Episodes
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Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.
About the guest author:
Rachael O’Meara is an author and transformational leadership and executive coach. Her book PAUSE, published by Penguin, was named one of the top business books for your career and featured in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. Rachael worked as a sales executive at Google for more than a decade and hosted Google Author talks with thought leaders who have meaningful messages about mindfulness and emotional intelligence. She is certified in Transformational Coaching from the Wright Graduate University for the Realization of Human Potential (ICF certified), and has an MBA from Fordham University. In her spare time, she is an ardent rower and splits her time between Florida and San Francisco. She is the co-founder of SIC Venture Studio and the host and producer of the PAUSE Cast Podcast.
About the host:
Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby, an AI powered book discovery platoform. She is an internationally published author of four historical fiction novels. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. As an author and writing coach, she knows that the first page of any book has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. So she thought to ask your favorite master storytellers how they do their magic to hook you. Holly lives in Marin County with her family and two Labrador retrievers, and enjoys mountain biking, hiking, swimming and pretending to surf. To learn more about her books and writing coaching services, please follow her on IG + X @hollylynnpayne or visit hollylynnpayne.com.
Tune in and reach out:
If you're an aspiring writer or a book lover, this episode of Page One offers a treasure trove of inspiration and practical advice. I offer these conversations as a testament to the magic that happens when master storytellers share their secrets and experiences. We hope you are inspired to tune into the full episode for more insights. Keep writing, keep reading, and remember—the world needs your stories. If I can help you tell your own story, or help improve your first page, please reach out @hollylynnpayne or visit hollylynnpayne.com.
You can listen to Page One on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher and all your favorite podcast players. Hear past episodes. If you're interested in getting writing tips and the latest podcast episode updates with the world's beloved master storytellers, please sign up for my very short monthly newsletter at hollylynnpayne.com and follow me @hollylynnpayne on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook. Your email address is always private and you can always unsubscribe anytime.
The Page One Podcast is created at the foot of a mountain in Marin County, California, and is a labor of love in service to writers and book lovers. My intention is to inspire, educate and celebrate. Thank you for being a part of my creative community! Be well and keep reading.
Happy holidays everyone!
~Holly~Thank you for listening to the Page One Podcast, where master storytellers discuss the stories and struggles behind the critical first page of their books. If you liked this episode, please share it on social, leave a review on your favorite podcast players and tell your friends!
I hope you enjoy this labor of love as much as I love hosting, producing, and editing it. Please keep in touch by signing up to receive my newsletter at www.hollylynnpayne.com with the latest episodes each month. Delivered to your inbox with a smile.For the love of books and writers,
Holly Lynn Payne
@hollylynnpayne
www.hollylynnpayne.com -
Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.
About the guest author:
Kurt Wagner has been covering social media for more than a decade and has spent years writing about Twitter and its impact on society. He previously worked at the influential tech outlets Recode, Mashable, and Fortune. Kurt grew up near Seattle, went to college at Santa Clara University, and now lives in Denver with his family. You can follow him on Twitter or X @KurtWagner8.
About the host:
Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup built to help authors succeed. She is an internationally published author of four historical fiction novels. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. As an author and writing coach, she knows that the first page of any book has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. So she thought to ask your favorite master storytellers how they do their magic to hook you. Holly lives in Marin County with her family and two Labrador retrievers, and enjoys mountain biking, hiking, swimming and pretending to surf. To learn more about her books and writing coaching services, please follow her on IG + X @hollylynnpayne or visit hollylynnpayne.com.
Tune in and reach out:
If you're an aspiring writer or a book lover, this episode of Page One offers a treasure trove of inspiration and practical advice. I offer these conversations as a testament to the magic that happens when master storytellers share their secrets and experiences. We hope you are inspired to tune into the full episode for more insights. Keep writing, keep reading, and remember—the world needs your stories. If I can help you tell your own story, or help improve your first page, please reach out @hollylynnpayne or visit hollylynnpayne.com.
You can listen to Page One on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher and all your favorite podcast players. Hear past episodes. If you're interested in getting writing tips and the latest podcast episode updates with the world's beloved master storytellers, please sign up for my very short monthly newsletter at hollylynnpayne.com and follow me @hollylynnpayne on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook. Your email address is always private and you can always unsubscribe anytime.
The Page One Podcast is created at the foot of a mountain in Marin County, California, and is a labor of love in service to writers and book lovers. My intention is to inspire, educate and celebrate. Thank you for being a part of my creative community! Be well and keep reading.
~Holly~
Thank you for listening to the Page One Podcast, where master storytellers discuss the stories and struggles behind the critical first page of their books. If you liked this episode, please share it on social, leave a review on your favorite podcast players and tell your friends!
I hope you enjoy this labor of love as much as I love hosting, producing, and editing it. Please keep in touch by signing up to receive my newsletter at www.hollylynnpayne.com with the latest episodes each month. Delivered to your inbox with a smile.For the love of books and writers,
Holly Lynn Payne
@hollylynnpayne
www.hollylynnpayne.com -
Missing episodes?
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Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.
About the guest author:
Rachel Lehmann-Haupt, is an award winning science writer and one of the nation’s premier experts on the future of family life. Her first book, In Her Own Sweet Time: Egg Freezing and The New Frontiers of Family is a pioneering work and deeply engaging memoir on how she harnessed advances in reproductive technologies to have more control over when she chose to become a mother—something she coined as becoming a “DIY parent.” She is also the ghostwriter of the New York Times Bestselling book, The Female Brain by Dr. Louann Brizendine, which has been translated into more than thirty languages, and sold nearly a million copies.
Lehmann-Haupt has been profiled by the Chicago Tribune for her practical and brave choice to freeze her eggs when she was thirty-seven and has been quoted on the front page of the New York Times. She has appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America, NPR’s Talk of the Nation,and the Wall Street Journal’s Lunch Break. In her writing and public speaking, shel offers life strategies for the most relevant social trends that intimately affect women’s lives. Her writing has been featured in the New York Times, New York Magazine, O Magazine, Self, Vogue, Outside, Wired, Business Week, and Neo.Life. She is the founder of StoryMade Studio a boutique storytelling and editing studio and lives in the Bay Area with her son.
About the host:
Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup built to help authors succeed. She is an internationally published author of four historical fiction novels. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. She recently finished her first YA crossover novel inspired by her nephew with Down syndrome. She lives in Marin County with her daughter and enjoys mountain biking, surfing and hiking with her dog. To learn more about her books and private writing coaching services, please visit hollylynnpayne.com or find her at Instagram and Twitter @hollylynnpayne.
If you have a first page you’d like to submit to the Page One Podcast, please do so here.
As an author and writing coach, I know that the first page of any book has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. So I thought to ask your favorite master storytellers how they do their magic to hook YOU.
After the first few episodes, it occurred to me that maybe someone listening might be curious how their first page sits with an audience, so I’m opening up Page One to any writer who wants to submit the first page of a book they’re currently writing.
If your page is chosen, you’ll be invited onto the show to read it and get live feedback from one of Page One’s master storytellers. Page One exists to inspire, celebrate and promote the work of both well-known and unknown creative talent.
You can listen to Page One on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher and all your favorite podcast players.
Hear past episodes.
If you're interested in getting writing tips and the latest podcast episode updates with the world's beloved master storytellers, please sign up for my very short monthly newsletter at hollylynnpayne.com and follow me @hollylynnpayne on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook. Your email address is always private and you can always unsubscribe anytime.
The Page One Podcast is created at the foot of a mountain in Marin County, California, and is a labor of love in service to writers and book lovers. My intention is to inspire, educate and celebrate. Thank you for being a part of my creative community!
Be well and keep reading.
~Holly~
Thank you for listening to the Page One Podcast, where master storytellers discuss the stories and struggles behind the critical first page of their books. If you liked this episode, please share it on social, leave a review on your favorite podcast players and tell your friends!
I hope you enjoy this labor of love as much as I love hosting, producing, and editing it. Please keep in touch by signing up to receive my newsletter at www.hollylynnpayne.com with the latest episodes each month. Delivered to your inbox with a smile.For the love of books and writers,
Holly Lynn Payne
@hollylynnpayne
www.hollylynnpayne.com -
Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.
About the guest author:
Crystal King’s latest book In The Garden of Monsters was published by Mira. King is also the author of The Chef’s Secret and Feast of Sorrow, which was long-listed for the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize and was a Must Read for the MassBook Awards. Her poetry has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and she served as the former co-editor of the online literary arts journal Plum Ruby Review. In addition to her literary gifts, fueled by a passion for the food, language and culture of Italy, King is a culinary enthusiast and marketing expert. With an MA in critical thinking, she has taught writing, creativity and social media at multiple universities including Boston University, UMass, Mass College of Art, Grub Street and Harvard Extension. A native of the Pacific Northwest, King has made Boston her home. You can find her and lots of wonderful offerings at crystalking.com and IG @crystallyn14.
About the host:
Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup built to help authors succeed. She is an internationally published author of four historical fiction novels. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. She recently finished her first YA crossover novel inspired by her nephew with Down syndrome. She lives in Marin County with her daughter and enjoys mountain biking, surfing and hiking with her dog. To learn more about her books and private writing coaching services, please visit hollylynnpayne.com or find her at Instagram and Twitter @hollylynnpayne.
If you have a first page you’d like to submit to the Page One Podcast, please do so here.
As an author and writing coach, I know that the first page of any book has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. So I thought to ask your favorite master storytellers how they do their magic to hook YOU.
After the first few episodes, it occurred to me that maybe someone listening might be curious how their first page sits with an audience, so I’m opening up Page One to any writer who wants to submit the first page of a book they’re currently writing.
If your page is chosen, you’ll be invited onto the show to read it and get live feedback from one of Page One’s master storytellers. Page One exists to inspire, celebrate and promote the work of both well-known and unknown creative talent.
You can listen to Page One on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher and all your favorite podcast players.
Hear past episodes.
If you're interested in getting writing tips and the latest podcast episode updates with the world's beloved master storytellers, please sign up for my very short monthly newsletter at hollylynnpayne.com and follow me @hollylynnpayne on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook. Your email address is always private and you can always unsubscribe anytime.
The Page One Podcast is created at the foot of a mountain in Marin County, California, and is a labor of love in service to writers and book lovers. My intention is to inspire, educate and celebrate. Thank you for being a part of my creative community!
Be well and keep reading.
~Holly~
@hollylynnpayneThank you for listening to the Page One Podcast, where master storytellers discuss the stories and struggles behind the critical first page of their books. If you liked this episode, please share it on social, leave a review on your favorite podcast players and tell your friends!
I hope you enjoy this labor of love as much as I love hosting, producing, and editing it. Please keep in touch by signing up to receive my newsletter at www.hollylynnpayne.com with the latest episodes each month. Delivered to your inbox with a smile.For the love of books and writers,
Holly Lynn Payne
@hollylynnpayne
www.hollylynnpayne.com -
Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.
About the guest author:
Ellen Hopkins is a poet, a former journalist. With more than 5 millions books in print, Hopkins is the award-winning author of twenty nonfiction books for young readers, fourteen bestselling young-adult novels, two middle grade novels and four novels for adult readers. SYNC is her fifteenth YA novel-in-verse. After six decades in the west, Ellen recently moved with her extended family and two German shepherds to a lovely log home on five acres of Missouri woods.
About the host:
Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup built to help authors succeed. She is an internationally published author of four historical fiction novels. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. She recently finished her first YA crossover novel inspired by her nephew with Down syndrome. She lives in Marin County with her daughter and enjoys mountain biking, surfing and hiking with her dog. To learn more about her books and private writing coaching services, please visit hollylynnpayne.com or find her at Instagram and Twitter @hollylynnpayne.
If you have a first page you’d like to submit to the Page One Podcast, please do so here.
As an author and writing coach, I know that the first page of any book has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. So I thought to ask your favorite master storytellers how they do their magic to hook YOU.
After the first few episodes, it occurred to me that maybe someone listening might be curious how their first page sits with an audience, so I’m opening up Page One to any writer who wants to submit the first page of a book they’re currently writing.
If your page is chosen, you’ll be invited onto the show to read it and get live feedback from one of Page One’s master storytellers. Page One exists to inspire, celebrate and promote the work of both well-known and unknown creative talent.
You can listen to Page One on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher and all your favorite podcast players.
Hear past episodes.
If you're interested in getting writing tips and the latest podcast episode updates with the world's beloved master storytellers, please sign up for my very short monthly newsletter at hollylynnpayne.com and follow me @hollylynnpayne on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook. Your email address is always private and you can always unsubscribe anytime.
The Page One Podcast is created at the foot of a mountain in Marin County, California, and is a labor of love in service to writers and book lovers. My intention is to inspire, educate and celebrate. Thank you for being a part of my creative community!
Be well and keep reading.
~Holly~
Thank you for listening to the Page One Podcast, where master storytellers discuss the stories and struggles behind the critical first page of their books. If you liked this episode, please share it on social, leave a review on your favorite podcast players and tell your friends!
I hope you enjoy this labor of love as much as I love hosting, producing, and editing it. Please keep in touch by signing up to receive my newsletter at www.hollylynnpayne.com with the latest episodes each month. Delivered to your inbox with a smile.For the love of books and writers,
Holly Lynn Payne
@hollylynnpayne
www.hollylynnpayne.com -
Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.
About the guest author:
Nina Schuyler is an award winning author and esteemed professor of writing. Her latest book, a short story collection, In this Ravishing World, won the W.S. Porter Prize for Short Story Collections and The Prism Prize for Climate Literature. Her last novel, Afterword, was published by Clash Books and illuminates the power and dangers of AI. She is also the author of The Translator, which won the Next Generation Indie Book Award for General Fiction and was a finalist for the William Saroyan International Writing Prize. Her novel, The Painting, was a finalist for the Northern California Book Award. Her book, How to Write Stunning Sentences, was a Small Press Distribution bestseller, and her new craft book, Stunning Sentences: The Creative Writing Journal with 80 New Prompts from Beloved Authors to Improve Your Style, was published by Fiction Advocate in November 2022. Nina teaches creative writing at the University of San Francisco, Stanford Continuing Studies, and offers classes at the independent bookstore, Book Passage, and The Writing Room. She writes a column about prose style for Fiction Advocate and reviews books for The Millions. She lives with her husband and two sons in Northern California where she is an outdoor enthusiast. You can find her at ninaschuyler.com and follow her on IG @ninaschuler.
About the host:
Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup built to help authors succeed. She is an internationally published author of four historical fiction novels. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. She recently finished her first YA crossover novel inspired by her nephew with Down syndrome. She lives in Marin County with her daughter and enjoys mountain biking, surfing and hiking with her dog. To learn more about her books and private writing coaching services, please visit hollylynnpayne.com or find her at Instagram and Twitter @hollylynnpayne.
As an author and writing coach, I know that the first page of any book has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. So I thought to ask your favorite master storytellers how they do their magic to hook YOU.
Page One exists to inspire, celebrate and promote the work of both well-known and unknown creative talent. You can listen to Page One on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher and all your favorite podcast players. Hear past episodes.
You can follow me @hollylynnpayne on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook. Your email address is always private and you can always unsubscribe anytime.The Page One Podcast is created at the foot of a mountain in Marin County, California, and is a labor of love in service to writers and book lovers. My intention is to inspire, educate and celebrate. Thank you for being a part of my creative community.
If you're interested in a book about female resilience, click here to get a FREE E-BOOK of my latest novel, Rose Girl!
And if you have read the book, please leave a review! Thank you for your support! Be well and keep reading.~Holly~
Thank you for listening to the Page One Podcast, where master storytellers discuss the stories and struggles behind the critical first page of their books. If you liked this episode, please share it on social, leave a review on your favorite podcast players and tell your friends!
I hope you enjoy this labor of love as much as I love hosting, producing, and editing it. Please keep in touch by signing up to receive my newsletter at www.hollylynnpayne.com with the latest episodes each month. Delivered to your inbox with a smile.For the love of books and writers,
Holly Lynn Payne
@hollylynnpayne
www.hollylynnpayne.com -
Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.
About the guest author:
Kevin Smokler is a writer, documentary filmmaker and purveyor of pop culture. He’s the author of the four books Brat Pack America: A Love Letter to 80s Teen Movies (2016), the essay collection Practical Classics: 50 Reasons to Reread 50 Books you Haven’t Touched Since High School (2013) and worked as the editor of “Bookmark Now: Writing in Unreaderly Times,” A San Francisco Chronicle Notable Book of 2005. His essays and criticism have appeared in the LA Times, Salon, Fast Company, BuzzFeed, Vulture, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Decider and on NPR. He is also the co-director and co-producer of the documentary film Vinyl Nation about the contemporary renaissance of vinyl records in America. Kevin has lectured and taught at Comic Con, MIT, South by Southwest, The LA Times Festival of Books and The Commonwealth Club of California. He serves as a Creator-in-Residence for The Battery in San Francisco and sits on the board of Zyzzvya Magazine. Kevin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Writing Seminars from Johns Hopkins University and a Masters in American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, he lives in San Francisco with his wife. His most recent book, BREAK THE FRAME: CONVERSATIONS with WOMEN FILMMAKERS comes out next year from Oxford University Press. You can find and follow Kevin on Twitter @weegee and his website kevinsmokler.com
About the host:
Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup built to help authors succeed. She is an internationally published author of four historical fiction novels. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. As an author and writing coach, she knows that the first page of any book has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. So she thought to ask your favorite master storytellers how they do their magic to hook you. Holly lives in Marin County with her family and two Labrador retrievers, and enjoys mountain biking, hiking, swimming and pretending to surf. To learn more about her books and writing coaching services, please follow her on IG + X @hollylynnpayne or visit hollylynnpayne.com.
Tune in and reach out:
If you're an aspiring writer or a book lover, this episode of Page One offers a treasure trove of inspiration and practical advice. I offer these conversations as a testament to the magic that happens when master storytellers share their secrets and experiences. We hope you are inspired to tune into the full episode for more insights. Keep writing, keep reading, and remember—the world needs your stories. If I can help you tell your own story, or help improve your first page, please reach out @hollylynnpayne or visit hollylynnpayne.com.
You can listen to Page One on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher and all your favorite podcast players. Hear past episodes. If you're interested in getting writing tips and the latest podcast episode updates with the world's beloved master storytellers, please sign up for my very short monthly newsletter at hollylynnpayne.com and follow me @hollylynnpayne on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook. Your email address is always private and you can always unsubscribe anytime.
The Page One Podcast is created at the foot of a mountain in Marin County, California, and is a labor of love in service to writers and book lovers. My intention is to inspire, educate and celebrate. Thank you for being a part of my creative community! Be well and keep reading.
~Holly~
Thank you for listening to the Page One Podcast, where master storytellers discuss the stories and struggles behind the critical first page of their books. If you liked this episode, please share it on social, leave a review on your favorite podcast players and tell your friends!
I hope you enjoy this labor of love as much as I love hosting, producing, and editing it. Please keep in touch by signing up to receive my newsletter at www.hollylynnpayne.com with the latest episodes each month. Delivered to your inbox with a smile.For the love of books and writers,
Holly Lynn Payne
@hollylynnpayne
www.hollylynnpayne.com -
Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books. Today's episode is a republishing of Ep. 6 because Holly was in the hospital. She'll explain why.
About the guest author:
Daniel Handler is the author of seven novels, including Why We Broke Up, We Are Pirates, All The Dirty Parts and, Bottle Grove and most recently Poison for Breakfast, his first book for readers of all ages published by Liveright/W.W. Norton.
As Lemony Snicket, he is responsible for numerous books for children, including the thirteen-volume A Series of Unfortunate Events, the four-volume All the Wrong Questions, and The Dark, which won the Charlotte Zolotow Award.
Handler has received commissions from the San Francisco Symphony, Berkeley Reperatory Theater and the Royal Shakespeare Company, and has collaborated with artist Maira Kalman on a series of books for the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and with musicians Stephin Merritt (of the Magnetic Fields), Benjamin Gibbard (of Death Cab for Cutie), Colin Meloy (of the Decemberists) and Torquil Campbell (of Stars).
His books have sold more than 70 million copies and have been translated into 40 languages, and have been adapted for film, stage and television, including the recent adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events for which he was awarded both the Peabody and the Writers Guild of America awards. He lives in San Francisco with the illustrator Lisa Brown, to whom he is married and with whom he has collaborated on several books and one son.
You may also find him on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, IMDB, and purchase his books via Upstream(for signed copies), Indiebound, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
About the host:
Holly Lynn Payne is the CEO and founder of Booxby , a startup helping authors succeed. Holly is also an internationally published novelist in eleven countries whose work has been translated into nine languages. Her most recent novel, Damascena:The Tale of Roses and Rumi, has been optioned for a film series. She is the founder of Skywriter Books, an award-winning small press, publishing consultancy and writing coaching service. She lives in Marin County with her daughter and enjoys mountain biking, surfing and hiking with her labrador retriever, Lady Gaia. To learn more about her writing coaching services, please visit hollylynnpayne.com.
Thank you for listening to the Page One Podcast, where master storytellers discuss the stories and struggles behind the critical first page of their books. If you liked this episode, please share it on social, leave a review on your favorite podcast players and tell your friends!
I hope you enjoy this labor of love as much as I love hosting, producing, and editing it. Please keep in touch by signing up to receive my newsletter at www.hollylynnpayne.com with the latest episodes each month. Delivered to your inbox with a smile.For the love of books and writers,
Holly Lynn Payne
@hollylynnpayne
www.hollylynnpayne.comThank you for listening to the Page One Podcast, where master storytellers discuss the stories and struggles behind the critical first page of their books. If you liked this episode, please share it on social, leave a review on your favorite podcast players and tell your friends!
I hope you enjoy this labor of love as much as I love hosting, producing, and editing it. Please keep in touch by signing up to receive my newsletter at www.hollylynnpayne.com with the latest episodes each month. Delivered to your inbox with a smile.For the love of books and writers,
Holly Lynn Payne
@hollylynnpayne
www.hollylynnpayne.com -
Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.
About the guest author:
Known as “the rescuer of forgotten history,” Jason Roberts’ debut work of non-fiction, A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History’s Greatest Traveler, was a national bestseller and finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Jason writes both fiction and non-fiction and is a contributor to The Village Voice, McSweeney’s, The Believer, and other publications. He is also the inaugural winner of the Van Zorn Prize for emerging writers sponsored by Michael Chabon. He lives in Oakland, California, in partnership with the journalist Julia Scott and is a board member of the Community of Writers, and a frequent member of its teaching faculty. His latest book, Every Living Thing: The Great & Deadly Race to Know All of Life is available everywhere you love to find books.
About the host:
Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup built to help authors succeed. She is an internationally published author of four historical fiction novels. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. She recently finished her first YA crossover novel inspired by her nephew with Down syndrome. She lives in Marin County with her daughter and enjoys mountain biking, surfing and hiking with her dog. To learn more about her books and private writing coaching services, please visit hollylynnpayne.com or find her at Instagram and Twitter @hollylynnpayne.
If you have a first page you’d like to submit to the Page One Podcast, please do so here.
As an author and writing coach, I know that the first page of any book has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. So I thought to ask your favorite master storytellers how they do their magic to hook YOU.
After the first few episodes, it occurred to me that maybe someone listening might be curious how their first page sits with an audience, so I’m opening up Page One to any writer who wants to submit the first page of a book they’re currently writing.
If your page is chosen, you’ll be invited onto the show to read it and get live feedback from one of Page One’s master storytellers. Page One exists to inspire, celebrate and promote the work of both well-known and unknown creative talent.
You can listen to Page One on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher and all your favorite podcast players.
Hear past episodes.
If you're interested in getting writing tips and the latest podcast episode updates with the world's beloved master storytellers, please sign up for my very short monthly newsletter at hollylynnpayne.com and follow me @hollylynnpayne on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook. Your email address is always private and you can always unsubscribe anytime.
The Page One Podcast is created at the foot of a mountain in Marin County, California, and is a labor of love in service to writers and book lovers. My intention is to inspire, educate and celebrate. Thank you for being a part of my creative community!
Be well and keep reading.
~Holly~
@hollylynnpayneThank you for listening to the Page One Podcast, where master storytellers discuss the stories and struggles behind the critical first page of their books. If you liked this episode, please share it on social, leave a review on your favorite podcast players and tell your friends!
I hope you enjoy this labor of love as much as I love hosting, producing, and editing it. Please keep in touch by signing up to receive my newsletter at www.hollylynnpayne.com with the latest episodes each month. Delivered to your inbox with a smile.For the love of books and writers,
Holly Lynn Payne
@hollylynnpayne
www.hollylynnpayne.com -
Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.
About the guest author:
Ramona Ausubel is an award winning author of three novels and two short story collections. Her latest book, THE LAST ANIMAL, published by Riverhead, was named Best Book of The Year by Oprah Daily, NPR and Kirkus Reviews. Her debut novel, NO ONE IS HERE EXCEPT ALL OF US was a New York Times Editor’s Choice and winner of both the PEN USA Fiction Award and the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award. It was also named one of the Best Books of the Year by the San Francisco Chronicle and the Huffington Post as well as being a finalist for the New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award, the California and Colorado Book Awards, longlisted for the Story Prize Frank O’Connor International Story Award and and nominated for the International Impac Dublin Literary Award.
A native of New Mexico, Ausubel holds an MFA from the University of California, Irvine where she won the Glenn Schaeffer Award in Fiction. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Tin House, The New York Times, NPR’s Selected Shorts, One Story, Electric Literature, Ploughshares, The Oxford American, and collected in The Best American Fantasy and online in The Paris Review. She has also been a finalist for the prestigious Puschart Prize and a Fellow at the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and the Sewanee Writers’ Conference. She has taught at Tin House, The Community of Writers, Writing by Writers, the Low-Residency MFA programs at the Institute of American Indian Arts and Bennington. She is currently an assistant professor at Colorado State University in Fort Collins.
About the host:
Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup built to help authors succeed. She is an internationally published author of four historical fiction novels. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. She recently finished her first YA crossover novel inspired by her nephew with Down syndrome. She lives in Marin County with her daughter and enjoys mountain biking, surfing and hiking with her dog. To learn more about her books and private writing coaching services, please visit hollylynnpayne.com or find her at Instagram and Twitter @hollylynnpayne.
If you have a first page you’d like to submit to the Page One Podcast, please do so here.
As an author and writing coach, I know that the first page of any book has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. So I thought to ask your favorite master storytellers how they do their magic to hook YOU.
After the first few episodes, it occurred to me that maybe someone listening might be curious how their first page sits with an audience, so I’m opening up Page One to any writer who wants to submit the first page of a book they’re currently writing.
If your page is chosen, you’ll be invited onto the show to read it and get live feedback from one of Page One’s master storytellers. Page One exists to inspire, celebrate and promote the work of both well-known and unknown creative talent.
You can listen to Page One on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher and all your favorite podcast players.
Hear past episodes.
If you're interested in getting writing tips and the latest podcast episode updates with the world's beloved master storytellers, please sign up for my very short monthly newsletter at hollylynnpayne.com and follow me @hollylynnpayne on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook. Your email address is always private and you can always unsubscribe anytime.
The Page One Podcast is created at the foot of a mountain in Marin County, California, and is a labor of love in service to writers and book lovers. My intention is to inspire, educate and celebrate. Thank you for being a part of my creative community!
Thank you for listening! Be well and keep reading.
~Holly~
Thank you for listening to the Page One Podcast, where master storytellers discuss the stories and struggles behind the critical first page of their books. If you liked this episode, please share it on social, leave a review on your favorite podcast players and tell your friends!
I hope you enjoy this labor of love as much as I love hosting, producing, and editing it. Please keep in touch by signing up to receive my newsletter at www.hollylynnpayne.com with the latest episodes each month. Delivered to your inbox with a smile.For the love of books and writers,
Holly Lynn Payne
@hollylynnpayne
www.hollylynnpayne.com -
Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.
About the guest author:
Robin Oliveira is an award-winning NYT bestselling author of four books. Her latest historical novel, A WILD AND HEAVENLY PLACE is a sweeping tale about the birth of Seattle and two star-crossed lovers that discover it. Her debut novel, MY NAME IS MARY SUTTER won the prestigious Shaara Prize Winner for Civil War Fiction and was an instant NYT bestseller about medicine and nursing in the civil war and inspired by her background as a nurse specializing in Critical Care and Bone Marrow Transplants, which we will get into a bit today. Robin holds a B.A. in Russian and studied at the Pushkin Language Institute in Moscow when Russia was still the USSR. In addition to a degree in nursing, she holds an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is known for her meticulous research which helps her create compelling and authentic story worlds as she does in her second novel, I Always Loved You, which traces the lives of the Impressionists in Paris, France. Her third novel, Winter Sisters, explores the disappearance of two little girls during an historic blizzard in Albany, N.Y., When she is not writing or reading - her favorite activity, she loves to travel, cycle and hike near her home outside Seattle.
About the host:
Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup built to help authors succeed. She is an internationally published author of four historical fiction novels. Her recent novel, ROSE GIRL is an Amazon bestseller, earned a prestigious Kirkus starred Review and named Editors Choice from the Historical Novel Society. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. She lives in Marin County with her daughter and enjoys mountain biking, surfing and hiking with her dog. She earned her MFA from USC, BA in journalism from University of Richmond and has served on the faculty of Stanford, San Francisco State University, California College of the Arts and the Academy of Art University. To contact her or learn more about her books and private writing coaching services, please visit hollylynnpayne.com or find her at Instagram and Twitter @hollylynnpayne.
Stay in touch:You can listen to Page One on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher and all your favorite podcast players. Hear past episodes.
If you're interested in getting writing tips and the latest podcast episode updates with the world's beloved master storytellers, please sign up for my very short monthly newsletter at hollylynnpayne.com and follow me @hollylynnpayne on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook. Your email address is kept private and you can always unsubscribe anytime.
The Page One Podcast is created at the base of a mountain in Marin County, California, and is a labor of love in service to writers and book lovers. My intention is to inspire, educate and celebrate. Thank you for being a part of this loving, creative community!
Be well and keep reading.
~Holly~
Thank you for listening to the Page One Podcast, where master storytellers discuss the stories and struggles behind the critical first page of their books. If you liked this episode, please share it on social, leave a review on your favorite podcast players and tell your friends!
I hope you enjoy this labor of love as much as I love hosting, producing, and editing it. Please keep in touch by signing up to receive my newsletter at www.hollylynnpayne.com with the latest episodes each month. Delivered to your inbox with a smile.For the love of books and writers,
Holly Lynn Payne
@hollylynnpayne
www.hollylynnpayne.com -
Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.
About the guest author:
Dean Koontz is a bestselling author and America's master of suspense with 79 New York Times bestsellers. He is also one of twelve writers in the world ever to have fourteen of these books rise to number one on the hardcover bestseller list, and sixteen of his books have risen to the number one position in paperback. His books have also been major bestsellers in Japan and Sweden. And he has been hailed by Rolling Stone magazine as “America’s most popular suspense novelist.” Dean is also a huge dog lover and is originally from Pennsylvania. He currently lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, and their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna. They are long time supporters of Canine Companions for Independence. You can find his website at www.deankoontz.com.
About the host:
Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup built to help authors succeed. She is an internationally published author of four historical fiction novels. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. She recently finished her first YA crossover novel inspired by her nephew with Down syndrome. She lives in Marin County with her daughter and enjoys mountain biking, surfing and hiking with her dog. To learn more about her books and private writing coaching services, please visit hollylynnpayne.com or find her at Instagram and Twitter @hollylynnpayne.
You can listen to Page One on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher and all your favorite podcast players.
Hear past episodes.
To get updates and writing tips from master storytellers, follow me on
Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Instagram.Until then, be well and keep reading!
In service with love,
Holly Lynn PayneThank you for listening to the Page One Podcast, where master storytellers discuss the stories and struggles behind the critical first page of their books. If you liked this episode, please share it on social, leave a review on your favorite podcast players and tell your friends!
I hope you enjoy this labor of love as much as I love hosting, producing, and editing it. Please keep in touch by signing up to receive my newsletter at www.hollylynnpayne.com with the latest episodes each month. Delivered to your inbox with a smile.For the love of books and writers,
Holly Lynn Payne
@hollylynnpayne
www.hollylynnpayne.com -
Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.
About the guest author:
MATT SEDILLO, the first poet on the Page One Podcast, is being hailed by historians and journalists as the "best political poet in America." He has written two collections of poetry, CITY ON THE SECOND FLOOR and MOWING LEAVES OF GRASS, which are currently being taught in several California colleges. Matt Sedillo has also been described as "the poet laureate of the struggle" by academics, poets, and journalists. He has appeared on CSPAN and has been featured in the Los Angeles Times and other publications, in addition to traveling the world to speak at major conferences, forums, and universities including Cambridge. His Three Act Poem structure has been taught at UCLA and Occidental College. Sedillo is currently the Literary Director of the Mexican Cultural Institute of Los Angeles, where he leads weekly writing workshops. He is currently at work on a book-length poem “Elon Musk Must Be Stopped.” He lives in Los Angeles.
He has given us permission to share his poem “PILGRIM”
Pilgrim by Matt Sedillo
See, some were born to summer homes
And palatial groves
Where pain was only to ever unfold
From the pages of Secret Gardens
Where the Red Fern Grows
But not I
See, I come from the stock
Of starry-eyed astronauts
Who greet the night sky
With big dreams and wide eyes
Always Running
Down the Devil’s Highway
Through Occupied America
On the way back to
The House on Mango Street
And all those other books
You didn’t want us to read
Raised on handball
Off the back wall
Of a panaderia
Born
East the river
Post Mendez vs Westminster
One generation removed
From the redlines
And diplomas signed
That those dreams
In that skin
Need not apply
See, I come from struggle
And if my story offends you
That is only ‘cause you made the mistake of seeking your reflection
In my self-portrait
See, this
Well this may not be about you
Because while some were born
To the common core
Whose reflected faces
Graced the pages
Of doctrines to discover
And ages to be explored
Where old world hardships
Crashed against new shores
New England
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
For others pushed off
Turtle Island
Aztlan
Do not call this brown skin
Immigrant
Child of the sun
Son of the conquest
Mexicano blood
Running through the veins
Of the eastside of Los Angeles
Do not tell him
In what native tongue
His song would best be sung
Do not tell me
Who I am
‘Cause I was raised just like you
Miseducated in some of those
Very same schools
Off lessons and legends
Of honest injuns and Christian pilgrims
And a nation of immigrants
All united in freedom
That is until they pulled aside
My white friend
Pointed directly at me
And said Scott
I judge you by the company you keep
And you spend your time with this
And that’s the same old story since 1846
The adventures of Uncle Sam
The stick-up man
Hey wetback
Show me your papers
Now give me your labor
The Melting Pot
Was never meant for the hands
That clean it
The American dream
Has always come at the expense
Of those who tucked it in
And you don’t know that
‘Cause you don’t teach it
Could write you a book
But you won’t read it
So you know what
This is about you
And 1492
And the Treaty of Guadalupe
California Missions
And Arizona schools
And these racists
That try to erase us
As we raise their kids
In cities that bear our names
But you’re going to learn
Something today
‘Cause from Ferdinand
To minuteman
From Arpaio
To Alamo
From Popol Vuh
To Yo Soy Joaquin
To the Indian that still lives in me
From Mexico 68
To the missing 43
They tried to bury us
They didn’t know we were seeds
From Cananea mine
To Delano strike
From the Plan De Ayala
Emiliano Zapata
Joaquin Murrieta
Las Adelitas
Brown Berets
And Zapatistas
From Richard Nixon
To the Third Napoleon
From Peckinpah
To Houston
From Lone Star Republic
To Christopher Columbus
All the way down
To Donald f—g Trump
We didn’t cross the borders
The borders crossed us
Who you calling immigrant
Pilgrim?
About the host:
Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup built to help authors succeed. She is an internationally published author of four historical fiction novels. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. She recently finished her first YA crossover novel inspired by her nephew with Down syndrome. She lives in Marin County with her daughter and enjoys mountain biking, surfing and hiking with her dog. To learn more about her books and private writing coaching services, please visit hollylynnpayne.com or find her at Instagram and Twitter @hollylynnpayne.
If you have a first page you’d like to submit to the Page One Podcast, please do so here.
As an author and writing coach, I know that the first page of any book has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. So I thought to ask your favorite master storytellers how they do their magic to hook YOU.
After the first few episodes, it occurred to me that maybe someone listening might be curious how their first page sits with an audience, so I’m opening up Page One to any writer who wants to submit the first page of a book they’re currently writing.
If your page is chosen, you’ll be invited onto the show to read it and get live feedback from one of Page One’s master storytellers. Page One exists to inspire, celebrate and promote the work of both well-known and unknown creative talent.
You can listen to Page One on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher and all your favorite podcast players.
Hear past episodes.
If you're interested in getting writing tips and the latest podcast episode updates with the world's beloved master storytellers, please sign up for my very short monthly newsletter at hollylynnpayne.com and follow me @hollylynnpayne on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook. Your email address is always private and you can always unsubscribe anytime.
The Page One Podcast is created at the foot of a mountain in Marin County, California, and is a labor of love in service to writers and book lovers. My intention is to inspire, educate and celebrate. Thank you for being a part of my creative community!
Happy holidays! Be well and keep reading!
In service with love,
~Holly~Thank you for listening to the Page One Podcast, where master storytellers discuss the stories and struggles behind the critical first page of their books. If you liked this episode, please share it on social, leave a review on your favorite podcast players and tell your friends!
I hope you enjoy this labor of love as much as I love hosting, producing, and editing it. Please keep in touch by signing up to receive my newsletter at www.hollylynnpayne.com with the latest episodes each month. Delivered to your inbox with a smile.For the love of books and writers,
Holly Lynn Payne
@hollylynnpayne
www.hollylynnpayne.com -
Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.
About the guest author:
Kate Christensen is the author of seven novels, including The Last Cruise, The Astral, Trouble, The Epicure’s Lament, Jeremy Thrane, In the Drink and The Great Man, which won the 2008 PEN/Faulkner Award for fiction. Christensen was one of only five women in 30 years at the time who had ever received this prestigious award. She has also published two food-centric memoirs, Blue Plate Special and How to Cook a Moose, which won the 2016 Maine Literary Award for Memoir. She teaches fiction at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and has taught numerous workshops in both memoir and fiction at various residencies and MFA programs throughout the United States, in addition to publishing many essays, reviews, and stories. She has recently finished the first book of her debut YA trilogy with her co-writer, Eliza Wolfe, for Disney Books and also finished her first detective book, published under a pseudonym for HarperCollins. When she’s not in Iowa teaching, she lives in Taos, New Mexico with her screenwriter husband and two dogs and is currently at work on a new novel. You can follow her on Instagram @kate.christensen100.
About the host:
Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup built to help authors succeed. She is an internationally published author of four historical fiction novels. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. She recently finished her first YA crossover novel inspired by her nephew with Down syndrome. She lives in Marin County with her daughter and enjoys mountain biking, surfing and hiking with her dog. To learn more about her books and private writing coaching services, please visit hollylynnpayne.com or find her at Instagram and Twitter @hollylynnpayne.
Hear past episodes.
To get updates and writing tips from master storytellers, follow me on
Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Instagram.Until then, be well and keep reading!
In service,
HollyThank you for listening to the Page One Podcast, where master storytellers discuss the stories and struggles behind the critical first page of their books. If you liked this episode, please share it on social, leave a review on your favorite podcast players and tell your friends!
I hope you enjoy this labor of love as much as I love hosting, producing, and editing it. Please keep in touch by signing up to receive my newsletter at www.hollylynnpayne.com with the latest episodes each month. Delivered to your inbox with a smile.For the love of books and writers,
Holly Lynn Payne
@hollylynnpayne
www.hollylynnpayne.com -
Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.
About the guest author:
Writer and photographer Lisa M. Hamilton has documented agriculture and rural communities around the world. She was a National Fellow with New America, and has received additional fellowships, grants and awards from the UC Berkeley School of Journalism, California Historical Society, Creative Work Fund, James Beard Foundation and others. She is the author of Deeply Rooted: Unconventional Farmers in the Age of Agribusiness, and her feature articles have appeared in Harper's, McSweeney's, Virginia Quarterly Review, and California Sunday. She lives in Northern California.
About the host:
Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup built to help authors succeed. She is an internationally published author of four historical fiction novels. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. She recently finished her first YA crossover novel inspired by her nephew with Down syndrome. She lives in Marin County with her daughter and enjoys mountain biking, surfing and hiking with her dog. To learn more about her books and private writing coaching services, please visit hollylynnpayne.com or find her at Instagram and Twitter @hollylynnpayne.
If you have a first page you’d like to submit to the Page One Podcast, please do so here.
As an author and writing coach, I know that the first page of any book has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. So I thought to ask your favorite master storytellers how they do their magic to hook YOU.
After the first few episodes, it occurred to me that maybe someone listening might be curious how their first page sits with an audience, so I’m opening up Page One to any writer who wants to submit the first page of a book they’re currently writing.
If your page is chosen, you’ll be invited onto the show to read it and get live feedback from one of Page One’s master storytellers. Page One exists to inspire, celebrate and promote the work of both well-known and unknown creative talent.
You can listen to Page One on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher and all your favorite podcast players.
Hear past episodes.
To get updates and writing tips from master storytellers, follow me on
Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Instagram.Until then, be well and keep reading!
Thank you for listening to the Page One Podcast, where master storytellers discuss the stories and struggles behind the critical first page of their books. If you liked this episode, please share it on social, leave a review on your favorite podcast players and tell your friends!
I hope you enjoy this labor of love as much as I love hosting, producing, and editing it. Please keep in touch by signing up to receive my newsletter at www.hollylynnpayne.com with the latest episodes each month. Delivered to your inbox with a smile.For the love of books and writers,
Holly Lynn Payne
@hollylynnpayne
www.hollylynnpayne.com -
Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.
About the guest author:
Dominic Lim holds a master’s from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, is an alumnus of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and has sung with numerous professional choral ensembles. Lim is also a member of the Actors’ Equity Association and has performed Off-Broadway and in regional productions throughout the US. He lives in Oakland, California and supports the San Francisco Bay Area writing community as a member of the Writers Grotto and as a co-host of San Francisco’s Babylon Salon, the quarterly reading & performance series which has featured award-winning authors, including Booker Prize winners, National Book Award winners, and more. You can follow him on Instagram at @jdominiclim.
About the host:
Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup built to help authors succeed. She is an internationally published author of four historical fiction novels. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. She recently finished her first YA crossover novel inspired by her nephew with Down syndrome. She lives in Marin County with her daughter and enjoys mountain biking, surfing and hiking with her dog. To learn more about her books and private writing coaching services, please visit hollylynnpayne.com or find her at Instagram and Twitter @hollylynnpayne.
If you have a first page you’d like to submit to the Page One Podcast, please do so here.
As an author and writing coach, I know that the first page of any book has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. So I thought to ask your favorite master storytellers how they do their magic to hook YOU.
After the first few episodes, it occurred to me that maybe someone listening might be curious how their first page sits with an audience, so I’m opening up Page One to any writer who wants to submit the first page of a book they’re currently writing.
If your page is chosen, you’ll be invited onto the show to read it and get live feedback from one of Page One’s master storytellers. Page One exists to inspire, celebrate and promote the work of both well-known and unknown creative talent.
You can listen to Page One on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher and all your favorite podcast players.
Hear past episodes.
To get updates and writing tips from master storytellers, follow me on
Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Instagram.Until then, be well and keep reading!
In service,
Holly
Thank you for listening to the Page One Podcast, where master storytellers discuss the stories and struggles behind the critical first page of their books. If you liked this episode, please share it on social, leave a review on your favorite podcast players and tell your friends!
I hope you enjoy this labor of love as much as I love hosting, producing, and editing it. Please keep in touch by signing up to receive my newsletter at www.hollylynnpayne.com with the latest episodes each month. Delivered to your inbox with a smile.For the love of books and writers,
Holly Lynn Payne
@hollylynnpayne
www.hollylynnpayne.com -
Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.
About the guest author:
Jessica Carew Kraft is an independent journalist trained in anthropology, with degrees from the University of London, Yale University, and Swarthmore College. Her reporting on health, culture, tech, and education has been published in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Forbes, San Francisco Chronicle, Politico, NBC News, KQED, and many other outlets. In mid-life she became a naturalist and wild food forager. She lives with her two daughters and like-minded neighbors of various species in the forest of the Sierra Foothills. Get her book WHY WE NEED TO BE WILD and learn more at JessicaCarewKraft.com
About the host:
Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup built to help authors succeed. She is an internationally published author of four historical fiction novels. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. She recently finished her first YA crossover novel inspired by her nephew with Down syndrome. She lives in Marin County with her daughter and enjoys mountain biking, surfing and hiking with her dog. To learn more about her books and private writing coaching services, please visit hollylynnpayne.com or find her at Instagram and Twitter @hollylynnpayne.
If you have a first page you’d like to submit to the Page One Podcast, please do so here.
As an author and writing coach, I know that the first page of any book has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. So I thought to ask your favorite master storytellers how they do their magic to hook YOU.
After the first few episodes, it occurred to me that maybe someone listening might be curious how their first page sits with an audience, so I’m opening up Page One to any writer who wants to submit the first page of a book they’re currently writing.
If your page is chosen, you’ll be invited onto the show to read it and get live feedback from one of Page One’s master storytellers. Page One exists to inspire, celebrate and promote the work of both well-known and unknown creative talent.
You can listen to Page One on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher and all your favorite podcast players.
Hear past episodes.
If you're interested in getting writing tips and the latest podcast episode updates with the world's beloved master storytellers, please sign up for my very short monthly newsletter at hollylynnpayne.com and follow me @hollylynnpayne on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook. Your email address is always private and you can always unsubscribe anytime.
The Page One Podcast is created at the foot of a mountain in Marin County, California, and is a labor of love in service to writers and book lovers. My intention is to inspire, educate and celebrate. Thank you for being a part of my creative community!
If you'd like to support my work, please leave a review on Apple podcasts, Spotify or any of your favorite podcast players. And please share these episode with your friends and fellow book lovers. Thank you for listening.Be well and keep reading.
~Holly~
@hollylynnpayneThank you for listening to the Page One Podcast, where master storytellers discuss the stories and struggles behind the critical first page of their books. If you liked this episode, please share it on social, leave a review on your favorite podcast players and tell your friends!
I hope you enjoy this labor of love as much as I love hosting, producing, and editing it. Please keep in touch by signing up to receive my newsletter at www.hollylynnpayne.com with the latest episodes each month. Delivered to your inbox with a smile.For the love of books and writers,
Holly Lynn Payne
@hollylynnpayne
www.hollylynnpayne.com -
About the Page One Podcast:
Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.
Page One exists to inspire, celebrate and promote the work of both well-known and unknown creative talent. You can listen to Page One on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher and all your favorite podcast players. Hear past episodes.
About the guest author:
Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup built to help authors succeed. She is an internationally published author of four historical fiction novels. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. She recently finished her first YA crossover novel inspired by her nephew with Down syndrome. She lives in Marin County with her daughter and enjoys mountain biking, surfing and hiking with her dog. To learn more about her books and private writing coaching services, please visit hollylynnpayne.com or find her at Instagram and Twitter @hollylynnpayne.
About the host:
Kristen Harnisch is the international bestselling author of the award-winning trilogy: The Vintner's Daughter, The California Wife and The Vintner's Legacy. Kristen drew upon her extensive research and experiences living in the San Francisco Bay Area and visiting Parise and the Loire Valley to create the historic world for the masterful trilogy. Kristen has served as a monthly guest blogger for the Writer's Digest Blog, The Writer's Dig and currently speaks on the business and craft of writing at conferences and writing retreats. You can find her at www.kristenharnisch.com, Twitter @KristenHarnisch or Instagram @kharnischauthor.
For more information:
If you're interested in getting writing tips and the latest podcast episode updates with the world's beloved master storytellers, please sign up for my short, monthly newsletter at hollylynnpayne.com and get a copy of my new book Rose Girl for FREE!
You can follow me @hollylynnpayne on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook. Your email address is always private and you can always unsubscribe anytime.The Page One Podcast is created at the foot of a mountain in Marin County, California, and is a labor of love in service to writers and book lovers. My intention is to inspire, educate and celebrate. Thank you for being a part of my creative community!
And remember to get your FREE COPY of my new book, Rose Girl!
Be well and keep reading.~Holly~
@hollylynnpayneThank you for listening to the Page One Podcast, where master storytellers discuss the stories and struggles behind the critical first page of their books. If you liked this episode, please share it on social, leave a review on your favorite podcast players and tell your friends!
I hope you enjoy this labor of love as much as I love hosting, producing, and editing it. Please keep in touch by signing up to receive my newsletter at www.hollylynnpayne.com with the latest episodes each month. Delivered to your inbox with a smile.For the love of books and writers,
Holly Lynn Payne
@hollylynnpayne
www.hollylynnpayne.com -
Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.
About the guest author:
Nina Schuyler is an award winning author and esteemed professor of writing. Her new novel, Afterword, was published by Clash Books. She is also the author of The Translator, which won the Next Generation Indie Book Award for General Fiction and was a finalist for the William Saroyan International Writing Prize. Her novel, The Painting, was a finalist for the Northern California Book Award. Her book, How to Write Stunning Sentences, was a Small Press Distribution bestseller, and her new craft book, Stunning Sentences: The Creative Writing Journal with 80 New Prompts from Beloved Authors to Improve Your Style, was published by Fiction Advocate in November 2022. Nina Schuyler’s short story collection, In this Ravishing World, won the W.S. Porter Prize for Short Story Collections and The Prism Prize for Climate Literature, and will be published by Regal House Publishing in 2024.
Nina teaches creative writing at the University of San Francisco, Stanford Continuing Studies, and offers classes at the independent bookstore, Book Passage, and The Writing Room. She writes a column about prose style for Fiction Advocate and reviews books for The Millions. She lives with her husband and two sons in Northern California where she is an outdoor enthusiast. You can find her at ninaschuyler.com and follow her on IG @ninaschuler.
About the host:
Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup built to help authors succeed. She is an internationally published author of four historical fiction novels. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. She recently finished her first YA crossover novel inspired by her nephew with Down syndrome. She lives in Marin County with her daughter and enjoys mountain biking, surfing and hiking with her dog. To learn more about her books and private writing coaching services, please visit hollylynnpayne.com or find her at Instagram and Twitter @hollylynnpayne.
As an author and writing coach, I know that the first page of any book has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. So I thought to ask your favorite master storytellers how they do their magic to hook YOU.
Page One exists to inspire, celebrate and promote the work of both well-known and unknown creative talent. You can listen to Page One on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher and all your favorite podcast players. Hear past episodes.
If you're interested in getting writing tips and the latest podcast episode updates with the world's beloved master storytellers, please sign up for my very short monthly newsletter at hollylynnpayne.com and get a copy of my new book Rose Girl for FREE!
You can follow me @hollylynnpayne on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook. Your email address is always private and you can always unsubscribe anytime.The Page One Podcast is created at the foot of a mountain in Marin County, California, and is a labor of love in service to writers and book lovers. My intention is to inspire, educate and celebrate. Thank you for being a part of my creative community!
And remember to get your FREE COPY of my new book, Rose Girl!
Be well and keep reading.~Holly~
Thank you for listening to the Page One Podcast, where master storytellers discuss the stories and struggles behind the critical first page of their books. If you liked this episode, please share it on social, leave a review on your favorite podcast players and tell your friends!
I hope you enjoy this labor of love as much as I love hosting, producing, and editing it. Please keep in touch by signing up to receive my newsletter at www.hollylynnpayne.com with the latest episodes each month. Delivered to your inbox with a smile.For the love of books and writers,
Holly Lynn Payne
@hollylynnpayne
www.hollylynnpayne.com -
Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.
About the guest author:
Bestselling collaborative writer Jodi Lipper was a former fiction editor at Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, where she worked on numerous #1 New York Times best sellers. She has since become a six-time New York Times bestselling author herself who partners with high profile experts and celebrities to translate their experiences and expertise into highly effective and marketable books. In addition to Steve Madden and his memoir The Cobbler, she’s worked with Dave Asprey, the “father of biohacking” and the creator of Bulletproof Coffee, Fran Hauser, whose book The Myth of the Nice Girl was named the Best Business Book of 2018 by Audible and was listed by Amazon as One of the Best Business and Leadership Books of the Year. Jodi has also worked with Jacqueline Brassy from the McKinsey Health Institute on the book Deliberate Calm: How to Learn and Lead in a Volatile World, which was also co-authored by Aaron De Smet, and Michiel Kruyt and published by Harper Business last year, and most recently Jodi worked with Emily Morse, sexologist and host of the top rated podcast Sex with Emily who’s book Smart Sex: How to Boost Your Sex IQ and Own Your Pleasure will be published by Park Row (HarperCollins) in June.
About the host:
Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup built to help authors succeed. She is an internationally published author of four historical fiction novels. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. She recently finished her first YA crossover novel inspired by her nephew with Down syndrome. She lives in Marin County with her daughter and enjoys mountain biking, surfing and hiking with her dog. To learn more about her books and private writing coaching services, please visit hollylynnpayne.com or find her at Instagram and Twitter @hollylynnpayne.
You can listen to Page One on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher and all your favorite podcast players.
Hear past episodes.
If you're interested in getting writing tips and the latest podcast episode updates with the world's beloved master storytellers, please sign up for my very short monthly newsletter at hollylynnpayne.com and follow me @hollylynnpayne on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook. Your email address is always private and you can always unsubscribe anytime.
The Page One Podcast is created at the foot of a mountain in Marin County, California, and is a labor of love in service to writers and book lovers. My intention is to inspire, educate and celebrate. Thank you for being a part of my creative community!
Be well and keep reading.
~Holly~
Shoutouts to our sponsor:This episode is brought to you by the learning platform, Five things I’ve Learned. As a writing coach and former professor of creative writing, I am an ardent supporter of lifelong learning. So Five Things I’ve Learned is something I really like, and – full disclosure, it’s something created by folks I know.
Now in the middle of their third year, my friends at Five Things I’ve Learned make it super easy for artists, writers, musicians, and the thinkers they admire to offer live, online classes that share the essential ideas and experiences of a lifetime. This entire thing was conceived during the pandemic and it’s brilliant.
There are almost 100 Five Things I’ve Learned unique sessions already available online –from all sorts of disciplines. The best part: they’re always live and you can check out the archive for classes you’ve missed. And of course, there are so many great classes by writers. And they have an impressive list of master storytellers!
New York Times best-selling writer Meg Wolitzer just did a class about the “Five Things She’s Learned about Writing about Family.” The amazing Steve Almond just did a class on what he’s learned about “Where Stories Come From.” There are many more two-hour classes and workshops, from award winning authors like Isabel Allende and the wonderful travel writer Pico Iyer, and even from my friend, the writer and publisher Brooke Warner – and a whole lot more. You can view these and many other great classes on-demand any time so I hope you check out myfivethings.com right now and get to experience one of these live workshops yourself. I might see you there and teach a class soon—about the first page of a book.
Thank you for listening to the Page One Podcast, where master storytellers discuss the stories and struggles behind the critical first page of their books. If you liked this episode, please share it on social, leave a review on your favorite podcast players and tell your friends!
I hope you enjoy this labor of love as much as I love hosting, producing, and editing it. Please keep in touch by signing up to receive my newsletter at www.hollylynnpayne.com with the latest episodes each month. Delivered to your inbox with a smile.For the love of books and writers,
Holly Lynn Payne
@hollylynnpayne
www.hollylynnpayne.com - Show more
