Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley

In part two of my interview with author and writing teacher Christopher Castellani, we talked about all the quirky psychology that goes into creating, including:- Why his books tend to get longer and longer the more he revises- The painful process of falling out of love with a book you’re writing- Sometimes it’s the timing of a project and not the quality of the idea that makes or breaks it- Bouncing around between various works in progress- The longest list of things his inner critic says of anyone I’ve ever talked to- Scheduling when he’ll feel sorry for himself as a way to quiet those negative thoughts- Finding the weird bits of your psychology to motivate yourself (Christopher’s is getting excited about working on two projects at the same time because then he gets to feel like he’s cheating whenever he stops working on one and starts working on the other)- A really thoughtful reason why “show don’t tell” is overdone- Why he had four separate legal pads for his last project, and how he used them to tap into his characters’ subconsciouses (and ultimately, his own)- How he tricks himself into workingConnect with Christopher (and check if he’s doing an event near you!) at christophercastellani.com.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I’m delighted to be talking with five-time novelist Christopher Castellani. Christopher’s newest book is “Last Seen,” which combines suspense, true crime, and magical realism to take the reader on a journey through the psyches and preoccupations of young men coming of age in twenty-first-century America.Christopher’s first novel, “A Kiss from Maddalena,” chronicled the Italian-American immigrant experience and won the Massachusetts Book Award; its follow-up, “The Saint of Lost Things,” was a BookSense Notable Book; and the final novel in the trilogy, “All This Talk of Love,” was a New York Times Editors’ Choice.His novel “Leading Men,” about the playwright Tennessee Williams and his longtime partner Frank Merlo, was a Los Angeles Times bestseller and is being developed into a movie for Searchlight Pictures.We covered:- What happened in fifth grade that made him decide to be a writer- Why he decided not to pursue the more stable path of becoming a writing professor- How being an author is a little like being a one man band- How he uses his books to make money–and it’s not by selling more copies- The habit he started during the pandemic that he still does, and that has totally changed his relationship to reading- The nerdy 80s magazine he’s still a subscriber toConnect with Christopher (and check if he’s doing an event near you!) at christophercastellani.com.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to part three of my interview with Jenna Blum, author of the new psychological thriller “Murder Your Darlings,” which will keep you up and crack you up while also offering an inside peek at the writing life. Jenna's other books include the New York Times and internationally bestselling “Those Who Save Us,” “The Storm Chasers,” and “The Lost Family.” She's also written the memoir “Woodrow on the Beach” and produced the audio course, The Author at Work.Today, we're going to get a peek at where Jenna is headed next, as well as what she's been reading, watching, drinking, and fantasizing about eating, including:- A peek into her publishing process and how she’s figuring out which book she’ll write next- Props to her parents for actually encouraging her to write for a living- The things she does for fun–and the vision she has to bring them all together, which should make you very excited if you write, eat pie, enjoy water sports, and/or love dogs- Some great shows about writing that are streaming now- The collection of coffee mugs that are key accessories for her writing process- The coffee maker she’s such a good customer of they sent her a free machine when hers broke- The musical era she’s stuck in- Why she never gets up early- Her greasy death row meal that breaks all her food guidelinesVisit Jenna at JennaBlum.com, Substack (Writer Girl in the World), Facebook (Jenna Blum author), or Instagram (Jenna_Blum).For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part two of my interview with Jenna Blum, the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of five books, including “Those Who Save Us” and “The Lost Family,” and “Murder Your Darlings” which is a psychological thriller and a peek inside the writing life.In today's interview, we're diving into what I call inner stuff, the squishier side of writing, dealing with resistance, doubts, the passage of time, unhelpful beliefs, all that fun stuff. We're going to dive into it.We covered:- Working to get back to the joy and self-importance of writing she felt as a kid- The part of writing she despises (that most writers claim to love)- The part she’d do with glee even if a lawnmower ran over her foot- How she talks herself out of feeling like she’s wasted time if she doesn’t end up liking what she wrote- Trusting your inner encouragements even if your critical mind doesn’t quite believe them- Why hitting her mid-fifties has prompted her to change genres (from historical fiction to psychological thrillers)- How she’s had to face the fact that writing is hard on the body–and what she’s doing to take care of herself- The question she asks herself when she’s figuring out which invitations she’ll say yes to and which she’ll decline- How she’s racked up a four-year daily meditating streak- All the things she’s doing to take care of herself as a woman in midlife with a sedentary careerVisit Jenna at JennaBlum.com, Substack (Writer Girl in the World), Facebook (Jenna Blum author), or Instagram (Jenna_Blum).For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week my guest is internationally bestselling author Jenna Blum. Jenna's books include “Those Who Save Us,” “The Storm Chasers,” and “The Lost Family.” Her newest book is a psychological thriller called “Murder Your Darlings,” which involves authors, book tours, deadlines, love, and stalkers.Jenna is the co-founder of A Mighty Blaze, an online author interview company, which if you're listening to this podcast, I know you will love the interviews that they put out. And she has taught at Grub Street Writers in Boston for years. Many of the authors I've interviewed on this show have taken classes with Jenna and/or worked with her at A Mighty Blaze. She's a true supporter of writers, readers, and booksellers alike. As evidence of this fact, for her first novel, “Those Who Save Us,” Jenna visited over 800 book clubs in the Boston area alone.We covered:- How she caught the writing bug from her dad, who wrote the news for Walter Cronkite- Applying to grad school five times before she was accepted- Why she’s still committed to writing and teaching now that she’s a few decades in- What gives her hope about the future of writing and reading books- Accepting your own creative process–especially when it doesn’t look like what you think it should- The value of talking about your ideas with people you trust, without sharing so much that you lose the drive to get it on the page- How her creative process is like a volcano- How writing is like making sausage- The parts of the writing process that happen only in her head- Why her first drafts look like instructions for assembling IKEA furniture- What she does right before she goes to sleep that helps her dive back into the writing the next dayVisit Jenna at JennaBlum.com, Substack (Writer Girl in the World), Facebook (Jenna Blum author), or Instagram (Jenna_Blum).For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this final installment of my interview with Kate Broad, whose debut novel “Greenwich” was named a best new book by People Magazine, we get a peek at where Kate is headed next, as well as what she's been reading, watching, drinking and fantasizing about eating lately.We cover:- The good and the bad parts of always reading (or watching) like a writer- Why she’s mapped out the structure of other writers’ books (and which ones)- The prominent authors whose paths’ have influenced her own choices- The confusion of being so proud to have written a book and also so terrified of seeing your name on the cover of an actual book that’s out in the world- The British mystery show that kept her up way too late and the recent books she couldn’t put down- Why she doesn’t make playlists for her books- The meal she craves that she will likely never be able to have againConnect with Kate at katebroad.substack.com and sign up for her Ask an Author newsletter.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to part two of my interview with Kate Broad, whose debut novel, “Greenwich,” was named a People Magazine best new book, an Amazon editor's pick, and a Publisher’s Weekly buzz book for summer 2025, and would be an excellent choice for your book club to read next.In today's interview, we're diving into the inner side of writing–dealing with resistance, doubts, the passage of time, and unhelpful beliefs. You know, the stuff we all face but don't usually talk about.We talked about:- How shifting from writing alone in her office to being out in the world talking about her book with readers was a huge learning curve, and what helped her ride it- Using therapy as a place to unpack professional jealousy, fears, and self-doubt- The video her publisher asked her to make that almost broke her- The phrase she tells herself when her “brain gremlins” start chiming in- The years-long process it took to sell her first novel- On making the choice to write what you want to read–not what you think the reader wants- How the philosopher whose work she read in her 20s is still influencing her workConnect with Kate at katebroad.substack.com and sign up for her Ask an Author newsletter.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest this week is Kate Broad, author of “Greenwich,” a coming of age story set against a backdrop of wealth and privilege that explores how mistakes can have life-altering consequences and asks who is the first to be blamed and who gets to be believed and forgiven.“Greenwich” was named a People Magazine best new book, an Amazon editor's pick and a Publishers Weekly Buzz Book for summer 2025. It would be a great choice for your book club, both because it's gripping and suspenseful and it explores a lot of gray areas around complicity and responsibility that will make for a juicy conversation.Kate is a Bronx Council of the Arts award winner for fiction and her writing has appeared in The Rumpus, No Tokens, The Brooklyn Review and elsewhere.We covered:- How she tried, but ultimately decided to stop putting energy into building a career that was writing-adjacent- How telling herself she doesn’t have to pursue writing helps motivate her to keep going- Cobbling together a liveable income from various writing pursuits- Using her advances to buy more time away from freelancing- The life choices she’s made to create more space for writing- Woo! Really insightful talk about money’s impact on creative integrity- Understanding yourself well enough to create the conditions that support your creative work- Taking care of your body and your mind as a creative- The steps she takes at the end of the day to make it easier for her to start writing the next dayConnect with Kate at katebroad.substack.com and sign up for her Ask an Author newsletter.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the final installment of my interview with Cynthia Weiner, author of “A Gorgeous Excitement,” a coming of age novel set in 1980s New York City that was named a best book of 2025 by The New Yorker, Kirkus Reviews, and Oprah Daily and is freshly out in paperback.Cynthia is also the assistant director of the writer's studio in New York City and her short fiction has been published in “Open City,” “Ploughshares,” and “The Sun,” has earned a Pushcart Prize and been anthologized in Coolest American Stories 2024.In this fun episode, we covered:- The 90s soundtrack that’s helping Cynthia get into her next project- The three writers whose examples inspire Cynthia on her own path- Her burning desire to have a house with a yard and, most importantly, a tree- The Max show she’s bingeing, her elaborate daily diet soda ritual, the best day of the week, and the fast food meal she’s cravingConnect with Cynthia on Instagram at @cynthiaweinerThere are new Finding the Throughline episodes roughly every other week–hit “subscribe” so you know when the next ones drop!For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit ⁠katehanley.substack.com⁠.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to part two of my interview (a replay) with Cynthia Weiner, author of “A Gorgeous Excitement,” which, since these episodes first aired, has just come out in paperback and was named a best book of the year for 2025 by The New Yorker, Kirkus Reviews, and Oprah Daily.In today's episode, we unpack:- Learning how to tolerate the discomfort of sharing your work- And how to ignore the voice that tells you nobody cares what you have to say- How she came to imagine that inner critical voice as a “shit bird”- Why she could work on one sentence for years- Why she’d rather stay home than travel some place new- How getting older has made her a better writer (and a worse sleeper)- How she’s re-wired the idea that it’s bad to draw attention to yourselfConnect with Cynthia on Instagram at @cynthiaweinerThere are new Finding the Throughline episodes roughly every other week–hit “subscribe” so you know when the next ones drop!For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit ⁠katehanley.substack.com⁠.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I'm replaying my interview with Cynthia Weiner, whose amazing coming of age novel set in 1980s New York City, “A Gorgeous Excitement,” is just out in paperback.“A Gorgeous Excitement” is inspired by Cynthia's own 80s upbringing on the Upper East Side of New York, as well as the infamous Preppy Killer, a former prep school student who killed a girl in Central Park in the summer of 1986 and who frequented a bar called Dorian's, where Cynthia spent many nights drinking with friends.Cynthia's work has won the Pushcart Prize and been anthologized in the Coolest American Stories. Cynthia is also the assistant director of The Writer's Studio in New York City where, fun fact, I took classes with her in the early 2000s.We covered:- The award she won in second grade that hooked her on the writing life- How she stumbled into teaching writing- Writing as a “weird compulsion”- The plus sides of working on a novel for nearly 10 years- The daily rituals that help her write- The time management technique that helps her get unstuck- Why catching up with a friend helps her write- How living a boring life leaves more space for the workConnect with Cynthia on Instagram at @cynthiaweinerThere are new Finding the Throughline episodes roughly every other week–hit “subscribe” so you know when the next ones drop!For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit ⁠katehanley.substack.com⁠.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to the final portion of my interview with Lauren Kessler an award-winning author of 15 books including her brand new and most personal by far, Everything Changes Everything, which covers how she moved forward after losing her husband and her daughter within eight months of each other by walking 500 miles across Spain on a solo pilgrimage along the famed Camino de Santiago.In addition to being a writer, Lauren is a backyard farmer, a backcountry hiker, a tent-camper, and a quadruple Aries–if you know, you know.Today we get a peek at where Lauren is headed next, as well as what she’s been reading, watching, drinking, and fantasizing about eating.We covered:- Looking for pockets of inspiration amid a sea of upsetting headlines- A suffragist whose story inspires Lauren in her own life- How her current throughline is creating work that helps people move through loss- Starting to ponder the possibility of pursuing a partnership now that she’s five years past losing her beloved husband–or really, how she’s avoiding said pondering but still, the possibility lingers- Thoughts on maintaining the stamina for maintaining a writing career as long as possible- The novella by Norman McLean she reads three times a year, and why- Why, when she drinks alcohol, she drinks tequila (such a sweet story)Connect with Lauren at laurenkessler.com or laurenjkess.substack.com.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part two of my interview with award-winning author and (semi) fearless immersion reporter Lauren Kessler, who brand-new book "Everything Changes Everything" is getting great reviews for being an affective portrait of moving through the kinds of loss we all hope to avoid but few can avoid.In today’s interview we dive into the interior side of writing–dealing with resistance, doubts, aging, and unhelpful beliefs.We covered:- The part of the writing process she always conducts while sitting on the floor- A really great peek inside the book proposal process- The one question her inner critic asks over and over again- What her inner supporter tells her when she gets stuck in a loop of doubt- Two very insightful reasons why she doesn’t share her age- How she pushes back against the aging process- Making a living as a mid-list writer (i.e., not a mega bestseller)- The “woo woo” disciplines that appeal to herConnect with Lauren at laurenkessler.com or laurenjkess.substack.com.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today is Lauren Kessler, a multi-award-winning author of eleven works of narrative nonfiction, three biographies, an oral history, and four books on writing and reporting.A gutsy immersion journalist, Lauren has explored life inside a maximum-security prison, the grueling world of professional ballet, the anti-aging movement, and the hidden world of Alzheimer’s sufferers. Her brand new book, "Everything Changes Everything" is her most personal by far, detailing how she processed the loss of both her husband and her daughter by setting out alone to walk the Camino de Santiago across Spain.We covered:- How she landed on narrative nonfiction as her genre of choice, even though she had a degree in journalism- The woman Lauren wrote her first feature story about, who died by suicide shortly after the story came out, and the effect that had on Lauren- How writing feels in her body- The work she’s had to do to accept that writing is a business as well as an art- The part of the writing process that makes her brain sweat- How she taught full time, wrote a deeply researched book every three years, and raised three kids–and how she’s been able to move away from working that hard, that consistently- The breakthrough that helped her work smarter, not harder- Her hack for making writing a little less sedentary- A genius trick for making it easier to get your writing brain going in the morningConnect with Lauren at laurenkessler.com or laurenjkess.substack.com.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Welcome back to part two of my interview with Elizabeth Gonzalez-James, screenwriter and bestselling author of the novels, “The Bullet Swallower” and “Mona at Sea,” as well as the chapbook, “Five Conversations About Peter Sellers.” Elizabeth was featured on the MSNBC documentary, “My Generation,” representing the millennials. And she has taught fiction writing at Grub Street, Pioneer Valley Writers Workshop, Story Studio and elsewhere.In today's interview, we're diving into the mindset side of writing, dealing with resistance and doubts, the passage of time–all things that might make this episode sound like a bummer, but things we all face. So let's talk about how to work with them so that we can feel better about them.We talked about:- The many ways she avoids doing the actual writing- The type of feedback that motivates her to get writing (sneak preview: it’s not the positive kind of feedback)- Making the transition from debut author to “established writer”- Acknowledging and working through her resistance to the act of writing- Being a geriatric millennial- How giving fewer Fs has eased her judgement of other people- Unlearning the things she was taught as a kid from her immigrant dad about how you can never trust other people or ask for helpConnect with Elizabeth on Instagram @unefemmejames.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's guest is Elizabeth Gonzales James, screenwriter and bestselling author of the novels, “The Bullet Swallower” and “Mona at Sea,” as well as the chapbook, “Five Conversations About Peter Sellers.”“The Bullet Swallower” is based on mostly true events from her own family lore, a magical realism Western that was named a best book of 2024 by NPR and Esquire.“Mona at Sea,” is a darkly funny coming of age story set against the backdrop of the Great Recession that was inspired by her own experience of long-term unemployment.And “Five Conversations About Peter Sellers” is the result of Elizabeth attempting to sit down and write a reported piece on how the actor Peter Sellers derailed the production of a 1960s movie, “Casino Royale.” That’s when the book spins into its own chaos as five different narrators share their point of view about what the original essay is really about.We covered:- How she went from MBA graduate prepping for a career in finance to an unemployed stay at home mom living in her in-law’s basement- The one, unfleshed-out idea for a short story that set her on the writing path (with a nudge from the creator of The Perfect Push-up, a made for TV fitness product)- How writing books is like dating- A detailed accounting of the financials for each of her book–and how she knew “The Bullet Swallower” would be her “put-my-kids-through-college” book- Making the jump from writing books to writing screenplays- Why, sometimes, all the tips in the world can’t help you write more–and how to give yourself grace during those times- Knowing when to push and be disciplined, and when to back off- Her current productivity hack that involves handicraftsConnect with Elizabeth on Instagram @unefemmejames.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to the final installment of my interview with Crystal King, bestselling author of In the Garden of Monsters, Feast of Sorrow, The Chef's Secret, and the brand new The Happiness Collector. Crystal's writing is fueled by a love of history and a passion for the food, language, and culture of Italy. So if you're ever looking to take a mental escape to another culture, a delicious one and a fascinating one at that, definitely check out her books.Today we get a peek at what's currently inspiring Crystal and I'll ask her my fast final five questions about what she's been reading, watching, listening to, drinking and eating lately.We cover:- Her new novel, which combines Nathaniel Hawthorne and the punk scene in Rome in the early 80s- The book by an Italian author she wants everyone to read- The authors who inspire her- Why her husband doesn’t read her books until they’re published- Why she’s applying for Italian citizenship- Her very specific vision of where she’s headed that involves being in a room with 5,000 copies of her book- Two novels by other authors coming out this spring we should all be on the lookout for- The Italian singer-songwriter and rapper whose social media posts make her happyVisit Crystal at crystalking.com or on Substack @crystalking.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to part two of my interview with Crystal King, author of the bestselling food-laden novels, “In the Garden of Monsters,” “The Chef’s Secret,” and “Feast of Sorrow.” Her newest novel, “The Happiness Collector,” is a contemporary fantasy novel about an American historian who lands a dream job in Rome--and may or may not be an unwitting pawn in battle of the gods.In today’s interview we cover:- How she comforts herself when impostor syndrome kicks in- The inner critic narrative that’s unique to mystery writers (I hadn’t considered this one before)- The uncanny experience of listening to the audiobook version of your book- How a brush with breast cancer has changed her writing–and life–goals- The gender norms she’s done with- The tools she’s learned from reading the StoicsVisit Crystal at crystalking.com or on Substack @crystalking.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest this week is Crystal King, author of the novels “In the Garden of Monsters”--a retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth–“Feast of Sorrow”--about an ancient Roman gourmand–”The Chef’s Secret”--about the pope’s private chef during the Renaissance--and the brand new “The Happiness Collector,” about a modern-day history professor who lands her dream job in Rome where it slowly becomes apparent that ancient forces are still very much in play.Crystal is a Pushcart Prize–nominated poet and former co-editor of the (now defunct) online literary arts journal Plum Ruby Review. She has taught writing, creativity and social media at UMass Boston, Boston University, Mass College of Art, Harvard Extension School, and Grub Street.In today’s episode, we cover:- Why she’s obsessed with Italy- Her master’s degree in the coolest subject I never realized was an area of study: critical and creative thinking- The master’s thesis she was sure could be a book (until agents told her, no actually, it can’t)- How teaching writing led to her writing her first novel- The two ways to make it in publishing (and the path she’s chosen)- Her one regret in life- How her day job in marketing, social media, and AI helps her as a writer- A frank talk about the financial side of being an author- The cool ways she comes up with ideas- How she writes a book in six months, with a full-time day job- Her plug for writing every dayVisit Crystal at crystalking.com or on Substack @crystalking.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices