Bad On Paper Podcast — Episode Summary

Episode Title: Grace Is Back! (With Big Book News!)
Hosts: Becca Freeman & Olivia Muenter
Date: March 18, 2026
Special Guest: Grace Atwood

Overview

In this lively, heartfelt episode of Bad On Paper, Becca and Olivia welcome back their beloved former co-host, Grace Atwood, for her most exciting update yet: she's writing a thriller novel! The conversation features bookish highs and lows, candid peek-behind-the-scenes author talk, and warm friendship vibes. The trio dives into creativity, writing struggles, evolving careers, and, as always, a whirlwind of reading recommendations.

Key Discussion Points

1. Audio Chaos & Catch-up (00:17)

• Becca and Olivia comment on their suboptimal audio conditions, sharing laughs about construction noise, hotel ambiance, and visiting friends.
• “What quality audio experience we're delivering today.” — Becca, [00:53]

2. Highs & Lows: Life Updates with the Hosts (01:16)

• Highs: Both hosts celebrate “fake spring”—the first warm stretch of weather—with outdoor reading and renewed creative energy.
  • “To open the windows and doors and just have the house air out was like truly taking just the biggest, deepest breath.” — Olivia, [01:59]
• Lows: Olivia recalls a sleepless night after a book event, blaming caffeine overload and hotel beds. Becca opens up about anxiety over early reviews for her upcoming book Back Where We Started starting to appear on NetGalley and Edelweiss.
  • “I'm just like, almost letting other people dictate how I feel about it, which is so bad. Bad, bad, so bad, so bad.” — Becca, [08:13]

3. Grace Atwood Returns: Catching Up & Book News (16:36)

Grace’s Life Lately

• Substack has overtaken Instagram as her main platform, reigniting love for long-form content.
• She’s in her “tri-coastal era”—frequenting NYC, LA, and seeing family in Charleston.
• High: Receiving a sentimental heirloom brooch from her mother. [20:15]
• Low: Being “stare at the wall” sick after a trip. [19:43]

Grace’s Book News (21:21-26:33)

• Announcement: Grace is writing a book—a thriller with “boarding school, rich kids behaving badly, beauty industry intrigue, antique jewelry, fashion, and rich adults behaving badly.” [52:08]
  • “It still feels very crazy to say this and I asked you guys if you felt this way because I feel like I'm lying when I tell people, but I'm writing a book.” — Grace, [21:25]
• She started drafting during a phone-less vacation in Provence, switching from rom-com to thriller when darker elements kept cropping up.
• “I just started writing and it was like, I don't know, like 20 pages just like came out of my body.” — Grace, [22:56]

On Sharing The Drafting Journey

• Grace wants to bring her audience along and hold herself accountable by sharing progress early, aiming for honesty about highs and lows.
  • “One of the reasons people like following me is that I'm really honest about like the highs and lows of life.” — Grace, [25:30]

Inspiration, Craft & Imposter Syndrome

• Obsessed with twists (“I need three!”), books by Frida McFadden and Colleen Hoover (for plot), and the enduring influence of Gone Girl.
• Writing advice: Her partner Jeff urges her to “just write and stop critiquing as you go.”
• “I'm 44, and I'm, like, getting back in touch with that side of my brain.” — Grace, [46:01]
• “I want to do things that scare me. ... It's fun to take a risk.” — Grace, [51:26]

Support from the Hosts

• Encouragement about “shitty first drafts” and the recursive nature of editing. “There isn't the easy button to be like, oh, let me skip the drafts 1 through 5 where it’s bad, and just, like, come right in at the part where it’s good. Like, you can’t.” — Becca, [40:38]

4. Podcast Memories & Dream Guests (53:12)

• Upcoming milestone: 8 years of Bad On Paper!
• Favorite memories: live Gramercy Theater show, celebrity guests in their living rooms (“Sidney Crawford was in my living room!” [55:42]), influential book club episodes, and forming real friendships with guests like Ashley Spivey.
• Dream future guests: Ina Garten or Amy Poehler. (“Gauntlet thrown.” — Becca, [57:24])

5. Book Adaptations & Celebrity Castings (58:06)

• Anticipating (nervously) the Verity adaptation (“I don't think it's gonna be good because of Dakota Johnson.” — Grace, [58:16])
• Noting Anne Hathaway’s dominance in book-to-film projects.
• Brief debate on Project Hail Mary and TBR overwhelm.

6. Grace’s Best Books of 2026 So Far (60:21)

• In Her Defense by Philippa Malika — “really transportive... queer sexual tension... very well written.” [61:08]
• The Force of Such Beauty — “So good. So transportive. ... Smart and social commentary.” [62:14]
• Strangers — “The writing is magnificent...there's an old money element which I love.” [63:00]
• Honorable mentions: The Storm by Rachel Hawkins, Lady Tremaine (Cinderella retelling), Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro.

7. Podcast Closing Banter & Personal Obsessions (72:48)

• Becca’s obsession: the new Harry Styles album (“I really like American Girls. I really like Taste Back ... I'm having so much fun listening to the album.” [73:02])
• Olivia’s non-book obsession, but many book recs—romance (You Between the Lines), literary (Understory), and thrillers (Warning Signs).

Memorable Quotes

• Grace: “I want to do things that scare me. ... You can do something before you feel ready, and it's fun to take a risk.” [51:26]
• Becca: “There isn't the easy button to be like, oh, let me skip the drafts 1 through 5 where it’s bad, and just, like, come right in at the part where it’s good. Like, you can’t.” [40:38]
• Olivia: “Writing a book is such an exercise in... knowing you're enjoying it and you're proud of it, and also knowing someone out there will dislike it... But, like, what is life about if not that? That's kind of all we have.” [50:09]
• Becca (on creative energy): “There's like, an energy to it where I just feel like I can't sit still. Like, I need to go do more stuff or be outside or create something!” [03:19]
• Grace (on her creative return): “I'm 44, and I'm, like, getting back in touch with that side of my brain.” [46:01]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------------|------------| | Audio banter & highs/lows begin | 00:17 | | Review anxiety & book process talk | 07:01 | | Grace joins show/catching up | 16:36 | | Grace’s book announcement | 21:25 | | Craft, process, creative advice | 27:03 | | Early plot & inspirations | 52:08 | | Podcast nostalgia & dream guests | 53:12 | | Book adaptation discussion | 58:06 | | Grace’s favorite recent reads | 60:21 | | End-matter: obsessions & book recs | 72:48 |

Tone & Style

The conversation is candid, supportive, humorous, and deeply bookish. The hosts trade honest anxieties about creation and vulnerability, but always swing back to encouragement and friendship—from obsessively checking Goodreads to sharing jewelry from mom. The episode brims with warmth, inside jokes, and the ever-present banter about literary trends and pop culture.

Closing

Grace’s return is both a celebration of creative risk-taking and a testament to friendship’s role in creativity. Whether you’re writing, reading, or just learning to try something new—a recurring theme is that you just have to start. If you love books, writing process talk, and real-life literary camaraderie, this episode is not to be missed.