Episode 155 - Martha Anne Toll - Finely Crafted, Award-Winning Fiction
Martha Anne Toll is an author and former lawyer who has always been passionate about writing. She grew up in a secular Jewish family and was deeply influenced by the stories of Holocaust survivors. Martha's debut novel, Three Muses, is a beautifully crafted story that combines her love for ballet and her exploration of the impact of the Holocaust on her own Jewish identity. She is currently working on her second novel, Duet for One, which delves into the world of classical music in Philadelphia.
In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, host Lynne Golodner interviews Martha about her writing process, her publishing journey, marketing efforts, and the value of attending book events to learn from other authors. They also discuss how the Holocaust factors into Jewish identity, especially for 20th century American Jews.
In this episode, Lynne and Martha discuss:
The inspiration behind the novel Three Muses
Martha's introduction to Judaism through the Holocaust
Martha's next novel
Developing characters & the love story in Three Muses
Writing process and revision
Research for writing a book
How to find a publisher
Marketing & speaking engagements
The power of 100 rejections
Writing routines & book events
Why beginnings & endings are so difficult
Writing novels with no formal writing training – why you don’t need a degree to write a great book!
Being a ruthless self-editor
Links and Resources:
The Holocaust
Auschwitz
Classic music in Philadelphia
Woman of Valor
Viola
Writing Coaching
Swan Lake
Developmental Editing
Writing Retreats
Regal House Publishing
Petrichor Prize
Lynne’s Substack
Find Martha Anne Toll:
Website
Substack
If you enjoyed this episode, you’ll like these other Make Meaning Podcast episodes:
Episode 146 – Barbara Stark-Nemon – Tracing the Path of Historical Fiction
Episode 142 – Announcing Scotia Road Books
Episode 131 -Weina Dai Randel – The Last Rose of Shanghai
Episode 129 – Rosina Lippi – Author of the Wilderness Series
Episode 128 – Becky Robinson – Building Reach for Books
Episode 165 - Brenda Meller - Capturing a Piece of the Publishing Pie
Episode 164 - Patrick Hicks - Writing Hard Stories Beautifully
Episode 163 - Qin Sun Stubis - Writing Inspired by Long-Held Family Lore
Episode 162 - Elizabeth Conte - Doing Well as an Indie Author
Episode 161 - Ana Veciana-Suarez - Historical Literary Fiction
Episode 160 - Jonathan Whitelaw - Cozy Crime & Escaping into Writing
Episode 159 – April Davila - Meditation & Writing
Episode 158 - Suzanne Nugent - On Character Development
Episode 157 - Blake Kimzey - Creating a Writing Community
Episode 156 - Blair Fell - Original Storylines & Unique Characters
Episode 154 - Dawn Chalker - Writing What You Know
Episode 153 – Jewish Books, Jewish Authors
Episode 152 - Ami Irmen - Character-Driven Narratives
Episode 151 - Rochelle Weinstein - Writing Best-Selling Novels
Episode 150 - Lisa Peers - First Novels & Writing Friendships
Episode 149 – Anne-Marie Oomen - Writing through Family
Episode 148 – Woman of Valor - Katie Scott interviews Lynne about her debut novel!
Episode 147 – Diane Gottlieb - Writing Short & Writing Well
Episode 146 – Barbara Stark-Nemon - Tracing the Path of Historical Fiction
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