Michelle Upton on persistence through rejections, setting writing goals and the value of the author community

The Book Deal

Hosts Madeleine and Tina are podcasting from a Gold Coast café! Join them as they provide updates on their writing projects and experiences. Madeleine shares her positive feedback from her publisher and her excitement and anxiety about a renowned historian reading her novel. Tina discusses the complexities of editing her third series book and the importance of character development and writing resources like Scrivener. Then Tina interviews the bright and bubbly Michelle Upton, who emphasizes balancing market demands with personal passion in commercial fiction, tackling imposter syndrome, and the significance of preparation for promotional events. She offers practical writing tips and advice for managing the marketing aspects of a writing career. The episode concludes with a feel-good message about the importance of engaging with the writing community and finding supportive peers for the writing journey.
00:00 Café Catch-Up: A Different Kind of Episode
01:14 Weather Talk and Queensland Life
01:43 Writing Updates and Editing Milestones
02:21 The Copy Edit Process
05:16 Publication Schedules and Printing Curiosities
08:47 Character Decisions and Structural Edits
11:16 Plotting and Scene Management
13:59 Illustrations and Visualizing the Novel
15:36 Writing Tools and Top Tips
21:12 Interview with Michelle Upton: Journey to Publication
39:18 The Journey to Getting Published
40:43 The Excitement of Getting Published
42:50 Navigating Rejections and Perseverance
44:09 The Importance of Competitions and Networking
45:54 Building a Supportive Writing Community
50:18 Starting the Writing Journey
54:27 Learning the Craft and Finding Your Voice
01:00:12 The Reality of Publishing and Market Trends
01:05:41 The Emotional Roller Coaster of Writing
01:10:05 Tips for Aspiring Authors
01:20:36 Preparing for Book Launches and Events
01:25:38 Final Words of Encouragement
Links mentioned:
Michelle Upton
Scrivener
NaNoWriMo
HarperCollins Banjo Prize
Red Litzner Anthology
Save The Cat
Story Grid
Emotion Thesaurus, Conflict Thesaurus, Emotional Wound Thesaurus
Queensland Writers Centre writing competitions

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You can find out more about Tina and Madeleine and follow their journeys here:
Tina Strachan (@td_strachan) • Instagram photos and videos
Tina Strachan children's book author
Madeleine Cleary (@madeleineclearywrites) • Instagram photos and videos
Madeleine Cleary | Author