Ep 143: From Starbucks Barista to Thriller Novelist with Julie Doar

Write the Damn Book Already

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A single question on a cold Hudson Valley walk: What if there’s a body in that hunter’s tent? sparked the debut thriller The Gallagher Place by Julie Doar.

In this episode, we chat about how she wrote the first draft by instinct, then shifted gears into precision: charting dates, timelines, and cause-and-effect until every twist landed in a way that made sense.

When the manuscript worked its way to 100K+ words, cutting became an act of getting clarity on what stays, what goes, and how much weight the opening chapter really has to carry.

As it turns out, her years working at Starbucks trained the same muscles that make a thriller work: anticipating and executing under pressure. We talk about turning that fast-twitch instinct into a writing rhythm, plus the art of finishing one idea before chasing the next.

We also chat about how querying parallels sales strategy: staggering submissions, treating rejections as market data, and refining pages until they convert. The mindset shift from “why not me?” to “what did I learn?” keeps momentum alive until the right agent says yes.

✍️ You've Been Thinking About This Book Forever. So let's start writing (for real this time).

No incense, inspirational playlists, or fancy mantras. Just a clear, doable plan to get your nonfiction or memoir draft written in 33 days.

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فصول

1. Hosts Warm-Up & Interview Style (00:00:00)

2. Cover Reveal & Visual Impact (00:03:36)

3. Hudson Valley Roots & Vibes (00:05:21)

4. Starbucks War Stories & Skills (00:07:46)

5. Origin of the Thriller Premise (00:11:31)

6. Drafting Without a Map (00:13:26)

7. Cutting, Timelines, and Continuity (00:16:51)

8. Querying, Rejection, and Sales Mindset (00:21:21)

9. Agent to Deal: Patience and Revisions (00:25:21)

10. Writing the Next Book: Gossip Mystery (00:28:16)

11. Single-Tracking Projects & Boundaries (00:30:51)

12. Recent Reads & Adaptations (00:33:36)

13. Closing Gratitude & Cozy Reading Plans (00:36:11)