First Draft Episode #207: Sara Farizan, Katie Cotugno, and Sarah Enni at Trident Booksellers and Cafe in Boston

I was thrilled to do an event with Sara Farizan--author of Here to Stay, Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel, and If You Could Be Mine--and Katie Cotugno--New York Times bestselling author of How to Love, 99 Days, Top Ten, and Fireworks. We met at Trident Booksellers and Cafe, Sara and Katie’s local bookstore in Boston, to discuss sexy first responders for all your needs, writing humor in contemporary stories, and letting characters make mistakes.

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

• Link to Sara Farizan’s First Draft episode and Katie Cotungo’s First Draft episode
• In Here to Stay, Reggie Miller (former NBA player and commentator) and Kevin Harlan (NBA commentator) are Bijan’s (protagonist) favorite NBA commentators and when he needs a minute he has them narrate in his head.
• Sarah had the opportunity to go to Scholastic and read a chapter from Tell Me Everything!
• Sara Farizan recently watched Killing Eve (TV show), and thinks that because people haven't really seen female serial killers that the characters Villanelle is loved despite being an “unlikable female lead”.
• “You’re Not Allowed in the Anne Hathaway Club if You Hated Her in the 2000s” article on VICE
• In Fireworks, Katie wanted to reflect an accurate experience of being a teen especially when writing a historical and not including social media and technology in the way we use it today
• Sarah made a Trent Reznor (founder, lead vocalist, and principal songwriter of the band of Nine Inch Nails) zine in high school that only five people ever saw.
• Sarah also played The Sims (PC game) to reflect all the things she was interested in.
• PostSecret was the origin of the app Veil from Tell Me Everything.
• At the Boston Teen Author Festival, Mark Oshiro, author of Anger is a Gift; joked that if he could hang out with any villain he would hang out racism.
• Rules for Being a Girl by Katie Cotungo and Candace Bushnell is coming out in Spring 2020!
• Uprooted by Noami Novik
• Sheets by Brenna Thummler
• Dating Tips for the Unemployed by Iris Smyles
• The Vanity Fair Diaries by Tina Brown
• Christine by Stephen King
• Tell Me Everything has a similar feel to the film Amelie

I want to hear from you!

Have a question about writing or creativity for Sarah Enni or her guests to answer? To leave a voicemail, call (818) 533-1998. You can also email the podcast at firstdraftwithsarahenni@gmail.com. 

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Every Tuesday, I speak to storytellers like Veronica Roth, author of Divergent; Linda Holmes, author and host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast; Jonny Sun, internet superstar, illustrator of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Gmorning, Gnight! and author and illustrator of Everyone’s an Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too;  Michael Dante  DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender; John August, screenwriter of Big Fish, Charlie’s Angels, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; or Rhett Miller, musician and frontman for The Old 97s. Together, we take deep dives on their careers and creative works.

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