The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience How Acclaimed Debut Novelist Penny Zang Writes
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Oct 17, 2025 Penny Zang, an English professor and debut novelist of "Doll Parts," dives into the emotional depths of friendship and grief in her writing. She shares her journey of processing loss through morning pages and discusses the influence of Sylvia Plath on her work. Listeners learn about her unique characters and the autobiographical elements woven into her thriller. Penny also emphasizes the importance of community for writers and reveals that her next novel is an 80s Edgar Allan Poe mashup. A captivating discussion on creativity and resilience!
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Writing Through Grief
- Penny Zang wrote as a way to process the sudden 2016 loss of a close friend and realized writing allowed her to confront grief when daily life wouldn't stop.
- She used early-morning writing sessions as the only time to feel and explore that absence, which later fed into Doll Parts.
Protect Morning Writing Time
- Join or create short accountability rituals like the #5AMWritersClub to secure uninterrupted writing time before daily obligations take over.
- Wake up early and protect that slot to accumulate pages when evenings leave you mentally exhausted.
Real Teenage Details In Fiction
- Sadie and Nikki's theater-kid habits (stealing costumes, Dr. Pepper, 90s grunge style) come directly from Penny's own teenage experiences with friends.
- She stresses the novel's core friendship is grounded in real shared details, even if the plot is fictional.
