Joani Elliott kicks off the English Reading Series with excerpts from her novel and a sneak peek at her new manuscript.
Joani Elliott left her teaching job at the University of Maryland to pursue her writing dream in 2015. Months later, she still had no agent, editor, or even manuscript. One day, as she sat in her bathroom feeling sorry for herself, she wondered, “What if there were a million people waiting for me to write this book?” While contemplating how scary it would be to bear the weight of others’ expectations, she dreamed up The Audacity of Sara Grayson. Elliott shared an excerpt of this novel, a sneak peek at her new manuscript, and advice for aspiring writers at the first installation of the fall 2023 English Reading Series.
Elliott began her reading series by sharing The Audacity of Sara Grayson, which follows Sara, a 32-year-old greeting card writer and daughter of one of the most widely known fiction writers. When her mother dies, Sara finds out that her mother wanted Sara to finish the last book in her mother’s series. The novel explores the complexities of familial relationships because, as Elliott said, “It’s fascinating how we could all grow up in the same house and have completely different experiences.”
After reading an excerpt from The Audacity of Sara Grayson, Elliott gave attendees a sneak peek of her next manuscript, The Best Worst Life of Magnolia Wade. This novel follows a woman who starred in a terrible film when she was younger, just for it to resurface as a cult classic, throwing her life into disarray. Elliott hopes to release Magnolia Wade next year.
For the last few minutes, Elliott answered questions about how she treats her writing as a career rather than a hobby and how she markets herself for publication. She gave advice to aspiring writers, encouraging them to give themselves hours and spaces to write, much like an office job, and to seek out feedback opportunities to polish their work. She also recommended the New York Pitch Conference, which helped her perfect her pitch, find her agent, and get face time with editors. Finally, she advised aspiring writers to honor the part of themselves that wants to create. She said, “Honor that inside of yourself. Even as a busy college student, look for those moments to read some poetry, to go to a dance, to look for that beautiful inside yourself and outside yourself to lead a more happy, beautiful life.”
Learn more about Joani Elliott and her writing here.
Check out who’s presenting at English Reading Series here.