How Bestselling Author Adelle Waldman Writes
02/23/24 • 44 min
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Bestselling author, Adelle Waldman, spoke with me about her former life as a journalist, writerly wish fulfillment, and going undercover for her latest workplace novel, Help Wanted.
Adelle Waldman is a journalist and the bestselling author of The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P., which was named a best book of the year by The New Yorker, Economist, NPR, The New Republic, Slate, Bookforum, The Guardian and many others.
Her latest novel, Help Wanted, is from W.W. Norton in March of 2024, and described as a “funny, eye-opening tale of work in contemporary America.” It has been named one of New York Magazine's "23 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2024," VOGUE’s Best Books of the Year So Far, ELLE’s Best (and Most Anticipated) Fiction of 2024, Lit Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2024, and one of Kirkus’s Most Anticipated Books of 2024.
A starred Kirkus Review called the book, "The workplace dramedy of the year." Publishers Weekly said of the book, "A bracing and worthwhile glimpse of the high stakes faced by low-wage workers."
Adelle attended Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal, among others.
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In this file Adelle Waldman and I discussed:
Why she turned to journalism as a day job
Writing a hard-to-like protagonist
The breakout success of her first novel
How co-workers and friends at a Big Box store inspired her latest
Found comedy, unfortunate nerds, unrealistic dreams
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
Help Wanted: A Novel by Adelle Waldman (Amazon)
Adelle Waldman Amazon Author Page
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Bestselling author, Adelle Waldman, spoke with me about her former life as a journalist, writerly wish fulfillment, and going undercover for her latest workplace novel, Help Wanted.
Adelle Waldman is a journalist and the bestselling author of The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P., which was named a best book of the year by The New Yorker, Economist, NPR, The New Republic, Slate, Bookforum, The Guardian and many others.
Her latest novel, Help Wanted, is from W.W. Norton in March of 2024, and described as a “funny, eye-opening tale of work in contemporary America.” It has been named one of New York Magazine's "23 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2024," VOGUE’s Best Books of the Year So Far, ELLE’s Best (and Most Anticipated) Fiction of 2024, Lit Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2024, and one of Kirkus’s Most Anticipated Books of 2024.
A starred Kirkus Review called the book, "The workplace dramedy of the year." Publishers Weekly said of the book, "A bracing and worthwhile glimpse of the high stakes faced by low-wage workers."
Adelle attended Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal, among others.
[Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm]
[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]
In this file Adelle Waldman and I discussed:
Why she turned to journalism as a day job
Writing a hard-to-like protagonist
The breakout success of her first novel
How co-workers and friends at a Big Box store inspired her latest
Found comedy, unfortunate nerds, unrealistic dreams
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
Help Wanted: A Novel by Adelle Waldman (Amazon)
Adelle Waldman Amazon Author Page
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Previous Episode
How Acclaimed Newbery Honor-Winning Author Veera Hiranandani Writes
Newbery Honor-winning children’s author, Veera Hiranandani, spoke with me about her former life in publishing, why no word is ever wasted, and her anticipated middle-grade novel Amil and The After.
Veera Hiranandani is an award-winning author of several books for young people, and a faculty member with the MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program at The Vermont College of Fine Arts.
Amil and The After is her latest work of children’s fiction, a stand-alone sequel to her Newbery Honor winner, The Night Diary. It was named an Amazon Best Book of the Month (January 2024).
A starred Kirkus Reviews called the book, “...a masterpiece of nuance, vulnerability, and emotional complexity. A quietly brilliant, deeply insightful story of living in uncertain times.”
Veera earned her MFA in fiction writing at Sarah Lawrence College and was a former book editor at Simon & Schuster.
[Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm]
[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]
In this file Veera Hiranandani and I discussed:
Why writing is like slow cooking
How to write historical fiction if you’re not good at history
Why you need to follow your writerly instincts
The importance of accountability partners, learning from your mistakes
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
Amil and the After By Veera Hiranandani (Bookshop.org)
Veera Hiranandani Amazon Author Page
Veera Hiranandani on Instagram
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Next Episode
How Oscar-Nominated Scribe & Novelist Iris Yamashita Writes: Part Two
Oscar-nominated screenwriter turned novelist, Iris Yamashita, returns to chat with me about the difference between writing for the ear and the screen, fusing plotting and pantsing, and her anticipated follow-up thriller Village in the Dark.
Iris Yamashita has been working in Hollywood for over 15 years and was nominated for a “Best Original Screenplay” Oscar for the movie Letters from Iwo Jima (directed by Clint Eastwood).
The sequel to her debut novel City Under One Roof is Village in the Dark, described as a riveting mystery perfect for fans of Twin Peaks, Mare of Easttown, and True Detective.
An Amazon Editor’s Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense – New and continuing series. Kirkus Reviews called the book, “A sharp and gritty mystery with a compelling sociopolitical undercurrent.”
Iris continues to work in Hollywood, developing for both film and streaming media. She has taught screenwriting at UCLA and the American Film Institute.
[Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm]
[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]
In this file Iris Yamashita and I discussed:
- Why you need to have a beginning, middle, and end in mind no matter what you’re writing
- What it’s like to be both the writer and the director as a novelist
- How to write for audio drama
- Why filmmakers don’t like to read
- Learning the rules so you can break them
- How to keep your dreams alive
- And a lot more!
Show Notes:
- Village in the Dark by Iris Yamashita (Amazon)
- Amazon Author Page for Iris Yamashita
- www.irisyamashita.com
- Iris Yamashita on Facebook
- Iris Yamashita on Instagram
- Kelton Reid on Twitter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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