‘Open Book with Jenna’ Featuring Rebecca Yarros

Summary

Podcast Episode Summary: "Open Book with Jenna" Featuring Rebecca Yarros

Podcast Information:

• Title: Open Book with Jenna
• Host: Jenna Bush Hager
• Episode: Featuring Rebecca Yarros
• Release Date: March 13, 2025
• Description: In "Open Book with Jenna," Jenna Bush Hager engages in inspiring conversations with authors, celebrities, and fellow book enthusiasts. This episode marks the premiere of season two, highlighting a discussion with best-selling author Rebecca Yarros.

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Introduction to Rebecca Yarros

Jenna Bush Hager welcomes Rebecca Yarros to the show, expressing excitement about the guest's achievements and latest work.

Jenna Bush Hager [00:00]: "Rebecca, I am so excited to be with you."

Rebecca Yarros shares her humble surprise at her success, highlighting the unexpected magnitude of her rise in the literary world.

Rebecca Yarros [01:20]: "Surreal. I don't think maybe Colleen Hoover a little... I really didn't see this coming."

Beginnings as a Reader and Writer

Yarros delves into her lifelong passion for reading, which was a constant source of comfort during her childhood as a military kid moving frequently.

Rebecca Yarros [00:53]: "I'm a reader first and foremost. I was a reader all through my childhood... I found a lot of comfort in books."

Her transition from a devoted reader to a writer was propelled by personal challenges, including her husband's deployments and injuries, which led her to write during sleepless nights.

Rebecca Yarros [00:53]: "When he was injured during his first deployment, I stopped sleeping at night. So I was reading a book a night... And when he came home, I had my first book complete."

Exploring the Path to Success

The conversation shifts to Yarros' meteoric rise in the literary scene, particularly with her foray into the "romantasy" genre—a blend of romance and fantasy—which garnered her a significant following almost overnight.

Jenna Bush Hager [01:38]: "Do you remember knowing that you had hit some sort of chord?"

Rebecca Yarros [02:01]: "Books are hit or miss. It's a fourth wing. And no one thought it was going to be this big."

Yarros attributes part of her success to the mentorship and support from fellow author Colleen Hoover, especially during the challenging phases of her career.

Rebecca Yarros [01:28]: "Before Iron Flame, I was like, I don't know if I can do this... Colleen Hoover was someone I called and that really helped me get through it."

Writing Process and Productivity

Yarros discusses her intense writing schedule and disciplined approach, which have been key to her prolific output. She shares insights into her process, including extensive research and the ability to produce substantial work in short periods.

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

During the deadlines for her books "Onyx Storm" and "Variation," she maintained a rigorous writing routine, dedicating 12 to 15 hours daily. However, she notes a shift towards a more balanced schedule in the current year.

Rebecca Yarros [02:42]: "12 to 15 hours a day. But we're backing that down this year."

Connecting with Readers and the Collective Experience

A significant highlight of the discussion is Yarros' appreciation for the communal experience shared with her readers. She finds joy in knowing that her fictional worlds resonate deeply, allowing readers to feel connected to her imagined settings and narratives.

Rebecca Yarros [03:29]: "It's this collective experience we all have. If you've read it, you've been in my head, you've been there with me."

She emphasizes the positive and joyous atmosphere at reader events, where fans bond over shared love and understanding of her work.

Rebecca Yarros [03:34]: "It's just such a joyous atmosphere."

Conclusion

The episode wraps up with Yarros reflecting on the unexpected yet fulfilling journey of her writing career, underscored by her commitment to her goals and the profound connection she shares with her audience.

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Notable Quotes:

• Jenna Bush Hager [01:38]: "Do you remember knowing that you had hit some sort of chord?"
• Rebecca Yarros [02:01]: "Books are hit or miss. It's a fourth wing. And no one thought it was going to be this big."
• Rebecca Yarros [03:29]: "It's this collective experience we all have. If you've read it, you've been in my head, you've been there with me."

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Key Takeaways:

• Passion for Reading: Yarros' lifelong love for books provided a foundation for her successful writing career.
• Overcoming Challenges: Personal hardships, including her husband's deployments, inspired her to write and persevere.
• Mentorship: Support from established authors like Colleen Hoover played a crucial role in her journey.
• Writing Discipline: Her ability to maintain a strict and productive writing schedule contributed to her prolific output.
• Community Connection: Yarros values the deep connections she forms with her readers, fostering a sense of collective experience and joy.

This episode offers an insightful look into Rebecca Yarros' journey as an author, highlighting the interplay between personal experiences, disciplined creativity, and the powerful bond between a writer and her audience.

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. No. Like, I really. I really don't.

[Jenna Bush Hager]

No. 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]

This week only on Meet the Press. As President Trump's tariffs spark economic jitters and the country reacts to federal government cuts, Kristen Welker sits down with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Senator Alyssa Slotkin only on Meet the Press. Listen to the full episode now. Wherever you get your podcasts.