Finishing Your Book and Getting an Agent and Publisher: An Interview

Thriller writer Jeff Abbott is so smart and wise, I can't resist sharing the interview with you that he did with the Pacific Northwest Writers Association. I don't read too many thrillers (and—full disclosure—have not read Jeff Abbott's books), so when I saw this nine-minute podcast come over the transom from PNWA, I thought it would be something I might be only mildly interested in. But the points Jeff makes apply to any writer in any genre, and are rock-solid insightful.

A few areas he talks about in the interview:

• how to focus on finishing your project
• getting an agent (Jeff explains how he did it, which was sort of backwards, but a great idea)
• the importance of writing what you love to read
• choreographing action scenes and keeping the emotional context foremost in action scenes (if you don't, he says, you are writing smoke and mirrors, CGI)
• the dance of plot and character
• what to focus on if you want to be published
• what to keep in mind at all times: that your book is your first real impression on readers, not branding or marketing or getting the book out there.

This nine-minute interview is well-worth a look. Enjoy!