Charlie Jane Anders

LAST* EPISODE OF SEASON ONE!!!!!!!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*the final episode of season 1 was with Nic Stone (@nicstone) on 8/29/2020. Unfortunately, the interview was immediately deleted when Instagram crashed :( 

LAST* EPISODE OF SEASON ONE!!!!!!! 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 @veschwab Follow Charlie Jane @charliejaneanders *the final episode of season 1 was with Nic Stone (@nicstone) on 8/29/2020. Unfortunately, the interview was immediately deleted when Instagram crashed :(

Creativity is the Reward, Interview with Charlie Jane Anders

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&amp;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

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&amp;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 @veschwab Follow Sarah @gaileyfrey

Lie in Bed and Think, Interview with Sarah Gailey

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

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 @veschwab Follow Natalie @ncparker

Evolution of Process, Interview with Natalie C. Parker

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

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 @veschwab Follow Samantha @say_shannon

Laying Down the Bones, Interview with Samantha Shannon

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

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. @veschwab Follow Victoria Y. @victoriaying

I Want It All, Interview with Victoria Ying

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

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 @veschwab Follow Rebecca @kuangrf

The Ghosts of Characters Past, Interview with RF Kuang

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

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 @veschwab Follow Michael @michaelianblack

No False Modesty, Interview with Michael Ian Black

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

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 @veschwab Follow Kiersten @authorkierstenwhite

It's All About Momentum, Interview with Kiersten White

Sarah MacLean

Advocating for romance, romance covers and meeting reader expectations, writing quick and writing good, the business of the work, being a reader first, getting started on a dare, putting passion on the page, luck and timing, trad vs indie, from idea to page, never too much conflict, changing trends and a brief history of romance, and more! Listen in. This originally streamed 6/27/2020 on Instagram live.Follow Victoria @veschwabFollow Sarah @sarahmacleanFollow Fated Mates Podcast @fatedmatespod

Advocating for romance, romance covers and meeting reader expectations, writing quick and writing good, the business of the work, being a reader first, getting started on a dare, putting passion on the page, luck and timing, trad vs indie, from idea to page, never too much conflict, changing trends and a brief history of romance, and more! Listen in.  This originally streamed 6/27/2020 on Instagram live. Follow Victoria @veschwab Follow Sarah @sarahmaclean Follow Fated Mates Podcast @fatedmatespod

Heart on My Sleeve, Interview with Sarah MacLean

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 

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 @veschwab Follow Dhonielle @brownbookworm

Fiercely Stubborn, Interview with Dhonielle Clayton

NO WRITE WAY host and best selling author Victoria V.E. Schwab chats with fellow writers about their creative processes, origin stories, hurdles, work-life balance, and, well, how *they* specifically write! These are replays of live video casts. Catch the interviews live on Instagram @veschwab. Grab  a drink and notepad and settle in.

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

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 @veschwab Follow Holly @blackholly

It's Bad Until It's Good, Interview with Holly Black

Victoria Schwab

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

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 Zoboi THE 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 Onyebuchi THE CHANGELING by Victor LaValle  THE HUNDRED THOUSAND KINGDOMS by N.K. Jemison UNKINDNESS OF GHOSTS by Rivers Solomon  THE RECORD KEEPER by Agnes Gomillion  REAL LIFE by Brandon Taylor   THE WEDDING DATE by Jasmine Guillory WE 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 Clark TROUBLE THE SAINTS by Alaya Dawn Johnson This originally streamed 6/6/2020 on Instagram live. Follow Victoria @veschwab

Support Black Authors #TBR, No Write Way with Victoria Schwab

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

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 @veschwab Follow Tochi @treize64

Structural Ambitions, Interview with Tochi Onyebuchi

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

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 @veschwab Follow Tessa @tessa.gratton

Carving Positive Queer Space, Interview with Tessa Gratton

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

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 @veschwab Follow Rachel @ladyhawkins

Art is Personal, Interview with Rachel Hawkins

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

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 @veschwab Follow Pierce piercebrownofficial

Chaos Personified, Interview with Pierce Brown

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

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 @veschwab Follow Zoraida @zoraidasolo

There's a Pocket for That, Interview with Zoraida Cordova

Jay Kristoff

A daylight savings snaffu means readers get a bonus 15 minute q&amp;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

A daylight savings snaffu means readers get a bonus 15 minute q&amp;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 @veschwab Follow Jay @misterkristoff

Dark by Nature, Interview with Jay Kristoff

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 

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 @veschwab Follow J.T. @thrillerchick

It's Psychological, Interview with J.T. Ellison

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

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 @veschwab Follow Sarah @sarahgriffski WE FACE THIS LAND Centuries ago, Women accused of witchcraft faced, amongst other ordeals, Trial by water Tied to a chair or run under a boat If she survives the drowning and floats She’s a witch. If she dies, she’s a woman We are not witches but if the church and state insists Then let us be the descendants of all the witches they could not drown This heirloom of trauma, this curse This agony of water in order to hold agency over our bodies Not all of us have survived, the waves do not part There are no miracles here When the stethoscope is a crucifix on your belly How do you have any choice but the water And fair medical treatment on another A body is a body is a body is a body is a body is a body is a body Not a house. Not a city. Not a vessel, not a country The laws of the church have no place on your flesh A veterinarian will abort a calf if a cow is falling ill. How is it that livestock is worth more to this land than us Eleven 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 come Witches or women - these are our bodies which shall not be given up

A Radical Heart, Interview with Sarah Maria Griff

No Write Way with Victoria V.E. Schwab

The Best Multi-Part Documentaries, with documentaries on Obama, Federer vs Nadal, the making of Star Wars, Netflix vs Blockbuster and more. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Multi-Part Documentaries

The best self improvement podcast episodes. From improving productivity, to finding purpose in your life to what constitutes freedom, this topic is on anything and everything that can help people to improve their lives. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!