Ever wondered how to create a successful querying process? Or ways to cope with rejection as a writer? How about tips for nurturing a strong relationship with a literary agent? We talk about it all and so much more with Rachel Hawkins.
Rachel is the author of Rebel Belle, the New York Times bestselling series Hex Hall, Prince Charming, and its sequel and Rachel’s newest book, Her Royal Highness.
In our conversation, Rachel shares how she fell in love with storytelling and her journey to becoming an author. We dive into her querying process, coping with rejection, finding the right agent for the writer and their story, and how to nurture a supportive agent and author relationship. Further into the discussion, we talk about how to work with editors to strengthen the story’s plot, and the game-changing writing advice to help every writer achieve their writing goals. She also gives us a snapshot of her newest book, Her Royal Highness, and shares the inspiration behind it.
Be sure to download the writing prompt that Rachel created just for our storytellers by scrolling below!
Books and resources:
All My Children created by Agnes Nixon
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Authors Judy Blume, Nora Roberts, Caitlin Kittredge, and Tess Sharpe
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Writer’s Market by Robert Lee Brewer
Literary agent Holly Root with Root Literary (Listen to her episode on 88 Cups of Tea right here!)
When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perri
On Writing by Stephen King
2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love by Rachel Aaron
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
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Check out these highlights:
- How Rachel fell in love with storytelling (5:00)
- We get a sneak peek into Rachel’s newest project, a modern retelling of Jane Eyre titled The Wife Upstairs, coming out next year (9:25)
- How Rachel came to realize she wanted to become an author (10:20)
- The moment Rachel began crafting her novels with the intent to be published (14:55)
- We discuss the supportive roles your partner can take on during your creative pursuits (20:00)
- Rachel’s querying process for her series Hex Hall and how she found her agent (21:55)
- How to cope with rejection during your querying process (26:15)
- Advice on building and maintaining a successful author to agent relationship (29:56)
- Rachel gives a snapshot of her newest novel, Her Royal Highness, and what readers can expect from her story (37:17)
- A look into Rachel’s research process for Her Royal Highness that helped her craft an authentic and genuine plot (40:50)
- Building vivid worlds for your stories when it’s set in a faraway location (45:50)
- How to best work with your editor to strengthen your plot and character development (49:05)
- The game-changing advice that’ll help reach your writing goals (57:00)
“I have been a writer since before I knew how to write.”
-Rachel Hawkins
“The biggest thing for me and the thing that I would always tell anybody is to keep a lot of irons in the fire. So, for example, I always wanted to have ten query letters out and so if I got a rejection from somebody, then another one went out.”
-Rachel Hawkins
“I cannot sit for hours and hours at a time in front of my computer. My attention span will not allow for it. So I do twenty-minute bursts, and you can get so much more done in twenty minutes then you’re thinking you can get done. And that’s how I write every single day.”
-Rachel Hawkins
Say “Hi” to Rachel Hawkins:
Learn more about “Her Royal Highness“
Regal romance abounds in this flirty, laugh-out-loud companion novel to Prince Charming, by New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins.
Millie Quint is devastated when she discovers that her sort-of-best friend/sort-of-girlfriend has been kissing someone else. Heartbroken and ready for a change of pace, Millie decides to apply for scholarships to boarding schools . . . the farther from Houston the better.
Soon, Millie is accepted into one of the world’s most exclusive schools, located in the rolling highlands of Scotland. Here, the country is dreamy and green; the school is covered in ivy, and the students think her American-ness is adorable.
The only problem: Mille’s roommate Flora is a total princess.
She’s also an actual princess. Of Scotland.
At first, the girls can’t stand each other, but before Millie knows it, she has another sort-of-best-friend/sort-of-girlfriend. Princess Flora could be a new chapter in her love life, but Millie knows the chances of happily-ever-afters are slim . . . after all, real life isn’t a fairy tale . . . or is it?
New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins brings the feels and the laughs to her latest romance.
Learn more about Rachel Hawkins
Rachel Hawkins lives in Auburn, Alabama with her husband and son, three cats, and numerous abandoned craft projects. When not writing about fake royals, she’s reading about the exploits of real ones and tracking some of their bigger scandals via her #SexyHistory stories on Twitter. Her Royal Highness is Rachel’s eleventh novel.
