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

#PodcastersForJustice New York Times bestselling author, Eleanor Brown, spoke to me about the difference between writers and authors, why adoptive families are just like any other family, and her latest novel "Any Other Family." Eleanor Brown's critically acclaimed debut novel, The Weird Sisters, was a New York Times and #1 international bestseller with over half a million copies sold. The novel e...

#PodcastersForJustice 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, dire...

New York Times bestselling thriller writer Riley Sager, spoke to me about why he publishes under a pen name, how to write Hitchcockian suspense, and his latest "The House Across the Lake." Riley Sager is the bestselling author of six novels, most recently Home Before Dark and Survive the Night. His award-winning first novel, Final Girls, was a national and international bestseller that has been pu...

#PodcastersForJustice Bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize winner, Geraldine Brooks, spoke to me about why "truth is stranger than fiction," letting story drive narrative, and the overheard conversation that led to her latest, "Horse." Geraldine Brooks is the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel March and the international bestsellers The Secret Chord, Caleb’s Crossing, People of the Book,...

#PodcastersForJustice Seven-time Emmy nominee and co-creator of the hit TV series "How I Met Your Mother," Carter Bays, spoke to me about working with David Letterman, being a recovering TV writer, and his debut novel "The Mutual Friend."  Carter Bays is best known as the co-creator of the sitcom How I Met Your Mother which ran on CBS for nine seasons. A companion series, How I Met Your Father, st...

#PodcastersForJustice New York Times bestselling author, Clare Pooley, spoke to me about rising from the ashes, writing as therapy, her nostalgia for the bygone commute, and her latest "Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting." Clare's blog-to-memoir deal, The Sober Diaries, was published in 2017 to critical acclaim. Her debut novel - The Authenticity Project – was a New York Times bestseller. Inspired...

#PodcastersForJustice Mexican-American writer and historian, Isabel Cañas, spoke to me about how to binge-write a novel, her fear of the dark, and swinging for the fences with her gothic debut "The Hacienda." Isabel is a speculative fiction writer, and world traveler – currently working on her Ph. D. dissertation in medieval Islamic literature – who writes fiction inspired by her research and heri...

#PodcastersForJustice New York Times bestselling author, Emma Straub, spoke to me about why everything in life is timing, how to write a book for yourself, time travel, and her latest "This Time Tomorrow." Emma is the bestselling author of five novels — including All Adults Here, The Vacationers, Modern Lovers, and Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures — the short story collection Other People We Marrie...

#PodcastersForJustice Award-winning author and Pulitzer Prize finalist, Hernan Diaz, spoke to me about rejection, his unusual path to literary stardom, subverting reader expectations, and his latest novel "Trust." Hernan was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and the PEN/Faulkner Award. His first novel, "In the Distance," won the Saroyan International Prize, the Cabell Award, the Prix P...

#PodcastersForJustice Award-winning author and broadcaster, Elizabeth Day, talked to me candidly about How to Fail, hanging out with Gloria Steinem, genre equality, and how she wrote her compeller, "Magpie." Elizabeth is a novelist, lauded journalist, and host of the chart-topping podcast, How To Fail, which has featured guests including Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Gloria Steinem, and Brene Brown. Her l...

#PodcastersForJustice Critically acclaimed and award-winning author, Michelle Huneven, talked to me about her former life as an LA food critic, how to write self-referential fiction, and the spiritual detective work behind her latest novel "Search." Michelle's books have been New York Times Notables and finalists for the LA Times Book Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. She is the re...

#PodcastersForJustice Emmy-nominated screenwriter and author, Sascha Rothchild, spoke to me about her humble beginnings in LA, working with Marc Maron on GLOW, and how to write a "bingeable" thriller like her debut, "Blood Sugar." Sascha has written and produced lauded TV shows including GLOW (2017), The Bold Type (2017), and The Carrie Diaries (2013), and was named Variety's “10 TV Writers to Wat...

Andrew Lipstein reads excerpts from "Last Resort," backed by an original Storybound remix with sound design and arrangement by Jude Brewer. Andrew Lipstein is a writer based in Brooklyn. His debut novel "Last Resort" is out now from Farrar, Straus & Giroux in the US, and Weidenfeld & Nicolson in the UK. His second novel will be published in 2023, also by FSG and W&N. He also works on the product d...

#PodcastersForJustice The bestselling author and educator, Jennifer Close, spoke with me about writing her first book on unemployment, how to write a novel in 12 weeks, and her latest, "Marrying the Ketchups."   Jennifer is the bestselling author of Girls in White Dresses, The Smart One, and The Hopefuls. Her latest is Marrying the Ketchups (available from Knopf | April 26, 2022), described as a "...

#PodcastersForJustice Award-winning international journalist, author, and serial pundit, Adam Skolnick, returned for a mostly uncensored chat about assholes, mind-altering substances, the craft of writing, and the meaning of Jack Kerouac's 100th birthday.   Adam is an award-winning independent journalist and author covering adventure sports, environmental issues, and civil rights for outlets such...

#PodcastersForJustice Internationally bestselling and award-winning Danish novelist, Sara Blaedel, spoke to me about overcoming a learning disorder, how to write Nordic Noir, and her latest novel, "A Harmless Lie." Sara has been dubbed Denmark’s “Queen of Crime,” and is the author of the globally bestselling Detective Louise Rick series. Over 3 million copies of Blaedel’s books have sold in Denmar...

New York Times bestselling author, Rosie Walsh, talked with me about finding her voice, transitioning from romcom to "emotional thriller," and her latest, The Love of My Life. Rosie Walsh has lived and traveled all over the world, working as a documentary producer and writer. Her American debut, Ghosted, was a New York Times bestseller and has sold more than one million copies worldwide. Her secon...

Award-winning journalist and acclaimed author, Brandon Presser, spoke to me about his credo as a globetrotter, the Instagram-ification of travel, and his latest non-fiction novel, "The Far Land." Brandon has a degree in art history and architecture from Harvard University, has worked in Paris at the Louvre, in Tokyo as an architectural apprentice, and in Thailand as a scuba diving professional. He...

#PodcastersForJustice Award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling novelist, C.J. Box, spoke to me about his early years as a small-town reporter, how to write a novel in 3-4 months, and his latest Joe Pickett book, Shadows Reel. C.J. is the author of 30+ novels including 22 Joe Pickett novels, seven stand-alone novels, including The Bitterroots; and the story collection Shots Fired. Over ten mill...

#PodcastersForJustice Critically acclaimed, internationally bestselling novelist, Stephanie Wrobel, spoke to me about her humble beginnings as a copywriter, turning her thesis into a bestseller, and the process of writing This Might Hurt. Stephanie is the author of Darling Rose Gold, an instant bestseller of 2020 that received rave reviews, and was nominated for multiple awards, including the Edga...

#PodcastersForJustice Award-winning short story writer and novelist, Kim Fu, spoke to me about speculative vs. science fiction, how to critique the future, and her collection Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century. Kim is the author of two novels and a collection of poetry. Her novel For Today I Am a Boy won the Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction and was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award...

#PodcastersForJustice This week four women with several combined decades of experience in the writing and publishing industries joined me for a roundtable to talk about ... How the last two years have changed how writers and publishers approach their business/craft The difficulties of getting an indie book on the New York Times bestsellers list Self vs. traditional publishing pathways and distribu...

#PodcastersForJustice New York Times bestselling and award-winning novelist, Elizabeth George, spoke to me about her exacting research, the discipline of psychological suspense, and interweaving cultural issues into her latest, Something to Hide. Dubbed "an essential writer of popular fiction today” Elizabeth is the recipient of the Anthony Award, the Agatha Award, France’s Grand Prix [graan pree]...

#PodcastersForJustice Award-winning Irish author, Ruth Gilligan, spoke to me about researching the gothic wilds of Ireland, how to engineer a thriller, and her latest, The Butchers' Blessing. Ruth Gilligan is a writer and academic from Dublin and was the youngest person ever to top the Irish Bestsellers’ List. She has published five books and her most recent novel, The Butchers' Blessing, (publish...

#PodcastersForJustice Critically-acclaimed debut author, Jean Chen Ho, spoke to me about the art of nonlinear storytelling, the shifting POVs in her novel Fiona and Jane, and the value of a strong writing community. Jean was born in Taiwan and grew up in Southern California. She is a doctoral candidate in creative writing and literature at the University of Southern California – where she is a Dor...