In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with Kristen Simmons about her YA horror, FIND HIM WHERE YOU LEFT HIM DEAD, which has been described (by past guest Kendare Blake!) as “Jumanji but Japanese-inspired”. Also discussed: How rejection can be deeply painful but that being a writer is what you are, regardless of the outside reaction to your work, leveling up as a writer, the challenge and fun in writing a large cast of characters and multiple POVs, deciding how much mythology to use in a book...

In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with Kayvion Lewis about her new YA heist thriller, THIEVES’ GAMBIT. Also discussed: books coming out of dreams, creating a cast of characters when being a plot-first type of writer, the importance of revision in layering characters and refining complicated details (heists!), letting the world around you influence the writing, no matter how random it may seem at first, the newly coined “Point and See” method, transitioning from one book to the next and...

In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with Elizabeth Lim about her latest YA fantasy, HER RADIANT CURSE. Also discussed: the popularity of Sailor Moon Fan Fiction, the connections between writing music and writing words, combining Western fairy tales with East Asian folklore, how authentic and true to the source material to be when using historical places and time periods as inspirations for fantasy, writing sister stories, the magic of Disney movies, and so much more. FormativeWhere the...

In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with Aisha Saeed about her latest YA magical realism (with a bit of fantasy and romance), FORTY WORDS FOR LOVE. Also discussed: the origins and impact of the We Need Diverse Books organization, how there’s been much progress in creating more representation and diverse books but there’s always more work to be done, what it means to write the book of your heart, using fantasy to give distance and perspective on real world issues, how things can happen that...

In this special bonus episode, Marissa chats with C.J. Redwine and Mary Weber (who was first a guest in episode 8) about their online and sometimes in-person writing craft community, The Writer’s Sanctuary, how it came to be and what they do. Also discussed: tips on creating a joy-filled writing life, avoiding negativity pitfalls like perfectionism, comparison, and the pressure to perform to expectations. They also discuss advocating for ourselves and asking for what we need, even if that...

In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with Rachael Lippincott about her new YA, pitched as a sapphic Bridgerton meets Freaky Friday rom-com, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND PITTSBURGH. Also discussed in this episode: the challenges of working on very distinct points of view, using music to get into a character’s POV, how deep to go into the research when writing a historical, the desire to time-travel back to the Regency era – knowing much of it might be romanticized, the pros and cons of co-writing...

In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with J. Elle about her YA contemporary fantasy, House of Marionne. Also discussed: throwing off the pressure to write what you think you should write and writing books for yourself, expansive worldbuilding with depth and breadth to support a trilogy - even including appendices, creating complicated, flawed love interests, adding an additional POV that shows a different side of the world the main characters live in, and so much more. The Happy Writer at...

In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with Kate Alice Marshall about her latest YA horror, THE NARROW. Also discussed: how you can reinvent yourself as a writer, the appeal of scary stories and writing them even if you’re a scaredy cat, the process of writing tension, mystery, and red herrings, coordinating the writing, editing, and promoting of several book projects in multiple genres, and so much more! The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at...

In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with S. Jae-Jones about THE GUARDIANS OF DAWN: ZHARA, her latest young adult fantasy, the first in a new series, pitched as Sailor Moon meets The Lunar Chronicles (!). Also discussed: how marketing can have a huge influence on a book’s genre and placement, reminding yourself of why you decided to seek out publication in the first place when publishing gets frustrating, the joy in sharing stories and connecting with readers, writing fairytale retellings...

 In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with Jessica Brody, author of over twenty novels, along with her bestselling SAVE THE CAT! WRITES A NOVEL, and the new SAVE THE CAT! WRITES A YOUNG ADULT NOVEL. Discussed in this episode: revisiting favorite writing resources, what makes this new version of SAVE THE CAT! unique and perfect for YA authors, how most (but not all!) stories follow the Save the Cat method, how a big part of writing a novel is trusting the process and carrying on, how to use...

In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with wife/husband writing team, Katelyn Detweiler and Danny Tamberelli about their co-written rom-com, THE FIRST DATE PROPHESY, inspired by their own relationship’s origins. Also discussed: how your work/media background influences your writing process, how to know how much to include in a story inspired by true events, co-writing while parenting and finding the time to write (hint: naptime!), the joy of sharing a-ha moments with your co-writer, and so...

In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with Ananya Devarajan about her debut YA romance, KISMAT CONNECTION. Also discussed: using platforms like Wattpad to practice writing, writing as a coping mechanism, balancing the demands of college and being a new author, using neuroscience to help draw realistic characters, recognizing parts of ourselves in our characters, and so much more! New Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/happywriterstore TLC movie news:...

In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with Terri Libenson, author of the New York Times bestselling Emmie & Friends series, about her latest, SURPRISINGLY SARAH. Also discussed: starting out in cartooning and moving into writing illustrated/graphic novels, outlining a Sliding Doors-type concept, the wonderful, yet rare times when books seem to write themselves, rotating characters through a series, the joy of surprising yourself as a writer and so much more. The Happy Writer at...

In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with Hanna Alkaf and Margaret Owen about their YA murder mystery anthology, THE GRIMOIRE OF GRAVE FATES. Topics covered in this super-fun episode include: how the project came out of a tweet, the challenges and joys of writing an anthology with so many authors, the politics of choosing contributors, using Google docs, forms, and spreadsheets to stay organized with multiple stories and so many details, the unexpected administrative work of doing a...

In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with Alex Crespo about his debut, SAINT JUNIPER’S FOLLY, a queer YA haunted house mystery. Also discussed: using familiar settings to create fictional ones, using online resources like Pinterest and Zillow to do research on homes, doing deep dives to ensure details—even tiny ones—are accurate, what it means to be an aggressive plotter, using astrology archetypes to help create characters, writing chunks of chapters by character and then having to cobble...

In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with Melissa Blair about her second book in the Halfling Saga, A SHADOW CROWN, as well as transitioning to being a full-time writer, the editorial process and chasing perfection, difficult second acts, writing expansive timelines and using devices to show the passage of time, writing villains, and so much more! The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. Disclaimer: This post...

In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with E.K. Johnston about her latest book, the prequel to Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves – THE DRUID’S CALL. Also discussed: how archaeology and writing can be related, writing IP (intellectual property) projects, the pros and cons of them, and how writing fanfiction can prepare you for the job, the fun and complications of inserting Easter eggs into books, and so much more. Dragon Age (Game): https://www.ea.com/games/dragon-age What is...

In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with Matt McMann about his TWO debut books in the Monsterious Series: ESCAPE FROM GRIMSTONE MANOR and THE SNATCHER OF RAVEN HOLLOW. Other topics discussed: having a spouse who is also in the business, not rationing your ideas when writing a series, writing several books in a series in a tight publishing schedule, figuring out where to draw the line in scary content for kids, the pros and cons of writing an anthology-style series, the difficulty in naming...

In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with Amalie Howard about her Regency Historical YA, QUEEN BEE, as well as creating historicals with a more representative cast of characters, writing linearly, knowing you can always edit later, using a playlist to get you in the mood for a particular project, the rare but awesome moment of being recognized as an author, and so much more.  The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our webstore at Bookshop.org supports independent...

In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with F.T. Lukens about their contemporary YA fantasy, SPELL BOUND. Also discussed: finding the hilarity in the mundane, humor as a coping mechanism, using favorite tropes and putting your own spin on them, identifying character motivations, writing romance as part of a larger plot, and more.   Find the Happy Writer and Marissa Meyer Merch here: https://thehappywriter.creator-spring.com/ https://www.teepublic.com/user/the-happy-writer  The Happy Writer at...

In this episode, Marissa chats with Maurene Goo about her latest YA time-travel, THROWBACK. Also discussed: how writing is both a labor of love and an actual job, how to create boundaries, take breaks, and keep from burning out, managing writing and parenthood, immersing yourself in past culture and the shock of viewing it through modern eyes, and so much more! The Do-It-Yourself Escape Room Book:  https://bookshop.org/a/11756/9781510758803  The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your...

In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with Jenna Voris about her debut YA sci-fi, MADE OF STARS, as well as writing not one, but two romances, creating complex government systems that serve the story and feed the action, the difficulty of writing heists and figuring out what details to include, on becoming an outliner but still creating excitement in the writing, the challenge of cutting unnecessary scenes, and so much more! The Happy Writer at Bookshop.org Purchasing your books through our...

In this week’s episode, Marissa and Joanne take a fun trip down memory lane, celebrating their favorite moments from the past 3 years and 149 episodes! Also, they announce an exciting giveaway, but you’ll have to listen to find out what it is. Join them as they discuss their most memorable writing craft takeaways – some that have influenced their own writing – as well as some light bulb moments, life-changing perspectives on the writing life, inspiring quotes, and so much more.   Craft books...

In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with Zeba Shahnaz about her debut YA fantasy, MIDNIGHT STRIKES, as well as struggling to finish projects and how to keep from getting distracted, doing several rounds of edits even before querying, complicated magic systems and worldbuilding in a time-loop, being able to trust yourself, putting in the work, keeping the joy in the writing, and so much more.  Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

In this week’s episode, Marissa chats with Daniel Nayeri about his new book, THE MANY ASSASSINATIONS OF SAMIR THE SELLER OF DREAMS and his twisty road to becoming a published author that included working in publishing, considering being a spy, skydiving, and actually becoming a pastry chef.   Topics also discussed: explaining unfamiliar terms to the reader without breaking character, bringing setting to life using the five senses, giving characters something to do in a scene and how it...