Ryan Gattis and Jen Beagin

Ryan Gattis, author of All Involved, talks to Nicole Nelson about the energy in his work discovered by writing in first person, the challenge of authenticity, and the way talking to people -- and really listening -- can be as useful as getting an MFA. Then debut novelist Jen Beagin, author of Pretend I'm Dead, talks about her preference for third person (even when journaling), how she uses dialogue as a point of entry to a story, and the importance of knowing your inner critic's sleeping habits, so that you can build your writing practice around those hours.

Download audio.

Ryan's TedX talk "Pain and Art: Write What you Honestly Know."

(Broadcast date: January 20, 2016)