ARCHIVE FOR Dead Darlings: Everything Novel

This post, written by Cara Wood, was originally published on Dead Darlings, a blog about novel writing run by alumni of GrubStreet's Novel Incubator program.

One family burdened with division over three generations. Shilpi Suneja‘s debut novel, House of Caravans (September 2023, Milkweed Editions), chronicles the birth of Pakistan and an independent India with grace, scrutiny, and depth. Somehow, she manages this saga in just over 300 pages – her skillful prose does not shy away from the physical or emotional violence of Partition or its continued aftershocks.

My favorite moments of this novel come …

This post, written by Bonnie Waltch, was originally published on Dead Darlings, a blog about novel writing run by alumni of GrubStreet's Novel Incubator program.

Many of us know her from her newsletter, Your Weekly Writing Exercise, chock-full of craft tips, writing exercises, and inspiration; or have used her book, Your Book Starts Here, to plot our stories. We’ve benefitted from her W-structure workshop and participated in her writing retreats. Mary Carroll Moore became a published fiction author in 2009 with her debut novel, Qualities of Light. Her follow-up to …

This post, written by Allison Kornet, was originally published on Dead Darlings, a blog about novel writing run by alumni of GrubStreet's Novel Incubator program.

In the Arkansas of Kelly J

This post was originally published on Dead Darlings, a blog about novel writing run by alumni of GrubStreet's Novel Incubator program.

In Nancy Crochiere’s hilarious debut, Graceland, a single mom is forced to chase her Elvis-obsessed mother and pink-haired teenaged daughter from Boston to Memphis to stop them from revealing a long-held secret. This madcap road-trip novel will make you laugh out loud and move you as these three strong women, each in her own way, careen toward an unexpected destination: self-acceptance, forgiveness, and grace.

“Graceland is a sparkling, warm-hearted, witty debut. I …

This post was originally published on Dead Darlings, a blog about novel writing run by alumni of GrubStreet's Novel Incubator program.

A “verse novel,” or “novel in verse,” is a novel-length narrative told via poetry