What do you do after 197 rejections … for the same book?

Well, if you’re author Carmela Dutra, you keep going.

In this episode, Carmela shares the real story behind her debut cozy mystery, A Murder Most Foul—from querying too soon and rewriting extensively to finding the right agent after nearly 200 nos. We talk about saggy middles, tense slips, brutal feedback, and what it takes to rebuild a manuscript from the ground up.

If you're struggling with self-doubt, facing a bunch of rejection, and just feeling like maybe it’s time to throw in the towel—this conversation will arm you with what you need to keep going and protect your mindset!

Timestamps: 

04:20 Personalizing cold queries

06:12 What A Murder Most Foul is about

11:19 Craft struggles: saggy middles & tense slips

15:44 Surviving 197 rejections

18:11 Ghosting & rock bottom

19:48 Finding the right agent

21:42 Learning to plot

23:10 Imposter syndrome (“Peggy”)

28:37 Querying advice

30:20 Finding time to write as a mom

Guest Bio:

Carmela Dutra is a writer from the Bay Area who loves food trucks, family, and cozy mysteries. Her debut, A Murder Most Fowl, has been praised by Kirkus Reviews for its “serious set of crimes leavened by plenty of amusing moments,” by Criminal Element for the “juicy reasoning behind the sabotage that was almost as shocking as the murder itself,” and described as “the perfect escapist read, brimming with banter and an extra helping of fun” by New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams. She has also been featured in CrimeReads Magazine.

To connect with Carmela and purchase her books, visit her website and check her blog series: An Author’s Guide to Quering for hot tips!

Have a comment or idea about the show? Send me a direct text! Love to hear from you.

Support the show

To become a supporter of the show, click here!

To get in touch with Stacy:

Email: Stacy@writeitscared.co

https://www.writeitscared.co/wis

https://www.instagram.com/writeitscared/

Take advantage of these Free Resources From Write It Scared:

Download Your Free Novel Planning and Drafting Quick Start Guide

Download Your Free Guide to Remove Creative Blocks and Work Through Fears