Author Mary A. Odekunle joins us to discuss her debut novel "The Eight Pawn," a political intrigue and strategy-focused book that offers readers an alternative to romance-dominated fiction. We explore Mary's writing journey from childhood journaling to published author, revealing how she developed her chess-inspired series about a young man navigating political machinations to gain power.
• Started writing through journaling, which helped develop skills in conveying human emotions
• Conceived "The Eight Pawn" during freshman year of university out of a passion for chess
• Follows a methodical writing process: character development first, then worldbuilding, then plotting
• Planned a four-book series divided into two duologies with different protagonists
• Faced writer's block despite detailed outlining, proving even plotters need flexibility
• Building community has been essential to finding readers seeking non-romance fiction
• First-time feedback experiences taught valuable lessons about giving and receiving critiques
• Compares first drafts to initial layers of artwork—necessarily messy but foundational
Mary recommends writing "as if nobody's going to see it ever" to give yourself freedom to explore your story without judgment.
Links:
Linktree (all my links): https://linktr.ee/maryaodekunle
Instagram and Threads: @m.aduraodekunle
About Victoria:
Hey there, I’m Victoria! As a writer and developmental editor, I specialize in helping busy writers bring their publishing dreams to life without the overwhelm. Your story deserves to shine, let's make magic together.
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