Ep 71: From Attorney to Author with Novelist Jessica Saunders
Jessica Saunders's debut novel, Love, Me, was released on January 16, 2024 (Union Square & Co.)
In the latest episode of the Write the Damn Book Already podcast, Jessica and I chatted about the power of pursuing a literary dream as she discussed her debut with raw and captivating honesty. We also discussed the delicate balance between rigorous careers and the pull of creative passions, the catalysts that drive us to write, and the sacrifices made along the way—including, sometimes, a brief hiatus from all things Netflix!
INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS
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Finalizing the title, from the initial idea to the final decision
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Jessica's writing process, what prompted her to (finally) write the damn book already, and her approach to plotting versus pantsing
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Which writers' workshop helped her get her first draft out
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How she decided between traditional and self-publishing and found her agent, Elizabeth Bewley (Sterling Lord Literalistic)
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Her experience connecting with the author community and planning for the book's launch and ongoing marketing
ABOUT JESSICA
Jessica Saunders is a lawyer, who, after years of writing scintillating legal briefs, was finally able to fulfill her lifelong dream of writing fiction. A graduate of Cornell University and St. John’s University School of Law, where she was a St. Thomas More Scholar, Jessica currently lives in Westchester, New York with her husband and two daughters. Love, Me is her first novel.
CONNECT WITH JESSICA
Instagram: @jessicasaundersbooks
Website: jessicasaundersbooks.com
Order Love, Me (via Bookshop.org, which supports indie bookstores)
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