Our last episode before break! Bethany Hegedus welcomes young adult author Laura Sibson whose debut novel, THE ART OF BREAKING THINGS, has been compared to Sara Zarr's STORY OF A GIRL and Laurie Halse Anderson's SPEAK. Laura has an undergraduate degree in counseling and an MFA in writing for children and teens from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and two sons, and when she's not writing, she can be found running or hiking. For ten or more years prior to publishing, Laura wrote and loved creating her first novel. Her third novel, however, is the one that finally landed her an agent on query number forty-seven. She and Bethany discuss perseverance and the subjectivity of agents and editors plus what inspired Laura to write THE ART OF BREAKING THINGS after working on two other novels. They delve into the craft challenges of things like flashbacks, pacing, and revision as well as discussing the joy Laura finds in collaboration with editors. Laura also explains how she works with writing partners and community and how that accountability keeps her motivated and moving forward on projects. Listen today for more craft advice, book suggestions, and insight from Laura Sibson and be sure to check out her website at www.laurasibson.com.