When the Spin Doctors sang about ‘Two Princes’, perhaps they were thinking about author Cale Dietrich’s new young adult novel, The Rules of Royalty! Cale chats about writing the book and current trends in the genre.
00:00 Welcome 05:20 Writing tip: Be curious 08:13 WIN! London Uncanny by Clive Bloom 09:48 Word of the week: ‘Mansuetude’ 10:58 Writer in Residence: Cale Dietrich 13:12 The appeal of queer royal fiction 15:15 Cale’s writing process 18:39 Researching the royal aspects 19:37 Going from pitch to contract 20:45 How collaborative writing works 22:49 Planning and structure 24:36 Character development – nice boys 26:11 Balancing work and writing 27:25 Publicity and social media 29:34 Cale’s upcoming projects 32:05 Advice for aspiring YA writers 33:38 Final thoughts
Cale Dietrich is the internationally bestselling author of five queer young adult books, including The Love Interest, The Rules of Royalty and If This Gets Out (co-written with Sophie Gonzales). His books have received multiple starred reviews, been featured in Entertainment Weekly and Writer's Digest, and appeared on the Rainbow List.
Drawing from his own experiences as a queer person, Dietrich is passionate about the need for authentic and affirming queer representation in YA literature.
