister, and brother. I also write at my local library.
Briefly, what led up to this book? What were you writing and getting published before breaking out with The Pretty One?
To be frank, my surviving and journey to self-love led to this book. If I didn’t first learn how, this book would not be possible. My essays, articles, and profiles have been featured in Teen Vogue, Marie Claire UK, Allure, Essence, Catapult, Harper’s Bazaar, and Lenny Letter among other publications.
I just kept writing as much as possible and my agent found me.
What was the time frame for writing this book?
I announced the book in December 2017 and I started writing it on January 10, 2018. I finished in July of the same year. So, I wrote quickly mostly out of fear that the publisher could change their minds. Thank goodness they didn’t! But, I was so excited to get to work that I never missed a day of writing and that’s why I think I turned it out so quickly.
How did you find your agent?
My agent found me through all my work online and my viral hashtag #DisabledAndCute. My agent is Alex Slater of Trident Media group. How I figured out that we were the perfect fit was that I set up phone calls with my final four agent suitors. And we just clicked. He really understands the writer that I am and want to be. I am so happy to be on his team.
What were your 1-2 biggest learning experiences or surprises throughout the publishing process?
The biggest surprise was how long it takes until your book sees the light of day. As a person who writes in print and online, I am used to the instant gratification of almost immediate feedback. Now, I anxiously await the response to [The Pretty One] from readers. I hope that they love it as much as I do. I am very proud of the work I and my team put in to make this the best book it could be. Major shoutout to my editor, Rakesh Satyal.
Looking back, what did you do right that helped you break in?
I refused to give up even after every rejection. I believed in the work more than I did myself. I was determined for all of my work to count for something and to help me get here. So, I believe it was the fact that I never gave up even when I wanted to, even after crying and praying about it. I am here today because I pushed past the doubt.
On that note, what would you have done differently if you could do it again?
I wouldn’t write for free as much. I started out writing whatever was asked of me for free because I wanted to get my foot in the door. However, I encourage writers starting out to only write for free if they can feasibly do so and to understand that their words have value so they should get paid.
Did you have a platform in place? On this topic, what are you doing the build a platform and gain readership?
Yes, I am lucky that I came to this debut book process with a 16.6K platform on Twitter full off really wonderful and caring people who want to see me succeed and a Instagram platform on top of the relationships built with editors over the years. I am going to remain active on these platforms and tell everyone I meet not only about my book but my work toward proper representation for people with disabilities.
What is your best piece of writing advice that we haven’t discussed yet?
Roxane Gay told me once to hold the line and know my worth with regard to asking for pay that reflects my work and resume, so that’s advice I think all writers need. Do not lowball yourself and don’t compare yourself to others, stay in your lane where there is no traffic, you’ll get to where you should be when you’re supposed to.
What’s next? Do you have any upcoming projects or future plans?
Hopefully another book or four! TV and movies are the long-game future plans. Those two things and changing the way people view, think about, and interact with disabled people.
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<h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://writersdigestconference.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-661873 size-full" src="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/WDC19-pitchslam-600px.jpg" alt="WDC19 Pitch Slam" width="600" height="269" srcset="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/WDC19-pitchslam-600px.jpg 600w, https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/WDC19-pitchslam-600px-300x135.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></a><a href="https://writersdigestconference.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Write better. Get published. Build your network.</a>
Writer’s Digest Annual Conference | New York City</h3>
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/publishing-insights/breaking-in-keah-brown-on-going-from-viral-hashtag-creator-to-debut-memoir-author">Breaking In: Keah Brown on Going From Viral Hashtag Creator to Debut Memoir Author</a> by <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/author/cassielipp">Cassandra Lipp</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com">Writer's Digest</a>.
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<title>Why Writers Should Embrace Their Weird Side</title>
<link>https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/why-writers-should-embrace-their-weird-side</link>
<comments>https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/why-writers-should-embrace-their-weird-side#comments</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 19 Jun 2019 14:00:51 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sarah Sover]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Breaking In Writers Digest]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Guide to Literary Agents]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Haven't Written Anything Yet, Writing for Beginners]]></category>
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<category><![CDATA[Writer's Digest Magazine September 2019 Online Exclusives]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Writing Your First Draft]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Breaking In]]></category>
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<description><![CDATA[Debut author Sarah Sover shares how embracing her weird side led to the publication of her first book.
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/why-writers-should-embrace-their-weird-side">Why Writers Should Embrace Their Weird Side</a> by <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/author/sarahsover">Sarah Sover</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com">Writer's Digest</a>.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Debut author Sarah Sover shares how embracing her weird side led to the publication of her first book.
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I was always going to be a writer. Well, that or the next vampire slayer, but I was never called, so writing became my calling. In ninth grade, I was sure I would be the kind of writer who changed lives and made a positive impact on the world. I only read classic literature and books like The Alchemist and The Celestine Prophecy, and I wrote poetry. Really bad poetry. And I was weird.
The day the teacher told her class to open their textbooks to a page featuring a photograph of the Giza Plateau, she had no way of knowing the quiet new girl was obsessed with the Great Pyramid. She hadn’t seen the cross-sectional diagrams detailing the structure scribbled into the margins of every notebook I owned, complete with hidden shafts and star orientations above. She did the absolute worst possible thing she could do. She asked the class if anyone knew what we were looking at. I took a deep breath, raised my hand in a tentative, jerky motion, and decided to speak for the first time in the weeks we’d been meeting. When she called on me, I felt my cheeks burn and my stomach twist as my adrenaline spiked. I launched into a full-on diatribe about perfect angles, constellations, ancient civilizations, historical cover-ups, and the potential for life on other planets. Halfway through my speech, I made a fatal error. I looked up. The entire class was staring slack-jawed in my direction. I trailed off to a stutter, then to awkward silence, and the class followed suit. It was the kind of silence that thickens the air.
“You’re weird,” proclaimed a boy from a few desks away. The class erupted in laughter, and I focused all my non-existent powers on willing myself invisible.
<a href="http://www.sarahjsover.com/"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-662609" src="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Sover_DoubleCrossing-1024x615.jpg" alt="Double-Crossing the Bridge by Sarah J. Sover" width="625" height="375" srcset="https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Sover_DoubleCrossing.jpg 1024w, https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Sover_DoubleCrossing-300x180.jpg 300w, https://s23078.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Sover_DoubleCrossing-768x461.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px" /></a>
Weird. It’s a word that’s followed me around. In my younger days it was my own, personal Beetlejuice, a thing that would become real if muttered three times. Here’s the thing, though: I am weird. I just wasn’t ready to embrace it yet. I didn’t want to be weird. I wanted to be the next Charlotte Brontë, Robert Frost, or Daniel Quinn.
I interviewed for the Bell Honors Program my senior year, an interdisciplinary, team-taught approach to education in a small group atmosphere. Despite having blown the Governors’ Honor interview the year before by impersonating a largemouth bass when asked to name a single author I admired, I was surprisingly at ease during the interview, speaking freely and candidly. On the way home, I just knew they saw me for what I was. Weird. When I got home, there was a message waiting with an offer into the program. I was exactly what they were looking for, it said. And Dr. Joiner was right. The program was perfectly suited to the way my mind makes connections. For once, I didn’t feel so weird.
The first week of college, it rained. There was a huge puddle outside the dorm. Nobody was around, so I jumped in. The next thing I knew, my little puddle turned into a pit of reckless, muddy frivolity. I was body-slammed into the mud by one of the 15 or so classmates who joined me. It was awesome. I found my place and my people. At some point during those days, I scribbled a scene about the sentient wind seeking help for a girl who served as a vessel for magic. I stuffed that story away and went to a kegger, forgetting its existence for years.
When college ended, I entered a world where once again, I was weird. I liked progressive metal, writing, caring for injured wildlife, and swing dancing. None of my interests overlapped, I felt like an outcast within each of my individual communities, and my poetry went through a dark phase. I started to think that if I felt so isolated in my weirdness, so must all my fellow misfits, so I began a concept piece called “Identify” comprised of poems, flash fiction, and other randomness. I thought I could connect us all, and I still wanted to change the world with my writing. “Identify” never felt complete. I struggled with believing I had the focus to write an entire book, so for the longest time, I didn’t.
Eventually I found the opening to that story I’d penned in college. It was pretentious. It was lofty. It was all in passive voice. But in my head, I could see Nithya, hair swirling around her, light and dark magic combined in a single form, being hauled off by a sorcerer. From that one scene, I created The Key of Argos, a 130K-word epic fantasy with a lazy title, and I proved something to myself—I could write a book. While the plot was heavy on tropes, the heart of the story was unique. There was something special here, but I was still putting too much pressure on myself.
I started my second book after a ridiculous conversation with my husband, another weirdo. It was a snowball of absurd ideas culminating in the concept of a crew of specialist trolls pulling a heist in broad daylight. I wrote the book with no expectations, no pressures to change the world or conform, no plans for the future. I wrote it simply because the idea of grog-chugging, baby-eating trolls starring in a sitcom version of Oceans 11 made me laugh. It was weird, but it was meant to be.
When I hit the query trenches, I got only complementary or form rejections. The only real feedback I got was that humor is a hard sell. I was still in the midst of querying when I saw the acquisitions announcement from <a href="http://www.parliamenthousepress.com/submissions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Parliament House</a>, and it included four edgy, weird fantasy titles. That’s when I realized that a small press may be the perfect place for my niche story.
That book, <a href="http://www.sarahjsover.com/books" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Double-Crossing the Bridge</a>, releases fall 2019. <a href="http://www.sarahjsover.com/game" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">#BewareTheGoats</a>!
<hr />
See the <a href="https://my.writersdigest.com/servlet/OrdersGateway?cds_mag_code=WDG&cds_page_id=243556" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">September 2019 issue of Writer’s Digest</a> for our interview with Sover.
<hr />
Writing Double-Crossing the Bridge gave me license to be myself. Here I was trying to change the world with my writing for so long until I realized that it was my writing that needed to change me, to teach me to accept myself. It’s only in retrospect that I realize I have my weirdness to thank for everything I’ve achieved.
My advice to everyone, in writing and in all your endeavors, is to lean into your weird. Find the thing that makes you abnormal and embrace it. You hear “be yourself” all the time, but what does that really mean? For me, it meant that instead of shrinking away from my ideas because they don’t fit into someone’s definition of normal, I run with them. While I may not be the authority on ancient people colonizing other planets by leaving earth from the Giza Plateau anymore, I’ll be damned if I let anyone shame me for my passions. I love Disney and craft beer. Machinehead and Journey. Broadway and Deadpool. My mind works in ways that are sometimes hard for others to follow, makes connections that others may not, and that’s not just OK, it’s kind of awesome.
I’m weird, but so are you in your own weird way. So find it, and embrace it. Figure out how to use it and go wherever your mind takes you. Your writing will feel less forced, and you may just learn something about yourself.
And the best part of finding success through your weirdness is that you never have to pretend to be anything else ever again.
The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/why-writers-should-embrace-their-weird-side">Why Writers Should Embrace Their Weird Side</a> by <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com/author/sarahsover">Sarah Sover</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.writersdigest.com">Writer's Digest</a>.
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