How I transitioned from non-fiction to fiction

On trying new things, trusting your gut and going easy on yourself

Back in 2020, when my first novel was published, I had a conversation with my former literary agent Abigail Bergstrom for my podcast, about the transition into being a novelist. She made us a cup of herbal tea and we sat on her sofa holding a microphone each. Sadly the recording didn’t come out very well, mainly because I had brought a pink Lucky Voice karaoke mic with me lol (because my podcast mic wasn't working when I left the house so I grabbed whatever possible alternative I could find.) Luckily though, I kept a transcription of everything we spoke about, which I’ve condensed and categorized for you below.

We covered so much ground: how to keep momentum on your new project, dealing with your insecurities around writing, knowing when an idea feels worth it, how to self-promote in a way that suits you and the process of selling a novel vs selling a nonfiction proposal.