In this second part of my interview with the brilliant and hilarious Jacquelyn Mitchard, we talk 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 specific reader Jacquelyn imagines as she writes- Why she's devoted to social media, and why she thinks of it like having a hamster- How some of her books have 'missed the mark' (but she's not going to tell you which ones)- The pep talk that gets her through those moments of feeling like a pretender- The small rewards Jacquelyn uses to congratulate herself for getting another few good sentences down on paper- The John Prine lyric that sums up her views on aging- What she learned from growing up on the West side of Chicago (and the viewpoint of her father's that she outright rejects)This week’s episodes are replays. I’m replaying because Jacquelyn was my first VERY big name guest and honestly I’m reliving the high. Come relive it with me!For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening!And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I am thrilled to be talking with Jacquelyn Mitchard, the New York Times bestselling author of 23 novels for adults and teenagers. Her newest novel is "A Very Inconvenient Scandal," and her first novel, "The Deep End of the Ocean" was the first selection of the Oprah Winfrey book club and has sold more than 3 million copies and been translated into 34 languages.This week’s episodes are replays. I’m replaying because Jacquelyn was my first VERY big name guest and honestly I’m reliving the high. Come relive it with me!We covered:- How losing her husband in her late thirties put her on a quest to publish a novel "to prove that I could have a second act"- How, when Oprah called, she deleted the messages because she felt it must have been a friend pranking her- How she would most definitely NOT write even if she didn't get paid- How the hardest part of the work is coming up with the idea- How Jacquelyn's dreams help her write her books- How she writes her book one sentence at a time, from start to finish, like building a skyscraper- The realities of being chronically sleep deprived- The difference between copying and stealing- Living on the Cape, yet hating the beach- Why she only ever has one cup of coffeeFor full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening!And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this final installment of my interview with Christopher Brown, author of “A Natural History of Empty Lots”--a blend of nature writing, memoir and literary nonfiction that's also a manifesto for rewilding our cities and ourselves–we talk about what’s getting his creative ears perked up these days, where his throughline is leading him next, and his answers to my final fast five questions.We covered:- The full moon he saw hovering just over a McDonald’s glowing arches that reminded him of nature’s cosmic majesty amid the banality of everyday life- A string of great book recommendations, including the so called ‘anti-memoir’ he read last year that is giving him ideas about how write without following any rules- Figuring out what comes after you’ve made a big creative pivot- The habit he gave up in order to have more time to write- The California stoner rock band he listens to when he’s “trying to get going” and the Bach song he’s learning to play on guitar that helps him get centered- The time of day and year that offers him “maximum tranquility”Visit Christopher at https://christopherbrown.com/ and sign up for his Field Notes newsletter at https://fieldnotes.christopherbrown.com/.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening!And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Part 2 of my talk with Christopher Brown, author of the brand new book, “A Natural History of Empty Lots,” as well as the science fiction novel, “Tropic of Kansas” and the legal thrillers “Rule of Capture” and “Failed State.”- How there were “not a lot of huggers” in his family, and how that relates to his desire to get better at engaging emotionally in his writing, versus just telling a good story- Using a regular newsletter to write your way into a longer work- The challenge of weaving together different genres in one body of work–in his case, memoir, nature writing, and literary nonfiction- The challenge in outlining what your book will be about in a book proposal and actually writing a book that matches that outline- How the voice you’ve used in short form pieces doesn’t wholly translate to long-form (i.e., the medium is the message)- When things you read 40 years ago pop up to influence your current work (i.e., another plug for reading widely)- A common reality in modern publishing–your editor leaves in the middle of your book getting published, and how to navigate that- Figuring out how to turn a narrative of colonization–something we’ve all been so exposed to its part of our collective subconscious fabric–into a narrative of decolonization- The questions Christopher asks himself when he’s worried he’s not getting something exactly rightVisit Christopher at https://christopherbrown.com/ and sign up for his Field Notes newsletter at https://fieldnotes.christopherbrown.com/.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening!And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I am talking with Christopher Brown, author of the brand new book, “A Natural History of Empty Lots: Field Notes from Urban Edgelands, Back Alleys, and Other Wild Places,” a blend of nature writing, literary nonfiction, and memoir that is also a manifesto for rewilding our urban spaces as well as ourselves.Christopher’s other books include the legal thrillers, “Rule of Capture” and “Failed State,” and his debut science fiction novel “Tropic of Kansas.” Christopher also writes the popular urban nature newsletter Field Notes.Also a lawyer and a naturalist, Christopher has worked on two Supreme Court confirmations, rehabilitated a brownfield, built an eco bunker, protected government whistleblowers, taken two companies public, restored a small prairie, raised two amazing kids and trained a few good dogs. And that's just the shortlist.We covered:- Resisting “society’s pressure to specialize”- Balancing multiple careers- How a gig at his college newspaper spawned a path that has led to some pretty varied–and cool–places, such as having lunch with a retired German prime minister, playing pool with Frank Conroy, and working at two Supreme Court confirmation hearings- Managing your own expectations for how successful you think you ought to be, and by what age- Rule number one for staying inspired as a writer- The ingenious way he taught himself to “carve out the time from a busy life of work and family to write novels that didn't suck”- How to create the conditions where you accumulate the raw material of the work- The origins of his “Field Notes” SubstackVisit Christopher at https://christopherbrown.com/ and sign up for his Field Notes newsletter at https://fieldnotes.christopherbrown.com/.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening!And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the final installment of my conversation with Christine Chitnis, travel writer, photographer, and author of the books, East Coasting, Patterns of Portugal and Patterns of India, we get a sneak peek at what’s up to next and hear about the big-picture ideas that are guiding her work these days. And she answers my fast final five questions about favorite foods, books, and music.We covered:- Her upcoming trips (one with a group to Portugal, and another to Oaxaca to take photographs for a book)- The artist whose studio she visited this summer, and how that work is inspiring her- The power of taking long walks with good friends- Why her two guiding words for this year are “collaborate” and “scale”- The book writing class she’s launching next year- Setting up her work life to both make more money and be able to take more time off- The books and music she can’t get enough of, and the meal she would really love it if someone made for her.Follow Christine on Instagram @chritine.chitnis.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening!And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this second part of my conversation with Christine Chitnis, bestselling author of “East Coasting,” “Patterns of Portugal,” and “Patterns of India”, photographer, and travel writer, we get in to the squishier side of writing–the thoughts and beliefs that go into creating and sharing work.We talked about:- How to get more comfortable with sharing your work–because you can’t just “write it and they will come”- How a negative review of “Patterns of India” changed the way she approached “Patterns of Portugal”- The thing she tells herself when she’s feeling daunted by the revision process- Writing about big topics in articles with short word counts- Dealing with the fear of aging out of your career- Feeling like everyone else at the conference is a lot younger than you are- Being a travel writer with three young kids- Reworking the ingrained idea that a mom shouldn’t leave her kids- Her very best tool for feeling like a well-balanced human in the midst of working and caretakingFollow Christine on Instagram @chritine.chitnis.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening!And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I am talking with Christine Chitnis, bestselling author of “East Coasting,” “Patterns of Portugal,” and “Patterns of India.” Her travel writing has appeared in publications including “The New York Times,” “Vogue,” and “Travel and Leisure.” Christine also helps other writers create winning book proposals and book marketing strategies. And she's a great follow on Instagram where her photos of gorgeous places and nature provide a welcome break in your scrolling.We covered:- The path from grant writing, to writing for small local publications, to writing for “The New York Times” and “Vogue”- The power of having different kinds of projects going simultaneously- Her biggest limiting factor: childcare- Transitioning from writing about lifestyle to writing about travel- Why it’s crucial to think of writing as a business, and not just a creative endeavor- The kinds of things she does to “restore my creativity”- How her morning routine is actually chaos- How she blocks off time for writing, and where it happensFollow Christine on Instagram @chritine.chitnis.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening!And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this final installment with Leigh Medeiros--who is like a personified pep talk for pursuing your creative work--we talk about her most delightful visions for the future and exactly what happens in her cacao ceremonies, as well as:- Why Leigh finds many social media videos incredibly inspirational (reframing what you might otherwise consider 'mindless scrolling')- The importance of expanding your creative capacity- Why she loves learning from drag queens- Which social media videos are giving her hope--and getting her to take notes- Why she's a huge fan of January- And we have a little love fest for condiment-heavy cuisines.For detailed 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 second part of my interview with "The One-Minute Writer" author and screenwriter Leigh Medeiros, we dive in to the squishier parts of writing and being creating, including:- Why it's crucial that you share your work without disclaiming it- The screen play she almost gave up on because her inner critic was going bananas--a hilarious and so relatable store- Why it matters that you pursue your art (prepare for goosebumps)For detailed 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