“If the end result is a book, then you are a writer.” -Harriet Reuter Hapgood

We have Harriet Reuter Hapgood on the show today! Harriet is a freelance journalist who has worked with Marie Claire, ELLE, and InStyle in the U.K. Teen Vogue named her debut novel, The Square Root of Summer, the “Best New Book of 2016”.  In today’s episode, we discuss writing about heartbreak, quantum physics and time travel, the heavy research process for Harriet’s novel, creating multiple layers of plot to enhance your story, and why it’s important to sacrifice our own personal ties with the story for the ‘bigger picture’. We even dive into what it’s like to have depression and anxiety, and how we as writers can push through and stay on course with our writing goals with special attention to self-care.  I’m so excited for you to learn about Harriet and her journey as a writer!

Today's episode is proudly brought to you by Gotham Writers.

“The voice in your head that says you can’t finish the book or that it’s not worth it, ignore that bad voice.”-Harriet Reuter Hapgood

“You have to sacrifice what you think should happen versus what is good for the book and what is good for the character.”-Harriet Reuter Hapgood

 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• How Harriet weaves quantum physics into her novel The Square Root of Summer

• Why you need to remove your personal connection from the story

• Sacrificing what you want to happen in your story for what is best for your book and its characters

• How to thread different themes together to create a multi-dimensional story without losing focus of your main theme

• Harriet addresses writer’s block and gives us advice on how to use outlining to break free from it

• Why self-care is so crucial to your happiness and success as a writer

• How Harriet created a dream list of literary agents and pitched to them