Call Her Daddy

Sarah J Maas: The Wait Is Over

March 5, 2026

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  • Sarah J. Maas's writing process is deeply immersive, involving intense emotional connection with her characters that often leads to her weeping while working in her bedroom. 
  • Sarah J. Maas intentionally writes complex, sometimes unlikable female characters who do not need to be appealing to others, reflecting her own desire to express strong feelings without constraint. 
  • Sarah J. Maas revealed that her personal struggles with mental health, particularly panic attacks following the birth of her son and the intense pressure of publishing, directly mirrored and influenced the trauma and healing journey of the character Nesta in *A Court of Silver Flames*. 
  • Sarah J. Maas wrote the emotional core of *A Court of Silver Flames* while actively undergoing therapy and medication for her own mental health struggles, drawing a direct parallel between her healing journey and Nesta's. 
  • The initial concepts for the *A Court of Thorns and Roses* series, including the introduction of Rhysand, were unscripted and emerged organically as Maas wrote in real-time, driven by her immediate emotional reactions to the characters. 
  • Maas defines current career success not just by her ability to tell stories on her own terms, but by achieving a balance where she is happy, fulfilled in her personal life (as a mother and wife), and able to write from a place of joy rather than fear. 
  • Sarah J. Maas views her continued success as a validation of pursuing the fantasy writing she loved since childhood, despite facing skepticism from others, especially older adults. 
  • The host views Sarah J. Maas's journey as an inspiring testimony for aspiring creators, suggesting that external doubt or being told 'no' frequently can be an indicator of being on the verge of something significant. 
  • The interview concluded with mutual appreciation, with Sarah J. Maas expressing gratitude for being made to feel 'cool' by appearing on *Call Her Daddy*, a significant event for her friends. 

Segments

SJM’s Writing Setup and Habits
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(00:06:56)
  • Key Takeaway: Sarah J. Maas writes in her bedroom, needing emotional immersion that causes her to sob during devastating scenes.
  • Summary: Sarah J. Maas prefers writing in her bedroom, finding an office setting not conducive to her creative vibe. She emotionally connects so deeply with her characters that she often weeps while typing, a reaction her husband has learned to respect by quietly leaving the room. Her desk is kept tidy but decorated with items that bring her joy, such as crystals and a Laboo figurine.
Fan Interactions and Celebrity Fandom
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(00:09:17)
  • Key Takeaway: Fans most often approach Sarah J. Maas to express the profound meaning her books have held for them, often leading her to tears.
  • Summary: When fans approach Sarah J. Maas in public, they usually express gratitude for the impact her books have had on their lives rather than asking specific questions. She admits to being a nerd who sometimes interrupts strangers reading her books to say hello, though she worries this might feel intrusive. Meeting Margot Robbie was a highlight, and Maas was moved by the impact Robbie had on young women following the Barbie movie.
ACOTAR TV Adaptation Status
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(00:12:04)
  • Key Takeaway: Sarah J. Maas has regained the rights to the ACOTAR series and intends to be heavily involved in any future TV adaptation, focusing on creative control.
  • Summary: Maas confirmed she has secured the rights back to her intellectual property, though she is currently prioritizing new books. She views any adaptation as another facet of her worlds and insists on being in charge of the process to ensure it aligns with her vision and the fans’ expectations. This control extends to all elements, including the crucial musical score, as she does not want the art compromised for demographic appeal.
Early Life and Writing Origins
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(00:15:26)
  • Key Takeaway: Sarah J. Maas stopped reading required school books in seventh grade due to boredom but simultaneously discovered her love for fantasy literature.
  • Summary: Maas was a devoted reader as a child but found middle school curriculum books boring, leading her to stop reading for a time. She secretly watched Sailor Moon and began reading fantasy novels, which sparked her desire to write her own adventures. She started writing Throne of Glass at age 16 during an unhappy high school period as an escape from feeling like a fish out of water.
Parental Doubts and Publishing Hurdles
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(00:21:28)
  • Key Takeaway: Her intellectual parents, both lawyers, strongly discouraged her pursuit of fantasy writing, citing the near impossibility of getting published in that genre.
  • Summary: Maas fought with her parents, who favored traditional intellectual pursuits, over her decision to become a writer, especially in the fantasy genre which was less popular at the time. She considered an MFA program but walked out after a director reacted dismissively upon learning she wrote fantasy. Her college creative writing major was largely unhelpful as it focused on short stories and poetry, subjects she had no interest in pursuing.
Convergence of Maas’s Three Series
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(00:27:25)
  • Key Takeaway: Sarah J. Maas developed the overarching vision for her three major series (Throne of Glass, ACOTAR, Crescent City) early in her career during downtime while waiting for Throne of Glass to be picked up.
  • Summary: The convergence of her worlds is an overarching vision held entirely in her head, not documented on a physical map. ACOTAR poured out of her in a two-month span while she was trying to get Throne of Glass published. Crescent City began as a private passion project where she could use more cursing, which she did not initially intend to publish.
Character Development and Personal Reflection
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(00:32:41)
  • Key Takeaway: Aelin’s journey mirrored Maas’s own growth, and Maas intentionally wrote her to be unapologetically angry and make mistakes without needing external approval.
  • Summary: Aelin emerged fully formed, and Maas allowed the character to lead her journey, which paralleled Maas’s own growth. Maas wanted to write a woman who could be angry and unappealing to others, refusing to conform to expectations of sweetness. She also ensured her characters had varied romantic relationships, allowing them to learn and grow from those experiences.
Sexuality and Motherhood in Fiction
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(00:36:18)
  • Key Takeaway: Maas is frustrated by the dismissal of her work as mere ‘smut’ when the sexual content is intrinsically tied to the characters’ emotional journeys and plot development.
  • Summary: Maas notes the double standard where any inclusion of sexuality in women’s writing devalues the work, despite her fans often citing her books for helping them leave abusive situations. She emphasizes that the explicit scenes in books like Silver Flames are intensely tied to the characters’ emotional arcs, such as Nesta and Cassian’s relationship development. She also advocates for writing the unglamorous realities of life, like getting one’s period during an epic quest.
Trauma of Pregnancy and Childbirth
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(00:42:56)
  • Key Takeaway: Feyra’s difficult pregnancy and birth in A Court of Silver Flames served as Maas’s personal processing mechanism for her own traumatic childbirth experiences.
  • Summary: Maas hated being pregnant, citing trauma from a nurse’s comments about weight gain and the invasive nature of appointments. Her first birth involved an emergency C-section where the male doctor scolded her for eating beforehand, and she was denied her husband’s presence during the procedure, only receiving comfort from a female intern. Writing Feyra’s fear and trauma allowed Maas to process her own difficult pregnancies, including breaking her ankle while pregnant with her second child.
Mental Health and Silver Flames
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(00:55:39)
  • Key Takeaway: Sarah J. Maas wrote Nesta’s emotional arc in A Court of Silver Flames concurrently with her own journey through therapy and medication.
  • Summary: The author experienced writing becoming terrifying, leading her to seek therapy and medication, which directly informed the writing of Nesta’s breakdown scene during a hike in New Zealand. Maas views Nesta’s journey of digging out of a hole as a shared experience between herself and the character. This process also highlighted the importance of supportive friendships outside of romantic partnerships.
Early Book Trauma Reflection
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(00:57:35)
  • Key Takeaway: Maas realized through therapy that Feyra’s panic attacks in A Court of Mist and Fury stemmed from her own unacknowledged anxiety and coping mechanisms developed in high school.
  • Summary: Reflecting on earlier works like A Court of Mist and Fury, Maas identified that Feyra’s panic attacks mirrored her own past experiences with anxiety, including the physical sensation of acid in the blood. Therapy allowed her to uncover long-held anxieties related to performance and testing from high school. This retrospective analysis provided new insight into her earlier writing.
Birth Trauma and Pressure
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(00:58:50)
  • Key Takeaway: The pressure of massive success transformed the joy of writing into a job, culminating in a breaking point that necessitated slowing down and re-evaluating personal value.
  • Summary: The host validates Maas’s discussion of difficult personal experiences, including childbirth trauma, noting that the pressure of deadlines turned writing from a passion into a job. Maas learned to separate her personal value from her book success, realizing her worth is tied to her family and friends, not material achievements. This realization allowed her to approach writing with joy and confidence rather than fear.
Therapy for Success Anxiety
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(01:01:43)
  • Key Takeaway: Maas’s therapist made her walk through worst-case scenarios—losing everything—to realize she possessed the strength and adaptability to survive, granting her freedom in her career choices.
  • Summary: By confronting the possibility of failure, Maas confirmed her ability to adapt, listing alternative careers like florist or marine biologist. This exercise provided a sense of security, allowing her to pursue her desired creative path without being paralyzed by the fear of losing her current success. She recognized her inherent strength to survive any professional downturn.
Writing Romantic Chemistry
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(01:06:02)
  • Key Takeaway: Maas is specifically drawn to writing the push-and-pull dynamic in relationships because it personally turns her on, prioritizing initial, unplanned chemistry between characters.
  • Summary: The author admits that if a romantic dynamic excites her, she will write it, often discovering chemistry between characters that she did not initially plan. For instance, Rhysand’s introduction in A Court of Thorns and Roses was unplanned, emerging when she realized Tamlin was not the intended romantic lead. She values this organic chemistry that she can ‘feel’ during the writing process.
Tamlin’s Arc and Redemption
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(01:12:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Tamlin’s controlling tendencies are rooted in his unaddressed trauma from an abusive family, leading him to implode and drag Feyra down due to his lack of an emotional toolkit.
  • Summary: Maas views Tamlin’s actions as a natural reaction to his upbringing, noting he lacked the tools to cope with the trauma from under the mountain, contrasting with Rhysand’s different response. While she pities him as a survivor of trauma, she does not excuse his abusive behavior, which is why Feyra moved on. Any future redemption arc would need to honor the real-world impact his character has had on readers who survived domestic abuse.
Rhysand and Feyra’s Dynamic
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(01:17:07)
  • Key Takeaway: Feyra maintains autonomy in her relationship with Rhysand because Maas demands that her female characters have relationships built on respect and partnership, mirroring her own marriage.
  • Summary: Maas emphasizes that equality and partnership are non-negotiable in her characters’ relationships, regardless of power dynamics. She finds it ‘hot’ when a powerful male character submits to his partner, but stresses that Feyra seeks a partner and best friend, not control over Rhysand. Regarding the pregnancy secrecy, Maas acknowledges Rhysand made a mistake by not communicating risks, but frames it as a learning moment stemming from his terror.
Most Romantic Moment
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(01:20:52)
  • Key Takeaway: The most romantic moment Maas wrote between Rhysand and Feyra is Starfall, a scene heavily inspired by Florence + The Machine’s ‘Cosmic Love.’
  • Summary: The Starfall scene, where the characters are splattered with glitter, was an emotional release for Maas as it represented the long-awaited consummation of their backstory. The initial version of Chapter 55 poured out almost verbatim, making its connection with readers particularly meaningful. Maas was satisfied to finally reveal the depth of their connection after such a long buildup.
Mating Bond Concepts
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(01:22:34)
  • Key Takeaway: The concept of mates in the ACOTAR world includes a biological component that can sometimes be flawed, as seen with Rhysand’s parents, making Elain’s rejection of Lucian’s bond an interesting exploration of free will.
  • Summary: A true mate bond completes a broken piece of the soul, but nature can make mistakes, resulting in miserable pairings like Rhysand’s parents. Elain’s rejection of Lucian is fascinating because it explores the conflict between destiny and free will after a traumatic transformation into the Fae world. Maas finds the concept of being stuck with an unwanted mate an interesting narrative challenge.
Family Reactions and Fan Questions
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(01:25:06)
  • Key Takeaway: Maas’s 95-year-old grandmother and her community read her books, while her mother-in-law frequently grills her about whether the sex scenes are inspired by her marriage to Josh.
  • Summary: Maas’s father stopped reading after A Court of Silver Flames, but her grandmother and her retirement community are avid readers. The host notes that fantasy romance legitimizes a genre often dismissed, and Maas feels blessed that people read her work, fulfilling her childhood dream. Maas also confirms Bryce and Hunt are endgame in Crescent City, despite fan theories suggesting otherwise.
New ACOTAR Book Announcement
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(01:32:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The Instagram post confusion was clarified: the next ACOTAR book is ACOTAR 6, releasing October 27th, followed by another ACOTAR book on January 12th, forming one massive story told in four parts.
  • Summary: Maas confirmed the post indicated ACOTAR 6, which she wrote quickly after finding inspiration in Montana, and it will be released on October 27th. This book, along with the next two parts (released January 12th), constitutes one massive story arc that required four volumes to tell properly, breaking traditional book length constraints. She is prioritizing getting the story to fans quickly rather than adhering to industry formats.
Rapid Fire Fan Theories
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(01:41:59)
  • Key Takeaway: Maas confirmed Bryce and Hunt are endgame in Crescent City, stated that Manon should be in therapy, and revealed she includes otters in Crescent City because they are her favorite animal.
  • Summary: Maas avoided confirming details about Lorcan’s actions or the King of Hybern’s name, but suggested bonus content for Throne of Glass characters might appear later. She explained Aelin losing her powers was necessary for her ending to feel deserved, emphasizing that losing magic does not diminish a female character’s strength. She also confirmed that the deleted Twilight of the Gods Pinterest board represented an entirely separate story idea she may write later.
Author’s Enduring Passion
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(01:53:49)
  • Key Takeaway: Sarah J. Maas still identifies with her younger self who enjoyed escaping into worlds like anime and fantasy.
  • Summary: The author remains connected to the feeling of being a middle or high schooler sneaking off to enjoy fantasy worlds. She feels incredibly blessed that her books have grown to mean something significant to readers. Her primary childhood desire was simply for someone to read her work and confirm that it was good.
Overcoming Skepticism
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(01:54:20)
  • Key Takeaway: External validation that one is ‘crazy’ for pursuing a unique dream is often the first sign of pursuing something incredible.
  • Summary: The host highlights Sarah J. Maas’s success as an inspiring story for those told ’no’ repeatedly, especially when writing fantasy. Maas stated that anytime someone told her she couldn’t do something, her response was simply, ‘watch me.’ She was willing to wait until she was 90 years old for just one book to be published.
Concluding Thoughts and Fan Investment
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(01:56:09)
  • Key Takeaway: The host felt a deeper investment in the author’s work after the personal interview, creating a sense of urgency to reread prior books.
  • Summary: The host expressed having many more questions regarding world-building and character arcs but felt a good balance was struck between personal insight and creative themes. Sarah J. Maas noted that appearing on Call Her Daddy was a ‘big deal’ for her friends, making her feel cool. The host jokingly suggested they travel to Montana to visit the ‘magic vortex’ where the writing occurred.
Sponsor Read: Sephora
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(01:58:08)
  • Key Takeaway: Sephora is promoted as a trusted destination for high-quality skincare from brands like Summer Fridays, Rode, Lineig, and Coda Lee.
  • Summary: The host emphasizes the importance of serious skincare due to susceptibility to breakouts. Sephora provides knowledgeable beauty advisors for personalized recommendations in the skincare world. Listeners are encouraged to shop skincare at Sephora.
Sponsor Read: Target & Chevy
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(01:58:40)
  • Key Takeaway: Target is promoting a limited-time Roller Rabbit collaboration featuring colorful prints perfect for spring travel essentials, dropping March 7th.
  • Summary: The 2026 Chevy Equinox is marketed as more than an SUV, emphasizing its large cargo space suitable for tailgates and trips. The Equinox features an 11.3-inch diagonal touchscreen for integrated tech and entertainment. Chevrolet’s tagline is ‘Together Let’s Drive.’