Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley

Welcome back to my interview with cultural historian and Columbia professor Jeremy Dauber, author of the newly released book "American Scary: A History of Horror, from Salem to Stephen King and Beyond."As “J.A. Dauber,” he is also the author of the YA novel "Mayhem and Madness: Chronicles of a Teenaged Supervillain," and a new middle grade novel, currently titled "Press 1 For 1nvasion," that will come out next year.Today I’m talking with Jeremy about what I call inner stuff–the thoughts, ideas, and attitudes that affect your work, even if you’re not fully conscious of it.We covered:- Finding the right balance of being comprehensive and not overwhelming–or boring–the reader- The parts of publishing a book that get easier the more you do it- The privilege of working in a field where you can keep getting better and better (as opposed to, say, baseball, where your performance will peak)- Some frank talk about how parenting impacts your work (loved hearing this from a man!)- A plug for offering babysitting at conferences and not holding events during the dinner hour- Taking aim at the myth of the creative genius, and that good work just flows- And while we’re at it, debunking the myth of the difficult geniusFor 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

Jeremy Dauber, author of the newly released book "American Scary: A History of Horror, from Salem to Stephen King and Beyond” and professor of Jewish literature and American studies at Columbia University.As “J.A. Dauber,” he is also the author of the YA novel "Mayhem and Madness: Chronicles of a Teenaged Supervillain," and his new middle grade novel, currently titled "Press 1 For 1nvasion," will be published next year.We covered:- The childhood obsession with aliens and ghost stories that never went away- The key career advice he got from the former head of DC Comics- Approaching your career as if you were cross-training at the gym- How teaching helps him as a writer- Why he loves writing YA more than contemporary adult fiction- How he’s come to embrace the revision process- Reframing failure as a lack of success- Why he’s in the “write every day” camp- The nicest compliment he got from an editor- Why he tries to stop writing for the day in the middle of a scene or a thought, and not at the endFor 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 back to the Finding the Throughline interview with Vanessa Lillie, whose books include “Little Voices”, “For the Best,” and her newest book “Blood Sisters” and co-author Young Rich Widows as well as its sequel which is coming out next year, Desperate Deadly Widows.In this final installment of our interview, we talk about where her current throughline is leading her next.Why she’s so excited about Indigenous storytelling right nowMany recommendations for books, shows, and movies by Indigenous creatorsA preview of her sequel to “Blood Sisters”Her forays into screenwritingHow you get more rejection once you’re in the doorKeeping an open mind and being very open to failingThe Netflix feminist thriller she stayed up too late watchingA recipe for bomster scallops that I will be tryingConnect with Vanessa on Instagram @vanessalillieFor 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 back to Finding the Throughline: Conversations about the Creative Process where today’s guest is thriller author Vanessa Lillie, whose books include “Little Voices”, “For the Best,” and her newest book “Blood Sisters,” a thriller about two missing Indigenous women and the Cherokee archeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs who is searching for them which was a Good Morning America Buzz Pick and USA Today national bestseller. She’s also the co-author of a fun 80s mystery romp “Young Rich Widows” as well as its sequel which is coming out next year, “Desperate Deadly Widows.”An Oklahoma native, Vanessa is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma living on Narragansett land in Rhode Island.Today I’m talking with Vanessa about the mindset side of writing, or what I call inner stuff–the thoughts, ideas, and attitudes that affect your work, even if you’re not fully conscious of it, including:- Fighting erasure by weaving her family’s story into her books- The thrill and the total fear of writing about your culture and worrying about getting it wrong- How Vanessa steadies herself when that anxiety crops up- Embracing the challenge of writing a page turner- Dealing with the fear that your current work isn’t as good as your previous work- Seeing ideas as a butterfly that come and sit on your shoulder (from Elizabeth Gilbert’s book “Big Magic”- Why it’s so vital to get clear on why you are the right person to tell this story- Why being in her 40s feels like such a relief- Some frank talk about early motherhood–and why it was a theme in her first novel- Letting go of the idea that your success is within your controlConnect with Vanessa on Instagram @vanessalillieFor 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’m talking with the author of numerous thrillers, Vanessa Lilly, whose books include “Little Voices,” “For the Best,” and her newest book “Blood Sisters,” a thriller about two missing Indigenous women and the Cherokee archeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs who is searching for them, which was a Good Morning America buzz pick and a USA Today national bestseller. Vanessa is also the co-author of a fun 80s mystery romp called “Young Rich Widows,” as well as its sequel, which is coming out next year, called “Desperately Deadly Widows.”Vanessa is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma living on Narragansett land in Rhode Island.We covered:- Making up stories as a form of escape- How a nagging sense of unhappiness in her 20s and 30s drove her to keep questioning what she should ‘do with her life’- The trip to the airport bookstore that awakened her desire to be an author- The joy–and terror–of having a dream- Using restlessness as a force for creative good- Channeling your childhood and your family history into fiction- The privilege of sharing stories with people who are interested- Why it’s so easy to get into a lack mentality as an author- How Vanessa ended up back at square one–no publisher, no agent–after her second book came out- Finding the story you’re meant to tell so that you’re not “turning yourself into a pretzel to fit inside the system”- The tools that helped her get out of that lack mentality- Embracing chaos as a creative and honoring your particular process- Stepping out the capitalistic narrative that if you’re not working 9-to-5, or really, 9-to-9, you’re a slackerConnect with Vanessa on Instagram @vanessalillie.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 the final installment of my interview with A.J. Jacobs, who is a multiple New York Times bestselling author of books that chronicle his attempts to live differently and share what he's learned from his experiments.A.J.'s latest book is “The Year of Living Constitutionally,” where he attempts to understand our country better by adopting the mindset and technology of our founding fathers. Fun fact: A.J. wrote “The Year of Living Constitutionally” with a goose quill pen and a pot of ink while wearing a tricorn hat.We covered:- His Election Cake Project–what it’s about and how you can take part (I mean, cake!)- The Oxford University professor whose work inspires him- How a song from “The King and I” reminds him of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy–and inspired a recent article- Why he now doesn’t hesitate to tell people about an idea he’s still thinking about or working on–when he used to keep those closely guarded until he had finished creating them- Why he wants to get back to time blocking- The idea he’d love to implement after his kids go off to college- Why his morning cup of coffee only contains 40% coffee (and what makes up the other 60%)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 part two of my interview with writer, podcaster, multiple New York Times bestselling author, and human guinea pig, A.J. Jacobs, we talk about the thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes that go into writing.As a reminder, A.J.'s books include “The Year of Living Biblically,” “Drop Dead Healthy,” “Thanks a Thousand,” and his most recent, “The Year of Living Constitutionally,” which chronicled his attempts to adopt the mindset and technology of our founding fathers, including quill pens, muskets, and tricorn hats. A.J. is also a host of the daily podcast, “The Puzzler,” the creator of the Experimental Living Substack, and a frequent contributor to NPR's weekend edition.Things we talked about include:- The specifics of his book-writing process (I learned some things I can’t wait to try)- The tip he learned from a Quincy Jones quote that helps him reframe his problems- The thing he tells himself that helps quiet his inner critic- Why he rejects the idea that there is such a thing as an objectively great piece of art, whether it’s a book, painting, or what have you- His goal for his work and as a human- What drives him now, 20+ years in, and how that has changed since he first started writing- Why he doesn’t like astrology- The therapeutic modality he credits for helping him re-write unhelpful thoughtsFor 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’m talking with the hilarious and sweet writer, podcaster, multiple New York Times-bestselling author, and human guinea pig, A.J. Jacobs. A.J.'s books are a mix of memoir, science, humor, with a smidge of self-help. They include “The Year of Living Constitutionally,” “The Year of Living Biblically,” “Drop Dead Healthy,” and “The Know-It-All,” which chronicled the year and a half A.J. spent reading the Encyclopedia Britannica from A to Z.He also hosts “The Puzzler” daily podcast, which just debuted its second season, and he's a frequent contributor to NPR's Weekend Edition.In this first part of our interview, we covered the practical side of his writing career, including:The very sensible reason he sticks to “method writing”His amazing origin story that involved impersonating an Oscar-nominated actor—at the OscarsThe daily practice he uses to generate ideasHis viral Facebook post about biblical mathThe habit he adopted from Benjamin Franklin after writing his book “The Year of Living Constitutionally”Why he is a devotee of ‘eating the frog’The tech gadget he uses to capture his ideas in longhand (and then remember them later because it makes them searchable)The health tips he’s retained since writing a book about trying to become the healthiest person in the worldThe ingenious way he remembers to do push-ups every dayConnect with A.J. at his Experimental Living newsletter on Substack: https://experimentalliving.substack.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 part three of my conversation with multiple New York Times bestselling author Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of "A Very Inconvenient Scandal" and "The Deep End of the Ocean," among many other titles, we talk about how having writer friends is so important, even if you "jealous them", the vision of the future that's fueling her to keep writing, and the recent books that made her swoon.This week’s episodes are replays. I have a ton of interviews on the books for the next few weeks so never fear–fresh content is on its way! In the meantime, enjoy this re-visiting of a conversation with a fiction legend.- The writers--and books--that make Jacquelyn jealous (a word that she uses as a verb, as in, "I'm jealousing her."- Her love for British crime shows, including the ones that are currently keeping her up way too late- The BBC podcast she's addicted to- The beauty of enjoying nature--through a window- The saying on the mug that she brought home from the Erma Bombeck conference that is her current motto- The songs Jacquelyn listens to when she needs a pick-me-up- The meal "that's probably 2,000 calories per bite" that she would ask for if someone said they would make her anything she wantedFor 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 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