#215: Jojo Moyes, novelist

Jun 24, 2025

Jojo Moyes, a prolific novelist and former journalist known for hits like 'Me Before You' and 'The Giver of Stars', shares her creative journey. She discusses the transition from journalism to fiction, detailing the struggles and rejections that ultimately led to her breakthrough. Moyes delves into her latest novel, 'We All Live Here', exploring themes of social exclusion faced by teenagers. She also critiques the label 'chick lit', emphasizing the emotional depth in women's fiction while humorously reflecting on the evolution of romance literature.

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ANECDOTE

Sex Scenes Reveal Characters' Minds

Jojo Moyes finds writing sex scenes requires inhabiting her characters deeply to convey their state of mind.
She uses sex scenes to reveal emotional complexity rather than just physical connection.

ANECDOTE

Sex Scenes Show Emotional States

Moyes learned from Jonathan Tropper's book how to use sex scenes to reflect character emotions.
She wrote one sex scene that humorously initiates a relationship and another that portrays misunderstanding and discomfort.

INSIGHT

Plotting with Note Cards and Twists

Jojo Moyes is a planner who uses note cards to structure her plot with twists.
She seeds plot twists early hoping readers forget them until the moment they emerge.

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Rachel and Simon speak with the novelist Jojo Moyes, live at Hay Festival. Jojo started her career as a journalist before publishing her debut novel, "Sheltering Rain", in 2002. Jojo's subsequent books - which include "Me Before You", "After You", "Still Me", "The Giver of Stars" and "Someone Else's Shoes" - have been translated into 46 languages and sold some 60 million copies worldwide. In 2016 Jojo adapted "Me Before You" into a film that grossed more than $200 million at the global box office. We spoke to Jojo about her early career as a journalist at the Independent, moving into writing fiction and her big break with "Me Before You" in 2012, and her new novel, "We All Live Here".

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