I am soooooo excited to share some news! 

This week, the How Writers Write Podcast broke into the top 50 Fiction Podcasts on iTunes! We hit as high as #26! We are closing in on 1000 listens in just a few short days. Thank you to everyone who is supporting this podcast. I am out of my mind excited! But, I still need your help. If you haven't yet, be sure to rate, subscribe, and share this podcast. We're just getting started!

Today's interview is with an author who I have admired and widely read, Victor LaValle. 

As I was preparing for this intro, I found it so hard to pick a few highlights from this episode. Victor is a wealth of knowledge and a model of what it is to be a writer. This guy is a true professional. I loved my time with him and before we go any further, I want to send a huge thanks to Victor for his time. 

That said, here are a few things that really stuck out to me. 

At the beginning of our talk, Victor details his development as a writer, and how he started writing stories. There are so many moments of wisdom in this section. I actually had to edit out all of my “yups and uh-huhs” because I was lost in what he was saying.

We also discussed how his writing life changed with the birth of his first child, and how that changed his routine and focus. You know, I think a lot of times we see the addition of big responsibilities like a child as a negative to the freedom we want to write, but Victor shares how he learned to be more productive and write EVEN MORE after he became a father. 

Victor and I also dive into what it means to write thought the emotional pain of our lives. We both shared personal stories about how writing has allowed us to engage with the hurt we’ve experienced. There is so much insight that Victor shares about getting your heart onto the page and loving your work. 

There is so much in this episode. I know you’ll love listening as much as I loved spending time with Victor.

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