Podcast

November 28, 2025

356. Megan O’Russell Exploring Themes of Empowerment and Romance in a YA Context

Megan O’Russell is a YA author who transitioned from a successful career in theater to writing. We met on a panel at Dragon Con and agreed to do this podcast. We discuss her journey, the importance of storytelling, and the differences between traditional and indie publishing. Megan shares insights on empowering authors, navigating the editing process, and the significance of world-building in fantasy literature. We also explore the handling of romance and sexuality in YA, the supportive nature of the indie author community, and provide valuable advice for aspiring writers.

Megan discusses her YA novel Ember and Stone which is a very effective example of YA romance and empowerment. Great examples of dealing with profanity without using profanity.

Megan has set up a code to allow listeners to discover her fantastical worlds. All you need to do is go to https://meganorussell.com/discount/FUTURE50, add any ebook to your cart (no complete collections as they’re already sold at a discount), and the code will be applied to each single ebook at checkout.

About

Providing writing tips and art advice from Contest Judges and Winners for writers and artists wanting to take their next step, along with needed inspiration to keep on going! Based on the world-famous Writers of the Future Contest created in 1983 by L. Ron Hubbard.

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