Road To Publication: Julie Pennell
Road to publication: Julie Pennell
When I was a little girl, I was always busy writing stories for my parents who were the type of fans who would always give me a five-star review no matter what the content (thanks, Mom and Dad!)
It wasn’t until I entered a short story fiction contest for a teen magazine and won honorable mention that I realized people other than those related to me might actually enjoy what I wrote. Thus, began my fantasy about becoming an author.
Of course, writing a novel is not as easy as writing a few pages of fiction. There are so many words! During college and in my early 20s, I attempted to write a couple of novels. I got to about 20,000 words for each, but always seemed to hit a road block. Perhaps it was because I hadn’t learned how to properly plot the storyline. Or maybe I could look at those attempts as practice drafts. Or was it that I hadn’t found the right story yet?
At one of my jobs in New York City, I was a digital editor working alongside book editors. From day one, I told them my dream was to write a book, and inched my way into their meetings to pitch ideas.
I don’t remember how many of mine got shot down through the years (it was a lot!), but I finally had one pitch that made their eyes light up: “The Young Wives Club,” a story about a group of women who all get married really young (inspired by some girls I knew while growing up in Louisiana).
I decided it was a book I needed to write. Around the same time, my husband casually mentioned he got an opportunity to work in Oxford, England, for a year. I looked him straight in the eyes and told him he needed to take the job – and that I was going with him to write this book.
In Oxford, I joined a writers’ group and would work on my drafts while sipping tea at quaint little cafes in the city centre. It was a truly magical experience. I was still in Oxford when I found out that the book would be published. I celebrated with a pint.
After “The Young Wives Club” came out in 2017, I got pregnant with my first son and started developing the plot of my next novel, “Louisiana Lucky,” a book about three down-on-their-luck sisters who win a $204 million lottery jackpot during one of their monthly girls’ nights.
The book-writing experience was a bit different compared to my first. Besides the fact that my fancy English countryside backdrop was now gone (I was back in the US), I had a baby boy at home with me who required all my attention when he wasn’t sleeping.
So… I would sneak in power writing sessions during his naps and after he went to bed at night. I was lucky and thankful he was a good sleeper. Otherwise this book might have taken a few more years to write!
One of my biggest pieces of advice to those who want to write a novel is that it’s up to you to make it happen.
You will probably get discouraged with writing (like I did with my first attempts). Don’t stop.
You will probably get shot down (like I did with my pitches). Don’t stop.
You will probably find it difficult to sit down and write (like I did when my son took up most of my day). Don’t stop.
While everyone’s road to publication is different, I think every author feels the same about one thing: the biggest reward is getting to the end of the draft knowing that you made it happen despite any obstacles you may have faced.
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Julie Pennell was born and raised in Louisiana. After graduating from college, she headed to New York to work at Seventeen magazine. She currently lives in Philadelphia with her husband and two young sons, and is a regular contributor to TODAY.com. Her writing has also appeared in The Knot, In Style, and Refinery29. She is the author of The Young Wives Club and Louisiana Lucky.
Connect with her on Twitter and Instagram @juliepens or her website,
From the critically acclaimed author of The Young Wives Club, a “heartwarming story about friendship, heartache, and self-discovery” (Karen White, New York Times bestselling author), comes a charming novel reminiscent of the works of Mary Alice Monroe and Kristy Woodson Harvey, about three sisters who win a huge lottery prize and learn what it truly means to be lucky.
Lexi, Callie, and Hanna Breaux grew up in small-town Louisiana, and have always struggled to make ends meet. For years, they’ve been playing the lottery, fantasizing about how much better life would be if they had the money.
For Lexi, it means the perfect wedding; for Callie, it means having the courage to go after her career dreams; and for Hanna, it means buying a house that isn’t falling apart and sending her bullied son to private school. When the incredible happens and the Breaux sisters hit it big—$204 million dollars big—all their dreams come true. Or so they think. Because it’s actually not a cliché—money isn’t the answer to everything, and it often comes with problems of its own.
Heartfelt, engaging, and featuring characters you’ll root for from the first moment you meet them, Louisiana Lucky is a satisfying page-turner from a rising star in women’s fiction.
Category: How To and Tips
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