This week, Eva and Katryn get real about self-esteem crashes after publishing, from the forever wait for good news to drop into your inbox, to that feeling of having to beg people to read your book in self-promo. Katryn has a new Lord of the Rings-inspired verb for your consideration, and Eva turns into a wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man for reasons of EMOTION.
*On hiatus until late summer/early fall!*
Content/Spoiler Warnings: TW for discussion of body dysmorphia and disordered eating (non-graphic, brief)
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Eva discusses the exciting news that Penguin formed Berkeley XO, a new imprint dedicated to crossover audiences in YA and New Adult!
A new verb was born! Denethored is in our forever vocab.
Two of our listeners, JR Cathers and Maggie Rapier, have new books to celebrate! JR’s buzzy Romantasy, Child of Shivay, is coming out in October, and Maggie’s Soulgazer is out now and a USA Today bestseller!!
Also, please don’t hesitate to DM us if you have good news to celebrate!
Eva and Katryn dive into character arcs this week, from craft inspirations to the similarities between building our characters and parenting them. Eva reveals her new book title (YAY!) and Katryn unveils a Lord of the Rings-inspired story cartography process for character arcs. Martin Short is also discussed, because why the hell not?
Content/Spoiler Warnings: CW for mention of JKR’s transphobia
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Katryn discusses a troubling trend she’s noticing in this episode and her substack.
Eva and Katryn both recommend Susan Dennard’s craft writing--check out Susan’s Substack!
Eva has recently learned about James Scott Bell’s Write Your Novel From the Middle
Katryn discusses her own reasons for not writing characters from outside her racial background, but please read author and co-founder of We Need Diverse Books, Dhonielle Clayton’s words on this, because it gets the point across without nearly as much ambient mumbling and word repetition.
When it comes to redemption arcs, PLEASE pick up Tae Keller’s Jennifer Chan is Not Alone
Read Becky Albertalli’s Amelia, If Only, Brynne Weaver’s Butcher and Blackbird, Geneva Rose’s The Perfect Marriage
This week, Eva and Katryn talk about social media pitfalls for authors, getting back to fangirling over craft, and BookCon’s return. Eva talks about her surprise spiritual connection to Love Island, and Katryn has conspiracy theories about Regina George and the algorithm.
Content/Spoiler Warnings: Kate discusses The Bear season 3 so if you haven't caught up before the next season, skip that portion. She also discusses mild tease spoilers about Hacks and Starstruck (HBO).
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This week, Eva and Katryn discuss the ways in which we undervalue ourselves in publishing, and how getting feedback can cause tunnel vision for only the negative points. Eva revels in the second (or possibly fifth) chance romance she’s having with her upcoming book, and Katryn can only be healed by the Elon/Musk breakup - remember, that thing that happened two weeks ago, but now feels like two hundred years?
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This week Eva and Katryn tackle the myth of fairness in publishing, and the sisyphean task of wading through market changes at the querying stage. Eva rethings her stance on a much maligned character in Sex and the City and Katryn can’t move past her anger at many things–chief among them: Isaac Higgentooth: Colonial Vampire.
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Check out Eva’s German release for I Wish You Would (in Germany, titled “The Summer We Kissed”) and stay tuned to her account for a book announcement coming soon!
We discuss the internet’s inability to believe that Sarah Jessica Parker can read two books a day, although it’s less about SJP and more about being done with spending our time on these useless discourse asides.
Weep for the “unsung men” in publishing. Or don’t. We’re not.
Watch Roy Wood Jr. if you want to increase your serotonin levels. Start with Father Figure, on Netflix.
For inspiring middle grade feels, follow Lauren Magaziner (and check out her new queer fantasy MG book, The Incorruptibles!)
This week, Eva and Katryn discuss recapturing their pre-publishing creativity, parasocial expectations in online spaces, a new troubling AI survey, and building a sub list with your agent. Eva makes her way back to elite athlete status, and Katryn dives headfirst into The Pitt.
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CW/TW: We talk about AI in this episode, and recognize it’s an exhausting topic for many who have been tirelessly fighting the erasure of artists and the theft of our creative work. For those who have been diving in headfirst, we salute you!
Eva and Katryn dive into a number of nuanced author struggles this week, from the dehumanization of authors as a product, to the myth of control when it comes to moving the needle, to the discourse surrounding pen names. Eva’s Ron Burgundy references start to reach Lord of the Rings levels, and Katryn can’t hear the title of the medical show “The Pitt” without singing “The Pit”*
*Content Notes/TWs:
We briefly mention the author recently known as ‘Moldemort’ in a discussion about pen names. This is not an endorsement, JKR has used her massive platform and money to globally cause harm to trans kids, end of story.
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Eva and Katryn share their hellscape escapism picks:
Katryn: Bob’s Burgers, The Great North, Key & Peele, Bottoms, It’s Elementary
Anita De Monte Laughs Last, Temptation Island
WE'RE BACK! This week, Eva and Katryn are back after a long break and catch up on their lives in and out of publishing. Talking about everything from battling a desire for type-A control in the submission process to the fear of losing momentum. Eva gets real about weighing feedback, and Katryn details finding the French version of I Wish You Would in Paris!
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This week, Eva and Katryn talk book burnout, juggling projects, and the pitfalls of hyper-visibility. Katryn gets so dark that she doesn’t even bring up Lord of the Rings once, and Eva explains why she cried into a burrito.
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This week on Write Where it Hurts, Eva and Katryn talk about the importance of continuing to create art in times of crisis. Katryn reads an intriguing romance scene featuring our new favorite bulk distributor (emphasis on bulk, pun intended), and Eva convinces us all to embrace our inner Miss Piggy.
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In the 2025 premiere of Write Where It Hurts, Eva and Katryn talk dueling revisions, and Sylvia Plath—especially the possibility of losing more authors to mental health issues and publishing trends in the coming years. Eva details crime boarding her revision and goes full Miranda Priestly about the hot, fashion-forward Witch-king of Angmar. Katryn refuses to let go of the hate in her heart over 1-star-review tagging and DRAGS every reindeer that isn’t Rudolph.
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Katryn mistakenly described her newest draft as a retelling of “X-Files, season 6, episode 14, but it’s actually15 (Arcadia). She’s basically the worst, this is SimpsonGate all over again.
Eva in full revision mode mirrorsCharlie Day
Watch Katryn and her sister Marengo full rage room to kick 2024 to the curb.
Check outAngelique L’amour’s books!Subscribe to Eva’s newsletter to hear her talk about the highs and lows of 2024
In the 2024 finale (more coming in the new year!), Eva and Katryn discuss navigating motherhood and writing, the dangers of AI in publishing, and curated lists—as well as some big vulnerable end-of-year feels. Katryn is both slut positive and dread positive, and Eva prepares for her annual hot author winter.
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This week, Eva and Katryn talk stalled careers and finding your beta match, but find time to pitch a Wicked themed pop-up Ozdust nightclub for the mature crowd. Eva revels at the righteous wrath of Swifties, and Katryn talks about the healing nature of satire.
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This week’s special episode is from the time machine! Listen to Eva and Katryn talk about navigating feedback in this bottle episode (airing in place of our weekly season four episode in the new format) from June 2024. Katryn reveals all about the darkly comedic vaudevillian murder meet-cute she wrote in a college English class, and Eva gets real about insecurity in the weeks after releasing her debut novel.
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This week, Eva and Katryn get more real than ever before about the realities and pitfalls of debut year now that they can both reflect on the experience. Katryn explains the James Franco thing, and Eva sings "Stars" *as* Russell Crowe. Special guest stars include the ice in our cocktails and dueling Lord of the Rings and Hamilton metaphors! Plus: WICKED!
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This week, Eva and Katryn deal in metaphors both nature and Monopoly as they discuss list season, the vanishing midlist, and the dread of not knowing what’s next. Eva discusses either feeling abandoned or bomb-cycloned by her muse, and Katryn thinks you need to learn Brad Dourif’s name.
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This week, Eva and Katryn don’t hold back about the potential literary ramifications of the results of the 2024 election. Eva embraces the ancient philosophy of FAFO in discussing the attempted whitewashing of BookTok, and Katryn goes full salt bae on people who “hate identity politics.”
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In their 50th episode, Eva and Katryn talk publishing highs and lows, from the pain of yearly royalty statements when you don’t earn out and “best of” list FOMO, to being your own cheerleader to get yourself into book cons. Come for Eva singing Bon Jovi and crafting her way to distraction, and stay for Katryn comparing her estrogen to Joe Goldberg.
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This week, Eva and Katryn talk about reframing their creativity and concept of success (and failure). Come for Eva’s “fuck it era” and stay for Katryn describing her impossible funerial demands in the post-credits stinger.
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In a return from Season 3’s hiatus, Eva and Katryn discuss the hardest challenges they’ve faced as authors this year, along with the long-term market concerns many authors are fretting about. Eva talks live recording her husband’s reaction to the second Twilight movie, and Katryn reveals the reason for her new Swiftie status.
*Content warnings: Conversations about depression, self-doubt, and intrusive thoughts