Meet Megan Carver
My hearts, I’m so excited for you to meet Megan Carver—the powerhouse editor, narrator, intimacy coordinator, and stage combatant behind Thorns N’ Roses! She’s also our first indie guest who isn’t an author (though she is working on her first novel—so yay for that!). We met on Instagram and that’s where you can find us live today at 4 p.m. Pacific!
Today marks the release of an audiobook she narrated, A Dream of Blood and Magic by Olivia Boothe, and tomorrow is the last chance for authors to register for her Writing Violence workshop. We dive into the details of this workshop in our interview, so if you're curious about crafting realistic and responsible fight scenes, you won’t want to miss it!
JEN: Welcome, Megan! We want to learn all about you. Please, tell me your story.
MEGAN: Technically, I have about four or five jobs: Editor, audiobook narrator, standardized patient, combat actor, and intimacy coordinator. Add in aspiring author as of 2025. I've always been a book lover, but the pandemic actually got me back into books and into the role I have now. At the time, I was working at a website development company, and I noticed a lot of the copy for the websites needed some polish. I switched from project manager to copy editor, and almost five years later I'm still editing. Although now I primarily edit fiction. My work as an actor really helped me get into audiobook narration. Most of my performance education was in local plays and musicals, but I also got a degree in theater. I've spent the last 25 years learning various facets of storytelling, and I love that I get to do it professionally.
JEN: That’s a ton of different avenues. What does your routine look like? Describe a typical day of work.
MEGAN: Up at 7 a.m. to walk the dog and get ready, at my desk by 8 a.m., edit or narrate for 3-4 hours, get in a workout, edit or narrate for another 3-5 hours, in bed by 9:30 p.m. Rinse and repeat! Sometimes I get a random day where I'm doing intimacy coordination so I'm on set the entire day. Other times I'll do standardized patient work, so I'm with medical students for half of the day. But usually, it's 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday through Thursday!
JEN: What's your favorite genre? To read? To work with?
MEGAN: I love too many! Favorites include romantasy, romance, romcom, dystopian, sci-fi, and autobiographies. My favorite book growing up was Dealing with Dragons series.
JEN: Do you have a favorite narrator?
MEGAN: I love Julia Whelan and Michael Kramer. I aspire to be like them.
JEN: I’m obsessed with Julia Whelan and Audiobrary—genius. What other creators are you friends with, and how do they help you create better?
MEGAN: Oh my gosh my client list is long and wonderful. I feel inspired by them every single day. I can't tell you how many times I've pinched myself thinking, "Wow, I get to read all this awesome stuff as my job??"
JEN: Brilliant! Where are you from?
MEGAN: I'm originally from Portland, Oregon and I'm based out of New York. I love where I'm from, and I love being in New York. Portland made me a friendly, empathetic person but New York made me hustle and get moving.
JEN: That’s so much what they’re both known for. I love that those cities shared their gifts with you in that way. How does your family support your career?
MEGAN: My mom always donates any time there's a Kickstarter for an audiobook I'm narrating. And my dad is helping me with the romcom I'm writing (which is about women's rugby, and he's a former rugby player.) My husband is an unending well of support, and I couldn't be luckier to be partnered with someone who believes in me.
JEN: So nice to have their support. What sort of themes do you most enjoy tackling in your work?
MEGAN: LGBTQ stories in writing, narration, and editing. I'm someone who came out late in life because there wasn't a lot of representation for bisexual/pansexual people when I was younger. I didn't realize I was different until I was in my 30s. I'm passionate about these stories to ensure that younger generations have the opportunity to find themselves early on.
JEN: I am a late to the party queer, too. The more I write, the more my characters open up. I hope that the more authentic my characters get, the more readers will be able to relate. I did have a mom of a transman tell me that When Ivy Met Adam helped her relate to her kid in a whole new way. Best feedback ever.
MEGAN: One of the best compliments I can receive is when an author I admire says they love my work, too. For example, one author I love is Kirsten Bohling and her book The Devil's Backbone was one of my favorite reads of 2024. When she said she wanted to do the Writing Violence workshop and that she was a fan of my work, I almost cried. Same with my client (and friend) Nico Vincenty, who wrote A Swift and Sudden Exit; when she reached out asking me to line edit her next book, I was so thrilled. Working alongside people who have the same values as you and the same drive as you is downright intoxicating, in the best way. It makes you level up your own game and ask yourself how you can be there for them.
JEN: Let's talk about your work! Please list your credits.
MEGAN: I’ve edited, narrated, and coached several books in various genres. Genres I typically work in are romance, romcom, romantasy, sci-fi, and dystopian. I have a few non-fiction credits as well. Feel free to visit my website for a list of titles!
JEN: Amazing. What's coming next? Do you have any planned releases or works in progress?
MEGAN: I have a really fun workshop for writers called Page to Stage: Writing Violence, which helps authors learn how to improve their violent storytelling skills. I'll be doing several of these in the future, including Writing Intimacy, Writing for Audiobooks, Writing Injuries, and so on.
JEN: Tell us more about the Writing Violence workshop you’re teaching. You offer authors a unique opportunity to participate. Can you explain it more?
MEGAN: The Page to Stage workshop series is an opportunity for authors to attend virtual workshops where their words come to life. Not only that, but it’s also an opportunity for them to see how they can level up their storytelling skills. For example, in the Writing Violence workshop, a fight director will choreograph a fight scene from the author’s book or WIP. They’ll do it as written and then again with recommended adjustments. Then, trained combat actors will portray both versions, showing the differences between the two. Lastly, I connect with authors to ensure any takeaways come through in their writing by providing a line edit of their fight scene. Three authors participate with their scenes, but observers can attend as well to learn. Observers get a ton out of watching authors go through the process.
JEN: I love the concept. There’s violence in my current WIP. I should sign up!
[NOTE FROM JEN: I signed up! Who’s joining me??]
MEGAN: I have three other ones planned: Writing Intimacy, Writing for Audiobooks, and Writing Injuries. All of them will have specialists. Intimacy will have an intimacy coordinator, audiobooks will have narrators, injuries will have a PT. I’m hoping to do four a year virtually and then eventually move to an intensive in-person weekend with all of these as workshops.
JEN: That is right up my alley. What else is on the horizon for you?
MEGAN: I'm also releasing the audiobook A Dream of Blood and Magic by Olivia Boothe today!
JEN: Congratulations! Thanks so much for doing this, Megan. I’ve loved our talk. One of my favorite questions to ask: What advice would you give to your younger self?
MEGAN: This is a marathon, not a sprint. I was editing and narrating for over a year while working 30 hours a week at Starbucks. It took a long time until I was able to do what I love full-time. Set yourself up for success by prioritizing what matters: Your craft, your wellbeing, and your friends/family. The rest will happen. Also, a mantra I love: Work hard. Be kind. Stay classy.
JEN: Perfect! Before I let you go, is there anything else you'd like to add?
MEGAN: Despite the absolute insanity going on around us in the US, community is how we will survive. Find ways to support your friends and neighbors and stay active in local elections. Creativity thrives in constraint, so let's get creative!
My hearts, please join us live today at 4 p.m. Pacific. Plus, you can find Megan in all of these places: her website, Instagram, Bluesky, and Substack. And please consider one of her workshops! If you sign up for Writing Violence, I’ll virtually see you there!
