Well, I’m peeling myself off the ceiling. Thank you to Alexis Keinlen for alerting me to the general excellence of Sara Zarr’s podcast and giving me the mind-crumbling, heart bursting news that Gayle Forman said some incredibly kind things about the Truth Commission during her episode.
The episode in general is a must-listen for any writer, particularly any YA writer who struggles. I suspect that means pretty much every YA writer. The conversation Sara and Gayle had made me feel immeasurably better about every part of my writing life: the inevitability of failures, the fun but somewhat ephemeral quality of successes and reminded me what is important: trying new things, taking chances, a.k.a. the work, the work, the work! Please everyone listen so we can talk about that conversation and some of the feelings described and the state of YA publishing today.
I look forward to listening to all the episodes of This Creative Life. It will be added to my roster of must-listen shows, which grows longer and more excellent every week. And yes, I will probably listen to the episode in question a few more times because I am incredibly honoured that a writer I admire so deeply connected with my unconventional book. Thank you Gayle Forman for the kind words and thanks to Sara Zarr for including the link to The Truth Commission.