The psychology of fiction with Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Re:Thinking with Adam Grant

As a novelist, Jennifer Lynn Barnes has earned acclaim from critics and fans alike – her series The Inheritance Games has sold over a million copies. Before she became a bestselling author, she was a leading researcher in psychology on what draws us to fiction – and how it affects us. Jennifer and Adam discuss the psychology of reading and writing, fiction and fandom, and the role of imagination in the stories we love most. Then a special guest co-host (Adam’s daughter!) asks Jennifer about creativity, her favorite characters, and what makes a piece of writing original. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts The TED Audio Collective is a collection of podcasts for the curious. The TED Audio Collective videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy (https://www.ted.com/about/our-organiz...). For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at https://media-requests.ted.com.

Jennifer Lynn BarnesguestAdam Grant's daughtercameo

Mar 14, 202344mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: March 14, 2023
Duration: 44m
Channel: Re:Thinking with Adam Grant
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

As a novelist, Jennifer Lynn Barnes has earned acclaim from critics and fans alike – her series The Inheritance Games has sold over a million copies. Before she became a bestselling author, she was a leading researcher in psychology on what draws us to fiction – and how it affects us. Jennifer and Adam discuss the psychology of reading and writing, fiction and fandom, and the role of imagination in the stories we love most. Then a special guest co-host (Adam’s daughter!) asks Jennifer about creativity, her favorite characters, and what makes a piece of writing original. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts The TED Audio Collective is a collection of podcasts for the curious. The TED Audio Collective videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy (https://www.ted.com/about/our-organiz...). For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at https://media-requests.ted.com.

SPEAKERS

Jennifer Lynn Barnes
guest
Bestselling fiction author and former psychology researcher, known for The Inheritance Games series.
Adam Grant's daughter
cameo
Adam Grant’s daughter who appears briefly as a teen guest co-host/fan asking questions.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Re:Thinking with Adam Grant, featuring Jennifer Lynn Barnes and Adam Grant, The psychology of fiction with Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Re:Thinking with Adam Grant explores how psychology explains fiction’s pull—and shapes Barnes’ bestselling mysteries Barnes traces her dual career in fiction writing and psychology to a single fascination: gaining access to other minds through stories and scientific inquiry.

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