[Nancy Johnson, practical matters]: Transforming the things that keep you up at night into creative fodder Ep 1221

Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley

My guest this week is Nancy Johnson, whose newest novel, “People of Means,” is a propulsive story of race, class, and resistance in 1960s Nashville and 1992 Chicago. It was also one of People Magazine's most anticipated books of 2025. Nancy's debut novel, “The Kindest Lie,” was a Target book club pick and a New York Times editor's choice.
A native of Chicago's South Side, Nancy has worked for more than a decade as an award-winning television journalist at CBS and ABC affiliates nationwide. Nancy lives in downtown Chicago where she's a director of brand journalism and storytelling for a large healthcare nonprofit.
We covered:
- Why she always makes it clear how her characters make their money
- How she manages a full-time “real” job and a full-time writing career
- The writing advice acclaimed mystery writer Dennis Lehane gave her that she chose not to follow
- The tools she uses to get geared up to do her creative writing
- How it took her six years to write her first book, two years to find an agent, and only two weeks to get a publishing deal
- The things that kept her up at night and that inspired the subject matter of her novels
- How her friendships keep her going
Connect with Nancy on Instagram @nancyjauthor or Facebook at Nancy Johnson Author.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!
And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value).

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