Tue, 23 December 2014
Boisterous, eloquent, and just the tiniest bit zany, Cynthia Leitich Smith, New York Times best-selling author of TANTALIZE and RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME, took me out for tacos and taught me a thing or twelve. I loved hearing her wise words on diversity in YA, paying it forward with newer writers, and writing 200 drafts of a single picture book.
Cynthia Leitich Smith Show Notes Ming Doyle, illustrator for Cynthia’s graphic novels Deborah Noyse at Candlewick press (editor) SANTA KNOWS illustrated by Steve Bjorkman (edited by Mark McVeigh at Dutton) FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER by E.L. Konigsburg
|
Tue, 16 December 2014
Myra McEntire, author of the HOURGLASS series, is as refreshing as a cool glass of sweet tea, and it was a joy to sit with her and talk British TV, living with intention, and handling life’s unexpected curveballs.
Myra McEntire Show Notes Trixie Belden series Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris WTF With Marc Maron (podcast) Stuff You Should Know (podcast) Stuff You Missed In History Class (podcast) The Spy Museum podcast, SpyCast Mental Illness Happy Hour (podcast) The Domestic CEO (podcast) Get It Done Guy's Quick Dirty Tips (podcast) The Savvy Psychologist (podcast) Welcome to Night Vale (podcast) SIMS homeless blog, Alice and Kev, The Story of Being Homeless in The SIMS 3 Keeping Up Appearnces (BBC sitcom) Kevin Williamson (writer for VD) SUPERFUDGE by Judy Blume THE SHADOW GATE, Myra McEntire’s middle grade series on Storybird with Molly O’Neill CJ Redwine, Jodi Meadows, MG Buehrlen, Courtney C Stevens (hear Court's podcast interview here!) |
Thu, 11 December 2014
The delightful Alison Cherry, author of RED and FOR REAL (out December 9!) talks traumatic revision experiences, life foreshadowing, “guerrilla friending” — and her cats give us some all-star background purring.
Alison Cherry Show Notes Literary agent Holly Root Strauss opera, Die Frau ohne Schatten (The Woman without a Shadow) CHAOS WALKING trilogy by Patrick Ness Wendy Loggia, Executive Editor at Random House Children's Books/Delacorte Press Caela Carter, MY BEST FRIEND MAYBE Kara Thomas (Taylor) Maureen Johnson, "Don't be afraid to suck."
Holly Root, "Keep your eyes on your own paper." |
Tue, 2 December 2014
Talking with the wise and lovely Courtney C. Stevens, author of FAKING NORMAL and THE BLUE-HAIRED BOY, about building a writing community, writing how rock climbing made her a better writer. Courtney C Stevens Show Notes Ruta Sepetys and Sharon Cameron Harper Impulse series |
Thu, 20 November 2014
Talking to Kaitlin Ward, whose debut novel BLEEDING EARTH is due out in Fall 2015, about the SIMS, teen horror, how she recovered from losing her first agent, and what video games inspire her.
Kaitlin Ward Show Notes WHEEL OF TIME series by Robert Jordan THE GIVER by Lois Lowry THE GOLDEN COMPASS by Phillip Pullman REDWALL by Brian Jacques MRS. FRISBY AND THE RATS OF NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien ERAGON by Christopher Paolini TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer THIS IS NOT A TEST by Courtney Summers (and the sequel, PLEASE REMAIN CALM) Goosebumps, Fear Street, Christopher Pike Michelle Schusterman (listen to her First Draft interview here!) ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell |
Wed, 12 November 2014
I meet up with Stephanie Kuehn at a lovely holiday retreat in Vermont, where she set her Morris-award-winning debut, CHARM AND STRANGE. Steph is deeply thoughtful and incredibly silly in equal measure, which makes her simply delightful. As we sat on a back porch with kids playing in a nearby hammock, we talked about Steph’s boarding school days, romanticizing Vermont, movie making, how starting to run gave her the confidence to start writing, and the experience of winning the Morris Award. I also refer to Mark Zuckerberg as a “millionaire.” Sorry for the downgrade, Zucks. Stephanie Kuehn Show Notes THE SECRET HISTORY by Donna Tartt COMMITTING JOURNALISM by Dannie Martin and Peter Y. Sussman The Wicker Man (film) The Conformist (film) Vertigo (film) |
Fri, 7 November 2014
The conversation continues, with Libba Bray, Printz award-winning YA author of THE DIVINERS and GOING BOVINE, discussing how she came to children's literature, the struggle to balance honesty with self-preservation, and writing with depression. Libba Bray Part 2 Show Notes Aaron Zimmerman, New York Writers Coalition SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder Save The Movie, by Peter Suderman in Slate (the "why are all movies the same?" article) "Miles and Miles of No Man's Land," Libba Bray’s post about depression Stephanie Perkins' blog post about depression "The Shame of Depression," by Myra McEntire HELTER SKELTER by Vincent Bugliosi, Curt Gentry
CARRIE by Stephen King |
Tue, 4 November 2014
The only thing better than getting to chat with YA icon Libba Bray (author of New York Times best-selling series A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY, Printz award-winner GOING BOVINE, and genuinely terrifying historical paranormal THE DIVINERS, among others) about writing was getting to chat with her about life. Libba is as hilarious as she is wise, and our conversation was so fun, I decided to cut it into two parts rather than leave an hour or more on the cutting-room floor. In this episode, Libba talks about having her rock collection stolen as a kid, that one time Wes Anderson helped stage a play she wrote, and talks about how growing up in Texas set her head at a certain tilt. Libba Bray Show Notes Seven Samurai, directed by Akira Kurosawa CHARLOTTE'S WEB by E.B. White I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS by Maya Angelou THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD by Zora Neale Hurston FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS by Ernest Hemingway THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH by Norton Juster Neil Simon plays Agent Sarah Burnes HOW TO SAY GOODBYE IN ROBOT by Natalie Standiford Fitness Focus Form and Function with Marky Mark Peter Marks, theater critic of the New York Times and the Washington Post |
Mon, 20 October 2014
Meeting with Natalie Standiford was like stepping into a world where all my teen fantasies about what life as a writer would look like (amazing NY apartment, effortlessly chic clothes, a separate office with built-in shelves and a bass amp in the corner). It was only made better by the fact that Natalie’s books - HOW TO SAY GOODBYE IN ROBOT, THE BOY ON THE BRIDGE, CONFESSIONS OF THE SULLIVAN SISTERS and so many more - are beautiful, thoughtful, and filled with quirky nuance, just like the books I dreamed (dream!) of writing. Natalie is so sweet and welcoming, and had wise, wise words about building up an immunity to writer’s block, writing about real-world fairylands, and finding creative release outside the written word.
Natalie Standiford Show Notes FEAR STREET (THE CHEATER; LIGHTS OUT; THE SECRET; THE BURNING; THE FEAR STREET SAGA) Sarah Burnes, agent at The Gernet Co., who represents Natalie (and me!) Annie Hall, film Jane O’Connor, FANCY NANCY Hilary Knight (illustrator of Eloise) GOSSIP GIRL by Cecily von Ziegesar THE CLIQUE by Lisi Harrison THE DATING GAME by Natalie Standiford Disney ELLE WOODS books Harold and Maude (movie) BITTERBLUE by Kristin Cashore and her blog post about starting over Darcey Steinke, adult novelist David Levithan, author and editor at Scholastic, the “camp counselor of the YA writers.” Dan Ehrenhaft (Editorial Director, Soho Teen, guitarist of Tiger Beat) Libba Bray (novelist, lead singer of Tiger Beat) Barnabas (Barney) Miller (author, drummer of Tiger Beat)
|
Thu, 16 October 2014
Q&A Show Notes NAME OF THE ROSE, Natasha Romanov comic by Marjorie Lu BookPeople in Austin The Strand in NYC Parnassus Books in Nashville The Last Bookstore in LA Politics and Prose in D.C., and Modern Times coffeeshop NIMONA by Noelle Stevenson (aka Gingerhaze)
HYPERBOLE AND A HALF by Allie Bosh |
Mon, 13 October 2014
Cat Winters, author of Morris Award finalist IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS and THE CURE FOR DREAMING (out Oct. 14!) is kind, thoughtful, and soft-spoken, but don’t be surprised if she tells you she was wandering the Oregon woods on the last full moon. Cat Winters Show Notes
THE THORN BIRDS by Colleen McCullough REBECCA by Daphne Du Marier SCBWI (The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) The Watcher in the Woods (Disney movie) Something Wicked This Way Comes (movie) SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES by Ray Bradbury THE GHOST NEXT DOOR by Wylly Folk St. John The Man Who Believed In Fairies, article on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by Tom Huntington Kristen Lawrence Halloween Carols ("Dark Glass") THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern SLASHER GIRLS AND MONSTER BOYS from Jessica Garrison at Dial DRACULA by Bram Stoker |
Mon, 6 October 2014
Marie Lu is small only in a strictly physical sense. Her books are big - New York Times best-seller big - and her creativity, both as a novelist and an artist, is awe-inspiring. The written word taught Marie a new language, got her through high school, led her to take a chance on leading a creative life at a pivotal moment as college came to an end, and is now giving her the chance to see the world. Marie has truly inspiring things to say about when to recognize that you aren’t good enough for a story, how her visual thinking shows in her work, and what the push for diversity in YA has taught her. Marie Lu Show Notes IN THE FOREST OF THE NIGHT by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes Kristin Nelson, Marie’s agent Pike’s Peak Writer’s Conference The graphic novel of Rachelle Mead’s VAMPIRE ACADEMY Heather Brewer’s vampire series, EIGHTH GRADE BITES Kaari with Caravan Studios Rainbow Rowell’s project writing a graphic novel Kiersten White and Jim DiBartolo on IN THE SHADOWS THE JOY LUCK CLUB by Amy Tan "Yes, No, Meh" With Marie and Veronica Roth on CNN |
Thu, 2 October 2014
A chat with Beth Revis, author of the New York Times best-selling ACROSS THE UNIVERSE series, including a new book from that world, THE BODY ELECTRIC, due out Oct. 7! Beth talks about the ten years she spent writing before her breakout novel, and how invaluable the writing community has been to keeping her sane. Beth Revis Show Notes The Narnia Series by C.S. Lewis Sweet Valley High series The Babysitter’s Club series THINGS FALL APART by Chinua Achebe NIGHT by Elie Weisel DEAD MAN’S HAND, edited by John Joseph Adams PETTICOATS AND PISTOLS, edited by Jessica Spotswood Firefly, television show Jessica Spotswood, Marie Lu, Andrea Creamer Beth’s Pinterest board HYPERBOLE AND A HALF by Allie Brosh
RUIN AND RISING by Leigh Bardugo |
Mon, 29 September 2014
Meagan Spooner, author of LARK ASCENDING (out Oct. 1!), the final installment of the Skylark Trilogy, and is co-author of the Starbound Trilogy with Amie Kaufman. Meagan is bright, cheery and welcoming, with the self-assuredness of a girl who has crossed the globe more than once. We talk about her roots in the theater, how fairy tales are the OG fanfic, and that one time her house burned down. Meagan Spooner Show Notes STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND by Robert A. Heinlein CONTACT by Carl Sagan THE GIVER by Lois Lowry THE DRAGON RIDERS OF PERN by Anne McCaffrey Odyssey writing workshops Claire Legrand (listen to her podcast interview here!) SIDEWAYS STORIES FROM WAYSIDE SCHOOL by Louis Sachar and Adam McCauley IN A DARK, DARK ROOM by Alvin Schwartz and Dirk Zimmer Delia Sherman and Ellen Kushner The Tolkien quote about the "leaf-mould of the mind" |
Wed, 24 September 2014
Rachel Fershleiser Show Notes Housing Works Bookstore Cafe in NY Eat Your Feelings: Stories of Food, Jews & Your Mom, with Jami Attenberg and friends Booksmith, Book People, and Tattered Cover (bookstores) Stock Tips zine Kickstarter Tumblr's Reblog Book Club ELEANOR AND PARK and FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell Gingerhaze on Tumblr (Noelle Stevenson) Simini Blocker on Tumblr Ampersand from YadyKates on Etsy YA Highway on Tumblr WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign Emily Schultz, author of JOYLAND, Spending Stephen King’s Money SO MUCH PRETTY by Cara Hoffman President Obama Tumblr Q&A YA author Leigh Bardugo Hot Key Books Young Writers competition, previous winner Katie Coyle Emily Hughes, who runs Random House’s Tumblr THE MAN OF MY DREAMS by Curtis Sittenfeld Tana French, Gillian Flynn, Megan Abbott, Laura Lippman NOBODY IS EVER MISSING by Catherine Lacey HIGH AS THE HORSES' BRIDLES by Scott Cheshire Emily Gould, author and co-owner of Emily Books Celeste Ng, author |
Fri, 19 September 2014
Gretchen McNeil, author of YA books POSSESS, TEN, 3:59, and GET EVEN (out this week, from Baltzer + Bray!) welcomed me to her home in L.A. for a great conversation about the pros and cons of fast drafting, grassroots marketing, and how to balance being a writer and an extrovert. And her adorable puppy Wolfgang makes an appearance, too! Gretchen McNeil Show Notes TITHE by Holly Black WICKED LOVELY by Melissa Marr T.S. Ferguson (Amy's editor at Harlequin TEEN) RT = Romantic Times Book Lover's Convention ALA = American Library Association Diane Setterfield, THE THIRTEENTH TALE |
Sun, 14 September 2014
Heidi Schulz Show Notes
Australorp breed of chickens J.M. Barrie, author of PETER PAN and PETER PAN AND WENDY Peter Pan (2003 film) Brooks Sherman, Heidi’s agent John Hendrix, illustrator for HOOK’S REVENGE Heidi’s drawing of a sad robot being launched into space Claire Legrand, MG author Emma Trevayne, MG author KidLit authors Beverly Cleary, Diana Wynne Jones, and Judy Blume
Authors of creeptastic things, Stephen King and V. C. Andrews |
Fri, 22 August 2014
Michelle Schusterman, author of the I HEART BAND series and the forthcoming THE KAT SINCLAIR FILES and MAUDEVILLE, is the kind of girl whose conversation feels more like a hug than a handshake. She’s so open-hearted, curious, and kind, it’s no wonder she’s always worked with middle and high school students, across the globe. Michelle Schusterman Show Notes Savvy by Ingrid Law Michelle’s agent Sarah Davies Jordan Hamessly, Michelle’s editor
The Coffeehouse Mystery books by Cleo Coyle |
Wed, 13 August 2014
My good friend and YA author Kirsten Hubbard takes the mic to ask me a few questions for this mini-episode Q&A! We talk about why the podcast got started, why it's been so irregular to date, where it's going in the future, and a discussion of writing while traveling. |
Fri, 8 August 2014
Kara Taylor (soon to be Thomas) has a quick wit and an infectious laugh. In addition to being smart, sharp and funny, she’s a gifted and ambitious writer, crafting YA novels by day (the PREP SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL series and a forthcoming book in 2016 from Random House) and TV shows by night. I caught up with Kara at her home in Long Island, and she gave me the rundown of her almost accidental television writing gig, how having a chip on her shoulder helps get words on the page, and why city life just isn’t for her. Kara Taylor Show Notes Clip from Jon Stewart bit about Long Island wanting to secede Article on how much money California is losing because TV and movie productions are locating in other cities. Article on the writer of Lethal Weapon |
Wed, 6 August 2014
Claire Legrand has a sweet heart and a dark imagination - a combination that has made for two magical middle grade novels (THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS and THE YEAR OF SHADOWS), and a forthcoming YA, WINTERSPELL, due out September 30 from Simon & Schuster. We met at her home in Princeton, New Jersey to talk scary stories for kids, earning honor badges in life, and finding time amidst the "author" madness to actually write.
Claire LeGrand Show Notes Claire LeGrand’s agent Diana Fox Claire’s blog post about leaving New York Graceling by Kristin Cashore A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley Lucy Ruth Cummins with S&S Sarah Watts, artist for covers with S&S Karl Kwasny, artist for Year of Shadows with S&S E.T.A. Hoffmann's original Nutcracker His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik Story by Robert McKee |
Fri, 25 July 2014
Ellen Oh has been called a force of nature, and it’s true - the woman can get things done. But she’s also a fierce friend and loving mom, whose nearly decade-long quest to publication with debut novel PROPHECY was started because she couldn’t find books that reflected her story, or the Korean history she found so fascinating. Ellen can be series, sure (I mean, she _was_ a lawyer), but her laugh is infectious and she’s a laser-focused ball of energy when it comes to talking about history, how her kids are her toughest critique partners, and of course, spearheading the We Need Diverse Books campaign. |
Wed, 23 July 2014
The lovely Cristin Terrill invited me over to discuss theater, Sir Ian McKellen buying tea, and her recent decision to admit a planned sequel to her debut novel, All Our Yesterdays, was not a workable project. Cristin is funny and quick, and her kindhearted vibe may have something to do with the fact that she knows she has a safety net: dog grooming school. |
Tue, 22 July 2014
Petite and a bit quiet, Lindsay Smith has a bit of a mysterious vibe. And once she starts talking, it only gets more interesting! YA's John le Carré, Lindsay is a history buff who is fluent in Russian, and her debut novel, SEKRET, and its follow-up, SKANDAL (due in April 2015 from Roaring Brook Press) explore what would happen if Russia were hiding paranormally-enhanced super-humans behind the iron curtain during the Cold War. Pretty awesome stuff. Lindsay invited me over to talk 20th century politics, the round-the-clock nature of D.C.'s creative types, and the sheer terror of trying to write for adults. |
Mon, 14 July 2014
Caroline Tung Richmond is a smiling, stylin’ ball of endless positive energy, and with her debut novel set to come out in September (THE ONLY THING TO FEAR, 9/30/14 from Scholastic) I was jazzed to meet up with her in Rockville, Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C. Caroline is full of incredible advice for writers in the trenches, and gives us a perspective on how being a new mother is hurting and, in some ways, helping her writing process. Also, she schools me on awesome sci-fi references — though Stark Trek fans should be warned that Caroline admits her memory of Deanna Troi’s fate may be a bit hazy. (But we won’t hold that against her - she has mad TNG cred.) |
Thu, 10 July 2014
|
Sat, 5 July 2014
The inaugural First Draft podcast! A discussion with the lovely Sumayyah Daud, 24-year old author of the forthcoming BEGIN AGAIN, about radical happiness, Bill Shakespeare’s butt jokes, and #WeNeedDiverseBooks.
|