“I thought she liked me because I was different, but maybe she just liked me because she thought she could make me the same.”

–from The Whole Story of Half a Girl

In my very first video Q&A, I asked Veera Hiranandani to tell us about her journey to getting published.

 

 

Veera is the author of The Whole Story of Half a Girl, published earlier this year by Delacorte Books for Young Readers. Lyrical prose, an insightful young narrator, and the universal struggle of finding your place in the world make this middle grade novel a work that could easily have been published as adult fiction.

Highlights from our interview:

  • How it took 4 years of writing, 2 years of editing, and one big heartbreak to publish her novel
  • How Veera wrote this book after becoming a full-time mom to two very young children
  • The benefits of working closely with an editor
  • How having a polished, complete manuscript ultimately helped her land an agent and a book deal lightning fast

 

Connect with Veera on Twitter
Read an excerpt
Buy The Whole Story of Half a Girl on Amazon