Author of "A Gorgeous Excitement" Cynthia Weiner wants you to just get started

"The writing process itself never feels easy, honestly. Even opening the document can be hard. But once I have it open and write the first sentence, it's okay."

Feb 14, 2025

This week I'm talking with Cynthia Weiner, author of A Gorgeous Excitement, a coming of age novel set in 1980s New York City. A Gorgeous Excitement is inspired by Cynthia's own 80s upbringing on the Upper East Side of New York, as well as the infamous Preppy Killer, a former prep school student who killed a girl in Central Park in the summer of 1986 and who frequented a bar called Dorian's, where Cynthia spent many nights drinking with friends.

Cynthia has won a Pushcart Prize and been anthologized in the Coolest American Stories 2024. Cynthia is also the assistant director of The Writer's Studio in New York City where, fun fact, I took classes with her in the early 2000s.

Listen to Cynthia’s episodes

Cynthia Weiner, practical matters: How Living a Boring Life Helped her Write a Novel
Cynthia Weiner, inner stuff: How to tolerate the discomfort that comes with “airing your dirty laundry” aka writing anything remotely personal
Cynthia Weiner, what’s next: Fast Food, diet soda and Eddie Vedder
Or, get the complete interview in one episode by becoming a paid subscriber and supporting my work and becoming the recipient of my undying gratitude:

We covered:

The award she won in second grade that hooked her on the writing life
How she stumbled into teaching writing
Writing as a “weird compulsion”
The plus sides of working on a novel for nearly 10 years
The daily rituals that help her write
The time management technique that helps her get unstuck
Why catching up with a friend helps her write
How living a boring life leaves more space for the work
Learning how to tolerate the discomfort of sharing your work
How to ignore the voice that tells you nobody cares what you have to say

“Sometimes you're writing and you just think, who cares what I have to say? But then when you talk to a friend and your friend is enjoying listening to you, you're like, somebody likes to listen to me. Okay, so maybe somebody else will like to listen to me.”

How she came to imagine that inner critical voice as a “shit bird”
Why she could work on one sentence for years
Why she’d rather stay home than travel some place new
How getting older has made her a better writer (and a worse sleeper)
How she’s re-wired the idea that it’s bad to draw attention:
The 90s soundtrack that’s helping Cynthia get into her next project (which is set in the 90s)
The three writers whose example inspires Cynthia on her own path
Her burning desire to have a house with a yard and, most importantly, a tree
The Max show she’s bingeing, her elaborate daily diet soda ritual, the best day of the week, and the fast food meal she’s craving