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Jeff Zentner on Writing Strong Character Relationships & Being Creative Around The Edges of A Normal Life

  • 3 minute read

Photo by Annie Clark

[player]

Jeff Zentner is the William C. Morris award-winning author of his debut novel “The Serpent King”. His debut was also selected as a New York Times notable book, and an Amazon Best Book of the year. Both Buzzfeed and Mashable named “The Serpent King” as one of the Best YA books of 2016!

His second novel, “Goodbye Days” was released to rave reviews. Time magazine selected “Goodbye Days” as one of the five new books that guide young readers through hardships and struggles with lessons in resilience and hope.

In today’s episode, we dive right into the inspiration behind “The Serpent King” and “Goodbye Days”. Jeff walks us through his thought process while writing authentic voices for his characters. We dive even further into step-by-step advice on building strong characters and improving character development.

Jeff shares tips on approaching difficult scenes that challenge readers, and how to write about grief in fiction. We also discuss how storytelling inspires empathy and why it’s necessary for writers to carve out protected time for their writing.

Happy listening!

love_yinchang

PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word! 

PPS. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!

“Write what fascinates you, and write who you love.”

-Jeff ZentnerTweet:

“You can be creative around the edges of a normal life.”

-Jeff ZentnerTweet:

“You’ve got to commit to getting words on the page and you have to commit to finishing what you started.”

-Jeff ZentnerTweet:

What You’ll Learn From This Episode:

    • Why it’s absolutely necessary to create protected and sacred writing time
    • Jeff’s insight into writing authentic voices
    • Step-by-step advice on building strong characters
    • How to improve character development
    • Jeff’s thoughts on the connection between tragedy and comedy
    • How to approach difficult scenes that challenge your readers
    • How storytelling inspires empathy
    • Why it’s crucial to show different cultures coming together in literature
    • How to write about grief in a story
    • Small manageable steps to take to accomplish your writing goals

Learn More About “Goodbye Days” 

Jeff Zentner's Goodbye Days

Carver Briggs never thought a simple text would cause a fatal crash, killing his three best friends, Mars, Eli, and Blake. But now Carver can’t stop blaming himself for the accident and even worse, a powerful judge is pressuring the district attorney to open up a criminal investigation. 
 
Luckily, Carver has some unexpected allies: Eli’s girlfriend, the only person to stand by him at school; Dr. Mendez, his new therapist; and Blake’s grandmother, who asks Carver to spend a “goodbye day” together to share their memories and say a proper farewell.
 
Soon the other families are asking for their own goodbye day with Carver—but he’s unsure of their motives. Will they all be able to make peace with their losses, or will these goodbye days bring Carver one step closer to a complete breakdown or—even worse—prison?

Learn More About Jeff Zentner

Jeff Zentner is the acclaimed author of The Serpent King. In addition to writing, he is a singer-songwriter and guitarist who has recorded with Iggy Pop, Nick Cave, and Debbie Harry.  “Goodbye Days” is his love letter to the city of Nashville and the talented people who populate it. He lives in Nashville with his wife and son.

Jeff’s Recommended Books & Resources:

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

The Body by Stephen King

It: A Novel by Stephen King

The House with a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

BBC

NPR

The New York Time

The Washington Post

The Wall Street Journal

The Economist

CNN

The Huffington Post

Al Jazeera

Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia by Dennis Covington

A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

Blue Nights by Joan Didion

David Arnold

Adam Silvera

Becky Albertalli

Jeff’s TEDx Talk  

Say ‘Hi!’ to Jeff

Official Site

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook

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