The Secret Library Podcast

Alexandra Franzen's daily mantra is "Today isn't over yet." I wanted to talk to Alexandra because I was so impressed when, a couple of months ago, she celebrated her birthday by giving her latest novel  to her mailing list for free. It was so refreshing. It's such a great book and she had just given it away. Seriously baller. Today on the show we talk about how she wrote that book, what made her want to put it out in the world as a gift, and what she's cooking up for creative people now. It's such an inspiring conversation about why writing matters so much, why life is short and special, and how much a response from a reader can make a writer's day. We also explore the possibility that some books are meant to go wide and some feel safer when shared in a smaller way. Whether you're just get started in writing or you've been at it for a long time, this is an episode that will keep you motivated and sparkly, at a time when you need both of those feelings very badly. 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

Kim Cooper knows L.A. history like it's an old friend. I've been an Angeleno for over ten years, but Kim Cooper is a big part of why I fell in love with the place. Together with her husband, Richard Schave, Kim runs Esotouric, the best thing ever to happen to Los Angeles history. From crime sprees to mobsters to cults, these two know all the deep dark secrets about L.A.'s past. If you come visit us, one of their tours is a must.  I caught up with Kim on the show about the process of writing her novel The Kept Girl, a story featuring Raymond Chandler and a true tale of mayhem created by a would-be high priestess. We dive in to what it was like to write fiction about something that was largely true and how it felt to crete fiction under the weight of all her knowledge and research. We also get into the subscription model of publishing, connecting with characters from the past and the most unusual method of channeling dialogue I have heard yet. Plus a bit on fashion from times gone by. This one is sure to be a favorite.   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

Amy Kuretsky is over the suffering artist: She's ushering in the healthy creative instead.  Amy Kuretsky is a health coach for creatives and an acupuncturist + herbalist specializing in the emotional and digestive wellness. She coaches creative entrepreneurs to be their healthiest selves without sacrificing their businesses in the process. Her support is for clients who are seeking to make a deeper change in their well being – as a whole being. She's best known for helping creatives find their own brand of work + life balance. I love Amy because she's also a tarot lover, so we have been swapping readings over the past months and always discuss ways to stay healthy and sane as writers. I knew that she was the right person to talk to as we got to the end of January and some of that fired-up energy from New Years begins to dissipate. Tired of feeling tired and run down? Want to know how you can take care of yourself as you are writing like a fiend? This will have you up and running again in no time. Bonus: enjoy the soothing sounds of LA's recent rainstorms in the background.  Listen up on iTunes | Sponsored by Pretty by Post 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

Scott Carney knows how to write a pitch. Not only do his articles get published, he's now on his third book.  Scott has an impressive resume: he's given a Tedx talk, was a contributing editor at Wired, and has also written articles published in Mother Jones, Playboy, Men's Journal, Foreign Policy, Discover, Outside and Fast Company. He has a degree in Anthropology and loves digging deep into a subject. But even more than that, he fell in love with debunking things. His first two books were exposes on the underworld of organ trafficking and what happens when spiritual retreats go wrong. He had a solid history behind him when he decided to debunk Wim Hof, a Dutch health guru living in Poland. Scott pitched an article about his intense cold-weather conditioning method and set off to Poland to take it apart. Upon his arrival, he beat Hof at chess and then agreed to give his method a fair shot before tearing it apart. The only problem? The method worked. This episode, Scott and I talk about what happens when a skeptic gets converted, how you can turn an article into a book, and what it was like rolling around in the snow in Poland. For those who enjoyed the idea of Stunt Journalism back in episode 19, Scott's latest book definitely qualifies for that topic. I had a blast recording this, especially since Scott and I went to college together and hadn't talked since then. So fun to see what people have done out in the world since graduation.  Full Show notes with links | Sponsored by Pretty by Post 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

Kate Newburg has you covered. Pun intended. Kate Newburg makes me laugh. She's got a wicked sense of humor (not in the Boston sense - she's from Atlanta) and knows the ins and outs of the deeper reaches of Amazon eBooks. She uses this power for good as a cover designer primarily for romance novels, and she knows how to make a reader feel seduced. We talk about matching your cover design with your reader's expectations and how that impacts your reviews. Learn the principles of what should stay in a cover and what should probably come out, as well as hell-no-never-ever-use-them fonts. There are numerous free font sources you can use, and Kate shares her favorites. We also talk about the specific details you need to think about when doing an eBook cover. Finally, learn why you might want to mock up a cover yourself, even if you're going to be using a designer or getting your cover designed by your publisher. This is a jam-packed episode, so get ready to take some notes. Sponsored by Story Arcana & Pretty by Post 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

J.H. Moncrieff is writing the next Gone Girl. When Harlequin put out a request for writing submissions to create the next Gone Girl, J.H. Moncrieff won. She's one of two authors who were selected to write the parallel plots of this new thriller, coming out in 2017. Beyond this project, she's the author of The Bear Who Wouldn't leave, a seriously spooky novella. In this episode, we chat about the misconceptions around the horror genre and why books like Gone Girl definitely qualify to be members of that cannon. For those of you who love to get freaked out, this will be your episode. And for those of you, like me, who tend to lean in the "psychological thriller" direction, there's plenty for you to consider as well. We also get into Moncrieff's incredible writing work ethic and how her journalism career has helped her write through any kind of block that appeared- including some very tough times in her life. If you want to follow the #noexcuses plan that we discussed in Natashia Deón's epsiode, this will be an excellent tune-up that keeps you returning to your story day after day until you get it done. Happy New Year and happy writing! Full show notes with links | This episode sponsored by Pretty by Post 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

Kim Krans comes from the Wild Unknown.  This is how she introduced herself when I met her a couple of months ago. She was touring for the Wild Unknown tarot, the title that just minted her a New York Times Bestselling-author. (yes!) I wasn't sure what I thought I would learn in the yoga studio where the workshop was happening that Friday night, I just knew I wanted to hear what the creator of that incredible deck had to say.  What followed was a conversation about where the creative impulse comes from, how to stay clear when using tarot as part of your personal growth, and why being an artist matters so much in this crazy time we live in.  I was transfixed. And I knew I wanted to have her on the show.  While you may know her beautiful deck, what you might not know is this: Kim started out wanting to be a writer. She wanted to go to an entirely different school with creative writing as her focus. So she has a lot to say about getting around writer's block, getting words down on paper, and how to get out of your own way.  I can't think of a better note to leave you all on at the end of 2016. This episode is my holiday gift to all of you.  Full Show Notes | Sponsored by Muse Monthly & Story Arcana 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

Sarah Selecky is back! It's time to get into revision... I must admit, I was a little nervous to have this conversation with Sarah Selecky. As a NaNoWriMo winner five times over who then went on to leave each of those novels untouched in drawers and on hard drives, I am not a great champion of revision as an easy process. Sarah is back, having finished her own first novel draft and into the revision process herself. It was a total joy to discuss how she approaches revision. It felt so much lighter and more enjoyable than how I've felt about re-writing in the past. If you have revision fears or think you'll never write something that's really worth revising, this will be a conversation that will light you up as it did for me. May we all move on to second drafts together... Full Show Notes | Sponsored by Muse Monthly 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

Susannah Conway knows how books get made. Having authored two and co-authored a third, Susannah has seen the process through, from proposal to publication, three times. She shares about the creation of proposals, how the book evolves from idea to finished manuscript, and how different it is working on a written book versus one that is primarily about the images. I left this conversation so inspired, particularly having learned how much leeway there is to let the idea evolve once you get a book deal. You'll learn how the idea for Londontown and for This I Know changed from what she first envisioned to what finally got published, and how her publishers supported these changes. We talk about writing from the middle, the way books change us, and how to give a project space when you still have the rest of your life happening alongside writing. And for all you journalers out there, Susannah is a huge champion of journaling as the foundation of her writing life, so get a peek inside her relationship to her magical moleskines as she creates books. If you've ever dreamed of a book proposal and wondered what it's like once you've got the deal, this will shed the light you've been looking for. Show Notes for Episode 29 with Susannah Conway: On writing different types of books - collaborations and alone (1:48) Beginning Londontown and the philosophy behind it (3:00) The trouble with covers & inside working with a sales team (4:30) Photographing London and how locals see the city (5:15) The evolution from proposal to finished book (6:00) Working with a publisher that trusts your vision & the role of the book creator (8:30) Seeing London through Susannah's camera (9:15) Falling in love with Londoners (9:55) Ethics of street photography (10:40) The "real" city vs. the tourist city (11:30) Go beyond Leicester square! How to get a feel for the city (12:15) Making NYC her own and learning to blend in (13:40) The book as an FAQ for the question "Where shall I go?" to cut down on e-mail (14:45) The contrast of This I Know, a book that was primarily written (15:15) The pressure of a book deal and getting the words down (15:30) Writing as a job and work as a commitment (15:55) A book deal from a blog post (16:40) Writing a proposal & figuring out what the book was going to be (17:55) Figuring out chapters, structure and writing (18:30) The challenge of non-fiction and book deals (16:40) Holding the details lightly (19:15) Writing from the middle (19:45) The joy of writing with Scrivener & the pain of tracked changes in Word (20:15) Balancing a whole life outside of writing with a book project (22:40) Editing down photographs for a book (24:15) How much time a project deserves (24:15) Journaling's relationship to writing a book (24:55) Tarot's relationship to creative process & emotional support (27:00) Fiction and tarot's potential guidance (27:15) On writing from personal experience vs. fiction writing (28:00) Choosing to go with strengths in writing & where her writing comes from (29:00) Non-fiction and the desire to feel less alone (30:15) How blogging changed her world and built community (30:45) The vulnerability of books versus blogging (31:40) Being critical of our own work (33:45) Done vs. perfect (34:00) Judging a book by its cover (34:30) Hint on Susannah's next course (35:50) Fantasy reading escapes (36:25) No wireless! (37:45) Book & Ink window (38:30) Books as drugs (39:30) Current gorgeous covers (41:20) Kindle vs physical books (42:00) Forthcoming books (42:25) Self-publishing vs. going with a press (42:45) Working with an agent (44:55) Yearning for a written book (45:55) The platform & what publishers want (46:50) Show Notes with Links | Sponsored by Muse Monthly 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

Gary Wilson has been writing fiction for decades. He was the first person I thought of speaking to when people started asking me to talk about structure on the show. He's the author of two novels and has also taught fiction at the University of Chicago and Johns Hopkins University. Gary is one of my favorite people and I was thrilled to have the excuse to chat books and writing with him. We go through how it is to structure a book, letting the idea inform how you write it, what it's like to have one book interrupted by another story, revision, and his writing routine & the importance of "ass time" in writing. For all of you who've had ideas but haven't shaped them into books yet, this will be a great conversation to give you the lay of the land that's coming. Think of this as a map- complete with some pitfalls you'll be able to look out for along the way. I'm so thrilled that people asked for this conversation since I learned a lot from having it! Keep asking for topics in the comments and I'll do my best to find the right guest to address them. Happy listening! Show Notes for Episode 28 with Gary Wilson: Structuring a novel with autobiographical elements (2:15) The interaction between memory and imagination (4:45) The unreliable narrator (6:15) Differing story arc structures (8:30) Different types and roles of narrators (9:30) Narrative voice in a novel (10:15) Finding the voice when writing a novel (10:45) When an image takes hold and won't let go (12:00)  The evolution of the novel and blatant structure choices (14:00) Conscious vs. unconscious choices in writing (15:00) Writing from personal experience in fiction and the transformation that takes place (16:00) The line between fiction and memoir (17:45) Artistic and emotional components to writing (19:45) Teaching memoir and fiction together (20:30) Where it's possible to get lost when writing fiction & staying true to the story (22:15) The process of revision and the creative & critical hats (27:00) The current project & tricky points (31:45) The daily routine, discipline & saving a marriage (32:15) Making progress (38:00) On knowing the ending when beginning a novel (40:30) Comedy or tragedy (41:30) Finding subliminal themes once the book is written (41:45) Show Notes with Links | Sponsored by Muse Monthly 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