As a child in Richmond, Virginia, Lisa Peers was introduced to writing by her mother, who was also a writer who invited her young daughter to play with her typewriter. Still, Lisa began her career in theater and only later pursued writing in a professional capacity. She shares how acting shapes her writing process and helps her build authentic dialogue, which is a strength of Lisa’s new novel, Love at 350°. This gorgeous story features 40something characters challenging the norms of the romantic comedy genre.
In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, host Lynne Golodner interviews Lisa about her journey from acting to writing, the process of finding an agent and publisher, and the importance of writing books you want to read.
In this episode, Lynne and Lisa discuss:
Building a body of work
People who inspire us to write
How other passions/hobbies influence writing
Finding the right writer’s group for you
No one way for a book to come to life
Creating compelling characters
The power of manifestation
Finding agents - right time + right place
Publishers looking for diverse stories (plus-size, LGBTQ, etc.)
How to weather shifting editors and their changing perspectives
Publishing trends
Links and Resources:
True Romance
Love and Other B-Sides
Irving Berlin
Cole Porter
George Gershwin
The Golden Oldies
Punk Era
The myth of Psyche and Eros
Eros & Psyche
Love at 350°
Woman of Valor
Tracy Gardner Beno
Hallmark
The Dial Press
Find Lisa Peers:
If you enjoyed this episode, you’ll like these other Make Meaning Podcast episodes:
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Episode 136 – Tammy Pasterick – Writing & Publishing Your Way
Episode 118 – Elizabeth Gowing – How to Know a Place by Living its Stories
Episode 14 – Heather Leavitt – An Artful Path
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