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Curious to discover how to find the right critique partner for your story? Or ways to craft multiple magic systems in your novel? How about the revision technique that’ll help you weave together multiple plots? We talk about it all and much more with Adalyn Grace.
Adalyn graduated from Arizona State University when she was nineteen years old. She spent four years working in live theater and acted as the managing editor of a nonprofit newspaper before studying storytelling as an intern on Nickelodeon Animation’s popular series The Legend of Korra. All the Stars and Teeth is her debut novel.
We kick off our conversation talking about her experience as a debut author, giving us a behind-the-scenes look into a day in her life prepping for her book’s release while still meeting deadlines for her second novel. She shares her journey from working at Nickelodeon to discovering her career as a novelist, and how she found beta-readers and critique partners who’ve become an intrinsic part of her writing journey. We then dive into her debut novel All the Stars and Teeth, where she gives us a snapshot of the story, the empowering inspiration behind it, and a look into her world-building and research process. We talk about the importance of keeping your characters’ motivations clear, how your debut novel can set the tone for your writing career, and important questions to think about when picking the right literary agent for you and your story. And later, we chat about her revision process and the revision technique that helped her weave plots and subplots together in a large world, how she tackles significant revisions with her editor, and tips for creating your writing schedule.
Books and resources:
- Our episode all about Pitch Wars featuring Adalyn Grace
- Pitch Wars
- Author Akemi Dawn Bowman
- Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (Check out our episode with Sarah right here!)
- Caraval by Stephanie Garber
- Editor Ashley Hearn
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
- Save the Cat by Blake Synder
- My Hero Academia
- Guardian: The Lonely and Great God written by Kim Eun-sook
Check out these highlights:
- A peek into the daily life of a debut author from prepping a book release to meeting deadlines for the next novel
- How Adalyn fell in love with storytelling and became a novelist
- How to find the best beta readers and critique partners for you and your story
- A snapshot of Adalyn’s debut novel All The Stars and Teeth and the inspiration behind it
- Tips for weaving multiple magic systems into your story
- The key to crafting likable morally grey characters
- Why Adalyn shelved one of her novels and how your debut novel can shape your writing career
- Questions to ask yourself to help choose the best literary agent for your career
- Step-by-step revision technique to tackle challenging plotlines
- Detailed advice to help reach your writing goals
“If you hand a book to ten people, every single one of those ten people are going to have different thoughts; they’re going to have different opinions.”
Adalyn Grace
“Consider setting a word count goal. That’s what I do when I’m on deadline and when I’m really busy and have multiple projects. I will set a word count goal, and it doesn’t have to be big.”
Adalyn Grace
“Some good world-building questions to ask yourself are: are readers able to understand how your magic works, is it clear to them, and then beyond that, how does it influence the world?”
Adalyn Grace
Say “Hi!” to Adalyn:
Learn more about “All the Stars and Teeth“:
She will reign.
As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer—the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it’s never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy’s dangerous soul magic.
When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he’ll help her prove she’s fit to rule, if she’ll help him reclaim his stolen magic.
But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder—and more peril—than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she’ll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stow-away she never expected… or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever.
Learn more about Adalyn Grace:
Adalyn Grace graduated from Arizona State University when she was nineteen years old. She spent four years working in live theater and acted as the managing editor of a nonprofit newspaper before studying storytelling as an intern on Nickelodeon Animation’s popular series The Legend of Korra. Adalyn splits time between San Diego and Arizona with her bossy cat and two dorky dogs, and spends her days writing full-time while trying to find the best burrito around. All the Stars and Teeth is her debut novel.
