Thriller 101

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Article
Emma's Website
Be a Bestseller 3.0
Turning Readers into Writers Podcast
Connect with David on Twitter

3 BIG TAKEAWAYS 

1. You CAN make a living with your writing - but you need to learn how
2. Write for the joy of it and do the best work you can
3. Learn from others

BIO
Emma Dhesi is a book coach who specializes in helping beginner authors write their first novel. She helps you improve your craft, provides feedback on your written work and navigates you through the emotional rollercoaster of finishing a novel. 

For more hands-off assistance, Emma hosts a Facebook group and podcast, both called Turning Readers Into Writers. 

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Bianca Marais' Website
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The Shit No One Tells You About Writing Podcast (& KoFi)
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3 BIG TAKEAWAYS 

1. Be tenacious
2. Build a community
3. Make sure your first pages show your character, their goal, and what’s at stake

BIO
In this week's author interview, I'll be talking to Bianca Marais. She is the author of Hum If You Don't Know the Words and If You Want to Make God Laugh. She teaches at the University of Toronto's School of Continuing Studies where she was awarded an Excellence in Teaching Award for Creative Writing in 2021. 

She runs an Own Voices Initiative to empower young Black women in Africa to write and publish their own stories, and is constantly fundraising to assist grandmothers who are caring for children who have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS. 

She is the co-host of the popular podcast, The Shit No One Tells You About Writing, which is aimed at helping emerging writers become published. 

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Free Copywriting Training!
Nicki Krawczyk Bio
What is copywriting?
Filthy Rich Writer Testimonials

3 BIG TAKEAWAYS 

1. Copywriting can be a game-changer for writers
2. There's a learning curve - it's a specific type of writing
3. Continue taking action

BIO
Nicki is the founder of Filthy Rich Writer.

She's been a copywriter for more than 15 years, working for and with clients including TripAdvisor, Marshalls, Hasbro, Keurig, adidas, and even Harlequin Romance novels.

She's worked for agencies both in-house and as a freelancer. And she's made over six figures as a copywriter for several years.

She created Filthy Rich Writer because there’s never been a better time to be a copywriter: There are more companies than ever before who need—and are actively seeking—skilled copywriters.

She believes it's hard to find top quality, real-world copywriting training so she put together the exact resources and trainings she would give herself if she had to start over in her career.

Note: Some of the above links are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I may receive compensation for promoting this content. I ONLY promote products and services I have direct experience with. In this instance, I am a Comprehensive Copywriting Academy member and recommend it for anyone thinking about copywriting!

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Article & Get SA Sidor's Recommended Books!
Connect with SA Sidor on Twitter

3 BIG TAKEAWAYS 

1. Be willing to take feedback
2. Use life's experiences to tell great stories - look for stories everywhere
3. Try to hijack your time by whatever means necessary

BIO
SA Sidor is the author of supernatural-pulp adventures. He lives near Chicago with his family. His second Arkham Horror novel Cult of the Spider Queen out now!

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Nurse Papa Website
Connect with David on Twitter

3 BIG TAKEAWAYS 

1. Keep creating work you can be proud of
2. Sometimes the structure comes at the end of the creative process
3. Balance is important in stories (and life)

BIO
David has worked as a pediatric oncology nurse at UCSF Children’s Hospital for twelve years now. The bravery, laughter, perseverance, and the many smiles of the children and their parents who he has worked with have inspired this project.

Nurse Papa is a prescriptive and heartwarming book written from the perspective of a pediatric oncology nurse who is also a father. The meditations within are directed at parents and all people who are looking to ask and answer some of life's big questions. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will learn about yourself.

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Article and Full Transcript
Nurse Papa Website
Connect with David on Twitter

3 BIG TAKEAWAYS 

1. Keep creating work you can be proud of
2. Sometimes the structure comes at the end of the creative process
3. Balance is important in stories (and life)

BIO 
David has worked as a pediatric oncology nurse at UCSF Children’s Hospital for twelve years now. The bravery, laughter, perseverance, and the many smiles of the children and their parents who he has worked with have inspired this project.

Nurse Papa is a prescriptive and heartwarming book written from the perspective of a pediatric oncology nurse who is also a father. The meditations within are directed at parents and all people who are looking to ask and answer some of life's big questions. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will learn about yourself.

HELP!
If you're reading this, can you do me a favor? Punch, slap, or poke that subscribe button! It costs you nothing and goes a long way in supporting this channel. I really appreciate it. See you next week! 

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Study the Opening Paragraphs of the Top Authors Writing Thrillers Right Now

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LINKS
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Grady Hendrix's Website
Connect with him on Twitter

3 BIG TAKEAWAYS

1. We have to make sacrifices for what we want in life
2. Study your genre
3. Dark moments can lead to something worthwhile if you push through

BIO
Grady Hendrix is an award-winning novelist and screenwriter. He’s the author of Horrorstor (which is being turned into a movie). He’s also written My Best Friend’s Exorcism (which is being adapted into a feature film by Amazon Studios), We Sold Our Souls, and the Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires (currently being adapted into a TV series). He also wrote the Bram Stoker Award-winning nonfiction book Paperbacks from Hell, a history of the horror paperback boom of the seventies and eighties. And most recently, The Final Girl Support Group about the women who fought back and defeated the killer, avenged their friends, and emerged victorious. But after the sirens fade and the audience moves on. What happens to her? 

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LINKS
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Grady Hendrix's Website
Connect with him on Twitter

BIO
Grady Hendrix is an award-winning novelist and screenwriter. He’s the author of Horrorstor (which is being turned into a movie). He’s also written My Best Friend’s Exorcism (which is being adapted into a feature film by Amazon Studios), We Sold Our Souls, and the Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires (currently being adapted into a TV series). He also wrote the Bram Stoker Award-winning nonfiction book Paperbacks from Hell, a history of the horror paperback boom of the seventies and eighties. And most recently, The Final Girl Support Group about the women who fought back and defeated the killer, avenged their friends, and emerged victorious. But after the sirens fade and the audience moves on. What happens to her? 

3 BIG TAKEAWAYS

1. Writing is hard
2. Writing is really all about the rewriting
3. Treat writing like a job

Next week, Grady and I continue our conversation and will be talking more deeply about the horror genre. We'll also talk about his most difficult moment as a writer and his advice for people listening. You won't want to miss it! 

If you're reading this, can you do me a favor? Punch, slap, or poke that subscribe button! It costs you nothing and goes a long way in supporting this channel. I really appreciate it. See you next week! 

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Welcome to the second and final part of this interview with Amy Elizabeth Bishop.

LINKS
Writerly Lifestyle Free Newsletter
Article and Full Transcript
Amy's Agency Page
Query Manager
Manuscript Wish List
Connect with her on Twitter

BIO
Amy joined Dystel Goderich & Borret literary agency in 2015 after interning for them in 2014. At DG&B, she's cultivating a wide-ranging list in literary and upmarket fiction, expert-driven narrative nonfiction, and select YA, with a special interest in the voices of BIPOC authors. Her list includes titles such as The Last Story of Mina Lee by Nancy Jooyoun Kim (a Reese's Book Club selection and NYT bestseller), The Silence of Bones by June Hur (a Junior Library Guild selection and Edgar Award nominee), and Living Brave by Shannon Dingle (published Summer 2021). Before diving into the world of publishing, she graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a degree in Creative Writing. Though she grew up upstate, she currently resides in Astoria, Queens. You can find her on Twitter at @amylizbishop.

If you're a writer thinking about submitting to Amy, be sure to listen for what she represents. More importantly, think about what she's looking for because she provides a pretty clear message on what she wants!

If you want to be a literary agent, think about how Amy finds her clients. I think it's so interesting when she talks about what she looks for in stories she wants to represent. 

3 BIG TAKEAWAYS

1. Diversity in publishing allows everyone to have a seat at the table
2. Make sure you understand your story thematically
3. Agents aren't as scary as they seem

Favorite Quote:
"...we're [agents] not as scary as we seem...we're all just people who have books and want to have a conversation about books."

Next week, I'm going to be talking to bestselling author Grady Hendrix about his new book, The Final Girl Support Group, plus his previous bestseller, The Southern Book Clubs Guide to Slaying Vampires, as well as his multiple projects in production coming to a screen near you! We discuss his projects and film production, what it's like to write the screenplay based on your own book. And what it's like to pass your book on to someone else to be adapted. So make sure you check it out!

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