How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Jennifer Lynn Barnes Writes

The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience

#1 New York Times bestselling author, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, spoke to me about how to write seven novels in 18 months, the psychology of fiction and fandom, and her latest YA mystery, THE BROTHERS HAWTHORNE.

Jennifer Lynn Barnes is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 20 acclaimed young adult novels, including The Inheritance Games trilogy, Little White Lies, Deadly Little Scandals, The Lovely and the Lost, and The Naturals series.

Her latest is The Brothers Hawthorne, described as “Knives Out-esque” by Publishers Weekly, it is a story of [two brothers] “Drawn into twisted games on opposite sides of the globe, [who] —with the help of their brothers and the girl who inherited their grandfather’s fortune—must dig deep to decide who they want to be and what each of them will sacrifice to win.”

Jen is a Fulbright Scholar with advanced degrees in psychology, psychiatry, and cognitive science including a Ph.D. from Yale University, and “...is one of the world's leading experts on the psychology of fandom and the cognitive science of fiction and the imagination.”

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In this file Jennifer Lynn Barnes and I discussed:

• Her study of autism and why neurodivergents rely so heavily on story
• How her bestselling trilogy went viral on TikTok
• Why she writes for reluctant readers
• How to write mysteries with intricate puzzles, twists, turns, and reveals
• Her theories on why readers love fiction
• And a lot more!

Show Notes:

• Jenniferlynnbarnes.com
• The psychology of fiction with Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Re:Thinking with Adam Grant - TED Audio Collective
• The Brothers Hawthorne By Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Amazon)
• Jennifer Lynn Barnes Amazon Author Page
• Jennifer Lynn Barnes on Twitter
• Kelton Reid on Twitter

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