E757 - Curtis Campbell - Lying, Stealing, and Other Ways to Save the Planet - A Young Adult Novel

EPISODE 757 - Curtis Campbell - Lying, Stealing, and Other Ways to Save the Planet - A Young Adult NovelIn this episode, author and playwright Curtis Campbell reflects on carving out an authentic creative identity, all while poking fun at the quirks of Torontonian provincialism and the theatre world’s obsession with the multi‑hyphenate label. He shares how key mentors steered him away from spreading himself too thin across acting, writing, and other roles and toward focusing on what he was genuinely obsessed with: writing plays, monologues, and ultimately novels that felt like an extension of his personality and history.Curtis traces how his rural Canadian upbringing as a gay kid, his years in the theatre as a playwright, and his immersion in Toronto’s drag scene fed directly into his work, especially his novel Dragging Mason County (and its Australian edition, The Queens of Rural Realness). He explains how writing in first‑person present tense, a style closely aligned with the character monologue he knows so well from theatre, allowed him to channel a sharp, acerbic voice that keeps readers moving quickly from one emotional beat to the next. That same voice, he notes, has also drawn backlash from conservative quarters, especially as drag became a flashpoint in the broader culture war and his book was later included in a large‑scale ban by the U.S. Department of Defense–run schools.He also talks about his upcoming novel Lying, Stealing and Other Ways to Save the Planet, in which a teenage journalist and a high‑school bird‑watching club turn to “not totally above‑board” tactics to stop a developer from destroying a conservation area his grandfather founded. The book explores climate anxiety, teenage agency, and the tension between feeling powerless and choosing to act, all wrapped in the darkly comic tone Curtis brings to his young‑adult fiction. Throughout the conversation, he pushes back against the idea that writers should chase trends or dilute themselves into being “all the things,” urging fellow creators to zero in on what genuinely fascinates them, write from curiosity rather than marketability, and accept that the popular “next big thing” will almost certainly have shifted by the time a serious book is finished.Key takeaway: If you feel overwhelmed by the pressure to be a multi‑hyphenate creator or to write exactly what’s trending, this episode is a reminder that depth often beats breadth; picking one thing you’re truly obsessed with and writing it with specificity and honesty usually serves your voice—and your audience—far better than trying to be everything at once.​Book: Lying, Stealing, and Other Ways to Save the PlanetA hilarious YA novel about coming of age in the shadow of climate change, overcoming cynicism, and the power of collaboration from the award-winning author of Dragging Mason County.​Ever since the best story of his career became the worst humiliation of his life, teen reporter John O’Neil has gone rogue. He has turned his nose for news toward blackmailing those responsible, namely Lance McPhee, diabolical heir to the local country club. When John learns that the club plans to expand into a bird conservation area founded by his late grandfather, he begrudgingly joins forces with the school birdwatching club to expose the scandal. And if John ruins Lance’s life along the way? He’s only killing two birds with one stone.John races against the clock in a desperate bid at environmental espionage involving forgeries, a car chase, and a high-stakes heist. But it’s a race John won’t win without former best friend/co-reporter Rachel Miller, who just so happens to want him dead. Can this motley crew flock together long enough for their mission to take flight?https://campwrites.weebly.com/Support the show___https://livingthenextchapter.com/podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/Coffee Refills are always appreciated, refill Dave's cup here, and thanks!https://buymeacoffee.com/truemediaca