Smugglers, Spirits, and Starred Reviews: A Masterclass with Linda Wilgus.

Smugglers, Spirits, and Starred Reviews: A Masterclass with Linda Wilgus.

From The Writing Community Chat Show by Christopher Aggett

March 3, 2026 · 1h 7m · Season 17

About this episode

Linda Wilgus shares her journey to securing a 'Big Five' publishing deal and offers valuable writing tips.

The Secret Sauce to a 'Big Five' Deal with Linda Wilgus. The WCCS: Ranked #3 Writing Podcast in the UK (2025) An overnight success 21 years in the making. We were joined by the brilliant Linda Wilgus , author of the enchanting debut novel, The Sea Child . From writing during two-hour nap times to securing a "Big Five" publishing deal and a coveted starred review from Publishers Weekly , Linda’s journey is a masterclass in persistence. The Story of The Sea Child is s et against the rugged cliffs of 1800s Cornwall during the Napoleonic Wars. The Sea Child follows Isabel—a widow found as a child, dripping wet and alone. Is she the daughter of a seboka (sea spirit)? When a wounded smuggling captain is carried into her cottage, a timeless tale of folklore, adventure, and romance begins. 💡 Masterclass Tips: The Linda Wilgus Method The 75% Rule for Plotting: Plan 75% for structure, but leave the final 25% open so your characters can surprise you. The “Crap First Draft” Philosophy: You can edit a bad page, but you can’t edit a blank one. Stick to your daily word count! Don't Self-Reject: Linda landed a superstar agent by being brave enough to hit "send" on a "long shot" query. The…

People in this episode

Host: Christopher Aggett

Guest: Linda Wilgus

Topics covered

  • publishing
  • writing tips
  • historical fiction
  • persistence
  • author journey

Keywords

  • Big Five deal
  • writing process
  • historical fiction
  • The Sea Child
  • Linda Wilgus

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Publishers Weekly

Books & works: The Sea Child

Places: Cornwall

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