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[Allegra Goodman, Practical matters]: Why her advice is to “write 100 words a day” + why–and how–to protect your screen-free time Ep 1188
Manage episode 473033098 series 3378197
This week I’m thrilled to be talking with Allegra Goodman, author of numerous novels including her newest, “Isola,” which was a Reese's book club selection, and her first, “Katterskill Falls,” which was a National Book Award finalist. Allegra also wrote two story collections, “The Family Markowitz” and “Total Immersion,” as well as a novel for younger readers, “The Other Side of the Island.” Allegra's fiction has appeared in “The New Yorker” and has been anthologized in “O. Henry Awards” and “Best American Short Stories.” She was raised in Honolulu and now lives with her family in Cambridge, Mass.
We covered:
- Getting published for the first time as a freshman in college by an encouraging editor who “discovered” her
- How it’s a love of writing, and not a drive to be published, that will sustain you over the long-term
- Learning to build patience and endurance when going from writing short stories to writing novels
- Her case for setting very low daily writing goals
- Why she doesn’t ascribe to the “shitty first draft” school of thought
- Her daily and weekly writing routines
- How having grown children makes those routines possible
- Why she only works on shorter pieces one day per week
- The specific times when she’ll listen to a podcast—and when she’ll choose to keep her ears podcast-free
- The nightly ritual that helps her get started on work the next day
- How non-digital activities feed her creative process
- The benefits and mechanics of writing two books at the same time
Connect with Allegra on Instagram @allegragoodmanwriter.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!
And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1190 episodes
Manage episode 473033098 series 3378197
This week I’m thrilled to be talking with Allegra Goodman, author of numerous novels including her newest, “Isola,” which was a Reese's book club selection, and her first, “Katterskill Falls,” which was a National Book Award finalist. Allegra also wrote two story collections, “The Family Markowitz” and “Total Immersion,” as well as a novel for younger readers, “The Other Side of the Island.” Allegra's fiction has appeared in “The New Yorker” and has been anthologized in “O. Henry Awards” and “Best American Short Stories.” She was raised in Honolulu and now lives with her family in Cambridge, Mass.
We covered:
- Getting published for the first time as a freshman in college by an encouraging editor who “discovered” her
- How it’s a love of writing, and not a drive to be published, that will sustain you over the long-term
- Learning to build patience and endurance when going from writing short stories to writing novels
- Her case for setting very low daily writing goals
- Why she doesn’t ascribe to the “shitty first draft” school of thought
- Her daily and weekly writing routines
- How having grown children makes those routines possible
- Why she only works on shorter pieces one day per week
- The specific times when she’ll listen to a podcast—and when she’ll choose to keep her ears podcast-free
- The nightly ritual that helps her get started on work the next day
- How non-digital activities feed her creative process
- The benefits and mechanics of writing two books at the same time
Connect with Allegra on Instagram @allegragoodmanwriter.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!
And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1190 episodes
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1 [Katy Bowman: What’s coming up]: Can clearing clutter create space for creative work? + moving into covering new topics Ep 1193 20:32

1 [Katy Bowman, inner stuff]: The similarities between non-constructive feedback and farts + the impact of age on her creative drive Ep 1192 25:08

1 [Katy Bowman, practical matters]: Finding the kind of writing that feels like a downhill flow instead of an uphill slog + making writing less sedentary Ep 1191 27:20

1 [Allegra Goodman: What’s coming up]: Setting a goal to "make people think much harder [and] imagine much better" Ep 1190 17:06

1 [Allegra Goodman, Inner stuff]: Thinking of writing as being a performer “in the theater of the reader’s imagination” + the joys of genre-hopping Ep 1189 20:25

1 [Allegra Goodman, Practical matters]: Why her advice is to “write 100 words a day” + why–and how–to protect your screen-free time Ep 1188 24:13

1 [Jane Roper: What’s coming up]: That moment when you can clearly see the recurring themes in your creative work–heck, in your life Ep 1187 16:15

1 [Jane Roper, inner stuff]: Permission to screw up + feeling like the worst person in the MFA program Ep 1186 19:11

1 [Jane Roper, practical matters]: Taking rejection personally even though you know it’s unavoidable and subject to luck Ep 1185 22:31

1 [Paula Whyman, what’s coming up]: The upside of winter + learning how to roll with setbacks Ep 1184 18:38

1 [Paula Whyman, inner stuff]: Why “writing what you know” is misguided advice Ep 1183 32:03

1 [Paula Whyman, practical matters]: Guidance for knowing whether you really want to turn that idea into a book Ep 1182 29:51

1 [Cynthia Weiner, what’s coming up]: Fast food, diet soda, and Eddie Vedder Ep 1181 16:42

1 [Cynthia Weiner, inner stuff]: Learning to tolerate the discomfort that comes from “airing your dirty laundry” aka, writing anything remotely personal Ep 1180 22:37

1 [Cynthia Weiner, practical matters]: How living a boring life helped her write a novel titled, ironically, “A Glorious Excitement” Ep 1179 25:24

1 Finding the Throughline ep. 1176: My biggest takeaways from the last 6 months of interviews + news! And a tiny request. 19:22

1 [Laura Belgray, what’s next]: How a distaste for planning and goalsetting has worked out pretty great + the author who most inspires her Ep 1175 19:37

1 [Laura Belgray, inner stuff]: When an editor gives you comments that make you want to cry and shut down all your creativity + crawling out of writer’s block Ep 1174 27:04

1 [Laura Belgray, practical matters]: How to build a kickass career as a slacker (hint: get paid to do your favorite things) Ep 1173 27:46

1 [Susan Merrell, what’s coming up]: Wrestling with devoting more time to your own work vs. keeping your day job + plus awesome life advice from her friend Ep 1172 21:14

1 [Susan Merrell, inner stuff]: Why being a little needy might make you a more prolific writer Ep 1171 25:13

1 [Susan Merrell, practical matters]: Working when you’re not technically “working” + vomit draft Ep 1170 27:05

1 [Hannah Seliger: What’s coming up]: Why Hannah hopes her upcoming memoir will “piss off the right people” + the books, food, and music bringing her pleasure Ep 1169 17:09

1 [Hannah Selinger inner stuff]: The dreams that take a decade to come true are worth the wait + loudmouth troll shitposting Ep 1168 19:43

1 [Hannah Selinger, practical matters]: The reality of making a living as a freelance writer + shifting from articles to books + the death of a tortoise Ep 1167 25:27

1 [Antonia Angress: What’s coming up]: “I aspire to get to a place where I can be a hermit and let my work stand on its own” Ep 1166 18:28

1 [Antonia Angress, inner stuff]: Throwing away the work that isn’t working + adapting to the public speaking side of being a writer Ep 1165 21:52

1 [Antonia Angress, Practical Matters]: The self-doubt that never goes away, and how to keep writing despite it Ep 1164 23:15

1 [Nada Samih-Rotondo, part 3]: The joy of going down a research wormhole, a preview of her second memoir ) + matcha latte mustaches Ep 1163 22:35

1 [Nada Samih-Rotondo, part 2]: Reader feedback as creative rocketfuel, being the only Arab-American kid around + astrology talk! Ep 1162 20:33

1 [Nada Samih-Rotondo, part 1]: Writing by feeling vs. knowing, pandemic productivity, + the importance of getting out of the house Ep 1161 21:22

1 [Paulette Perhach, what’s coming up]: Letting go of steady client work to focus on your own writing and offerings Ep 1160 18:32

1 [Paulette Perhach, inner stuff]: Motivating yourself with self-love vs. self-flagellation + writing with ADHD Ep 1159 25:07

1 [Paulette Perhach, practical matters]: Setting deadlines for yourself that you’ll actually honor + continuing to dream bigger as a writer Ep 1158 27:03

1 [Kenneth C. Davis: what’s coming up]: Amazing story of how learning something new can profoundly change your life Ep 1157 27:18

1 [Kenneth C. Davis, inner stuff]: A chills-inducing pep talk for reading + taking aim at American exceptionalism Ep 1156 27:19

1 [Kenneth C. Davis, practical matters]: How to make history come alive + an incredible pick-up line (that worked!) Ep 1155 24:10

1 [Jeremy Dauber: What’s coming up]: How to save the humanities (or at least try) + why he’s obsessed with the 80s Ep 1154 18:39

1 [Jeremy Dauber, Inner stuff]: Taking aim at the myth of the difficult genius + frank talk about how fatherhood impacts productivity Ep 1153 23:47

1 [Jeremy Dauber, Practical matters]: Reframing failure as a lack of success + career advice from the former head of DC comics Ep 1152 24:48

1 [Vanessa Lillie: What’s coming up]: So many great recs for books, shows, and movies by Indigenous creators + a recipe for bomster scallops Ep 1151 19:44

1 [Vanessa Lillie, inner stuff]: The thrill–and total fear of getting it wrong–that comes from writing about your cultural history Ep 1150 20:23

1 [Vanessa Lillie, practical matters]: Basically a masterclass in how to evolve your mindset (seriously, don’t miss this!) Ep 1149 32:32

1 [A.J. Jacobs, what’s coming up]: The benefit of sharing your ideas with people while you’re still working on them + baking for democracy Ep 1148 19:57

1 [A.J. Jacobs, inner stuff]: Replacing the pursuit of success with something more meaningful–and more doable + a great reframe for problems he learned from Quincy Jones Ep 1147 24:54
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