Write About Now

Recently, I surveyed listeners about the biggest challenge they face in achieving their goals The number one answer: Procrastination. So this episode is all about the dreaded P-word. What procrastination is, why we do it, and how to overcome it. Guest Petr Ludwig is a procrastination slayer. His book The End of Procrastination is a well-researched action plan for inaction. Petr's main argument is...

The biggest obstacle standing between you and your goals could be yourself. Even more insidious—you might not even know you're doing this.  Self-sabotage is the act of unconsciously undermining our own success, often through negative thoughts and behaviors . In this episode, Dr. Judy Ho talks about the hidden reasons why we self-sabotage, the signs to look for, and how to break free from this dest...

Guest David Grann is one of the most popular authors working today. He has a new book out called  The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder,   which tells the fascinating true story of an 18th-century British warship that wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia. The survivors sailed thousands of miles to safety, and later faced mutiny charges. Grann spent five years resear...

Hollywood writers went on strike last week, with thousands of WGA writers joining picket lines in LA and New York. But what are the writers striking for exactly—and how will it affect us as consumers and writers? Guest Miranda Banks joins the show to make sense of it all. Miranda is the author of The Writers: A History of American Screenwriters and Their Guild  and associate professor and Departme...

We all understand the importance of choosing the right words, but few realize that minor tweaks to how we speak and write can change people's minds, engage our audiences, and persuade them to do things we want them to do. Podcast guest Jonah Berger has a new book out called Magic Words: What to Say to Get Your Way. Berger is a marketing professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylv...

Are you looking to start a hustle that helps you earn some extra money on the side? This episode is for you. Guest Nick Loper is the host of the podcast The Side Hustle Show and the author of nine books. At any given time, he's engaged in 10 to 15 side hustles that earn him hundreds to thousands of dollars monthly. On the show, we talk about identifying opportunities in your own life, the steps an...

The pandemic and economic turmoil have sparked many to ask: What's next for me in my career and life — and how do I get there? But most of us hesitate to make big changes for reasons such as financial insecurity, fear of the unknown, and fear of failure. Enter my guest Joanne Lipman, a seasoned journalist, and author of the new book, Next! The Power of Reinvention in Life and Work.  Joanne intervi...

Dave Asprey joins the show to talk about his new book Smarter Not Harder: The Biohacker's Guide to Getting the Body and Mind You Want.  Dave is an entrepreneur, author, and biohacker best known for founding Bulletproof Coffee. Using his body as a guinea pig, he experiments with different diets and fitness routines to optimize for health and wellness. He once said he aims to live to be 180 years ol...

Love em or despise em, the number-one pop songs at any given time reflect the zeitgeist of popular culture and say a ton about how young people consume music. Guest Tom Briehan is a senior editor at Stereogum, where he writes "The Number Ones" column, cataloging the story behind every No. 1 single on Billboard's Hot 100 chart since 1965. His new book,  The Number Ones: Twenty Chart-Topping Hits Th...

We're taught that anxiety is damaging and painful, and we must eradicate it like a disease, preventing it, medicating it, and overcoming its hold on us. But what if anxiety is actually an evolved advantage that protects us and strengthens our creative powers? That's the radical argument of this week's guest Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, Ph. D ., is a clinical psychologist and author of Future Tense: Why An...

Generative Artificial Intelligence is no longer something that is coming — it is here and it's exploding. Over the last few months, we've been introduced to technologies such as ChatGPT, a chatbot already helping to write articles for publications such as CNET and BuzzFeed. How can writers survive this? Guest Nina Schick is an author,  advisor , and  speaker specializing in Generative AI. Nina's 2...

Most of us know very little about our home's history. But for some, finding out who lived there before you and what went on between those walls can be a bone-chilling experience. UK-based writer Matt Blake wrote about such a discovery in a recent story for The Guardian Newly divorced, Blake bought a pretty Victorian house to share with his daughter. But as strange details begin to reveal themselve...

We are amidst a pop music revolution largely dictated by an algorithm. Should we be afraid? John Seabrook joins the show to discuss his latest article in The New Yorker , "So You Want to Be a TikTok Star?" TikTok now has over 1 billion users and the app is transforming how artists create and market their music and how we listen to songs — for better and worse. Seabrook has written for the venerabl...

Guest @davidhochman is a veteran journalist and founder of Upod Academy, an online writing school for freelancers. On this replay of one of WAN's most popular episodes, David dives into the hacks that writers can incorporate into their daily routines to increase their creativity and skills.  More information on Write About Now @writeaboutnowmedia.com Subscribe to my newsletter @Small Talk on subst...

Mindful meditation has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and pain, but many of us don't have the time or patience to make it a regular practice. Guest Jake Eagle says he has the solution - micro-dosing mindfulness. In his new book The Power of AWE , he and co-author Michael Amster, MD, share a simple mindfulness practice that can help you achieve the benefits of meditation in a matter of 20 se...

Only 8 percent of us will stick to our New Year's resolutions before the end of the year. Guest Amy Morin says that's because our goals are often too lofty or not specific enough. She offers some smart strategies for making and not breaking resolutions this year that will make you feel better about yourself. Amy is the editor-in-chief of VeryWellMind.com and the author of a series of bestselling b...

Live from The Bourbon Room in Hollywood, an interview with pop music songwriter Sam Hollander. His new book 21-Hit Wonder: Flopping My Way to the Top of the Charts details the many spectacular failures he endured until he finally hit it big in his early 40s. Sam has written chart toppers for such artists as Panic! At the Disco, Fitz and the Tantrums, Katy Perry, Weezer, Jewel, and Train. We spoke...

Award-winning journalist Sam Quinones tells the terrifying story of how the deadly new synthetic drugs plaguing the country have lead to mental illness and a surge in homelessness across the United States. Quinones has a fascinating book out on the subject called The Least of Us , which chronicles how designer drugs such as methamphetamine and fentanyl took the place of opiates such as OxyContin a...

College professor and author Thomas C. Foster joins the show to give a masterclass on the five steps needed to structure an awesome article. Foster's latest book is How to Write Like a Writer , part of a series of smart and useful guides he has written on understanding the fine arts of writing, reading, and researching. From the lead to the kicker, these are the key elements to making any story so...

Scientist Leah Elson joins the show to give fascinating and insightful answers to my dumb questions, including: Why do men have nipples? What's the deal with pubic hair? Why is the sky blue? Is teleportation possible? ..and many more Elson is an infinitely patient teacher. She has an upcoming book called There Are (No) Stupid Questions in... Science , in which she addresses a wide range of perplex...

"Friluftsliv" is what Swedish people do outside all day before they cuddle up in front of the fireplace with their wool socks on and a cup of hot chocolate. It's also the subject of the terrific new book The Open-Air Life written by Write About Now guest Linda Akeson Mcgurk. From walking barefoot around the neighborhood to foraging for mushrooms, Mcgurk talks about why and how we should spend more...

In a world of misinformation and con artists gone wild, we need to be even more vigilant about who's lying to us and who's telling the truth. Guest David J. Lieberman, Ph. D., is a psychotherapist and the author of eleven books, including his latest Mindreader , which offers ways to decipher what people really think and want. Lieberman is a lie-detection expert who trains the FBI, CIA, and other s...

We all struggle with our self-confidence from time to time. But there are adjustments you can make mentally and physically to help boost your confidence and make a powerful impression. Guest Karen Donaldson is a communication, body language, and confidence coach. She works with politicians, celebrities, and artists to help improve their confidence when they're speaking or not speaking.  Karen is a...

Guest Benjamin Dreyer joins the podcast to talk about grammar do's and don'ts. Dreyer is the head copy chief at Random House and the author of the bestselling book, Dreyer's English . On the show, he talks about words and phrases you can go a week without using, the adjective he overuses, his controversial view on adverbs, and the most common mistakes writers make. This is a replay of an episode I...

In our polarized and highly sensitive culture, it isn't easy being in the comedy business. But guest Ian Abramson has weathered the storm with his rare brand of eclectic and experimental humor. Ian was the creator and star of 7 Minutes in Purgatory  on Comedy Central. He also appeared numerous times on Conan . He talks about why he got into comedy, how he crafts his jokes, and what it's like being...