Steven Rowley, author of TAKE ME WITH YOU
From Writers on Writing by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett and Marrie Stone
June 9, 2026 · 45 min
About this episode
Steven Rowley discusses his new novel 'Take Me With You' and various aspects of his writing process.
Steven Rowley is the New York Times bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus, a Washington Post Notable Book of 2016, The Editor, named by NPR as one of the Best Books of 2019, The Guncle, a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist for 2021 Novel of the Year and winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor, The Celebrants, a TODAY Show Read With Jenna Book Club pick, and the instant USA Today Bestsellers The Guncle Abroad and The Dogs of Venice. His fiction has been published in twenty languages. Originally from Portland, Maine, he is a graduate of Emerson College and currently resides in Palm Springs with his husband, the writer Byron Lane, and three rescue dogs. His new novel is Take Me With You, and is the focus of our talk today. Steven joins Barbara DeMarco-Barrett to talk about the moment he knew he had to write this book, how he outlines, side characters, the crossover from screenwriting, why he chose Joshua Tree, California, as the desert setting, endings, AI, and much more. For more information on Writers on Writing and to become a supporter, visit our Patreon page. For a one-time donation, visit Ko-fi. You can help out the show and indie bookstores by buying books at our…
People in this episode
Host: Barbara DeMarco-Barrett
Guest: Steven Rowley
Topics covered
- writing process
- fiction
- screenwriting
- character development
- desert settings
- AI in writing
Keywords
- Steven Rowley
- Take Me With You
- writing
- fiction
- screenwriting
- character development
- Joshua Tree
- AI
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Take Me With You, Lily and the Octopus, The Editor, The Guncle, The Celebrants, The Guncle Abroad, The Dogs of Venice
Places: Portland, Maine, Palm Springs, Joshua Tree, California
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