• 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

John Boyne on Finding Joy In The Process of Writing

  • 4 minute read

John Boyne is the author of over 15 books and short stories. His New York Times bestselling novel, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, was an international bestseller, selling more than nine million copies worldwide. In today’s episode, we discuss his newest novel, The Heart’s Invisible Furies, a New York Times Readers’ Favorite Books of 2017. 

We kick off the conversation by having John take us back to the earliest memory of how he first fell in love with storytelling. John shares the inspiration behind The Heart’s Invisible Furies and walks us through his unique structure of the novel. We go into detail about the history of human rights activism in Ireland, what his creative research process is like, and how he discovers fresh ideas for his stories.

We also discuss how the important role humor can play in a historical novel, how to create emotional distance when writing about darker topics, and advice on finding your own voice and style of writing.

Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this page for John’s writing prompt exclusive for our community!

Happy listening!

Xo,

Yin

PS. 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!

“Even as a child, the acts of reading and writing were always completely connected to me.” 

-John BoyneTweet:

“I don’t remember a time where I actively decided to be a writer, it was just always a part of who I was.”

-John Boyne Tweet: “I don’t remember a time where I actively decided to be a writer, it was just always a part of who I was.” -@John_Boyne via @88CupsofTea. #amwriting #amediting #writerslife #writechat #writemotivation #storystarter

“You can be a good mimic, but eventually you have to have your own voice and your own style of writing.”

-John BoyneTweet: “You can be a good mimic, but eventually you have to have your own voice and your own style of writing.” -@John_Boyne via @88CupsofTea. #amwriting #amediting #writerslife #writechat #writemotivation #storystarter

“Good writing will find its audience.”

-John BoyneTweet: “Good writing will find its audience.” -@John_Boyne via @88CupsofTea. #amwriting #amediting #writerslife #writechat #writemotivation #storystarter

“If you are reading and writing all the time, if your brain is engaged with fiction constantly, then you become more attuned to ideas.”

-John BoyneTweet: “If you are reading and writing all the time, if your brain is engaged with fiction constantly, then you become more attuned to ideas.” -@John_Boyne via @88CupsofTea. #amwriting #amediting #writerslife #writechat #writemotivation #storystarter

“As hard work as writing novels is, I think we should always enjoy the process of writing them.”

-John BoyneTweet: “As hard work as writing novels is, I think we should always enjoy the process of writing them.” -@John_Boyne via @88CupsofTea. #amwriting #amediting #writerslife #writechat #writemotivation #storystarter

What You’ll Learn From This Episode:

  • How John fell in love with storytelling 
  • Advice on finding your own voice and style of writing
  • How John discovers fresh ideas for his stories
  • A snapshot of John’s new novel “The Heart’s Invisible Furies” 
  • Details on the history of human rights activism in Ireland 
  • The important role humor plays in historical novels
  • How to create emotional distance when writing about darker topics 
  • John walks us through his unique structure of “The Heart’s Invisible Furies” 
  • A look into John’s creative research process

Learn More About “The Heart’s Invisible Furies”

Named Book of the MonthClub’s Book of the Year, 2017
Selected one of New York Times Readers’ Favorite Books of 2017

From the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Boy In the Striped Pajamas, a sweeping, heartfelt saga about the course of one man’s life, beginning and ending in post-war Ireland

Cyril Avery is not a real Avery — or at least, that’s what his adoptive parents tell him. And he never will be. But if he isn’t a real Avery, then who is he?

Born out of wedlock to a teenage girl cast out from her rural Irish community and adopted by a well-to-do if eccentric Dublin couple via the intervention of a hunchbacked Redemptorist nun, Cyril is adrift in the world, anchored only tenuously by his heartfelt friendship with the infinitely more glamourous and dangerous Julian Woodbead. At the mercy of fortune and coincidence, he will spend a lifetime coming to know himself and where he came from – and over his many years, will struggle to discover an identity, a home, a country, and much more.

In this, Boyne’s most transcendent work to date, we are shown the story of Ireland from the 1940s to today through the eyes of one ordinary man. The Heart’s Invisible Furies is a novel to make you laugh and cry while reminding us all of the redemptive power of the human spirit.

Learn More About John Boyne

John Boyne is the author of ten novels for adults, five for younger readers, and a collection of short stories. His 2006 novel, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, was an international bestseller, selling more than nine million copies worldwide, and has been made into a film, a play, a ballet, and an opera. In his native Ireland, he has won three Bord Gáis Irish Book Awards and been short-listed on ten separate occasions. He has also won or been short-listed for a host of international literary awards, including a Stonewall Honor Award, and a Lambda Literary Award in the United States. A regular participant in international literary festivals, Boyne has also been a member of the jury for the International Dublin Literary Award, and in 2015 he chaired the jury for Canada’s Scotiabank Giller Prize. His novels are published in more than fifty languages.

Books & Resources Mentioned in John’s Episode:

John Irving 

Say ‘Hi!’ to John

Official
Twitter

Topics You'll Enjoy!
  • a ladder to the sky
  • beneath the earth
  • dark topics
  • history
  • human rights
  • style
  • the boy in the striped pajamas
  • the heart's invisible furies
  • voice
  • writing style
Previous Article

Atia Abawi on Humanizing The Refugee Crisis Through Storytelling

View Post
Next Article

Arvin Ahmadi on Overcoming Fear by Writing Through It

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