88 Cups of Tea

Hey Storytellers, we have Young Adult fiction writer Kendall Kulper on the show today! Kendall is the author of the super popular books SALT & STORM and DRIFT & DAGGER.

Writers with a focus on writing young adult, you’ll learn so much from Kendall’s episode. We talk a lot about magic, witches, and history. And we talk even more about how Kendall effortlessly weaves it all together while making it believable. Writing processes, writing schedules, literary representation, and writer’s block- you don’t want to miss this!

“The things that make me different are the things that I love about myself.”

“Easy does not necessarily translate to good, and difficult does not necessarily translate to bad.”

“You have to know the rules before you break the rules.”

“I always love books that don’t hide magic.”

“If you want to write, you need to read.”

What You’ll Learn From This Episode:

Learn More About Kendall Kulper

Kendall Kulper writes historical fiction with a fantasy twist for teen readers and knows more about nineteenth century whaling than she ever imagined. Her debut YA novel, SALT & STORM was published by Little, Brown in 2014. Her second novel, DRIFT & DAGGER was published in September, 2015, also by Little, Brown.  She graduated from Harvard University with a degree in history and literature in 2008 and spent several years as a journalist before deciding to write full-time. She grew up in the wilds of New Jersey and now lives in Cambridge, MA with her husband, daughter, and much-tweeted-about dog, Abby.

Kendall’s Recommended Books & Resources:

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith 

The Art of Looking Sideways by Alan Fletcher 

The Poisoner’s Handbook by Deborah Blum 

Say ‘Hi!’ to Kendall

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I’m pumped for you to meet Mindee Arnett in today’s episode! Mindee is a popular Young Adult author who has written two very successful YA series: The Arkwell Academy Series and the Avalon Series.

Mindee walks us through the process of creating lively characters, the realities ofbalancing finances and our creative pursuits, the pressures of the publishing world, and so much more.

Writers with a focus on writing young adult, this one’s for you!

February 11, 2016 by Yin Chang (Edit)

I’m pumped for you to meet Mindee Arnett in today’s episode! Mindee is a popular Young Adult author who has written two very successful YA series: The Arkwell Academy Series and the Avalon Series.

Mindee walks us through the process of creating lively characters, the realities ofbalancing finances and our creative pursuits, the pressures of the publishing world, and so much more.

Writers with a focus on writing young adult, this one’s for you!

“You have to have a lot of grit and self-confidence to write a book.”

“I am writing books because I love to write books.”

“My main character is the character I would most want to be in the story.”

“If you want to do this, then do this.”

“You don’t know what you’re getting into until you’re into it.”

Mindee brings us behind the scenes in the step-by-step creation process of her books

How to flesh out the details of the world surrounding your characters

Mindee Arnett is the author of two young adult series: The Arkwell Academy Series, a contemporary fantasy, and the sci-fi thriller Avalon. Her debut, The Nightmare Affair was nominated for the YALSA Top Ten 2014 and the BFYA 2013. Avalon was a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year in 2014 as well asIndigo’s Best Teen Books of 2014. She has a Master of Arts in English literature with an emphasis in Creative Writing from Wright State University. She lives on a horse farm in Ohio with her husband, two kids, a couple of dogs, and an appropriate number of cats. When she’s not telling tales of magic, the supernatural, or outer space, she spends time riding horses and honing her first-person shooter gaming skills.

Want to win a signed, advanced copy of Kody’s newest book “RUN”? All you have to do is:

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Storytellers! We have author KODY KEPLINGER of “The DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend)” on the show today! The book was made into a major motion picture starring rising young actors.  Kody’s take on teen drama is refreshingly original and hilarious.

I’m so excited to share her interview with you today!  Kody is just as bubbly, outgoing, warm, and funny as I had hoped. We chat a ton about mentors and how they can help shape your career, and how having one shaped Kody into the person and the writer she is today. Lots of workshop talk, crucial writing tips (the same lessons she teachers her writing students), personal triumphs and heartbreaks in the writing industry, and so much more!

Writers with a focus on writing young adult or middle grade books, this one’s for you!

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“Be okay with hearing the word ‘no’ and don’t let that stop you.”

“I knew that there was absolutely zero chance of me doing anything outside of the creative sphere.”

“If you want to do this, then do this.”

“Your back up plan shouldn’t be your first plan.”

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The importance of having a mentor that has the courage to be truthful and how that can inspire you and your work

Kody’s outlining process

How to decide which ideas are worth exploring for your next writing project

Why every aspiring writer needs to attend a book signing

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Kody Keplinger is the author of several books for kids and teens, including The DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) which was adapted for film in 2015.  She’s the co-founder of Disability In Kidlit, a writing teacher in NYC, and an all-around nerd. Her next novel, Run, will be released in June 2016.   

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Gotham Writers

“The Duff” (movie adaptation of Kody’s book)

“Inuyasha” (anime)

“Peach Girl” (anime)

“She’s All That”

“Clueless”

“10 Things I Hate About You”

Storytellers & Friends! We have Newbery Honor award winner RITA WILLIAMS-GARCIA with us today on Episode 2 of Season 2!

Rita is a #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Coretta Scott King Author Award winner, and a National Book Award Finalist.  I’m constantly in awe of Rita’s expertise of weaving social awareness into her books, adding even more depth to her stories and characters.

Storyteller Tribe,  you guys are in for a treat today. If you’re working on young adult novels or middle grade books, you’ll want to pay special attention to Rita’s incredibly actionable tips and advice!

“Let the story belong to the character.”

“I told my first lie and a star was born.”

“Once that book goes out in the world, it belongs to the world.”

“Here is the beautiful thing: A book will find her reader and it will open that reader up in ways that she had not been open.”

How to weave social awareness into your writing and still have your story connect with readers

The road blocks Rita faced throughout the publishing process and how her experiences can help you navigate the publishing world successfully

How important it is to work with publishers and agents that support youand your writing

How to make your story come alive 

How to magnify the world you created in your story

Rita’s advice and tips on reaching out to exceptional agents

Rita Williams-Garcia is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels for young adults and middle grade readers, and two picture books.  Her most recent novel, Gone Crazy in Alabama ends the saga of the Gaither Sisters, who appear in One Crazy Summer and PS Be Eleven.  All three novels in the series have won the Coretta Scott King Author Award.  Her  numerous awards and citations include having been named a National Book Award Finalist twice, a Newbery Honor Book, a Parents’ Choice Award, a Junior Library Guild, and the Scott O’Dell Prize for Historical Fiction.  She is on faculty at the Vermont College of Fine Arts Writing for Children MFA Program and she resides in Queens, New York.   

Storytellers & Friends! O-M-G we’re kicking off the very first episode of Season 2 of 88 CUPS OF TEA with the ever-so humble, talented, funny, and inspiringVICTORIA AVEYARD.

Victoria is the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of the RED QUEEN book series, which just celebrated its 21st week on the New York Times list!  Movie rights for the series were sold to Universal Pictures with Gennifer Hutchison (Breaking Bad) penning the film adaptation and Elizabeth Banks (Pitch Perfect 2)in talks to direct. According to The Hollywood Reporter, RED QUEEN is similar to HUNGER GAMES, GAME OF THRONES, X-MEN, andCINDERELLA. 

In today’s episode, we discuss story ideas and character development, how Victoria got her foot in the door with her literary agency, the ups and downs throughout her writing career, the publishing community, the importance of family, and a lot more incredibly inspiring stories and advice!  You’ll learn so much from her episode and my hope is for you to feel just as refreshed, inspired, and motivated as I did after our interview!

“Finish. Finishing is the most important thing no matter what you have to do.”

-Victoria Aveyard (Click to tweet) 

“I must be writing, in some way, shape, or form, to be happy.”

-Victoria Aveyard (Click to tweet)

• Victoria’s journey of transitioning from screenwriting to crafting her first novel
• How Victoria built her RED QUEEN series off of a single image and how this technique can help you craft your next story
• How Victoria creates an outline for her novels and how her advice can help you find your perfect outline structure
• The importance of knowing where your character comes from to create their perfect personality
• How writing for the fanfiction world indirectly became a writing workshopfor Victoria
• Victoria shares writing techniques and tips used to grab readers’ attention at the beginning of a novel

Victoria Aveyard graduated from USC, where she majored in screenwriting. RED QUEEN is her first novel. She splits her time between Massachusetts and Los Angeles.

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin

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Hi Dear Friends and Storytellers! 

I hope you had a relaxing holiday filled with genuine laughter and heartfelt catch-ups. I’ve been traveling all around Asia for about 3 months now: Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, and Japan. It’s been a whirlwind of adventuring, learning, growing, reflection, and inspiration. 

I’m so happy to be back.  It’s been an amazing holiday hiatus for me, and I’m so thrilled to get back in the grind and get things rollin’ with you for a kick ass New Year! 

I’ve spent some time reflecting over the past year and choose to remain focused on the following 5 things for 2016:

So that wraps up my New Year’s resolution for 2016.  What are yours? Share them with me, I’d love to hear! (Hit me up on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram)

In today’s podcast episode, I give a sneak peek at which guest will be kicking off Episode 1 for Season 2 of the show! 

Once you’ve had a chance to check out the episode, I’d love to know if there are any guests you hope to hear on the show this year. Are there any books or TV shows or films you’re REALLY into right now? (Or have been for the last 5 years?)

I’m SO DANG EXCITED to release brand new episodes again after the holidays. 2016 is going to be BOMB.COM for all of us!! 

Wishing you the happiest, healthiest, and most productive New Year!

Love,

Yin

Happy Thanksgiving, Storytellers!

HELLO from Bangkok, Thailand! Just flew in from Phuket last night and am loving the AirBNB I’m staying at right now. We’re super close to a ton of shops and the public transportation for easy access to other cool locations.

Phuket was gorgeous but a bit too laid back for me. I missed the city life and the convenience of food stalls everywhere, which made Bangkok the perfect destination after Phuket. We’ll be heading off for Siem Reap in Cambodia to explore Angkor Wat; I’m SO excited to wander around the temples and to learn about the rich history behind them and to experience the culture.

Today’s a super quick episode as I know you’re all busy getting ready for the big meal tonight! Please have a listen any time you’re free so you’re all caught up on important Holiday announcements for the show.

I also touch a little bit on what I’ve been up to in Asia. I found out super last minute that SOI DOG FOUNDATION was located 15 minutes away from where I was staying in Phuket and I was so happy we were able to volunteer before catching our flight to Bangkok.  

Please check out today's shownotes page for ADORABLE pictures of some puppies and dogs we met at the Soi Dog Foundation Headquarters! CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PICS!

***I want to thank you all for being such incredible listeners and for creating a loving, encouraging, and supportive tribe with me.***

“If you can reveal everything about yourself, then you can write about anything.”

Hello Storytellers! I just arrived in Singapore about two hours ago– I love how efficient their public transportation is!

Today’s episode marks the 25th episode for 88 CUPS OF TEA— Happy 25th Episode, storytellers!  88 CUPS OF TEA wouldn’t be here without you amazing listeners. Thank you so much for listening in each week and making the storyteller tribe what it is today.

“I control my own destiny.”

Hello from Malaysia, Storytellers! I arrived recently to visit my Grandpa and explore my mom’s homecountry. In case you might’ve missed the latest update, I’ve been traveling around Asia and just finished an inspiring and educational intensive tea-study program in Taiwan.  (To listen to a special episode about my trip in Asia and about the tea program–my very first production of an NPR inspired narrative episode, CLICK HERE TO LISTEN!)

For today’s episode, I’m so excited and thrilled to share the much anticipated interview with 2015 Caldecott Medal winner, Dan Santat. For those that may not be familiar with the medal— it’s just about the most important award a children’s book illustrator can receive (think OSCARS in the world of children’s books). Dan is also a New York Times bestselling and award winning author and illustrator whose illustrated over 20 books for children. Dan’s book that won him the prestigious award is called “The Adventures of Beekle: An Unimaginary Friend”.

According to a Variety article published in May, “The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend” has been adapted into a DreamWorks Animation movie that will be directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Jason Reitman.

I’m such a fan of this heartwarming book about friendship, courage, and finding one’s self. It’s proudly displayed on my bookshelf, and recommended to friends time and time again.

This magical story begins on an island far away where an imaginary friend is born. He patiently waits his turn to be chosen by a real child, but when he is overlooked time and again, he sets off on an incredible journey to the bustling city, where he finally meets his perfect match and-at long last-is given his special name: Beekle.

Dan Santat is the author/illustrator of SIDEKICKS and the winner of the Silver Medal from the Society of Illustrators for OH NO! (Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World) by Mac Barnett. He is also the creator of the Disney animated hit, THE REPLACEMENTS. Dan lives in Southern California with his wife, two kids, and various pets.

For Dan's shownotes, go to 88cupsoftea.com/podcast/dansantat

Hey Storytellers! Thank you guys so much for being a part of this storyteller tribe and listening in. This episode is really special to me. As you’ll notice, it’s the first episode of this show where I experimented with my own kind of storytelling, similar to that of an NPR episode. I’ve been so inspired by all the interviews with guests on 88 CUPS OF TEA and have been itching to share a story through this kind of medium. Thanks for allowing me to share that with you. 

I would really love to hear your thoughts about this episode, so come on over and find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

I’ve been posting pictures and videos of the tea intensive and my trip around Asia on those same social media accounts so check out #88CupsOfAsia if you’d like to join me on my adventures!