Ali Hazelwood is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of books like Love, Theoretically and The Love Hypothesis. An Italian romance novelist and neuroscience professor, Hazelwood is considered one of the premier writers in the “STEMinist” genre that combines women working in the STEM fields with all the swoon-worthy love story elements romance readers more. In this interview, we got a chance to sit down with her to discuss her recent Spotify-exclusive story, Two Can Play.

Two Can Play

You recently released a novella for Spotify, congrats! Tell us about Two Can Play and your partnership for an audio-only story.

It was so much fun! Two Can Play is a cozy, steamy Christmas novella about two rival video game developers falling in love, and collaborating on it with Spotify was such a unique and fun experience!

Check out Two Can Play on Spotify today!

Do you approach writing a novella differently from writing a full-length novel?

Yes, a little bit. The pace had to be much faster, and there isn’t as much room to introduce the characters to the readers, so I find that it’s necessary to put the characters in stressful situations from the very start—which is a lot of fun!

Given that this was an audio exclusive, did you find your writing style changed at all to adapt to that format?

I definitely worked with my editor to make sure that certain elements (like who is speaking in a given scene) were easier to grasp. The narrator, too, pointed out several things that didn’t sound natural during narration, which was a great opportunity to refine the text!

Your characters are celebrated for being authentic, relatable, and strong in their own ways. How do you go about developing such well-rounded characters?

What I try to celebrate the most with them is that it’s okay to feel vulnerable. I try to let my characters voice their struggles and insecurities–it’s okay if they have to go through a long journey before fully understanding who they really are and what they need to be!

Many aspiring authors struggle with finding their unique voice. How did you discover yours, and what advice would you give to women writers who are still searching for theirs?

I think I’m still looking for mine, honestly. I see my writing (craft, voice, plotting) very much as a work in progress. I definitely learned a lot by writing fan fiction, which is a space where all levels of skill are welcome and where it’s easy to build community with likeminded people.

You’ve garnered a huge following on social media. How do you maintain an authentic connection with your readers online, and what role do you think social media plays in an author’s career today?

I have such conflicting thoughts on social media—on the one hand, it’s my only way to communicate directly with readers! On the other hand, sometimes I feel like it’s very one-sided, because I’ve been struggling to keep up with what readers say back to me, and I have lots of guilt about it.

What does your writing process look like—from the initial spark of an idea to the final draft? Do you have any non-negotiable writing habits or rituals?

I’m writing this as I plot my next book, and it’s been unlike working on any other project before, so I wonder if I don’t really have an established process? I don’t have rituals (except for procrastinating until it looks like I might not make my deadline), but I’m finding that the more I write, the more I am starting to know myself and to have trust that the final product of my work will be something that resembles a book. Kind of.

What’s one piece of advice you wish you had received when you first started writing?

Only write scenes you want to read.

Many of our readers are working on their first novels. What advice would you give to someone trying to break into the romance genre?

Make sure you find a writing community, and that you surround yourself with people who motivate and encourage you!

What’s next for you? Can you share any upcoming projects or themes you’re excited to explore in your future work?

My next book, Deep End, is a college romance between a swimmer and a diver, and it will be out in February 2025. After that, the sequel to Bride should be out next fall. And after that, I really don’t know yet!

Anything else you’d like to share about your experience working with Spotify on this project?

Just how amazing it’s been, how thankful I am to my team at Spotify, and how much I’d love to do it again!