The Secret Library Podcast

Cory Doctorow not only writes about the future, he's also advocating for a better one in reality. As I get more familiar with the world of Science Fiction, it strikes me that most writers in this area are also secretly activists of some form or another. Cory Doctorow, author of numerous books, including the forthcoming Walkaway, is also the co-editor of BoingBoing and a technology activist. He is a special consultant to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (eff.org), a non-profit civil liberties group that defends freedom in technology law, policy, standards and treaties. He holds an honorary doctorate in computer science from the Open University (UK), where he is a Visiting Professor; he is also a MIT Media Lab Research Affiliate. In 2007, he served as the Fulbright Chair at the Annenberg Center for Public Diplomacy at the University of Southern California. What this means for this episode? I was eager to talk about Cory's latest book, which feels incredibly relevant in the wacky times we are living in throughout the world, but I was also eager to talk about technology as a whole and the impact he sees our crazy times having on publishing and on writing books in general. One of the beautiful things about Science Fiction is that it tends to present a possible future. We are able to think deeply about how we would like our future to look when reading about one potential outcome. If we want that future to be different, we can look at the course the world is taking right now and respond differently. I was inspired to ask these kind of questions while reading Walkaway, and as I spoke to Cory. I hope you will be similarly inspired. Full show notes with links | This episode sponsored by Scrivener Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thetattooedgoverness.com/subscribe

Guinevere de la Mare is a renaissance woman, with books. I met Guinevere because I stumbled upon a meeting of the Silent Book Club at the XO conference last September in Portland. I was delighted to see a whole group of people quietly reading together, out in public. Finally, the perfect social outing for introverts!  Upon connecting with Guinevere to learn more about this reading haven, I was fascinated to hear about her career at Chronicle Books prior to creating the SBC. Even better- she has a book coming out this August and was excited to talk about that. So... if you're into discussing the perils of calling yourself a writer, the early days of online media for publishers, how to start your own chapter of the Silent Book Club so you, too can read peacefully out in the world, this is going to be a very happy episode for you. Full show notes with links | This episode sponsored by Scrivener Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thetattooedgoverness.com/subscribe

After winning a contract with the publisher of her dreams, Katie Dalebout sat down to write her first book. She submitted the proposal in the 11th hour before the deadline and won, an amazing story that makes up the introduction of her book, Let it Out: A Journey Into Journaling. Instead of re-telling that story, we discussed the nitty gritty details of sitting down and writing and editing the book after she had gotten the proposal approved and received her book advance. Listen up to learn how Katie created her writing schedule, why having an advance motivated her, her decision to use part of her advance to hire a copyeditor, and the experience of doing the re-writes.  I love this conversation because we get into the process of writing, what it feels like to sit down and do it in the midst of a busy life. Katie is quite self-aware and talks opening about writing this book in her early twenties and how now, in her late twenties, she already sees that she's quite a different person who hopes to write very different books in the future. If you're looking for tips to structure your writing sessions and context on how to get the book done along with the rest of your life, this episode will serve you well. Show notes with links | This episode sponsored by Scrivener Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thetattooedgoverness.com/subscribe

I knew I loved Susan Orlean the moment she mentioned the Vikings. Ok, I loved her writing already. Of course. And not many people get to say they've been played by Meryl Streep. But when I saw her speak on a panel and she said something to the effect of "Everything I needed to know about writing I learned from the Vikings," she had my complete attention. In the ways that no one expects the Spanish Inquisition, no one expects the Vikings. I got her to tell this story on the episode and did a lot of listening to so many important things she shared. As smart as you think Susan Orlean is, I assure you that she's even smarter than that. Getting to discuss the reality of being a writer in a time of such change and transformation in the world of media and publishing was invaluable. The story of how she ended up at the New Yorker as a staff writer is absolutely worth the price of admission and anyone, I mean anyone, who has dreamed of being a writer as their job must listen to what she has to say about writing as a profession. Period. I haven't been the same since. You won't be either. See you on the other side... happy listening. Show notes with links | This episode sponsored by Scrivener Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thetattooedgoverness.com/subscribe

The day after the election, Ben Winters decided it was time to get writing. As we move ahead in unprecedented times here in the US, I knew I wanted to talk to Ben Winters. Not only did he launch an anthology project in the wake of the election in collaboration with numerous authors and Slate, he's also the author of Underground Airlines, an alternative history novel that explores what might have happened if Lincoln was assassinated before he took office. As Ben says in the episode, "Writing is always a political act," and he and I discuss the role that fiction can play in starting important conversations, making people more aware of important issues, and how writing is an incredible way to manage what's happening in the world at the moment. Even beyond this, we get into questions of how to write responsibly outside of your direct lived experience, the importance of not being an a*****e when doing so, and all kinds of juicy stuff.  As writers, we get to decide what topics we dive into, but given how much rich material is presenting itself right now, I wanted to make sure we talked about writing in a crazy time as soon as we could. I hope you leave this conversation as fired up as I did.  Full Show notes with Links | This episode sponsored by Scrivener Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thetattooedgoverness.com/subscribe

I really just love me some Ezzie Spencer. Dr. Ezzie Spencer didn't begin writing and teaching about the impact the Moon can have on our lives. Quite the opposite- she began in a law career which travelled through social justice work and academia before she began teaching about how tracking our lives through the phases of the moon can be life altering. This episode gets a little meta: not only has Ezzie written about a process that she has taught for years, the process itself was incorporated into the way she wrote the book. If that made your head explode a little bit, don't worry – we spell it all out in the conversation. This episode is an excellent myth buster as well. Here are just a few off the top of my head: you don't have to have been a writer your whole life to publish a book. Nor do you need to have a torturous experience writing it. Ezzie and I spend a lot of time talking about how she consciously planned to write her book nearly a year after she wrote the outline so she could do so under conditions that worked for her. If you are afraid writing a book is an experience you have to suffer through, let this episode dispel that notion. Finally, the myth that publishers will misunderstand your project and turn it into something else is one that we find doesn't have to be true either. I hope you feel as bubbly and light and hopeful after listening to this episode as I did after recording. Full Show notes with Links | This episode sponsored by Scrivener Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thetattooedgoverness.com/subscribe

Elizabeth Hess was an art critic before she began writing about animals. I love speaking with writers whose careers have evolved as they have written; Elizabeth is a beautiful example. Beginning by writing as an art critic, she found her way to writing about animals and the cultures that surround them. She's won awards for her coverage of the municipal animal control program in NYC, and is the author of Lost and Found and Nim Chimpsky, which became the documentary Project Nim.  We talk about the incredibly exhaustive research that went into her books, how she followed the trail of interviews to get to the bottom of Nim's story, and the new exploration of an animal-based subculture that she's writing about now. If you love animals, this will be an especially engaging episode, as we learn how writing can change animal's lives for the better.    Show notes with links | This episode sponsored by Scrivener Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thetattooedgoverness.com/subscribe

First-Time Novelist Paul Scheuring was already a professional screenwriter when he started his book. Not only was he a professional screenwriter, he had big successes under his belt, like being the creator of the TV show, Prison Break. It shocks me that I live in Los Angeles and have reached episode 40 without having a single screenwriter on the show (although sticklers will note that V.E. Schwab has done a bit of screenwriting). Paul was the perfect person to talk to about writing for television vs. writing long-form fiction. We talk about studio politics, what it takes to write a show or a movie and how different it is from novel creation. This is a deep episode, all about returning to the original impulse that drove Paul to write back as a student at UCLA and how this book has brought him full circle. We also discuss the impact of Buddhism on his writing along with the details of how he structures his writing day, where the idea came from for his novel The Far Shore, and his process of outlining and research. Yet another favorite.   Show notes with links here | This episode sponsored by Scrivener Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thetattooedgoverness.com/subscribe

Tasha Harrison knows how to make a sex scene, well – sexy.   Up to this point in the show we have stayed in the "safe for work" territory. But if you're writing for adults, eventually you're going to want to dive into adult topics. Like sex scenes. If you've been intimidated by writing sex scenes in your books but feel like you've got some chemistry that warrants one, let Tasha walk you through the process without having to commit the cardinal sin of closing the door on your reader.  This episode is full of juicy details, and is in no way safe for work. There is adult language and steamy subject matter. It was a blast to dive into a somewhat taboo topic and really explore what makes a sex scene work. I know you'll have ideas running through your mind after this episode... I know I wanted to start playing matchmaker with my characters after this recording session. Can't wait to see what happens in your stories after this.  Full show notes with Links | This episode sponsored by Scrivener Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thetattooedgoverness.com/subscribe

Victoria Schwab is a professional novelist.   What I mean by this is, Victoria Schwab has had exactly one career: novelist. New York Times-bestselling novelist at that. She is that special thing we all dream of: a writing unicorn, if you will. But don't let this fact think that her story is one you won't relate to. Does she write full time? Yes. Was it easy to get to that place? Hell, no. She's spoken quite openly about how demoralizing the myth of the overnight success is. She is one of the most inspiring people I have had the privilege of interviewing so far. One example? As I was preparing the show notes for this episode, I came up with 37 quotations that would rock as the Instagram post for this episode. 37.  One reason Victoria is such an inspiration is this: she's able to simultaneously prove that it's possible to survive as a professional writer while also being honest and vulnerable enough to share what it's like inside that life. She's afraid of the work drying up, that the draft isn't going to work out- all the things we feel, too. But she's published eleven books before turning 30 and she's got a system that is working. She's the real thing. I dare you to listen to this and not feel inspired. I triple dog dare you. Full Show Notes with Links | Sponsored by Scrivener Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thetattooedgoverness.com/subscribe