In Episode 40 of the Page One Podcast, host Holly Payne interviews award-winning author Nina Schuyler about her latest short story collection, In This Ravishing World, winner of the WS Porter Prize and the Prism Prize for Climate Literature, which explores themes of climate change and the natural world in nine interrelated stories. Bestselling author Karen Joy Fowler describes it as "powerfully beautiful and beautifully powerful." This is not a dystopian narrative, but a powerful set of connected stories that instills hope. In This Ravishing World is an act of literary activism that reminds us of nature’s restorative power and our role in preserving it. If you seek inspiration and a renewed connection with the natural world, this book is a must-read. Schulyer discusses the inspiration behind the collection, the interconnectedness of nature, and the choice to anthropomorphize nature as the narrator. Schuyler also shares insights into her writing process and the importance of collective effort in addressing the climate crisis. The episode offers a deep dive into Schuyler’s broader body of work, and makes for an intimate, compelling conversation into the craft of writing. If you’ve ever wanted to learn from one of the best writing teachers in the country, this episode is especially for you! Enjoy it and be well!
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.
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