ANGIE THOMAS: Crafting Powerful Narratives & Finding Your Writing Community

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“Being disciplined but also not being hard on yourself and finding balance of the two is key to hitting your writing goals.”

-Angie Thomas

I’m thrilled to have Angie Thomas on the show with us today! Angie is the author of “The Hate U Give” which debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. If you haven’t yet, make sure to grab a copy for yourself! I love this book. And of course, there’s no surprise that the movie adaptation is already currently in development and is being produced by Fox 2000 and Temple Hill, the same team that produced “The Fault in Our Stars” and the “Maze Runner” franchise.

In today’s episode, we discuss the importance of raising diverse voices in the literary world. Angie walks us through the inspiration behind her novel and how music, hip hop, and Tupac played an influential role throughout her writing process.

Angie shares her experiences as a debut author and how creating an online presence will help you build genuine relationships within the writing community. For our craft-focused listeners, Angie shares advice on how to craft powerful narratives and build strong characters for your stories, why research must be a priority to create authentic diverse characters, and how to write a successful query letter.

You don’t want to miss out on this episode!

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“If we want more diverse books, we need more diverse authors.”

-Angie Thomas

“It’s going to get overwhelming but knowing that there are people who’ve been through it and who survived it helps a whole lot.”

-Angie Thomas

“As long as you surround yourself and connect with people and reach out to people, you won’t be alone.”

-Angie Thomas

What You’ll Learn From This Episode:

- The inspiration behind Angie’s The Hate You Give
- How to build strong characters for your stories
- Why research must be a priority to craft authentic diverse characters
- The importance of raising diverse voices in the literary world
- The inspiring advantages of engaging with your readers
- Where you can go to seek out welcoming writing communities
- How creating an online presence will help you build genuine relationships within the writing community
- How hip-hop and Tupac influenced Angie’s novel
- How music can inspire themes for your writing
- How to craft a successful query letter
- Ways to earn an income to support your art
- Manageable steps you can take to accomplish your writing goals

A National Book Award Longlist title with eight starred reviews! #1 New York Times Bestseller!

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

Learn More About Angie Thomas

Angie Thomas was born, raised, and still resides in Jackson, Mississippi as indicated by her accent. She is a former teen rapper whose greatest accomplishment was an article about her in Right-On Magazine with a picture included. She holds a BFA in Creative Writing from Belhaven University and an unofficial degree in Hip Hop. She can also still rap if needed. She is an inaugural winner of the Walter Dean Meyers Grant 2015, awarded by We Need Diverse Books. Her debut novel, The Hate U Give, was acquired by Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins in a 13-house auction and will be published in spring 2017. Film rights have been optioned by Fox 2000 with George Tillman attached to direct and Hunger Games actress Amandla Stenberg set to star.