No Write Way with V. E. Schwab

Some books feel like an escape hatch you didn’t know you needed.
For the first episode of Season 4, I sat down with Matt Dinniman, author of the wildly popular Dungeon Crawler Carl series and his latest novel, Operation Bounce House. Matt calls himself a “psycho pantser” (affectionately), and he lives up to the title, walking me through a writing process that’s as wild and inventive as his stories—one that sometimes even leaves room for reader input.
We talk about writing without a map: trusting chaos, breaking rules, and finding momentum by charging toward the thing you know isn’t going to happen. Matt shares his unconventional, sometimes delightfully unhinged process, how surprise keeps him writing, why play is often the surest way through a block, and his untraditional approach to rights—what he chooses to keep, what he lets go, and why ownership matters to him.
Welcome to Season 4.

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Credits:
Host: V. E. Schwab
Producer / Editor / Mixer: Jenna Maurice

Plot twist—I’m the guest this week.
And there’s no one I’d rather hand the reins to than my BFF (and producer of this podcast), Jenna. We get into the details of my writing process—from early research to finding the right title—and talk about the kinds of fantasy I’m drawn to, and why. We explore how setting functions as a character in my stories, the balance between realism and the fantastical, and the logic behind how my worlds work.
Also, yes, we talk about mermaids. Because the ocean is still mostly unexplored, and hope is a powerful thing.

This week, we summon Laura Steven, author of The Exact Opposite of Okay and Our Infinite Fates, for a thoughtful and refreshingly frank conversation. She walks us through the slow-burn nature of her creative process, opens up about the very real highs and lows of life in publishing, and reminds us that believing in yourself can be its own kind of survival skill. It’s a deep dive into persistence, perspective, and the long game of storytelling.

This week marks a first—we’re summoning two authors at once! The powerhouse writing duo Christina Lauren (yes, they of the swoony romance bestsellers) joins me for a conversation that’s equal parts craft deep dive and master class in creative friendship. We talk about their ever-evolving writing process, the magic of knowing you don’t have to be good at the same things to make something great, and the puzzle-piece partnership that fuels their stories. They share lessons learned—like how you can’t polish what isn’t fully formed, and how a good book becomes great in the edit. Also: the unexpected tranquility of Pilates.

SWOON ALERT! This week, we summon Tia Williams, bestselling author of Seven Days in June and A Love Song for Ricki Wilde. We dive into her writing process and why every new book begins in her Notes app (because once that laptop’s open, it’s real), the tricky art of writing middles (think chicken that looks done until you cut in and find it’s still pink), and how she finished her first novel before she even hit double digits.