Hey there word nerds!
Today I have the pleasure of chatting with author Danya Kukafka on the show!
Danya’s stunning debut novel, Girl in Snow, received rave reviews right out of the gate from masters of the thriller genre like Paula Hawkins and Lee Child. This achievement is made even more remarkable when you consider that Danya is only 25 years old!
After reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Virgin Suicides, Danya became fascinated by unstable teens in voyeuristic communities. She set out to explore the idea of what would happen if you had a teenage boy who truly doesn’t know if he’s killed someone. How could the reader find empathy for him?
Listen in as we tackle this question and the even bigger question of deciding where the line between YA and adult lies as we discuss Girl in Snow.
In this episode Danya and I discuss:
- Adult or YA? Deciding which way is right for your story.
- Writing teenage characters that feel real.
- Knowing when to choose a multiple point of view and how to do it right.
- Dealing with the publishing world as an editor and an author.
- How to win the comparison game by sticking to your own writing path.
Plus, Danya’s #1 tip for writers.
About Danya Kukafka
Danya Kukafka is a graduate of New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. She currently works as an assistant editor at Riverhead books. Girl in Snow is her first novel, and has received rave reviews from masters of the thriller genre like Paula Hawkins and Lee Child, as well as media outlines like Marie Claire, PureWow, Refinery 29 and Elle .com. Girl in Snow is available now.
To connect with Danya check out her website at www.danyakukafka.com.
Girl in Snow
When a beloved high schooler named Lucinda Hayes is found murdered, no one in her sleepy Colorado suburb is untouched—not the boy who loved her too much; not the girl who wanted her perfect life; not the officer assigned to investigate her murder. In the aftermath of the tragedy, these three indelible characters—Cameron, Jade, and Russ—must each confront their darkest secrets in an effort to find solace, the truth, or both. In crystalline prose, Danya Kukafka offers a brilliant exploration of identity and of the razor-sharp line between love and obsession, between watching and seeing, between truth and memory.
If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase DIY MFA makes a small commission at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!
Link to Episode 176
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Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!
