Tag

character development

Fiction, Writers on Writing

Jan 19: #1 NYT Bestselling Author Jacquelyn Mitchard with The Good Son

Her very first novel was also Oprah’s very first book pick!

Since then, Jacquelyn Mitchard has become one of America’s iconic storytellers. Today we talk about her amazing journey from newspaper reporter to bestselling author.

Jacquelyn shares how a dropped book in a coffee line inspired the story for The Good Son.  She shares why she keeps her characters “on a short leash”; how she created sympathetic characters even though they are heavily flawed. And why, after all her success, she still has a hard time introducing herself as an author.

About Jacquelyn Mitchard

Jacquelyn Mitchard is the New York Times bestselling author of 22 novels for adults and teenagers, and the recipient of Great Britain’s Talkabout prize, The Bram Stoker, and Shirley Jackson awards. Her first novel, The Deep End of the Ocean — the inaugural selection of the Oprah Winfrey Book Club — was later adapted into a feature film starring Michelle Pfeiffer.

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Creativity, Fiction, Social Issues, Writers on Writing

JUL 15: A Dangerous Breed with Glen Erik Hamilton

Thriller author Glen Erik Hamilton returns to Conversations Live with the latest novel in his popular Van Shaw series, A Dangerous Breed.  We discuss a broad range of topics, including character development and how he keeps his recurring characters evolving from book to book.  We also dive into some of the research he did for the novel, and where he took creative license and why.

Glen also shares his perspective on artist rights and responsibilities as related to our current political climate and how artists can (or should) go about representing characters from other backgrounds or orientations.

Glen grew up aboard a sailboat in Seattle, Washington, playing and occasionally finding trouble around the islands, marinas, and commercial docks of the Pacific Northwest.  His books in the Van Shaw series have won numerous awards and received critical acclaim from Publishers WeeklyLibrary Journal, and more.

 

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