Life Update
Hello from San Miguel de Allende, where I’ve been hard at work correcting the first pass pages of my forthcoming novel, The Puzzle Master.
For those who have not published a book, the process can seem long. It usually takes a year from the time an author turns in a “final” draft before the book can be purchased by readers. In between, there is the editorial process, the copy edit, fact checking, first pass pages, second pass pages, the advanced copy printing, and then, finally, the novel itself is out in the world. The Puzzle Master will be out June 13th. Until then, you can follow along here for updates.
If you have any questions about the publishing process, feel free to write to me and ask!
Not only have I been writing fiction, but my newest Dark Matters column, “Tangling With the Ghost of a Vengeful Mother-in-Law” was published in The New York Times Book Review this past week. If you haven’t read it, take a look! Apologies for the paywall. If you can’t get through and want to read the article, send me a note and I’ll email you a pdf!
Also, I am excited to announce that The Puzzle Master is live on Goodreads! If you haven’t, please go in and add it to your “Want To Read” shelf!
Last week was Day of the Dead here in Mexico.
I went to a party on a rooftop to celebrate. Check out my crown of flowers!
And here I am with my friend Carter.
Reader of the Month
I’m excited to announce that I’m continuing a new feature in the newsletter: The Reader of the Month. Each month I’ll feature one of my extraordinary readers. If you’d like to be featured as a Reader of the Month, please write to me at danielle@danielletrussoni.com.
Meet Alina, who lives in Romania! She is a writing coach and freelance copy editor, as well as a content creator. You can find writing vlogs, podcasts, and all kinds of bookish videos (mostly in Romanian) on her YouTube channel, AudioBookiseala.
Here is some more fun info about Alina!
Q) What are your favorite kinds of books to read?
A) I usually read both non-fiction (history mostly) and fiction books (either literary or commercial) as long as the subject interests me and the writing is good. Depending on my mood, I enjoy different genres but If I have to pick, I'd choose gothic, mystery, and crime.
Q) What are some of your hobbies and passions?
A) That's a tough one because I have never actually drawn a line between what was supposed to be a mere hobby and a full-time occupation. I graduated from "Nicolae Tonitza" Fine Arts High School in Bucharest where I studied different drawing and painting techniques, and I have a Bachelor's and Masters's degree in opera from "Gheorghe Dima" Music Academy in Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania. I also made my opera debut there in 2019. Art and music are still a significant part of my life. And, of course, writing turned out to be a vocation. I wrote my first novel at the age of 16. Up till now I wrote and published 7 fiction books (in Romanian). I've enjoyed making and editing videos as well, since high school, so combining content creation with talking about books and writing it's like getting 2 for 1. One could call me a multidimensional artist torn between different ways of self-expression, although I've been trying to focus more in one direction lately.
Q) Why do you love to read?
A) I guess there are many answers to that question, the most popular ones being "I want to escape to different worlds" or "I want to live many different lives" and, surely, those easily apply to me, too. I've loved books ever since I can remember and reading has always been a natural basic activity for me. So I could say that I love reading because without books my brain will probably starve to death. LOL! I love reading in my room, in the evening.
Q&A
Finally, I opened the floor to my friends on social media again this month to take any questions about my new books or the writing/reading/publishing world at large.
1) What was your inspiration to write?
The inspiration to write in general is quite different from what inspired me to write Angelology! So I’ll start with the general kernel of desire that led me to pick up a pen. I began keeping a journal when I was very young, and when I was in high school, the habit of writing things down became something that shaped my day. I was experimenting with who I was, what I wanted to do and be, and scheming about ways of leaving my small town. Writing, in a lot of ways, allowed me to become the person I am now. It has always been an act of becoming for me.
Angelology, however, came about after I decided to write a novel. My first book was a memoir, and it was a logical extension of the journals I’d always kept (although I should emphasize that the structure of a memoir is nothing like a journal!). I knew that I wanted to write something that had religious elements, as so many of my most formative experiences occurred when I was at Catholic school, and so I went to a convent to see if I could find inspiration. It happened that this convent had a chapel dedicated to angels. The novel grew from my time spent sitting in that chapel, thinking about writing, wondering how I could use that chapel as a setting.
2) I’d love to hear about your process for writing drafts. What technology do you use?
I write all of my first drafts by hand! When some writers hear this, they are surprised. They ask if it isn’t laborious and what I do after I write the first draft. But actually, writing everything out in a kind of messy, chaotic way helps me to “loosen the screws” so to speak. I am freed up to write lavish, disorderly, illogical and oftentimes incomprehensible pages of fiction. It is in the second draft, when I type this mess into a Word document, that the shape of the book starts to take, and I begin to know what I’m dealing with.
As always, a big thank you to everyone for spending the time with me here, on my website, and across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. My books wouldn’t be possible without your support! Please stay in touch and let me know how you’re doing.
Yours,
Danielle
P.S. Further Reading and Writing Submissions
Readers and writing students often ask me about what I’m reading about books and literature. I’m excited to share a few recent articles to check out. Let me know what you think…
Spooky season is not over just because Halloween has ended…
“7 Queer Horror Novels That Should Be on Your Bookshelf”
This was a fun little article on mysteries in real life…
“So You’re Stuck In A Cozy Mystery: A Survival Kit”
Take a closer look at the literary sensation…
“How Colleen Hoover Conquered the Bestseller List”
Who’s stoked (staked?) for the upcoming Anne Rice adaptation?
“Interview With the Vampire’s Jacob Anderson on Power Struggles and Ethical Feeding”
These five novels will cast a spell over you…
“5 Uniquely Chicanx/Latinx Representations In Crime Fiction”
Submission Opportunities
I am part of the incredible low residency writing program at Salve Regina. As such, I’m always on the lookout for submission opportunities for emerging writers. I know many of you are writers, and might be interested in sending out your work. Check out these select opportunities for getting your work published.
This week I’m focusing on contests!
Respond to up to five weekly prompts for a chance at winning prize money.
Length: Varies
Payment: $250 award
Deadline: Rolling
WOW! Women On Writing Quarterly Flash Fiction Contest
The mission of this contest is to inspire creativity, great writing, and provide well-rewarded recognition to contestants.
Length: 250-750 words
Payment: $400
Deadline: November 30th
An annual contest run by The Florida Review.
Length: up to 45 pages
Payment: $1,000
Deadline: December 31
Story Unlikely's Short Story Contest
Fiction or memoir; well-written, expertly told stories, regardless of genre.
Length: up to 4,500 words
Payment: $1,000
Deadline: December 31st
Storyshares 6th annual contest for diverse stories that are easy to read and hard to put down.
Length: varies
Payment: $3,000 (top prize)
Deadline: December 27th
Hello, Danielle--Congratulations on The Puzzle Master! (Oh, and I love your crown of flowers).
xo Jamie