I'm Natalie Moore. I fell in love with soap operas when I was just five years old, and I still

watch them. Their television's longest scripted series and have zero reruns. Now let me tell you,

soap operas aren't just some silly art form. They are significant. In this season of making,

Stories Without End from WBEZ Chicago, join me as i share how the genre began

their social impact and why these stories endure listen wherever you get your podcast from wb easy

chicago this is nerd at i'm gretta john Today, we are going to do something a little different.

Arthy Shahani hosts the WBEZ podcast Art of Power,

and she recently spoke with an author and former nerd at guest named Lee Bardugo.

It is a fascinating conversation, and Arthy and Lee are both great nerds,

so I thought we should share it with you.

So I'm just going to let Artie take it away.

Writers block.

It happens to everyone.

And before Lee Bardugo wrote, one of the most successful book series ever, it happened to her.

When I got the idea for Shadow and Bone, I did not, you know, get this idea and then just

race off to the laptop to start working on it because I thought, why bother?

This will be one more thing I start and don't finish.

For whatever reason, I said, I'm not going to write a good book.

I'm just going to write a good book. I'm just going to write a book.

And I...

Good for you. That's the best goal to have.

I'm going to write a bad book, an unoriginal book.

...