Pub Crawl

Dan and Ezra discuss the process of teaching--and learning--writing with University of Melbourne prof Liz Keyishian. Plus, book recommendations for Dan's summer travels.

Dan and Ezra discuss the apparent health benefits of reading and writing. Does that make reading and writing any more fun, though? Plus, Dan wonders about "main character energy."

Dan and Ezra consider the challenges of writing "as yourself," rather than as an invented character. Meanwhile, Ezra proves himself to be a thoughtful friend. Plus: Al Pacino and Keith Richards impressions.

Dan and Ezra discuss tips and tricks for writing compelling dialogue. It's not all he said/she said!

Oh, no! Are dads no longer reading dad books? Dan and Ezra check out the data on men's reading habits and reconsider their own bookshelves. What is the world coming to if dads aren't reading Civil War histories and biographies of Winston Churchill???

Dan and Ezra dig into two much-discussed novels: the word-of-mouth bestseller Theo of Golden, which famously began its life as a self-published book, and Transcription , a spikey metafiction sure to be shortlisted for major literary awards this year. Can our faithful hosts agree on anything about these two very different novels? And what, if anything, can writers and pubishers learn from their suc...

Drawing on his secret identity as a prize-winning writer of promos for TV, Dan leads a conversation about crafting blurbs for book covers.

In the wake of their conversation about plot and story, Dan and Ezra consider the question of character -- how important is character in fiction? And how do you go about creating memorable characters? Plus: a foray into the topic of marine mammals.

Does plot matter? Ezra is skeptical but Dan argues that plot absulutely does matter, and sketches out key elements of storytelling.

Dan and Ezra try to wrap their heads around AI detectors: How they work… and sometimes don’t work. The guys run some of their own prose through detectors, with surprising results.  Links: Adobe: Three key AI detection techniques https://www.adobe.com/acrobat/resources/how-do-ai-detectors-work.html Jane Friedman: AI and Publishing: FAQ for Writers https://janefriedman.com/ai-and-publishing-faq-for-...

Does there come a time when a writer is just too old to create? Is it time for Dan and Ezra to hang up their writer's berets and retire to the nearest wine bar? Links: Keith Sawyer's essay about creatity and age https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/is-creativity-a-young-persons-game/ Psychologist Dean Keith Simonton's articel in Scientific American on "creative trajectories" https://www.scientificam...

Dan and Ezra consider the truly unbelievable growth in the number of books published in 2025, and hypothesize that there is a single, highly prolific author is driving the increase. Then they turn to the question of Bisac codes, a tool for categorizing and organizing books by topic. Episode links: Publishers Weekly: Book Output Topped Four Million in 2025 https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-top...

Dan and Ezra dig into the implications of Amazon’s new search algorithm, the euphonious “A10,” and then welcome Christopher Ward, who brought out his new graphic novel, “The Hottest Fires of Hell,” as a self-published work. Data about graphic novel readers: https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/graphic-novels-broaden-their-appeal-lj240909 Amazon page for “The Hottest Fires of Hell” https://www.amaz...

Is writer's block a thing, really? Dan says yes. Ezra says hmmmmm-maaaaaybe, but probably not.

Ezra and Dan consider the concept (dream?) of bestseller-dom and what it might take to get there. Links: Links: Brook Warner’s essay on best sellers List of best-selling books - Wikipedia   New York Times: This Year’s Surprise Hit Novels Novelr: The New York Times Beatseller Lists Explained About those 12 copies… Ezra and Dan both got it wrong, at least a bit. That data comes from Kristen McLean,...

Dan and Ezra tackle the topic of reviews, and in particular, bad reviews. In the second half, they welcome novelist Peter Blauner, the author of "Picture in the Sand" and many other works. Should you write your first draft in longhand? Peter says yes! Random references to "The Great Gatsby" abound. Links: Peter Blauner's Website

Screenwriter and novelist Allison Burnett joins Pub Crawl to talk about his experiences in traditional publishing, self-publishing, and the movie business, not to mention long-ago stand-up routines as part of the Burnett-Greenberger comedy duo. Links: https://www.allisonburnett.com

Dan and Ezra discuss the relative merits of electronic books and the challenges in creating clean files that render well on different readers. Plus, Dan drops an F-bomb. E-book creation software links: Atticus - www. atticus.io Vellum - www.vellum.pub

Why bother to write a novel when the world seems to be shattering all around you? In the latest episode of Pub Crawl, Dan and Ezra consider the consolations of writing.

Sitting? Standing? Lying down? What's your preferred position for writing? As usual, Dan and Ezra see things a little differently, with plenty of literary trivia thrown in.

In this week's episode, Ezra and Dan discuss their books' Amazon landing pages and ways to make them more effective.

Hosts Dan Greenberger and Ezra Palmer wrestle with the question of whether, and how, to use AI when writing fiction.

Dan and Ezra dig into the question of how to get started with a book... and as usual don't see entirely eye to eye. Today's discussion includes topics as varied as the three-act structure, Saul Bellow, and psychedelic drugs.

Dan and Ezra debate the pros and cons of a frequently maligned medium. Dan likes audiobooks. Ezra, not so much. Plus: Werner Herzog imitations. Links:  Edison Research: How Many People Listen to Audiobooks? https://www.edisonresearch.com/how-many-americans-listen-to-audiobooks/ AAP Data for Digital Audiobook Sales in 2024 https://goodereader.com/blog/business-news/us-ebook-revenue-increased-by-1-6...

Dan and Ezra share notes on their early advertising efforts on Facebook, Amazon and Reddit. The results? Meh. Links: Barbara Jane Probst: What Makes Readers Give an Unknown Author a Chance? https://janefriedman.com/give-unknown-author-chance/ Reddit Ad Statistics 2025 from Marketing LTB https://marketingltb.com/blog/statistics/reddit-ads-statistics/ Jannee' Butterfield: The Silent Bestseller: How...