88 Cups of Tea

Rhoda Belleza is a children's editor at a publishing house and is the author of "Empress of a Thousand Skies" and "Blood of a Thousand Stars". The New York Times Book Review wrote, "Intergalactic political intrigue, family betrayal and coveted thrones feature in this space opera story…real-world analogues and social commentary make Empress of a Thousand Skies an important and relevant novel."

In Rhoda's episode, we chat all about her love for action movies and how that led her to novel writing. We dive into her experiences as an editor at a publishing house and how that helped her explore the other sides of the publishing world, and how being an editor helped to improve Rhoda's own writing. We dive into the details about her novels "Empress of a Thousand Skies" and "Blood of a Thousand Stars", from the inspiration behind the characters, to the world building, and to closing out your characters and ending your story.

Further into our conversation, we break down how joining a writing community you trust can help you receive constructive feedback on your writing, why it's important to separate yourself and your self-worth from the revision process of a first draft, and why we should seek professional opinions during our research process. We chat realistic word counts per week, why we should be writing consistently throughout the week and how that helps us stay intimate with our characters and strengthens our character building. We also cover why it's crucial to put aside an editing day each week to prevent yourself from editing along the way.

Say 'Hi' to Rhoda on Twitter! She will be taking over our Instagram stories for the release of her episode, be sure to catch her takeover by clicking here.

Head over to her shownotes page for a list of resources mentioned in the 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 work-in-progress, and join in on other bookish talks and 88 Cups of Tea related things, join our private Facebook group! You can really feel the love and support in our community. You also get the opportunity to submit your questions for upcoming guests on the show. Click here to join our private Facebook group!

---

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

---

"You're not on anyone else's schedule but your own."

-Rhoda Belleza (Click to tweet!)

"There's nothing to revise unless you write that first bad draft."

-Rhoda Belleza (Click to tweet!)

"At the end of the journey...you want it to be crystallized and engaging. There's all these ambitions you have for the draft, but right now it's just a draft and it needs to get better. The only way that it will get better is for you to be vulnerable."

-Rhoda Belleza (Click to tweet!)

---

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE:

• A discussion on "Empress of a Thousand Skies" and "Blood of a Thousand Stars"
• How Rhoda's love for action movies led her to novel writing and editing
• How joining a writing community you trust can help you receive constructive feedback on your writing
• Why it's crucial to separate yourself and your self-worth from the revision process of a first draft
• Rhoda's experience as a YA editor and how that helped her explore other sides of the publishing world and improve her own writing
• The inspiration behind Rhoda's characters and world building
• The importance of seeking out professional opinions during your research process
• Closing out your characters and ending your story
• How setting realistic word counts per week will help you reach your writing goals
• Why writing consistently throughout the week will help you stay intimate with your characters and strengthen your character building
• How setting aside an editing day each week can prevent you from editing along the way

Kelly Loy Gilbert is the author of "Conviction", a William C. Morris Award finalist, and her newest novel, "Picture Us in the Light".

In today's episode, Kelly brings us behind-the-scenes of "Picture Us in the Light" from discussing the inspiration and catalyst for her new novel to a detailed look at Kelly's hands-on research process for the story. She walks us through the importance of strong character building when crafting conflict scenes, how to craft authentic characters whose experiences are different from our own, and how to weave empathy into the story by reflecting on personal experiences.

Further into our conversation, Kelly shares advice on coping with and overcoming writer's block to move forward with your work, how you can work with your support network to strengthen your story's plotlines, and she also shares why it's crucial to give yourself permission to step away from your story.

Say 'Hi' to Kelly on Twitter! She will also be taking over our Instagram stories for the release of her episode, be sure to catch her takeover on Instagram by clicking here. We're also teaming up with Kelly and her team to giveaway a copy of "Picture Us in the Light" to TWO lucky winners, so look out for the directions in our Instagram stories.

For our writers, Kelly created a very helpful writing prompt exclusive for our community, head over to her shownotes page by clicking here to download your copy.

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

---

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

---

"I think I always tend to forget how much you just have to end up deleting and how much you have to write and write and write to sort of get to the heart of the story and figure out the characters."

-Kelly Loy Gilbert (Click to tweet!)

"If you feel like you're in this rut, nothing is happening, I promise when you step back you will start missing it and I think that is always a good place to be in."

-Kelly Loy Gilbert (Click to tweet!)

"Thinking about how everything is interconnected and how every action leads to a reaction has been, I think, really useful for me."

-Kelly Loy Gilbert (Click to tweet!)

---

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE:

• • The inspiration and catalyst behind Kelly's new novel "Picture Us in the Light"
  • A look at Kelly's hands-on research process and her advice on researching frightening topics
  • Ways you can get involved in the fight against human trafficking
  • How to craft authentic characters whose experiences are different from your own
  • The importance of strong character building when crafting multidimensional conflict scenes
  • How you can work with your support network to strengthen your story's plotlines
  • Advice on coping with and overcoming writer's block to move forward with your work
  • Kelly's experience writing a story that matched a proposal that was already sold
  • How to weave empathy into your story by reflecting on personal experiences
  • The importance of giving yourself person to step back from your story

Roshani Chokshi is the author of the instant New York Times bestselling novel, "The Star-Touched Queen", and "A Crown of Wishes", and her recently released middle grade debut "Aru Shah and the End of Time".

In today's episode, we discuss ALL things "Aru Shah and the End of Time", from the story inspiration to the research process and Roshani's world building. We touch on adapting mythology and folklore into your story and how to craft lush and vivid descriptions.

Further into our conversation, we talk about the importance of sharing your work and being open to critical feedback as a writer, and Roshani shares advice on maintaining your author brand while writing across different age groups.

Say 'Hi' to Roshani on Twitter! She will also be taking over our Instagram stories for the release of her episode and it's going to be so much fun! Be sure to catch her takeover on Instagram by clicking here. We're teaming up with Roshani and her team to giveaway a copy of "Aru Shah and the End of Time" to TWO lucky winners, so look out for the directions in our Instagram stories.

Roshani also created a wonderful writing prompt exclusive for our community, scroll down to the bottom of this page to download your copy.

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

---

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

---

"I realized I was writing around my own stories trying to write what I saw in the world when what I needed to be doing was write what I didn't see and what I wanted to see."

-Roshani Chokshi (Click to tweet!)

"What is the thing that I really want to read and how would I want it presented to me?"

-Roshani Chokshi (Click to tweet!)

"The minute that I waver on the voice, I've lost the whole thread of the story. It doesn't matter if the plot is there. If the voice isn't there, the soul of it's gone."

-Roshani Chokshi (Click to tweet!)

"Find time just to refresh your soul with someone else's words."

-Roshani Chokshi (Click to tweet!)

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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE:

• Roshani's journey to becoming a bestselling author

• The importance of sharing your work and being open to critical feedback as a writer

• A discussion on all things "Aru Shah and The End of Time"

• How to respectfully adapt mythology and folklore into your story

• Advice on maintaining your author brand while writing across different age groups

• Tips on crafting lush and vivid descriptions in your stories

• Roshani walk us through the research process for her world building

Ashleigh Gardner is the Deputy General Manager, Wattpad Studios, Publishing. She works with Wattpad writers and publishers around the world to turn Wattpad stories into books. Ashleigh creates meaningful promotional and editorial partnerships with the publishing industry by leveraging the data and insights from the more than 400 million story uploads on Wattpad. This also helps publishers everywhere find exciting new voices and transform their business with data-driven decision-making.

In today's episode proudly brought to you by Wattpad, we get into the nitty gritty about all things Wattpad and how it benefits the writers and readers in our community. We dig deep into Ashleigh's role at Wattpad and her personal journey that led her there and she shares advice on how to begin a career in the publishing world.

We continue to discuss how Wattpad builds readerships and audiences for their writers, how it's a space for authors to instantly interact with your audience and receive feedback, how to use Wattpad to help the research and editing process as an author, and how its features can help our community virtually connect with writing groups to share ideas and encourage one another.

Ashleigh unpacks the relationships Wattpad has with publishers to connect users with the publishing world and we discuss the most popular current trends that she sees at the company and how they're able to discover these trends. She also walks us through the steps you can take to increase your story's popularity on Wattpad and we discuss the kinds of questions you should ask a publisher when they approach you and your story.

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

---

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

---

"You don't need to wait for anyone to do this with you, you can go out and do it on your own."

-Ashleigh Gardner (Click to tweet)

"As soon as you get it out and post it, you can go back and change it. Just plowing through that first draft, not spending a lot of time re-editing things you've written already, that would be my biggest piece of advice."

-Ashleigh Gardner (Click to tweet)

---

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE:

• A look into Ashleigh's role at Wattpad and the journey that led her there
• Advice on how to begin a career in the publishing world
• How Wattpad builds readerships and audiences for their writers
• How Wattpad is a space for authors to instantly interact with your audience and receive feedback
• How Wattpad's technology and data helps publishers identify new stories and emerging voices
• Insight into the relationships Wattpad has with publishers to connect users with the publishing world
• How to use Wattpad to help your research and editing process as an author
• The most popular current trends Ashleigh sees on Wattpad and how they discover these trends
• The steps you can take to increase your story's popularity on Wattpad
• How Wattpad's features can help you virtually connect with your writing group to share ideas and encourage one another
• What questions you should ask a publisher when they approach you and your story

Arvin Ahmadi is the author of "Down and Across". From Buzzfeed, "Ahmadi writes with head and heart, captivating readers with passages that leap beautifully from the pages." Publishers Weekly describes his debut as "witty, smart, and inspiring" and The Washington Post says it's a "humorous" and "deeply human coming-of-age story."

In today's episode, Arvin walks us through the inspiration behind "Down and Across". We unpack how to manage writing difficult and emotional scenes with your characters, how to maintain authenticity in your story throughout your editing process, and how to improve your craft through reading within your genre.

We also discuss why it's crucial to seek feedback from your writing community, and Arvin shares tips on writing in a first-person point of view that's different from your own.

Please say 'Hi' to Arvin on Twitter and he'll be taking over our Instagram stories for the release of his episode and it's going to be SO much fun! Be sure to catch his takeover on Instagram by clicking here.

We also announce some H-U-G-E 88 Cups of Tea news in the intro of Arvin's episode. Don't forget to respond to the announcement by hitting us up on Twitter by clicking here! And help us spread the word about our announcement by sharing about it on social media!

Happy Listening!

Xo,

Yin

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

---

We recently restocked our limited edition 88 Cups of Tea mugs with only ONE box of mugs. We are creating a different line of 88 Cups of Tea mugs each year and they'll be available for a limited amount of time! We first announced this in our private FB group and I can't believe our last box of mugs are already halfway gone. If you'd love a mug for yourself before they are completely sold out for GOOD, head over here. Our mugs are AWESOME at giving you a boost in morale throughout your day!

---

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

---

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

---

"This is the book where I learned to write a book."

-Arvin Ahmadi (Click to tweet)

"You build out this world in your head. As a writer, why would you crush that for your reader, this world that they've imagined and characters that have become so real to them?"

-Arvin Ahmadi (Click to tweet)

"My first draft was very raw and very authentic and kind of poorly written too. Of course I went through ten, eleven, twelve drafts before I even sold to Penguin and a lot of that was trying to maintain that authenticity while fiddling with the structure to make it a better book."

-Arvin Ahmadi (Click to tweet)

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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE:

• Arvin unpacks the inspiration behind his novel "Down and Across"
• The artistic insight behind the cover art of Arvin's novel
• How to maintain authenticity in your story throughout your editing process
• The importance of seeking feedback in the writing community
• Improve your craft through reading within your genre
• How to manage writing difficult and emotional scenes with your characters
• Tips on writing in a first-person point of view that's different from your own
• Arvin's thoughts on satisfying endings

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

---

John Boyne is the author of over 15 books and short stories. His New York Times bestselling novel, "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas", was an international bestseller, selling more than nine million copies worldwide. In today's episode, we discuss his newest novel, "The Heart's Invisible Furies", a New York Times Readers' Favorite Books of 2017.

We kick off the conversation by having John take us back to the earliest memory of how he first fell in love with storytelling. John shares the inspiration behind "The Heart's Invisible Furies" and walks us through his unique structure of the novel. We go into detail about the history of human rights activism in Ireland, what his creative research process is like, and how he discovers fresh ideas for his stories.

We also discuss how the important role humor can play in historical novels, how to create emotional distance when writing about darker topics, and advice on finding your own voice and style of writing.

Say 'Hi' to John on Twitter and be sure to download his wriitng prompt exclusive for our 88 Cups of Tea community by heading over to his shownotes and 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 work-in-progress, and join in on other bookish talks and 88 Cups of Tea related things, join our private Facebook group! You can really feel the love and support in our community. You also get the opportunity to submit your questions for upcoming guests on the show. Click here to join our private Facebook group!

---

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

---

"Even as a child, the acts of reading and writing were always completely connected to me." -John Boyne (Click to tweet)

"I don't remember a time where I actively decided to be a writer, it was just always a part of who I was." -John Boyne (Click to tweet)

"You can be a good mimic, but eventually you have to have your own voice and your own style of writing." -John Boyne (Click to tweet)

"Good writing will find its audience." -John Boyne (Click to tweet)

"If you are reading and writing all the time, if your brain is engaged with fiction constantly, then you become more attuned to ideas." -John Boyne (Click to tweet)

"As hard work as writing novels is, I think we should always enjoy the process of writing them." -John Boyne (Click to tweet)

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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE:

• How John fell in love with storytelling
• Advice on finding your own voice and style of writing
• How John discovers fresh ideas for his stories
• A snapshot of John's new novel "The Heart's Invisible Furies"
• Details on the history of human rights activism in Ireland
• The important role humor plays in historical novels
• How to create emotional distance when writing about darker topics
• John walks us through his unique structure of "The Heart's Invisible Furies"
• A look into John's creative research process

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

---

You have no idea how excited I am to have Tomi Adeyemi on our show! Tomi is the author of Children of Blood and Bone, a West African-inspired fantasy debut and the first novel in her trilogy that conjures a world of magic and danger, perfect for any of you fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sabaa Tahir. It's been described as "powerful" and "captivating" and Tomi has been hailed as one of the most promising voices in young adult fiction. Entertainment Weekly describes "Children of Blood and Bone" as "a phenomenon" and it landed one of the biggest YA debut novel publishing deals ever. Way before her novel was even released, her entire fantasy trilogy landed a deal to be made into movies produced by the team at Fox 2000 and Temple Hill Productions, the same team who produced the movies "The Fault in Our Stars," and "Twilight". "Children of Blood and Bone" releases on March 6th so be sure to grab yourselves a copy to see what everyone's talking about!

In today's episode, we discuss ALL things "Children of Blood and Bone", from the story behind the title, to her research, and writing process. Tomi even shares her resources that helped her world building process in the novel.

We discuss how Tomi's awareness of poor representation in her earlier stories inspired her to craft strong representation for her readers, why it's crucial to recognize our responsibility to give younger generations true representation that creates self-love, and the power a story has to create empathy in humanity and to open our eyes to possibility.

For those of you who are currently writing your own manuscripts, you'll really appreciate all of the helpful and detailed advice Tomi shares for our storyteller community. She walks us through how to craft character descriptions, all about first drafts, how to use rejections to further your story's success, advice on finding mentors and editors who can help get your story to where you want it to be, and so much more.

Say 'Hi' to Tomi on Twitter and she'll be taking over our Instagram stories for the release of her episode and it's going to be AWESOME. Be sure to catch her takeover 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 work-in-progress, and join in on other bookish talks and 88 Cups of Tea related things, join our private Facebook group! You can really feel the love and support in our community. You also get the opportunity to submit your questions for upcoming guests on the show. Click here to join our private Facebook group!

---

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

---

"Storytelling became this way to get everything I wanted, so I just kept doing it."

-Tomi Adeyemi (Click to tweet)

"Books are amazing. You explain something so internal, but in such a universal way, that everybody can understand it."

-Tomi Adeyemi (Click to tweet)

"The best editors help you write the story you thought you wrote the first time."

-Tomi Adeyemi (Click to tweet)

"It has been a dream, but it has also been a crazy amount of work, as it should be."

-Tomi Adeyemi (Click to tweet)

"The more you write and the more you revise, the more you discover exactly what you need."

-Tomi Adeyemi (Click to tweet)

"When you arm yourself with knowledge, everything feels possible."

-Tomi Adeyemi (Click to tweet)

---

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE:

• How Tomi's awareness of poor representation in earlier stories inspired her to craft strong representation for her readers
• Why it's crucial to recognize our responsibility to give younger generations true representation that creates self-love
• How to craft beautiful character descriptions
• Advice on staying current in your genre and in the publishing world
• How to use rejections to further your story's success
• The power a story has to create empathy in humanity and to open our eyes to possibility
• A detailed look into Tomi's research and writing process
• Advice on finding mentors and editors who can help get your story to where you want it to be
• What is Pitch Wars, how it works, and Tomi's experience
• The story behind the title of "Children of Blood and Bone"
• Tomi shares her experience living her dream as a debut author
• How first drafts exist to give our outlines more shape
• Tomi shares her resources that helped her world building process in "Children of Blood and Bone"

Atia Abawi is an author, foreign correspondent, and award-winning journalist. Born a refugee to Afghan parents in West Germany and raised in the United States, Atia has reported on war, conflicts and international crises in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Myanmar, Egypt, Kenya and Israel. Her first book for teens, The Secret Sky, is a critically acclaimed love story set during the current war in Afghanistan and won an Amelia Bloomer Award. She was also named a Publisher's Weekly Flying Start, honoring debut novelists whose first book shows success and promise.

In today's episode, Atia shares the story of her parents' terrifying journey to find refuge in Germany and why it's crucial for her to humanize the refugee crisis we see today through her latest novel, "A Land of Permanent Goodbyes". We discuss the pain she felt day-after-day researching this novel, and why she made the specific choice of narrating the novel through the voice of Destiny.

Further into our discussion, we also learn how Atia transitioned from a journalism background of reporting facts to writing a novel where writers normally rely on creativity and imagination.

Atia is also taking over our Instagram stories from her visit to Bangkok so be sure to follow us on Instagram by clicking here!

Say 'Hi' to Atia on Twitter and check out an exclusive excerpt from "American Panda" along with an adorable cartoon that ties in with the excerpt over at her shownotes page by clicking here! For writers, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of Katherine's shownotes page to download her writing prompt for our storytellers!

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

---

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

---

"I'm glad that I'm nervous when I ask because I feel like that means I still care about the people that I'm talking to."

-Atia Abawi (Click to tweet!)

"My imagination was gone because of my journalism. What I did do was put in reality as deep and as best as I could. The sparkles on the water that shimmered like diamonds, that's real."

-Atia Abawi (Click to tweet!)

"It got to the point where your dreams no longer just belong to you."

-Atia Abawi (Click to tweet!)

---

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE:

• How Atia began her career in journalism and how she continued to persevere
• Atia shares the story of her parents' terrifying journey to find refuge in Germany
• We discover why it was crucial for Atia to write "A Land of Permanent Goodbyes" and how she humanizes the refugee crisis we see today through her novel
• We learn why she made the specific choice of narrating the novel through the voice of Destiny
• Atie walks us through how she transitioned from a journalism background of reporting facts to writing a novel, a career that normally relies on creativity and imagination

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

---

Katherine Locke is the author of the Sydney Taylor Honor Award winning debut young adult novel "The Girl with the Red Balloon."

In today's episode, we dive into how "The Girl with the Red Balloon" was influenced by her Grandfather. She shares advice for writers new to the historical fantasy genre, how technology plays a crucial role when writing historical fiction, how to tell a story that requires emotionally heavy research and overcoming the emotional exhaustion.

Katherine walks us through incredibly helpful tips on drafting, from the first draft to the second draft, and how to work through the dreaded middle of the manuscript. You'll learn why Katherine always tosses out the first draft and how she accepted this as part of her process. We also touch on different ways to brainstorm, how to simultaneously balance writing for different genres and age groups, and why it's necessary to have a writing community.

For writers, to download the exclusive writing prompt she created for our community, scroll down till you see a box that says "writing prompt". Katherine is also taking over our Instagram account and will be showing us behind-the-scenes glimpses of her writing life, from her local coffee shop where she gets her writing done and how she gets through writer's block, to special footage from her research trip in Budapest, and so much more. We're also hosting an exciting giveaway of Katherine's book so be sure to follow us on Instagram by clicking here!

Say 'Hi' to Katherine on Twitter and check out an exclusive excerpt from "American Panda" along with an adorable cartoon that ties in with the excerpt over at her shownotes page by clicking here! For writers, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of Katherine's shownotes page to download her writing prompt for our storytellers!

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

---

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

---

"It's very important to have a writing community that cheerleads and then also challenges you."

-Katherine Locke (Click to tweet!)

"It took me 3 years of writing it to realize it was ok to not find answers in my own book, its ok to come up with more questions. A tough emotional place to be but a really important personal place to be."

-Katherine Locke (Click to tweet!)

"I have always considered myself a YA writer, I really do think that's part of my identity as a writer. I just happen to also write books for adults."

-Katherine Locke (Click to tweet!)

---

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE:

• Advice on drafting, from the first draft to the second draft

• How to work through the dreaded middle of your manuscript

• How to tell a story that requires emotionally heavy research and overcome the emotional drainage

• Detailed advice for writers new to the historical fantasy genre

• How to simultaneously balance writing for different genres and age groups

• Learn why Katherine always tosses out the first draft and how she accepted this as part of her process to help move her forward

• Why it's crucial to have a writing community and support

• Different ways to brainstorm and utilizing how your brain works

• The importance of writing consistently

• How Katherine's story for The Girl with the Red Balloon was influenced by her Grandfather

• How technology plays a crucial role when writing historical fiction

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

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We have co-authors Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner on our show today!

Meagan is the author of "Hunted" and the "Skylark" trilogy, and Amie is the co-author of "The Illuminae Files". Amie and Meagan are longtime friends and they've traveled quite a lot together and have even lived with each other. They're the epitome of friendship goals.

In today's episode, we discuss how traveling has directly impacted their writings both individually and together as they co-authored their newest book "Unearthed". In our conversation, we dive into all the details of "Unearthed", how the idea came to fruition from their travels, and what it was like writing the book together. "Unearthed" is the first in a duology and the film rights have been optioned by the production company "Cross Creek Pictures", the same company that produced "Black Swan", and has Doug Liman from "The Bourne Identity" attached to direct.

For our listeners who are especially interested in co-authoring, you'll want to pay special attention to Meagan and Amie when they walk us through why mutual respect is the key foundation to their successful and healthy partnership as co-authors, how they stay aligned with their book's main goal by assigning primary responsibilities, and how to productively and efficiently work through disagreements as co-authors. They also share really helpful advice on finding writing partners for yourself and what to look out for.

We also talk about how Meagan landed a literary agent and how Amie became represented by the same literary agency. We deep dive into some real talk about finding your fit when it comes to literary representation, and what to be aware of when you're figuring out which literary agent to work with.

In case you missed our announcement last week, we added Instagram story takeovers for many of our upcoming episodes! Be sure to follow us on Instagram to catch Amie and Meagan's story takeover where you'll get a fun behind-the-scenes glimpse at their writing life.

Say 'Hi' to Amie on Twitter and Meagan on Twitter! Click here to check out their shownotes page.

Happy listening!

Xo,

Yin

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

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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!

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

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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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"You want to make sure that you have somebody with you who's there for the whole journey, who wants to see you succeed, rather than just sell one book."

-Meagan Spooner (Click to tweet!)

"You have to be prepared to stand by your work the whole way through."

-Amie Kaufman (Click to tweet!)

"Traveling, for me, is the one surefire way to get over writer's block."

-Meagan Spooner (Click to tweet!)

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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE:

• How traveling directly inspires Meagan and Amie's writings
• How Meagan landed literary representation and how Amie became represented by the same literary agency
• Why it's crucial to find your fit when it comes to literary representation and what to look out for when figuring out which literary agent to work with
• Why mutual respect is the key foundation to Amie and Meagan's successful and healthy partnership as co-authors
• How to stay aligned with the book's main vision as co-authors by assigning primary responsibilities
• How to productively and efficiently work through disagreements as co-authors
• Why it's important to continue writing your story even if you see a similar story being published
• Amie and Meagan share advice on finding writing partners