88 Cups of Tea

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Would you be curious to hear how masters of their craft build vivid worlds alongside their characters? Or how to overcome the pressures of getting your work published? We dive into it all with Samantha Shannon!

Samantha is the New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of The Bone Season series. Film and TV rights have been acquired by Imaginarium Studios and her work has been translated into twenty-six languages. Her upcoming novel, The Priory of the Orange Tree, is her fourth novel and her first outside of The Bone Season series and will be released on February 26th.

In our conversation, we discuss her commitment to writing at a young age and overcoming fears through writing. She shares her research process, how she approaches world building, and how to best manage writing goals. She also shares a snapshot of her upcoming novel, The Priory of the Orange Tree and answers some great listener questions.

Say 'Hi' to Samantha Shannon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/say_shannon

For a list of all the books and resources mentioned in this episode along with the timestamps for each highlight, head over to the shownotes page: https://88cupsoftea.com/podcast/samantha-shannon

If you'd love to keep 88 Cups of Tea going strong, please consider supporting us through our Patreon membership. We added EARLY ACCESS TO INTERVIEWS for our Super Storyteller patrons in the $8.88 tier. Your kind support at any level of our tiers is so helpful. A heartfelt thank you in advance.

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

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Have you ever let rejection prevent you from pursuing your passion? How do you find the courage to let go of fear to pursue your dreams? We talk about overcoming rejection and so much more with Julie Dao!

Julie Dao is a Vietnamese-American fantasy author who is best known for her Rise of the Empress series, an Asian retelling of the fairy tale Snow White. In her series is Forest of a Thousand Lanterns and her newly released sequel, Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix.

In our conversation, Julie gives us an inside peek into the world of her Rise of the Empress duology. She walks us through the ups and downs of her querying and publishing journey all while sharing invaluable advice on picking yourself back up after facing rejection. She also talks about the importance of bringing forth Asian-American representation in her stories, shares her writing process, and gives great tips for writers on reaching their writings goals.

Say 'Hi' to Julie Dao on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jules_writes

To access Julie Dao's writing prompt for our Storytellers, the time stamps of highlights throughout her episode and more, head over to Julie's shownotes page: 88CUPSOFTEA.COM/PODCAST/JULIE-DAO

If you'd love to keep 88 Cups of Tea going strong, please consider supporting us through our Patreon membership. We added EARLY ACCESS TO INTERVIEWS for our Super Storyteller patrons in the $8.88 tier. Your kind support at any level of our tiers is so helpful. A heartfelt thank you in advance.

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

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Have you ever felt guilty about spending time pursuing your craft? Have you ever assigned your self worth to rejection letters? What are some ways for you to discover the writing process that works best for you? We explore all of this and so much more with S.A. Chakraborty.

S.A. is a speculative fiction writer and history buff. She is most recognized for her debut novel, The City of Brass, and her newly released sequel, The Kingdom of Copper.

In our conversation, Shannon tells the story of how she fell in love with writing and how she became a full-time author. She gives us a snapshot of the vivid world she's crafted in her novels The City of Brass and The Kingdom of Copper and the inspiration behind it. We talk about her querying process, character-building in fantasy worlds, and giving yourself permission to take time for your creative pursuits. She also dives into her own research process, shares incredible tips on finding your writing style, and the importance of self-care as an author.

Say 'Hi' to S.A. Chakraborty on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SAChakrabooks

To access S.A.'s shownotes page, the time stamps of highlights throughout the episode and more, head over to: 88CUPSOFTEA.COM/PODCAST/SA-CHAKRABORTY

Have you ever wondered what goes into building strong and vivid fantasy worlds? How to add moments of warmth and humor when writing about darker topics? How about creating space for self-care through your writing? We talk about this and so much more with Natasha Ngan.

Natasha is a young adult fiction author known for her novels The Elites, The Memory Keepers, and her most recent novel, Girls of Paper and Fire, that was published in the Fall of 2018 by Jimmy Patterson/Little Brown in the US. and Hodder & Stoughton in the UK. She was also the co-owner of the fashion, travel, and lifestyle blog Girl in the Lens.

In our conversation with Natasha, we discuss Malaysian culture and how it influences her writing style, the inspiration behind her new novel Girls of Paper and Fire, how she explores self-healing through storytelling, and her expansive and organic world-building process. She also answers listener questions about her research and querying process, crafting strong secondary characters, and interjecting humor around serious topics in her stories.

Say 'Hi' to Natasha on Twitter @girlinthelens

To download Natasha's query letter to her literary agent and to access the books and resources mentioned in her episode, head over to: 88CUPSOFTEA.COM/PODCAST/NATASHA-NGAN ---------------------------------------

If you love the books mentioned in our podcast, you'll love our sponsor Epic Reads where you can learn more about Ben Philippe and his debut novel THE FIELD GUIDE TO THE NORTH AMERICAN TEENAGER

--------------------------------------- If you'd love to keep 88 Cups of Tea going strong, please consider supporting us through our Patreon membership. A heartfelt thank you in advance.

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Or head to our shop to proudly rock our swag!

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If you'd love to keep 88 Cups of Tea going strong, please consider supporting us through our Patreon membership. We added EARLY ACCESS TO INTERVIEWS for our Super Storyteller patrons in the $8.88 tier. Your kind support at any level of our tiers is so helpful. A heartfelt thank you in advance.

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

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Curious about crafting mystery novels and placing puzzle pieces throughout? Or what it takes to write a series? We dive into it all and so much more with Maureen Johnson!

Maureen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of several YA novels, including 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Truly Devious, and her upcoming sequel in the Truly Devious Series, The Vanishing Stair.

In our conversation with Maureen, we discover how she fell in love with storytelling through writing and acting. We discuss why creators struggle to ask for support from their audiences and what steps they can take to push past this problem. She talks about her life-long obsession for murder mysteries and how that inspired the plot for her new mystery series, Truly Devious. And she gives incredible technical advice on how to go about crafting a mystery novel and a series.

Say 'Hi' to Maureen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/maureenjohnson

To access Maureen's shownotes page, the time stamps of highlights throughout the episode, and more, head over to: 88CUPSOFTEA.COM/PODCAST/MAUREEN-JOHNSON

If you'd love to keep 88 Cups of Tea going strong, please consider supporting us through our Patreon membership. We added EARLY ACCESS TO INTERVIEWS for our Super Storyteller patrons in the $8.88 tier. Your kind support at any of our tiers is so helpful. A heartfelt thank you in advance.

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

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Are you curious about what a literary agent does behind the scenes to sell a book? Or how to write a query letter that will grab a literary agent's attention? We dive into this and so much more in Suzie Townsend's episode!

Suzie is a literary agent over at New Leaf Literary and Media who represents all brands of children's and adult fiction. She loves women's fiction and all subgenres of romance, fantasy, and crime fiction. She also represents children's fiction and particularly loves YA and Middle-Grade novels. Some of Suzie's best- known projects include #1 NYT Bestseller "Red Queen" by Victoria Aveyard (a previous guest on 88 Cups of Tea), and many more.

In our conversation, Suzie takes us on a journey of how her love for storytelling and fantasy books lead her to the path of a literary agent. We get into the nail-biting story of when she sold her first manuscript, how she pitches books to editors, and how to form a great agent to author relationship. She also shares eye-opening query letter tips that will help you catch the attention of literary agents.

Say 'Hi' to Suzie on Twitter @SZTOWNSEND81!

Say 'Hi' to your fellow Storyteller, Katlyn Duncan, on Twitter @KATLYN_DUNCAN!

To access Suzie's shownotes page, the time stamps of highlights throughout the episode, and the bonus downloadable query letter guide, head over to: 88CUPSOFTEA.COM/PODCAST/SUZIE-TOWNSEND

If you'd love to keep 88 Cups of Tea going strong, please consider supporting us through our Patreon membership. We added EARLY ACCESS TO INTERVIEWS for our Super Storyteller patrons in the $8.88 tier. Your kind support at any of our tiers is so helpful. A heartfelt thank you in advance.

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

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How can we find inspiration for our stories in our own emotional journeys? What does it mean to balance your emotions when writing difficult scenes so you aren't emotionally drained? Do you find it challenging to make time for your writing while raising a newborn? We dive into that and so much more with today's guest Livia Blackburne.

Livia is a New York Times best-selling, young adult and fantasy author. Her works include "Midnight Thief", "Daughter of Dusk", and "Rosemarked" which was an Amazon best book of the month and a YALSA Teens Top Ten Nominee. Her newly released book, "Umbertouched", is the second book in her "Rosemarked" series and takes readers on an epic fantasy adventure with complex ethical dilemmas and romance thrills.

In our conversation, Livia tells the story of how she first fell in love with writing and her journey to becoming a full-time writer after getting her PhD in cognitive neuroscience. She gives a snapshot of what readers will discover in her new novel "Umbertouched". Further into the conversation she shares her editorial process and the importance of beta readers, critique partners, and sensitivity readers. We talk about the exciting and difficult moments in her life she pulls inspiration from to build her fantasy worlds and strong characters, why it's crucial to keep strong social ties to your community, and how she balances life with a two-year-old and her career.

Say 'Hi' to Livia on Twitter @LKBLACKBURNE!

To access Livia's writing prompt and shownotes page, head over to: 88CUPSOFTEA.COM/PODCAST/LIVIA-BLACKBURNE

If you'd love to keep 88 Cups of Tea going strong, please consider supporting us through our Patreon membership. We added EARLY ACCESS TO INTERVIEWS for our Super Storyteller patrons in the $8.88 tier. Your kind support at any of our tiers is so helpful. A heartfelt thank you in advance.

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

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Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a literary translator? Or what it takes to translate a text while maintaining the original's true meaning? We unpack that and so much more with today's guest Jay Rubin.

Jay is a Japanese-English translator and novelist. Some of his most well-known translations are of the works of famous Japanese novelist, Haruki Murakami. These translations of Haruki's works include 1Q84, Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman, and Absolutely on Music. He wrote his own novel titled Making Sense of Japanese back in 2013 that reflects on the complexity of the Japanese language. Recently, Jay curated and published an anthology of famous Japanese short stories titled, The Penguin Book Of Japanese Short Stories.

In our conversation, Jay takes us on a journey of how he discovered his love for the Japanese language and literature which led him to his passion of translating those works for others to enjoy. Further into the conversation, we talk about his process and how he overcomes the difficulty of translating two languages that are almost impossible to translate literally. We also go into detail about his new anthology of Japanese short stories, The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories, and discuss the format of the book and how he chose the incredible stories to include.

To access Jay's shownotes page, head over to: 88CUPSOFTEA.COM/PODCAST/JAY-RUBIN

If you'd love to keep 88 Cups of Tea going strong, please consider supporting us through our Patreon membership. We added EARLY ACCESS TO INTERVIEWS for our Super Storyteller patrons in the $8.88 tier. Your kind support at any of our tiers is so helpful. A heartfelt thank you in advance.

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

--------------------------------------- Have your insecurities ever driven you to writer's block? How can we use feedback, rejection, and self-encouragement to break out of writing-related anxiety? We unpack all of that and so much more with today's guest Tamora Pierce.

Tamora, a #1 New York Times bestseller and recipient of the 2013 Margaret A. Edwards Award, is the author of Alanna: The First Adventure, Lady Knight, Wild Magic, and many, many more. Her most recent novel, Tempests and Slaughter, begins the journey into her new series called The Numair Chronicles and is out on the shelves now.

In our conversation, Tamora takes us on a journey throughout her life and describes the moments she first fell in love with writing, found her passion for crafting female heroes, what she's learned from rejection, and much more. We talk about creative block and how we can encourage ourselves to believe in our craft. Her wisdom shines through as she discusses her research process into the world of magic, how she builds dynamic characters, and how she approaches writing more serious topics for young adults.

Say 'Hi' to Tamora on: Facebook at "Tamora Pierce, Fantasy Author" Twitter at @TamoraPierce

To access her shownotes page, head over to: 88CUPSOFTEA.COM/PODCAST/TAMORA-PIERCE

If you'd love to keep 88 Cups of Tea going strong, please consider supporting us through our Patreon membership. We added EARLY ACCESS TO INTERVIEWS for our Super Storyteller patrons in the $8.88 tier. Your kind support at any of our tiers is so helpful. A heartfelt thank you in advance.

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

--- What exactly does it mean to be a '26-year overnight success'? How do we get through challenges of rejections both in our writing and at our day job? We get into all of it and so much more with today's guest Kwame Alexander.

Kwame is a poet, educator, and the New York Times Bestselling author of 28 books, including "Swing", "Solo", and "Rebound", the follow-up to his Newbery medal-winning middle-grade novel, "The Crossover". Some of his other works include "Booked", a National Book Award Nominee.

This conversation is full of wisdom and transparency as we discuss Kwame's "26-year overnight success" and the challenges of writing-related rejections, being laid-off from a job, the daily personal woes of being a human being, in particular, being an African American man and how it challenges the view of humanity and of the world. Further into the conversation, we dive into Kwame's journey writing "Rebound" and how it reflected his own journey writing that story and at the same time, learning to rebound in life while his mother was in the hospital. We talk about the inspiration that we need to keep us going through the challenging times of a writer's journey, managing writing around day-time jobs, and writing groups. We go into detail about his newest novel "Swing" and what it's like to work with a co-author.

Say 'Hi' to Kwame on Twitter @kwamealexander

To access his shownotes page, head over to 88CUPSOFTEA.COM/PODCAST/KWAME-ALEXANDER!

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Click here to read our 3-year anniversary event summary by Olivia Liu weaved in with photos by Melora Chang!

Make sure you don't miss out on our feature article "Letting the Ghosts In" by J.C. Cervantes, click here to read it!