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Hey there word nerds!\\xa0

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Janae Marks!

Janae is an award-winning children\'s book author living in Connecticut. She has an MFA in Creative Writing with a concentration in Writing for Children and Young Adults from The New School, and is an active member of the Society of Children\\u2019s Books Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Her debut is the middle grade novel,\\xa0 From the Desk of Zoe Washington, which we\\u2019ll be discussing today.

Janae also happens to be one of my dearest writing besties. She\\u2019s known me since before DIY MFA was even a twinkle in my eye, like back when it was still just a \\u201ccrazy idea\\u201d I was kicking around on my personal blog. She and I were also in the same thesis critique group so she has seen my writing in all its many forms: from the good, to the bad, to the\\u2026 what the heck were you thinking, Gabriela?

One of my favorite things\\u2014one of the things that brings true joy to my heart\\u2014is when I get to introduce my favorite people to the word nerd community. I\\u2019ve known Janae for a long time; I know how much of her heart and soul she\\u2019s poured into this book and I am so excited for the world to discover Zoe Washington and this sweet, heart-felt middle grade novel.

Without further ado, welcome Janae! It\\u2019s so great to have you here.

In this episode Janae and I discuss:

• How Serial and Making a Murderer inspired From the Desk of Zoe Washington
• Aging a character down from YA to middle grade
• Weaving serious, real-world issues into a middle grade story
• Balancing parenting and writing
• Different types of writing friends and communities
• Finding a community-focused writing conference

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

For more info and shownotes: www.diymfa.com/288