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!

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!

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/

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!

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/

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!

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!

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

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/