Best Dhonielle Clayton Podcasts (2024)

1
Unstoppable Force, Movable Object: Dhonielle Clayton on Levering Children's Books Into the 21st Century 38:49

23d ago38:49

38:49

"I'm not a person that's like, let's throw out the classics. It's, let's move forward. Let's disrupt the canon. Some of these universal themes, some of these ingredients that we love, how do I remix them into a new stew?” - Dhonielle Clayton What is life without a little magic? Fantasy gives us the space to break free from the confines that reality…

1
How Big Questions Inform Fiction, featuring Rachel Khong 43:42

3d ago43:42

43:42

This week’s Write-minded centers questions, and how questions guide writers, drive fiction, and unearth important stories. Guest Rachel Khong shares how the big and provocative question of who’s a “real American” informed her new novel and why she writes without an outline. We also talk about ambition and drive, why novelists have to grapple with p…

1
You Are Flawed, You Are Messy, You Are Loved: Shannon Hale on Hope and Heroines 44:21

9d ago44:21

44:21

"I feel like it was this little miracle that in some areas of my life, I'm shutting myself up and shutting myself down. But with my writing, I was always really connecting with that inner voice.” - Shannon Hale Flaws. We do everything to hide them away and pretend they don’t exist. But what if these flaws that we try so desperately to mask are exac…

1
Breaking New Ground in Memoir, featuring Shze-Hui Tjoa 44:24

10d ago44:24

44:24

Write-minded is celebrating memoir as an evolving form this week, tackling the difference between imaginative writing in memoir and writing in memoir that might not be true. Memoir is increasingly embodying its rightful spot in the realm of creative nonfiction, in that there’s allowance for writers to explore ideas and truths within the realms of c…

1
The Big Novel, featuring Garth Risk Hallberg 48:53

17d ago48:53

48:53

This week we take on The Big Novel and unpack our thoughts on novel length, the very concept of The Great American Novel, advances, and more. Guest Garth Risk Hallberg joins us to talk about his own long works of fiction, as well as his writing process that involves seeing where his characters want to take him. We touch upon characterization vs. pl…

1
Creating a Character's Personality 19:55

26d ago19:55

19:55

Mentioned: Ink & Magic Writing Retreat: https://inkandmagicretreat.com/ Daughter of the Merciful Deep is out! https://books2read.com/dotmd Imaginarium Book Festival - https://www.imaginariumbookfestival.com/ - The Complete Writer's Guide to Heroes and Heroines: Sixteen Master Archetypes - https://amzn.to/3yTVk91 | https://bookshop.org/a/582/9780615…

1
Remembering and Forgetting: The Refugee Journey, featuring Viet Thanh Nguyen 47:11

24d ago47:11

47:11

It’s Write-minded’s 300th episode! And we’re celebrating by bringing listeners the esteemed Viet Thanh Nguyen, whose novel, The Sympathizer, was adapted for HBO Max and started streaming in April. In this interview, Nguyen addresses didacticism as a craft choice, the mindset of writers who, like him, find themselves between two languages, and how h…

1
Imagining Success with Dhonielle Clayton 49:10

1M ago49:10

49:10

“Imagining Success” is an interview series where I talk to authors who have achieved career milestones that others only dream about and ask them how they got there and where they go from here. In this episode, I speak with New York Times Bestseller Dhonielle Clayton about writing with purpose, real markers of success, and of course, imposter syndro…

1
Behind the Scenes of Selling Books, featuring Josh Cook 48:08

1M ago48:08

48:08

This week’s episode is one for book lovers, book collectors, aspiring authors, and every kind of writer. It’s always helpful to know what booksellers know—because bookstores do so much more than just provide a place for browsing and buying books. Join us to talk with Josh Cook of Porter Square Books about his new book, The Art of Libromancy, and wh…

1
Summon the Tiger: Minh Lê Blurs the Boundaries 42:05

1M ago42:05

42:05

"That barrier between what is “real” and what is not, when that's more fluid, I think it's that's where the fun of fiction comes in. Especially when you're writing for kids.” - Minh Lê Life is full of barriers. Barriers between reality and the imagination, the spiritual and physical world, and perhaps most crucially, the ones we create for ourselve…

1
Building a Story World First 28:53

1M ago28:53

28:53

Watch on Youtube Daughter of the Merciful Deep out on June 4, 2024 - Release Giveaway! Launch event @ Sankofa Books My events Launch event @ Sankofa Books in Washington, DC - https://www.sankofa.com/events/daughter-of-the-merciful-deep My events - https://lpenelope.com/calendar/ NPR mention - https://www.npr.org/2024/05/21/1251024211/best-books-202…

1
Be the Change You Want To See, featuring Dhonielle Clayton 47:53

1M ago47:53

47:53

In this week’s extra-inspiring show, guest Dhonielle Clayton treats us to a generous conversation about effecting change in the industry and how that inevitable comes with backlash. We talk about representation in publishing, Penguin Random House’s recent firing of two high-profile publishers, and book bans—among other important topics, like packag…

1
Imagining Success with Kelley Armstrong 46:27

2M ago46:27

46:27

“Imagining Success” is an interview series where I talk to authors who have achieved career milestones that others only dream about and ask them how they got there and where they go from here. In this interview, I speak with #1 New York Times Bestseller Kelley Armstrong about maintaining longevity in a career, her refreshing perspective from her ti…

1
The Raw Truth About Exposure, featuring Susan Kiyo Ito 42:04

2M ago42:04

42:04

What will other people think? What will be the consequences of sharing my truth? These are among some of the questions that hold memoirists back, and their realities post-publication can cause “vulnerability hangovers.” Exposure, fear of fallout, concern for people we love—memoir doesn’t make it easy. With very recent experience informing her, this…

1
Twilight Zone: Julie Murphy on Self-Doubt and Self-Love 42:26

2M ago42:26

42:26

"I've found that the books that have resonated with me the most are books where your body is incidental, but it's still something that you can never leave behind.” - Julie Murphy Julie Murphy has an unexpected story, one that involves a winding road to her writing career. With equal parts quick wit and matter-of-factness, Julie shares that part of …

1
Deep Memoir, featuring Jennifer Leigh Selig 37:40

2M ago37:40

37:40

We’re living through a golden age of memoir, and guest Jennifer Leigh Selig’s Deep Memoir is a new contribution to the “how-to” space for memoirists who want to explore the how and the why of memoir writing. This episode will help listeners consider their own “why” when it comes to that age-old question of why to keep at it, and also to celebrate a…

1
Meet author Pablo Cartaya 20:35

2M ago20:35

20:35

For the last podcast of the year, Lesley and Vanesha talk to Pablo Cartaya about his book The Last Bookkeeper.

1
Grief: The Hardest Emotion to Write, featuring Claire Jiménez 39:35

2M ago39:35

39:35

This week’s Write-minded takes on grief, and why, as our guest Claire Jiménez says, “it’s where language collapses.” Jiménez’s new book deals with loss and grief and what happens in a family in the aftermath of a disappearance of a child, and yet, she weaves in humor and the history of American colonization of Puerto Rico and so much more. Grant an…

1
Filling in the Blanks: Cece Bell on the Comedy of the Absurd 43:09

2M ago43:09

43:09

"...the reader's mind is filling in the blanks in between those panels and as a lip reader, that's what I do. I fill in the blanks. I'm trying to piece together what that person says. So, comics really make sense to me.” - Cece Bell I first came to know Cece Bell through her groundbreaking semi-autobiographical graphic memoir novel, “El Deafo.” It …

1
Creating New Forms—and Rearranging the Alphabet, featuring Elwin Cotman 36:38

2M ago36:38

36:38

This week Write-minded is interviewing an established writer whose star is on the rise. Elwin Cotman’s new story collection blew us away for how he played with form and takes readers on an expected journeys. His stories don’t fit into any box—including length, and we loved it! On this week’s show Grant also announces his departure from NaNoWriMo an…

1
Five Years of Podcasting! Plus Updates! 34:13

2M ago34:13

34:13

Watch the live podcast on YouTube. Mentioned: EF Go Ahead Tours - https://www.goaheadtours.com/tours A few of my photos from Greece - https://www.instagram.com/p/C5orMwfOgpR/ - https://www.instagram.com/p/C5qZl7-OWsO/?img_index=1 Read my post: "Beyond Bestsellers: Yes, People Still Buy Books" 3000 Years of Longing The Fall of Souls by R. A. Moreau …

1
The Art of Intimacy, featuring Stacey D’Erasmo 49:41

3M ago49:41

49:41

This week Write-minded reaches broadly into the topic of intimacy to explore its many permutations—not just romantic, but innocuous, violent, collective, and more. Guest Stacey D’Erasmo invites us to consider intimacy in writing, how we do it, how we feel it as readers, and also to consider acts of intimacy, like an older actress showing her authen…

1
Hero of the Anti-Heroes: Gregory Maguire on the Value of Second Chances 42:40

3M ago42:40

42:40

"That's really all we are obliged to do for those we call our enemies. We are obliged to see them as humans, and then we behave the way we will. We are obliged not to consider them as less than human because that way, all hell breaks loose. - Gregory Maguire Gregory Maguire expresses himself with extreme precision. While many of us may grasp for wo…

1
The State of the Book Review, featuring John McMurtrie 42:00

3M ago42:00

42:00

This week’s guest is John McMurtrie, the esteemed former editor of the San Francisco Chronicle’s book review section. Join us as we explore the transition of book reviews from traditional media like TV and radio to online outlets like Amazon and Goodreads. His is an interesting take about how things were and how things are, along with insight about…

1
Imagining Success with P. Djèlí Clark 55:12

3M ago55:12

55:12

“Imagining Success” is an interview series where I talk to authors who have achieved career milestones that others only dream about and ask them how they got there and where they go from here. In this interview, I speak with multi-award winner P. Djèlí Clark about the publishing industry, shifting ideas of success, and something all Gen-Xers should…

1
Social Responsibility in Fiction, featuring Naomi Kanakia 46:41

3M ago46:41

46:41

What does it really mean to consider your own social responsibility as a fiction writer? Guest Naomi Kanakia confronted that very question as she considered her modeling as a trans author writing YA books for teens. What if hers was the first book a genderqueer or trans kid ever read? What did she owe her reader? These are some of the questions at …

1
Meet author Dhonielle Clayton 20:04

3M ago20:04

20:04

People told her she shouldn't write a book with kids and magic. It won't sell. We have Harry Potter. Boy, were they wrong. Listen as Dhonielle talks about her book The Marvellers.

1
Simple Thing, Felt: Nina LaCour on Unwrapping a Moment 37:57

3M ago37:57

37:57

"I spend a lot of time trying to hope that I'll remember little things and how a certain simple thing felt. … Writing is one way of trying to capture that feeling, even if I'm fictionalizing it still.” - Nina LaCour If Nina LaCour were a drink, she would be a cozy cup of tea. You’re not rushing to finish a conversation with Nina. Rather, you are sp…

1
Getting Real About Book Publishing, featuring Kathleen Schmidt 46:49

3M ago46:49

46:49

Strap on your seatbelts ’cause we’re going for a ride—into the wild world of book publishing. Guest Kathleen Schmidt is a leading voice in publishing. Her popular Substack, Publishing Confidential, is a go-to source for tell-it-like-it-is realities about the industry and what authors can and should expect. We talk shop this week, touching upon auth…

1
The Big Familia of Writing Inspiration, featuring Tomas Moniz 39:52

3M ago39:52

39:52

An episode about friendship, writing about friendship, and how friendship influences our writing lives. As a community-minded podcast, Write-minded has often touched upon the importance of a broader net of friendship on our writing. This week we get a bit more specific with guest Tomas Moniz, who’s written a new book about male friendship and whose…

1
Choosing the Right POV for Your Novel 23:44

3M ago23:44

23:44

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/umqeMohkOC0 Mentioned: ARC Giveaway - https://lpenelope.com/2024/03/daughter-of-the-merciful-deep-arc-giveaway/ Daughter of the Merciful Deep - preorder Publishers Weekly starred review Creating Character Arcs by K.M. Weiland Write Your Novel from the Middle by James Scott Bell Plot vs. Character by Jeff Gerke Sav…

1
The World As It Should Be: LeUyen Pham Illustrates an Ideal 40:53

4M ago40:53

40:53

"There's something very lovely about feeling like, well, it's not my name, and it's not me, it's just the books.” - LeUyen Pham To listen to LeUyen Pham is to feel inspired. She is full of hope and ideas and sees potential everywhere and in everyone. In LeUyen’s ideal world, diverse representation is a natural outgrowth of art that truly reflects o…

1
Other People’s Words, featuring Lissa Soep 46:23

4M ago46:23

46:23

This week’s Write-minded show examines the nuanced and deep exploration at the heart of guest Lissa Soep’s new book, Other People’s Words. A consideration of the ways others’ voices echo in our own, her book and this episode shows us a kaleidoscope of how we conjure and recycle and tap into the words of others. There’s much to unpack here, too, fro…

1
Light-hearted Writing During Heavy-hearted Times, featuring Neely Tubati-Alexander 35:14

4M ago35:14

35:14

Ready for a reprieve? Join Brooke and Grant and this week’s guest, Neely Tubati-Alexander, for a conversation about whether romance and rom-com writers are having more fun. We dive into questions of the success of the genre, what publishers are looking for, and how a writer gets into romance writing in the first place. A light-hearted episode in ce…

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Dhonielle Clayton Podcasts

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