Laura Dave on Writing and Turning Bestsellers into Streaming Gold | Women in Entertainment Podcast

What happens when the story you thought had ended still has more to say?

Bestselling author Laura Dave opens up about the evolution of her breakout hit The Last Thing He Told Me and its powerful sequel, The First Time I Saw Him. Sparked by the Enron scandal and written over the course of a decade, Laura reveals how she unknowingly crafted two books at once and why making her heroine a survivor, not a victim, was non-negotiable. She shares the surreal experience of partnering with Hello Sunshine, developing the series for Apple TV+, and watching Jennifer Garner bring Hannah Hall to life on screen.

From researching Fisher Island to finding creative clarity in the medieval streets of Èze, France, Laura reflects on the themes that define her work: redemption, second chances, and the witnesses who hold up mirrors to our truest selves. She also shares insights into her Netflix adaptations of The Night We Lost Him and The Divorce Party, her 5 a.m. writing rituals, and the song that soundtracked each novel.

Listen to learn:

- How a real-life corporate scandal sparked a decade-long creative journey

- Why writing the sequel felt riskier than the original bestseller

- What it’s really like collaborating with Jennifer Garner and Reese Witherspoon

- Laura’s “day book/night book” reading method

- The grounding rituals that keep her focused eight books in

The Women in Entertainment Podcast presents thoughtful conversations with leaders across entertainment from film and television, to media and gaming, and everything in between; as we talk about what it takes to make your mark in the industry, lessons these incredible people have learned along the way, and how they have found their way in an ever-changing environment.

With in-depth conversations and pre-submitted listener questions, each episode provides candid advice for navigating today’s entertainment industry, giving listeners an inside look at how key players got their start, and guidance for building the necessary toolkit to bring careers to life in film, TV, music, theater, graphics, writing, animation, and beyond.

Listen on Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5AfPfPQ...

Listen on Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast..

Listen on Audible: ⁠https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a85..

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