Marissa chats with Isaac Blum about his debut novel - THE LIFE AND CRIMES OF HOODIE ROSEN - as well as longlisting for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature (congrats!); pushing forward with your writing despite years of doubt; some tips for how to protect yourself emotionally when facing rejection; how the ability to curate, revise, and edit your jokes is a huge advantage when it comes to writing funny characters; some great advice on things to consider when writing from the point of view of teen boys; maintaining realism and honoring true-life events that inspired your fictional narrative, and how a touch of levity can help readers process the horrific; plus a ton of love and appreciation for our critique partners!Books discussed in this episode can be purchased from your local independent bookstore or buy them online from the Happy Writer bookshop.org store (that benefits indie bookstores) at  https://bookshop.org/shop/marissameyerBooks discussed in this episode can be purchased from your local independent bookstore or buy them online from the Happy Writer bookshop.org store (that benefits indie bookstores) at https://bookshop.org/shop/marissameyer Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/