The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience

New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo spoke with us about her journey from National Poetry Slam champion to winning the the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, and her new YA novel, ANGER IS ONLY A SHADOW.

Elizabeth Acevedo is a renowned poet and New York Times-bestselling author of Clap When You Land, With the Fire on High and The Poet X, which won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, and the Pura Belpré Award, among many others.

Her first YA novel in six years, Anger Is Only a Shadow, is her most personal offering yet. Inspired by her experience leading poetry workshops for girls awaiting adjudication at the Youth Services Center in D.C., as well as loving and caring for someone with schizophrenia.

Publishers Weekly, in a Starred Review called the book “...a striking and nuanced portrait of the realities of juvenile detention and mental illness.”

Elizabeth is a National Poetry Slam champion and holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Maryland.

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In this file Elizabeth Acevedo, Milena, and I discussed:

How she performed in ~100 poetry shows/year, visiting nearly every U.S. state over 2 years

The impostor syndrome she felt during her MFA in poetry

What it felt like to go from “slinging chapbooks” to having a publisher

Why she still reads every novel aloud to herself before submission

How she alternates between the two manuscripts in 2–3 week blocks to maintain perspective

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

acevedowrites.com

Anger Is Only a Shadow by Elizabeth Acevedo (Amazon)

Elizabeth Acevedo Amazon Author Page

Elizabeth Acevedo on Instagram

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

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Kelton Reid Instagram

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Mexican-American writer and historian, Isabel Cañas, spoke to me about how to binge-write a novel, her fear of the dark, and swinging for the fences with her gothic debut "The Hacienda."

Isabel is a speculative fiction writer, and world traveler – currently working on her Ph.D. dissertation in medieval Islamic literature – who writes fiction inspired by her research and heritage.

Her debut novel is the highly-anticipated gothic, The Hacienda, "... a haunted house story with a Latinx refresh .... partly inspired by a home Isabel lived in when she was a child — one she still believes to this day is haunted."

Described by The Washington Post as, “[A] gothic tale of doomed love and vengeful spirits." NY Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi called the book, “A hypnotic, sinister tale that is equal parts terrifying and luxurious ... a nightmare lined with velvet.”

In this file Isabel Cañas and I discussed:

Writing fantasy fan fiction and her convoluted juvenilia

Why horror demands vulnerability from the author

On haunted houses and ghosts of colonialism and diaspora

Zero-drafting

How to write 4000 words a day

And a lot more!

Stay calm and write on ...

Show Notes:

⁠isabelcanas.com⁠

⁠The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas⁠ [Amazon]

Isabel Cañas Amazon Author Page

⁠Isabel Cañas on TikTok

⁠Isabel Cañas on Instagram⁠

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
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Bestselling crime novelist and former NFL running back Andre Hardy spoke with us about the slim odds of going from professional athlete to published novelist, writing through therapy, and his debut, TEAR THE CITY DOWN.

Andre Hardy is a critically acclaimed debut crime novelist, former NFL running back, and a member of the International Thriller Writers.

Described as a novel for fans of S.A. Cosby and Walter Mosley, TEAR THE CITY DOWN follows Coltrane Davis, a fixer for a crooked political kingmaker who wants out of the life and a chance to be present for his daughter.

New York Times bestselling author Ace Atkins called it, “A kickass debut from a bold new voice in crime fiction…. This novel is the stuff of lean, mean, California dreams."

Andre’s essays, interviews, and critical analysis have been published in L.A. Tribe Magazine, Lunch Ticket, and The Los Angeles Review of Books.

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In this file Andre Hardy, Milena, and I discussed:

How he found writing after his NFL career

Channeling the spirit of John Coltrane

Why writers need to subdue the inner critic

What he learned chasing his debut novel

The thick skin needed to pursue greatness

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

andrehardy.com

Tear the City Down by Andre Hardy (Amazon)

Andre Hardy on Instagram

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
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New York Times bestselling author China Miéville spoke with us about his career origins, philosophy on genre, practical writing advice, and the grueling evolution of his latest novel, THE ROUSE.

China Miéville is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of fiction and nonfiction. His novels include The City & The City, Embassytown, and Perdido Street Station. A recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship for fiction, he has won the World Fantasy, Hugo, and Arthur C. Clarke awards, among others.

China’s latest novel, The Rouse, is a decade-spanning epic about a secret military unit trying to channel supernatural forces. The 1,200+ page novel 20 years in the making, has been described by peers as his magnum opus — a label he accepts with humility but did not coin himself.

China Miéville has a PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics and

his nonfiction includes a study of international law and a history of the Russian Revolution.

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In this file China Miéville, Milena, and I discussed:

How he finally completed his 20-year labor of love

Why the writing process made him ill at points

On genre jumping, and literary fiction vs. "other stuff” snobbery

Why he believes that revealing that a book has a twist is "violence" against the reader's experience

How to trick yourself into writing a novel

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

chinamieville.net

The Rouse by China Miéville (Amazon)

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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#1 New York Times bestselling author Jeneva Rose returns to speak with us about motherhood and creativity, her transition from thrillers to horror, and her highly anticipated novella collection, SOMETIMES I SCARE MYSELF.

Thriller icon Jeneva Rose is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several novels, including the multi-million-copy bestseller The Perfect Marriage. Her work has been translated into more than 30 languages and optioned for film and TV.

Her latest bestseller and horror debut, Sometimes I Scare Myself: A Collection of Horror, is described as three novellas spanning the horror-comedy, haunted house, and slasher subgenres.

Jeneva Rose has a background in social media, digital, and email marketing. She became a full-time author in March 2021, and has amassed over one million followers across all social media platforms, including TikTok where she’s known as “Mother Goose.”

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In this file Jeneva Rose, Milena, and I discussed:

How she channeled postpartum anxiety into her latest

The biggest difference between writing horror vs. thrillers

Her favorite place to do secret book signings

When we can expect to see The Perfect Marriage adaptation

Her philosophy on persevering through rejection

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

jenevarose.com

Sometimes I Scare Myself: A Collection of Horror by Jeneva Rose (Amazon)

Jeneva Rose Amazon Author Page

Jeneva Rose on Facebook

Jeneva Rose on Instagram

Jeneva Rose on TikTok

Jeneva Rose on Twitter

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
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