Weina Dai Randel emigrated to the United States from China at the age of 24, switching from her native Chinese to English, as she began to write fiction. She wrote a duology about China’s first and only female emperor, Wu Zetian, and then penned a truly stunning historical novel called The Last Rose of Shanghai, about a love story between a Chinese woman and a Jewish refugee in Shanghai during World War II.
In the latest episode of the Make Meaning Podcast, host Lynne Golodner interviews Weina Randel about the long road to landing an agent and a multiple book deal with a traditional publisher, how to conduct research for historical fiction, and how “writing is an art, and publishing is a business.”
In this episode, Lynne and Weina discuss:
- The four years it took to land an agent & a book deal
- Establishing a dedicated writing practice
- How to come up with topics to write about
- Using maps and primary sources for historical research
- Beat sheets & character outlines
- How to market your books without hiring a publicist
- Changes in the publishing industry
- What to do if you’re afraid to share your writing
- The Last Rose of Shanghai
- Elizabeth George book on craft, Mastering the Process
- The Jewish Book Council
- Lake Union publishing
- The Moon Palace
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If you enjoyed this episode, you’ll like these other Make Meaning Podcast episodes:
- Episode 103 – Katie Yamasaki – How to make murals for community expression
- Episode 96 – Jim Rajan – How to leave everything behind
- Episode 82 – Jessica McCormick – Envisioning a new type of Jewish community
- Episode 68 – M.L. Liebler – How to use writing & performance to be an activist
- Episode 39 – Rabbis who rock
