88 Cups of Tea

https://www.patreon.com/88cupsoftea

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In today's new episode, we have Holly Black, the author of bestselling contemporary fantasy books for kids and teens. Some of the popular books that many of you recognize her from are the "The Spiderwick Chronicles" and The Modern Faerie Tale series. She's also hugely popular for "The Coldest Girl in Coldtown" and the Magisterium series. Holly's been a finalist for an Eisner Award, and the recipient of the Andre Norton Award, the Mythopoeic Award and a Newbery Honor.

In the episode, we talk about the importance of understanding your character's oppositions to move your plot forward, how to make the most out of critique groups and get the best constructive feedback for your story, the importance of being a part of a community that understands the ups and downs of the industry and ways you can find that community for yourself, and the characteristics you want to ideally find in your critique partner.

We also discuss how to overcome self-doubt as a writer and Holly shares a bunch of writing tools that help set writing goals. We dive into what it means to fast draft and how it pushes you past your critical eye to finish your first draft. For listeners especially focused on the craft of writing, you are going to freaking love today's episode because Holly also shares how she starts a story with a character and a feeling, and how that navigates her to write the rest of the novel with an image in mind that evokes that specific feeling. Holly unpacks why it's crucial to describe the fantastical elements at the same level of reality when writing contemporary fantasy, and how to craft narrative voices that resonate with your intended audience by thinking about what you cared about during that age.

Heads up: This episode is so good.

Say 'Hi' to Holly on Twitter! Check out the books and resources mentioned in her episode by clicking here!

Happy listening!

Xo,

Yin

PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!

---

If you enjoyed this episode, I'd really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!

---

Would you love to support our show with some 88 Cups of Tea swag? Grab our limited edition mug (signed by yours truly) here!

---

Meet fellow members in our community and check in about your WIP, and join in on other bookish talks and 88 Cups of Tea related things! You can really feel the love and support in our Facebook community. You also get the opportunity to submit your questions for upcoming guests on the show. Click here to join our private Facebook group!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure to have a clear profile picture of yourself. If not, send over links to either your Twitter or Instagram. Fill out the 3 questions that pop up as soon as you join. To protect our group's safe space, these steps help us weed out any spam/fake profiles/creepers. Can't wait to meet you!

---

Warm welcome to our new listeners, be sure to check out our archive of episodes by clicking here!

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"A lot of times we are doing things that have nothing to do with our writing until someday it does." -Holly Black (Click to tweet!)

"Write for your reader-self, not your writer-self." -Holly Black (Click to tweet!)

"The more real that you can make the real world, the more real the fantasy is going to feel." -Holly Black (Click to tweet!)

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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE:

• How Holly discovered her love for fantasy and folklore
• How writing a manuscript also serves as a journey of self-discovery
• The importance of understanding your character's oppositions to move your plot forward
• How to make the most out of critique groups and get the best constructive feedback for your story
• The importance of being a part of a community that understands the ups and downs of the industry and ways you can find that community for yourself
• The characteristics you want to ideally find in your critique partner
• How to overcome self-doubt as a writer
• Holly shares writing tools that help set writing goals
• Holly walks us through the technique of fast drafting and how it pushes you past your critical eye to finish your first draft
• Starting the story with a character and a feeling and writing the rest of the novel with an image in mind that evokes that specific feeling
• Why it's crucial to describe the fantastical elements at the same level of reality when writing contemporary fantasy
• How to craft narrative voices that resonate with your intended audience by thinking about what you cared about during that age

E. Lockhart is the author of the New York Times bestseller "We Were Liars". In this episode, we dig deep into her newest novel, "Genuine Fraud", where you'll learn about the inspiration behind the book and its main characters.

She walks us through how she structured her novel and tackled the challenging timeline, and how she wrote her first action sequence by studying other great action sequences. Further into our conversation, we discuss how E. creates effective and realistic story settings, and how she creates emotional resonance in her writing. Craft-focused writers will love our chat about unreliable narrators and why it's crucial to never lie to the readers.

On a more personal note, E. walks us through one of the most difficult times in her career and how it became a blessing in disguise that navigated her way to success. We wrap up the episode with actionable advice for you to achieve your writing goals. This episode is packed with some fantastic knowledge bombs and I'm excited for you to dive in.

Say 'Hi' to E. Lockhart on Twitter! and check out the books/resources mentioned in her episode by clicking here!

Happy listening!

Xo,

Yin

PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!

---

If you enjoyed this episode, I'd really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!

---

Would you love to support our show with some 88 Cups of Tea swag? Grab our limited edition mug (signed by yours truly) here!

---

Meet fellow members in our community and check in about your WIP, and join in on other bookish talks and 88 Cups of Tea related things! You can really feel the love and support in our Facebook community. You also get the opportunity to submit your questions for upcoming guests on the show. Click here to join our private Facebook group!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure to have a clear profile picture of yourself. If not, send over links to either your Twitter or Instagram. Fill out the 3 questions that pop up as soon as you join. To protect our group's safe space, these steps help us weed out any spam/fake profiles/creepers. Can't wait to meet you!

---

Warm welcome to our new listeners, be sure to check out our archive of episodes by clicking here!

---

"If they [the characters] feel very close to people, it's because they're close to me." -E. Lockhart (Click to tweet)

"Sometimes the door opens but it's not the door you thought you were knocking on, but it's still a door." -E. Lockhart (Click to tweet)

"I'm not going to create my best work if I stay in totally familiar territory." -E. Lockhart (Click to tweet)

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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE:

• We deep-dive into the writing inspiration and process behind "Genuine Fraud" and the main characters
• Learn how she structured her novel and tackled the challenging timeline in "Genuine Fraud"
• How E. wrote her first action sequence by studying other great action sequences
• Learn how she challenges herself as a writer by shifting genres
• Creating emotional resonance in your writing
• Writing effective and realistic story settings
• Learn who and what was edited out of "Genuine Fraud"
• E. shares details about one of the most difficult times in her career and how it became a blessing in disguise
• Learn what it's like for her to shift between from lighter contemporary novels to darker thrillers
• We discuss what makes a narrator unreliable and how E. writes truthfully for all her characters
• E. walks us through actionable advice for you to achieve your writing goals

E. Lockhart is the author of the New York Times bestseller "We Were Liars".  In this episode, we dig deep into her newest novel, "Genuine Fraud", where you’ll learn about the inspiration behind the book and its main characters.

She walks us through how she structured her novel and tackled the challenging timeline, and how she wrote her first action sequence by studying other great action sequences. Further into our conversation, we discuss how E. creates effective and realistic story settings, and how she creates emotional resonance in her writing. Craft-focused writers will love our chat about unreliable narrators and why it’s crucial to never lie to the readers.

On a more personal note, E. walks us through one of the most difficult times in her career and how it became a blessing in disguise that navigated her way to success. We wrap up the episode with actionable advice for you to achieve your writing goals. This episode is packed with some fantastic knowledge bombs and I’m excited for you to dive in. 

Say 'Hi' to E. Lockhart on Twitter! and check out the books/resources mentioned in her episode by clicking here!

Happy listening!

Xo,

Yin

PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!

---

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!

---

Would you love to support our show with some 88 Cups of Tea swag? Grab our limited edition mug (signed by yours truly) here!

---

Meet fellow members in our community and check in about your WIP, and join in on other bookish talks and 88 Cups of Tea related things! You can really feel the love and support in our Facebook community. You also get the opportunity to submit your questions for upcoming guests on the show. Click here to join our private Facebook group!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure to have a clear profile picture of yourself. If not, send over links to either your Twitter or Instagram. Fill out the 3 questions that pop up as soon as you join. To protect our group's safe space, these steps help us weed out any spam/fake profiles/creepers. Can't wait to meet you!

---

Warm welcome to our new listeners, be sure to check out our archive of episodes by clicking here!

---

“If they [the characters] feel very close to people, it’s because they’re close to me.” -E. Lockhart (Click to tweet)

“Sometimes the door opens but it’s not the door you thought you were knocking on, but it’s still a door.” -E. Lockhart (Click to tweet)

“I’m not going to create my best work if I stay in totally familiar territory.” -E. Lockhart (Click to tweet)

---

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE: 

• We deep-dive into the writing inspiration and process behind "Genuine Fraud" and the main characters 
• Learn how she structured her novel and tackled the challenging timeline in “Genuine Fraud”
• How E. wrote her first action sequence by studying other great action sequences
• Learn how she challenges herself as a writer by shifting genres
• Creating emotional resonance in your writing
• Writing effective and realistic story settings 
• Learn who and what was edited out of “Genuine Fraud”
• E. shares details about one of the most difficult times in her career and how it became a blessing in disguise
• Learn what it’s like for her to shift between from lighter contemporary novels to darker thrillers 
• We discuss what makes a narrator unreliable and how E. writes truthfully for all her characters
• E. walks us through actionable advice for you to achieve your writing goals

We have Nic Stone in our new episode, author of the incredibly powerful debut, "Dear Martin". Her new novel releases on October 17 and I am incredibly excited that we can reveal an excerpt from "Dear Martin" that’s exclusive to our 88 Cups of Tea community. To read the exclusive excerpt, click here! 

In our conversation, you’ll learn what inspired the idea for Nic’s debut and what helped to shape the voice of her main character Justyce McAllister. She shares how to create emotional resonance in our work by being vulnerable and writing like a reader. We discuss the importance of having an honest and visionary editor on your team, the importance of diverse representation in the publishing industry, and how playing with the format of your book can help you cater to specific audiences.

We talk about the detrimental problems caused by systemic racism and we deep-dive into understanding that the root of anger can lead to compassion, and how to create change through self-reflection. We wrap up the interview chatting about Nic’s next novel that she is currently working on!

Say 'Hi' to Nic on Twitter! and check out the books/resources mentioned in her episode by clicking here!

Happy listening!

Xo,

Yin

PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!

---

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!

---

Would you love to support our show with some 88 Cups of Tea swag? Grab our limited edition mug (signed by yours truly) here!

---

Meet fellow members in our community and check in about your WIP, and join in on other bookish talks and 88 Cups of Tea related things! You can really feel the love and support in our Facebook community. You also get the opportunity to submit your questions for upcoming guests on the show. Click here to join our private Facebook group!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure to have a clear profile picture of yourself. If not, send over links to either your Twitter or Instagram. Fill out the 3 questions that pop up as soon as you join. To protect our group's safe space, these steps help us weed out any spam/fake profiles/creepers. Can't wait to meet you!

---

Warm welcome to our new listeners, be sure to check out our archive of episodes by clicking here!

---

“I wasted time trying to find balance instead of just working with what I had.” -Nic Stone (Click to tweet)

“I have to do my art, I have to write, I have to do these things that keep me thriving and keep me going and keep me feeling alive.” -Nic Stone (Click to tweet)

“Write like a reader and read like a writer.” -Nic Stone (Click to tweet)

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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE: 

• Learn how Nic fell in love with storytelling and YA fiction
• Nic shares how you can learn to write through reading 
• Learn why it’s important to not feel guilty when you fail in certain areas while succeeding in others 
• How our country’s systemic racism crumbled Nic’s world and shaped the voice of Justyce in “Dear Martin” 
• How understanding the root of your anger can lead to compassion 
• Creating change through self-reflection and finding the space in which you thrive
• The importance of your rhetoric when interacting with people with problematic thinking 
• Nic shares exciting news about her novel that she is currently working on
• The importance of having an honest and visionary editor on your team
• How playing with the format of your book can help you cater to specific audiences
• How personifying your world’s settings can create more life in your novel 
• Create emotional resonance in your work by being vulnerable and writing like a reader
• The importance of diverse representation in the publishing industry 

https://www.patreon.com/88cupsoftea

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In today’s new episode, we have a highly motivating roundup of interview clips from guests we’ve had on the show throughout the past two years. There’s so much that’s been going on around us, and an overwhelming amount of devastating news lately, and it’s honestly no surprise that there are many of us hitting a wall with our creativity. I’ve been keeping a close eye on our community and some of you have not been able to write lately, and several have been feeling stuck for quite some time now. So I went through some of your top favorite and most popular episodes to pull out highlights I found would be most helpful for you right now, and will hopefully give you a massive boost of inspiration.

In the roundup, you’ll be hearing clips from interviews with Jacqueline Woodson, Victoria V.E. Schwab, Rita Williams-Garcia, Jeff Zentner, Angie Thomas, and Leigh Bardugo, in that specific order. We talk about writing as a catharsis to push through grief, facing self-doubt, making time for writing, and learning to fall back in love with your writing.

I hope that after you listen to this episode, it feels like a warm tight hug for your soul and anytime you hit a rough spot again with your writing, I encourage you to re-listen to this episode to remind you that you are not alone.

Say 'Hi' to our featured authors on Twitter!

Jacqueline Woodson

Victoria V.E. Schwab

Rita Williams-Garcia

Jeff Zentner

Angie Thomas

Leigh Bardugo

Happy listening!

Xo,

Yin

PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!

---

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!

---

Would you love to support our show with some 88 Cups of Tea swag? Grab our limited edition mug (signed by yours truly) here!

---

Meet fellow members in our community and check in about your WIP, and join in on other bookish talks and 88 Cups of Tea related things! You can really feel the love and support in our Facebook community. You also get the opportunity to submit your questions for upcoming guests on the show. Click here to join our private Facebook group!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure to have a clear profile picture of yourself. If not, send over links to either your Twitter or Instagram. And also fill out the 3 questions that pop up as soon as you join. To protect our group's safe space, these steps help us weed out any spam/fake profiles/creepers. Can't wait to meet you!

---

Our website went through MAJOR changes. Check out our virtual headquarters by clicking here!

---

Warm welcome to our new listeners, be sure to check out our archive of episodes by clicking here!

---

Click on the following links to be brought to each author’s full interview on 88 Cups of Tea: 

Jacqueline Woodson

Victoria V.E. Schwab

Rita Williams-Garcia

Jeff Zentner

Angie Thomas

Leigh Bardugo

In today’s new episode, we have award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Maria V. Snyder of the “Study” series.

In our conversation, you’ll learn what inspired the idea for Maria’s novel "Poison Study", the first book to kick off the Study series. We have a detailed look inside her research and writing process, and what her revision process is like. We discuss the importance of creating a story bible and keeping track of the details when writing a book series, and how to develop and maintain romantic relationships throughout.

You’ll learn how writing and critique groups create deadlines and provide support for your writing. And Maria shares advice on finding your voice as a mother and a writer, and how to create intentional writing time with a busy schedule.

Say 'Hi' to Maria on Facebook and check out the books/resources mentioned in her episode by clicking here!

Happy listening!

Xo,

Yin

PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!

---

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!

---

Would you love to support our show with some 88 Cups of Tea swag? Grab our limited edition mug (signed by yours truly) here!

---

Meet fellow members in our community and check in about your WIP, and join in on other bookish talks and 88 Cups of Tea related things! You can really feel the love and support in our Facebook community. You also get the opportunity to submit your questions for upcoming guests on the show. Click here to join our private Facebook group!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure to have a clear profile picture of yourself. If not, send over links to either your Twitter or Instagram. And also fill out the 3 questions that pop up as soon as you join. To protect our group's safe space, these steps help us weed out any spam/fake profiles/creepers. Can't wait to meet you!

---

Our website went through MAJOR changes. Check out our virtual headquarters by clicking here!

---

Warm welcome to our new listeners, be sure to check out our archive of episodes by clicking here!

---

“Since I discover my story as I write, revision is a big part of it for me.” -Maria V. Snyder 

“Getting support from other writers is really important.” -Maria V. Snyder 

“My dream is not the destination, it’s the time.” -Maria V. Snyder 

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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE: 

• Learn how Maria merges her two passions of meteorology and writing
• Learn what inspired the idea for "Poison Study"  
• How writing and critique groups create deadlines and provide support for your writing
• Maria’s advice on finding your voice as a mother and a writer 
• How to create intentional writing time with a busy schedule
• The importance of keeping track of the details and creating a story bible when writing a series 
• A look into Maria’s creative research and writing processes 
• How to develop and maintain romantic relationships throughout a series
• Learn how Maria revises her novels 
• How children’s non-fiction books can serve as great resources for your story

https://www.patreon.com/88cupsoftea

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We have Ruta Sepetys on 88 Cups of Tea this week! Ruta is a New York Times bestseller and a Carnegie Medal winning crossover author whose critically acclaimed novels are read by both teens and adults. Ruta was awarded The Rockefeller Foundation’s prestigious Bellagio Center writing residency for her historical novel “Salt to the Sea”. The feature film adaptations of “Salt to the Sea” and her debut “Between Shades of Gray” are also on their way to theaters.

In our conversation, we talk about the real-life details that inspired “Salt to the Sea” and Ruta’s emotional process while writing the novel. We walk through a massive deep-dive of her research process, and she shares tips on interviewing techniques along with advice on how to respectfully approach people to interview for your own novels.

For our craft-focused listeners, you’re going to love our discussion about writing from multiple POVs and how to master each voice. Along that same topic, Ruta shares why it’s important for listeners to not shy away from writing dark and emotional POVs. We also touch on how she writes emotionally challenging characters.

Further into our conversation, we cover the role of rejection and how failure helps to set us up for future success, and how admitting your fears can help you move beyond them.

Say 'Hi' to Ruta on Twitter and check out the books/resources mentioned in her episode by clicking here!

Happy listening!

Xo,

Yin

PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!

---

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!

---

Meet fellow members in our community and check in about your WIP, and join in on other bookish talks and 88 Cups of Tea related things! You can really feel the love and support in our Facebook community. You also get the opportunity to submit your questions for upcoming guests on the show. Click here to join our private Facebook group!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure to have a clear profile picture of yourself. If not, send over links to either your Twitter or Instagram. And also fill out the 3 questions that pop up as soon as you join. To protect our group's safe space, these steps help us weed out any spam/fake profiles/creepers. Can't wait to meet you!

---

Our website went through MAJOR changes. Check out our virtual headquarters by clicking here!

---

Warm welcome to our new listeners, be sure to check out our archive of episodes by clicking here!

https://www.patreon.com/88cupsoftea

---

We're back with episode 101 and we have literary agent Barry Goldblatt, founder of Barry Goldblatt Literary, on 88 Cups of Tea today.

In our conversation, Barry shares how he transitioned from an 11-year career in the rights and contracts departments at various publishing houses to opening his own literary agency. Barry walks us through the elements of a story that attracts him to a novel for representation, his manuscript wish list, the categories he represents and what he’s actively seeking. We discuss Barry’s relationship with his clients, how he meets their needs, and how he guides their work to publication.

Further into our conversation, we get into the nitty gritty of the technicalities like how literary agents match authors and their manuscripts with editors and publishing houses, and what happens to a manuscript after it’s sold to an editor and publishing house. Barry also walks us through what exactly subsidiary rights are in the publishing world.

If you’re about to query a literary agent, you’re in luck because Barry covers the do’s and don’ts of a query letter. 

Say 'Hi' to Barry on Twitter and check out the books/resources mentioned in his episode over at his shownotes page by clicking here!

Happy listening!

Xo,

Yin

PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!

---

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!

---

Our website went through MAJOR changes. Check out our virtual headquarters by clicking here!

---

Meet fellow members in our community and check in about your WIP, and join in on other bookish talks and 88 Cups of Tea related things! You can really feel the love and support in our Facebook community. You also get the opportunity to submit your questions for upcoming guests on the show. Click here to join our private Facebook group!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure to have a clear profile picture of yourself. If not, send over links to either your Twitter or Instagram. And also fill out the 3 questions that pop up as soon as you join. To protect our group's safe space, these steps help us weed out any spam/fake profiles/creepers. Can't wait to meet you!

---

Warm welcome to our new listeners, be sure to check out our archive of episodes by clicking here!

Oh..My..LAWD: It’s our 100th episode.

I can not believe how far we’ve come. Thank you all for helping me grow 88 Cups of Tea into the incredible community it is today. 

We have a really fun mash-up of voice messages from our listeners and interviews with my loved ones.

I can’t wait for you all to hear from your fellow listener-friends. Thank you so much to Andrew Pryor, Jessica Lemmons, Sarah Suk, Tracy Badua, Jeanne Rodrigue, Melissa See, Jennifer Chen, Megan Lynch, and Kit Grant for taking the time to share their stories. They recorded such heartfelt and inspiring voice messages for our 100th episode and I was moved to tears. Their stories are incredible.

For the interviews, I asked Moonlynn and my best friends Micky Shiloah and Aimee Teegarden to hop on a recorded conversation so that listeners can learn more about me. These three specific people are my nearest and dearest who know me the best and they all bring so much happiness to my life. I’ve never shared so much about my personal life or behind-the-scenes about the podcast. I’ll be honest, I’m a little nervous because there’s so much of me in this episode, but I’m also excited to hear from you and learn what you resonated with or found most exciting.

In our conversations, we get into some serious real talk about what it’s like running the podcast, the pros and cons of producing our show, relationships, how I’m feeling about turning 30, and we made sure to get to our listener questions for this episode.

Thank you so much for getting us to episode 100 and for helping us reach 88 Cups of Tea’s 2nd birthday. I have so much love for you all!

Head over to the shownotes page for the time stamps of our interviews and listener-messages by clicking here!

Xo

Yin

PS. To see what Moonlynn, Micky and Aimee are up to, follow them on Instagram!

Moonlynn (click here)

Micky (click here)

Aimee (click here)

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To keep up with what Micky and Aimee are up to in the acting world, click on their IMDB pages: 

Micky's IMDB

Aimee's IMDB

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To check out the short film I wrote/directed (mentioned in this episode), click here! (FYI: It's a silent film)

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If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!

---

Meet fellow members in our community and check in about your WIP, and join in on other bookish talks and 88 Cups of Tea related things! You can really feel the love and support in our Facebook community. You also get the opportunity to submit your questions for upcoming guests on the show. Click here to join our private Facebook group!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure to fill out the 3 questions that pop up as soon as you join. And have a clear profile picture of yourself. If not, send over links to either your Twitter or Instagram. To protect our group's safe space, these steps help us weed out any spam/fake profiles/creepers. Can't wait to meet you!

---

Would you love to support our show with some 88 Cups of Tea swag? Grab our limited edition mug (signed by yours truly) here!

---

Warm welcome to our new listeners, be sure to check out our archive of episodes by clicking here!

Hena Khan is an award-winning picture book and middle grade author whose work includes an Islam-themed picture book for the Curious George books. Hena was tapped to write the first release of Simon & Schuster’s groundbreaking imprint Salaam Reads, where she wrote the highly acclaimed middle grade novel “Amina’s Voice”.

Hena and I discuss the inspiration behind “Amina’s Voice” and her universal story of self-acceptance and the acceptance of others. Hena walks us through how she introduces Islam to her young readers and we continue to talk about how important it is to have diverse representation in children’s literature.  

Further into our conversation, Hena unpacks how she strengthens her character’s voice by knowing exactly what they want, and we touch on ways that writers can instill accountability to inspire a finished story. For those of you who are currently looking for writing groups to be a part of, Hena shares the specific characteristics of writing groups you should look out for when finding your perfect group.

Say 'Hi' to Hena on Twitter and check out the books/resources mentioned in her episode over at her shownotes page by clicking here!

Happy listening!

Xo

PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word!

---

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!

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Warm welcome to our new listeners, be sure to check out our archive of episodes by clicking here!

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“Stories have the power to change hearts and minds.” -Hena Khan (Click to tweet)

“We are not a monolith and one story can’t represent all of us.” -Hena Khan (Click to tweet)

“Having people say that these books…matters to them and it made a difference to them in some way is how I define success.” -Hena Khan (Click to tweet)

“I realized I couldn’t understand other people’s loss until I had experienced it myself.” -Hena Khan (Click to tweet)

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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE: 

• The importance of the imprint Salaam Reads in our current political climate
• Hena shares how she introduces Islam to her young audience
• How to strengthen your character’s voice by knowing what they want
• Ways you can instill accountability to inspire you to finish your story
• The characteristics of writing groups you should search for when finding your perfect group
• How Hena got the opportunity to write “It’s Ramadan, Curious George”  
• The importance of diverse representation in children’s literature
• Finding empathy after experiencing loss