START WRITING Podcast: “Writing Her Story: A heartfelt conversation with Gail Carson Levine” 

“DAMN FINE SPACE OPERA!” — James Wolfhampton 

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This episode is dedicated to my daughter. 

It’s an interview with Gail Carson Levine. I am sure you are familiar with her book Ella Enchanted, which was her debut novel, and it was awarded a Newbery Honor.

In our interview, she is very vulnerable, and she speaks candidly about first getting published and how close she was to giving up! She also tells a touching story of how one of her books literally changed the life of one of her readers. 

I know many of you are listening to learn about the writing craft. Gail teaches us about what it’s like to be a writer, and she shocked me when she said how many pages she usually cuts from a manuscript. She tells a funny story about why historical research has become a passion. And we also discuss two topics of personal interest: Greek Mythology and Peter Pan. 

This was such a fun interview for many reasons, not the least of which is that Gail has such a fun personality. I think I’ve never heard a greater hipster brag: She saw Bob Dylan in concert before he was cool! We talk about her background growing up in New York, and about how her parents empowered her as a woman and how that then became thematic throughout her writing. 

It was a blast to talk with her, and I hope you enjoy the interview with Gail Carson Levine. 

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WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE (with cool visuals): https://www.youtube.com/@JWashburnauthor 

LISTEN ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM: https://www.jwashburn.com/swag/podcast 

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GAIL CARSON LEVINE LINKS

Website: https://www.gailcarsonlevine.com/ 

On the movie set: https://www.gailcarsonlevine.com/ella_movie.html 

RECOMMENDED READS

Castle by David Macaulay https://amzn.to/3Esvcll 

Writing on Both Sides of the Brain by Henriette Anne Klauser https://amzn.to/3EsM6QE

The Mozart Season by Virginia Euwer Wolff https://amzn.to/45FjAqR

Karen Cushman books: https://amzn.to/3Pafr7n 

The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman https://amzn.to/3EzGm7y 

The Moorchild by Eloise McGraw https://amzn.to/4643NBK 

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie https://amzn.to/483maIW

Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande https://amzn.to/3PgSRKy 

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“Warning” by Beat Mekanik (Johnathon M. Horner), sourced from the Free Music Archive, is licensed under Creative Commons BY 4.0.