‘Open Book with Jenna’ Featuring Rebecca Yarros

Summary

Making Space with Hoda Kotb – Episode: ‘Open Book with Jenna’ Featuring Rebecca Yarros

Release Date: March 13, 2025

In this engaging episode of Making Space with Hoda Kotb, host Hoda Kotb welcomes a special preview of Jenna Bush Hager's podcast, Open Book with Jenna, featuring a heartfelt conversation with best-selling author Rebecca Yarros. The discussion delves into Yarros's journey as a writer, her meteoric rise in the literary world, and the profound connection she shares with her readers.

1. Introduction to Rebecca Yarros's Reading Journey

The conversation begins with Jenna Bush Hager inviting Rebecca Yarros to share her origins as a reader. Yarros reflects on her childhood, highlighting how moving frequently as a military kid fostered her deep connection with books.

[00:51] Rebecca Yarros: "I'm a reader first and foremost. I was a reader all through my childhood... I found a lot of comfort in books."

2. From Reader to Writer: The Birth of a Bestselling Author

Yarros recounts how her personal experiences, particularly her husband's military deployments and subsequent injuries, inspired her to transition from reading to writing. The challenges she faced during this period, including sleepless nights, became the catalyst for her first book.

[00:53] Rebecca Yarros: "When my husband deployed... I stopped sleeping at night. And so I was reading a book a night, and finally... I wrote a page a night... I had my first book complete."

3. Navigating Success: The Meteoric Rise of 'Fourth Wing'

Jenna acknowledges Yarros's astonishing rise to fame, comparing it to unparalleled success stories and expressing admiration for her achievements.

[01:18] Jenna Bush Hager: "You have had similar rises, actually... I don't know that there's ever been anything like this."

Yarros humbly reacts to the unexpected scale of her success, noting that even industry insiders like Colleen Hoover recognized the potential of her work.

[01:28] Rebecca Yarros: "But no one thought it was going to be this big. But I was so focused on writing Iron Flame already..."

4. Intensive Writing Process and Productivity

The discussion shifts to Yarros's remarkable writing habits, characterized by intense focus and long hours. She shares insights into her process of researching and writing, often dedicating 12 to 15 hours a day to meet deadlines.

[02:27] Rebecca Yarros: "I wrote about three weeks. I researched it for months, and then I wrote the last letter in three weeks... I hyper fixate."

Jenna comments on Yarros's productivity, highlighting the sheer volume of work she produces.

[02:23] Jenna Bush Hager: "I mean, that is also wild. Your productivity is fast."

5. Building a Collective Experience with Readers

Yarros expresses her awe at how her readers share the same imaginative world she created in her books. She emphasizes the joy of seeing readers connect with each other and with her narratives, fostering a sense of community.

[03:14] Jenna Bush Hager: "The pace in which it became so popular is sort of the gold standard... making people feel seen through Dragon Rider."

[03:34] Rebecca Yarros: "It's like this collective experience we all have... it's such a joyous atmosphere."

6. Reflections on Resilience and Goal-Setting

Yarros reflects on her unwavering determination to achieve her goals, regardless of the challenges. Her resilience is a recurring theme, illustrating how personal struggles can fuel creative and professional success.

[02:58] Rebecca Yarros: "If there's a goal, I'll meet the goal. No matter what it costs. I will go get that goal."

Conclusion

The episode concludes with Yarros's appreciation for her readers and the shared journey they embark on through her storytelling. Her ability to create immersive worlds and connect with her audience serves as a testament to the power of resilience and passion in achieving extraordinary success.

Notable Quotes:

• Rebecca Yarros: "I'm a reader first and foremost... I found a lot of comfort in books." [00:51]
• Jenna Bush Hager: "You have had similar rises... I don't know that there's ever been anything like this." [01:18]
• Rebecca Yarros: "If there's a goal, I'll meet the goal... I will go get that goal." [02:58]
• Rebecca Yarros: "It's like this collective experience we all have... it's such a joyous atmosphere." [03:34]

This episode of Making Space with Hoda Kotb offers a profound insight into Rebecca Yarros's life as an author, her unwavering dedication, and the inspirational bond she shares with her readers. For those who haven't listened yet, this conversation is a compelling exploration of creativity, resilience, and the enduring impact of storytelling.

Transcript

[Jenna Bush Hager]

Foreign. Hi, everyone, it's Jenna Bush Hager. You're about to hear a special preview of my podcast, Open Book with Jenna. Each episode I get to have inspiring conversations with celebrities, authors, fellow book lovers, and more. And in the premiere episode of season two, I sit down with best selling author Rebecca Yarros to talk about her latest novel, Onyx Storm, and how she drew on her experience with chronic illness to write the bestselling 4th Wing and her process to plot out five books in the series. Here's Open Book with Jenna. Rebecca, I am so excited to be with you.

[Rebecca Yarros]

You're talking to me. Really?

[Jenna Bush Hager]

Take me back to when you first knew you were a reader, because you are a reader. For.

[Rebecca Yarros]

I'm a reader first and foremost.

[Jenna Bush Hager]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Yarros]

I was a reader all through my childhood. Honestly, as a military kid, we moved a lot and so I found a lot of comfort in books. And then when I grew up, I became a military spouse and my husband deployed a lot and he was injured during his first deployment and I stopped sleeping at night. And so I was reading a book a night, and finally it was his third deployment. I said, I'm gonna write one. I'm gonna write an actual book. I'm gonna finish this one. And I wrote a page a night. And when he came home, I had my first book complete.

[Jenna Bush Hager]

You know, your Meteoric Rise.

[Rebecca Yarros]

Surreal.

[Jenna Bush Hager]

I don't know that there's ever been anything like this.

[Rebecca Yarros]

I don't. I haven't seen it. I think maybe Colleen Hoover a little.

[Jenna Bush Hager]

Bit, who I also adore.

[Rebecca Yarros]

I love her and she's who I called. Honestly, before Iron Flame, I was like, I don't know if I can do this. This is a lot. There's a lot of people, there's a lot of media. And she was someone I called and that really helped me get through it.

[Jenna Bush Hager]

You have had similar rises, actually, because you were writing sort of for yourself at the beginning. You were writing romance. But it was when you really kind of got into this world of romantasy that you had this huge following. Yeah, it happened super fast. Like, do you remember knowing that you had hit some sort of chord?

[Rebecca Yarros]

I remember them telling me this book was gonna be big and thinking, ha ha ha, no. Like, no, you can't ever guess. It's like it's. Books are hit or miss. It's a fourth wing.

[Jenna Bush Hager]

Right. And I'm the first in the series.

[Rebecca Yarros]

And I've already written 20 books before this. And they're saying, oh, I think this is gonna be big. And I'm like, okay. But no one thought it was going to be this big. But I was so focused on writing Iron Flame already and writing in the likely event. I wrote, like, four books that year.

[Jenna Bush Hager]

So, I mean, that is also wild. Your productivity is fast.

[Rebecca Yarros]

I wrote the. About three weeks. I researched it for months, and then I wrote the last letter in three weeks. Like, it's just. I hyper fixate.

[Jenna Bush Hager]

Yeah.

[Rebecca Yarros]

And I live in the world and the book just kind of pours out, so.

[Jenna Bush Hager]

And you spend sometimes like 12 hours writing, is that right?

[Rebecca Yarros]

12 to 15. When I was on deadline for Onyx and writing Variation at the same time. 12 to 15 hours a day. But we're. We're backing that down this year.

[Jenna Bush Hager]

Yeah. You're slowing down. Do you think people that knew you and loved you could have predicted this for you?

[Rebecca Yarros]

I don't know. I think I've always had a personality that if I set my mind to it, I'll get it done. Like, if there's a goal, I'll meet the goal. No matter what it costs. I will go get that goal. But I don't think anyone could have predicted something like fourth wing. Like, I really. I really don't know.

[Jenna Bush Hager]

The pace in which it became so popular is sort of the gold standard. And it's so interesting because I do feel like, you know, you've made people feel seen through. Dragon Rider, you know, something that is not. That feels like a different world.

[Rebecca Yarros]

Yeah.

[Jenna Bush Hager]

And I think that's very cool. It's like sometimes escaping to a place you've never been.

[Rebecca Yarros]

It is. And what's wild to me is that when you're there in an event with readers, everyone's been in my head. It's like this collective experience. So while to me, this is like an imaginary place that I live and I go and I play with my imaginary friends, everyone's been there, too. So if you've read it, you've been in my head, you've been there with me. It's this collective experience we all have. And I love seeing the readers, like, meet each other and make friends at events because they all love the same things. Like, it's just. It's such a joyous atmosphere.

[Jenna Bush Hager]

Thanks for listening. Search Open book with Jenna to listen to the rest of the conversation now and follow for all new episodes every Thursday. Wherever you get your podcasts.

[C]

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[Rebecca Yarros]

Com.