The 7am Novelist

Tonight, Writers for Blue is offering a special opportunity to learn about writing your first pages. We’ll have four award-winning authors, including myself, Aaron Hamburger, Nancy Johnson, and Pulitzer Prize-winner Jayne Anne Phillips, workshopping seven first-page writing submissions in support of electing Kamala Harris, our first female president—and our 47th. We’ll also hear about ways you mig...

Today, we hear from listeners Lesley Téllez, Kathy Tully, and Elaine Durbach for the last of this summer’s “Listener Roundups.” We hear about what they’ve learned from the past few episodes, what ideas they consider the most important, what questions or confusions they have, and their own advice and/or experience in dealing with the same issues.  REMINDER OF OUR SPECIAL ZOOM EVENT on September 23....

Today, we hear from RO Kwon whose latest novel, EXHIBIT, was released in May. We’re talking to Reese about writing about what scares you. Watch a recording here.  This audio/video version is available for one week. Missed it? Check out the podcast version above or on your favorite podcast platform. To find Kwon’s latest and many other books by our authors, visit our Bookshop page .  Looking for a...

Today, we hear from Jamie Quatro whose latest novel, TWO-STEP DEVIL, releases in September. We’re talking to Jamie about experimenting with form. Sorry! There’s no audio/video version of this episode available. Check out the podcast version above or on your favorite podcast platform. To find Quatro’s debut and many other books by our authors, visit our Bookshop page .  Looking for a writing commun...

Today, we hear from Ann Hood whose latest novel, THE STOLEN CHILD, was released in May. We’re talking to Ann about writing multiple points of view, introducing a new point of view late in the structure of a book, and how to increase emotional tension in scenes. Watch a recording here.  This audio/video version is available for one week. Missed it? Check out the podcast version above or on your fav...

Today, we hear from Crystal King whose latest novel, IN THE GARDEN OF MONSTERS, releases in September. We’re talking to Crystal about writing about real people, particularly really problematic people, as well as familiar stories and places. Watch a recording here.  This audio/video version is available for one week. Missed it? Check out the podcast version above or on your favorite podcast platfor...

Today we get to hear from Pagan Kennedy, whose newest book, The Secret History of the Rape Kit , will be released in January. Pagan and I will be talking about the ways in which contemporary events and your own past can disrupt what you thought your book was about. Watch a recording of our live webinar  here.  The audio/video version is available for one week. Missed it? Check out the podcast vers...

Today, we’ve got another special “Listeners’ Roundup” episode. This is when we get to hear from some of our listeners about they’ve learned from the past few episodes, what ideas they consider the most important, what questions or confusions they have, and their own advice and/or experience in dealing with the same issues in their writing.  So today, we’ve got listeners Karen Gruzen, Stephen Dawle...

Today we get to hear from Femi Kayode whose latest novel, Gaslight, the second book in his popular Philip Taiwo Mysteries series, was released in November. Femi and I will be talking about the challenges of writing a sequel when the rules of engagement are already set. Watch a recording of our live webinar  here.  The audio/video version is available for one week. Missed it? Check out the podcast...

Today we get to hear from Hesse Phillips whose historical novel, Lightborne , was released in May 2024. Hesse and I will be talking about the difficulties of writing queer history and the task of humanizing an historical figure that has often been mischaracterized and misunderstood by both the public and literary scholars. Watch a recording  here.  The audio/video version is available for one week...

Today, we get to hear from Mark Cecil whose debut novel, BUNYAN AND HENRY; OR, THE BEAUTIFUL DESTINY, was released in March. We’ll be talking about ways in which an author can deliver deeply personal/private stories from secondary characters even while writing in 3rd person limited.  Watch a recording here.  The audio/video version is available for one week. Missed it? Check out the podcast versio...

Today, we hear from Shi Naseer whose debut novel, THE CRY OF THE SILKWORM, was released in June. We’re talking to Shi/LILY about how to handle multiple timelines and settings in her book as well as how to write (or not) for a Western audience. Watch a recording here.  This audio/video version is available for one week. Missed it? Check out the podcast version above or on your favorite podcast plat...

Today, we hear from Thérèse Soukar Chehade, whose second novel, WE WALKED ON, will be published in September. We’re talking to Therese about truth in historical fiction. Watch a recording here.  This audio/video version is available for one week. Missed it? Check out the podcast version above or on your favorite podcast platform. To find Chehade’s debut and many other books by our authors, visit o...

Today’s is a special bonus episode in which we get to hear from some of our listeners about they’ve learned from the past few episodes, what ideas they consider the most important, what questions or confusions they have, and their own advice and/or experience in dealing with the same issues in their writing. Welcome listeners and writers Cat Green, Carol Willis, and Judy Kessler. By the way, we st...

Today, we hear from Jessica Anthony whose latest novel, THE MOST, will be  released in July. We’re talking to Jessica about how to cover a large amount of time by using time itself as your organizing principal, especially when writing a short novel or novella. Watch a recording here.  This audio/video version is available for one week. Missed it? Check out the podcast version above or on your favo...

Today, we hear from Joseph Moldover whose second novel, JUST UNTIL, will be released in October. We’ll be talking about the psychology of creative writing and the mental challenges of bringing a story or book to publication. Watch a recording of our live webinar  here.  The audio/video version is available for one week. Missed it? Check out the podcast version above or on your favorite podcast pla...

Today, we hear from Alison Langley, whose debut novel, ILONA GETS A PHONE, was released in the UK in April. We’re talking to Alison about the use of specific language, when to use scene vs summary, and what to do when readers misread your book. Watch a recording here.  This audio/video version is available for one week. Missed it? Check out the podcast version above or on your favorite podcast pla...

Today we hear from Shalene Gupta whose new book, THE CYCLE: Confronting the Pain of Periods and PMDD , was released in February. Shalene and I will be talking about the ways authors can get past their fear of conducting interviews when writing about deeply personal material. Watch a recording here.  The audio/video version is available for one week. Missed it? Check out the podcast version above o...

Today we get to hear from Henriette Lazaridis whose novel, LAST DAYS IN PLAKA, was released in April 2024. Henriette and I will be talking about her choice to use the omniscient point of view and how she tackled the notoriously tricky narrative perspective. Watch a recording here.  The audio/video version is available for one week. Missed it? Check out the podcast version above or on your favorite...

Today we get to hear from Jennine Capo Crucet whose newest novel, SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND, was released in March. Jennine and I will be talking about writing in a voice and POV that originates in a sense of place. Watch a recording of our live webinar  here.  The audio/video version is available for one week. Missed it? Check out the podcast version above or on your favorite podcast platform...

Today, we’ve got a special bonus episode which I’m calling our “Listener’s Roundup” with listeners Anne Buckley, Jean Carlton, and Anna Carvlin. We’re going to do a few of these over the course of the summer. This is when we get to hear from some of our listeners about they’ve learned from the past few episodes, what ideas they consider the most important, what questions or confusions they have, a...

Today, we hear from Colwill Brown whose debut novel, WE PRETTY PIECES OF FLESH, is forthcoming in 2025. We’ll be talking about the art of sentences and how Colwill had to wrangle with their own to make the unique voice of the book work. Watch a recording  here.  This audio/video version is available for one week. Missed it? Check out the podcast version above or on your favorite podcast platform....

Today, we hear from Bryan VanDyke, whose debut novel, IN OUR LIKENESS, will be published in September. We’re talking to Bryan about what to do when gatekeepers consider your writing “too quiet” and ways an author can make some noise with their new work without sidelining their own vision and style.  Watch a recording here.  This audio/video version is available for one week. Missed it? Check out t...

Today, we hear from Tessa Fontaine whose latest novel, THE RED GROVE, was released in May. We’re talking to Tessa about how to bring a shy, attention-avoiding character to life on the page by discovering the many aspects of her situation and her past that gets her moving forward. By the way, on July 19 Tessa will be at Newtonville Books with authors Clare Beams, Rufi Thorpe, and Annie Hartnett.  ...

Want to join the podcast? Come together with other listeners in a deep dive into this summer’s episodes, discussing ideas, asking questions, and sharing your experiences about issues brought up in our interviews. Perfect for writers at every level. Only a few spots available. Email 7amnovelist@substack.com for more info. Today we get to hear from Annie Weatherwax whose much-lauded novel, All We Ha...