Today’s guest is Liz Coley author of the psychological thriller Pretty Girl-13 from HarperCollins. Liz’s short fiction has also appeared in Cosmos Magazine and several speculative fiction anthologies. Liz joins host Mindy McGinnis to talk about using short stories as a stepping stone to publishing a novel, how Liz’s degree in molecular biology helps boost the “science” in her science fiction, and to speak as a hybrid author about the pros and cons of both, as well as the different skills required for each.
Melanie Crowder: Upper Middle Grade Vs. Young Adult
Today’s guest is Melanie Crowder, author of multiple YA and Middle Grade books, and a fellow 2013 debut. Melanie joins host Mindy McGinnis to talk about the pain of rejection, and how to view it as a learning experience that can help you become stronger, the fuzzy area of writing for upper middle grade versus writing YA, and tackling tougher subjects for that audience. Also covered: the power of writing for youth who are ready to change the world, the ability of SciFi and Fantasy to be more subversive than their counterparts, how difficult life can be for today’s youth, and why it’s important to tell their stories.
Elsie Chapman: The Pain of Publishing
Today’s guest is Elsie Chapman, whose work includes the YA Sci-Fi series DUALED and DIVIDED, as well as the upcoming ALONG THE INDIGO. Born and raised in western Canada and a graduate of UBC with a degree in English Literature, Elsie Chapman currently lives in Tokyo with her family.
Elsie joins host Mindy McGinnis to talk about how so much of the pain of publishing goes unspoken, the luck of hitting a trend, the downside of that trend falling out of style, writing the book of your heart even when you know it might not get published, and putting together teams for theme focused anthologies.