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

08/10/2025 36 min
Ep 143: From Starbucks Barista to Thriller Novelist with Julie Doar

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

Episode Synopsis

Click Here to ask your book writing and publishing questions!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.🗞️ The Damn Good "Can't Stop Writing" FormulaGrab the free nonfiction or memoir kickstart that's helped hundreds of authors get out of their heads and into the flow: 👉 https://www.publishaprofitablebook.com/chapterone ✍️ 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. 👉 https://www.publishaprofitablebook/writethebook Your readers are waiting! Let's get your book published! PublishAProfitableBook.com/Publish (use code AUTHOR25 for 25% off!)Support the show****** Write the Damn Book Already is a weekly podcast featuring interviews with authors as well as updates and insights on writing craft and the publishing industry. Available wherever podcasts are available: Apple PodcastsSpotify YouTube Let's Connect! InstagramWebsite Email the show: elizabeth [at] elizabethlyons [dot] comThe podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores.To see all the ways we can work together to get your book written and published, visit publishaprofitablebook.com/work-with-elizabeth

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