The Happy Writer with Marissa Meyer

Marissa chats with Anna Sortino about her latest YA romance, ON THE BRIGHT SIDE. Also discussed in this episode: who is the ‘real’ audience we write for, deciding on a single vs dual POV and where the points of view intersect, leaving space in outlines for exploration, layering in character traits and details during revision, writing family dynamics, including disability representation and how to provide context for able-bodied readers, how much personal experience to include, and so much more! The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377 Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

In this bonus craft episode, Marissa shares her seven best tips and strategies for balancing multiple writing projects. Discussed in this practical episode: how many projects she works on at any given time and what stage in the process they are at, how she prioritizes, what she does in the times when she isn’t or can’t be drafting, and so much more! Extra bonus: This episode also includes upcoming book announcements that you may have missed! The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear. Red Herrings Society Use the code HappyWriter at RedHerringWriters.com to try the first month for free. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377 Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

Marissa chats with award-winning author of CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE, Tomi Adeyemi, about her new third book in the Legacy of Orisha series, CHILDREN OF ANGUISH AND ANARCHY. Also discussed in this episode: the inspiration for Tomi creating The Writer’s Roadmap courses for writers, feeling like you’re finally a career writer, transitioning from a long-term series to something new, the struggle to take breaks when so many ideas are in your brain, imposter syndrome, movie production updates, and so much more! The Writer's Roadmap: https://www.thewritersroadmap.net/ The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Melanin in YA Your source for all things Black in traditional Young Adult publishing. Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear. Red Herrings Society Use the code HappyWriter at RedHerringWriters.com to try the first month for free. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377 Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

Marissa chats with the husband-and-wife writing team of Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka about their latest YA adventure heist novel, HEIRESS TAKES ALL. Also discussed in this episode: the process of cowriting and the division of labor that resembles a marriage, carefully and consciously casting a heist book’s ensemble of characters, benefiting from each other’s writing strengths, the benefits of having a cowriter for marketing and events, and so much more! The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear. Red Herrings Society Use the code HappyWriter at RedHerringWriters.com to try the first month for free. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377 Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

In this 200th (!) episode of The Happy Writer Podcast, Marissa (with some help from Joanne) answers many of your burning questions. Topics discussed: dealing with burnout, crafting three-dimensional characters, writing to trends, co-writing, balancing writing with parenting, and so much more. Also included: much-anticipated updates on TLC production, upcoming tours, new books, and yes, a couple of first-time-heard future project reveals! Order and find out more about LET IT GLOW: https://www.marissameyer.com/let-it-glow/ Marissa's book playlists: https://www.marissameyer.com/extras/playlist/ Melanin in YA Your source for all things Black in traditional Young Adult publishing. Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear. The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Red Herrings Society Use the code HappyWriter at RedHerringWriters.com to try the first month for free. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377 Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

Marissa chats with Alexene Farol Follmuth about her latest contemporary coming-of-age YA romance, TWELFTH KNIGHT. Also discussed: some of the differences between self and traditional publishing and how the two can come together in a career, crafting the ‘unlikeable female character’, using Shakespeare for source material, structuring a romance differently than what’s expected, the challenge of writing technology and social media that could become quickly dated, and so much more! The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377 Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

Marissa chats with Tessa Gratton about her new YA fantasy, BLOOD & FURY, the sequel to CHAOS & FLAME, co-written with Justina Ireland. Also discussed: building social justice and important topics into fantasy while also making a book fun, how working on different projects concurrently can be both challenging and inspiring, creating inspiration lists (inspired by ID Lists from past guest Jennifer Lynn Barnes), the process of co-writing and editing each other, pros and cons of writing with a partner, worldbuilding, and so much more! The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377 Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

Marissa chats again with Jessica Brody, author of Save the Cat! Writes a Novel and Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel about her popular craft books and how she adapted the original Save the Cat screenplay book’s components for novel-writing. Also discussed in this craft-focused episode: how even pantsers can benefit from outlining tips, how having an outline doesn’t mean the story is set in stone, how having an outline can shine a light on problems before a draft makes it harder to fix and move things around, how you can start with just five essential beats, favorite and least favorite beats, how plot and character are so entwined, the danger of outlining becoming a procrastination crutch, and so much more! Big Magic: https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781594634727 7 point story structure – video series dan wells https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzfRuHa21NIzQFrQ6FAq8Pj2IA_SXiwrN Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel: https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781984859235 Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9780399579745 The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear. Writing Mastery Academy Use the code HAPPYWRITER at WritingMastery.com for $20 off your first year of unlimited access. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377 Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

Marissa chats with Isabel Greenberg about her new Arthurian fantasy graphic novel, YOUNG HAG AND THE WITCHES’ QUEST. Also discussed in this episode: the freedom of creating a first project without the expectation that it will be read, the challenges and allure of retellings and Arthurian legends, the process of creating and revising a graphic novel, how the reading experience of graphic novels is different than for prose, tips for maintaining the writing/life balance, having a pile of comfort reads, and more! The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear. Red Herrings Society Use the code HappyWriter at RedHerringWriters.com to try the first month for free. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377 Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

Marissa chats with Kekla Magoon about her new middle grade time travel fantasy, THE SECRET LIBRARY. Also discussed in this episode: How secrets can take many forms (goats!), writing stories non-linearly, how creating a timeline can help catch inconsistencies and track continuity, how sometimes you need to write the whole book to feel confident enough to try to sell it, mining old files for potential new projects, and so much more! The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Writing Mastery Academy Use the code HAPPYWRITER at WritingMastery.com for $20 off your first year of unlimited access. Red Herrings Society Use the code HappyWriter at RedHerringWriters.com to try the first month for free. Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377 Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

Marissa shares her top 10 tips for improving your work-life balance. From starting with a focused to-do list, to reframing goal time frames, to the best way to approach multitasking, and so much more, you’re sure to find something helpful in this practical episode. Note: For more writing-specific productivity tips, you can also check out episode 141 where Marissa and Joanne share their favorite productivity hacks. https://www.buzzsprout.com/950767/12094972 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think, Laura VanderKam https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781591844105 Preorder your copy of The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377 The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Writing Mastery Academy Use the code HAPPYWRITER at WritingMastery.com for $20 off your first year of unlimited access. Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear. Red Herrings Society Use the code HappyWriter at RedHerringWriters.com to try the first month for free. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377 Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

Marissa chats with Ana Ellickson about her debut YA urban fantasy, THE VANISHING STATION. Also discussed: having the courage to leave an agent even before selling a book, developing complex magic systems and how helpful editors can be for ensuring they work, using locations—known and unknown—as settings for urban fantasy, creating three-dimensional but lovable flawed characters, using Save the Cat beat sheets, the importance of opening chapters, and so much more! Picture This app: https://www.picturethisai.com/ Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9780399579745 Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781984859235 The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Writing Mastery Academy Use the code HAPPYWRITER at WritingMastery.com for $20 off your first year of unlimited access. Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear. Red Herrings Society Use the code HappyWriter at RedHerringWriters.com to try the first month for free. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377 Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

Marissa chats with Makiia Lucier about her new romantic YA fantasy inspired by Pacific Island mythology, DRAGONFRUIT. Also discussed in this episode: writing by hand in notebooks, what it’s like to revise and resubmit to an agent, the advantage of keeping early writing a secret, the joy of research and using it to build lush worlds and believable fantastical creatures, how characters can surprise even the writer, the huge evolution in story and characters from first to final draft, writing standalones versus series, and so much more! The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Writing Mastery Academy Use the code HAPPYWRITER at WritingMastery.com for $20 off your first year of unlimited access. Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear. Red Herrings Society Use the code HappyWriter at RedHerringWriters.com to try the first month for free. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377 Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

Marissa and Joanne get together to answer listener-submitted questions about publishing, getting into nitty gritty details of what it’s like to be a published author. Also covered in this jam-packed episode: word count guidelines, what happens after signing with an agent, the submission process, what it’s like to break up with an agent, advances and how they’re determined and paid out, who has the control of what in publishing, marketing, building a social media presence – and is it really necessary – and so much more. Also—what it was like for Marissa and Joanne when they each got “the call”. Show Notes: Marissa and Joanne’s upcoming co-written book: LET IT GLOW: https://www.marissameyer.com/let-it-glow/ Best Portrait felting course: https://www.daniives.com/bestportraitcourse Agent Jill Grinberg - Episode 91: https://www.buzzsprout.com/950767/9487840 Agent Lucinda Halpern (author of GET SIGNED) - Episode 185: https://www.buzzsprout.com/950767/14539225 Dedicated episode 125 about query letters and the agent search: https://www.buzzsprout.com/950767/11225534 Jane Friedman’s ‘Where to Start’ guide: https://janefriedman.com/start-here-how-to-get-your-book-published/ Word counts: https://blog.reedsy.com/how-many-words-in-a-novel/ Word Counts: Board Book up to YA: https://www.marykole.com/how-to-write-childrens-books To find the approximate word count of books https://www.kobo.com/ NAKED AT THE PODIUM: http://peterkahle.com/Naked-at-the-Podium.html The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Writing Mastery Academy Use the code HAPPYWRITER at WritingMastery.com for $20 off your first year of unlimited access. Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear. Red Herrings Society Use the code HappyWriter at RedHerringWriters.com to try the first month for free. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377 Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

Marissa chats with Adib Khorram about his new YA romantic comedy, THE BREAKUP LISTS. Also discussed in the episode: the challenges of pandemic books and virtual launches, the positive influence of We Need Diverse Books, having fun mining your own experiences for fiction, showcasing the people who work behind-the-scenes in theater, identifying and consciously including themes in a book, discovering a character’s voice, making yourself laugh during the writing, researching and including disability and intersectionality representation, winning awards, and so much more! Show notes: Pretty Gritty Tours: https://www.prettygrittytours.com/index.html We Need Diverse Books: https://diversebooks.org/ Agent Janet Reid’s blog: https://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/ The Folgers Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMwFWDIFVCU The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Writing Mastery Academy Use the code HAPPYWRITER at WritingMastery.com for $20 off your first year of unlimited access. Red Herrings Society Use the code HappyWriter at RedHerringWriters.com to try the first month for free. Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377 Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with Stephanie Kuehnert about her new YA zine-style memoir, PIECES OF A GIRL, that includes journal entries, original illustrations, and pages from her actual diaries and zines. Discussed in this episode: how a book can take the time it needs to take, how even a memoir can be a challenge to structure and know where it should end, the decision to include zines and poetry, on finding the courage to be vulnerable in a memoir, the mythology and romanticization of suffering contributing to creativity, the current climate of book banning and why book banning is not the answer, how healing can be non-linear and messy, and so much more. The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Writing Mastery Academy Use the code HAPPYWRITER at WritingMastery.com for $20 off your first year of unlimited access. Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear. Red Herrings Society Use the code HappyWriter at RedHerringWriters.com to try the first month for free. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377 Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

In this week’s special episode sponsored by Amplify Marketing, Marissa has a fascinating chat with company founder, Franklin Goldberg, about getting books into the hands and hearts of readers. Discussed in this jam-packed episode about marketing: how every book needs to be looked at individually depending on a complex set of variables, the most effective ways to market books, the difference between interruption and interception as pertaining to marketing, the complex Amazon marketing system and why it can be worth the effort, the importance of search and keywords, how to leverage Facebook and other social media platforms with testimonials, excerpts, and freebies, the importance of packaging quality and cover design, common marketing mistakes, how marketing your backlist can be even more successful than focusing on new releases, and so much more. Amplify Marketers Year in Review + Infographic: https://www.amplifymarketers.com/2023-year-in-review-for-book-publishers Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear. The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377 Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

In this week’s episode Marissa chats with John Schu about his semi-autobiographical novel in verse, LOUDER THAN HUNGER. Also discussed: the difficulty in determining an age label for a book, writing a fictionalized account of your own experiences instead of a memoir and deciding when and how much to fictionalize, the healing power of writing from a place of vulnerability, making the choice to write in verse, struggling with compliments and so much more. The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Red Herrings Society Use the code HappyWriter at RedHerringWriters.com to try the first month for free. Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear. Writing Mastery Academy Use the code HAPPYWRITER at WritingMastery.com for $20 off your first year of unlimited access. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377 Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

In this week’s episode Marissa chats with debut author and podcaster Bethanie Finger about her YA historical fantasy, MORE THAN LIFE. Also discussed in this episode: expedited series releases, being a pantser, even when worldbuilding, finding the magic in editing, short chapters, the effectiveness of writing exercises and sprints, the Prince Kai Fan Pod, the importance of setting boundaries, taking breaks, and asking for help, and so much more. Show notes: The Prince Kai Fan Pod: https://princekaifanpod.wixsite.com/website Follow Litjoy for info about The Heartless Annotated Special Edition: https://www.instagram.com/litjoycrate The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear. Red Herrings Society Use the code HappyWriter at RedHerringWriters.com to try the first month for free. Writing Mastery Academy Use the code HAPPYWRITER at WritingMastery.com for $20 off your first year of unlimited access. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377 Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

In this week’s episode Marissa chats with literary agent, coach, and now author, Lucinda Halpern, about her new book, GET SIGNED: FIND AN AGENT, LAND A BOOK DEAL, AND BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR. Also discussed in this jam-packed episode: the varied job of representing authors, why the query letter is the most important document a writer will ever create, the three keys to getting an agent and a subsequent book deal (and how you may not need all three), BIG ideas, how agents also have to face rejection, common errors made in query letters, the reminder that agents are humans, and so much more! Show notes: As mentioned in the episode, check out this Free gift for our listeners from Lucinda. For agent research: Publishers Marketplace: https://www.publishersmarketplace.com/ Writing Mastery Academy Use the code HAPPYWRITER at WritingMastery.com for $20 off your first year of unlimited access. Red Herrings Society Use the code HappyWriter at RedHerringWriters.com to try the first month for free. Amplify Marketers Our mission is to help your message rise above the noise so it can be heard loud & clear. The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Order The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781250362377 Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/