I want her to be the journal writer I never was. I write in it every day so that by the time she is able to take it over, there will be a sort of starter kit there for her. Everything is always for a book or story or script or article, I have never taken notes just for myself. TADDEO: I take notes on my phone or I dictate them to myself while driving around. UKIOMOGBE: Do you keep a notebook and/or journal? In the mornings, my daughter will find an empty box of Lucky Charms in the garbage and she will cry. And so hungry that I eat interesting things. TADDEO: Sometimes I smoke pot, and sometimes it helps me crack the code, but most of the time it makes me sleepy and deadline-averse. UKIOMOGBE: Do you ever smoke or drink while you write? How do you think they impact your writing? UKIOMOGBE: Do you eat or drink while you write? If so, what do you like to have? JULIANA UKIOMOGBE: Describe your ideal writing atmosphere. Before settling in with Animal, discover the process that helped Taddeo to bring it to life.

The novel examines female fury through the lens of Joan, a protagonist who transforms from prey to predator after a traumatic childhood experience. Lisa Taddeo-the author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller Three Women -returns with Animal, out today. From preferred writing drinks to whether or not you really need to carry a notebook, we find out all the ways they beat writer’s block and do the work. This is Rough Draft, in which our favorite writers get to the bottom of their own craft.

Lisa taddeo animal