S4 E1- Trapping Matt Dinniman: A Hippopotamus, Bass Strings, and Pizza-Blasted Goldfish

About this episode

In the Season 4 premiere, V. E. Schwab interviews Matt Dinniman about his unconventional writing process and the importance of creativity and ownership.

Some books feel like an escape hatch you didn’t know you needed. For the first episode of Season 4, I sat down with Matt Dinniman, author of the wildly popular Dungeon Crawler Carl series and his latest novel, Operation Bounce House . Matt calls himself a “psycho pantser” (affectionately), and he lives up to the title, walking me through a writing process that’s as wild and inventive as his stories—one that sometimes even leaves room for reader input. We talk about writing without a map: trusting chaos, breaking rules, and finding momentum by charging toward the thing you know isn’t going to happen. Matt shares his unconventional, sometimes delightfully unhinged process, how surprise keeps him writing, why play is often the surest way through a block, and his untraditional approach to rights—what he chooses to keep, what he lets go, and why ownership matters to him. Welcome to Season 4. Follow No Write Way on Instagram V.E. Schwab's website Credits: Host: V. E. Schwab Producer / Editor / Mixer: Jenna Maurice

People in this episode

Host: V. E. Schwab

Guest: Matt Dinniman

Topics covered

• writing process
• creativity
• chaos
• reader input
• ownership
• block breaking

Keywords

• writing
• chaos
• creativity
• Dungeon Crawler Carl
• Operation Bounce House
• Matt Dinniman
• ownership
• block breaking

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Dungeon Crawler Carl, Operation Bounce House

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