
Childhood Lore, Unlikable Characters, & The Fallibility of Memory (with Kristina Ten)
From It's a Lot by Emily Hessney Lynch
May 26, 2026 · 58 min · Season 1 · Episode 27
About this episode
Emily Hessney Lynch and guest Kristina Ten discuss impostor syndrome, childhood lore, and the importance of flawed characters in storytelling.
May 27th is the one year anniversary of It's a Lot ! Thank you so much for our support throughout our first year. It means the world to us. Check out Emily's Instagram this week for celebrations, reflections, and a fun giveaway! You can always support the show by leaving a review on your favorite podcast app or sending a one-time or recurring tip . Author Kristina Ten joins host Emily Hessney Lynch for a wide-ranging conversation about impostor syndrome, the lore of our youth, going back to school for an MFA, the marketing genius of Chuck Tingle, and why it's important to her to write flawed, unlikable characters--especially queer ones! In the second half of the show, we explore Kristina's experiences with moving all over the U.S., how she gets to know new places, our anxieties about AI, and why you've just gotta wail sometimes. Links: Buy Kristina's debut, Tell Me Yours I'll Tell You Mine (or borrow it from your local library!). Follow Kristina on Instagram or check out her website . Emily's business, Serve Me the Sky Digital . Also mentioned in this episode: The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones and Fabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle. We're a proud member of the Lunchador…
People in this episode
Host: Emily Hessney Lynch
Guest: Kristina Ten
Topics covered
- impostor syndrome
- childhood lore
- unlikable characters
- queer representation
- AI anxieties
- moving experiences
Keywords
- impostor syndrome
- childhood lore
- unlikable characters
- queer representation
- AI
- moving experiences
- MFA
- Chuck Tingle
- Stephen Graham Jones
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Lunchador Podcast Network, Serve Me the Sky Digital, Joe Bean Roasters
Books & works: Tell Me Yours I'll Tell You Mine, The Only Good Indians, Fabulous Bodies
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