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Inside a Beloved Story: Little Women Retellings, Creativity, & Sisterhood with Katie Bernet (E190)
Description
In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Katie Bernet. Katie is an author living in Dallas, Texas. She’s an award-winning creative director, a long-standing member of the DFW Writer’s Workshop, and the director of the 2025 DFW Writer’s Conference. The oldest of three sisters, she’s a diehard fan of Little Women. We are here today to discuss her debut novel, Beth is Dead.
Episode Highlights:
- Writing Beth is Dead while living with her sisters, and how those real-life dynamics quietly found their way onto the page.
- A simple but powerful writing exercise that helped her move past resistance: making a love/hate list and choosing to write toward what felt hard.
- What changed for her when she reached the end of revisions and realized she understood Beth March in an entirely new way.
- She talks about which March sister was the most challenging character to write.
- A gentle reminder that creativity isn’t exclusive or earned - it’s something we all carry.
Connect with Katie:
Show Notes
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Books and authors mentioned in the episode:
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
- Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
- Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (full-cast audio)
- Enchantment by Orson Scott Card
- Girl Dinner by Olivia Blake
- The Scammer by Tiffany D. Jackson
Book Flight
- Little Women by Louise May Alcott
- So Many Beginnings by Bethany C. Morrow
- Little Monsters by Máire Roche
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Three books. One common theme.
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