The Secret Library Podcast

Latest Episodes:

#127 :: Mining History for Science Fiction | Ada Palmer Nov 29, 2018

Show notes

I could have easily talked to Ada Palmer for Six Hours. You might wish I had after listening to our conversation. Ada is the author of the Terra Ignota series, a science fiction epic saga that stole my will to read anything else the entire time I was in the clutches of the first book. I cannot wait for my next long flight to continue the journey. Ada is also a history professor, and we talk about the unique ability science fiction and fantasy have to explore other options and other pathways. We explore the ways fiction can communicate ideas very differently from non-fiction and how her teaching impacts her writing - and vice versa. Finally, we discuss the intricacies of censorship and the project she is working on with former guest Cory Doctorow to draw parallels between attempts at censorship during the advent of the printing press and what we are seeing in the digital landscape today. Definitely a must-listen. Enjoy!

#126:: How to Work With an Editor | NY Book Editors Nov 22, 2018

Show notes

Ever caught yourself thinking "I could never write like that?" when reading a published book? It's so important to remember that a lot goes on behind the scenes between writing "the end" and seeing the book out in the world. It's hard to remember that beyond the drafts the author goes through, there are also rounds of edits that follow. This week, I chat with the founder and two editors from NY Book Editors, a company that employs editors with Big 5 publishing experience to work with authors planning to publish both traditionally and independently. Whether you're a fiction writer or working on non-fiction, we've got you covered. Get ready to take notes PLUS listen to learn about the before and after download, we've made to show what a piece of writing looked like fresh from the writer and after the editor had reviewed it. Finally! We're taking you behind the scenes into the transformation from draft to finished manuscript. Happy listening.

#125 : Writers, Keep Your Day Job | Sarah St. Vincent Nov 15, 2018

Show notes

By Day, Sarah St. Vincent is a researcher and advocate, but by night and early morning, she is a novelist.

Sarah St. Vincent studied law at the University of Michigan and now works for the US Program of Human Rights Watch, specializing in national security, surveillance and domestic law enforcement. At the same time as working in this important area, Sarah has been working on the novel, Ways to Hide in Winter, out now from Melville House. In this episode, we talk about the importance of day job/writing life balance as well as the topics she felt were better covered in fiction than nonfiction articles. If you think your day job is a restriction on your writing life, think again, because this conversation reminded me of the many ways work out in the world can enrich what we explore as writers. I know you'll enjoy this conversation and this brilliant new book.

#124 :: Your Book as an Audiobook | Rachel Fulginiti Nov 08, 2018

Show notes

With hundreds of audiobooks narrated, Rachel Fulginiti was the perfect guest to lead us through the wild world of audio.

This episode will take you through the entire process, from finding potential narrators to audition, how to hire them, pricing, the timeline from booking to recording to receiving the finished product. Full of tips to get the best audiobook possible, you'll be ready to make the leap into creating an audio version of your book after listening to this jam-packed episode.

Enjoy!

#123 :: Hacking NaNoWriMo | Tasha Harrison Nov 01, 2018

Show notes

Every year November 1 brings the same question to writers: to NaNo or not to NaNo?

Tasha Harrison and I dive into NaNo 2.0: tips and hacks for writers looking to do more than just bang out 50,000 words of a brand new project. Already working on a book? Great. We'll walk you through ways to approach the madness of NaNoWriMo so you come out the other side with something you're proud of.

Here's hoping you're ready for a major jolt of inspiration!

#122 :: The Importance of Trying | Alexandra Franzen Oct 25, 2018

Show notes

When Alexandra Franzen first wrote her novel, So This is the End, she wasn't ready to publish it with the wide world. She released it as a gift - a free download she gave to her mailing list. She was terrified it really wasn't that good. A torrent of replies came in, sharing how much the book had moved them. She got braver and put it up for sale on her site. Then, over a year later, she thought it might be ok to think about publishing it wide. Here is the story of how her book went from something that could have hidden in a drawer forever to a book that's been optioned for a series and is coming out in hardcover. If you ever doubt the importance of trying, this is your episode. Warning: you may write like the wind without holding back after listening to this. I know I did.

#121 :: The Library Book | Susan Orlean Oct 18, 2018

Show notes

When I found out Susan Orlean's latest was called The Library Book it took me exactly 2 minutes to invite her on the show to discuss it. Bless her, she said yes less than 5 minutes later.

This book is SO GOOD.

Granted, I am an easy sell with a podcast called The Secret Library. But this book has arson, crazy characters, scandal, history, and everything a book nerd could ever want. We discuss the process of researching and writing this book over 5 years and what it took to write it, even after Susan thought she'd never write another book again.

She's pure gold, as always.

#120 :: Using Tarot for Writing | Jessa Crispin Oct 11, 2018

Show notes

When I did 100 readings a few years ago, a friend asked if I could read for her writing project instead of her life.

We tried it out and were amazed at the results. After exploring a bit, I discovered that the very brilliant Jessa Crispin had been reading tarot for writers for years. Her book, The Creative Tarot has been a favorite ever since and I was thrilled she was open to coming on and discussing how tarot can support the writing process. If you've been wondering about bringing tarot into your writing or even if you've never played with tarot at all, this episode is going to be such a treat! Happy listening...

#119 :: How to Write a Good Story | Simon Van Booy Oct 04, 2018

Show notes

This conversation was absolute and total heaven. Much like Simon Van Booy's latest book, the story collection "The Sadness of beautiful Things," this episode covers a wide variety of topics. However, even as we moved from beginnings, to endings, to the thought and work it took to get various stories right, we kept coming back to one central theme" what does it take to write a good story? Simon is a brilliant guide in this arena, and shared the circumstances of the stories he's been told while traveling that lead, over time, to the ones that made up this collection. We talk about the trickiness of happy endings, how to deal with the tough stuff, and so much more. I've been counting the days until this book came out because I'm so excited for you to read it, and to get to hear this chat. Happy listening.

118 :: Writing through Grief | Allie Rowbottom Aug 30, 2018

Show notes

When Allie Rowbottom lost her mother to cancer, she dove headfirst into writing.

Having already completed an MFA and a Ph.D. in Creative Writing, Allie was no stranger to writing but something changed after her mother died. She felt an increased urgency to tell the story her mother had invested many years of her own life writing: the story of the women and generations impacted by the money made from an icon of mid-century America: Jell-O.

The story that is ultimately told in Rowbottom's book is multifaceted: it's her grandmother's story, her mother's, and her own, but it's also the story of Jell-O and how this product came to represent a particular kind of femininity that all these women felt pressured to mold themselves into, much like Jell-O itself. We dive in deep to what it felt like to write this story so soon after losing her mother and what it's like now as the book comes out and so many more people are reading and reacting to the book.

This was such an inspiring interview, both because Allie was so open about her feelings and experience, but also because we haven't touched on writing and grief with this kind of depth, and it's a topic I think deserves much attention. I'm very grateful to have had this conversation and look forward to discussing this topic more in the future.

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