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“Everyone finds their own door.”
So excited to share today’s episode! Morgan Matson is the New York Times bestselling author of Since You’ve Been Gone, Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, Second Chance Summer, and her most recent book, The Unexpected Everything.
Morgan received an MFA in Writing for Children from the New School and an MFA in Screenwriting from USC, so naturally, we dived into a juicy discussion about her experiences in grad school, and whether or not it plays a heavy role in a writer’s success.
Morgan’s episode is a writer’s dream: We dissect the step-by-step writing process for The Unexpected Everything. And there’s lots and lots of talk about writers’ retreats, character building for character-driven stories, pushing past “road blocks”, pen-names, writing prompts, and more.
Enjoy!
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“There’s a crack in the foundation. Go back and fix that before you keep building the house.”
“So much of writing is being in a quiet place with your brain and trying to focus it.”
What You’ll Learn From This Episode:
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Morgan shares her experiences and thoughts about grad school, and if it’s necessary for the writer’s success
- How writers’ retreats hold you accountable for your work
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- Why it’s crucial to receive notes about your writing from others and how it has specifically helped Morgan with her own writing success
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- All about pen-names and how Morgan uses her own- Katie Finn
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- The inspiration and research process behind The Unexpected Everything
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- How to avoid a “writers road block”
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- The legalities of implementing emojis into a book
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- How Morgan builds her characters for her character-driven stories
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- Steps you can take to help further you with your writing
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- Writing prompts!
“If you get stuck, just say what you’re feeling.”
THE UNEXPECTED EVERYTHING, from Morgan Matson, the bestselling author of Since You’ve Been Gone comes a feel-good story of friendship, finding yourself, and all the joys in life that happen while you’re busy making other plans.
Learn More About Morgan Matson
Morgan Matson is the New York Times bestselling author of Since You’ve Been Gone, Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, Second Chance Summer, and her most recent book, The Unexpected Everything. Morgan received an MFA in Writing for Children from the New School and an MFA in Screenwriting from USC. Her novel Second Chance Summer was awarded the California Book Award. She lives in Los Angeles with her dog Murphy.
Morgan’s Recommended Books & Resources:
On Writing by Stephen King
Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg
This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
David Magee screenwriter of Life of Pi and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
“The past is only the future with the lights on.” Quote found in the song “Baby Come On” by Plus 44
Freedom Distraction-Free Software
