How do you write for graphic novels? How do you collaborate with an artist? And what mistakes do most authors make when starting out–and how can you avoid them? Whatever your genre, join us for this fun, funny episode where we cover how to enter this thriving, creative world. Mat Heagerty is a graphic novel … Read more
The authors of the book Dating Your Character believe that all character work should actively explore your protagonist’s potential for more selfish, problematic dark impulses. It’s important to recognize your protagonist’s flaws, trauma and past history to round out their motivation and provide opportunities for action that shows them regress from their stated goals. Join them as … Read more
When Mahi Cheshire sent out the first version of what would become Deadly Cure, it was a New Adult novel about med school rivals. Now, in final form, it’s a medical thriller with a rivalry at the heart of the plot. Mahi had to learn “on the job,” as it were, how to write a … Read more
We are so proud of writer Robyn Ryle! She’s the first person to get feedback twice from our feedback panels—and by the time she’d incorporated the feedback from the first panel, the second panel was blown away by her revision, her stakes, and her quick turnaround. We go over versions one and two, talk about … Read more
Feeling stuck? Need some good energy? Or just considering a turning point in your work–or your life? Join Thalia Elie, our resident good vibes expert, for a workshop on how setting can lead to a turning point–and turning points lead to inspiration. This class will open you up to thinking of new ways to use conflict, … Read more
We are so happy to welcome the creative and delightful Anna Sargeant, editor at Sourcebooks, to the podcast! We talk about Anna’s journey from curriculum development to children’s books, Sourcebooks and their growth mindset, what makes for good children’s nonfiction, and how being an editor changed her approach to rejection. Plus, we talk about her … Read more
This week! Join our NEW Submission Packet Workshop to get your query and first pages optimized for today’s stressed-out agent. Learn more here: manuscriptacademy.com/product/submis…acket-workshop Have you ever wondered about the rule to not pitch agents and small presses at the same time? Or wondered how small presses treat you—versus agents? Douglas Weissman thought he was … Read more
You may have heard that today’s agent is more overwhelmed than ever: More submissions, slower response times across Publishing, and supply chain issues, to boot. What’s a writer to do? Enter our Submission Packet Workshop, which equips you to optimize your query and first five pages for the way today’s (overcaffeinated, overwhelmed) agent approaches an … Read more
In the first lockdown of 2020, Juno Dawson’s editor was expecting a YA thriller—but all she wanted to write was Desperate Housewives, with witches. We talk about organizing multiple storylines, plotting a trilogy, and the question of “At what point do you turn the card”—when do you reveal information to the reader? Plus the delightful … Read more
We are thrilled to talk with author May Cobb about planning your author financial life, working with multiple agents, writing lifelike sociopaths, and the changing trends of “likability” in characters. We loved reading My Summer Darlings—it really is the perfect summer read—and hearing about the story behind the story. May says: I grew up in … Read more
