We spoke to YouTube superstar and writer of books Grace Helbig after the publication of her second tongue-in-cheek guide, Grace & Style: The Art of Pretending You Have It. She gave us a glimpse at her writing process backstage at The Music Hall in Portsmouth, NH before a Writers on a New England Stage event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chris Bohjalian has written some thrilling novels tackling some tough subjects - Armenian genocide, the ethics of midwifery, and, most recently, sex trafficking - but he speaks about the process of writing with humor and aplomb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marianne Williamson has written six New York Times best sellers, including The Age Of Miracles and A Return To Love. Known in some circles as Hollywood's favorite self-help guru, we just had to find out what the process for a spiritual author entails. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tom Perrotta is the author behind, among others, Little Children, The Abstinence Teacher, and The Leftovers, now a hit HBO drama which he co-writes. Recently, he provided the foreword to a new Penguin edition of The Scarlet Letter. We made a date with him and settled into a corner of Harvard Book Store to ask him about his writing process. #authors #books #writing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Described as "David Lynch for teenagers," award-winning crime writer Megan Abbott. Her latest, The Fever, seemed to make every Best of 2014 list, from the Village Voice, to Amazon, to NPR. Her forthcoming novel, You Will Know Me, is out in July 2016. We spoke to Megan from Manhattan on a busy NYC New Year's Eve, 2015 #writing #authors #books Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Author, columnist and political satirist Christopher Buckley entertains and enlightens us as we talk about his writing process. #writing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We caught up with the NYT-best selling "Summer Beach Read Queen" Nantucket writer Elin Hilderbrand. The workshop was recorded backstage at the Music Hall Loft in Portsmouth, NH, before the Writers in the Loft series, where she was signing books. #writing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith, famed for his 'No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' series, shares insights into his writing journey. He discusses the vital role of first and last sentences in captivating readers. McCall Smith emphasizes authenticity in writing and the importance of a flexible routine. He addresses distractions like email, revealing strategies to maintain focus. Additionally, he advocates for modern writing tools and the art of conciseness, encouraging writers to communicate effectively with fewer words.

Virginia sits down with her idol, rocker and writer Patti Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Author Stacy Schiff gives a 10-minute writer's workshop before an event recorded for radio in Portsmouth. The workshop was recorded backstage. #writing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices