Leila Howland, author of NANTUCKET BLUE, THE FORGET-ME-NOT SUMMER, and its sequel THE BRIGHTEST STARS OF SUMMER (and the forthcoming HELLO, SUNSHINE, due out next summer!), talks writing hiatus, learning structure from screenwriting, and finding inspiration in well-intentioned missteps.

Leila Howland Show Notes

STUART LITTLE by E.B. White

A LITTLE PRINCESS and THE SECRET GARDEN by Frances Hodgson Burnett

HEIDI by Johanna Spyri

THE HOBBIT by J.R.R. Tolkien

THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS by Kenneth Grahame

Young Frankenstein (movie)

Sara Crowe (agent)

SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder

10 Cloverfield Lane (movie)

The Godfather (movie)

THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LAUNDAU BANKS by E. Lockhart

Lost It by Kristin Tracy

Bridesmaids (movie)

Elin Hilderbrand (author)

Josephine Angelini (author)

Kiernan Shipka (Sally Draper on Mad Men, TV show)

HELLO SUNSHINE, forthcoming book from Leila

Barnsdall Art Park

Kayla Cagan (author)

SUMMER IN THE INVISIBLE CITY by Juliana Romano (Leila's review for her debut book, FIRST THERE WAS FOREVER)

Robert Hass: "Take the time to write. You can do your life's work in half an hour a day."