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)

ASTRONAUTS ARE SLEEPING

Parachute Publishing

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

Rene Steinke

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)

Q&A Show Notes

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Jenn from Appleton video

NAME OF THE ROSE, Natasha Romanov comic by Marjorie Lu

Junot Diaz

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)

Alison Cherry

HYPERBOLE AND A HALF by Allie Bosh

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 Mandrell Sisters

The Smurfs

THE THORN BIRDS by Colleen McCullough

Judy Blume

REBECCA by Daphne Du Marier

SCBWI (The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators)

Boardwalk Empire

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 Cottingly Sisters

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

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

David Eddings

Terry Brooks

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

#WeNeedDiverseBooks

Ellen Oh

THE JOY LUCK CLUB by Amy Tan

"Yes, No, Meh" With Marie and Veronica Roth on CNN

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 Biltmore Estate

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

PAPER HEARTS

Wattpad

HYPERBOLE AND A HALF by Allie Brosh

RUIN AND RISING by Leigh Bardugo