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In 2022, Jennette McCurdy shook the culture with I’m Glad My Mom Died, a brutally honest memoir that spent more than 80 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, sold more than 3 million copies, and is now being adapted as a series for Apple TV+. But more than anything, the book marked a turning point for McCurdy as she reclaimed writing—not acting—as her true creative home.

Now, she’s pushing her passion even further with her debut novel, Half His Age. The book follows Waldo, a 17-year-old student who enters an affair with her married English teacher. It’s an unsettling, razor-sharp examination of power, consent, female rage, class, and consumerism.

In this conversation, McCurdy unpacks her writing process (it’s a full-body endeavor), the discomfort she’s intentionally leaning into, and what it means to take full authorship—and creative control—of her career.

For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to https://www.fastcompany.com/news

To listen to the latest episodes of Creative Control on Fast Company:https://www.fastcompany.com/podcasts/creative-control