Kyleigh shares how she craved an escapist fiction project after writing "The Perfect Other" and ended up plotting "Worse Than Strangers" during a single stressful corporate meeting. Set on Nantucket and inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion, the novel follows Rose and Lily Gardner, a mother-daughter duo whose close, funny, and emotionally rich relationship is rooted in Kyleigh’s own bond with her mom. She talks about what it means to “write the version of a place only you can see,” and how her adjacent-to-local view of Nantucket allowed her to show both the glossy beach-read side and its quieter, more introspective depths.

As a licensed therapist and writing instructor, Kyleigh recently helped to design a new Boston College graduate program that combines creative writing with psychological humanities.

Kyleigh explores the intersection of psychology and storytelling—how concepts like theory of mind, mental health, and self-knowledge naturally live on the page. She also opens up about creative self-doubt, rejection, and how she has learned to reframe failure as redirection.

From the line, “There’s nothing more irresponsible than ignoring a dream,” to her belief that writing contains a kind of magic that can manifest change in our lives, Kyleigh offers both practical insight and soulful encouragement to aspiring authors. Kristie also digs into Kyleigh’s experience with adopting productive writing tools (hello, Scrivener), her strategy of developing multiple income streams, and why play—not rigid discipline—is at the heart of sustaining a long-term writing life.

Highlights & Insights

• How a bad corporate day birthed a Nantucket beach novel
• Turning lived experience into layered, fictional characters
• Blending mental health, psycho-education, and character-driven fiction
• Navigating self-doubt, rejection, and “investing in luck”
• Practical talk: money, advances, and building sustainable income as a writer

A turning point in writing Evening Becomes the Day was Keener’s discovery of the counting of the Omer, a 49‑day spiritual practice from Jewish tradition that she integrated into lives of all her characters in revising the story. She recounts a moving real-life encounter involving her son and a young man named Nate, whose simple act of generosity led her to discover this ritual of reflection and healing. Keener explains how the counting of the Omer became a “lightweight but profound” framework that unites the novel’s characters, from teenagers to deeply wounded adults, without ever becoming heavy-handed or dogmatic

Mary invites Jessica to open up about her writing process and the strategies she relies on to complete her novels.  Keener’s discipline includes sitting down to write 500 words, five days a week with no excuses. That routine, however, doesn’t prevent period of self-doubt and agonizing decisions to throw out big sections of her manuscript and start over when early drafts go off track.  She wraps up her reflections on authorship with generous, hard-earned advice for writers at every stage of plot development and publication, including the importance of surrounding yourself with people who truly want your work to thrive.

Insights

• Exploring themes of broken trust and betrayal
• Power of a religous ritual in a secular setting
• Wrestling with self-doubt and permission to "make a mess" on the page
• Writing routine and process

Chapters

• 00:00 Exploring Broken Trust and Betrayal
• 05:28 Writing Routine and Process
• 12:58 Transition to Book Promotion

In this episode of Why Authors Write, host Mary J. Cronin sits down with Rio to unpack the wild, 10‑year journey that brought Hot Wax to readers everywhere.

Beyond this novel’s compelling origin story, Mary and M.L. dig into the stubbornness it takes to keep on writing in the face of rejection, falling in love with the story you are meant to tell, and the techniques that work to get a road trip novel over the finish line.

Rio begins with brutal honesty about confronting the unforgiving nature of the publishing industry when first novels don’t achieve sales projections. She sold her debut novel, *If We Were Villains,” in her early 20s with every reason to think her next book would follow quickly.  Then came the shock; almost no one bought this story about a troupe of Shakespearean actors in the UK. After a trickle of dismal sales, her publisher lost interest, and the offers for her next book project evaporated.  Rio looks back and remembers absorbing the idea that her writing career was likely over.  She returned to academia, earning a doctorate in literature and kept on writing in the margins of a life built around scholarship and survival.

Then, in a fiction-worthy twist of fate, during the pandemic Rio’s first book became a viral sensation on TikTok, and sales surged. Suddenly, Rio’s debut novel was an international phenomenon and she was back in demand as publishers reached out to ask about her work in progress.

Rio insisted her next book had to be Hot Wax: a propulsive, emotionally charged story of a mid‑list band clawing its way across an American landscape of dive bars, bad gigs, and fraught relationships. That’s when she decided to live her fictional band’s story, driving from city to city, visiting second-rate music venues, smoky bars, and greasy spoons. She calls herself a “method writer” meaning that she is someone who needs to get as close as possible to the world she’s building on the page.

That risky decision to spend so much time on the road, followed by years of revision, rethinking, and rewriting almost derailed her second book.  After 10 years in the making, publisher interest had turned elsewhere and she faced an agonizing wait for a contract. 

Rio’s advice to young writers and aspiring authors of all ages is two-fold:

First, “don’t rush into publication.”  Worthwhile writing requires authenticity, conviction, and willingness to keep revising until you get it right.  Great fiction is hard - -and she believes that’s how it should be.

Second, as a novelist who has learned plenty about the challenges of getting into print and the need to sell books as well as create them, Rio urges every author to spend time learning how the publishing industry actually works.  Its advice born of early success, flame-out, and a hard-earned comeback.  

Insights and HIghlights

• Debut authors can come back from early rejection to find a loyal audience
• Writing takes time and should not be rushed
• Be authentic; write what you believe
• Understanding the publishing industry is crucial for success and long-term survival as an author

Chapters

• 00:00 The Wild 10 Year Path to Writing and Publishing Hot Wax

In this episode of Why Authors Write, Christopher Mirabile tells Mary J. Cronin what inspired him to create Silas Lopez as a quirky and deeply decent outsider detective hero in “The Washashore.”  Mirabile opens up about applying his entrepreneur’s mindset to a career pivot into full-time fiction writing, his decision to launch a new mystery series set in Provincetown and Cape Cod, and how falling in love with his book’s main characters is an unexpected bonus.

Takeaways

• Career Pivot: Christopher transitioned from a successful career as an investor to a full-time author, driven by a desire to write fiction and explore new creative endeavors.
• Writing Process: Christopher's writing process involves meticulous editing, dialogue-driven storytelling, and the development of characters and plot arcs over multiple books.

Chapters

• 00:00 Writing Process and Character Development
• 13:32 Lessons Learned and Future Plans
• 19:40 Book Promotion and Writing Business

In this episode of Why Authors Write host Sara Stanton explores how bestselling novelist Chloe Michelle Howarth deals with the theme of obsession in “Heap Earth Upon It.”  Set in a fictional rural Irish town in 1965, the novel follows the O’Leary siblings—Tom, Anna, Jack, and Peggy—as they arrive in Ballycray seeking a new beginning, only to find that old secrets and dangerous fixations don’t stay buried for long.

Drawing from her upbringing in West Cork, Chloe anchors her characters in the drizzly winters, eerie quiet, and isolated landscapes of rural Ireland to create the perfect backdrop for a gothic tale steeped in sapphic obsession, family tension, and identity. She and Sara dig into the craft of telling a story about obsession from multiple points of view, with each character completely convinced that their version of events is the core truth. 

Chloe and Sara explore why 1960s Ireland—especially rural Ireland—was the right era for this novel. Far from the image of the swinging ’60s, Chloe points out that Irish social change and counterculture arrived much later. She wanted to place a queer protagonist in a time and place with no language, references, or community for her queerness, forcing that self‑discovery to happen in a near vacuum. To pull this off, Chloe relied heavily on the RTÉ archives, immersing herself in contemporary radio and television to capture what people were hearing, gossiping about, and angered by in that exact moment.

Craft-wise, the novel is told through four distinct points of view—Tom, Anna, Jack, and Betty—and Chloe was determined that each voice feel truly separate. She even wrote each character in a different color ink to remind herself “drop into” their perspective, ensuring they didn’t all sound like variations of her own voice. The complexity of aligning their timelines, secrets, and emotional arcs was, she admits, a major editorial challenge—but also one of the most satisfying parts of making the book.

Chloe owns up to enjoying centering her book on obsession and delving into the dysfunctional sibling relationships that sharpen into crisis in the course of her book.  “These characters are obsessive people, and they’re like that from the start… the brothers get away with it because their obsessions are more socially acceptable, even when their behavior is just as extreme.”

Takeaways

• Setting as Inspiration
• Researching Historical Settings
• Gothic storytelling
• Sibling dynamics and perspectives on obsession

Chapters

• 00:00 Exploring the Theme of Obsession

The novel follows three lifelong friends who co‑found a wellness app company and, after playing a game of Kiss, Marry, Kill at a company retreat, wake up in an alternate universe where their game choices may have come true; or maybe not quite true.

Lori talks about the spark of inspiration for the book’s central story that came from a short‑lived TV show, and her determination to push the idea into a more high-concept book based on her love of Sliding Doors, Palm Springs, and grounded speculative fiction. She talks candidly about the need for heavy revision, walking away from early, over‑complicated drafts, and why she believes that even if experience and writing practice doesn’t make perfect, it gives writers confidence to make radical changes on the way to a final draft.  

This episode is a deep, generous conversation about craft, career, and the very real challenges of writing speculative fiction. Listeners get an inside look at how an initially over‑complicated plot was pared down so the emotional core—and the twists—could really land.

Character building is where Lori feels most at home, and she breaks down how each of the three friends emerged as a different facet of choice in Kiss, Marry, Kill:

- one who charges ahead and chooses selfishly,

- one who sees the world in rigid right vs. wrong,

- and one paralyzed by indecision and fear of choosing

Lori offers us a rich blend of craft wisdom, publishing industry realityies, and creative encouragement—especially for writers wrestling with big concepts, bigger doubts, and the question of how to build a career in writing.

Chapters

• 00:00 The Origin of Kiss Marry Kill
• 05:59 Wrangling Multiple POV and Timelines
• 12:02 The Art of Query Letters
• 23:04 Making a Living as a Full Time Writer

Chapters

• 00:00 The History of Sound: Structure and Inspiration
• 13:30 Screenwriting As Blueprints for a Film
• 27:08 Don't Rush to Publish: Experience as Creative Compost

Julie begins by taking us back to her own origin story as a biographer. As a 21‑year‑old college student working a summer job at Smith College she helped to process the Goodale–Eastman–Dayton family papers. Among the crumbling letters, curling photographs, and yellowed clippings, one narrative “leapt off the pages and grabbed” her: the improbable, cross‑cultural love story of Goodale and Eastman.

Throughout, Julie reflects honestly on the difficulty writing about such complex and controversial characters: falling in and out of love with one’s subjects, and grappling with archival gaps—including the fact that Elaine deliberately destroyed most of the documentation of her marriage.   Julie also shares how her long journey to get inside the motivations and marriage of Elaine and Charles transformed her own understanding of the limits of historical research in bringing a gripping story of love, loss, and bitter disillusionment to life on the page.

Don't miss this episode if you have ever wondered what motivates biographers to devote years to researching their subjects, and what it takes to do justice to complicated, imperfect love stories in the full context of American history.

Chapters

00:00 The Power of Love in History
07:34 Elaine Goodale: A Trailblazer's Journey
13:18 Love and Loss: The Impact of Wounded Knee
19:41 The Struggles of a Writer and Mother
24:58 Reflections on Legacy and Identity

The conversation moves from the appeal of historical settings and portraying memorable characters surviving in times of crisis  to heartfelt, real-life advice about organizing complex storylines, wrestling with rejection, and wondering how to transform an unpublished manuscript into your first blockbuster book.

Here’s what we cover:

• The real-life events in Richmond, Virginia, in the summer of 2020—protests after the murder of George Floyd and the removal of Confederate monuments—that inspired  her latest novel, Marriage and Other Monuments.
• Virginia's advice that novelists should research by curiosity, not perfectionism, and avoid getting lost in historical “rabbit holes.”
• The long road from “aspiring writer” to multi-book author: five unpublished novels completed before her debut best seller finally arriving
• How she “fillets” her unpublished novels—reusing characters, relationships, and scenes from earlier manuscripts to create stronger new books.
• Why she now feels she can relax into her identity as an author, write and revise with joy, and meet readers and fellow writers without feeling she has something to prove.
• Encouraging, candid advice for writers with “books in the drawer” about
  • assuming you have more than one book in you,
  • maintaining self-respect in a tough marketplace,
  • embracing small presses and literary communities, and
  • staying connected to the joy of the work itself.

Two Big Insights

• Historical settings provide a rich backdrop for exploring societal change and its impact on relationships.
• Persistence and evolution are key aspects of a writer's journey, leading to growth and success.

Chapters

• 00:00 Exploring Historical Settings
• 06:17 The Writing Process and Inspiration
• 15:34 Character-Driven Plot Development
• 22:04 Completion and Publication of a Book

Daphne traces her path from writing early short stories to expansive, multi‑timeline novels like Russian Winter, and explains how she now “sees” an idea and knows whether it belongs in 20 pages or 400. She describes the elements that will likely require a full-length novel; complex subplots, a wide cast of characters, and threads that demand more space.  In the next sentence, Kalotay emphasizes the compressed power of short stories, where a single line of dialogue or a brief exchange can unlock an entire character.  Satisfyingly, she shares her hard-won experience and advice on what it takes to master both genres and writing styles.

We also delve into her latest short story collection, The Archivist, highlighting the stories and characters she feels closest to. Daphne unpacks the deeply personal family story that inspired a feisty, 99‑year‑old Hungarian protagonist modeled on her grandmother in the opening story, and talks about why she added the last‑minute, first‑person piece “A Guide to Lesser Divinities,” with its brash, funny narrator, as a nod to Grace Paley and to the rich possibilities of voice in short fiction.

Taking a step back from her published work to the challenges of completing a novel, Daphne opens up about the doubt that still overtakes her midway through completing a new book.  She describes the feeling of being lost in a tangle of timelines, places, and plot threads, or realizing a book has veered away from her original vision. Besides reassuring new authors that this is a normal phase, she talks about the practical toolkit she uses to find her way back, from creating retrospective outlines and using Scrivener to “see” what she’s already built, to treating the book like a jigsaw puzzle she can rearrange. Just as importantly, she shares the psychological strategies that keep her going: reminding herself she’s navigated this dark middle before and finished three complex novels, and holding in mind the readers who are waiting for the next book and whose emails give her the resolve to press on.

Whether you’re an aspiring writer, a short story fan, or simply curious about how long narratives and short stories take shape, this conversation offers an honest, generous look at the creative process behind both short stories and novels—and why experienced, best-selling authors often alternate between these two genres.  Find out how  Kalotay powers through the low points when doubts overtake her, and persists in writing her way to the final word.

Daphne Kalotay’s experience, mastery of both the short story and the novel formats, and her advice to authors at all stages of their publishing journey provide fascinating insights into the creative process along with practical techniques for authors navigating between different genres and storytelling formats.

Highlights and Insights

• Deciding when an idea will be the perfect fit for a short story vs a novel
• Character development and powerful turning points in short stories
• The swampy middle; how Daphne overcomes her mind-novel doubts
• Learning to love the revision stage of writing
• Advice for aspiring writers -  Advocate for your book every day!

Chapters

• 00:00 Exploring Different Genres
• 08:05 Creating Unforgettable Characters
• 19:07 Overcoming Doubts and Embracing Revisions

We learn how rapidly civilization gives way to survival at all costs when a ship captain saves fifty stranded British castaways — only to have his vessel seized as a war prize and his crew taken prisoner.  In drawing back the curtain on a shocking historical episode, Dolin’s book raises questions about human nature, and how far hardened, shipwrecked men will go to stay alive.  He skillfully rachets up the tension in this story of betrayal, improbable survivals, and one very good dog hanging on at the edge of the world.

Dolin opens up about what drew him to this long-forgotten story as he reflects on the allure of bringing an incredible series of disasters to life.  He talks about the challenges of chronicling a cast of flawed, morally compromised people caught up in a historical moment.  

What does it mean when the story’s questionable heroes and darkest villains make their way home from unimaginable disasters, resume their normal lives, and are quickly forgotten?  From the thin line between obscurity and historical legacy, to retaining one's moral compass in the struggle for survival, Dolin explains his commitment to presenting just the facts when recounting despicable behavior and misguided heroics, so that his readers can judge history through their own lens.

Chapters

• 00:00 Dolin’s affinity for forgotten histories and maritime disasters
• 09:12   Staying true to the facts of unsavory characters and unforgivable acts
• 15:55   Attractions of bringing forgotten episodes to life
• 24:08 Making a living as a nonfiction writer – rewards and challenges

At the heart of both narratives are children on the threshold of adolescence, asking timeless questions: How did I get here? Who made me? To what extent do I make myself?

For Cohen, these questions are deeply connected to the creative act itself. Writing fiction means embracing uncertainty and listening closely to what emerges from the imagination.

“One of the mysteries involved in making art,” she says, “is not trying to have mastery over one’s imagination, but listening to what issues from it.”

Rather than controlling every aspect of the narrative, Cohen strives to listen.
“My role has to do with listening with humility,” she explains. “These characters are fictional, but when I’m writing they become very real to me.”

The novel’s unusual ending reflects that philosophy. Instead of offering a tidy resolution, To & Fro leaves space for readers to participate in meaning-making—mirroring Cohen’s belief that stories are ultimately about relationships between writer and reader.

In this thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation, Cohen reflects on the courage it takes to write without knowing where the story will lead.

For readers and writers alike, this episode offers a rare glimpse into the inner life of a novelist—and into the beautiful, powerful, and mysterious uncertainty that fuels creative writing. It delves into the imaginative storytelling process and the power of open-ended narratives.

Insights and Highlights

• Listening to characters with open minded humility frees Leah to create
• World-building is grounded in a deep relationship with fictional characters
• “Why am I here” and “Where am I going” are universal questions that drive the storyline in To & Fro
• Leah hopes her readers will feel empowered to create their own next chapter in her book

Chapters

• 00:00 The Genesis of Two Narratives
• 08:06 Exploring Universal Questions
• 14:27 Building Explicit Connections
• 19:57 The Culmination and Conclusion
• 25:03 The Porous Membrane Between Two Fictional Worlds

Chapters

• 00:00 The Genesis of Two Narratives
• 08:06 Exploring Universal Questions
• 14:27 Building Explicit Connections
• 19:57 The Culmination and Conclusion
• 25:03 The Porous Membrane Between Worlds

Last Seen, a darkly original, genre-defying work emerged from the real-life mystery of the so-called "Smiley Face Killers," whose alleged victims, young men found dead in icy rivers. "I really got caught up in the stories of these young, college-age men," Castellani recalls. "I went down the rabbit hole... reading all sorts of things about this supposed group."  He learned that the conspiracy theories were bogus – and realized he wasn’t interested in writing true crime stories.  To find another path, he gave voice to the dead.

Last Seen is no conventional thriller. Told from a purgatorial beyond — four young men narrating their own stories after death, communicating with each other and reaching back toward the people they loved — the novel evolved slowly, through false starts and years of frustration, until Castellani heard a voice: "I am one of those boys they keep finding in the river." "It sounds a little woo-woo," he says, laughing, "but I kind of followed that voice."

In contrast, his prior novel Leading Men was inspired by the relationship between Tennessee Williams and his working-class Italian American partner Frank Merlo — a man Castellani describes as central to Williams's greatest creative period. "While they were together for 15 years or so, that was the period in which Williams wrote the majority of his great plays. And then after Frank died, he never had another big hit." Castellani opens up about the audacious choice to write the text of a fictional "lost" Tennessee Williams play within the novel.  He created a pivotal character in Anya, whose outsider perspective finally unlocked the Williams-Merlo dynamic for him.

Castellani reflects on his instinctive, non-outlining creative process, shares why he is still excited about the film option of Leading Men even after waiting for years for production, and ends with a tantalizing preview of his novel-in-progress, a comic Italian American coming-of-age story.

A deeply candid conversation about craft, obsession, grief, love, and the peculiar courage it takes to follow character voices you didn't expect to hear.

Chapters

• 00:00 How listening to his characters shapes the plots of Last Seen and Leading Men
• 05:35 Finding love, humanity, and humor in dark story lines
• 11:16 How a new book idea rescued Chris from doubts about Last Seen
• 19:38 Mixing fact and fictional  characters in Leading Men
• 25:36 Advice for celebrating a film option offer by giving up ownership

Premee shares the origin of her dark fantasy novella The Butcher of the Forest, born from a haunting dream of a skull‑lined stone room and the question of whether children should pay for their parents’ sins. She traces how that vivid nightmare expanded into a full story shaped by 80s fantasy films, Shakespearean dream logic, and Latin American magical realism about colonialism—plus the urgency of writing fast enough to preserve a fragile, “dreamy” tone.

Describing how her Annual Migration of Clouds work became a trilogy, she shares her motivation for writing the original stand-alone story, and setting it in a climate‑ravaged future Alberta where a mysterious parasite called CAD blurs the line between illness and identity. Premee discusses how the series began as a quiet, standalone novella about a young woman with a chronic condition, and how her editor convinced her to grow it into a trilogy that explores other communities, perspectives, and hard choices in a broken world. Along the way, she talks openly about chronic pain, climate anxiety, and the bittersweet feeling of saying goodbye to characters she loves.

All through this engaging conversation, Premee shares insights into her rapid writing process, the inspiration that drives her, and her journey as an author. From discussing her unique approach to crafting titles to exploring themes of climate fiction in her series, Mohamed provides a deep dive into her creative world. She reflects on the emotional connections formed with her characters and the challenges of writing a series, while also teasing her upcoming full length novel Wickhills, as a cross between a spy novel and Gormenghast, set in a magical urban landscape that will be published in September 2026.


Highlights and Insights
Premee Mohamed's writing process varies depending on the project.
Titles are often a last-minute challenge for her.
Her novella 'The Butcher of the Forest' was inspired by a dream.
She aims to create stories that feel like fairy tales with deeper themes.
The 'First Thousand Trees' series explores the intersection of chronic illness and climate disaster.
Mohamed's background in science influences her writing, especially in speculative fiction.
The emotional connection to her characters is significant in her writing process.
Her upcoming novel WickHills is set in a magical future urban landscape.
She emphasizes the importance of exploring universal questions in her stories.

Chapters

00:00 Why and How Premee Mohamed Writes Fantasy
02:57 From Dreams to Storylines - Writing Process and Style
06:13 The Butcher of the Forest: Inspiration and Themes
11:56 Exploring Climate Fiction in The First Thousand Trees
18:08 The Journey of Writing a Series
24:07 Preview of the spy+magic novel WICKHILLS -coming in September 2026

Chapters

00:00 Annie Hartnett and The Road to Tender Hearts
01:03 Origin Story – Channeling Disaster and Anxiety into 'The Road to Tender Hearts'
05:01 Finding Humor inside Tragic Events
08:22 Crafting Flawed Yet Lovable Characters
13:16 Putting Family Members into Starring Roles
15:43 First Draft Misery and Tips for Writing Through Doubts
21:00 The Evolution of Annie's Writing Journey
25:24 Embracing Magic and Magical Realism

Takeaways

Anxiety as a motive force for creative expression.
Revealing flaws gradually to build empathy for difficult characters.
When the flawed hero is based on your father
Every writer has their unique process and struggles.
Magic in storytelling can serve as a metaphor for deeper emotions.
The first draft is about exploration, not perfection.

Takeaways

• ​Why Jonathan decided to write popular science books
• The private language of cats
• The evolution of new cat breeds
• The future of feline evolution

Chapters

• 00:00 ​A​ Lifelong Love Affair with Cats
• 06:00 The Private Language of ​M​eows
• 13:56 ​From Wildcats to Family Members
• 20:12 The Future of Feline Evolution​ - Why Cats Will Survive

Takeaways

• How one family's history became a universal survival story
• Balancing integration and identity

Chapters

• 00:00 The Transformation of Family History into a Novel
• 06:17 Challenges of Fictionalizing Family History
• 17:06 Understanding Rebecca's Journey
• 25:13 The Impact of Family Photographs
• 31:41 Lasting Impressions of Rebecca

Takeaways

• Exploring the behind-the-scenes of authors' lives
• Understanding the process of writing and publishing a book

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Why Authors Write Podcast
• 05:32 Exploring Different Book Genres
• 11:06 Vulnerability and Support in the Writing Process