In episode 117 of Write, Publish, and Shine, I talk with writer Tamara Jong, author of Worldly Girls, about the long, real arc of making a book, and the stamina it takes to bring it to the finish line.
We talk about the season after a debut, about learning to say no so you can make space for the work, and about the formal decisions that helped Tamara unlock the book, including “containers,” braided structure, and the kind of metaphor that can hold what’s too loaded to say straight out.
Tamara also offers a beautiful prompt about family lore and what you might write if no one were reading over your shoulder, and reads a luminous excerpt from her memoir.
I hope this episode invites you to stay in the long game and protect what you need in order to tell the truth on the page.
Get my Writerly Love Letters, sent Wednesdays and filled with ideas and care for you and your writing: rachelthompson.co/letters
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All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/117
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