Welcome to the newest season of The Secret Library! We have an amazing line up in store for you these next few weeks that I can’t wait for you to hear. To start us off, Steven Rowley joins us to talk about his experience writing his latest book, The Celebrants. The biggest theme we touch upon is the bittersweet feeling that aging brings to our worldview (and the books we write and read). Steven has wonderful insights on so many topics, from dialogue to writing once you’ve sold a successful pitch. Enjoy!
Topics Discussed
The bittersweetness of getting older and how this theme presents itself in Stephen’s books
Finding a perfect balance of humor and other emotions in each scene
The clarifying benefit of reading your writing aloud
Steven’s insights for writing dialogue that includes more than two or three people (that doesn’t include tagging everything)
The hardest part about writing The Celebrants for Steven and how his role as a Pantser shows through inwriting
Steven’s experience with writing a book after selling a pitch vs. writing without a pitch
Episode Resources
Connect with Steven
Connect with Caroline on Instagram: @carodonahue
Humor and Bittersweetness in Fiction | Steven Rowley