For our 15th episode, we welcome author and teacher Kate Maruyama. In this episode, we discuss how we met through her mother, writer Kit Reed, Readercon experiences, how she ended up in L.A., working for Sylvester Stallone, the impact of narcissistic sociopaths, how L.A. influences her writing, being stewards of ideas, her experience teaching writing, why editors want to hear your unique voice, the false notion of “correct” writing, the vapidity of AI-produced fiction, how teaching keeps her honest, creating in times of stress, being a juror for the Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson Awards, choosing your “genre”, growing up with films from the 1930s and 40s, writing multiple POVs, finding her character’s voice, bringing life to “dead” scenes, the capitalist notion of “product”, moving from screenwriting to writing prose, the “deep practice” of writing, and much more!

Books mentioned:

The Collective by Kate Maruyama – https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-collective-kate-maruyama/fd6d6c6c798c0b50?ean=9798896920816&next=t
Alterations by Kate Maruyama – https://bookshop.org/p/books/alterations-kate-maruyama/1945097c02a22fde?ean=9781960018755&next=t
Bleak Houses by Kate Maruyama – https://bookshop.org/p/books/bleak-houses-safer-family-solstice-kate-maruyama/4b243486bdfff446?ean=9781947879591&next=t
A Gentleman’s Suit by Kate Maruyama – https://bookshop.org/p/books/halloween-beyond-piercing-the-veil-kate-maruyama/b2ed1f858648159e?ean=9781957133201&next=t&