The Fiction Lounge

Hannah and Jess break down the recent trends of artists who are signing traditional publishing deals after self-publishing, what this means for the industry, and how you can apply these trends to your responsibilities as a career writer. Do you have feedback or episode requests for us? Fill out this form to let us know. Don't forget to follow us on social media: @thefictionlounge on Instagram , Ti...

Hannah and Jess give advice on practical ways you can elevate your manuscript. Whether it's reading your book out loud, or learning how to ask for feedback, these tips are guaranteed to improve your current WIP. Do you have feedback or episode requests for us? Fill out this form to let us know. Don't forget to follow us on social media: @thefictionlounge on Instagram , TikTok, and Threads ! And yo...

Hannah and Jess discuss their favorite books of the semester, including some horror, romance, historical fiction, and honorary mention memoir! Do you have feedback or episode requests for us? Fill out this form to let us know. Don't forget to follow us on social media: @thefictionlounge on Instagram , TikTok, and Threads ! And you can always visit our website ! SHOW NOTES HANNAH'S PICKS: Promise M...

Hannah and Jess interview guest author Jade Gonzalez about her self-publishing her journey ahead of her next release in her series. She gives advice on how to tackle insecurity as a writer with a dream and offers powerful perspective on how to navigate the self-publishing world. Do you have feedback or episode requests for us? Fill out this form to let us know. Don't forget to follow us on social...

Hannah and Jess discuss the pros and cons along with the ethics of generative AI in the writing industry, as well as guidelines for ethical use for those interested. Do you have feedback or episode requests for us? Fill out  this form  to let us know. Don't forget to follow us on social media: @thefictionlounge on  Instagram , TikTok, and  Threads ! And you can always visit our  website ! SHOW NOT...

In their first interview with a literary agent, Jess and Hannah discuss all things querying, publishing, and more. They talk about the agent/author relationship, how the business of writing a book can be the majority of an author's work, and Jessica even answers some rapid fire literary agent questions! Do you have feedback or episode requests for us? Fill out  this form  to let us know. Don't for...

Hannah and Jess visited the 30th Texas Book Festival and share live insights from their time there! Do you have feedback or episode requests for us? Fill out  this form  to let us know. Don't forget to follow us on social media: @thefictionlounge on  Instagram , TikTok, and Threads ! And you can always visit our website !

Emily Soderberg has always loved reading and writing mysteries. She was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, only moving away for college. She graduated with honors from Washington University in St. Louis, where she studied Religious Studies and German, subjects that have come in handy exactly twice in her professional career. She's lived in St. Louis ever since, because moving seems like a h...

Tropes have received a bad rep, but The Fiction Lounge is here to set the record straight! Jess and Hannah discuss what a trope is, how it is used, how it can benefit your work, and how you should embrace tropes in your work without compromising its literary value. Do you have feedback or episode requests for us? Fill out  this form  to let us know. Don't forget to follow us on social media: @thef...

Jess and Hannah process how to make a book pitch you can be proud of, while discussing all the aspects that need to go into making sure that pitch is solid. Do you have feedback or episode requests for us? Fill out  this form  to let us know. Don't forget to follow us on social media: @thefictionlounge on  Instagram , TikTok, and Threads ! And you can always visit our website ! SHOW NOTES TFL Epis...

After a thoughtful question from the earlier Q&A episode, Jess and Hannah tackle the new industry of hybrid publishing: exploring the pros and cons, the expectations, and the standards that have been set for those interested in pursuing this hybrid path to publication. Do you have feedback or episode requests for us? Fill out  this form  to let us know. Don't forget to follow us on social medi...

Hannah and Jess answer questions about editing, revising, genre, and hybrid publishing, the last of which is a new adventure our co-hosts will revisit in full in an upcoming episode! Do you have feedback or episode requests for us? Fill out  this form  to let us know. Don't forget to follow us on social media: @thefictionlounge on  Instagram , TikTok, and Threads ! And you can always visit our web...

Hannah and Jess tackle the trickier side of punctuation, explaining the differences between certain similar punctuation marks, as well as breaking down the different rules of dialogue tags. Do you have feedback or episode requests for us? Fill out  this form  to let us know. Don't forget to follow us on social media: @thefictionlounge on  Instagram , TikTok, and Threads ! And you can always visit...

Hannah and Jess talk to prolific writer Vicki Delany on her writing inspiration, her process, and she gives advice to writers seeking the opportunity to write books full-time. Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers and a national bestseller in the U.S. She has written more than fifty books: clever cozies to Gothic thrillers to gritty police procedurals, to historica...

Hannah and Jess share over coffee the highs and lows of their novel writing process thus far, along with things they're learning as well as struggles.

Hannah and Jess talk about the different points of view in literature, ways you can determine your own POV for your work, and give examples of books in each POV as well as recommendations on how to study it. NOTE: You might notice at times, it seems like Hannah and Jess are talking over each other significantly. This was a software glitch from the day of recording, and most of it has been edited o...

Author Carmela Dutra returns to share with the podcast how her journey to publication day has gone, and gives some wisdom to those of us pursuing publication as well! Do you have feedback or episode requests for us? Fill out  this form  to let us know. Don't forget to follow us on social media: @thefictionlounge on  Instagram , TikTok, and Threads ! And you can always visit our website ! SHOW NOTE...

Hannah and Jess break down the different types of writing communities available both in person and online, and give tips on how to find the writing group or groups that will best support your journey. Do you have feedback or episode requests for us? Fill out  this form  to let us know. Don't forget to follow us on social media: @thefictionlounge on  Instagram , TikTok, and Threads ! And you can al...

Hannah and Jess share their favorite reads of the summer semester. Hannah shares an upcoming release she read early, the pair share their most anticipated fall reads, and surprisingly enough, Jess's favorite of all her summer semester reads is....non-fiction? Do you have feedback or episode requests for us? Fill out  this form  to let us know. Don't forget to follow us on social media: @thefiction...

Hannah and Jess share their tips on how to make your writing process more productive, but not the typical kind of productivity. They discuss the kind of productivity that isn't measured but brings life to every writing session. Do you have feedback or episode requests for us? Fill out  this form  to let us know. Don't forget to follow us on social media: @thefictionlounge on  Instagram , TikTok, a...

Stacy Frazer  is a formerly repressed creative soul turned fiction writer, Author Accelerator-certified fiction book coach, and host of  The Write It Scared Podcast .  She helps writers work through self-doubt, shape stronger stories, and actually finish the novels they’ve been dreaming about without losing their voice (or their sanity) in the process. When she’s not writing, reading, or cheering...

Jess and Hannah talk about their writing styles–from outlining to drafting and rewriting, and more! Do you have feedback or episode requests for us? Fill out  this form  to let us know. Don't forget to follow us on social media: @thefictionlounge on  Instagram , TikTok, and Threads ! And you can always visit our website !

Hannah and Jess discuss the unique challenges facing writers today, such as generative AI, oversaturation of the market, and more. Do you have feedback or episode requests for us? Fill out  this form  to let us know. Don't forget to follow us on social media: @thefictionlounge on  Instagram , TikTok, and Threads ! And you can always visit our website !

Hannah and Jess answer author questions! Do you have feedback or episode requests for us? Fill out  this form  to let us know. Don't forget to follow us on social media: @thefictionlounge on  Instagram , TikTok, and Threads ! And you can always visit our website !

Curiosity, tension, and suspense: which is which and how to use each one? Hannah and Jess break down the differences, discus the importance of each, and provide practical steps to help you build tension in your own story! Do you have feedback or episode requests for us? Fill out  this form  to let us know. Don't forget to follow us on social media: @thefictionlounge on  Instagram , TikTok, and Thr...