

No Write Way with V. E. Schwab
V. E. Schwab (Author)
V. E. Schwab here! I’m the author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, the Shades of Magic series, Vicious, and more. Join me here as I chat with fellow successful authors about their origin stories, creative processes, work-life balance, and how they bring the stories you love to life. We’ll dive into the many paths from that first spark of an idea to the final page of a book, because there’s no one right way to write—just the way that works for you. Whether you’re an aspiring writer or simply a lover of stories, join us as we explore the craft (and magic) of story telling.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 5, 2023 • 56min
Lie in bed and think: An interview with Sarah Gailey
Hydrate!, growing up around books, editing, negative feedback, short stories, getting an agent, using spreadsheets to track novel writing, idea cook time, {technical difficulties in the episode mean a mini-q&a with V!}, setting as character, juggling projects, work-life balance, daily schedule, and more! Listen in.
This originally streamed 8/15/2020 on Instagram live.
Follow Victoria @veschwabFollow Sarah @gaileyfrey

Sep 24, 2023 • 49min
Creativity is the reward: An interview with Charlie Jane
From learning disability to award winning author, living and working in Hong Kong, io9 and other work, novel vs. short story, revisiting old ideas, second guessing, explorative writing, dialogue, scriptwriting, description and scene setting, getting emotion on the page, daily routine, and more! Listen in. This originally streamed 8/22/2020 on Instagram live.Follow Victoria @veschwabFollow Charlie Jane @charliejaneanders

Aug 8, 2023 • 48min
Evolution of process: An interview with Natalie C. Parker
Rethinking social media, using mythology for personal catharsis, visiting a psychic, becoming a published author, finishing a trilogy, talking the story out, 9 box setup, outlining, growing as a writer, rewriting, breaking down goals, empowering upcoming writers, new vampires, and more! Listen in. This originally streamed 8/8/2020 on Instagram live.Follow Victoria @veschwabFollow Natalie @ncparker

Aug 1, 2023 • 36min
Laying down the bones: An interview with Samantha Shannon
Book lengths, second book syndrome, starting with fanfiction, getting feedback, the pressure and psychology of being published young, working on multiple projects, structural edits, starting with a synopsis and a chapter plan, character arc, using music to build character and setting, drafting troubles, tracking character experience, attempting to finding balance, and more! Listen in.This originally streamed 8/1/2020 on Instagram live.Follow Victoria @veschwabFollow Samantha @say_shannon

Jul 25, 2023 • 48min
I want it all: An interview with Victoria Ying
Getting into comics through Sailor Moon, building art and story skills, choosing which details to track and develop, illustration vs. comics, day to day process of creating a graphic novel, pushing through doubt to finish, challenges of comics, reference and inspiration, illustrating Wonder Woman, consistency and artistic "glow-ups", dream projects and stories, cheat codes, and more! Listen in. This originally streamed 7/25/2020 on Instagram live.Follow Victoria S. @veschwabFollow Victoria Y. @victoriaying

Jul 18, 2023 • 58min
The ghosts of characters past: An interview with RF Kuang
Life in lockdown, from fan fiction to publication, inspired by Scrivener, writing out of order, on connecting with her Chinese heritage, second book syndrome, the story begins with an argument, complicated history leads to naturally complicated characters, changing personal perspectives and how that effects writing, moving on from a series, keeping promises, not forcing a scene, getting inspired and recharged, and more! Listen in. This originally streamed 7/18/2020 on Instagram live.Follow Victoria @veschwabFollow Rebecca @kuangrf

Jul 11, 2023 • 1h 2min
No false modesty: An interview with Michael Ian Black
Victoria chats about current reads and favorite books before being joined by her guest.How Michael's dreams of acting first left writing on the back burner and then led to other creative ventures, the role of desperation and fear, hands in all the "cookie pies", learning to open up, writing children's books, the creative process, discipline and cultivation, trusting the process, first drafts and revisions, being a public figure in the social media age, and more! Listen in. This originally streamed 7/11/2020 on Instagram live.Follow Victoria @veschwabFollow Michael @michaelianblack

Jul 5, 2023 • 51min
It's all about momentum: An interview with Kiersten White
First grade dreams, fear of starting, the first novel, letting ideas simmer, drafting and revision, shiny idea syndrome, discipline, process, writing linearly, best night time note taking practices, self-care, the importance of diverse stories of discovery and exploration, writing trilogies and satisfying conclusions, telling stories with integrity, and more! Listen in. This originally streamed 7/5/2020 on Instagram live.Follow Victoria @veschwabFollow Kiersten @authorkierstenwhite

Jun 13, 2023 • 53min
It's bad until it's good: An interview with Holly Black
Lock down hair, connecting with international fans, figuring things out on the page, arts funding makes a difference, getting to Spiderwick, Holly's first book, otter vs dolphin writers, follow your own excitement, supernatural worlds, fantasy vs horror, plot struggles, from idea to story, characters, short stories, This originally streamed 6/13/2020 on Instagram live.Follow Victoria @veschwabFollow Holly @blackholly

Jun 13, 2023 • 56min
Fiercely stubborn: An interview with Dhonielle Clayton
Working from home with family, accountability, from dreams of being a doctor to librarian to author, ambition, the journey to published, Cake Literary, choosing projects, Tiny Pretty Things (the Netflix show!), visualizing the narrative, refilling the well, using discomfort to unlock story, the illusion of meritocracy, #publishingpaidme, the market, why publish traditionally?, and more! Listen in. This originally streamed 6/20/2020 on Instagram live.Follow Victoria @veschwabFollow Dhonielle @brownbookworm