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In this episode Jessi, Marie, and I discuss:

• What qualities make for a successful co-writing partnership and how to decide whom to work with.
• How to bounce back from early mistakes and why you aren’t always one mistake away from ruin.
• The importance of interrogating the “why” behind your vision for your book and your career.

Plus, their #1 tip for writers.

About Jessi Honard and Marie Parks

Jessi and Marie have been co-writing speculative fiction since 2009, and their 2022 contemporary fantasy debut, Unrelenting, was a finalist in the 2020 Book Pipeline Unpublished Manuscript contest. 

Marie is a fantasy, sci-fi, and horror author who landed in New Mexico after traveling full-time in an RV for years. Her writing uses speculative fiction to dive into topics like social justice, the environment, and the power of friendship. Jessi Honard is a speculative fiction author, business owner, and professional coffee inhaler. Her work leans into the power of imaginary worlds as a conduit to exploring common struggles of identity, belonging, and trust. 

Together, they’ve run a successful copywriting agency since 2010. Jessi lives in the Bay Area of California with her partner, Taormina, and Marie lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with all the dogs.

You can find Jessi on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

You can find Marie on her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

And you can check out their book on its website or follow it on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Unrelenting

A glowing symbol painted on a crumbling wall. Sentient smoke that chokes and burns. An ancient magic, long hidden from the world.

Unrelenting Is a contemporary fantasy novel set in the modern-day and featuring an LGBTQIA+ main character on the hunt for her missing sister. The search leads her to something far more sinister than a typical missing persons case—a carefully-guarded plot tied to powerful, age-old magic.

Bridget’s most important job has always been protecting her younger sister, Dahlia. But as adults, Dahlia pushes her away, determined to live her own life 

Then, Dahlia vanishes. When her car is found submerged in the river, the authorities tell Bridget to prepare for the worst. Nine months later, everyone has given up hope. Everyone except Bridget.

When a former classmate of Dahlia’s comes forward with a new lead, Bridget takes matters into her own hands. She ignores the dismissive detective’s warnings and launches her own amateur investigation.

The search leads Bridget to something far more sinister than a typical missing persons case—a carefully-guarded plot tied to powerful, age-old magic. To uncover the truth of what happened to her sister, Bridget must confront this dangerous world, even if it means putting her own life on the line.

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 via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

(Right-click to download.)

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Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 408: Using the “Loop Method” to Co-Write Your Novel, an Inside Look at the Writing Process – Interview with Jessi Honard and Marie Parks appeared first on DIY MFA.