Inside the Writer's Studio

Inside the Writer's Studio episodes:

• 04.15.2024

  Sarah Langan (4/15/2024) Inside the Writer's Studio Episode #133

  Charlie talks with Sarah about her new novel A Better World. They discuss ideal neighborhoods, suburban dystopia, family dynamics, writing about the future, ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, an amazing book cover, and much more.

  
• 04.01.2024

  Stephen McCauley (4/1/2024) Inside the Writer's Studio Episode #132

  Charlie talks with Stephen about his latest novel You Only Call When You're in Trouble. They discuss openings, language choice, character driven novels, humor, adaptations to the stage and screen, architecture, and much more.

  
• 03.14.2024

  Nina Simon (3/15/2024) Inside the Writer's Studio Episode #131

  Charlie talks with debut novelist Nina Simon about her breakout novel Mother Daughter Murder Night. They discuss writing mysteries, the natural world, mother daughter relationships, strong women characters, and how Nina came to write this book in the first place.

  
• 03.02.2024

  Escaping Dreamland Cast (3/1/2024) Inside the Writer's Studio Episode #130

  Charlie talks with Hunter Harrell, Charlie Putnam, and Tanner Whicker, stars of the world premiere stage adaptation of his 2020 novel Escaping Dreamland about the process of bringing the characters of Magda, Tom, and Gene to life in the production...

  
• 02.18.2024

  Curtis Chin (2/15/2024) Inside the Writer's Studio Episode #129

  Charlie talks with Curtis Chin, author of Everything I Learned I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant about the immigrant experience, coming of age in Detroit in the 1980s, coming out in the 1980s, and food glorious food, Chinese style!

  
• 02.01.2024

  Janice Hallett (2/1/2024) Inside the Writer's Studio Episode #128

  Charlie talks with British mystery writer Janice Hallett about her novel The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels. They discuss writing in the documentary form, cold cases, religion, cults, classic mysteries, journalistic ethics, and much more.

  
• 01.15.2024

  Jane Corry (1/15/2024) Inside the Writer's Studio Episode #127

  Charlie talks with Sunday Times bestselling author Jane Corry about her novel Coming to Find You. They discuss Devon, old houses, Frederic Leighton, prison, tabloid journalism, and much more about the art and craft of writing a mystery.

  
• 12.01.2023

  Virginia Kantra (12/1/2023) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #126

  Charlie talks with Virginia Kantra, author of the forthcoming novel The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale. They discuss classic children's books (from Oz to Narnia), the importance of setting, absent parents, the art of elegant exposition, metafictional irony, and much...

  
• 11.17.2023

  Henry Winkler (Live) (11/15/2023)Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #125

  Charlie talks live with legendary actor Henry Winkler at a Bookmarks event about his new best-selling memoir Being Henry: The Fonz . . . And Beyond. They talk about dyslexia, Yale Drama School, TV and stage acting, The Mary Tyler...

  
• 10.31.2023

  Dominic Lim (11/1/2023) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #124

  Charlie talks to debut novelist Dominic Lim about his queer romance All the Right Notes. They discuss Dominic's background in music and how music is woven throughout the novel, the incorporation of Filipino culture and particularly food, the state of...

  
• 10.01.2023

  Julie Soto (10/1/2023) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #123

  Charlie talks with Julie Soto, fresh off her appearance at the 2023 Bookmarks Festival, about her new novel Forget Me Not. They talk about theatre, romance novels, wedding planning, Jane Austen, humor, donuts, and more.

  
• 09.15.2023

  Megan Miranda (9/15/2023) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #122

  Ahead of her appearance at the 2023 Bookmarks Festival in Winston-Salem on September 23, Charlie talks to Megan Miranda about her novel, The Only Survivors. They discuss structuring a thriller, setting, writing about a tight group of characters, the impact...

  
• 09.01.2023

  John Connolly (9/1/23) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #121

  John Connolly joins Charlie all the way from Ireland to talk about The Land of Lost Things, the long awaited follow-up to his The Book of Lost Things. John will be at the 2023 Bookmarks Festival of Books and Authors...

  
• 08.15.2023

  Alice Bell (8/15/2023) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #120

  Charlie talks to UK mystery writer Alice Bell about her new novel Grave Expectations. They discuss Dickens, Agatha Christie, humor in murder mysteries, ghosts, chapter structure, police procedurals, and much more.

  
• 08.01.2023

  Dwyer Murphy (8/1/2023) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #119

  Charlie talks with Dwyer Murphy about his new noir thriller The Stolen Coast. They discuss small town New England, the use of dialogue, basketball, the noir aesthetic, and the imagination that goes into planning a heist.

  
• 07.15.2023

  Elizabeth Silver (7/15/2023) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #118

  Charlie talks with novelist Elizabeth Silver about her new book The Majority—inspired by the life of Ruth Bader Ginsberg. They talk about the intersection of law and narrative, choosing the moments to dramatize in a historical novel, the Holocaust, women's...

  
• 04.15.2023

  J. Ryan Stradal (4/14/2023) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #117

  Charlie talks with bestselling author J. Ryan Stradal about his new novel Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club. They discuss midwestern novels, how to begin a novel, the structure of chapters, creating characters, and of course the culture of...

  
• 04.01.2023

  Charlie Lovett, R. L. Green Lecture (4/1/2023) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #116

  Something a little different this episode, Charlie shares his "Thoughts on Scholarship" in the annual Roger Lancelyn Green lecture delivered on the occasion of the publication of his new biography of the author of Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll: Formed...

  
• 03.15.2023

  Laurell K. Hamilton (3/14/2023) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #115

  Charlie talks with Laurell K. Hamilton, author of the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series about the latest installment, Smolder. They discuss the challenges of sustaining a series, creating a long-range character arc, the combination of hard boiled detective with paranormal,...

  
• 02.15.2023

  Steve Berry (2/15/2023) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #114

  Charlie talks with internationally best-selling author Steve Berry about his latest Cotton Malone adventure The Lost Kingdom. Steve talks about using history in a contemporary thriller and gives great advice on everything from starting chapters to using setting, researching historical...

  
• 02.01.2023

  Kate Alice Marshall (2/1/2023) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #113

  Charlie talks with Alice Kate Marshall about her new adult thriller What Lies in the Woods. They discuss writing characters at different ages, setting as a reflection of theme, finding voice and crafting point of view, writing for different audiences,...

  
• 01.15.2023

  Brad Meltzer (1/15/2023) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #112

  Charlie talks with bestselling author of thrillers, tv writer, and historian Brad Meltzer about his new book The Nazi Conspiracy—about a plot to assassinate Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin at the height of WWII. They discuss research, structure, storytelling, and the...

  
• 11.15.2022

  Lauren Nossett (11/15/2022) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #111

  Charlie talks with debut novelist Lauren Nossett about her new work of dark academia, The Resemblance. They discuss the genre as well as life on campus, Greek life, investigative techniques, writing prologues, and much more.

  
• 11.01.2022

  Kate Forsyth (11/1/2022) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #110

  Charlie chats with Australian best selling novelist Kate Forsyth about her latest historical novel, The Crimson Thread, set on Crete during the Nazi occupation. They discuss writing historical novels, ancient mythology, finding hidden WW II stories, and mush more.

  
• 10.15.2022

  Sandra Brown (10/15/22) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #109

  Charlie talks with 73-time NYT bestseller Sandra Brown about her latest novel, Overkill. They discuss structuring thrillers, pacing, writing villains, the terrible trouble, the North Carolina Mountains, and much more.

  
• 10.01.2022

  Charlie Lovett/Frank Morelli The Book of the Seven Spells (10/1/22) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #108

  Author of middle grade books Frank Morelli takes over the microphone to interview Charlie about his new middle grade novel The Book of the Seven Spells, a fast-paced adventure about four children who discover a magical library.

  
• 09.15.2022

  Scott Turow (9/15/2022) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #107

  Ahead of their appearance at the Bookmarks Festival in Winston-Salem, Charlie and Scott discuss Scott's new novel Suspect, touching on everything from what makes a thriller to rapid character development, creating villains, the American legal system, and more.

  
• 09.01.2022

  Anne Bogel/Charlie Lovett (9/1/2022) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #106

  Anne Bogel (aka Modern Mrs. Darcy) interviews Charlie about his new novel The Enigma Affair. Anne (host of the What Should I Read Next podcast) asks Charlie about surprises, research, writing thrillers, and of course she puts him on the...

  
• 08.15.2022

  Grady Hendrix (8/15/2022) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #105

  Charlie talks with horror novelist Grady Hendrix about his new novel How to Sell a Haunted House. They discuss the history and development of the horror genre, family dynamics, the use of humor, structuring a novel, pacing, and why dolls...

  
• 08.01.2022

  Jamie Ford (8/1/2022) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #104

  Charlie returns from summer vacation to talk with bestselling author Jamie Ford about his new novel The Many Daughters of Afong Moy, a sweeping story about the things we inherit from our ancestors. They talk about mixing historical fiction and...

  
• 06.15.2022

  Geraldine Brooks (6/15/2022) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #103

  Charlie talks with Pulitzer Prize winer Geraldine Brooks about her new novel horse and its inspiration, a nineteenth century American racehorse. They discuss structuring a novel across multiple time frames. capturing the voice of a past era, race in America,...

  
• 06.01.2022

  Elle Cosimano (6/1/2022) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #102

  Charlie talks with Elle about her Finlay Donovan books. They talk plotting, murder, body disposal, character building, the genesis of Finlay, motherhood, divorce, Writers' Police Academy, and mixing humor and crime in books about a single mom recruited to be...

  
• 05.15.2022

  Lauren McBrayer (5/15/2022) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #101

  Charlie talks with Lauren McBrayer about her new novel Like a House on Fire in which protagonist Merit must understand her feelings towards her boss Jane. They discuss the search for identity, female friendship, religion, sensory detail and much more...

  
• 05.01.2022

  Kyle Lukoff (5/1/2022) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #100

  Charlie talks with Kyle Lukoff about his new middle grade novel Different Kinds of Fruit. They talk about writing LGBTQ characters, getting into the emotional headspace of sixth graders, layering secondary and tertiary characters, structure, family dynamics, and much more.

  
• 04.15.2022

  Annie Hartnett (4/15/22) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #99

  Charlie talks with Annie Hartnett about her new novel Unlikely Animals. They discuss depicting small towns, using magical realism, narrative voice and point of view, and the background of this fascinating novel—a 26,000 acre private wildlife preserve called Corbin Park....

  
• 03.15.2022

  Roddy Doyle (3/15/2022) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #98

  Charlie talks with Booker Prize winner Roddy Doyle about his new book of short stories Life Without Children. They talk about Irish storytelling, Dublin, the pandemic, the craft of short story writing, the difference between incident and story, and much...

  
• 03.01.2022

  Ruta Sepetys (3/1/2022) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #97

  Charlie talks to best-selling author Ruta Sepetys about her new crossover novel I Must Betray You, set in Romania just before the fall of communism. They discuss Eastern European history, what it was like to live in communist Romania, how...

  
• 02.15.2022

  Josie Silver (2/15/2022) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #96

  Charlie talks with bestselling author Josie Silver about her new novel One Night on the Island—the talk about romance tropes and subverting them, setting a narrative in a remote location, researching during COVID, building strong secondary characters, and more.

  
• 02.01.2022

  Fiona Davis (2/1/2021) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #95

  Charlie talks to historical novelist Fiona Davis about her novel The Magnolia Palace, set largely at the Frick Museum in New York City in 1919 and 1966. They discuss (among other things) New York, researching historical details, the place of...

  
• 01.15.2022

  Kerri Maher (1/15/2022) Inside the Writer’s Studio Episode #94

  Charlie starts off the new year talking with historical novelist Kerri Maher about her new novel The Paris Bookseller, a fascinating and moving account of Sylvia Beach and her famous store Shakespeare and Company. They discuss Beach's publication of Ulysses...

  
• 12.01.2021

  Elizabeth Weiss (12/1/2021) Inside the Writer‘s Studio Episode #93

  Charlie talks to debut novelist Elizabeth Weiss about her novel Sisters Sweet which follows the lives of twin sisters as they navigate the world of vaudeville in the 1920s and 1930s. They discuss theatre history, writing about twins, changing technology,...

  
• 11.15.2021

  Sophie Cousens (9/15/2021) Inside the Writer‘s Studio Episode #92

  Charlie chats with Sophie Cousens, author of the romantic comedy Just Haven't Met You Yet, about living on the island of Jersey in the English Channel, the connection between place and story, the meaning of objects in our lives, the...

  
• 11.01.2021

  Rex Pickett (11/1/2021) Inside the Writer‘s Studio Episode #91

  Charlie talks with screenwriter and novelist Rex Pickett about his new novel The Archivist. They discuss the place of an archivist in the life of a writer, southern California, the thorny issues of archival ethics, adapting novels for the screen...

  
• 10.15.2021

  Sophie Kinsella (10/15/2021) Inside the Writer‘s Studio Episode #90

  Charlie talks with British novelist Sophie Kinsella about her new book The Party Crasher. They discuss family dynamics, writing humor, confining the action to a single place and time, the character arc of a house, how to humanize even unlikeable...

  
• 10.01.2021

  Lauren Groff (10/1/21) Inside the Writer‘s Studio Episode #89

  Fresh on the heels of Lauren's appearance at the Bookmarks Festival in Winston-Salem, NC, Charlie and Lauren discuss her new novel Matrix about the poet Marie de France. They discuss religion, economics, feminism, queer history, poetry, royalty, mysticism, and how...

  
• 09.15.2021

  Wylie Cash (9/16/2021) Inside the Writer‘s Studio Episode #88

  Charlie talks with fellow North Carolina novelist about his new novel When Ghosts Come Home. The talk about issues of race and class, how to use backstory to create pacing, how tragedy magnifies the details of life, creating believable minor...

  
• 09.01.2021

  Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray (9/1/2021) Inside the Writer‘s Studio Episode #87

  Charlie talks with Marie and Victoria about their historical novel The Personal Librarian, the story of a trailblazing black woman who passed for white while building one of the most significant book collections in the world—now the Morgan Library and...

  
• 08.01.2021

  Shari Lapena (8/1/2021) Inside the Writer's Studio Episode #86

  Charlie chats with Canadian mystery writer Shari Lapena about her new novel Not a Nice Family. They discuss managing information in a mystery, family dynamics, the art of crafting chapter endings, and much more about the murder, dysfunction, and suspicion...

  
• 07.15.2021

  Matt Haig (7/15/2021) Inside the Writer's Studio Episode #85

  Charlie talks with Matt Haig all the way from England about his bestselling novel The Midnight Library and his more recent non-fiction The Comfort Book. They discuss connections between the two books, the importance of hope, the ways in which...

  
• 07.01.2021

  Steven Petrow (7/1/2021) Inside the Writer's Studio Episode #84

  Charlie talks with journalist, essayist, and columnist Steven Petrow about his book Stupid Things I Won't Do When I Get Old and about what it means to be a Civilist and a Perennial. They discuss humor, aging, voice in personal...