Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley

Kate Hanley
  • 4.7 (103)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Semiweekly

Finding the Throughline: Conversations about the Creative Process invites you into the minds of writers and other creatives as they open up about their process, their doubts, and what kinds of changes they’re thinking about making. The questions are mildly invasive, honestly, and the answers are unvarnished…and so refreshing!  Whether your creative work is writing, painting, making music, parenting, or simply living, Finding the Throughline can help you get—and stay—inspired. Invigorated, even.  For detailed show notes on each interview, visit katehanley.substack.com. And if you’d like to hear these interviews in one ad-free episode (as opposed to broken up into three shorter episodes with a few ads sprinkled in to keep the lights on), become a paid subscriber once you’re there. .

  1. 1d ago

    [Vanessa Lillie, inner stuff]: Getting clear on the stories you're meant to tell

    In part two of my conversation with bestselling crime fiction author Vanessa Lillie, whose books include "The Bone Thief," "Blood Sisters," "Little Voices”, and “For the Best,” we're breaking down all the mental hurdles that can get in the way of your writing, and how to overcome them, including:- Fighting erasure by weaving her family’s story into her books- The thrill of writing about your culture, and worrying about getting it wrong- How Vanessa steadies herself when that anxiety crops up- Embracing the challenge of writing a page turner- Dealing with the fear that your current work isn’t as good as your previous work- Seeing ideas as a butterfly that come and sit on your shoulder (from Elizabeth Gilbert’s book “Big Magic”)- Why it’s so vital to get clear on why you are the right person to tell this story- Why being in her 40s feels like such a relief- Some frank talk about early motherhood–-and why it was a theme in her first novel- Letting go of the idea that your success is within your controlThis episode is a replay.Connect with Vanessa on Instagram @vanessalillie, where she hosts a long-running series of interviews with crime fiction authors.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit ⁠katehanley.substack.com⁠.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    18 min

  2. 3d ago

    [Vanessa Lillie, practical matters]: How to bust out of a lack mentality

    This week I’m talking with Vanessa Lillie, the bestselling author of numerous thrillers, including "The Bone Thief" (her most recent) and its prequel, "Blood Sisters," as well as “Little Voices,” and “For the Best." Vanessa is also the co-author of the Young Rich Widows series of fun 80s mystery romps.Vanessa is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma living on Narragansett land in Rhode Island.This episode is a replay.We covered:- Making up stories as a form of escape- How a nagging sense of unhappiness in her 20s and 30s drove her to keep questioning what she should ‘do with her life’- The trip to the airport bookstore that awakened her desire to be an author- The joy–and terror–of having a dream- Using restlessness as a force for creative good- Channeling your childhood and your family history into fiction- The privilege of sharing stories with people who are interested- Why it’s so easy to get into a lack mentality as an author- How Vanessa ended up back at square one–no publisher, no agent–after her second book came out- Finding the story you’re meant to tell so that you’re not “turning yourself into a pretzel to fit inside the system”- The tools that helped her get out of that lack mentality- Embracing chaos as a creative and honoring your particular process- Stepping out the capitalistic narrative that if you’re not working 9-to-5, or really, 9-to-9, you’re a slackerConnect with Vanessa on Instagram @vanessalillie, where she hosts a long-running series of interviews with crime fiction authors.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit ⁠katehanley.substack.com⁠.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    31 min

  3. Jun 12

    [Philip Eil: What’s coming up]: Tackling clutter + how AI is spreading misinformation

    Welcome back to the final part of my interview with Philip Eil, an award-winning freelance journalist based in his hometown, Providence, Rhode Island and the author of “Prescription for Pain” and a work in progress about the history of the Wyatt Detention Facility, a maximum-security prison in Central Falls, Rhode Island.Today we’re going to get a glimpse at where Phil’s throughline is leading him next and end with my fast final five questions about what he’s been reading, watching, listening to, and fantasizing about eating.We talked about:- The local nonprofit news outlet he just joined the board of- Stumbling into being an expert on AI and misinformation (book him for a talk at your local library!)- Why it’s helpful to think about the people whose careers you envy- The parts of being an author he finds especially rewarding and thrilling- The link between clutter and mental health- The novels he recently binged, the brand of coffee he swears by, and the absolute best part of his weekConnect with Phil at philipeil.com, or on Instagram @philip.eil or Bluesky @phileil.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    19 min

  4. Jun 10

    [Phil Eil, inner stuff]: The power of writing about mental health challenges (especially as a man)

    Welcome to part two of my interview with Philip Eil, freelance investigative journalist and author of the book “Prescription for Pain: How a Once Promising Doctor Became the ‘Pill Mill Killer’” and a work in progress about the Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, RI, otherwise known as the hometown of Viola Davis.Today we’re talking about the inner stuff involved in writing—the doubts, the beliefs, and the fears that can impact your work whether you’re conscious of it or not.We covered:- The type of writing that just “tumbles out” for him- Why he doesn’t miss writing for outlets that have national name recognition- What his inner critic is telling him as he works on his second book- How being passionate and excited about your work can get you into some tricky situations… and how to avoid that- Why he openly writes about his mental health challenges- How he’s pushing back against our current ideas of masculinityConnect with Phil at philipeil.com, or on Instagram @philip.eil or Bluesky @phileil.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    20 min

  5. Jun 8

    [Phil Eil, practical matters]: When the work you’re passionate about doesn’t make a lot of money

    This week my guest is Phil Eil, an author and freelance journalist based in his hometown–and mind–Providence, RI.Phil’s first book, “Prescription for Pain: How a Once Promising Doctor Became the ‘Pill Mill Killer’”, came out in 2024 and was hailed a riveting true-crime page-turner by the Columbus Dispatch. He’s currently working on a new book about the history of the Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, RI, a maximum-security prison that was hailed as an economic lifeline for Rhode Island’s poorest–and geographically smallest–city and is now being used to house people detained by ICE and causing quite a stir in the local community.Phil was the news editor and staff writer at the alt-weekly, the Providence Phoenix, until the paper closed in 2014. Since then, he's contributed to VICE, the Atlantic, Men’s Health, The Nation, Boston Magazine, and Huffington Post, and is a regular contributor to vital local independent news outlets including UpriseRI and the Rhode Island Current.We covered:-How his first clue that he wanted to be a journalist was that he loved writing papers in college (not something most people love)- The continuing education class he took that clicked his career path into place- How meaning and passion can make up for lack of profit- The news story he just broke- How he uses speaking to supplement his income- The link between AI and the spread of disinformation (a subject he speaks about)- A look at the financial realities of being a journalist in 2026- Why he doesn’t get down when reporting on bleak topics- The prescription medication that was a game changer for himConnect with Phil at philipeil.com, or on Instagram @philip.eil or Bluesky @phileil.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    26 min

  6. May 22

    [Lori Gold: What’s coming up]: Re-jiggering your schedule so writing comes first

    Welcome back to part three of my interview with Lori Gold, author of the brand new novel “Kiss, Marry, Kill,” about three women who play a spin on the classic sleepover game and wake up the next day in an alternate universe, and “Romantic Friction,” an NPR Book of the Day that satirizes publishing and AI and explores female ambition and friendship.Lori is also the author of Love, Theodosia, Sources Say, Screen Queens, and the Becoming Jinn series, which she published under the name Lori Goldstein.In today’s episode, we’re going to get a peek at where Lori’s throughline may be leading her next, as well as what she’s been reading, watching, listening to, and fantasizing about eating lately, including:- How she comes up with book ideas that have a hooky premise- How reading all of Liane Moriarty’s book was an education (as well as a joyride)- Keeping writing fresh by taking on new storytelling challenges- Re-organizing her time so she can do a deep dive on completing the draft of her next book- The Netflix rom com that’s giving her lifeConnect with Lori on Instagram @lorigoldsteinbooks or at her website, lorigoldsteinbooks.com.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    16 min

  7. May 20

    [Lori Gold, inner stuff]: On writing what you *don’t* know

    Welcome back to part two of my interview with Lori Gold, whose brand new novel is “Kiss, Marry, Kill,” a book about three friends who are sent into alternate universes after playing the classic sleepover game during a company trip.Today, we’re getting into the psychology and mindset side of writing–the thoughts, ideas, and beliefs that play such a big part of this very interior profession.We covered:- Why “Kiss, Marry, Kill” took two years to revise- How she determines when she’s done enough book promotion- What she tells herself when the doubts start coming- How getting older has changed what she writes about- Infusing a fictional story with your real-life feelings- Feeling your gravitational pull tilt away from ambition as you enter your 50s- Why “write what you know” isn’t true- A plug for the power of planningConnect with Lori on Instagram @lorigoldsteinbooks or at her website, lorigoldsteinbooks.com.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    20 min

  8. May 18

    [Lori Gold, practical matters]: Listening to the voice that says “I want to do something different”

    This week my guest is Lori Gold, author of the just-released “Kiss, Marry, Kill” about three women who play a spin on the classic sleepover game and wake up the next day in an alternate universe, and last year’s winning breakthrough, “Romantic Friction” – a comedic look at a rivalry between two writers seasoned with a dash of AI that was an NPR Book of the Day.Her other books, published under the name Lori Goldstein, include the adult historical novel, “Love, Theodosia”, a Romeo & Juliet for Hamilton fans, and four novels for young adults: “Sources Say,” “Screen Queens,” and the “Becoming Jinn” series.Lori is also a creative writing instructor and founder of Think Write, which holds creative writing classes and writing retreats.We covered:- Making the leap to fiction from journalism- The first manuscript she ever wrote that was 800 pages long- The writing class that changed everything- How the right encouragement at the right time–plus stubbornness–can fuel you- The importance of having a cheerleader- Why her husband was the only person who knew she was trying to write a book- Her belief that no writing is wasted–even the complete manuscripts that don’t get picked up by a publisher- Protecting your writing time amidst the side hustles- Realizing when you need to get back to a more writing-centric routine- The different tools she uses for different parts of the writing processConnect with Lori on Instagram @lorigoldsteinbooks or at her website, lorigoldsteinbooks.com.For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.Thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    24 min
See All (1.3K)

Trailer

4.7
out of 5
103 Ratings

About

Finding the Throughline: Conversations about the Creative Process invites you into the minds of writers and other creatives as they open up about their process, their doubts, and what kinds of changes they’re thinking about making. The questions are mildly invasive, honestly, and the answers are unvarnished…and so refreshing!  Whether your creative work is writing, painting, making music, parenting, or simply living, Finding the Throughline can help you get—and stay—inspired. Invigorated, even.  For detailed show notes on each interview, visit katehanley.substack.com. And if you’d like to hear these interviews in one ad-free episode (as opposed to broken up into three shorter episodes with a few ads sprinkled in to keep the lights on), become a paid subscriber once you’re there. .

Information

You Might Also Like