#amwriting With Jess & Kj

One of the writing skills I am asked about the most is, “How do I get emotion on the page?” People ask this no matter what genre they are writing, because no one wants to produce a manuscript that is flat and unengaging. Emotion is the key, but figuring out how to inspire your reader to feel something is a tricky thing to learn and an even trickier thing to master. In her debut novel, Slanting Towards the Sea (Simon & Schuster, July 2025), Lidija Hilje has mastered it. The story feels so raw and so real—and English is not even Lidija’s first language! It’s a remarkable achievement.  I’m excited to speak with Lidija about her path to publication and how she figured out how to get the emotion of her characters onto the page. Links from the Pod: Article from Jane Friedman Guide on Literary Fiction from Lidija Lidija’s website: www.lidijahilje.com Author Accelerator book coaches Barbara Boyd and Nita Collins Hey everyone, it's Jenny Nash. This episode happens to feature an Author Accelerator book coa