Summoning Brandon Sanderson: Salt, a glass of ice cold water, and tokens of broken stories ready to be fixed.
Sharpen your pencils (and maybe your swords)—this week, we summon Brandon Sanderson, bestselling author of Mistborn, The Stormlight Archive, and the expansive Cosmere universe. He shares how he kept writing draft after draft (maybe even a dozen or more) before selling his first novel, the secret stash of stories he hid behind a painting as a kid, and why staying sharp in revision is one of the most important skills a writer can develop. We dive into worldbuilding, resilience, and the stubborn magic of believing your stories matter—even when no one’s reading them yet.
--------
52:13
Summoning Jenny Lawson: ADHD meds, cheesecake, and a squirrel in a Holly Hobbie outfit
Ever wonder what taxidermy, a giant metal chicken, and a collection of haunted dolls have in common? This week, we summon Jenny Lawson—aka The Bloggess, bestselling author of Let's Pretend This Never Happened and Furiously Happy—to talk about her one-of-a-kind creative journey. We dive into the cozy chaos of her writing process (including a surprisingly mathematical notecard system), the difference between writing personal stories and fiction, and what it means to create from joy (because, as Jenny reminds us, time spent in joy is never time wasted).
--------
57:11
Summoning Veronica Roth: A bag of Baked Lays and a Negroni
What comes after the end of the world? This week, I sit down with Veronica Roth, the bestselling author of Divergent and Poster Girl, for a conversation full of laughter, layered craft talk, and a few surprises. We dig into her love of outlining (yes, multiple outlines!), how she lets story lead the way—without starting from plot or character—and why she believes bold choices make for better writing than careful ones.Oh—and she spills just enough about a wild (and very exciting) deal she made with her publisher about some future works. Curious yet?
--------
44:45
Summoning Lauren Roberts: A thrifted grandpa sweater, a packet of 99 cent ramen, and her cat named Mango.
Stop scrolling for a sec because this week we summon Lauren Roberts, the bestselling author of Powerless. We talk about her journey from writing childhood stories—starting with an owl wielding a baseball bat—to becoming a bestselling author, do a deep dive into how she crafts characters that shape the worlds around them, and explore how both terrifying and beautiful it is to grow as a writer while readers watch in real time.
--------
58:00
Summoning Jesse Q. Sutanto: Long noodles and a very pretentious coffee drink.
Get ready for a plot twist—this week, we summon Jesse Q. Sutanto! The bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties and Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers shares how she traded marathon writing sessions for focused 15-minute sprints—and still gets just as much done. She unveils the surprisingly luxurious way she tackles the dreaded saggy middle of a book (hint: it involves a special WhatsApp butler) and commiserates with me about the mean little voices that live in our heads. (Don't worry, we’re both in therapy, and we talk about that too.)
V. E. Schwab here! I’m the author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, the Shades of Magic series, Vicious, and more. Join me here as I chat with fellow successful authors about their origin stories, creative processes, work-life balance, and how they bring the stories you love to life. We’ll dive into the many paths from that first spark of an idea to the final page of a book, because there’s no one right way to write—just the way that works for you. Whether you’re an aspiring writer or simply a lover of stories, join us as we explore the craft (and magic) of story telling.
New Zealand