1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:01,919 Speaker 1: Hello, and good morning, Neil. How are you doing today? 2 00:00:03,359 --> 00:00:05,280 Speaker 2: I am doing very well, dude. 3 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: I'm very excited to talk with you because I've been 4 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:10,759 Speaker 1: a daily writer for thirty years. And when you do 5 00:00:10,839 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: something like this twist in your book with somebody reads 6 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,440 Speaker 1: her journal and then they write a note back. I 7 00:00:16,839 --> 00:00:20,079 Speaker 1: am still struggling with that as because because I always 8 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:22,640 Speaker 1: wonder what would happen if somebody had written back to me. 9 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:24,480 Speaker 1: I'm hoping it's a future self writing back to me. 10 00:00:24,719 --> 00:00:27,239 Speaker 1: But my god, what I mean, are you a journal 11 00:00:27,239 --> 00:00:29,359 Speaker 1: writer to where you would be violated in a way 12 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:30,559 Speaker 1: or is it a violation? 13 00:00:33,039 --> 00:00:35,200 Speaker 2: Well, it begins as one, I mean and break to you. 14 00:00:35,719 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 3: The character of Adriana writes in a journal and she's incarcerated. 15 00:00:39,079 --> 00:00:41,880 Speaker 3: You know, she's in a jumiile detention center, and she 16 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:45,520 Speaker 3: accidentally leaves her journal in a library and in the 17 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:48,799 Speaker 3: library and the detention center, and when she comes back 18 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:50,520 Speaker 3: to find that a boy has written in it, you know, 19 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:53,039 Speaker 3: written about all her deepest personal thoughts. 20 00:00:53,119 --> 00:00:54,799 Speaker 2: So at first she feels violated. 21 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:57,159 Speaker 3: She has no way to contact him because in the 22 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:00,759 Speaker 3: detention center, boys and girls are kept completely separate, So 23 00:01:01,159 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 3: the only way to contact him is to write back 24 00:01:03,679 --> 00:01:06,959 Speaker 3: in the journal, and this ends up becoming a you know, 25 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 3: going back and forth between the two of them, until eventually, 26 00:01:09,519 --> 00:01:11,439 Speaker 3: in the course of the story, they fall in love 27 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 3: even though they've never met each other. 28 00:01:13,079 --> 00:01:15,400 Speaker 1: Oh my god, this is a new Age love story, dude, 29 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:18,519 Speaker 1: And in the way that I can so understand this because, 30 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:21,519 Speaker 1: like I said, I want my future reader to be 31 00:01:21,599 --> 00:01:23,719 Speaker 1: somebody that will be me or will be somebody else, 32 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:24,760 Speaker 1: but I want them to be able to have a 33 00:01:24,799 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 1: conversation back. I love how you're taking this to a 34 00:01:27,519 --> 00:01:28,159 Speaker 1: different level. 35 00:01:30,239 --> 00:01:32,000 Speaker 2: Well, you know, we wrote this. 36 00:01:32,519 --> 00:01:35,239 Speaker 3: My collaborator is Michelle Nolan and Deborah Young, and I 37 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:37,799 Speaker 3: wrote this started during the pandemic, so that whole sense 38 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 3: of isolation and sort of being out of touch and 39 00:01:40,719 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 3: trying to connect with people was very much on our 40 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:45,239 Speaker 3: minds when we were writing it. 41 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: Isn't this the active theater of the mind, Because if 42 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,519 Speaker 1: they've never met each other and their words are the 43 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 1: only thing that are presented, I mean, you've got to 44 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: figure out what the pitch, volume and tone is of 45 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 1: that expression. 46 00:01:58,239 --> 00:01:59,879 Speaker 2: Exactly. And you know you have to. 47 00:02:00,879 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 3: You get to meet somebody from the inside out instead 48 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 3: of meeting them from the outside end, so they know 49 00:02:07,319 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 3: each other on a very very deep level even before 50 00:02:10,319 --> 00:02:12,639 Speaker 3: they actually meet or even know what they look like. 51 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: All right, I got to ask you a question about 52 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:17,039 Speaker 1: journal writing because a lot of writers do this. I 53 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 1: call it hidden speak. I don't know what they call it, 54 00:02:19,159 --> 00:02:22,080 Speaker 1: but you hide behind words so that you don't express yourself. 55 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:23,599 Speaker 1: Do you play around with that at all? 56 00:02:26,599 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 2: You know? 57 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:30,080 Speaker 3: I try not to hide behind words. I try to 58 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:33,120 Speaker 3: put myself out there with words. And that's kind of 59 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:34,919 Speaker 3: what break to You is about, is you know, using 60 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 3: your words to express who you are as a human being. 61 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:40,919 Speaker 1: See. And what's great about this is that you planting 62 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:42,759 Speaker 1: this right now, right here at the beginning of summer. 63 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:45,719 Speaker 1: This is going to start new relationships in the way 64 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 1: that I want people that who are journaling to believe 65 00:02:49,159 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 1: that what they're writing that could actually be somebody else's 66 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:54,599 Speaker 1: source of information as well as food for their heart. 67 00:02:57,439 --> 00:03:00,439 Speaker 2: Yes, I mean there are memoirs that began as journals. 68 00:03:00,879 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 1: Uh. 69 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 3: And you know, I mean when you put yourself out 70 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:06,719 Speaker 3: there in your in your writing, you know, and and 71 00:03:06,719 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 3: and take your deepest thoughts and put them into a journal. 72 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:14,319 Speaker 3: It helps you understand yourself. Uh and uh and can 73 00:03:14,479 --> 00:03:17,759 Speaker 3: help help others understand you as well. The characters and 74 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:24,360 Speaker 3: break to you are are kids who are isolated and shielded. 75 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:27,360 Speaker 3: I mean they they they are behind their own personal 76 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:30,560 Speaker 3: walls and so expressing themselves as difficult. So being able 77 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:33,199 Speaker 3: to express themselves to a journal is, uh is a 78 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:33,879 Speaker 3: powerful thing. 79 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna lie to you. I want because I 80 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:37,479 Speaker 1: am a journal writer. I want to be able to 81 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:39,919 Speaker 1: take my hands and feel the depth of how much 82 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 1: she put into that page. Because I believe that the 83 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 1: connection between a pen or a pencil into paper is 84 00:03:44,719 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 1: so deep. And that's why I really really got into 85 00:03:47,919 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 1: John's character. How did you develop him and and to 86 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:54,039 Speaker 1: when you got into his imagination once he discovered this journal? 87 00:03:54,240 --> 00:04:00,919 Speaker 3: Oh my god, oh thank you. John was a really 88 00:04:00,919 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 3: interesting character to write, and my co writer Michelle started 89 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 3: that character and then the three of us worked. 90 00:04:08,319 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 2: On him together. 91 00:04:09,439 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 3: But the fact is he is a kid who is 92 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 3: who doesn't wear his hard in his sleeve. He is 93 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 3: a kid who is incarcerated. We don't know why, but 94 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:23,160 Speaker 3: the other kids are afraid of him. 95 00:04:23,319 --> 00:04:24,279 Speaker 2: So he seems like this. 96 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:27,920 Speaker 3: Hard kid, but deep down he has such an inner 97 00:04:27,959 --> 00:04:31,040 Speaker 3: life and that inner life is expressed through the journal 98 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 3: and Break to You. 99 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:35,879 Speaker 1: The juvenile detention center. I mean, we've all heard those nightmares, 100 00:04:35,879 --> 00:04:37,600 Speaker 1: and we've all heard those stories because we think we 101 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:39,959 Speaker 1: know somebody who's been there. But I love the way 102 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 1: that you bring people together during these times of darkness. 103 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:44,959 Speaker 1: That it's dark, but maybe not. 104 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:50,319 Speaker 3: Well, it's a difficult place to be and it's dark, 105 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:54,160 Speaker 3: and it's isolating and it can be dehumanizing. And we 106 00:04:54,199 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 3: wanted to show the problems with the juvenile justice system, 107 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:00,519 Speaker 3: but we also want to show that these kids are 108 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:04,720 Speaker 3: just kids and they need to be remembered, they need 109 00:05:04,759 --> 00:05:07,360 Speaker 3: to not be swept under the rug, and there is 110 00:05:07,439 --> 00:05:10,279 Speaker 3: hope for these kids. I mean, just because they're in 111 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:13,519 Speaker 3: detention does not mean that their life is forfeit and 112 00:05:13,639 --> 00:05:17,240 Speaker 3: we have to remember that. And part of the story 113 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:20,639 Speaker 3: and Break to You is reminding readers of the humanity 114 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:22,600 Speaker 3: of the kids who are incarcerat. 115 00:05:22,399 --> 00:05:25,240 Speaker 1: And there's nothing wrong with keeping a journal. See I 116 00:05:25,439 --> 00:05:27,360 Speaker 1: leave my journals out now. I don't care if any 117 00:05:27,399 --> 00:05:29,399 Speaker 1: if anybody reads it, but it took me years to 118 00:05:29,399 --> 00:05:30,920 Speaker 1: be able to get to that level. You know you're 119 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:32,480 Speaker 1: saying it anyway, just put it on a page and 120 00:05:32,519 --> 00:05:33,360 Speaker 1: let somebody find it. 121 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, are our words that we leave behind 122 00:05:38,439 --> 00:05:41,720 Speaker 3: are powerful things, and the thoughts that we put out 123 00:05:41,759 --> 00:05:42,759 Speaker 3: there can change the world. 124 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:45,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, were you thinking of a soundtrack at all when 125 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 1: you were doing this? Because, I mean, all the way 126 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 1: through this, I'm going this would be a good binge watch. 127 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:50,399 Speaker 1: This would be a good binge watch. Oh my god, 128 00:05:50,399 --> 00:05:51,720 Speaker 1: he's got to be thinking of music to. 129 00:05:54,439 --> 00:05:54,560 Speaker 2: Well. 130 00:05:54,639 --> 00:05:56,920 Speaker 3: I always, I always think of various different pieces of 131 00:05:56,959 --> 00:05:59,439 Speaker 3: music when I'm writing. I mean, I listen to music 132 00:06:00,079 --> 00:06:03,079 Speaker 3: as I'm writing, and you know, I write long hand, 133 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:05,519 Speaker 3: I write as if it's a journal, and then I 134 00:06:05,519 --> 00:06:08,079 Speaker 3: type it into the computer. So the music that's playing 135 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:10,600 Speaker 3: is usually instrumental music, so it doesn't have words, so 136 00:06:10,639 --> 00:06:12,480 Speaker 3: that it sort of makes it easier to fill it 137 00:06:12,519 --> 00:06:13,480 Speaker 3: with my own words. 138 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:16,720 Speaker 1: All right, Neil, One writer to another writer. Every time 139 00:06:16,759 --> 00:06:18,879 Speaker 1: I write a book, I buy a brand new mont Blanc. 140 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:20,759 Speaker 1: Do you do the same something like this? 141 00:06:23,199 --> 00:06:26,600 Speaker 2: I get a lammy fountain pen. That's okay, that's acceptable. 142 00:06:28,519 --> 00:06:30,439 Speaker 1: Oh my god, do you dip or do you fill 143 00:06:30,519 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 1: up the bladder? 144 00:06:33,439 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 2: No, it's it's cartridge. It's a cartridge pen. 145 00:06:36,079 --> 00:06:38,720 Speaker 3: And you know, when I was writing Break to You, 146 00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:42,199 Speaker 3: I would change colors depending on the character that I 147 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:42,759 Speaker 3: was working on. 148 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:44,759 Speaker 1: Oh my god. See, this is the kind of stuff 149 00:06:44,759 --> 00:06:47,079 Speaker 1: that that listeners need to understand when it comes to writing. 150 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:50,040 Speaker 1: That it is a toy, it is fun to do, 151 00:06:50,319 --> 00:06:53,120 Speaker 1: and it does affect a reader's emotions, but you got 152 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 1: to understand what the writer is going through as well. 153 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:01,759 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean the writer is the intermediary between the 154 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:04,319 Speaker 3: world of the characters in the world of the reader, 155 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:08,319 Speaker 3: and so you know that the writer is always present 156 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 3: in the in the telling of a story and in 157 00:07:10,519 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 3: the and the writing of it. 158 00:07:12,079 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 1: Well, you are a craftsman when it comes to sharing stories. 159 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:16,680 Speaker 1: Where can people go to find out more about you, Neil, 160 00:07:16,759 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 1: so they can find out everything that you've been doing 161 00:07:18,879 --> 00:07:20,000 Speaker 1: and jump on your path. 162 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:24,600 Speaker 3: Oh well, I'm on all social media at Neil Schusterman 163 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:30,279 Speaker 3: on my website uman storyman dot com, So I'm all over. 164 00:07:30,319 --> 00:07:31,160 Speaker 2: I'm easy to find. 165 00:07:31,399 --> 00:07:33,560 Speaker 1: Well, thank you for writing this story because it really 166 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:35,759 Speaker 1: does break free a lot of things about you know, 167 00:07:35,839 --> 00:07:38,120 Speaker 1: the fear of writing a journal. There should be no fear. 168 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:43,199 Speaker 1: It's a conversation. Absolutely, Will you be brilliant today? Okay, Neil, 169 00:07:44,879 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 1: I will do my best. 170 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:46,639 Speaker 2: Thank you very much.