Five Compelling Questions with Shawn

Shawn and Lauren discuss her new novel MEDUSA'S SISTERS, how no one is born evil, shaping young minds, the allure of myths and mythical stories, the roles of siblings, sisters, and birth order, the unfortunate timelessness of blaming the victim, feminism, and the importance of compassion in all things.

Shawn and Tim discuss growing up in the 80s, how comments made during our school years stay with us into adulthood, small-t trauma, speech writing and fiction writing, speech team vs. drama club, and the emotional well-being of Gen-Xers.

Shawn and Sandra chat about writing for younger readers, hard endings, plotting vs. organic writing, Stephen King, having rogues in the family, Chloris Leachman, and their love of music.

Shawn and Kerri chat about The Jane Collective, how you have to keep fighting for your rights, great girlfriends and having a ride-or-die set of friends, accidentally topical books, listening to the universe, and hanging in there through rejection in a writing career.

Shawn and her co-host Kate KB Jackson chat with Lisa chat about her business The Writing Retreat Directory and Writing Retreat Sampler, her deep dive into Ancestry.com, and finding inspiration when starting or maintaining a writing journey.

Shawn chats with returning guest Don Bentley about the newest book in the Tom Clancy world of novels, what SWAT stands for, what it's like on the bestseller lists, writing multiple books and series a year, Tom Cruise, writing sprints, and having either a Stephen King or Mark Greaney kind of day.

Shawn and Amy chat about comedy writing vs. novel writing, great dialogue, being Midwestern, debut novels, shifting careers, and the importance of supportive partners for creative people.

Shawn and Jane talk about surviving and thriving after a cancer diagnosis, healthcare for women over the years, the bandwagon effect, what history was actually like, and the magic of teamwork.

Shawn and Ali chat about Ali's Fan Fiction origins and her path to traditional publishing, the role that luck plays in our lives, the best writing advice you can give or get, how stories help us deal with difficult times, finding your community, and a billion-dollar idea.

Shawn and returning guest Katherine Ramsland discuss crime-solving teams, horse dentists, teamwork and brainstorming, Mother Nature and the weather, the DC Snipers, saying yes to opportunities, Dostoevsky, and philosophy.

Shawn and Libi chat about Ben Franklin quotes; professional storytelling; living and traveling in Italy IRL and in your mind; elegant murder; and beautiful book covers.

Shawn and Shelley chat about Shelley being a Ph. D. and Edgar-nominated writer, finding power in words and how they impact others as well as ourselves, how to write mysteries, Mark Twain, and food, of course.

Shawn and Sidney chat about gay characters who aren’t just sidekicks, the lasting appeal of rom-coms, their mutual distrust of outlining stories, a roller-coaster of words, writers on strike, and being culture vultures.

Shawn and Genevive chat about The Viking Age, pantsers/discovery writing vs. plotting, faking it till you're making it, content warnings on novels, Viking women, and how women fight.

Shawn and Ore discuss her debut novel, THE THREE OF US, what it's like being a debut author, writing short and long fiction, pandemic novel writing, friendships and love, juggling on Zoom, and eavesdropping on someone's worst nightmare.

Shawn and Lauryn chat about Millenials vs Gen-X experiences, The Interestings, the financial crisis of 2008 and how it impacted a generation, growing up with social media, pantsers, restructuring a book post editorial review, multiple POVs, and hard writing math.

In a very Florida episode, Shawn and Sarah discuss her new book BURNING EDEN, the state they’ve both called home, the ability to listen well, falling oak trees, how we’re all a bunch of weirdos post-pandemic, and murdery comedy.

Shawn and Brian chat about continuing the Jason Bourne series, Lennon vs. Lenin, Richard Chamberlain cred, maintaining your own voice while writing another author's series, sharing ownership of a character, writing action effectively, and finishing what you start.

Shawn and Buzzy chat about her new book, TO DIE BEAUTIFUL, on being 52, writing fiction based on real people and events, writing non-fiction vs. fiction, Murderino Nation, the importance of hope, cool first names, and the impact of history on our current day lives.

Shawn and Andrew chat about HOPE and hope, Picasso quotes, having a way forward, invisible guardrails, what to do when hope doesn't pan out, the best cover image story ever, learning comedy, the brilliance of Steve Martin, and once again, having hope.

Shawn and Juan chat about how lives are shaped by revolution and ideology, writing novels as opposed to non-fiction when dealing with true life events, working with a map vs. a compass while writing, the novelist Javier Marías, idolizing writers and aspiring to greatness.

Shawn and Laura chat about "Jolly" Jane Toppan, female serial killers, inadvertat feminism, Patricia Highsmith and Shirley Jackson as influences, Japanese fiction, and poetry vs. prose for a writer who is expert in both disciplines.

Shawn and Laura chat about falling off of treadmills, 1990s nostalgia, how scandal impacts men and women differently, writing strong dialogue, and the art of the twist.

Shawn and Kerry chat about having an iron will, always looking for the good side of a bad situation, online dating, being a child of a military family, survival, giving up sugar, and writing standalone vs. series books.

Shawn and Paige chat about Paige's American debut, Indiana, Paige being the daughter of an INDY 500 driver, immersing yourself in your work, method acting to develop characters, a love of dialogue, finding the sweet spot, and how everyone loves pie.