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

Award-winning and NY Times bestselling author, Jayne Ann Krentz, spoke to me about how persistence has defined her career, why you need to describe your core story in three words, and her latest thriller, “Sleep No More.” Jayne Ann Krentz is the author of over 50 consecutive New York Times bestsellers with over 40 million copies of her books in print. She currently writes under three pseudonyms an...

Award-winning indie journalist and author, Adam Skolnick, returns to discuss the “virus of dissatisfaction,” writing for modern-day samurai David Goggins, and their latest journey to bestseller with “Never Finished,” the sequel to a bestselling memoir. Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within is the follow-up to Can’t Hurt Me, David Goggins’ smash hit memoir. It’s been described...

In Part Two of this file, we return with an exclusive look into the process behind not only how a writer gets paid to ghostwrite a title for a celebrity, but also the writing, research, and indie publishing of a book that has sat on top of the Amazon charts for over a year! We had to get special permission from the incredible human and author, David Goggins, to share this story, but it’s no secret...

We are rebroadcasting this incredible look into the process behind not only how a writer gets paid to ghostwrite a title for a celebrity, but also the writing, research, and indie publishing of a book that sat on top of the Amazon charts for over a year! Did it finally beat Michelle Obama’s competing bestseller? Stay tuned to find out. We had to get special permission from the incredible human and...

#PodcastersForJustice Violinist and lauded debut novelist, Brendan Slocumb, spoke to me about how both music and writing saved his life, the darker side of the classical music world, and his debut "The Violin Conspiracy." Brendan Slocumb is an accomplished violinist and concertmaster who has performed with major symphonies, has a degree in music education, and has over twenty-five years of teachin...

#PodcastersForJustice #1 international bestselling author of over 40 novels, Jeffery Deaver, returns to rap about his prolific output, an award-winning handbook for mystery writers, and the latest Colter Shaw novel, "Hunting Time." Jeffery Deaver is a former journalist, musician, and attorney best known for his Lincoln Rhyme series – now a hit NBC TV show – and the novel, The Bone Collector, adapt...

A quick note that this week we're resurfacing Part One of an enlightening chat I had with #1 internationally bestselling author Jeffery Deaver about his process for writing “ticking-time bomb suspense,” near the start of the Pandemic. Next week we are going to catch up with the author for the second part of that interview series with Jeff to talk about his latest novel and a lot more about the wri...

#PodcastersForJustice Award-winning author and filmmaker, Priyanka Kumar, spoke to me about the language of cinema, her Zen leanings, returning to the solace of nature, and her latest, "Conversations with Birds." Priyanka Kumar is a graduate of the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts and an alumna of the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference. She is also the award-winning writer,...

#PodcastersForJustice "Writing, at its best, is a lonely life." – Ernest Hemingway Ernest Hemingway scholar and author, Professor Mark Cirino, spoke to me about the ethos of the late literary lion, how Hemingway outlived his myth, and his mission to uncover Hem's truest sentence. Dr. Cirino hosts the popular Hemingway Society-sponsored podcast, One True Podcast. He is also the author of eight book...

#PodcastersForJustice Award-winning and #1 NY Times bestselling author, Robert Crais, spoke to me about breathing life into the ur detective novel, the legacy of Raymond Chandler, his love of LA, and his latest, "Racing the Light." Robert Crais is the author of 23 novels, 19 of which feature private investigator Elvis Cole and his laconic ex-cop partner, Joe Pike. The first in the series, The Monk...

#PodcastersForJustice Note: Hey, just a quick note that the podcast is on hiatus this week but we’re bringing back a fan favorite. Here is my interview with the amazing Tana French from late 2020, at the height of the pandemic. Catch you soon and thanks for your support! The New York Times bestselling crime novelist, Tana French, took a break to talk with me about her early training as an actress,...

#PodcastersForJustice Award-winning, queer, Jamaican-American writer, videographer, activist, and debut memoirist, Prince Shakur, spoke to me about James Baldwin's legacy, writing towards his father's murder, and his latest, "When They Tell You To Be Good." Prince Shakur is a freelance journalist, videomaker, and New York Times recognized organizer whose debut memoir, When They Tell You To Be Good...

Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author, Deanna Raybourn, spoke to me about how she still feels like a debut author, why she doesn't read reviews, and her new contemporary thriller "Killers of a Certain Age." Deanna Raybourn is the author of 19 books including the award-winning, New York Times bestselling Lady Julia Grey series, as well as the USA Today bestselling and Edgar Award-nomi...

Journalist, hit entertainment podcaster, and debut novelist, Bobby Finger, spoke to me about writing for Jezebel, turning a screenplay into a novel, and his debut, "The Old Place." Bobby Finger is a writer and co-host of the popular celebrity and entertainment podcast, Who? Weekly, "The podcast that tells you everything you need to know about celebrities you don’t." His debut novel is The Old Plac...

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...

#PodcastersForJustice Bestselling, award-winning author Candice Carty-Williams, spoke to me about the tragicomic nature of being, winning "Book of the Year" at the British Book Awards, and her latest "People Person." Candice Carty-Williams is a TV producer, culture writer, and author of the international bestseller Queenie, a book that was named a best book of the year by NPR, TIME, PARADE, The Gu...

#PodcastersForJustice Award-winning journalist and debut memoirist, Casey Parks, spoke to me about her lifelong reverence for journalism, the emotional cost of writing a memoir, and her debut "Diary of a Misfit." Casey Parks is a reporter for The Washington Post who covers gender and family issues. She spent a decade at The Oregonian writing about race and LGBTQ+ issues and was a finalist for the...

#PodcastersForJustice 2021 winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, Abdulrazak Gurnah, spoke to me about life after becoming a laureate, the difference between authors and writers, and his latest novel "Afterlives."  The Nobel Prize in Literature 2021 was awarded to Abdulrazak Gurnah "for his uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism and the fate of the refugee in...

#PodcastersForJustice Pushcart Prize-winning short story writer and debut novelist, LaToya Watkins, spoke to me about landing the cover of Publishers Weekly's Writers to Watch Fall 2022, the legacy of William Faulkner, and her debut "Perish." LaToya Watkins holds a PhD from the University of Texas at Dallas and her writing has appeared in A Public Space, The Sun, McSweeney's, Kenyon Review, The Pu...

#PodcastersForJustice Longtime literary critic and publishing insider, Bethanne Patrick, spoke to me about how she became a famed reviewer, where she puts all the books, and her new investigative podcast "Missing Pages." Bethanne Patrick is a writer, author, and critic whose monthly column on hot books appears in The Washington Post. An influencer in the book world, Bethanne (@TheBookMaven) has ov...

#PodcastersForJustice #1 New York Times bestselling author, Mark Greaney, returned to talk about hanging out on the red carpet with Netflix "The Gray Man" stars Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans, turning a failed screenplay into a hit audio play, and his latest, "Armored." "Even if you finish a whole book and it doesn't get published, I promise you you're a much better author at the end of that process...

#PodcastersForJustice New York Times and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author, Sarah Pearse, spoke to me about Agatha Christie's legacy, how to write plausible police procedurals, and the place that inspired her latest, "The Retreat." Sarah Pearse is the author of The Sanatorium, a stunning crime fiction debut, instant New York Times and international bestseller, as well as a Reese’s Book Club selec...

#PodcastersForJustice Addendum: Hey just a quick addendum on this week's redux, I am out of town this week and enjoying the sweatiest summer of all time with my kids, but I wanted to revisit a fantastic episode with now National Book Award Winner, Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction Winner, Pushcart Prize nominee, NAACP Image Award nominee, and Carnegie Medals For Excellence Longlist nominee Jaso...

#PodcastersForJustice #1 New York Times bestselling author, Emily Henry, spoke to me about her past life as a YA mid-lister, the Romance Renaissance, writing your way out of darkness, and her latest "Book Lovers." Emily Henry is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of People We Meet on Vacation and Beach Read, and has sold over a million copies of her novels. Her latest, Book Lovers, was an in...

#PodcastersForJustice New York Times bestselling author, Ashley Poston, spoke to me about her pivot away from YA, the importance of fan fiction, and her paranormal romance debut "The Dead Romantics." Ashley Poston’s bestselling YA novels have been featured by Teen Vogue, Entertainment Weekly, Buzzfeed, and more. Her highly-anticipated pivot to romance is The Dead Romantics, a story about a millenn...