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In this episode Jenna Miller and Lori discuss:

• The complexities of writing a parent / teen dynamic that resonates with today’s YA audience. 
• How NanoWriMo positively influenced her authorial career.
• Transcending the traditional love triangle trope with nuance.

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Jenna Miller

Jenna Miller writes Young Adult books about fat, queer, nerdy girls who deserve to be seen and have their voices heard. When she’s not obsessing over words, she can be found making charcuterie boards, befriending people online, cross stitching, or adventuring in the Minneapolis area. 

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

Out of Character

If you asked seventeen-year-old Cass Williams to describe herself, she’d happily tell you she’s a fat lesbian obsessed with the Tide Wars books. What she won’t tell you—or anyone in her life—is that she’s part of an online Tide Wars roleplay community. Sure, it’s nerdy as hell, but when she’s behind the screen writing scenes as Captain Aresha, she doesn’t have to think about her mother who walked out or how unexpectedly stressful it is dating resident cool girl Taylor Cooper.

But secretly retreating to her online life is starting to catch up with Cass. For one, no one in her real life knows her secret roleplay addiction is the reason her grades have taken a big hit. Also? Cass has started catching feelings for Rowan Davies, her internet bestie…and Taylor might be catching on.

As Cass’s lies continue to build, so does her anxiety. Roleplaying used to be the one place she could escape to, but this double life and offline-online love triangle have only made things worse. Cass must decide what to do—be honest and risk losing her safe space or keep it a secret and put everything else on the line.

What would Captain Aresha do?

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!

Link to Episode 448

(Right-click to download.)

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Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 448: From Drafting to Marketing: A Debut Author’s Journey – Interview with Jenna Miller appeared first on DIY MFA.