Carter Wilson's Making It Up

"Anyone who's ever taught writing has said it wasn't the young 'genius' in the room who ended up making it as a writer... It's about stamina. It's about becoming really good at learning—an autodidact who's like, 'I'm just going to keep learning. I'm going to figure out how to do this." — Andromeda Romano-Lax 

Andromeda Romano-Lax worked as a freelance journalist and travel writer before turning to fiction. Her first novel, The Spanish Bow, was chosen as a New York Times Editors’ Choice, BookSense pick, and one of Library Journal’s Best Books of the Year. Her novels have been an Amazon Book of the Month, a winner of the Sunburst Award, and a Booklist Top 10 Historical Fiction Book of the Year. ​Starting with The Deepest Lake (a Barnes & Noble Monthly Pick and Amazon Book of the Month) and continuing with her next novel, What Boys Learn, Andromeda has swerved into the world of suspense fiction. 

Among other things, Andromeda and Carter discuss how Andromeda got varying academic degrees to have a broad knowledge base, how thinking of the audience can hinder your writing, and to what extent authors should experiment with different genres. At the end of their conversation, they make up a twisted story using a line from Stephen King’s Just After Sunset. 

"A lot of it is learning to trust your reader too. I feel like I'm tempted to do a lot of handholding when I write... and you have to go through with a red pen after and say, 'Okay, what is really not needed? What can the reader figure out on their own?' ... You're not writing books for idiots, so don't act like they're idiots." — Corinne Sullivan 

Corinne Sullivan is the senior news editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers celebrity and entertainment news. She graduated from Boston College in 2014 with a degree in English and creative writing. She went on to receive her MFA in fiction from Sarah Lawrence College. Her stories have appeared in literary magazines such as Night Train, Knee-Jerk, and Pithead Chapel, among other publications, and her 2018 debut novel, Indecent, was included on several "best of" lists.

Among other things, Corinne and Carter discuss trying to become an editorial assistant after getting her MFA, lessons on the writing industry that Corinne has learned from being a senior news editor at Cosmopolitan, and how descriptive writing can slow a story down. At the end of their conversation, they make up a suspenseful story using a line from BJ Magnani’s We’ll Always Have Poison. 

"The mom guilt—you hit the nail on the head. I’m like, 'Sorry guys, mommy’s writing a murder chapter right now, somebody’s getting murdered.' But at the end of the day, writing is a passion... and it makes me a better mom." — Rachael Ramas 

Rachael Ramas is a multi-faceted storytelling force whose creative pursuits span novels, screenwriting, and film production. As both a published author and active member of prestigious writing organizations, Ramas continues pushing boundaries in thriller literature while advocating for authentic representation. Her debut thriller, Objects in Lakes, was released in May 2026, and her second novel, Meanwhile, in Florida, is set to be released in April 2027.

Among other things, Rachael and Carter discuss writing from different points of view, how Rachael is preparing for her first book tour, and the challenge of boasting about yourself and your book as a modest person. At the end of their conversation, they make up an intense story using a line from Matthew Sullivan’s Midnight in Soap Lake. 

"I don't like when violence is trivialized in any genre... someone's dead, like the little jokes or the puns or the whatever, it doesn't work for me... I can't buy into that atmosphere. There has to be… it's not even a ripple effect. It's a freaking tsunami when there's a violent death. So let the storm come, you know, I want to see it. I want to feel it." — Ellery Adams 

Ellery Adams is the USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of over 40 novels, including the Books by the Bay mysteries, the Charmed Pie Shoppe mysteries, and the Book Retreat mysteries. She grew up on a beach near the Long Island Sound. Adams has held many jobs, including caterer, retail clerk, car salesperson, teacher, tutor, and tech writer, all the while penning poems, children’s books, and novels.

Among other things, Ellery and Carter discuss the fluidity of the horror genre, storytelling as a child, and setting a story in the 1980s. At the end of their conversation, they make up a descriptive story using a line from R.H. Herron’s Stolen Things. 

"I remember rereading it and being like, 'This is what I have been looking for... through all of these jobs and career to careers, that thing that brings me happiness on a day-to-day level.' And also that macro level satisfaction of like, ‘I'm kind of proud of what I created,’ you know? It's those two levels that I think are really, really hard to find. And I think it's worth trying to go from thing to thing, trying to find that for yourself, whatever that may be." — Angie Kim 

Angie Kim moved as a preteen from Seoul, South Korea, to the suburbs of Baltimore. She studied philosophy at Stanford University and attended Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. Her debut novel, Miracle Creek, won the Edgar Award and the ITW Thriller Award, and was named one of the 100 best mysteries and thrillers of all time by Time, and one of the best books of the year by Time, The Washington Post, Kirkus Reviews, and the Today show. Happiness Falls, her second novel, was an instant New York Times bestseller and a book club pick for Good Morning America, Barnes & Noble, Belletrist, and Book of the Month Club.

Among other things, Angie and Carter discuss how Angie immigrated from Korea in middle school, using writing as a form of therapy, and how Angie fictionalized her personal life and started her writing career. At the end of their conversation, they make up an intriguing story using a line from Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking. 

"Since so many thrillers are based around some kind of crime—which is a break in our social order—it is the perfect vehicle to explore the human condition... Thrillers and crime fiction really allow for an under the microscope, us looking at what happens when the social order breaks down." — Lauren Nossett 

Lauren Nossett is a professor turned novelist and the award-winning author of the thrillers The Resemblance and The Professor. Her books have been Amazon Editors picks and featured in The New York Times, Buzzfeed,E! News, and Paste Magazine. Described as "elegant and thoughtful" by The New York Times and "impossible to put down" by Paste Magazine, The Resemblance won the ITW Thriller Award for Best First Novel and was chosen as a Book All Georgians Should Read. Her next novel, Indie Darling, will release July 2026.

Among other things, Lauren and Carter discuss their experiences at writing conferences like ThrillerFest, maintaining a fast pace in a thriller, and how she completely rewrote her recent novel. At the end of their conversation, they make up a dark story using a line from Elise Hart Kipness’s Dangerous Play.

"Problem solving is done in the woods a lot of times for me... or doing dishes, you'll have an aha moment, right? It's the magic—you can't beat it into fruition... magically, it just shows itself. It's quite fun." — Katrina Denza 

Katrina Denza’s stories have appeared in Nelle, Slippery Elm, and Jabberwock Review, among other places. Her work has received a scholarship from the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and a fellowship from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. Her debut story collection, BURNER AND OTHER STORIES, was published in November 2025. From 2015 to 2021 she served as chair of the Writers-in-Residence Program for the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities in North Carolina.

Among other things, Katrina and Carter discuss New England, learning to fall in love with the process, and how inspiration can strike at random moments. At the end of their conversation, they make up a gripping story using a line from The Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald. 

"Tenacity is essential. Bullheadedness is essential. You have to be really, really stubborn about it... You have to stick in there until your shot comes up. That's all it is." — Tracy Clark

Tracy Clark is the author of the award-winning Cass Raines Chicago Mystery series and the Detective Harriet Foster series, featuring Harriet Foster. A multi-nominated Anthony, Lefty, Macavity, Edgar and Shamus Award finalist, Tracy is also the 2020 and 2022 winner of the G.P. Putnam’s Sons Sue Grafton Memorial Award, as well as the 2022 Sara Paretsky Award, and is a proud member of Crime Writers of Color, Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, and currently serves on the Bouchercon national board and the board of the Midwest Mystery Conference.

Among other things, Tracy and Carter discuss learning that writing is a business, killing off characters in a timely manner, and managing rejection. At the end of their conversation, they make up a suspenseful story using a line from Carlene O’Connor’s You Have Gone Too Far. 

“I learned a very important lesson from Janet Ivanovich. She said I want readers to forget they’re reading. I want them to be so lost in what they’re doing… they forget there’s a page. You want the writing to disappear… I want them to get sucked into just being lost in the book.” 

 Lee Goldberg is a two-time Edgar Award and two-time Shamus Award nominee and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty novels, including the Eve Ronin series, the Sharpe & Walker series, the Ian Ludlow trilogy, fifteen Monk mysteries, and five internationally bestselling Fox & O’Hare books co-written with Janet Evanovich. He has also written and/or produced many TV shows, including Diagnosis Murder, SeaQuest, and Monk, and is the co-creator of the hit Hallmark movie series Mystery 101. 

Among other things, Lee and Carter discuss growing up with parents working in media, putting yourself in a position where opportunities come to you, and writing a screenplay versus a novel. At the end of their conversation, they make up a cinematic story using a line from Tod Goldberg’s Only Way Out.

Connect with Carter at www.carterwilson.com

Connect with Lee at www.leegoldberg.com

"I learned a very important lesson from Janet Ivanovich. She said I want readers to forget they're reading. I want them to be so lost in what they're doing... they forget there's a page. You want the writing to disappear... I want them to get sucked into just being lost in the book." — Lee Goldberg 

Lee Goldberg is a two-time Edgar Award and two-time Shamus Award nominee and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty novels, including the Eve Ronin series, the Sharpe & Walker series, the Ian Ludlow trilogy, fifteen Monk mysteries, and five internationally bestselling Fox & O’Hare books co-written with Janet Evanovich. He has also written and/or produced many TV shows, including Diagnosis Murder, SeaQuest, and Monk, and is the co-creator of the hit Hallmark movie series Mystery 101. He is also co-founder of the publishing company Brash Books.

Among other things, Lee and Carter discuss growing up with parents working in media, putting yourself in a position where opportunities come to you, and writing a screenplay versus a novel. At the end of their conversation, they make up a cinematic story using a line from Tod Goldberg’s Only Way Out.