Arvin Ahmadi is the author of “Down and Across”. From Buzzfeed, “Ahmadi writes with head and heart, captivating readers with passages that leap beautifully from the pages.” Publishers Weekly describes his debut as “witty, smart, and inspiring” and The Washington Post says it’s a “humorous” and “deeply human coming-of-age story.” In today’s episode, Arvin walks us through the inspiration behind “Down and Across”. We unpack how to manage writing difficult and emotional scenes with your characters, how to maintain authenticity in your story throughout your editing process, and how to improve your craft through reading within your genre. We also discuss why it’s crucial to seek feedback from your writing community, and Arvin shares tips on writing in a first-person point of view that’s different from your own. Please say 'Hi' to Arvin on Twitter and he'll be taking over our Instagram stories for the release of his episode and it’s going to be SO much fun! Be sure to catch his takeover on Instagram by clicking here.  We also announce some H-U-G-E 88 Cups of Tea news in the intro of Arvin's episode. Don't forget to respond to the announcement by hitting us up on Twitter by clicking here! And help us spread the word about our announcement by sharing about it on social media! Happy Listening! Xo, Yin PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word! --- We recently restocked our limited edition 88 Cups of Tea mugs with only ONE box of mugs. We are creating a different line of 88 Cups of Tea mugs each year and they'll be available for a limited amount of time! We first announced this in our private FB group and I can’t believe our last box of mugs are already halfway gone. If you'd love a mug for yourself before they are completely sold out for GOOD, head over here. Our mugs are AWESOME at giving you a boost in morale throughout your day! --- If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page! --- Meet fellow members in our community and check in about your work-in-progress, and join in on other bookish talks and 88 Cups of Tea related things, join our private Facebook group! You can really feel the love and support in our community. You also get the opportunity to submit your questions for upcoming guests on the show. Click here to join our private Facebook group! --- Warm welcome to our new listeners, be sure to check out our archive of episodes by clicking here! ---  “This is the book where I learned to write a book.”  -Arvin Ahmadi (Click to tweet) “You build out this world in your head. As a writer, why would you crush that for your reader, this world that they’ve imagined and characters that have become so real to them?” -Arvin Ahmadi (Click to tweet) “My first draft was very raw and very authentic and kind of poorly written too. Of course I went through ten, eleven, twelve drafts before I even sold to Penguin and a lot of that was trying to maintain that authenticity while fiddling with the structure to make it a better book.” -Arvin Ahmadi (Click to tweet)  --- WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN TODAY'S EPISODE:  Arvin unpacks the inspiration behind his novel “Down and Across”  The artistic insight behind the cover art of Arvin’s novel  How to maintain authenticity in your story throughout your editing process The importance of seeking feedback in the writing community  Improve your craft through reading within your genre  How to manage writing difficult and emotional scenes with your characters  Tips on writing in a first-person point of view that's different from your own  Arvin’s thoughts on satisfying endings