Ep 63: Fictionalizing Real Life with Pamela Kripke

In Episode 63 of the Write the Damn Book Already podcast, I had the opportunity to chat with Pamela Gwyn Kripke, a journalist and author whose writing has appeared in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Huffington Post, Slate, Salon, and Parenting.

Pamela's novel, At the Seams (Open Books, April 2023), details the journey of precocious eight-year-old Kate Nichols, whose understanding of her world is shattered when she learns of an uncle who died inexplicably in the hospital just days after his birth. 

Interview Highlights: 

• How to turning a real-life event into the premise for a novel (plus when---and why---the fiction component took over)
• Pamela's unique writing process when it comes to “layering in” detail (that doesn't work for most people!)
• Thoughts on why experiences stick with us well enough that we can write about them in great detail decades later (even though we can’t remember what we have for breakfast that morning)
• Pamela's publishing journey, and why she ended up choosing a traditional small press
• Her fun, diverse approach to book marketing
• The differences between journalistic writing and book writing (all you journalists/freelance writers will love this part of the conversation)

ABOUT PAMELA

Pamela Gwyn Kripke is a journalist and author whose writing has appeared in publications including The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Chicago Sun-Times, The Dallas Morning News, The Huffington Post, Slate, Salon, Medium, New York Magazine, Parenting, Redbook, Elle, D Magazine, Creators Syndicate, Gannett Newspapers and

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