(4 Ways to Write Hooks for Books.)

One, I’d never written a novel before. Didn’t even know where to start. And two, I was building a photography business, working full time in the corporate world, and co-parenting two rambunctious toddlers. I had enough on my plate. The novel would have to wait.

Spoiler alert: That novel, Soulmatch, publishes July 29th with Simon & Schuster. So, how’d I get from there to here? Photography made me do it.

In 2013, three years after my lightbulb moment, I left my corporate job and became a full-time photographer. I specialize solely in portraiture, which may sound strange coming from someone who self-identifies as an introvert. But I love meeting people, hearing their stories, and looking through the lens to capture the very essence of who they are…their souls, if you will.

My business grew and prospered. I won awards and was fully booked six-to-eight months in advance. Then, as was the fate of most small business owners, it all came to a screeching halt in March 2020. Photography is not an essential business, but it was essential to me. I went from spending 12 hours a day taking and editing photos, emailing clients, marketing, and keeping my business running to doing absolutely nothing. The jarring change was enough to bring about my first-ever panic attacks.

My kids were twelve and fourteen and didn’t need or want constant supervision. My husband was on back-to-back Zoom calls, and I could only make so much bread. Lying in bed one night, discussing our fears and brainstorming ideas, I blurted out, “Well, I always said I’d write that novel if I had the time.” I said it as a joke, but the next day, halfway through a Photoshop workshop on CreativeLive.com, I hit pause, took a deep breath, and searched their site for “how to write a novel.”

The only result was a three-day workshop called “Wired for Story: How to Become A Story Genius,” led by Lisa Cron. Sounded perfect. I pulled out a notepad and clicked “Buy.” By the end of the exercises, I had a rough outline for a character-driven novel and held the reins to a dystopian world I could bend to my will. Turns out that was the perfect remedy for someone struggling to comprehend their dystopian reality. 

Click to continue.

My work ethic took over. The hours I used to devote to taking and editing photos were spent typing and editing words. I shared each new chapter with my husband and best friend the way I shared galleries with clients, reveling in their encouraging compliments. Two months later, I had a first draft and was obsessed with it. I was humble enough to know the story needed work, but I also felt deep in my bones that Soulmatch would be published someday. I just needed to figure out how.

Launching my photography business required years of research, trial and error, sleepless nights, and dog-headed determination. But I’d accomplished a lofty goal once. I could do it again.

I contacted a published friend for a primer in the industry, another for help with my query letter. I joined the once-flourishing writing community on Twitter. And revised, revised, revised. The rejections kept mounting (whew, that was tough), but fortified by the support of friends and family, I pushed on. Maybe next time. Maybe this pitch. Maybe this revision.

Finally, I signed with an agent. Hoorah! Surely a book deal was close behind!

Ha. Did I mention I‘d written a YA dystopian novel? In Soulmatch, teens report to the government on their 18th birthdays to learn about their past lives and if they have a soulmate. Because I’m fascinated by stories where a new world order emerges from advancements in existing technology, the method for identifying souls stems from improved photo resolution. Perhaps someday we’ll be able to zoom in enough to see the unique markers of someone’s soul. Believable… and terrifying if the government holds souls accountable for past crimes. They could literally capture souls.

But in 2021, YA dystopian was not selling.

Nor was it in 2022.

In March 2023, I pulled up Publisher’s Marketplace, saw an announcement for Jill Tew’s The Dividing Sky, and sat upright. Though her debut was described as “sci-fi romance,” I saw it for what it was. Futuristic Boston? Memory dealer? Corrupt government? Oh yeah, dystopian all the way. Hope blossomed once again. (Side note: The Dividing Sky is incredible. Highly recommend.)

Around the same time, my agent asked if I wanted to try another round of submissions with Soulmatch or begin submitting my next manuscript. I sent her Jill’s announcement and said I wasn’t ready to give up. We had a book deal a month later.

I’ve often claimed Soulmatch’s main character is nothing like me. But I take it back. She gets repeatedly knocked down, her plans subverted, her heart broken; but her tenacity, family, and friends keep her going until she finally attains her happily ever after. If I knew from the outset five years would pass before Soulmatch hit the shelves, I’m not sure I would’ve stuck with it. Coincidentally, it also took five years of blood, sweat, and tears to become a full-time photographer. Now that I’m on the other side of both, I don’t regret the pursuit of either.

As a photographer, I have the honor of capturing the beauty of my clients’ souls. I’ve poured my own into pages you’ll soon be able to hold in your hands. May the story elicit the same emotions as a meticulously crafted portrait, and may it help you see the world through a new lens. But if you’re simply pleased with the final product, I’ve done my job.

Check out Rebecca Danzenbaker’s Soulmatch here:

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The post Capturing Souls: How My Photography Career Helped Me Publish a YA Dystopian Romance Novel appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(5 Things Writers Should Know About Epilepsy.)

I’ve touched on death and on grief, in fictional, storied ways: My debut novel, Alice the Cat, follows a 12-year-old girl named Tess who loses her mother to breast cancer. In my second novel, The Lightning People Play, a 14-year-old kid named Kirby goes to great lengths to help his epileptic younger brother Bax, 10, acquire a seizure alert dog. Kirby is an ingenious theatre kid, and he and his best friends create a play that explores the enigmatic but magical visions Bax has when he seizes.

Recently, the question people ask the most is, “What inspired The Lightning People Play?” They want to know, Why theatre? Why epilepsy? Why magic?

The answer, sadly, is that my brother Matthew was killed by one of his seizures in the summer of 1997. He was 26, I was 24. When I think about this now, and when I remember my experiences sharing a room with my brother and navigating the complicated terrain of his epilepsy, I cannot help but to think of the subconscious. The shadow-side of life, that unfurls in the background without our awareness of its clandestine machinations, was at play in that room in impactful ways that would stay with me for the rest of my life.

My brother Matthew used to have seizures in the middle of the night while asleep in his bed. As he convulsed violently in the darkness, eerie sounds gurgling from the back of his throat, I would lie frozen with fear across the room from him in my own bed. Unable to move. Unable to help. It happened for most of my childhood.

I specifically remember two things from that time: First, it always felt as if some invisible force held me down in my bed, preventing me from helping him. Second, that some unseen veil—or door to another world—hovered over him, and that mysterious unseen entities floated there, watching in the dark. These were separate things, though: As a child, I didn’t understand that the energy that held me captive in my bed was fear. Whatever lingered over my brother’s bed, perhaps protective spirits or guardians, was something anathema to fear. That fear created a barrier, and, I think, cut me off from whatever magic may have been happening across the room.

People sometimes say that death and darkness are too much for a kid’s book. I say that if something is true to life—and actually affects kids, which death and grief unfortunately do—then these topics should be explored in books.

Books are powerful ways to explore colossal and difficult life topics in a profound and intimate way. A few of my favorite children’s books are A Monster Calls, by Patrick Ness, Too Bright To See, by Kyle Lukoff, and The Last Cherry Blossom, by Kathleen Burkinshaw. These stunning novels explore the death of a parent, trans identity, and Hiroshima. The way these books look at difficult topics is like a magnifying glass held up to the back of a leaf so you can see the intricate labyrinth of veins running through it. Fiction is a doorway to a secret garden of possibility. And, just like young Mary Lennox and her companions, grief, illness, despondency, and loneliness can transcend and bloom in spring like her crocuses, columbines, and campanulas.

Click to continue.

I am fascinated by the truth of my life, redolent as it is of grief and childhood trauma. In The Lightning People Play and Alice the Cat, trauma brings peace because of the boldness that comes with being a kid and experiencing how kids process trauma and grief.

As I write, it feels like the characters arrive fully formed and that I am transcribing for them. In my childhood bedroom, when my brother would have a seizure, I knew magic existed, but fear created a barrier and blocked my access to it. But The Lightning People Play unearths that which has been waiting in my subconscious.

I’ve lived with the disquiet and sadness of Matthew’s passing for nearly 30 years, but I eventually arrived at a place where I could explore the trauma and the grief. Having been a theatre kid since I was 11 years old, I know that world to be a healing, magical haven. I wanted to amalgamate these two otherwise disparate energies that have presided over my life.

I was never sure whether it would work, or how it would be received, what it all would mean. But I did know what I wanted to say and what I would have wanted to learn as a child to prepare me to deal with the realities of the world: Close friendships, family forgiveness, creative collaboration, and willingness to allow magic into your life—and not just the illusory kind—can cut a path in the woods that will lead you to peace. I’m walking that path now. It’s a shadowy forest, and I am unsure of the way, but there is a path here, and I am on it.

Ultimately, the childhood trauma of the chaos of Matthew’s seizures, and my grief over losing him, has manifested in hopeful, healing ways. When people read the book, they ask me, “Is Kirby you? Is Bax your brother?” They are not. But I love that people ask. And I think that when you are brave enough to write through your grief and trauma, unforeseen forces aid you in your quest to rebuild your heart.

Check out Tim Cummings’ The Lightning People Play here:

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Those are the words one of my students said to me during my early years as a school counselor, and that moment stuck with me. The student was having an issue with a teacher, and we were discussing how he might resolve it. I suggested speaking to the teacher one-on-one after class, and the student informed me that adults never listened to him. 

“I’m listening to you,” I said to him. 

“Yeah, but you’re different, Ms. Harris.” 

Though I wanted to help this student improve his relationship with his teacher and, thus, his experience in that class, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride in that instant. He recognized that I was one of the few trusted adults in his life that recognized the complexity of being a teen—the push and pull of wanting to be independent but also needing to be heard. I think about this moment often when writing my YA novels.  

Before I was a published author, I worked as a middle school counselor in a small, rural county in Virginia. My tiny office used to be a storage closet, yet I made it a safe space for students to grieve a loss, question their sexual identity, or even to just be without being misunderstood. Those sessions with students gave me access to the emotional worlds of teens—I was able to see them without their masks. I tap into that former access when crafting my characters.  

Let me be the first to tell you—the teens that I write are not perfect. Sometimes they’re impulsive, other times they’re guarded. Sometimes they strut around full of confidence, when there’s a swarm of insecurities buzzing beneath the surface. And guess what? The same goes for real teens, too. As a school counselor, I learned that there was always something lurking behind the behavior of my students. The shy student might be battling anxiety. The “mouthy” student might have to take on a parent role at home. The student always requesting to go see the nurse might be dealing with unresolved trauma that manifests through physical pain. I learned as a school counselor to always ask myself, “What is this behavior trying to meet.” I ask the same question when creating my characters. 

Small-town dynamic adds another level of nuance. As a former city girl who also grew up on military bases, driving behind pig trucks on the way to work was a novel experience. I quickly learned that everyone in the community knew each other—or at least thought they did. I learned that certain last names carried weight, or even stigma. I learned if an older sibling was a success, there was an undeniable amount of pressure on the younger one—even more so if that older sibling made mistakes. Secrets and gossip traveled faster than actual facts. The teens in this community towed the line of wanting to be seen for who they were but not being able to escape where they came from. 

My second YA novel, This Town is on Fire, takes place in a small, rural town, not unlike the one in which I worked almost a decade as a school counselor. It follows a Black teen named Naomi, whose white best friend goes viral after calling the cops on two Black guys. The story idea occurred to me during the pandemic, when so-called “Karen” videos were at its peak. I couldn’t help but wonder, “What if something like this happened at my old school? What would it do to that tightknit community?” 

To realistically and respectfully portray how my teen characters came of age in their small community, here are a few guiding principles I applied that might be helpful to other writers. 

Engage in Active Listening.  

If you want to write about teens, you have to spend some time in their world. My time working as a school counselor was a gold mine in listening and observing. Now, I read their interviews, watch their TikToks, or simply observe how they engage in safe spaces. I try not to copy their slang, but to take note of their emotional rhythms.  

Dodge the Tropes.  

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good trope, especially when reading horror and romance. However, when writing about and for teens, I think it’s essential to acknowledge that we’ve moved beyond the silos of nerds, jocks, and burnouts from the classic teen movies of the 1980s. Teens are filled with contradictions. The captain of the football team can also be a theater geek. The “burnout” can also be the smartest kid in the school. Naomi in This Town is on Fire is not the strongest student, but she’s a heck of a dancer and still plans on going to college. Consider these paradoxes to build a well-rounded character (and have fun with it!). 

Show Power Imbalances.  

I write a lot about power and privilege in This Town is on Fire. Not only is Naomi figuring out her own racial identity after her best friend’s viral scandal, but the discrepancies between their socioeconomic statuses begin to take the forefront of their friendship (after all, they met because Naomi’s mother worked as her best friend’s nanny). However, power imbalances exist everywhere when writing about teens, from the social dynamics between their peers to the complex relationships they have with the adults in their lives. These imbalances can add a lot of conflict to the page when handled with care. 

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Give Them Agency.  

Take a moment to think about when you were a teenager. Did you do everything just perfectly? Made all the “right” choices? Even if you were a self-appointed “goody two shoes,” there had to have been at least one rule you broke (personally, I’ve been known to skip lunch in favor of gummies and a candy bar). We shouldn’t expect anything more from our teen characters. They are supposed to make mistakes. In fact, their mistakes are what make their stories more interesting. Naomi made a couple of missteps when dealing with the aftermath of her best friend’s viral video, and those missteps had severe consequences. If your character’s choices make sense to who they are as a person, let them stumble. 

Though I’m no longer a school counselor, I currently teach and train aspiring school counselors. I always tell my trainees that a major part of being a school counselor is to advocate for their students to be seen and heard. I do the same as a writer. Writing YA fiction is more than just capturing the adolescent voice; it’s also about honoring it. It’s about taking that metaphorical storage closet and turning it into a tiny, safe space where teens can be messy, courageous, and contradictory.  

Teens don’t need to read about perfect characters. They need to read about characters who are seen and heard. And they need the authors who write about them to be different enough to showcase that. 

The post Counseling the Page: Writing Small-Town Teens With Authenticity and Heart appeared first on Writer's Digest.

We all suffer too.

(Fracturing Fairy Tales to Jumpstart Your Writing.)

Pain, trauma, tragedy are all parts of life. Mine included. My childhood was not an easy one. I faced poverty, domestic violence, racism, homophobia, abandonment, and home instability. So when I started writing, all I wanted to do was craft other worlds full of magic mages and rowdy robots and awesome action-adventure apocalypses. I wanted to escape the real world. But after my first 14 novels were rejected (and we’re talking hundreds of rejections from agents, editors, and lit magazines), I decided to try something new. I decided to embrace the hard stuff. It was time to stop running from my childhood. Instead, I chose to pull it in close and give it an uncomfortable hug. 

That’s when I wrote Free Lunch, a memoir of my first sixth grade semester confronting violence at home, my parents’ difficulties finding work, and being put on the free lunch program. As my 11-year-old self would have said: “Life sucked.” Though I tried to find some humor, for the most part, the book was not a fun read. But it felt necessary, and unlike anything I’d written before, it felt important. So when I went out with it (fingers crossed), I hoped for a book deal. Instead? Rejections across the board, though three came with caveats…

The first said, “Why are you writing this for children? Make it for adults and I’ll take it.” 

The second said, “Graphic novels are hot. Let’s make it a graphic novel. Of course we’ll have to take out all the violence. We can’t show that in a middle grade book.” 

And the third said, “Wow. Great story. An important story. But let’s scrub all the heavy stuff out and make it fun!”

As difficult as it was, I said, “No.”  

Holding the Line for a Difficult Story

Why? This was a chance to get published! To finally have a book deal! And I’m not a diva. Compromise and collaboration are an important part of the publishing process. (After all, a good editor will make you look a lot smarter than you are. And I know because I was an editor for 15 years, and now I have some of the most amazing editors and am grateful for them every day.) But changing my memoir would alter it from a true story to a fictional story. And more importantly, it would be just like so many other books already out there that are “made for kids,” which is just code for “nice and easy.”

I pushed back with the third editor, saying, “Clean it up? It’s not a dirty story. It’s a true story.” 

The editor’s reply? “Kids don’t want sad stories. They want happy stories. They want stories that they can laugh at. They can’t resonate with a heavy, dark, painful book like this.” 

In my head, I thought, “But I lived through it… does that mean my story—and my childhood—are not valid?” Why did this story deserve to be ignored? Because it needed more jokes? Maybe a fart? Which, by the way, there is a fart in there, with disastrous and hilarious results. But it was the truth, and sometimes the truth is grossly hysterical. And sometimes the truth is just painful to witness.  

So I read that editor the statistics: Today, in the United States, there are 3.5 million who face domestic violence on a weekly basis. There are 4.2 million living with homelessness or home instability. And there are 11 million children living below the poverty live.

The editor ghosted me after that. 

Click to continue.

The Best Stories Are a Spectrum

As a kid, I wanted to be with the Hardy Boys on their ridiculous adventures. I wanted to skip along the yellow-brick road with Dorothy, the Lion, the Scarecrow, and the Tinman as they faced flying monkeys. I wanted to fall alongside Alice down the rabbit hole and into another world. I wanted to join Calvin and Hobbes on their imaginary escapades. I wanted to escape. But that’s because I felt so utterly alone. There weren’t any stories out there that I could see myself in. So I opted for fantasy. 

But as an adult, I was writing stories for the younger version of me. And yes, I wanted adventure and I wanted laughs. But on occasion, I wanted tears too. Because tears are part of life. Life is, at times, hard. But it’s also fun and sad and angry and afraid. Life is a spectrum of emotions. And I believe that the best stories are a spectrum too. They encompass all of it: the good, the bad, and the ugly. And of course, the farts. 

In children’s literature—especially among educators, librarians, and booksellers, there is a common metaphor about readers either seeing themselves or seeing others in literature. This concept was originally coined by Emily Style in 1988 and then applied specifically to children’s books by Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop in her 1990 article “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors.” Kids love fart jokes, but they love seeing themselves in books just as much. Maybe more. Because if they see themselves in stories, they feel seen too. 

That’s why creating strong narratives with universal emotional arcs is so important. It’s no easy feat, but it is possible, especially if you draw from your own life experience. In baring your soul and your pain, you become vulnerable—which, trust me, is an uncomfortable feeling—but you also become a hero to these kids who so desperately want to know they aren’t alone. 

So whether I’m writing superhero comics, fantasies, reimagining classic novels as modern-day teen graphic novels (full of foolish drama and trying to decide what outfit to wear), or memoirs about trying to pop a zit on my back… whatever I write, I try to build well-rounded characters living in a real world. Being honest, being raw, being truly open with the hardest parts of living, matters now more than ever. Especially in literature for young readers.

But there should be laughter too. There should be hope. And—if you’re so inclined—there should be smelly, stinky farts, especially the ones in public when everyone smells it. Cause farts are funny. 

Check out Rex Ogle’s (as Rey Terciero) Dan in Green Gables here:

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In this interview, Sophie discusses the decade that went between having the idea to publishing her new YA novel, Nobody In Particular, her hope for readers, and more.

Name: Sophie Gonzales
Literary agent: Jessica Mileo, Inkwell Management Literary Agency
Book title: Nobody In Particular
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release date: June 3, 2025
Genre/category: Young adult
Previous titles: Perfect on Paper, Only Mostly Devastated, and The Law of Inertia, and If This Gets Out with Cale Dietrich.
Elevator pitch: Young Royals meets The Prince and Me when a disgraced princess falls for a new student at their all-girls boarding school, but the two must hide their forbidden love at all costs.

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What prompted you to write this book?

The idea came to me while I was working in a supermarket when I was 21. I have no idea where the idea came from or what prompted it! There weren’t many similar books in publication at the time.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

I wrote this book in February 2014, and it’s due to release June 2025, so a while! The core of the story has remained the same throughout, though certain subplots (like the exploration of grief) have been introduced, it’s changed genres from thriller to rom-com to romantic drama, characters have been consolidated, and the writing itself has changed quite dramatically over the decade. But our two core characters, their main conflict, and Bramppath College, have been there from the start.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

Well, I certainly learned that just because a book isn’t published on your first attempt doesn’t mean it won’t ever make it to publication! That has encouraged me to continue writing whatever idea sparks my imagination and passion, even if I don’t think it’s right for the market at the moment. I hope to still be publishing books decades from now, if life allows me the opportunity, and that’s plenty of years for the market to shift.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

I also learned the specific satisfaction of polishing a book up a decade later, once you have the skills to make it what you couldn’t achieve the first time around. It’s like renovating a kitchen. Taking something functional and making it shiny and beautiful.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

If somebody picks up my book and thinks about the characters again once they’ve read the last page, or they find themselves revisiting a line or a concept, or they read a sentence that makes them feel particularly seen or understood? That’s the greatest achievement to me as an author. It’s my biggest hope.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Write for fun, for yourself, as often as you can! It’s so much more freeing to write when you know nobody else will read it (at least for now) and it really helps you to take risks and grow without becoming preoccupied about what other people will think of it—or you.

The post Sophie Gonzales: Write for Yourself As Often as You Can appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In this interview, Julia discusses reimagining Shakespeare’s As You Like It with her new young adult novel, Lovesick Falls, how the ending was a surprise to her, and more.

Name: Julia Drake
Literary agent: Peter Knapp
Book title: Lovesick Falls
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Release date: June 2, 2025
Genre/category: Young adult
Previous titles: The Last True Poets of the Sea
Elevator pitch: Lovesick Falls is a queer adaptation of Shakespeare’s famous comedy As You Like It, narrated by best friends Celia Gilbert and Ros Brinkman during the summer they spend working at a theater festival.

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What prompted you to write this book?

I’ve always felt a little sorry for Celia in As You Like It—she loves her best friend Rosalind so much that she goes into exile for her, whereupon Rosalind immediately starts wooing Orlando. I wanted to reimagine their friendship in a more modern context, and give Celia the space to tell her side of the story.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

It took about two years to go from idea to publication (though it took about three years and another failed project to come up with the idea). The fundamental idea stayed the same throughout the process, but I played around with book’s structure and Ros’s voice before I found the one that fit the best.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

I worked in the wrong direction for a while before I started working on Lovesick Falls, even though my heart wasn’t really in the project. It was a good reminder to trust my gut and listen to myself when it feels like things aren’t—or are—working out.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

The ending of this book was a surprise for me! I had no idea where the story was going, but I’m pleased with where the characters end up—the ending feels true to them and a good conclusion to the story.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

I hope readers will have a lot of fun reading Lovesick Falls—it’s meant to be lighthearted and funny, even as it touches on more serious themes. My hope is readers will laugh and turn the pages quickly, but that the book will stay with them long after they’ve finished.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Write the book that needs to be written—not the book that you think you should write.

The post Julia Drake: On Trusting Her Gut When Things Aren’t Working appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In this interview, Nova discusses how an art print inspired her new YA novel, Wake the Wild Creatures, the tumultuous period of changing editors and publishers during the writing process, and more.

Name: Nova Ren Suma
Literary agent: Michael Bourret at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret
Book title: Wake the Wild Creatures
Publisher: Little, Brown
Release date: May 6, 2025
Genre/category: YA literary thriller with a touch of the fantastic
Previous titles: The Walls Around Us, A Room Away from the Wolves, 17 & Gone, Imaginary Girls
Elevator pitch: Wake the Wild Creatures is a coming-of-age survival story that explores young women’s freedom and rage as a girl captured from a life outside society plots her way back to her hidden mountaintop home after her mother’s arrest for murder.​

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What prompted you to write this book?

The most monumental writing ideas often come from unexpected sources. In my case, it was a birthday gift. The original spark for Wake the Wild Creatures was an art print gifted to me by a writer friend, Libba Bray. This was a pen-and-ink drawing called “Daughters of the Forest” by the artist Megan Eckman. My friend sensed I’d connect to this drawing, but I don’t think she realized how much. To me, the picture was itching to be a writing prompt.

The drawing features two nearly identical girls (sisters?) huddled together. A deer with antlers is in view behind them. All seems straightforward until you take a closer look at the girls’ feet under their dresses. Deer hooves. It was this detail—the surprise of it, the possibility—that sent me staggering forward into a story. Of course, ideas transform as you write, and so what began as a book about two daughters of the forest became something other, focused on one girl instead of two. Still, the glimmer of maybe-magic remained, and years later Wake the Wild Creatures came from it.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

I wrote the first words of Wake the Wild Creatures—a single spark of a line—in 2017, when I was away teaching at a retreat at the Djerassi Resident Artists Program in the mountains of California. The remote location is fitting, because the book takes place in another set of mountains, the Catskills, where I grew up. After having the idea and scribbling the first words in a notebook, I completed work on an entire other book and took on whole other projects. It was solidly 2020 when I was drafting what would eventually be called Wake the Wild Creatures.

My first stabs at the story were floating aimlessly, and it was during those isolated days of the pandemic that I had a revelation. This was the kind of exciting, yet sometimes dreaded, idea about reworking the plot that would involve revamping the timeline and the structure. You know, the kind of idea that, once you commit to it, involves a rewrite from page 1. I knew it would be an enormous amount of work and would take a lot of time—and it was, and it did. But I felt sure the restructuring would add more urgency and direction to the story and believed it would be worth it. Now, safely on the other side having survived, I can see it was.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

Authors in traditional publishing should always be ready for upheaval, as many of us who have been in this business for a while have come to know. Even so, even when you think you’re prepared, publishing will come with new surprises. During the writing and publication process of Wake the Wild Creatures my publisher was bought by another, larger publisher. Then, after some intense and essential editorial work, I lost my long-time editor—she became a literary agent—and then in quick succession I lost the next editor I was starting to work with—she went to another company—and lost the third editor who helped me with the last polishing edits of the book. This was because the entire imprint that was set to publish my book was dissolved. My book, now copy edited and finally ready to go at this point, stayed with the larger publisher and moved on to a whole new team of people and imprint. I can now say, after much heartbreak and worry on my part, that I did land in wonderful hands, and I’m grateful, but I certainly learned never to get too comfortable. Anything can change at any moment in this business. From this experience I keep reminding myself to focus only on the parts of this process I can control: the story I write, the effort I can put into sharing it with others, and, as a safeguard, keeping my eye on writing the next book.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

I love the way characters can surprise you. No novel I’ve ever written kept the same concept or shape or plot from first draft to final. That’s the discovery process of writing a character-driven novel and the beauty of writing fiction, I believe. The braver you are to challenge yourself and make ambitious changes, the better your novel will ultimately be. Wake the Wild Creatures turned upside down and let go of an entire main character, melding her into other characters, and sharpening the eye of the story in an exciting way. As I mentioned, the piece of art that inspired the book showed two “daughters of the forest.” In much the same way, my original version of this book was told in two voices. Melding these voices into one character whose life was split in half after her capture was the surprise that revealed the true face of the book.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

The heart of this book is about community. There is anger in this story, and there is fear, but there is also hope. Ultimately Wake the Wild Creatures is about building community and being brave enough to live a different, more intentional life. When the world around you isn’t what you want to see, Wake the Wild Creatures speaks to gathering those you can trust and creating something different and new.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

There is someone who needs to read that story you’re struggling with right now. In my experience, the books that are the hardest to write, the ones that come with the most pain and frustration and make you question even why you’re trying to be a writer at all, are the ones that resonate the most with others. And may even be life changing.

The post Nova Ren Suma: I Love the Way Characters Can Surprise You appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In this interview, Kelsey discusses how her idea to retell The Little Mermaid led to her debut YA fantasy novel, Voice of the Ocean, her advice for other writers, and more.

Name: Kelsey Impicciche
Literary agent: Mark Gottlieb
Book title: Voice of the Ocean
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Release date: April 22, 2025
Genre/category: YA Fantasy
Elevator pitch: From popular content creator Kelsey Impicciche, Voice of the Ocean follows a daring young siren who defies her people to save a human prince, unearthing ancient magic and igniting a dangerous romance amidst treacherous waters. This book is a swashbuckling retelling of the classic Little Mermaid for lovers of Pirates of the Caribbean, found family, forbidden love, and softer female main characters.

Bookshop | Amazon
[WD uses affiliate links.]

What prompted you to write this book?

When toying with the idea of writing a Little Mermaid retelling, the idea struck me while sitting on my couch: What if the mermaids were sirens? And what if the little siren, while on a quest to kill the prince she saved, ended up on a ship full of pirates? After that, I took my dog on a walk and details began to take shape in my head from there.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

I began writing Voice of the Ocean in 2020, and it is being released in 2025. So, the journey took five years in total. Many things about the book changed, from the tense of the story to characters and scenes being changed and removed, but the central idea of a retelling where the mermaid was a siren sent to kill the human prince always remained the same!

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

There were plenty of surprises! This is my debut book, so I’m learning everything about the publishing process for the first time. I was surprised that it took so long to publish a book. Voice of the Ocean was acquired in October of 2023 and releases in the spring of 2025! In content creation, which is where my background is from, turnaround is very quick. But I learned there is a lot to do before a book can be released.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

While writing this book, I learned a lot about my writing process and what worked best for me. Outlining before writing helps me to write so I don’t get stuck, but what surprised me most was how even with an outline, the book could take so many twists and turns!

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

I hope readers will see a part of themselves in Celeste and her story. She’s a deeply emotional character who struggles with feeling as though she should be “stronger” and “in control” of herself and her emotions. It’s something I dealt with a lot growing up, and I didn’t see a lot of books with characters like that who I could relate to in that way.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

One piece of advice I would share with writers would be to use social media to connect with the community of writers and readers. Writing can be so isolating, and I cannot overstate how much my community has encouraged and helped me to keep going. Plus, you never know who’s watching! I met my literary Agent through TikTok!

The post Kelsey Impicciche: On Using Social Media to Build Community appeared first on Writer's Digest.

Articles Include:

+ The WD Interview: Laurie Halse Anderson: The award-winning children’s and YA author talks with WD about the inspiration and research behind her newest middle-grade historical fiction novel, Rebellion 1776. By Amy Jones

+ The 27^th Annual 101 Best Websites for Writers: This ever-popular feature showcases 101 reliable resources writers can use to learn more about the craft of writing, the business of publishing, where to find freelance gigs, and much more. By Amy Jones, Moriah Richard, and Michael Woodson

+ The Way We Were: How to use pop culture as an unexpected research vehicle. By Jeff Somers

+ Literary Legacy: Bestselling authors Brian Andrews, Jeffrey Wilson, Don Bentley, and Brian Freeman detail what writers need to know about writing estate novels. By Jessica Strawser

+ Comp Authors: With publishers discovering that “likes” don’t equal book sales and the increasing fragmentation of social media, fiction and nonfiction authors need a different kind of platform. By studying the activities, style, platforms, and audiences of the authors they’d like to be shelved next to, authors can discover how to build their own platforms. By Allison K Williams

+ From Traditional to Self-Published: Romance author and grand-prize winner of the 12^th Annual WD Self-Published E-book Awards Lucy Day shares why she switched to self-publishing, what her biggest challenge is, and how confidence has played a role in her success. By Moriah Richard

Additionally, Rob Hart shares how to use the tools of journalism to sharpen research skills, Liz Massey showcases “sketchnoting” as a visual way to help with drafting, and we announce the winner of the WD Personal Essay Awards. Plus, readers will find all their favorite columns like Meet the Agent, Breaking In, Publishing Insights, IndieLab, For All Ages, and much more.

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The post Writer’s Digest May/June 2025 Cover Reveal appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In this interview, CL discusses writing for angry, goofy, and hopeful teens with their debut YA novel, Pride or Die, their advice for other writers, and more.

Name: CL Montblanc
Literary agent: Natalie Lakosil
Book title: Pride or Die
Publisher: Wednesday Books (Macmillan)
Release date: April 15, 2025
Genre/category: Young Adult Mystery
Elevator pitch: In this delightful dark comedy debut, when the members of an LGBTQ+ club find themselves accidentally framed for attempted murder, it’s up to them to clear their names before it’s too late.

Bookshop | Amazon
[WD uses affiliate links.]

What prompted you to write this book?

The world can be isolating—especially when you’re young, and especially when you’re marginalized—so I mainly wanted readers to feel “seen” on the page and know that they’re not alone. I myself grew up quite lonely, which was not helped by how scarcely I related to the media available to me. Since I was (am) angry, goofy, and hopeful all at once, I decided to write a coming-of-age story for teens who are those things as well.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

The idea for Pride or Die came in September 2021. I found my agent about a year later, sold the book five months after that, and then two more years before publication. So, three and a half years in total!

A lot changed along the way; at first, the book was completely lighthearted. Nothing bad happened to any of the characters, really, and the stakes were low, because I had intended to write something that was purely fun and silly. Unfortunately, it turned out that I actually had to adhere to genre conventions and couldn’t get away with “no plot, just goofs,” which led to major edits including chopped characters and a change of culprit. There was also the fact that a huge wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation crashed in during my revisions. Things have been dark for queer people lately, particularly for children in the south, and it felt remiss not to reflect more of that in the book as I went.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

I’ve learned that it’s a unique challenge to position a genre blend (mystery-comedy in this case), especially when it comes to books. Some markers that you have with other media are missing—for instance, movies have trailers, which give you a detailed preview of what to expect going in. Covers are likely the best shot at conveying genre for readers, so it’s been interesting to see what the team did with mine: There’s scary, thrilling imagery, but it’s also pink and adorably bright. You can definitely find traits from both parents in there.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

Surprises were actually an important part of my process! My outline was pretty sparse because I wanted to get to know the characters while writing the book and let them dictate where the story went to some extent. My characters don’t follow the rules, so why should my rules be the exception? That’s a silly way of putting it, but I do find that character-driven stories work more organically that way for me.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

While I cover some important themes and topics in Pride or Die, the primary goal was always just to make a fun book for teens. As I mentioned, I hope some readers feel “seen” by the book, and I’ll be stoked if it makes any other kind of positive impact on people, but if I can even just entertain y’all for a couple of hours that’ll be sweet.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

It’s OK if you struggle with things like networking, asking for help, and promoting yourself. I do, too. But still, it’s important to at least put yourself out there enough to find your people. Community is such a crucial part of being a writer. Finding others whose work you genuinely vibe with is so valuable, and I promise you, those people will probably end up being the best part of this entire experience.

The post CL Montblanc: Community Is a Crucial Part of Being a Writer appeared first on Writer's Digest.