Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley

Latest Episodes:

[Christy Climenhage, inner stuff]: Finding the delight in being a beginner Ep 1201 May 28, 2025

Show notes

Welcome to part two of my interview with Christy Climenhage, the author of the brand new science fiction thriller The Midnight Project.
“The Midnight Project” is Christy’s first novel, and focused on two friends and scientists who are muddling through a frighteningly real world on the verge of collapse.

In this episode, we talked about:

How writing, although it requires help from others, is something that’s yours and yours alone (unlike, say, a job or a relationship)
Finding the delight in being a beginner
Dealing with impostor syndrome
Learning to take the next step (instead of giving up)
Freeing yourself of the desire for external validation
The benefits of being a debut author when you are older
Debunking the idea that merit is king
Enjoying others’ success
Why she doesn’t have a Costco membership

Connect with Christy on Bluesky @cclim.bsky.social or at christyclimenhage.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

[Christy Climenhage, practical matters]: The joy of finding your writing community Ep 1200 May 26, 2025

Show notes

My guest this week is Christy Climenhage, the author of the brand new science fiction thriller “The Midnight Project,” a tale of equal parts hope and horror set in the near future where humanity and the climate are on the verge of collapse, focused on two scientists and friends who are charged with designing a new kind of human.
“The Midnight Project” is Christy’s first novel, and it was amazing to talk with Christy at this moment when she’s first becoming a published novelist.

We covered:

Combining interests (in Christie’s case, being a news junkie and science fiction fan)
What Cli-Fi is and why it’s not necessarily scary
The question she asked herself that got her to finally write the novel she’d been thinking about for 10 years
The schedule she created that kept her on track
The rewards of a consistent schedule (even if it’s not everyday)
Sending 20 queries and getting 20 rejections
The joy of finding your writing community
Connect with Christy on Bluesky @cclim.bsky.social or at christyclimenhage.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

[Amy Shearn, What’s coming up]: The pursuit of being a “joyful amateur”, counteracting the slide of turning into a “human shrimp”, and dreams of starting a cat farm. Ep 1199 May 16, 2025

Show notes

Welcome back to part three of the Finding the Throughline interview with Amy Shearn, the award-winning author of five critically-acclaimed novels, including her latest book which just came out, “Animal Instinct.” Amy has also published hundreds of essays in publications like Real Simple, “O: The Oprah Magazine”, and the “New York Times” Modern Love column and has nearly twenty years of experience editing for digital publications. Amy also teaches creative writing and works one on one with writers as an editor and/or book coach.

In today’s episode, we cover:
- How she refills her creative well after publishing and promoting a book
- Why she’s on a kick of reading writers’ and artists’ published journals
- A sneak peek at the novel project she’s diving into next
- The three things on her to-do list for later in the afternoon that perfectly encapsulate her answer to my question “Is there anything you sense that you need to shift?”
- A lovely vision of a rustic writing retreat/cat farm
- The series that really had a hold on her
- The recent album she’s listened to so much she’s forgotten about all other music

Connect with Amy on Instagram @amyshearnwriters, Substack @amyshearn, or at amyshearnwriters.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

[Amy Shearn, inner stuff]: Writing to your one, true reader–and not putting stock in what your harshest critics say + doing ‘enough’ to promote your work Ep 1198 May 14, 2025

Show notes

Amy Shearn, award-winning author of five novels. Her latest book, “Animal Instinct,” is about a 40-something newly divorced woman rediscovering her desires during the height of the COVID pandemic, and doing so both through her interactions with actual live humans and an AI chatbot she designed to compile all her favorite parts of actual live humans and none of the annoying, boring things–it’s such a fun, thoughtful read. Amy also teaches creative writing and works one on one with writers as an editor and/or book coach.

In this part of our interview, I ask Amy about the squishier side of writing–the thoughts, ideas, and beliefs that shape your view and your work.

We covered:
- Reconciling the sensitivity and openness required to be a writer and the need to have a thick skin in order to share the work you so lovingly create
- Why a three-star review is actually a sign of success
- How teaching writing has helped her view her own inner critic differently
- How to feel like you’ve done ‘enough’ to promote your work–even if that’s very hard to quantify
- Her definition of a work’s success–that it has taken on a life of its own
- The best moment of her writing life that happened just last weekend!
- What she’s no longer afraid of now that she’s 45-½
- Why there is no formula for creativity

Connect with Amy on Instagram @amyshearnwriters, Substack @amyshearn, or at amyshearnwriters.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

[Amy Shearn, practical matters]: Matching your writing goals to the time you have available + keeping yourself accountable when you don't have a deadline Ep 1197 May 12, 2025

Show notes

This week I’m talking with Amy Shearn, the award-winning author of the critically-acclaimed novels “Dear Edna Sloane,” “Unseen City,” “The Mermaid of Brooklyn,” and “How Far Is the Ocean from Here.” Amy’s newest novel is “Animal Instinct,” which follows a 40-something newly divorced woman re-entering the dating scene and reconnecting with her desires during the social isolation of COVID lockdowns. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called it "delightful and hilarious,” which I can co-sign–despite its pandemic backdrop, which might sound like it could be stressful, this is a book I look forward to reading each night because I know it will take my mind off my worry du jour and give me a lot to think about while also being a ton of fun.
Amy has nearly twenty years experience as an editor for digital publications, has published hundreds of essays for places including New York Times’ "Modern Love" column and The Rumpus, and she currently works one-on-one with writers as an editor and writing coach.

We covered:
- Her really insightful take on how loving reading as a kid can lead to wanting to be a writer (I hadn’t thought of it in this way before)
- The mix of calling and coercion that got her to think beyond writing novels to also penning personal essays
- Making the shift to freelancing as an editor, teacher, and book coach (and away from working for a publication for her primary income source)
- Matching your writing goals to the time you have available (as someone who needs to work full-time, whether as a freelancer or an employee)
- How to keep yourself accountable to your writing goals when you don't have a deadline
- Using a 50-50 parenting agreement post-divorce as an "every other weekend writing retreat"

Connect with Amy on Instagram @amyshearnwriters, Substack @amyshearn, or at amyshearnwriters.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

[Samuel Marquis: What’s coming up]: Writing a book that is historically accurate and reads–and sells–well (with nods to Abraham Lincoln and Michael Keaton) Ep 1196 May 02, 2025

Show notes

This is the final installment of my talk with Samuel Marquis, author of numerous books of history and historical fiction, including his newest, "Captain Kidd: A True Story of Treasure and Betrayal," a non-fiction look at one of the most notorious “pirates” ever, who also happens to be Samuel’s 9th great grandfather.

We talked about:

- A peek at his next book, about New York City in the 17th century
- Looking to historical figures as role models–and why his is Abraham Lincoln
- Why he wishes he could clone himself a la Michael Keaton in “Multiplicity”
- Why he’s done writing about World War II
- The historical time period he wants to devote his next five books to
- Balancing the drive for historical accuracy with a book that reads–and sells–well
- The series he stayed up late to finish (surprise! It’s historical)
- His really tantalizing sounding ideal meal

Connect with Samuel at samuelmarquisbooks.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

[Samuel Marquis, Inner stuff]: Why villains are so fun to write (hint: it’s not because they’re evil) Ep 1195 Apr 30, 2025

Show notes

Welcome back to part of my interview with Samuel Marquis, author of numerous books of history and historical fiction, including his newest, "Captain Kidd: A True Story of Treasure and Betrayal."
Samuel’s previous book "'Blackbeard" won the Kirkus Reviews Book of the Year Award and his articles have been published in "History Central," "Writer’s Digest," "The Lazy Historian," and "The Good Men Project," among other outlets.
Today I’m talking with Samuel about what I call inner stuff–thought processes, internal dialogues, confidence–all that fun stuff!
We covered:
- Why villains are so fun to write (hint: it’s not because they’re evil)
- Empathizing with folks who lived centuries ago and did things that we consider to be horrible today (like attending a public hanging on your wedding day, which Captain Kidd and his wife did)
- His least favorite part of the writing process
- Dealing with the nagging fear that you’re not accurately portraying history
- Looking for historical figures who were ahead of their time (because they make great characters)
- Why Captain Kidd isn’t the murderous pirate he was made out to be
- Deciphering primary historical records–the handwriting, the different spellings (this was a really fun peek into the realities of writing about history)
- Anchoring your research in the work of well-respected historians
- How the idea that if you work hard things will come easily is a myth
- Why he played competitive lacrosse until he was sixty
Connect with Samuel at samuelmarquisbooks.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

[Samuel Marquis, Practical matters]: Bringing the strengths of your day job into your writing + making time for two careers Ep 1194 Apr 29, 2025

Show notes

This week I’m speaking with Samuel Marquis, author of twelve books that cross genres, including American nonfiction-history, historical fiction, and suspense books. Samuel’s newest book, “Captain Kidd: A True Story of Treasure and Betrayal” comes out in May and is about Samuel’s ninth great grandfather, legendary pirate Captain William Kidd. His other books include “Blackbeard: Birth of America,” a Kirkus Reviews Book of the Year, “Soldiers of Freedom,” and “Lions of the Desert.” All told, his books have over 25,000 Amazon and Goodreads reviews.
By day, Samuel is a hydrogeologist and has served as an expert witness in several multimillion-dollar class action litigation cases about groundwater contamination.
We covered:
- Building what he calls a “hybrid career” out of multiple interests (science, history, and writing)
- The similarities between science writing and literary historical writing
- Letting your early work stink
- Developing your own voice
- The importance of resilience, because building a writing career is like “climbing mountain after mountain”
- Really fascinating insight on how geology and history are intertwined, and how having a scientific mind helps write history
- Infusing historical writing with character development
- Making time for everything when you have two jobs and a family (“I’m just always busy”
- Finding inspiration in your family tree
Connect with Samuel at samuelmarquisbooks.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

[Katy Bowman: What’s coming up]: Can clearing clutter create space for creative work? + moving into covering new topics Ep 1193 Apr 18, 2025

Show notes

In this third and final part of my interview with Katy Bowman, a biomechanist and leader of the “movement” movement, we get a peek at her next project, the life changes she’s envisioning, and what she learns from birds.

(This episode is a re-broadcast, in honor of the release of “I Know I Should Exercise, But…”)

We covered:

- The author who inspired Katy to think about living life differently

- Her desire to write a more beautiful book

- The connection between clutter and creativity, and why she’s staring to work on getting rid of physical things and clear obligations out of her schedule, too

- Why clutter is a hindrance to creative work

- Her family’s mission statement

- The recent book she picked up in an airport and ended up staying up until 4am to finish

- Exactly what goes in her morning beverage and exactly when she drinks it

- Why 5:30 am is her favorite time of day

- A plug for checking out the "dawn chorus", i.e., listening to birds in the morning and learning a little bit about what those early morning songs are communicating

Visit Katy at nutritiousmovement.com or follow her on Instagram @nutritiousmovement

For full 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

[Katy Bowman, inner stuff]: The similarities between non-constructive feedback and farts + the impact of age on her creative drive Ep 1192 Apr 16, 2025

Show notes

This week’s guest, biomechanist Katu Bowman, is the author of 12 books on movement, including the bestselling “Move Your DNA” and her most recent book, “ I Know I Should Exercise, But...” Katy is also the founder of Uphill Press, an independent publishing company that has sold more than 300 ,000 copies of its books and had them published in 16 languages.

Today we're talking about all the inner stuff that goes into Katy's writing, the thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, likes, dislikes, resistance, et cetera, including:

- Why she’d rather start a new project than promote a project that is already finished

- How remembering that writing books is an opportunity for her to process her knowledge helps her not get too wrapped up in how well a book is received

- The similarities between non-constructive feedback and farts

- What she tells herself when her inner critic is chiming in

- Unhitching your age from how you feel in your body

- How getting older has impacted her creative urgency and output

- The self-care approach that helps her choose what to eat, understand the way her mind works, and even introduced her to her husban

(This episode is a re-broadcast, in honor of the release of “I Know I Should Exercise, But…”)

Visit Katy at nutritiousmovement.com or follow her on Instagram @nutritiousmovement.

For full 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

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected