• Home
  • About
    • Reflections & Call To Action
      • Learn
  • Podcasts
    • Authors
      • Adult Fiction
      • Award Winners
      • Memoirist
      • Middle Grade
      • New Adult
      • Picture Books
      • Poetry
      • Young Adult
        • Crime / Mystery
        • Fantasy / Sci-fi
        • Historical
        • Realistic / Contemporary Fiction
        • Romance
    • Literary Agents
    • Film & TV
      • Actors
      • Directors
      • Producers
      • Writers
    • Interests
      • Activism / Social Change
      • Business
      • Collaboration
      • Finances / Money Talk
      • Personal Growth
      • Querying
    • Top 10 Most Listened To
    • All Podcast Guests
  • Articles & Essays
  • Shop Our Book Picks
  • Contact
More About Us
  • Kind Words
  • Select Press
  • Spotify
  • Apple Podcast
  • Player FM
  • Stitcher
88 Cups of Tea
88 Cups of Tea
  • Home
  • About
    • Reflections & Call To Action
      • Learn
  • Podcasts
    • Authors
      • Adult Fiction
      • Award Winners
      • Memoirist
      • Middle Grade
      • New Adult
      • Picture Books
      • Poetry
      • Young Adult
        • Crime / Mystery
        • Fantasy / Sci-fi
        • Historical
        • Realistic / Contemporary Fiction
        • Romance
    • Literary Agents
    • Film & TV
      • Actors
      • Directors
      • Producers
      • Writers
    • Interests
      • Activism / Social Change
      • Business
      • Collaboration
      • Finances / Money Talk
      • Personal Growth
      • Querying
    • Top 10 Most Listened To
    • All Podcast Guests
  • Articles & Essays
  • Shop Our Book Picks
  • Contact

Harriet Reuter Hapgood on Surrendering Emotional Ties to The Telling of Our Story & Enhancing It with Layers of Plot

  • 3 minute read

Photo by Isabelle O'Carroll
Photo by Isabelle O’Carroll

[player]

“If the end result is a book, then you are a writer.” Tweet: “If the end result is a book, then you are a writer.” @hapgoodness #amwriting #writingadvice #writingtips via @88cupsoftea

We have Harriet Reuter Hapgood on the show today! Harriet is a freelance journalist who has worked with Marie Claire, ELLE, and InStyle in the U.K. Teen Vogue named her debut novel, The Square Root of Summer, the “Best New Book of 2016”.  In today’s episode, we discuss writing about heartbreak, quantum physics and time travel, the heavy research process for Harriet’s novel, creating multiple layers of plot to enhance your story, and why it’s important to sacrifice our own personal ties with the story for the ‘bigger picture’. We even dive into what it’s like to have depression and anxiety, and how we as writers can push through and stay on course with our writing goals with special attention to self-care.  I’m so excited for you to learn about Harriet and her journey as a writer!

love_yinchang

PS. Did today’s episode help you in any way? Please share it with someone you think the episode can help!

Your honest feedback helps to shape the show. Please leave a review about the podcast by clicking here. When prompted, either enter your iTunes info on your phone, or click ‘Launch Application’ on your computer. Once you’re at the 88 Cups of Tea iTunes page, click on the tab that says “Ratings and Reviews”.  Thank you for your time and for helping with the ranking of the show when leaving a review and rating!

sponsoredbyGothamWriters2

“The voice in your head that says you can’t finish the book or that it’s not worth it, ignore that bad voice.” Tweet: “The voice in your head that says you can’t finish the book or that it’s not worth it, ignore that bad voice.” @hapgoodness via @88cupsoftea

“You have to sacrifice what you think should happen versus what is good for the book and what is good for the character.”Tweet: “You have to sacrifice what you think should happen versus what is good for the book and what is good for the character.” @hapgoodness

What You’ll Learn From This Episode:

    • How Harriet weaves quantum physics into her novel The Square Root of Summer

    • Why you need to remove your personal connection from the story
    • Sacrificing what you want to happen in your story for what is best for your book and its characters
    • How to thread different themes together to create a multi-dimensional story without losing focus of your main theme
    • Harriet addresses writer’s block and gives us advice on how to use outlining to break free from it
    • Why self-care is so crucial to your happiness and success as a writer
    • How Harriet created a dream list of literary agents and pitched to them

“I’m constantly daydreaming and making up stories and making the world slightly different then how it is.”Tweet: “I’m constantly daydreaming and making up stories and making the world slightly different then how it is.” @hapgoodness via @88cupsoftea

The Square Root of Summer

My heart is a kaleidoscope, and when we kiss it makes my world unravel . . .

Last summer, Gottie’s life fell apart. Her beloved grandfather Grey died and Jason left her – the boy to whom she lost her virginity (and her heart) – and he wouldn’t even hold her hand at the funeral! This summer, still reeling from twin heartbreaks, Gottie is lost and alone and burying herself in equations. Until, after five years absence, Thomas comes home: former boy next door. Former best friend. Former everything. And as life turns upside down again she starts to experience strange blips in time – back to last summer, back to what she should have seen then . . .

During one long, hazy summer, Gottie navigates grief, world-stopping kisses and rips in the space-time continuum, as she tries to reconcile her first heartbreak with her last.

the-square-root-of-summer

 

Learn More About Harriet Reuter Hapgood

Harriet Reuter Hapgood is a freelance journalist who has worked with Marie Claire, ELLE, and InStyle in the U.K. Her debut novel, The Square Root of Summer, was inspired by her German mathematician grandfather and her lifelong obsession with YA romance, which includes an MA thesis on Dawson’s Creek from London College of Fashion, and a dissertation on romantic comedies at Newcastle University. She lives in Brighton, England.

 

Harriet’s Recommended Books & Resources:

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking

The Smell of Other People’s Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

Scrivener

NanoWriMo

Freedom

Cold Turkey

 

Say ‘Hi!’ to Harriet
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
TWITTER
INSTAGRAM

Topics You'll Enjoy!
  • agents
  • anxiety and depression
  • characters inspired by real life people
  • Drafting process
  • Elle
  • freelance journalist
  • How To Be Luminous
  • InStyle
  • magazine editor
  • Marie Claire
  • math
  • Outlining
  • quantum physics
  • Querying
  • research process
  • self care
  • The Square Root of Summer
  • writer's block
  • writing about grief
  • writing about heartbreak
Previous Article

Renee Ahdieh on Investing Deeply In Your Characters & Combatting Anxiety With Gratitude And Empathy

View Post
Next Article

MATT DE LA PEÑA: 2016 Newbery Medal Winner Exploring What It Means to Write a Dance

View Post
We have a feeling you'll also love...
View Post

Victoria ‘V.E.’ Schwab on Cultivating Stubborn Hope

View Post

Tomi Adeyemi On Storytelling with Heart and Soul

View Post

Tochi Onyebuchi on Finding Joy in your Writing Process

View Post

Stacey Lee on Uncovering Untold Stories

View Post

Kat Cho on Writing as a Source of Solace and Joy

View Post

Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam in Conversation with Lelina Chang

View Post

Molly O’Neill on the Roles of a Literary Agent

View Post

Elizabeth Acevedo On Disrupting Priorities

Join Our Community

Want updates about our brand new podcast episodes, featured articles, special giveaways, and overall news about 88 Cups of Tea? Sign up for our announcements below :)

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up, you lovely Storyteller, YOU!

88 Cups of Tea
  • Spotify
  • Apple Podcast
  • Player FM
  • Stitcher
Digital Platform and Podcast for Storytellers and Creative Writers

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

Explore Podcast Episodes

  • Author
    • Adult Fiction
    • Award Winners
    • Middle Grade
    • New Adult
    • Picture Books
    • Poetry
    • Young Adult
      • Crime / Mystery
      • Fantasy / Sci-fi
      • Historical
      • Realistic / Contemporary Fiction
      • Romance
  • Literary Agents
  • Film & TV
    • Actors
    • Directors
    • Producers
    • Writers
  • Interests
    • Activism / Social Change
    • Business
    • Collaboration
    • Finances / Money Talk
    • Personal Growth
    • Querying
  • Top 8 Most Downloaded Episodes
Menu
  • Author
    • Adult Fiction
    • Award Winners
    • Middle Grade
    • New Adult
    • Picture Books
    • Poetry
    • Young Adult
      • Crime / Mystery
      • Fantasy / Sci-fi
      • Historical
      • Realistic / Contemporary Fiction
      • Romance
  • Literary Agents
  • Film & TV
    • Actors
    • Directors
    • Producers
    • Writers
  • Interests
    • Activism / Social Change
    • Business
    • Collaboration
    • Finances / Money Talk
    • Personal Growth
    • Querying
  • Top 8 Most Downloaded Episodes

Follow Our Social

Instagram Twitter Patreon