CARMEN MARIA MACHADO: Staying Focused on Creating Your Best Work

Carmen Maria Machado is a fiction writer, critic, and essayist whose work has appeared in the New Yorker, Granta, Tin House, Guernica, Gulf Coast, NPR, and more. Carmen’s debut short story collection, Her Body and Other Parties, was a finalist for the National Book Award, the Kirkus Prize, the National Book Critics Circle’s John Leonard Prize, and the winner of the Bard Fiction Prize. NPR describes “Her Body and Other Parties” as an abrupt, original, and wild collection of stories, full of outlandish myths that somehow catch at familiar, unspoken truths about being women in the world that more straightforward or realist writing wouldn’t.” In this episode, we kick it off by discussing Carmen’s earliest memories of a story she wrote as a kid called “The Biggest Turkey Can’t Find The Farm” and you’ll understand why it’s become her famous family story shared at gatherings. We then discuss Carmen’s thoughts about MFA programs and if she thinks they’re necessary for a successful or a stable writing career. We talk about maximizing a productive writing schedule by figuring out a system that works for you, how Carmen organizes her thoughts during her writing process, and why it’s so important to not get fixated on being published to the point where you lose yourself and are unable to provide your best work possible. Later, we touch on abuse in same sex relationships and how that ties in with her memoir “House in Indiana” releasing in 2019. Carmen also shares how to recognize some warning signs of an abusive relationship. We then wrap up our conversation by talking more about “Her Body and Other Parties” and how her editor played a crucial role in the process. She also shares how to recognize signs of a good editor and how to make yourself visible as a short story writer. Say 'Hi' to Carmen on Twitter and check out the book mentioned in her episode by clicking here! Happy listening! Xo, Yin PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word! --- If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page! --- For EXCLUSIVE EARLY ACCESS to our shop, meet fellow members in our community and check in about your work-in-progress, and join in on other bookish talks and 88 Cups of Tea related things, join our private Facebook group! You can really feel the love and support in our community. You also get the opportunity to submit your questions for upcoming guests on the show. Click here to join our private Facebook group! IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure to have a clear profile picture of yourself. If not, send over links to either your Twitter or Instagram. Fill out the 3 questions that pop up as soon as you request to join. To protect our group's safe space, these steps help us weed out any spam/fake profiles/creepers. Can't wait to meet you! --- Warm welcome to our new listeners, be sure to check out our archive of episodes by clicking here! ---  "Publication is not the end all be all in making good art.”  -Carmen Maria Machado (Click to tweet!) “I think a part of becoming an artist of any kind, writer in particularly, is figuring what kind of obsessions you have.” -Carmen Maria Machado (Click to tweet!) “A good editor is worth their weight in gold.” -Carmen Maria Machado (Click to tweet!)  --- WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE:  Listen in on Carmen’s famous family story, “The Biggest Turkey Can’t Find The Farm” (Warning: It’s hilarious!) Hear Carmen’s thoughts about MFA programs and if they are necessary for a successful or stable writing career Maximizing a productive writing schedule by figuring out a system that works for you How Carmen organizes her thoughts during her writing process We touch on abuse in same sex relationships and how that ties in with her memoir “House in Indiana” releasing in 2019 How to recognize warning signs of an abusive relationship Signs of a good editor Why it’s crucial not to get fixated on being published to the point where you lose yourself and are unable to provide the best work possible Why you should never settle and to only work with the right editor and agent  How to make yourself visible as a short story writer