The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience

NOTE: Repost of our most popular episode of the year by far, enjoy! Bestselling author, podcaster, blogger, speaker, and my friend Jeff Goins, brought me along on a creative journey not too long ago called Hey, Creator! and it was some of the most fun I’ve had as a podcast producer. Here’s an episode from the last season we did together titled “How to Finish the First Draft of Anything.” Jeff Goins helps creative people succeed. Through his bestselling books, courses, coaching, and speeches, he shares his ongoing journey of transformation, inspiring creators to discover their voice and share it with the world. He is also the founder of Fresh Complaint, a bespoke creative agency that helps authors, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs turn their stories and ideas into books that change the way people think. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Jeff Goins and I discussed: Why the first step to finishing is to begin The secret to getting unstuck Why nothing is ever really finished And a lot more! Show Notes: goinswriter.com freshcomplaint.com Hey, Creator! Podcast Jeff Goins Amazon Author Page Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York Times bestselling author Penn Cole spoke with me about her past life as an attorney, living in Paris, how she became a breakout hybrid author, and book #2 in the Kindred’s Curse saga: GLOW OF THE EVERFLAME. Penn Cole is an internationally bestselling author whose debut series, The Kindred’s Curse Saga, became a BookTok and Bookstagram sensation, and an instant New York Times bestseller with over a million copies in more than a dozen languages. Described as a slow burn, epic romantasy series, Book #2, GLOW OF THE EVERFLAME, was called "Gripping…,” by The Library Journal, and in a starred review noted, “Readers will be clamoring for the next in the series after the cliffhanger ending." Before pursuing her lifelong dream of publishing, Penn had a prior career as an artist and attorney. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Penn Cole and I discussed: Falling for the myth of the “starving artist” How she self-published three books in 2023 Why she was so adamant about keeping her e-book rights when traditional publishers called The huge adjustment she’s had to make for her fans Why there’s some misconception about going “viral” And a lot more! Show Notes:  penncole.com Glow of the Everflame: A Novel; Book #2 of The Kindred’s Curse Saga by Penn Cole (Amazon) Penn Cole Amazon Author Page Penn Cole on Facebook Penn Cole on Threads Penn Cole on TikTok Penn Cole on Instagram Penn Cole on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PEN/Bellwether winner Fabienne Josaphat spoke with me about being born into storytelling, writing socially engaged fiction, and the revolution and injustice at the center of her new novel KINGDOM OF NO TOMORROW. Fabienne Josaphat was born and raised in Haiti, and graduated with an MFA in Creative Writing from Florida International University. Her sophomore novel KINGDOM OF NO TOMORROW was the 2023 winner of the PEN / Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction. Barbara Kingsolver established the biennial prize in 2000 to highlight previously unpublished works of fiction that addressed issues of social justice. Barbara Kingsolver, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Demon Copperhead, said of the book, "This beautifully convincing slice of history is powered not just by good research, but by lots of suspense, compelling characters, and understated political themes that …. bring the fierce vision of the Black Panthers to new generations of readers, adding some stunning context to the modern Black Lives Matter movement." In addition to fiction, Josaphat writes non-fiction, screenplays, and is an anthologized poet. Her work has been featured in The African American Review, The Washington Post, Teen Vogue, The Master’s Review, Grist Journal, and many others. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Fabienne Josaphat and I discussed: Why her grandfather’s stories helped shape her into a writer The surreal journey from award-winner to publication of her second novel How the Black Panthers were maligned by mainstream media The importance of preserving the oral storytelling tradition of her culture What writers can do to tame distraction And a lot more! Show Notes:  PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction - PEN America Kingdom of No Tomorrow by Fabienne Josaphat  (Amazon) Fabienne Josaphat on Instagram Fabienne Josaphat on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Polymath and author of ARISTOTLE FOR NOVELISTS Douglas Vigliotti spoke with me about the outsized influence of Poetics on storytelling, why a well-told story is so cathartic, and the three big questions every writer must answer. Douglas Vigliotti is the author of four non-fiction and fiction books, including Tom Collins: A ‘Slightly Crooked’ Novel. He is also the host of Books for Men, a weekly podcast created to inspire (more) men to read. His latest, Aristotle for Novelists: 14 Timeless Principles on the Art of Story, is described as a writing and creativity guide on “... how to write a novel using tried-and-true principles that have been used since antiquity to tell great stories.” [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Douglas Vigliotti and I discussed: How he mined Poetics to help craft his first novel His take on why The Penguin is so popular Why he doesn’t trust writers who don’t read (a lot) The importance of consistency in all great fiction Why tragedies are more powerful than epics And a lot more! Show Notes:  douglasvigliotti.com Aristotle for Novelists: 14 Timeless Principles on the Art of Story by Douglas Vigliotti (Amazon) Douglas Vigliotti Amazon Author Page Douglas Vigliotti on Instagram Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York Times bestselling author Christina Lynch spoke with me about working with Harvard pal Conan O’Brien, gang writing for TV, her nom de plume, and her new novel, PONY CONFIDENTIAL, featuring a grumpy pony. Christina Lynch is the author of Sally Brady's Italian Adventure, The Italian Party, and – under the pen name Magnus Flyte – co-author of New York Times bestseller City of Dark Magic and City of Lost Dreams. Her latest mystery, Pony Confidential (Berkley/PRH), is “... an epic saga, narrated by a pony, about the bond between animals and their humans.” It was named an NPR “Book of the Day,” Amazon Top 100 Books of 2024, an Indie Next Pick for November, and many other “most anticipated” lists. Christina Lynch was an editor on the Harvard Lampoon, the Milan correspondent for W magazine, and wrote for TV on the writing staffs of Unhappily Ever After and Stephen King’s The Dead Zone among others. She teaches at College of the Sequoias. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Christina Lynch and I discussed:  End-of-semester panic and counseling her students Why she burned out on fashion and disappeared in Tuscany How a game with a fellow writer turned into a bestseller What her most recent success has meant to her The crazy story behind her latest novel And a lot more! Show Notes:  clynchwriter.com Pony Confidential By Christina Lynch (Amazon) In the new novel 'Pony Confidential,' a crime-solving pony seeks revenge - NPR Christina Lynch Amazon Author Page Christina Lynch on Facebook Christina Lynch on Instagram Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Note: I revisited a chat with the soothsayer A.M. Homes from 2022. Bestselling, award-winning author A.M. Homes, spoke to me about getting sued by J.D. Salinger, the irony of winning the Women's Prize for Fiction, and her latest "The Unfolding." A.M. Homes is a TV producer, art critic, and the author of 13 books, including the bestselling memoir The Mistress’s Daughter. Her last novel, May We Be Forgiven, was the winner of the 2013 Women’s Prize for Fiction. Her latest novel is The Unfolding, described as a "... darkly comedic alternative history that takes us into the heart of a fractured family living in a divided country." New York Times bestselling author Salman Rushdie called the book, “A terrific black comedy, written almost entirely in pitch-perfect dialogue, that feels terrifyingly close to the unfunny truth.” A.M. Homes was a Co-Executive Producer and Writer on David E. Kelly and Stephen King’s, Mr. Mercedes, and a writer/producer of the Showtime series The L Word. Her work has been translated into 22 languages and appears frequently in Art Forum, Harpers, Granta, McSweeney's, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Zoetrope. She is a Contributing Editor to Vanity Fair, Bomb and Blind Spot, and she has taught in the Creative Writing Program at Princeton. Stay calm and write on ... [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file A.M. Homes and I discussed: Her early struggles with dyslexia Why awards and votes of confidence are so important for writers How she helped hire Dennis Lehane to write for Mr. Mercedes  Her strange obsession with George Washington and her claim to Capitol Hill How to write your way out of a jam And a lot more! Show Notes: amhomesbooks.com The Unfolding: A Novel by A.M. Homes (Amazon) A.M. Homes on Facebook A.M. Homes on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Note: I revisited a chat with multi-hyphenate Rob McElhenney from 2020. The writer, producer, and actor best known for It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Rob McElhenney, took a timeout during the apocalypse to rap with me about how he runs his writer's room, his humble beginnings and admiration for the great TV comedies, and his advice for aspiring TV producers. "Everyone is going through the same things. At least, people who respect science are. That sense of loneliness and despair ... needs to be addressed in some way, but ultimately we want to leave people with a sense of optimism." – Rob McElhenney FX recently renewed his irreverent "It’s Always Sunny..." for a 15th season, making it officially the longest-running live-action sitcom in US history. The multihyphenate's latest, Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet, is a comedy series "...that follows a team of video game developers as they navigate the challenges of running a popular video game," The Apple TV+ show was co-created with "Sunny" alums Charlie Day and Megan Ganz (executive produced by McElhenney and Day), and has been described as "... the travails of a boisterous video game studio – think Silicon Valley meets Veep." *Note: Though I was lucky enough to catch Rob in his natural LA habitat, sadly the interview was cut short due to technical difficulties, our apologies for the abrupt ending. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Rob McElhenney and I discussed: How It's Alway Sunny in Philadelphia almost didn't make it to the fourth season The inner-workings of a perpetual creativity engine How little episodic and streaming models of TV differ from a sitcom producer's perspective His relationships with Danny DeVito and F. Murray Abraham The evolution of "It's Always Sunny..." and why it stays culturally relevant And how the greatest indie production tool you own is in your pocket Show Notes: Rob McElhenney on IMDb Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet – Apple TV+ It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia now longest-running live-action comedy series ever after season 15 renewal Rob McElhenney on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bestselling author, podcaster, blogger, speaker, and my friend Jeff Goins, recently brought me along on a creative journey called Hey, Creator! We’re back with another episode from the second season titled “It’s a Matter of Taste.” This is part two of a two-part conversation. Jeff Goins helps creative people succeed. Through his bestselling books, courses, coaching, and speeches, he inspires creators to discover their voice and share it with the world. He is also the founder of Fresh Complaint, a bespoke creative agency that helps authors, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs turn their stories and ideas into books that change the way people think. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Jeff Goins and I discussed: How developing your taste is a process of trusting yourself and your experience Learning to live in the moment  Why it never gets better than the first sip The art of learning to live a little more fully alive And a lot more! Show Notes: goinswriter.com freshcomplaint.com Hey, Creator! Podcast Jeff Goins Amazon Author Page Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bestselling author, podcaster, blogger, speaker, and my friend Jeff Goins, recently brought me along on a creative journey called Hey, Creator! We’re back with another episode from the second season titled “It’s a Matter of Taste.” This is part one of a two-part conversation. Jeff Goins helps creative people succeed. Through his bestselling books, courses, coaching, and speeches, he inspires creators to discover their voice and share it with the world. He is also the founder of Fresh Complaint, a bespoke creative agency that helps authors, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs turn their stories and ideas into books that change the way people think. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Jeff Goins and I discussed: Why an artist’s taste is everything How it takes time and effort to develop your palate Why we can’t know what we like until we experience what we don’t The importance of paying attention And a lot more! Show Notes: goinswriter.com freshcomplaint.com Hey, Creator! Podcast Jeff Goins Amazon Author Page Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Note: I revisited a chat with the amazing Walter Mosley from 2021. Celebrated author, Walter Mosley, took a timeout to chat with me about how he didn't write a sentence he liked until age 35, the sprawling muse of Los Angeles, and his conflicted feelings after winning a big National Book Award. “Write your truth, and believe in it. And if your mother doesn’t like it ... too bad.” – Walter Mosley Walter is the first Black man to receive the National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters for lifetime achievement in writing. The critically acclaimed author, playwright, screenwriter, and producer has written over 60 books including fiction (literary, mystery, and science fiction), writing guides, memoir, a YA novel, has won dozens of prestigious awards (including an Emmy), and been translated into 25 languages. His bestselling historical mysteries feature infamous, hard-boiled detective "Easy" Rawlins, a black PI living in the Watts neighborhood of LA. Blood Grove (Easy Rawlins Book 15) is the latest in that series and described as "... a novel of vast scope and intimate insight, and a soulful call for justice by any means necessary." Walter's work has also been adapted for film and TV including Devil in a Blue Dress (starring Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle and Jennifer Beals) and the HBO production of Always Outnumbered (starring Laurence Fishburne and Natalie Cole). Preview a sample of a podcast at the break from this week's sponsor Look Closer: The Found Fiction Podcast, more at foundfiction.org. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Walter Mosley and I discussed: His winding career path How the apex of post-hippie Los Angeles, California affected his writing What it was like to work with the late, Oscar-nominated filmmaker John Singleton (Boyz N the Hood) Why you need to read your drafts out loud And more! Show Notes: WalterMosley.com Walter Mosley Amazon author page Writing Los Angeles: A Literary Anthology: A Library of America Special Publication (Amazon) Roger Zelazny Amazon author page Walter Mosley on Facebook Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bestselling author, podcaster, blogger, speaker, and my friend Jeff Goins, recently brought me along on a creative journey called Hey, Creator! We’re back with another episode from the second season we did together titled “Creative Idiots.” Jeff Goins helps creative people succeed. Through his bestselling books, courses, coaching, and speeches, he inspires creators to discover their voice and share it with the world. He is also the founder of Fresh Complaint, a bespoke creative agency that helps authors, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs turn their stories and ideas into books that change the way people think. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Jeff Goins and I discussed: Why all art is a little scandalous When great artists play the trickster How humanity expands and evolves by pushing the boundaries of art And a lot more weird stuff! Show Notes: goinswriter.com freshcomplaint.com Hey, Creator! Podcast Jeff Goins Amazon Author Page Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

*We’re excited to be partnering with Writers Rising as one of this year’s sponsors, and as a special gift to our listeners, we were able to get you a 10% discount on your in-person or virtual retreat ticket. Visit WritersRising.com today and enter code writerfiles10 to get that discount. Buy your ticket now before they sell out! We’ll see you there.* #1 New York Times bestselling author, Anne Lamott, spoke with me about 40 years of teaching writing, how to write more bravely, on sh*tty first drafts, and sharing hacks she’s learned over her career at the Writers Rising 2024 retreat. Anne Lamott is the author of 20 books, including New York Times bestsellers Help, Thanks, Wow; Dusk, Night, Dawn; Traveling Mercies; and Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, as well as seven novels. Her latest book, Somehow: Thoughts on Love was a #1 New York Times bestseller. Publishers Weekly praised “…her ability to distill complex truths with a deceptive lightness” in their starred review. Anne is a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, an inductee to the California Hall of Fame, and was recently a columnist for The Washington Post. She has taught at UC Davis, writing conferences across the country, and is currently an artist in residence at A Writing Room Collective. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Anne Lamott and I discussed:  The debt of honor that is the writing life Why you don’t have to know everything to finish your book What it was like getting inducted into the California Hall of Fame next to Mark Zuckerberg and Serena Williams The importance of accountability for staying on track Why you need to stop not writing and get your butt in the chair And a lot more! Show Notes: Writers Rising 2024 awritingroom.com Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott (Amazon) Somehow: Thoughts on Love By Anne Lamott (Amazon) Anne Lamott Amazon Author Page Anne Lamott on Twitter Anne Lamott on Facebook Anne Lamott on Instagram Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Note: A revisiting of an amazing chat I had with Ashley Audrain. Also ... We’re excited to be partnering with Writers Rising as one of this year’s sponsors, and as a special gift to our listeners, we were able to get you a 10% discount on your in-person or virtual retreat ticket. Visit WritersRising.com today and enter code writerfiles10 to get that discount. Buy your ticket now before they sell out! We’ll see you there. New York Times bestselling author, Ashley Audrain, spoke to me about giving herself permission to write sh*tty first drafts, writing in public, and her second novel THE WHISPERS. Ashley Audrain’s debut novel, The Push, was a New York Times, Sunday Times (London), #1 international bestseller, and a Good Morning America Book Club pick. It has sold in more than 40 territories, and a limited TV series is currently in development.  Her latest, The Whispers, is described as “ … a propulsive page-turner about four families whose lives are changed when the unthinkable happens – and what is lost when we give in to our own worst impulses.” The New York Times Book Review wrote, "Expertly, subtly and powerfully rendered …. [The Whispers] delivers a sucker-punch ending you’ll have to read twice to believe.” And #1 New York Times bestselling author Carley Fortune called it, “[An] electrifying … razor-sharp page-turner.” Ashley Audrain previously worked as the publicity director of Penguin Books Canada, and prior to that, worked in public relations. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file, Ashley Audrain and I discussed:  Why she felt intimidated by writers while working in PR How to write claustrophobic, voyeuristic fiction Why she is drawn to the darker side of literature Tapping into the messiness of midlife ennui How to escape your kids And a lot more! Show Notes: Writers Rising 2024 ashleyaudrain.com The Whispers By Ashley Audrain (Amazon)  Ashley Audrain Amazon Author Page Ashley Audrain on Instagram Ashley Audrain on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Critically acclaimed debut author Bryan VanDyke, spoke with me about the writer’s life in NYC, pushing the boundaries of literature and speculative fiction, and his latest novel about AI tech, IN OUR LIKENESS. Bryan VanDyke is a former staff writer for The Millions, and he graduated from writing programs at Columbia University and Northwestern. As a digital strategist, he advised and partnered with technologists, startup founders and venture capitalists. His “eerily timely debut novel,” IN OUR LIKENESS, draws on his experience and dramatizes many of the as-yet-unanswered questions about “the wonders and chaos” of artificial intelligence. Described as a “Frankenstein-esque tale befitting the information age,” CNN journalist and author of Age of Revolutions Fareed Zakaria called the book “A total triumph.” [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Bryan VanDyke and I discussed:  Feeling like a double agent while he was struggling to get published His love of genre science fiction and literary lions What it was like to edit a book about AI during a sea change in the tech How he edits his work on the go Grabbing a drink with William Faulkner at Grand Central Terminal And a lot more! Show Notes:  bryanvandyke.com In Our Likeness: A Novel by Bryan VanDyke (Amazon) Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#1 New York Times bestselling author, Mark Oshiro, spoke with me about what journalism taught them about book editing, capturing a transitional age with young adult and middle-grade fiction, and their latest novel JASMINE IS HAUNTED. Mark Oshiro is the #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of young adult books including Anger Is a Gift, as well as middle-grade books The Insiders, You Only Live Once, David Bravo, and Star Wars Hunters: Battle for the Arena. They are also the coauthor (with Rick Riordan) of The Sun and the Star: A Nico Di Angelo Adventure. Their upcoming middle-grade novel JASMINE IS HAUNTED (Starscape, Hardcover; October 1, 2024), is described as a "heartfelt, funny, fast-paced, and spooky” (Rick Riordan), tale about the gravity of grief and the courage it takes to overcome it. Mark Oshiro won the 2024 Georgia Author of the Year Award and the 2019 Schneider Family Book Award. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Mark Oshiro and I discussed:  The strange circuitous route to bestseller and the public perception of debut authors Why their journalism background prepared them for a full-time fiction career How they teamed up with the author of Percy Jackson & the Olympians On writing queer stories with characters of color The outsized influence of Octavia Butler And a lot more! Show Notes:  www.markoshiro.com Jasmine Is Haunted by Mark Oshiro (Amazon) Mark Oshiro Amazon Author Page Mark Oshiro on Instagram Mark Oshiro on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Note: A revisiting of an amazing chat I had with the humble Emily Henry. #1 New York Times bestselling author, Emily Henry, returns to chat with me about depressing first drafts, what it's like to be a genre-bending, commercial fiction superstar, and her “glittering” new novel HAPPY PLACE. Emily Henry is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Book Lovers, People We Meet on Vacation, and Beach Read, and has sold over three million copies of her novels. Her latest is Happy Place, an instant ​​#1 New York Times bestseller and her first hardcover novel, described as a book “...about reluctant exes who make a pact to pretend to date during an annual friends’ trip...” Author Taylor Jenkins-Reid called it "Another knock-out from the champ.” The Washington Post wrote that the book, “Blur[s] the lines between women’s and literary-leaning commercial fiction, departing from the fantasy spaces of bodice rippers and misty moors to depict a world that looks a lot more like, well, our own…” Emily's books have been featured in Buzzfeed, Oprah Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, and many more.  [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file, Emily Henry and I discussed:  What it feels like to (still) be living inside a lightning strike Why it’s easy for her to stay humble as a writer How to write rom-com at the top of readers’ intelligence Her take on superhero movie tropes Why making a reader laugh is so much harder than making them cry And a lot more! Show Notes: How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Emily Henry Writes: Part One emilyhenrybooks.com Happy Place By Emily Henry (Amazon)  Emily Henry Amazon Author Page Emily Henry on Instagram Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NOTE: This is an updated replay of my amazing chat with #1 New York Times bestselling author and screenwriter-producer Dennis Lehane. His latest novel, Small Mercies, was an instant NY Times Bestseller named an Amazon Editors' pick for Best Books 2023. Stephen King said of the book “Small Mercies is thought-provoking, engaging, enraging, and can’t-put-it-down entertainment.” Enjoy! New York Times bestselling author and screenwriter-producer, Dennis Lehane, spoke to me about what he learned from Clint Eastwood, working on "Mr. Mercedes" with David E. Kelley, and his new Apple TV+ show "Black Bird." Dennis Lehane is the bestselling author of 13 novels including four adapted into films of the same name: 2003's Academy Award-winning film Mystic River, directed by Clint Eastwood; 2007's Gone Baby Gone; 2010's Shutter Island directed by Martin Scorsese, and 2016’s Live by Night directed by Ben Affleck. His latest is the limited Apple TV+ series, Black Bird, described as a "...fascinating, ripped-from-the headlines story [and] true-crime drama..." based on the 2010 memoir by James Keene and Hillel Levin, “In With The Devil: A Fallen Hero, A Serial Killer, and A Dangerous Bargain for Redemption." "Jimmy Keene (Taron Egerton), cuts a deal with the FBI to enter maximum-security prison for the criminally insane and befriend a suspected serial killer, Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser)." Black Bird premieres globally with the first two episodes on Friday, July 8, followed by one new episode weekly every Friday. Lehane was a staff writer on the acclaimed HBO series "The Wire" and also worked as a writer-producer on HBO’s "Boardwalk Empire" the Netflix series, "Bloodline," and a writer and producer on the television adaptation of Stephen King’s "Mr. Mercedes." [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Dennis Lehane and I discussed: Why he sucked at everything except writing and playing pool How he landed a literary agent while parking cars Dealing with impostor syndrome early on Why he prefers screenwriting to novel writing today Why narcissists have no place on a TV set And a lot more! Show Notes: Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane (Amazon) Dennis Lehane Amazon Author Page Black Bird | Apple TV+ Dennis Lehane on IMDb In With The Devil: A Fallen Hero, A Serial Killer, and A Dangerous Bargain for Redemption by James Keene and Hillel Levin (Amazon) Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#1 New York Times bestselling author, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, returned to chat about why bestsellers stick around for years, why fiction is perfectly geared for the human mind, and her latest YA thriller, THE GRANDEST GAME. Jennifer Lynn Barnes is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 25 acclaimed young adult novels, including The Inheritance Games series (over 3 million copies sold), Little White Lies, Deadly Little Scandals, The Lovely and the Lost, and The Naturals series. Her latest is another #1 New York Times bestseller, The Grandest Game (Volume 1) “... a new series that brings readers deeper into the lush, romantic, and puzzle-filled world of the #1 bestselling Inheritance Games series, set a year after we last saw Avery and the Hawthornes.” Jen is a Fulbright Scholar with advanced degrees in psychology, psychiatry, and cognitive science including a Ph.D. from Yale University, and “...is one of the world's leading experts on the psychology of fandom and the cognitive science of fiction and the imagination.” [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Jennifer Lynn Barnes and I discussed:  Juggling a book launch, edits, and revisions for three new books How to reboot a hit series to capture the same energy as the original Why she approaches writing as both a scientist and an author How she uses lists of her favorite tropes to unlock her scenes More theories on why readers love fiction And a lot more! Show Notes:  How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Jennifer Lynn Barnes Writes: Part One Jenniferlynnbarnes.com The psychology of fiction with Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Re:Thinking with Adam Grant - TED Audio Collective The Grandest Game (Volume 1) (The Grandest Game, 1) By Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Amazon) Jennifer Lynn Barnes Amazon Author Page Jennifer Lynn Barnes on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Award-winning author and journalist, Alex Temblador, spoke with me about seeing publishing through rose-colored glasses, teaching writers to create inclusive narratives, and her essential guide WRITING AN IDENTITY NOT YOUR OWN. Alex Temblador is an award-winning travel, arts, and culture journalist, award-winning author of novels Half Outlaw, and Secrets of the Casa Rosada, as well as the Executive Director of Write Here DFW and the founder and moderator of LitTalk at Whose Books, a panel series for Dallas-Forth Worth authors. Her recently published resource, WRITING AN IDENTITY NOT YOUR OWN: A Guide for Creative Writers (8/13/24 from St. Martin’s Essentials), is described as a “...practical guide [that] delves into one of the most contentious topics in creative writing: creating characters with historically marginalized identities.” David Mura, author of A Stranger's Journey: Race, Identity & Narrative Craft in Writing said of the author, "Alex Temblador provides a concrete and detailed guide to the issues of misrepresentation, appropriation and stereotypes in creative writing….and interrogates not just issues of craft but the biases we all carry that we may be unaware of. An essential text." Alex has an MFA in Creative Writing and her journalism has been published in Conde Nast Traveler, Outside, Travel + Leisure, among others. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Alex Temblador and I discussed: Writing subtitles for films Her love of magical realism How she became a freelance journalist focusing on DEI Why she decided to undertake an ambitious creative writing guide  What authors can do for their mental health And a lot more! Show Notes: www.alextemblador.com Writing an Identity Not Your Own: A Guide for Creative Writers by Alex Temblador (Amazon) writinganidentitynotyourown.com Alex Temblador on Instagram Alex Temblador on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writers, publishing experts, and Hungry Authors podcast hosts, Ariel Curry and Liz Morrow, returned to chat about playing the long game, meeting readers where they’re at, and the origins of their much-anticipated publishing guide. Ariel Curry is a writer and Senior Editor of nonfiction at Sourcebooks with over 10 years of experience in traditional publishing. Her partner in crime at hungryauthors.com is Liz Morrow, a traditionally published ghostwriter for entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and business experts who specializes in personal and professional development and memoir. Their debut as co-authors is Hungry Authors: The Indispensable Guide to Planning, Writing, and Publishing a Nonfiction Book (August 6, 2024), available now. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Ariel, Liz and I discussed: Time-blocking, non-negotiables, and writing when you have kids How the Hungry Authors multiverse came to be Why finding comps to your work is so important How to navigate the publishing landscape without losing faith Overcoming fear, procrastination, scarcity mindset, impostor syndrome … And much more! Show Notes: How to Plan, Write & Publish Nonfiction with Hungry Authors Hosts Ariel Curry & Liz Morrow: Part One hungryauthors.com Hungry Authors: The Indispensable Guide to Planning, Writing, and Publishing a Nonfiction Book by Liz Morrow and Ariel Curry (Amazon) Hungry Authors - Podcast w/ Ariel Curry & Liz Morrow Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices