How NY Times Bestselling Author Ann Napolitano Writes: Redux

The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience

NOTE: Repost of our second most popular episode of the year, Happy Holidays!

New York Times bestselling author, Ann Napolitano, spoke with me about overcoming rejection early on, how grief transformed her writing process, and getting that fateful call from Oprah about Hello Beautiful.

Ann Napolitano is the New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful which was selected as Oprah’s 100th Book Club pick; Dear Edward, an instant New York Times bestseller, a Read with Jenna selection, and an Apple TV+ series; A Good Hard Look, and Within Arm’s Reach.

Hello Beautiful has been called a “powerfully affecting” (People) family story that asks: Can love make a broken person whole? The Washington Post said of the book, “Another tender tearjerker . . . Napolitano chronicles life’s highs and lows with aching precision.”

It was named Chicago Public Library’s Ten Best Books of the Year and a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times Book Review, NPR, The Washington Post, Time, Vogue, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, New York Post, She Reads, and Bookreporter.

Ann was the associate editor of the literary magazine One Story for seven years, and she received an MFA from New York University.

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In this file Ann Napolitano and I discussed:

Her long and rocky road to success

How an illness early in life helped her realize she was a writer

Why her first published book felt like a proving ground

The nine-month approach to planning your next novel

How to write the truest sentence possible

Why you need to string together as many Xs as you can

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

AnnNapolitano.com

Hello Beautiful (Oprah's Book Club): A NOVEL By Ann Napolitano (Amazon)

Ann Napolitano Amazon Author Page

Ann Napolitano on Twitter

Ann Napolitano on Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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