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 succes...
Summoning John Green: A can of ice-cold Diet Dr Pepper and a chocolate chip Clif Bar
DFTBA, buttercups, because this week, we summon John Green! The beloved author of The Fault in Our Stars and Turtles All the Way Down joins me to talk about the writing process—starting with the shocking amount of words in his first drafts that never see the light of day. We also dive into how storytelling helps him search for “good news,” why dread might just be another form of wonder, and his belief that death is “the weirdest thing we do as people.”
--------
43:31
Summoning Chuck Tingle: A pink sack, a bottle of chocolate milk, and a fossil.
Buckle your seatbelts, buckaroos! This week, we summon Chuck Tingle, the delightful author behind Bury Your Gays and Camp Damascus. We chat about the differences between crafting his signature short-form erotica and tackling full-length novels, his love of message-driven storytelling, and how wearing a pink sack on his head has given him both creative freedom and personal comfort—all while staying true to his punk approach to writing.
--------
50:41
Summoning Olivie Blake: An off-kilter meme, a VHS of Steel Magnolias, and some old fashioned peppermint stick ice cream
Welcome to Season 3! Ever wonder what you’d use to summon Olivie Blake? This week, I chat with the bestselling author of The Atlas Six and Alone With You in the Ether. We commiserate over the maddening reality that writing somehow feels impossible every single time we start a new book, no matter how many we've written. She pulls back the curtain on how her stories take shape, and we dive into the chaos and creativity of juggling multiple projects at once.
--------
59:36
No risk-it, no biscuit: An interview with Alex Edelman
It’s the end of Season 2, so here is a bonus episode! This week, I chat with Alex Edelman, the comedian and writer behind the Tony and Emmy-winning show Just for Us. Alex gives us a behind-the-scenes look at how he crafts long-form shows, shares the tricky balance of blending humor with grief, and talks about the challenges and joys of being the subject of his own work.
--------
47:53
Never planned to be scary: An interview with R. L. Stine
This week, I chat with the legendary R.L. Stine, the mastermind behind over 300 books, including the iconic Goosebumps series. Known for his spine-tingling plot twists, R.L. shares a surprising twist of his own—none of what’s happened in his extraordinary career was ever really his idea. From spooky tales to unexpected turns in his journey, we explore the quirky moments that shaped the author who continues to delight and thrill new generations of readers.
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.
Ireland