In this episode of Write of Passage, bestselling historical fiction author Vanessa Riley explores three lessons about joy and messes through a girls’ trip to Nantucket, an unexpected adventure at New York’s iconic TWA Hotel, and a collapsed bookcase that forced her to rethink her writing office, creative workspace, and future goals. Discover how to find gratitude in delays, purpose in disruption, and peace in life’s unexpected detours. If you’re navigating change, decluttering your life, rebuilding after setbacks, pursuing creativity, or seeking work-life balance as a writer, entrepreneur, or creative professional, this episode offers practical wisdom on making room for what’s next. Plus, book recommendations including The Midnight Library, Silver Sparrow, The Light We Carry, and A Deal at Dawn.

Short Summary: A girls’ trip, a canceled flight, and a fallen bookcase reveal three lessons about joy, resilience, creativity, and making room for what’s next.

Keywords writing life, creative living, author podcast, Vanessa Riley, Write of Passage, joy and messes, resilience, personal growth, life lessons, Nantucket, mother daughter trip, TWA Hotel, JFK Airport, creativity, writing career, author office, decluttering books, book collecting, life transitions, finding joy, gratitude, overcoming setbacks, unexpected adventures, time management, creative workspace, historical fiction author, work life balance, inspiration for writers, personal development, book recommendations, The Midnight Library, Silver Sparrow, The Light We Carry, A Deal at Dawn, women writers, creative process, making room for what’s next, life purpose, embracing change, podcast for readers and writers

Learn more at Substack

Episode Notes & Extras 


Find my full show notes, behind-the-scenes thoughts, and extras on Substack → vanessariley.substack.com 

Join the conversation
Drop your thoughts in the comments — I love hearing from you!

 Support & Stay Connected

• Like 👍 if this episode resonated with you
• Share ↗️ with a friend who’d enjoy it
• Subscribe 🔔 so you don’t miss the next one

Thank you for being part of the Write of Passage community.