No Write Way with V. E. Schwab

This week, I chat with a writer who shares my love for making the world a little bit stranger—Alix Harrow, the brilliant author of The Once and Future Witches, Starling House, and more. Join us as we explore her unique writing rituals, the origins of her ideas, and the interesting “treasures” she discovered in an old teapot.

This week, I chat with the incomparable S. A. Cosby, author of the acclaimed “southern noir” crime novels Blacktop Wasteland, All The Sinners Bleed, and more. We delve into character development, the importance of knowing backstory, and learn about his unique favorite smell.

Welcome to the first episode of No Write Way, season 2, where I delve into how "Writing is like a Road Trip" with author Fonda Lee. We also talk through her creative process, unique hurdles, and the surprisingly strange item hanging in her bedroom.

Welcome to No Write Way!

Hydrate!, growing up around books, editing, negative feedback, short stories, getting an agent, using spreadsheets to track novel writing, idea cook time, {technical difficulties in the episode mean a mini-q&a with V!}, setting as character, juggling projects, work-life balance, daily schedule, and more! Listen in.    

This originally streamed 8/15/2020 on Instagram live.

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From learning disability to award winning author, living and working in Hong Kong, io9 and other work, novel vs. short story, revisiting old ideas, second guessing, explorative writing, dialogue, scriptwriting, description and scene setting, getting emotion on the page, daily routine, and more! Listen in. 
This originally streamed 8/22/2020 on Instagram live.
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Rethinking social media, using mythology for personal catharsis, visiting a psychic, becoming a published author, finishing a trilogy, talking the story out, 9 box setup, outlining, growing as a writer, rewriting, breaking down goals, empowering upcoming writers, new vampires, and more! Listen in. 
This originally streamed 8/8/2020 on Instagram live.
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Book lengths, second book syndrome, starting with fanfiction, getting feedback, the pressure and psychology of being published young, working on multiple projects, structural edits, starting with a synopsis and a chapter plan, character arc, using music to build character and setting, drafting troubles, tracking character experience, attempting to finding balance, and more! Listen in.
This originally streamed 8/1/2020 on Instagram live.
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Getting into comics through Sailor Moon, building art and story skills, choosing which details to track and develop, illustration vs. comics, day to day process of creating a graphic novel, pushing through doubt to finish,  challenges of comics, reference and inspiration, illustrating Wonder Woman, consistency and artistic "glow-ups", dream projects and stories, cheat codes, and more! Listen in. 
This originally streamed 7/25/2020 on Instagram live.
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Life in lockdown, from fan fiction to publication, inspired by Scrivener, writing out of order, on connecting with her Chinese heritage, second book syndrome, the story begins with an argument, complicated history leads to naturally complicated characters, changing personal perspectives and how that effects writing, moving on from a series, keeping promises, not forcing a scene, getting inspired and recharged, and more! Listen in. 
This originally streamed 7/18/2020 on Instagram live.
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Victoria chats about current reads and favorite books before being joined by her guest.
How Michael's dreams of acting first left writing on the back burner and then led to other creative ventures, the role of desperation and fear, hands in all the "cookie pies", learning to open up, writing children's books, the creative process, discipline and cultivation, trusting the process, first drafts and revisions, being a public figure in the social media age, and more! Listen in. 
This originally streamed 7/11/2020 on Instagram live.
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First grade dreams, fear of starting, the first novel, letting ideas simmer, drafting and revision, shiny idea syndrome, discipline, process, writing linearly, best night time note taking practices, self-care, the importance of diverse stories of discovery and exploration, writing trilogies and satisfying conclusions, telling stories with integrity, and more! Listen in.   
This originally streamed 7/5/2020 on Instagram live.
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Lock down hair, connecting with international fans, figuring things out on the page, arts funding makes a difference, getting to Spiderwick, Holly's first book, otter vs dolphin writers, follow your own excitement, supernatural worlds, fantasy vs horror, plot struggles, from idea to story, characters, short stories, 
This originally streamed 6/13/2020 on Instagram live.
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Working from home with family, accountability, from dreams of being a doctor to librarian to author, ambition, the journey to published, Cake Literary, choosing projects, Tiny Pretty Things (the Netflix show!), visualizing the narrative, refilling the well, using discomfort to unlock story, the illusion of meritocracy, #publishingpaidme, the market, why publish traditionally?, and more! Listen in. 
This originally streamed 6/20/2020 on Instagram live.
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20 Books by Black Authors You Should Read
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A GOOD KIND OF TROUBLE by Lisa Moore Ramée 
TRISTAN STRONG by Kwame Mbalia 
AMERICAN STREET by Ibi Zoboi
THE BELLES by Dhonielle Clayton 
A PHOENIX FIRST MUST BURN anthology edited by  Patrice Caldwell 
THE GOOD LUCK GIRLS by Charlotte Nicole Davis 
RIOT BABY by Tochi Onyebuchi
THE CHANGELING by Victor LaValle 
THE HUNDRED THOUSAND KINGDOMS by N.K. Jemison
UNKINDNESS OF GHOSTS by Rivers Solomon 
THE RECORD KEEPER by Agnes Gomillion 
REAL LIFE by Brandon Taylor  
THE WEDDING DATE by Jasmine Guillory
WE ARE NEVER MEETING IN REAL LIFE by Samantha Irby 
WHEN THEY CALL YOU A TERRORIST by Patrisse Khan-Cullors 
HERE FOR IT by R. Eric Thomas 
YOU CANT TOUCH MY HAIR by Phoebe Robinson 
GROWN by Tiffany D Jackson  
RING SHOUT by P. Djèlí Clark
TROUBLE THE SAINTS by Alaya Dawn Johnson
This originally streamed 6/6/2020 on Instagram live.
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How anime impacts Tochi's creativity, the hope behind protest movements, from aspiring comic book artist to author, starting with fanfic, influence of video games, remembering the analog days, hidden influences, beautiful prose, writer crushes, story architecture, rejection, and more! Listen in.
This originally streamed 5/30/2020 on Instagram live.
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Allowing time to freak out in order maintain creativity, flexing creative muscles to build craft, series cancellation, fetishizing the debut moment, 
getting to The End, short stories vs novels, revising, plot, hierarchy of needs in story, playing with format and structure, choosing genre, idea file, and more! Listen in.
This originally streamed 5/23/2020 on Instagram live.
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Working without pre-pandemic crutches, doomsday clock, Erin Sterling, writing Hex Hall, the fickleness of the industry, writing queer fiction, a new Jane Eyre and writing for hire, the creative process, creative cryptonite, work life balance, and more. Listen in!
This originally streamed 5/16/2020 on Instagram live.
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Is Pierce an outliner now?! Should authors also be marketing mavens? How do you continue writing a series while growing artistically? If Pierce never wrote again after finishing Red Rising would he be satisfied? Crow fights? Listen in.
This originally streamed 5/9/2020 on Instagram live.
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Meet the Porgs, debut groups and publishing mortality, writing camp, moving beyond "we already have a latinio writer", merpenis (cryptzoology), juggling projects and plotting, ovoiding overplotting, writing should never make you unhappy, refilling the creative well, creating when the world is in chaos, focus, books as horcruxes, and more! Listen in.
This originally streamed 5/2/2020 on Instagram live.
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The benefits and challenges of writing fantasy, being told you aren't good enough, pantsing, standalones vs series, writing the end, daily writing hours, when the book just isn't working, workahilsm and balance, creativity and responsibility, finding your voice, co-writing, and more. Listen in.
This originally streamed 4/18/2020 on Instagram live.
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A daylight savings snaffu means readers get a bonus 15 minute q&a session before the interview starts!
Learning story through advertising, visualizing, co-writing, putting on the final polish, the mental game, pressure after success, the mystery of acclaim and sales, leaving a series behind, writing in different mediums, keeping writing fun, developing healthy writing habits, romance, and more! Listen in.
This originally streamed 4/25/2020 on Instagram live.
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Sarah Maria Griff talks stubborn creativity, finding success the back way, reading your work out loud to find your writing voice, zine drops, the raw power of truth and fear, worst advice, and more. Listen in.
This originally streamed 4/11/2020 on Instagram live.
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WE FACE THIS LAND
Centuries ago,
Women accused of witchcraft faced, amongst other ordeals,
Trial by water
Tied to a chair or run under a boat
If she survives the drowning and floats
She’s a witch. If she dies, she’s a woman
We are not witches but if the church and state insists
Then let us be the descendants of all the witches they could not drown
This heirloom of trauma, this curse
This agony of water in order to hold agency over our bodies
Not all of us have survived, the waves do not part
There are no miracles here
When the stethoscope is a crucifix on your belly
How do you have any choice but the water
And fair medical treatment on another
A body is a body is a body is a body is a body is a body is a body
Not a house. Not a city. Not a vessel, not a country
The laws of the church have no place on your flesh
A veterinarian will abort a calf if a cow is falling ill. How is it that livestock is
worth more to this land than us
Eleven women every day leave Ireland seeking an abortion abroad.
We ask for the land over the water. Home over trial. Choice over none.
For our foremothers, ourselves, the generations yet to come
Witches or women - these are our bodies which shall not be given up

Chuck is the guinea pig for No Write Way, weird jobs, bad novels, outlines, reviews, edit letters, writer friends vs non-writer friends, multi-tasking, accepting feedback and more. Listen in.
This originally streamed April 2020 on Instagram live.
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