

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

Jun 6, 2023 • 23min
Support Black Authors #TBR
20 Books by Black Authors You Should Read***A GOOD KIND OF TROUBLE by Lisa Moore Ramée TRISTAN STRONG by Kwame Mbalia AMERICAN STREET by Ibi ZoboiTHE BELLES by Dhonielle Clayton A PHOENIX FIRST MUST BURN anthology edited by Patrice Caldwell THE GOOD LUCK GIRLS by Charlotte Nicole Davis RIOT BABY by Tochi OnyebuchiTHE CHANGELING by Victor LaValle THE HUNDRED THOUSAND KINGDOMS by N.K. JemisonUNKINDNESS OF GHOSTS by Rivers Solomon THE RECORD KEEPER by Agnes Gomillion REAL LIFE by Brandon Taylor THE WEDDING DATE by Jasmine GuilloryWE ARE NEVER MEETING IN REAL LIFE by Samantha Irby WHEN THEY CALL YOU A TERRORIST by Patrisse Khan-Cullors HERE FOR IT by R. Eric Thomas YOU CANT TOUCH MY HAIR by Phoebe Robinson GROWN by Tiffany D Jackson RING SHOUT by P. Djèlí ClarkTROUBLE THE SAINTS by Alaya Dawn JohnsonThis originally streamed 6/6/2020 on Instagram live.Follow Victoria @veschwab

May 30, 2023 • 1h
Structural ambitions: An interview with Tochi Onyebuchi
How anime impacts Tochi's creativity, the hope behind protest movements, from aspiring comic book artist to author, starting with fanfic, influence of video games, remembering the analog days, hidden influences, beautiful prose, writer crushes, story architecture, rejection, and more! Listen in.This originally streamed 5/30/2020 on Instagram live.Follow Victoria @veschwabFollow Tochi @treize64

May 23, 2023 • 53min
Carving positive queer space: An interview with Tessa Gratton
Allowing time to freak out in order maintain creativity, flexing creative muscles to build craft, series cancellation, fetishizing the debut moment, getting to The End, short stories vs novels, revising, plot, hierarchy of needs in story, playing with format and structure, choosing genre, idea file, and more! Listen in.This originally streamed 5/23/2020 on Instagram live.Follow Victoria @veschwabFollow Tessa @tessa.gratton

May 21, 2023 • 59min
Art is personal: An interview with Rachel Hawkins
Working without pre-pandemic crutches, doomsday clock, Erin Sterling, writing Hex Hall, the fickleness of the industry, writing queer fiction, a new Jane Eyre and writing for hire, the creative process, creative cryptonite, work life balance, and more. Listen in!This originally streamed 5/16/2020 on Instagram live.Follow Victoria @veschwabFollow Rachel @ladyhawkins

May 10, 2023 • 1h 5min
Chaos personified: An interview with Pierce Brown
Is Pierce an outliner now?! Should authors also be marketing mavens? How do you continue writing a series while growing artistically? If Pierce never wrote again after finishing Red Rising would he be satisfied? Crow fights? Listen in.This originally streamed 5/9/2020 on Instagram live.Follow Victoria @veschwabFollow Pierce piercebrownofficial

May 2, 2023 • 57min
There's a pocket for that: An interview with Zoraida Cordova
Meet the Porgs, debut groups and publishing mortality, writing camp, moving beyond "we already have a latinio writer", merpenis (cryptzoology), juggling projects and plotting, ovoiding overplotting, writing should never make you unhappy, refilling the creative well, creating when the world is in chaos, focus, books as horcruxes, and more! Listen in.This originally streamed 5/2/2020 on Instagram live.Follow Victoria @veschwabFollow Zoraida @zoraidasolo

Apr 18, 2023 • 37min
It's psychological: An interview with J.T. Ellison
The benefits and challenges of writing fantasy, being told you aren't good enough, pantsing, standalones vs series, writing the end, daily writing hours, when the book just isn't working, workahilsm and balance, creativity and responsibility, finding your voice, co-writing, and more. Listen in.This originally streamed 4/18/2020 on Instagram live.Follow Victoria @veschwabFollow J.T. @thrillerchick

Apr 15, 2023 • 1h 11min
Dark by nature: An interview with Jay Kristoff
A daylight savings snaffu means readers get a bonus 15 minute q&a session before the interview starts!Learning story through advertising, visualizing, co-writing, putting on the final polish, the mental game, pressure after success, the mystery of acclaim and sales, leaving a series behind, writing in different mediums, keeping writing fun, developing healthy writing habits, romance, and more! Listen in.This originally streamed 4/25/2020 on Instagram live.Follow Victoria @veschwabFollow Jay @misterkristoff

Apr 12, 2023 • 56min
A radical heart: An interview with Sarah Maria Griffin
Sarah Maria Griff talks stubborn creativity, finding success the back way, reading your work out loud to find your writing voice, zine drops, the raw power of truth and fear, worst advice, and more. Listen in.This originally streamed 4/11/2020 on Instagram live.Follow Victoria @veschwabFollow Sarah @sarahgriffskiWE FACE THIS LANDCenturies ago,Women accused of witchcraft faced, amongst other ordeals,Trial by waterTied to a chair or run under a boatIf she survives the drowning and floatsShe’s a witch. If she dies, she’s a womanWe are not witches but if the church and state insistsThen let us be the descendants of all the witches they could not drownThis heirloom of trauma, this curseThis agony of water in order to hold agency over our bodiesNot all of us have survived, the waves do not partThere are no miracles hereWhen the stethoscope is a crucifix on your bellyHow do you have any choice but the waterAnd fair medical treatment on anotherA body is a body is a body is a body is a body is a body is a bodyNot a house. Not a city. Not a vessel, not a countryThe laws of the church have no place on your fleshA veterinarian will abort a calf if a cow is falling ill. How is it that livestock isworth more to this land than usEleven women every day leave Ireland seeking an abortion abroad.We ask for the land over the water. Home over trial. Choice over none.For our foremothers, ourselves, the generations yet to comeWitches or women - these are our bodies which shall not be given up

Apr 4, 2023 • 45min
Bullsh-t still fertilizes: An interview with Chuck Wendig
In this engaging chat, Chuck Wendig, a talented writer known for his unique storytelling, shares insights into the wild world of writing. The duo dives into the chaos of managing multiple creative projects, revealing the balance between structure and spontaneity in storytelling. Chuck opens up about the journey from failed jobs to successful fiction, and the importance of camaraderie among writers. They also explore the emotional highs and lows authors face, including self-doubt and the joy found in the writing process.