Jon read The Stranger (Amazon Link) by Harlan Corben, and when he mentioned it on the previous show, Juliet was shocked that he had never heard of the New York Times Best Selling author.

We discuss best sellers, and then the structure and emphasis of the thriller. Jon mentions When You Reach Me (Amazon Link) by Rebecca Stead which he loves and even tweeted about:

I recently read When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead and loved it. I think it's middle grade SF, but forget that. It's a good book. Get it.

— jon armstrong (@jon_armstrong) October 20, 2015

From the back of When You Reach Me (Amazon Link):

Four mysterious letters change Miranda’s world forever.

By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it’s safe to go, like the local grocery store, and they know whom to avoid, like the crazy guy on the corner.

But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a new kid for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda’s mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then Miranda finds a mysterious note scrawled on a tiny slip of paper: 

I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own.

I must ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter.

The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she’s too late.

There are a bunch of common failure points in a submission–where I stop reading. – Literary Agent Hanna Bowman

Hannah Bowman of Liza Dawson Associates broke down where the usual novel Failure Points (see all her Tweets on Storify).

Juliet and Jon read all nine tweets in the series and discuss what they mean, how the points are different, and how to avoid them all.

In this show, Jon talks about the book he's currently reading, The Stranger by Harlan Coben.

From Amazon: #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense Harlan Coben delivers his most shocking thriller yet, proving that a well-placed lie can help build a wonderful life-- and a secret has the same explosive power to destroy it.

Juliet has worked with several YA authors who were writing other genre's lately and noticed some patterns. Jon after turning in on YA manuscript to his agent began working on an adult murder mystery and noticed how his own sensibility had been changed.

Jon mentioned a source of historical names on the show. He has used this government source for popular names in the last 100 years:

http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/top5names.html

 

Jon mentioned author Sarah Dessen and can recommend her novels (Amazon links and text):

Lock and Key

A New York Times bestseller

Unlock your heart and the rest will follow.Ruby is used to taking care of herself.

But now that she’s living with her sister, she’s got her own room, she’s going to a good school, and her future looks bright.

Plus there’s the adorable boy next door.

Can Ruby learn to open her heart and let him in?

This Lullaby

A New York Times bestseller

She’s got it all figured out.

Or does she? When it comes to relationships, Remy’s got a whole set of rules.

Never get too serious. Never let him break your heart. And never, ever date a musician.

But then Remy meets Dexter, and the rules don’t seem to apply anymore.

Could it be that she’s starting to understand what all those love songs are about?

When Juliet heard that Jon had just sent two novels to his agent and was anxiously waiting a response, she suggested we discuss the emotions of writing.

So, we consider the ups and downs of writing and rewriting, of getting lost and being found along the way. We also talk about getting books published and watching them go off into the big wide world and the hurricane of feelings that evokes.

Juliet brings the show to a close with a glimmer of editorial hope.

Listener Christian recently commented on our Dialogue Show. In an interview, Harlan Ellison said that he watched Judge Judy to get hear how real people speak. We talk about this, reality tv, how that impacts writing, and our own speaking and listening styles… in our giant Dialogue Follow-Up show.

Jon mentioned and recommends John Green's Paper Towns in this show.

When Margo Roth Spiegelman beckons Quentin Jacobsen in the middle of the night—dressed like a ninja and plotting an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows her. Margo’s always planned extravagantly, and, until now, she’s always planned solo. After a lifetime of loving Margo from afar, things are finally looking up for Q . . . until day breaks and she has vanished. Always an enigma, Margo has now become a mystery. But there are clues. And they’re for Q. (Amazon Link)

He also mentioned and recommends the unedited version of the podcast On Being with Krista Tippett.

Killing Orphans...

Recycling Letters...

Counting Words...

Cutting Fingernails...

Jon shares a few of the games that he plays while writing.

And then we discuss writer Dale Bailey and a 2012 post on his blog about how a version of a writer's game turned dark.

Although not mentioned in the show, Jon has been reading and learning much from author Sarah Dessen. He recommends her YA novels Just Listen and This Lullaby.

Photo Credit: http://www.rgbstock.com/user/mzacha

What is Disney's A Small World ride?

Can you have a scene with little but screamed jargon?

Is it a harsh sounding word? Does it have a lot of consonants?

Jargon is something most English teachers and guide books steer you away from. Not this podcast. Well, not exactly.

That man who lives across the street...

Who walks so happily...

Who's always is the first out to shovel snow...

Who in the hell is he?

He's a character for your next novel.

In this show we discuss some sources of inspiration, and we also try to answer a listener question.

What is wrong with the word said?

Nothing.

Except how it's used again and again and again and again.

Juliet gives sound advice on saids many weaknesses.

Examples are shown. Ideas are formulated. Recommendations are given.

Oh my!

Books mentioned in the show (Amazon links and text):

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

"Eleanor & Park reminded me not just what it's like to be young and in love with a girl, but also what it's like to be young and in love with a book."--John Green, The New York Times Book Review.

The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp

Filtered through the whiskey-soaked perceptions of high school senior Sutter Keely, Tim Tharp's quirky novel (Knopf, 2008) echoes the tragic-comic struggles typical of many students launching themselves into the maelstrom of the adult world. -- Starred Review School Library Journal

Bad news from a plumber...

Learning Method Acting in Mrs. Fairhurst's class...

A philosophical conversation about the word hiss...

It's forty minutes of writing talk about dialogue!

We cover some how-to and some how-not-to. Jon brings several dialogue examples from current reading, and Juliet provides a wide digression about the mentoring of editors.

Books mentioned in the show (Amazon links and text):

Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr (which Jon accidentally called About a Girl)

I was thirteen when my dad caught me with Tommy Webber in the back of Tommy's Buick, parked next to the old Chart House down in Montara at eleven o'clock on a Tuesday night. Tommy was seventeen and the supposed friend of my brother, Darren.

I didn't love him.

I'm not sure I even liked him.

Jon also recommends Sara Zarr's podcast This Creative Life.

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

She’s got it all figured out.

Or does she? When it comes to relationships, Remy’s got a whole set of rules.

Never get too serious. Never let him break your heart. And never, ever date a musician.

But then Remy meets Dexter, and the rules don’t seem to apply anymore.

Could it be that she’s starting to understand what all those love songs are about?

Fantastic 70's image by Dave Gilbert and AddText.com