The Happy Writer with Marissa Meyer

Marissa chats with Ryan La Sala about his newest contemporary romance - BE DAZZLED - as well as structuring a novel in alternating Then and Now chapters, and how the Then chapters can be used to build tension in the Now; developing a romance that focuses on conflict and working through problems in order to reach that happy ending; writing what you love, regardless of what other people might think;...

Marissa chats with Elise Bryant about her debut contemporary romance - HAPPILY EVER AFTERS - as well as Elise's journey back to writing after a long hiatus; creating a protagonist who is also a writer and all the real-life challenges we can draw from; how we never quite get over the dread of being critiqued; and the awful yet oh-so-universal impostor syndrome, especially for those of us who j...

Marissa chats with Alexandra Bracken about her new urban fantasy - LORE - as well as keeping a wishlist of things that inspire you in books and stories and using those details as 'scene cookies' to reinvigorate your WIP; the subjectivity of readers' and editors' tastes and the dangers inherent in reading reviews; the importance of being able to deliver a great quick pitch for y...

Marissa chats with L.L. McKinney about her Nightmare-Verse Trilogy, as well as the fun and frustrations of including word play and puns in your writing; using video games to inspire epic fight scenes; Elle's upcoming Jane Eyre retelling and the mind-boggling amount of research that goes into writing historical fiction; some advice on what to do when your editor leaves or your publisher closes...

Marissa chats with Kara McDowell about her holiday-themed YA romance - ONE WAY OR ANOTHER - as well as the challenges and potential pay-offs of ignoring outside pressures in order to write what you love; working with two opposing plotlines, and some strategies for keeping readers engaged in each one; creating love interests that complement the protagonist using a character-development method from...

Marissa chats with Melissa de la Cruz about her newest middle grade fantasy - NEVER AFTER - as well as how much to plan (or not to plan) when writing a series; how the simple act of having fun while writing can alter the narrative voice; keeping the joy of writing alive many books into your career, while avoiding the negativity that can sometimes feel ubiquitous in the industry; and the brilliant...

Marissa chats with Chloe Gong about her debut historical fantasy - THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS - as well as why readers continue to be enamored with Romeo & Juliet (despite the unfair scorn it receives in pop culture!); some of the decision making that goes into retelling a well-known and beloved story; building tension through world-building and using moments of omniscient point-of-view to help br...

Marissa chats with Robin LaFevers about her new historical fantasy duology - COURTING DARKNESS and IGNITING DARKNESS - as well as maintaining historical accuracy in a novel while blending in fantasy elements (and how traveling from place to place just might be a historical writer's worst enemy!); one strategy for writing romance, inspired by screenwriter Michael Hague's concept of "...

Marissa chats with Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner about their newest YA sci-fi/fantasy novel - THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SKY - as well as balancing science and magic in one world; the challenge and brilliance of writing a romance in which the two protagonists aren't allowed to touch each other; preserving a sense of joy and escapism with our writing, even if that means letting yourself be distra...

Marissa chats with Liz Szabla, Associate Publisher of Feiwel & Friends, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, who also happens to be Marissa's editor! Discussion topics include what, exactly, an editor's job entails; thoughts on an author making a "lane change" into a new genre; the importance of trust in the author/editor relationship; and how Liz adapts her editing...

Marissa chats with Lori Goldstein about her newest YA contemporary - SOURCES SAY - as well as facing a tough deadline in order to tie a book's release to specific world events (such as an election-themed book publishing in the midst of election season!); choosing which perspectives to include in a narrative, and how opposing POVs can help drive character arcs; and how writing across various g...

Marissa chats with Julie C. Dao about her newest YA fantasy - BROKEN WISH, Book One of The Mirror series - as well as the unique way that this series has been developed; finding one's way back to writing - and the happiness it can bring - after taking time away from it; using Wattpad to share unpublished works and reach young readers; and some different ways that authors are channeling their...

Marissa chats with Aiden Thomas about his debut paranormal romance - CEMETERY BOYS - as well as the importance of exploring themes of self-acceptance and belonging in YA fiction, particularly for trans youth and other marginalized voices; avoiding the deux ex machina ending; the brilliant idea of commissioning art of your characters to help keep you inspired; and how Swoon Reads - a social media p...

Marissa chats with Grant Faulkner, Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month and author of PEP TALKS FOR WRITERS. In this NaNoWriMo-themed episode, we discuss the concept of "productive procrastination" and the joy of having secret side projects in the works; how to find little moments of "time confetti" to help move you toward your word count goal; using NaNo as a mea...

Marissa chats with Annie Sullivan about her newest YA fantasy - A CURSE OF GOLD - as well as creating creepy yet believable villains; the challenge of writing an outline for your publisher when you're a self-proclaimed pantser; how powerful character arcs can embolden readers in real life; and some insider tips on building an author platform. Books discussed in this episode can be purchased f...

Marissa chats with Tracy Deonn about her debut contemporary fantasy - LEGENDBORN - and her contribution to the upcoming anthology - FROM A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK - as well as what characters (and readers!) can learn from popular story tropes such as love triangles; tackling big questions of legacy, lineage, and how society decides who gets to become a legend; parsing out st...

Marissa chats with Joanne Levy, author and social media manager for The Happy Writer Podcast, about her newest middle grade contemporary - FISH OUT OF WATER - as well as writing that once-in-a-lifetime book that magically writes itself, why society's imposed gender roles deserve to be challenged, how not every publication journey is linear and how perseverance is the key to maintaining a writ...

Marissa chats with Lisa McMann about her newest middle grade fantasy - THE UNWANTEDS QUESTS: DRAGON SLAYERS - as well as the joys and challenges of writing a character who is exactly 50% good and 50% bad; how important it is to cultivate children's natural creativity; one cool way to add visual interest and a personal touch to school visit presentations; and the fan-made app dedicated to the...

Marissa chats with Liza Wiemer about her newest YA contemporary - THE ASSIGNMENT - as well as protecting yourself emotionally while conducting a lot of difficult research; choosing to include multiple perspectives in a book (and one way to handle third person vs. first person POV); how books can inspire readers to stand up in the face of injustice; and saying "yes" when opportunities com...

Marissa chats with Janella Angeles about her debut young adult fantasy - WHERE DREAMS DESCEND - as well as how the empowering journey of Janella's protagonist helped her during her own writing journey; the symbolism behind a great dance scene; using unexpectedly modern music on a fantasy writing playlist; and how difficult it can be for your book not to sell even after you have an agent (and...

Marissa chats with Danielle Paige about her bestselling DOROTHY MUST DIE series and her new graphic novel - MERA: TIDEBREAKER - as well as how to give a new twist to a beloved classic, Danielle's time spent writing for soap operas and how that shaped her writing process, and the many joys that come with graphic novel collaborations. Books discussed in this episode can be purchased from your l...

Marissa chats with Shveta Thakrar about her debut YA fantasy - STAR DAUGHTER - as well as how revising can be a fun part of the writing process; a few different ways to inspire yourself when the muse is being quiet; how to avoid some potential pitfalls of artistic ambition; and - most important -  crafting truly magical libraries and night markets! Books discussed in this episode can be purchased...

Marissa chats with Shannon Hale about her upcoming YA contemporary / fantasy - KIND OF A BIG DEAL - as well as life with young twins (something we have in common!), some of the challenges of writing in quarantine, the self-doubt that comes with writing memoir, and a few of Shannon's tricks for being super prolific. (Hint: she has LOTS of projects going at any given time...) Books discussed in...

Marissa chats with Leah Johnson about her debut contemporary romance - YOU SHOULD SEE ME IN A CROWN (the inaugural Reese's Book Club YA pick) - as well as extraordinary prom traditions, the under-representation of queer Black girls in YA fiction and the responsibility Leah felt in writing for a relatively empty marketplace, the important role of tenacity when so much of the publishing journey...

Marissa chats with Kit Frick about her newest mystery thriller I KILLED ZOE SPANOS, as well as balancing two different timelines in one narrative, one clever method for conveying exposition to your readers, organizing pre-launch promo tasks, and the rise of true-crime podcasts. Books discussed in this episode can be purchased from your local independent bookstore or buy them online from the Happy...