https://www.patreon.com/88cupsoftea
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We have Kiersten White with us this week, the New York Times bestselling author of “And I Darken”, a series that has been compared to Game of Thrones for the YA community. Kiersten and I recorded our conversation late November last year and I couldn’t be more thrilled to finally publish her episode the same month her highly anticipated sequel “Now I Rise” is releasing.
I'm SO excited to share that this episode is proudly sponsored by 'Libby', a brand new app lovingly developed by Overdrive (a company I've been a fan of for 6 years). Overdrive's vision and mission is to enlighten the world by reading, a vision that also aligns closely with my core beliefs. 'Libby' was designed for readers to discover and borrow ebooks and audiobooks from your library for free. Be sure to click here to learn more and download the app to your phone or tablet!
In our conversation today, Kiersten shares the story behind the title “And I Darken”, and walks us through the historical research process for her series. For those of you who love discussions about the craft of writing, you’re going to love our discussion about creating memorable characters. Kiersten goes into detail about crafting a page-turner novel with multi-layered characters, and how to create authentic characters by channeling your inner feelings. We dig even deeper and talk about how understanding your characters’ motivations will help your readers understand your characters’ decisions.
We also discuss how to overcome rejection, and how to grow from it and make it work for you, rather than against you. We unpack the value a strong editor can bring to your manuscript, and the influential ways a writing partner can help strengthen your craft. You’ll even hear tips and advice on finding the writing partner suited for you.
Say 'Hi' to Kiersten on Twitter and check out the books/resources mentioned in her episode over at her shownotes page by clicking here! :)
Happy listening!
Xo
Yin
PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!
PPS. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!
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Meet fellow members in our community and check in about your WIP, and join in on other bookish talks and 88 Cups of Tea related things. You can really feel the love and support in our Facebook community. You also get the opportunity to submit your questions for upcoming guests on the show. Click here to join our private Facebook group!
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Would you love to support our show with some 88 Cups of Tea swag? Grab our limited edition mug (signed by yours truly) here!
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“Never give your readers a reason to put the book down.” -Kiersten White (Click to tweet)
“Even when I’m not writing I’m thinking about writing.” -Kiersten White (Click to tweet)
“Writing is all moving parts. You can have the exact same goal accomplished in forty different ways.” -Kiersten White (Click to tweet)
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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM KIERSTEN'S EPISODE:
https://www.patreon.com/88cupsoftea
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We have Pete Knapp, Emily Sweet, and Andrea Mai from Park Literary & Media on the show today! This is the very first time we’ve had an interview that features more than one guest at a time. Just imagine what it's like having four people chatting in an interview without any visual cues (our recording was very similar to a phone interview)-- I have to say, it turned about pretty awesome and incredibly informative.
In our conversation brought to you by Sun Basket, we cover how Park Literary & Media works creatively to promote their clients’ brands in new and exciting ways. Pete, Emily, and Andrea give us examples of their roles and responsibilities in the agency and share what they love most about their positions in the publishing world.
For listeners who are in the middle of querying, or will be querying very soon, they share what they hope to find in a query letter and the first pages of the manuscript. You’ll also learn why it’s crucial to clarify the core of your story in your query letter.
I’m so excited for you to learn from this episode.
Happy listening!
Xo
Yin
PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!
PPS. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!
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Join our private Facebook group by clicking here!
Click here to head directly to Pete, Emily, and Andrea's shownotes page!
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“Always focus on the craft because the reality is if you keep improving your craft and continue writing your stories, you will get published.” -Pete Knapp
“You can’t understate how important the book is. If you have a really good book, then none of the other stuff is going to matter.” -Emily Sweet
“There are a lot of great ideas and everyone has great intentions but in terms of actually making it happen, the devil is in the details.” -Andrea Mai
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Emily Barr began her career as a journalist at the The Guardian before backpacking for a column assignment which inspired the concept for her first novel Backpack, which then went on to become a New York Times bestseller. After her debut hit, she has written 11 more books for adults and we have her on the show today to discuss her experiences writing her young adult debut The One Memory of Flora Banks, listed as Entertainment Weekly’s Most Anticipated YA Novel of the Year.
In her episode proudly brought to you by BookCon, she shares her experiences working as a journalist for The Guardian writing a column in the sports section before she transitioned into writing novels. We go into detail about her YA debut novel “The One Memory of Flora Banks” and how Norway inspired the setting of her story. We also discuss the research process behind anterograde amnesia and how Emily weaved that into her character’s story.
Further into her episode, we also discuss important non-writing related topics like what it’s like being middle-aged and having to take care of both your children and your parents. And what it truly means to live in the moment.
Happy listening!
Xo
Yin
PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!
PPS. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!
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Join our private Facebook group!
Click here to head over to Emily's shownotes page!
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“You made that happen, so it wasn’t really luck.” -Emily Barr (Click to tweet)
“If you do something enough, you get better at it.” -Emily Barr (Click to tweet)
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Y'all. The 88th episode has arrived. Dun dun DUN!
Today’s milestone episode is proudly sponsored by Sun Basket and BookCon. It features eight incredible listeners from our 88 Cups of Tea community. I remember when I first launched this podcast, the 88th episode seemed so far fetched. I can’t believe the day is finally here.
Thank you all for getting us to the 88th episode, without listeners like you who tune in to kick it with us each week, we would not have made it this far. The selection process for this episode was incredibly difficult. We had a flood of listeners submitting applications that averaged 40 minutes to complete. There was a lot that I threw at you and I’m blown away by your thoughtful and lengthy responses.
All of the guests you’re going to hear from today have been long-time listeners and are a huge part of our community. They have all been so active, engaged, and vocal in our community. It was so nice to talk to each of them and getting to hear their voices for the first time!
I hope you have a fun time learning about your fellow tribe members in today’s episode! You’ll learn about how much you have in common with each other. We’re all going through similar paths where you can see it’s quite natural for us to be empathetic of each other’s struggles, and for us to celebrate each other’s accomplishments as if they’re our own, no matter how big or small.
Happy listening!
Xo
Yin
PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!
PPS. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!
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Join our loving community over in our private facebook group by clicking here!
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“Writing gave me my own identity, it gave me something outside of my family, something for me.” -Tia Bearden
“Part of our conflict drove my desire to write a very honest portrayal, I wanted a voice out there that discussed this cultural gap in a very raw way that other people could relate to.” -Gloria Chao
“You have to put in the work to get better and its something that you will constantly get better at for the rest of your life.” -Tara Creel
“It has always been my job to tell stories that are not my own and to try and do them justice and to be respectful even when there are people or perspectives that I either don’t necessarily agree with or know that I can’t fully understand.” -Amanda Connolly
“I put so much into my character’s life that’s from my own.” -Kristy Mauna
"This book is a love letter to my imagination." -Megan LaCroix
“What I really do try to do is that even if I’m not actively writing usable words down for the story that day, that I’m thinking of the story. So I’ll open up the document. If I’m not inspired to write, I’ll go and find a scene that I love and I’ll just read it.” -Kat Cho
“When I come home from work and I’m tired, I don’t feel like writing half the time and I sit down and make myself do it. It’s like going to the gym when you haven’t gone in a long time.” -Alyssa Colman
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Megan LaCroix is a reader, a writer, a lover of the outdoors, and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She loves lush books with literary slants and hooky voices, and is currently revising a young adult fantasy that was chosen to participate in Pitch Wars 2016. Megan lives in Virginia with her handsome husband and their two adventurous daughters. You can visit her website and stop by her Twitter.
Kat Cho used to hide books under the bathroom sink and then sneak in there to read after bedtime. Her parents pretended not to know. This helped when she decided to write a dinosaur time-travel novel at the tender age of nine. Sadly, that book was not published. She loves anything that encourages nerding out, including reading, blogging, K-dramas, K-pop and anime. Currently, Kat writes YA sci-fi and fantasy and is represented by Beth Phelan at the Bent Agency. You can find her here and on Twitter.
Alyssa Colman holds a double degree in English and Theatre from Wake Forest University. As a playwright, she was a winner of the 2013 ESPA new play competition at Primary Stages in New York and was a semi-finalist at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center National Playwrights Conference. When she’s not writing, Alyssa loves reading every book she can get her hands on, baking bread from scratch, and hiking with her husband. You can find her on Twitter.
https://www.patreon.com/88cupsoftea
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I’m thrilled to share this week’s new episode featuring Victoria “V.E.” Schwab, the #1 NYT bestselling author of 12 books. Most of you know Victoria from The Shades of Magic series where an Entertainment Weekly article describes her writing as “addictive and immersive.”
Click here for Victoria's shownotes page! A quick heads up, this episode has adult language.
In Victoria’s episode proudly brought to you by BookCon, we cover a whole lot about life and non-writing related topics including sexuality, tea, the fear of speaking, serial killers, etiquette camp, and S-Town.This magnificent being is queen.
A bit more about what we cover over in the writing related avenue: We discuss why it’s crucial to create as few parameters as you can around your writing, and how working with a flexible schedule and freeing yourself from a strict writing place helps with productivity.
Victoria breaks down how she’s able to read 100 books a year and you’ll be able to apply her tips to your own habits to up your reading game. We touch on reading different genres and styles of writing and how that helps to strengthen your writing.
For my craft-focused listeners, this episode is a d-r-e-a-m. We unpack the differences in writing multiple genres, writing morally ambiguous characters, discovering the voices of your characters, and writing multiple points of views.
Say "Hi" to Victoria on Twitter by clicking here.
Happy listening!
Xo
Yin
PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!
PPS. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support. You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!
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Don't forget to join our private Facebook group :)
If you like behind-the-scenes stuff, check out our Instagram stories where you can see snippets of our podcasting world.
We have Sandhya Menon with us this week! A refreshing new voice in young adult fiction, her debut, "When Dimple Met Rishi", is a charming romantic comedy that celebrates first love, and at the core, explores one’s own independence and voice in the world. Click here for Sandhya's shownotes page!
As you’ll learn in our conversation, Sandhya moved from India when she was 15 years old and she shares how she adapted to her new surroundings in America, and how she was able to draw from those experiences for her book. Sandhya shares in detail how the idea of “When Dimple Met Rishi” was originally pitched to her by her editor.
Sandhya walks us through how indie publishing brought the world of traditional publishing to her, and how her agent discovered her. You’ll also learn how Youtube and Pinterest played critical roles in Sandhya’s research for the setting of her book. We also discuss arranged marriages and what it was like for us to date when we were growing up. This is a really fun episode and I’m so excited for you to hear it.
Say "Hi" to Sandhya on Twitter by clicking here.
Happy listening!
Xo,
Yin
PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!
PPS. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!
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“OWN voice is people. We’re not a monolith. There are so many different experiences.” -Sandhya Menon (Click to Tweet)
“It was a conscious and constant dialogue that I had to have with myself and just say ‘Hey, just do your best and let it go’.” -Sandhya Menon (Click to Tweet)
“We contain multitudes just like the people who have been getting those stories. It’s okay for us to not have ‘the issue’ book.” -Sandhya Menon (Click to Tweet)
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Click here to get your limited edition 88 Cups of Tea mug!
Don't forget to join our private Facebook group :)
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https://www.patreon.com/88cupsoftea
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We have the legendary Jerry Spinelli of the Newbery Medal winning “Maniac Magee”, and the Newbery Honor winner “Wringer” on the show with us this week. Jerry is the New York Times bestselling author of over 30 novels including “Stargirl”, a Publishers Weekly 'Best Book of the Year'. "Stargirl" is also being adapted into a movie directed by Catherine Hardwicke from the films “Thirteen” and “Twilight”.
In describing Jerry’s writing, The New York Times says, “No writer guides his young characters, and his readers, past these pitfalls and challenges and toward their futures with more compassion.”
In Jerry’s episode proudly brought to you by Sun Basket, we jump right into his childhood stories that paved the way to his journey as an author, and we touch back on the experience that led Jerry to realizing he could make a career out of writing. We dive a little deeper to discuss how he created a writing life that involved a full-time job and raising a family.
Further into Jerry’s episode, he brings us behind the scenes in writing “Maniac Magee”. He also shares the inspiration behind his newest book, “The Warden’s Daughter” and the important differences between writing “for” the audience and writing “about” the audience.
Jerry shares his take on writing honest stories for your readers and how to craft authentic voices for your characters. He also walks us through his loose writing structure and shares tips on financially supporting yourself as a writer that works with your lifestyle. If you’ve been feeling stuck with your writing lately, look out for the part where Jerry explains what the “miserable middle” is, and his advice on coping with those moments and why it’s crucial to not give authority to writers’ block. For listeners who are about to send off query letters to literary agents, you’ll want to pay special attention to Jerry’s querying tips and why writing short query letters will help to show that you’re an effective writer.
For a list of Jerry's recommended resources, we have them listed out on his shownotes page. Just click here!
Happy listening!
Xo,
Yin
PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!
PPS. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support. You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!
Ann Brashares is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" series, which has sold over 8.7 million copies. Booklist hailed Ann’s newest book "The Whole Thing Together" as “quintessential Brashares”, it’s a story that explores fractured families, first love, and loss.
Click here to go directly to Ann's shownotes page where we list the resources mentioned in her episode.
In Ann’s episode, we jump right into the inspiration behind “The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants” and how she made the transition from the original "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" to "Sisterhood Everlasting". Ann also shares the inspiration behind her newest book and we discuss how she explores the emotional complexities of her characters.
We discover how reading became a refuge for Ann throughout her childhood and how she now finds time to write with a busy family schedule. We also get into the fundamentals of writing challenging and personal scenes in your stories and why it’s so important to surround yourself with trustworthy accountability partners. Ann shares tips about joining a book club and how to approach it in a way that specifically helps to improve your craft at writing.
For listeners working on query letters, Ann walks us through how being personal and specific in your query letter can attract literary agents.
Click here to say "Hi" to Ann!
Happy listening!
Xo,
Yin
PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!
PPS. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!
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“In order to get going, I just need to write.” -Ann Brashares (Click to tweet!)
“You really just have to liberate yourself to try things, take risks, and write really badly sometimes if necessary.” -Ann Brashares (Click to tweet!)
“I was a reader certainly before I was a writer and I just loved getting involved in stories” -Ann Brashares (Click to tweet!)
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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:
Click here to go directly to Ann's shownotes page where we list the resources mentioned in her episode.
Jack Cheng’s debut novel “See You in the Cosmos”. earned high praises from the likes of Entertainment Weekly and The Wall Street Journal, describing his book as “stellar” and “life-embracing”.
An Entertainment Weekly article describes Jack as an author with a knack for creating unique characters that stay with the reader long after the story has moved on. I’m thrilled to finally share Jack’s episode as we jump right into the nitty gritty about developing themes in your stories from the relationships and experiences in your own life.
Click here to go directly to Jack's shownotes page where we list the resources mentioned in his episode.
We discuss how a country-wide road trip led Jack to self-discovery, and how that eye-opening experience inspired the story idea for “See You in the Cosmos”. Further into our conversation, we explore why being understanding about the people around us helps to create the groundwork for our stories.
Before writing his traditionally published debut novel, Jack successfully launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund his self-published book called “These Days”. We go into detail about his Kickstarter journey and the community that showed up to support his writing dream. We also talk about his background as an entrepreneur and what the transition was like from self-publishing to traditional publishing.
We unpack the importance of following your passions first and making sense of it all later. For listeners working on query letters to send out to literary agents, Jack shares his take on writing a successful letter by being honest, kind, and gracious. He also shares his advice on making money as a writer, and how journaling helps you reach your writing goals the way it did for him.
Click here to say "Hi" to Jack!
Happy listening!
Xo,
Yin
PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!
PPS. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!
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“I try to follow my passions and afterwards try to make sense of it and try to make meaning out of it.” -Jack Cheng (Click to tweet)
“One of the most important things is to have that writing practice, and I find that sometimes, when I haven’t written in awhile, how I’ll get going is I’ll just try to journal.” -Jack Cheng
“I turned to the novel as a way to reflect and in some cases just like vent about the things that were frustrating me about my day-to-day work.” -Jack Cheng
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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:
https://www.patreon.com/88cupsoftea
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Content note: Hey listeners, as a heads up, this episode contains discussions about sexual violence. If you're not in the right head space for those kinds of conversations you can always come back to this episode later or skip it all together.
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Kami Garcia is a #1 New York Times-bestselling and Bram Stoker nominated author, and the co-author of the "Beautiful Creatures" and "Dangerous Creatures" novels. Her solo series, the "Legion", includes the instant New York Times bestseller "Unbreakable" and its sequel, "Unmarked". Click here to visit Kami's shownotes page where she lists a tremendous list of helpful resources!
In today’s episode proudly brought to you by Sun Basket, we learn what drew Kami to write in the YA and Romance genre and the inspiration behind her novel "The Lovely Reckless". We discuss the inner workings of writing for a fandom and all about Kami’s experience writing "The X-Files Origins" book. We also discuss Kami’s work as a teacher for 17 years and uncover the inequalities in the public school system and she shares advice that will help create change.
She talks about why we’re responsible for speaking up and stepping in to help one another, and how the YA community’s support of diversity creates new normals. We also touch on the underlying theme of fitting in and embracing your differences throughout all of her novels.
For our craft-focused writers, Kami walks us through writing POV characters with authenticity and why it’s crucial to understand your characters’ past when you’re crafting dynamic villains in your story. Kami shares powerful advice on creating solid query letters and how to effectively pitch your book to literary agents.
Say "Hi" to Kami on Twitter!
Happy listening!
Xo,
Yin
PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!
PPS. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!
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If you'd love to support our show and rock your Limited Edition 88 Cups of Tea mug (signed by yours truly), click here for more info. Thank you so much in advance for showing your love and supporting our show!
If you're looking to feel right at home with a close-knit group of encouraging and supportive writers, join our private Facebook group by clicking here. We have weekly check-ins about our creative work, book recs, and live Facebook videos of unboxing book packages. We also share previews of upcoming episodes and you can submit listener-questions for upcoming interviews.
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“I think that the key is to write either what you know or you have access to.” -Kami Garcia (Click to tweet)
“Books give us the chance to be other people and go other places.” -Kami Garcia (Click to tweet)
“The willingness to stand up for other people and speak out when something is wrong is very prevalent in the YA community.” -Kami Garcia (Click to tweet)
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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM TODAY'S EPISODE:
LEARN MORE ABOUT KAMI GARCIA:
I’m delighted to have Irena Brignull on the show! Irena is a renowned screenwriter and novelist. She wrote the Oscar nominated movie, "The Boxtrolls", starring Ben Kingsley, Elle Fanning and Simon Pegg. Irena was nominated for Best Screenplay for "The Boxtrolls" at the Annie Awards. Her adaptation of "The Little Prince" was directed by Mark Osborne and stars Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, and Marion Cotillard. Earlier in her career, Irena was a Script Executive at the BBC and then Head of Development at Dogstar Films where she was the script editor on hit films including "Shakespeare in Love" to name a few. She recently debuted "The Hawkweed Prophecy", a novel about identity, friendship, and romance.
Click here to go directly to Irena's shownotes page that lists all of his awesome recommended resources.
In today’s episode, we discuss Irena’s career as a screenwriter and her experiences writing and adapting The Boxtrolls and The Little Prince. We also discuss what it’s like to be a female screenwriter in a male-dominated industry, and Irena shares advice for women discovering their voice and authority in their own profession.
We unpack the inspiration behind "The Hawkweed Prophecy" and what it’s like to transition between screenwriting and novel writing. For our craft-focused writers, Irena walks us through how to find inspiration for character traits, how to overcome writing difficult scenes, how to validate and grow your story ideas, and how to build balanced characters to create authentic and genuine relationships in your story.
Say "Hi" to Irena on Twitter!
Happy listening!
Xo,
Yin
PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!
PPS. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!
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“The more you write the more you find your voice.” -Irena Brignull (Click to tweet)
"It’s a great thing to be able to go back and have the chance to make it better." -Irena Brignull (Click to tweet)
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Click here to grab your Limited Edition & signed 88 Cups of Tea mug! Thank you in advance for your love and support for our show!
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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM IRENA'S EPISODE:
https://www.patreon.com/88cupsoftea
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I’m so excited to collaborate with Quarterly to bring you today’s episode featuring Beth Revis! Beth is a New York Times bestselling author most widely recognized for her book series "Across the Universe" which was selected as a Teen Top Ten novel by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), long-listed for the Carnegie Medal, and featured as a Book of the Month from Seventeen Magazine. In her latest title, "A World Without You", Beth guides us through a complex look at loss and grief through a lens of mental illness. Lucasfilm tapped Beth to write the backstory of Jyn Erso in her newest book "Rebel Rising" releasing in May. Beth also had the honor of being the very first curator for Quarterly’s YA fiction subscription box. They are the only book subscription curated by authors just for readers like you and I couldn’t be more pleased to announce that Quarterly created an exclusive special just for our 88 Cups of Tea community where you’ll save $8 off your subscription box by entering promo code “88cups” at check-out!
In today’s episode, we dive right into how Beth drew inspiration from her career as a teacher for her book series "Across the Universe". We also take a closer look at the inspiration behind "A World Without You". We discuss how being a part of online writing communities can instill confidence for your writing, and we explore how to cope with the far-too-common mindset of not feeling like we’re good enough, and moving past that imposter syndrome as a writer. Click here to go directly to Beth's shownotes page that lists all of her amazing recommended resources.
For listeners who are all about getting down and dirty with the technical topics, you’re going to LOVE Beth’s writing tips. We dive into her research methods for crafting science fiction novels and how to write strong background characters. She guides us in approaching emotional scenes that are difficult to get through, and step-by-step advice on the world building process. Beth even jumps in with tips for writing unreliable characters, how to send out query letters, and earning income while pursuing your art.
Say "Hi" to Beth on Twitter!
Happy listening!
Xo,
Yin
PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!
PPS. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!
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If you'd love to support our show and rock your Limited Edition 88 Cups of Tea mug (signed by yours truly), click here for more info. Thank you so much in advance for showing your love and supporting our show!
If you're looking to feel right at home with a close-knit group of encouraging and supportive writers, join our private Facebook group by clicking here. We have weekly check-ins about our creative work, book recs, and live Facebook videos of unboxing book packages. We also share previews of upcoming episodes and you can submit listener-questions for upcoming interviews.
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“Make sure that your world is just not pristine, make it dirty and make it really lived in.” -Beth Revis (Click to tweet)
“The more new experiences you have, the more stories you’ll have to tell." -Beth Revis (Click to tweet)
"There’s a value in failure that I think people often ignore and forget because failure teaches us to not give up." -Beth Revis (Click to tweet)
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Beth Revis grew up in the Appalachian mountains with a cemetery in her backyard, which is probably why she prefers her stories to be dark and full of twists. She’s the New York Times bestselling author of the Across the Universe trilogy, which has been translated into over twenty languages. Beth lives in a house full of boys—her husband, son, and two massive dogs—and she forces them all to watch reruns of Firefly and Doctor Who.
https://www.patreon.com/88cupsoftea
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I’m so excited to have Jeff Zentner on the show! Jeff is the William C. Morris award-winning author of his debut novel “The Serpent King”. His debut was also selected as a New York Times notable book, and an Amazon Best Book of the year. Both Buzzfeed and Mashable named “The Serpent King” as one of the Best YA books of 2016! Click here to go directly to Jeff's shownotes page that lists all of his awesome recommended resources.
His second novel, “Goodbye Days” was recently released to rave reviews. Time magazine selected “Goodbye Days” as one of the five new books that guide young readers through hardships and struggles with lessons in resilience and hope.
In today’s episode, we dive right into the inspiration behind “The Serpent King” and “Goodbye Days”. Jeff walks us through his thought process while writing authentic voices for his characters. We dive even further into step-by-step advice on building strong characters and improving character development.
Jeff shares tips on approaching difficult scenes that challenge readers, and how to write about grief in fiction. We also discuss how storytelling inspires empathy and why it’s necessary for writers to carve out protected time for their writing.
Happy listening!
Xo,
Yin
PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!
PPS. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!
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"Write what fascinates you, and write who you love." -Jeff Zentner (Click to tweet)
"You can be creative around the edges of a normal life." -Jeff Zentner (Click to tweet)
"You’ve got to commit to getting words on the page and you have to commit to finishing what you started." -Jeff Zentner (Click to tweet)
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What you'll learn from Jeff's episode:
Jeff Zentner is the acclaimed author of The Serpent King. In addition to writing, he is a singer-songwriter and guitarist who has recorded with Iggy Pop, Nick Cave, and Debbie Harry. “Goodbye Days” is his love letter to the city of Nashville and the talented people who populate it. He lives in Nashville with his wife and son.
https://www.patreon.com/88cupsoftea
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Meg Cabot is one of the earliest pioneers of the YA genre. She is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of books for adults, teens, and tweens, selling over 25 million copies of her nearly 80 published books. “The Princess Diaries”, one of her most popular series she wrote, was adapted into two hit movies by Disney. Click here to go directly to Meg's shownotes page that has all of her recommended resources linked up!
In today’s episode, we dive right into how real-life events inspired Meg for her “Princess Diaries” book series and she walks us through her newest book, “The Boy Is Back”.
She shares tips on writing stories influenced by life events without offending family and friends, and why it’s necessary to surround yourself with readers and critique partners that are honest with you about your writing. I can’t wait for you to hear how Meg and her writing-friend hold each other accountable and push each other past writing blocks.
Meg also walks us through how to write unique character voices with a structure inspired by social media, and how reading multiple genres can strengthen your writing structure.
Happy listening!
Xo,
Yin
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“I kept working on different things until I finally found something that hit.” -Meg Cabot (click to tweet)
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Angie Thomas is the author of “The Hate U Give” which debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. I'm so excited to have her on the show today! If you haven’t yet, make sure to grab a copy for yourself. I love this book. The movie is also currently in development and is being produced by Fox 2000 and Temple Hill, the same team that produced “The Fault in Our Stars” and the “Maze Runner” franchise. Click here to go directly to Angie's shownotes page that lists out the amazing resources she recommends.
In today’s episode, we discuss the importance of raising diverse voices in the literary world. Angie walks us through the inspiration behind her novel and how music, hip hop, and Tupac played an influential role throughout her writing process.
Angie shares her experiences as a debut author and how creating an online presence will help you build genuine relationships within the writing community. For our craft-focused listeners, Angie shares advice on how to build strong characters for your stories, why research must be a priority to craft authentic diverse characters, and how to craft a successful query letter. Click here to say 'Hi' to Angie on Twitter!
You don’t want to miss out on this episode!
Xo,
Yin
PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!
PPS. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!
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I’m excited to share that we’re in the middle of setting up an online shop for 88 Cups of Tea! We’re working hard at making sure that whatever we offer will add tremendous value to your storytelling process. We’re also going to have some fun 88 Cups of Tea swag available in our online shop. But for now, we set up a temporary Paypal link for those of you who’d love to support our show and rock your 88 Cups of Tea swag. To grab your Limited Edition 88 Cups of Tea mug (signed by yours truly), click here! Thank you in advance for supporting our show!
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“Being disciplined but also not being hard on yourself and finding balance of the two is key to hitting your writing goals.” -Angie Thomas (click to tweet)
“If we want more diverse books, we need more diverse authors.” -Angie Thomas (click to tweet)
“It’s going to get overwhelming but knowing that there are people who’ve been through it and who survived it helps a whole lot.” -Angie Thomas (click to tweet)
“As long as you surround yourself and connect with people and reach out to people, you won’t be alone.” -Angie Thomas (click to tweet)
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Click here to go directly to Angie's shownotes page for more details and info about her episode, including a list of her recommended resources!
We have Heidi Heilig on the show with us today! Heidi is the author of the duology “The Girl From Everywhere” which was listed as a widely-loved and recommended book to read by NPR. The sequel to “The Ship Beyond Time” just released this week and was listed as one of the 35 most anticipated Young Adult novels of the year by Entertainment Weekly!
In today’s episode, we discuss the importance of reading and promoting the work of various authors to encourage diversity, and how to respectfully write about communities outside of your own experience.
Heidi shares the experience of her first heartbreak and how that inspired the themes of romance and time travel in “The Girl From Everywhere”. Further into our conversation, we also touch on mental health stigmas and what we can do to help break down the stereotypes.
For our craft-focused listeners, Heidi shares advice on how to improve your craft, how to find inspiration for your characters, and how to tie multiple historical elements together in your story. We also unpack Heidi’s experience with her editor and how an editor can bring out the best in your writing.
Thank you, Storyteller Tribe, for listening in! If you loved her episode, please let her know on Twitter by clicking here.
For the list of incredible resources mentioned in Heidi's episode, click here!
Xo,
Yin
PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!
PPS. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. Those specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!
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“No one can tell you what to write and what not to write because everyone is their own person.” -Heidi Heilig (Click to tweet)
“You don’t need an MFA to write a novel. You just need to read a lot and to have the will to practice and the time." -Heidi Heilig (Click to tweet)
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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:
Lilliam Rivera is the debut author of "The Education of Margot Sanchez" and she was recently named a 2017 Face to Watch by the LA Times. Click here to go directly to Lilliam's shownotes page!
In today’s episode proudly brought to you by VCFA's MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults, we dive right into the heartwarming inspiration that influenced Lilliam’s book and her experiences growing up in NY. For my craft-driven writers, you’re going to LOVE Lilliam’s advice and craft tips on building complex characters and how writing a character study will help you make decisions in your novel that are true to your character.
Lilliam walks us through writing emotionally heavy scenes, and how to capture universal ideas in your story while representing underappreciated voices.
We unpack Lilliam’s experience with the PEN Center Emerging Voices Fellowship and the kinds of resources it provides writers, and we go even further to discuss how writers can financially support their writing with grants and fellowships.
We also discuss how to write query letters and where to find writing mentors. Listeners, if you’re working on your own manuscripts or are approaching literary agents for representation, you especially do not want to miss Lilliam’s episode!
Xo,
Yin
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“I don’t believe in writer’s block. I believe that there’s always something you write.” -Lilliam Rivera (click to tweet)
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I’m thrilled to have Justina Ireland on the show today! Justina is the author of Vengeance Bound and Promise of Shadows. You can find her on Twitter here and you can access her shownotes page with all of her recommended books and resources linked up here!
In today’s episode proudly brought to you by VCFA's MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults, we discuss why it’s crucial for us to grow and change as people, and why it’s worthwhile to say the things that are most important to us and to share it with others so they know they’re not alone.
I’m really looking forward for you to hear our conversation about handling the overwhelm of the political climate and Justina’s advice on powerful and productive ways of decompressing.
Now, more than ever, we need more diversity in books and the media; Justina walks us through the important steps writers need to take to create diverse characters that break away from institutional stereotypes.
We dive into how to approach difficult scenes that are closest to our own feelings or experiences, and we unpack why it’s difficult to get through them in the first place, and how to conquer those specific scenes. Justina also walks us through manageable steps you can take to accomplish your writing goals, and the important criteria for your literary agent submission.
You don’t want to miss out on Justina’s valuable advice!
Xo,
Yin
PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!
PPS. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. Those specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!