In this episode I'm talking with Jennifer about the squishier side of creativity–the thoughts, ideas, and attitudes that affect your work, even if you're not fully conscious of it, including:Finding the inspiration to write about controversial subjects in today’s age of nasty comments and trollingJennifer’s trick for keeping herself accountable and not avoiding writing about the hard stuffThe power of talking to other writersThe things her inner critic says, and how it gets louder when she’s doing the work that’s closest to her heartThe trick for getting things down on the page–and how that seeming blather transforms into ‘readable chapters’The beauties and drawbacks of living in a rural areaThe dichotomy of having a virtual job with a big network while living in a small, somewhat isolated townBecoming a cliche as you grow older: “I started aqua aerobics recently”Continuing to work when your body may have other plansThe caregiving sandwichDealing with the claustrophobia of being in a transitional period, or what Jennifer calls a hallwayHer list of three collective illusions Jennifer wishes we’d wake up fromFor full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Big thanks to our sponsor, AirDoctorPro. Use promo code KATE at airdoctorpro.com to save up to $300 off an air purifier and receive a free 3-year warranty (an $87 value). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I am talking with Jennifer Fink, an award winning freelance writer who covers parenting, education, and health for magazines and websites. started her career as a registered nurse, but shortly after her oldest son, and as you'll find out, she has four boys, pivoted to writing full time. Her most recent book is called Building Boys, Raising Great Guys in a World that Misunderstands Males. She is also the co host of the podcast “On Boys,” which covers, you guessed it, real talk about parenting, teaching, and reaching tomorrow's men. Although Jennifer's writing career is clearly going great, she does maintain her nursing license just in case.Jennifer’s start as a nurseHow taking her baby to story time at the public library ended up launching her writing careerThe book that showed her how to start freelance writingHow it started/how it’s going in terms of why she started writing about boys vs. why she does it nowA quick look into why boys are struggling latelyHow an unexpected divorce launched her writing business to the next level (“failure was not an option”)In praise of morning pages (a practice Jennifer learned in Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way”)Her focus and productivity hacksWhy she gets outside every day–even during a Wisconsin winterA rumor about coffee with cream in it that Jennifer is choosing to ignoreFor full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Big thanks to our sponsor, AirDoctorPro. Use promo code KATE at airdoctorpro.com to save up to $300 off an air purifier and receive a free 3-year warranty (an $87 value). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this final part of my interview with Antonia Angress, author of "Sirens & Muses," we peek at what’s coming around the bend for her and I get her answers to my fast five questions.We talked about:- The novels about motherhood Antonia is reading to prepare for when her baby is born- The pressure on young women authors to be likable, available, and approachable- The two writers Antonia looks to for inspiration on being successful while “resisting the machinations of publicity that can devour you”- Getting better at not squandering time, vacuuming the rugs- The Pulitzer finalist Antonia devoured in a couple of days- What it’s like when your husband becomes a Swiftie in his 30s, when you’ve been on board since your teensFor full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Big thanks to our sponsor, AirDoctorPro. Use promo code KATE at airdoctorpro.com to save up to $300 off an air purifier and receive a free 3-year warranty (an $87 value). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode I'm talking with Antonia about the squishier side of creativity–the thoughts, ideas, and attitudes that affect your work, even if you're not fully conscious of it, including:- The part of the writing process that Antonia relishes- The specific point in the book-writing process where Antonia focuses on making her sentences pretty- How she only kept “a few paragraphs” from the first draft of her second novel (!!)- Adapting to the public speaking portion of being a writer- The thing her graduate school professor told her when she was halfway through writing her first novel and having a crisis of confidence- The two things that can happen after her inner critic has told her the stuff she’s writing is no good- How she views her first novel, looking back- The “toxic narrative” about how you have to suffer for your art- Continually working to be OK with resting (especially as an about-to-be mother)- Antonia’s plug for therapyFor full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Big thanks to our sponsor, AirDoctorPro. Use promo code KATE at airdoctorpro.com to save up to $300 off an air purifier and receive a free 3-year warranty (an $87 value). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I am talking to writer Antonia Angress. Antonia is the author of "Sirens & Muses," which starts off as a campus novel set at a New England art school, but then blooms into an exploration of the intersection of home and belonging versus individualism and seeking to stand out, set in the New York City art scene during the Occupy Wall Street era."Sirens & Muses" was named one of the best books of the year by Glamour Magazine and won the Minnesota Book Award, and Antonia was recently named one of the NEA's 2024 Creative Writing Fellows. I loved the book and I love that I get to ask Antonia my list of mildly invasive questions about why and how she does her particular creative work.We covered:- The advice she gives about the stuff you write that you end up deleting- The fact that publishing a book “really doesn’t change your life”- The importance of that feeling of being alone with your work- The daily writing goal that keeps Antonia going (spoiler: it’s very small)- How she manages her ‘internet junk food’ diet- The practice that gets her ready to write- What motivational phrase is on the Post-It note above her computerFor full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Big thanks to our sponsor, AirDoctorPro. Use promo code KATE at airdoctorpro.com to save up to $300 off an air purifier and receive a free 3-year warranty (an $87 value). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this final part of my interview with Daisy Alpert Florin, author of My Last Innocent Year, we peek at what’s coming around the bend for her and I get her answers to my fast five questions.We talked about:The mega pop star who makes Daisy “want to get back to the page”Daisy’s role models who show her how to “just keep getting up and keep going”The benefits of being a mom to teenagersThe song by said mega pop star that gets Daisy riled up (in a good way)The hardest question of them all–what meal would you have if someone said they’d make or order anything you want (it involves lots and lots of grease)For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Big thanks to our sponsor, AquaTru.com. Use promo code KATE to save 20% off a reverse osmosis water filter and support this podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s portion of my interview with Daisy Alpert Florin, author of My Last Innocent Year, we talk about the mindset side of creating. (Honestly, these are always my favorite episodes!)We covered:How you can “cloak” your story by writing fiction–incorporating the feelings of things you’ve experienced if not the exact experiences themselvesWorrying that people are sick of hearing you talkGetting over the voice that says “you don’t have the proper training to write a novel”What’s on the inspirational Post-It note that Daisy keeps above her monitorHow it’s never too to be a debut authorDaisy’s “buoyancy” about the future now that her kids are teens and hard work of early parenting is behind herThe collective disillusions Daisy would like to evaporateFor full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Big thanks to our sponsor, AquaTru.com. Use promo code KATE to save 20% off a reverse osmosis water filter and support this podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daisy Alpert Florin, author of a book I truly adored, My Last Innocent Year, about a young woman in her last year of college, which is recently out in paperbook and–hot tip–would make an excellent book group pick.My Last Innocent Year was a New York Times Book Reviews Editor's Choice and Good Morning America called it one of those stories that stays with you.I've had the pleasure of being on a writing retreat with Daisy and getting to know her both in person and on the page.And I am very excited to plumb the depths of her personal through line with you here today.In this episode on the practical matters that inform her writing, we cover:How she doesn’t tick the boxes of a ‘typical’ novelist’s path–majored in history, didn’t get an MFA, etc.How Daisy feels about publishing her first novel at age 50 (hint: The movie Daisy watched for fun that gave her ideas for her current bookHow writing a novel is like riding a horseHow she stays in the world of the novel so that her subconscious can be working things out even when she’s sleeping, showering or driving her carHow she captures the ideas she has when she’s sleeping, showering, or driving her carFor full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Big thanks to our sponsor, AquaTru.com. Use promo code KATE to save 20% off a reverse osmosis water filter and support this podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A preview of her second memoir, which has a central theme of earthquakes, both the geological variety and the personal kind (it sounds amazing I cannot wait)The allure of folk tales and fairy talesThe joy of going down a research wormholeNada’s current wormholes–turtle migration, and early African-American history in Rhode IslandGetting over the very human desire for external validationNada’s beautiful vision of a free PalestineThe YA novels Nada can’t put downOat milk matcha lattes (and why Nada hope they give her a green mustache at the coffeeshop)The perfection of a Sunday morning and navigating the kitchen when you’re the only parent homeNada’s favorite Palestinian dish (come to full show notes on Substack for a link)For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Big thanks to our sponsor, AquaTru.com. Use promo code KATE to save 20% off a reverse osmosis water filter and support this podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode I'm talking with Netta about what I call inner stuff, the thoughts, ideas, and attitudes that affect your work, even if you're not fully conscious of it, including:The process of her least favorite part of writing (sharing her work) becoming her most favorite partThe type of reader feedback that fills her heart and lights her up and fuels her to createFeeling out of step with the world–and being OK with thatBeing the only Arab kid around in the 90sNada’s plea–that we wake up from the collective illusion of separatenessFinding points of connection, particularly with people you disagree withAstrology talk! (She’s an Aries sun with a Pisces moon–equal parts ready to charge into a fight and to contemplate quantum physics.)For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Big thanks to our sponsor, AquaTru.com. Use promo code KATE to save 20% off a reverse osmosis water filter and support this podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices