28 Comments

What a gift the 7am Novelist was. Thanks to the amazing Michelle Hoover. I started thinking of it as the 7am MFA. Loved all of it, but particularly the discussion of Scene and Stakes. So many little gems along the way (e.g, instead of describing your character describe how they move through space; have any ally die or disappear at the mid-point, etc.). So many great guests--loved Henriette Lazaridis, Steve Almond, Desmond Hall, Sandra Scofield. Wished I lived closer to Boston to apply for the Incubator. As a small gesture of gratitude I'll be buying Michelle Hoover's books, and those of a few others.

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Nov 29, 2022Liked by Michelle Hoover

I woke up this morning missing all of you, though particularly Michelle. So many generous guests were so helpful: Yarborough and Murray on "The Clock," Jim Shepard's "Rate of Revelation," Sandra Scofield's "Consequence" (I bought _The Scene Book_), and Henriette Lazadis, but then this isn't fair to all the great guests, particularly those early on.

After the holidays, I may start listening again. Thank you, Michellle.

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Nov 28, 2022Liked by Michelle Hoover

Thank you so much for putting this together. What a generous group you and your fellow writers are! I loved how actionable the series was, and particularly liked hearing how writers worked through their own sticky spots. Highlights for me were character attitude on day 11, intention and conflict on day 30, and the middle of the book/story arcs on day 39.

A nice side effect has been that it made me a more observant reader. Huge thanks to whoever recommended "The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox," by Maggie O'Farrell (and so many other books that are now on my list).

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Nov 26, 2022Liked by Michelle Hoover

Thank you again for this amazing gift. My favorite sessions were Jim Shepard, Desmond Hall, and Kasey LeBlonc. What I came away with, my overall impression after listening to 49 of the 50 sessions, was that we are all members of a vibrant writing community and have so much in common as writers, even those of us who have not managed to publish a novel yet.

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The 7amnovelist was a revelation. Most of all, thanks to Michelle for her constant energy and commitment. The guests were all helpful; even on days when I felt the discussion didn't apply so much to me, I got something out of it. Other days were eye-opening. Most of all, the 7amnovelist made me feel part of a tribe, a movement, less alone in my process. It also made me see that publishing a novel seriously takes a village. The final episode was beautiful and a tribute. Plus the chat was another aspect of community. Can't wait til the next iteration in March.

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Thank you again for all the work you put in to create a truly valuable experience. I'd love for you to spend some time on bringing the book in for a safe landing, and on publishing alternatives (agent, small publisher, indie publisher). I intend to listen to the entire podcast again and perhaps will have something useful to add at that point.

One thing that came through loud and clear is that the Incubator is *incredibly* valuable. You should be extremely proud of what you've built, and if I could afford it, I'd be first in line to apply.

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Day 51 is empty without your "Hello, hello, hello!" I'll have go back to the beginning because the first time through I'd get distracted by one insightful comment and miss the next. Thank you for undertaking this project. I loved all the topics and guests, but Margot Livesey and Desmond Hall were particular favorites.

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I joined the 7am Novelist late so I have the pleasure of discovering the earlier episodes ahead of me. It was perfect timing as I'm in the middle of my xxth draft and the daily discussions spurred me on and helped me feel a little less alone on the journey. So many helpful ideas and useful information. I was so impressed with the professionalism, knowledge and generosity you, Michelle, and your guests shared with us. Thank you for making me feel part of a community even though I know no one involved and watched the episodes in the evening. A true gift.

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Thanks to you, Michelle, and your charming and frighteningly smart guests for putting this all together. I can’t think of another time in my life when I had a meeting I actually wanted to attend every single morning. It was a pleasure to start my day with you all, even when I couldn’t manage being up at 7 and watched the recording.

Also, as someone who is struggling with the revision of long manuscript, several sessions increased my confidence that I’d made some good decisions along the way and I don’t have to fix everything. So, thanks for that as well.

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This has been an amazing series with an amazing group of speakers. I'm looking forward to the next series on revision. My favorite topics were the one's on point of view and scene vs. summary. Each guest had something to contribute to the topic they had chosen so it's hard to pick a favorite.

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This entire project was such a generous gift by you all. For those of us who cannot afford (time or money) to get an MFA, this type of free program is invaluable -- at least it was for me. It gave me many concrete things to do to improve my manuscript, and boosted my confidence that I had a worthy manuscript on its way --- if I only keep at it. Also the sessions made me laugh every morning (which is saying something at 7 a.m.)! Happy thanksgiving to you, Michelle, and to all the wonderful writers who participated.

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Huge help. Thank you for creating this podcast for those of us who can’t go to Boston for a year (Although I’d love to take part in the novel incubator). Your knowledge and professionalism has come through. Most helpful for me were practical tips ie start the novel with something happening, put obstacles in your main character’s way etc. These are basic, I know, but act as reminders and touch points. (“Ah, I did that right. Oops, I need to work on that…). I’m looking forward to 7am Novelist Revising Edition!

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Huge thanks for such an inspiring and interesting program that got me back on track with my project(s). You gave a huge gift to the writing community which enabled us to give ourselves the gift of getting to our desks early every morning, ready to write.

My favorites were Sandra Scofield, Margot Livesey, Jim Shepard and Courtney Maum; all seasoned writers who had such sage advice as well as revealing they have doubts about their writing too but really, everyone who participated was great. Thanks again!

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Thank you again, Michelle, for this amazing, generous, inspiring thing you have done! I'd have to revisit all of the episodes to decide which were my very favorites - and I do plan to listen to them again. But today's episode, Day 50, was perfect, a beautiful way to close the series.

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