Jun 6, 2024
Amanda Churchill is a writer living in Texas. Her work has been featured in Hobart Pulp, Witness, River Styx, and other outlets. She was a Writer’s League of Texas 2021 Fellow and holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from the University of North Texas. The Turtle House is her first novel.
In this episode:
The challenges of writing a novel about family [3:24]
Creating an ending in fiction you couldn’t provide in real life [5:21]
Interviewing subjects and researching a novel based on family history [9:50]
Developing through lines and replicating motifs [18:07]
How being a graphic designer and focusing on visual as much as the words helped Amanda write the book [25:01]
Finding the confidence to move forward creatively without fear [20:05]
Dealing with the intensity of writing about strong emotions [34:29]
How Amanda structured her writing process and found her agent [36:45]
Connect with Amanda:
Twitter: https://x.com/agchurchill
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandagchurchill/
Website: https://amandagannchurchill.com
Get her book on Estelle’s Bookshop
https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-turtle-house-amanda-churchill/20297348?aid=98827&ean=9780063290518&listref=authors-who-have-appeared-on-freelance-writing-direct&
Other Episodes Featuring Novelists
Episode #70 Writing A YA Romance Novel
https://estelleserasmus.com/70-writing-a-ya-romance-novel-with-jennifer-chen/
Episode #63 Witchy Writing With the Shit No One Tells You About Writing Host Bianca Marais
https://estelleserasmus.com/63-witchy-writing-with-bianca-marais/
Episode #58 Writing About Historical Subjects
https://estelleserasmus.com/58-writing-about-historical-subjects-with-audrey-clare-farley/
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https://events.nyu.edu/event/327843-editor-on-call-making-the-cut-with-your-writing
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Estelle’s Latest Articles
I’m Learning to Listen in New Ways (Shondaland)
https://www.shondaland.com/live/family/a46102451/im-learning-to-listen-in-new-ways/
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https://www.writersdigest.com/getting-published/what-to-do-pre-launch-to-get-your-book-noticed
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