Writing & Editing

My guest on this episode is Nancy K. Napier , who is Distinguished Professor Emerita at Boise State University. She has published widely on organizational creativity, innovation, and emerging economies over the years, with a special focus on Vietnam. In the last few years, she has received two of Vietnam’s top honors for foreigners, the Medal of Honor, for contributing to the advancement of educat...

My guest on this episode is John Gibbs, who’s a retired lecturer in cultural studies and US politics, as well as a podcaster on philosophy and popular culture. He and his fellow members of the Spinoza Triad like to use philosophy to understand contemporary culture. John also created and maintains the Politics Shed site , and hosts a Friday morning slot on Teachers Talk Radio . And to top it all of...

This episode is a continuation of the conversation I had in the previous episode with Lindsay McMahon . Lindsay is co-host of the wildly popular All Ears English . It’s an English as a Second Language podcast aimed at intermediate to advanced English speakers who are also professionals, university students, or ESL teachers. They teach listeners how to use everyday English vocabulary, and carry on...

My guest for this episode is Lindsay McMahon , who is co-host of the wildly popular All Ears English . It’s an English as a Second Language podcast aimed at intermediate to advanced English speakers who are also professionals, university students, or ESL teachers. They teach listeners how to use everyday English vocabulary, and carry on regular conversations on the widest variety of topics. Lindsa...

Wayne talks about his participation in the contest, especially as part of a group of friends including Mel and Martin, who also provide thoughts on their history, strategy, and general experience with it as well.

My guest on this episode is Hillary Webb . She has a background touching on very diverse aspects of life and living. Her bachelor’s degree is in journalism from New York University, her masters is in philosophy from Goddard College, and her doctorate is in existential psychology from Saybrook University. Hillary now teaches at Goddard and is a cultural anthropologist. She also writes books (four s...

Wayne presents a 10-item admittedly non-comprehensive list.

My guest on this episode is Miracle Sims . She’s a busy and creative person, but our discussion focused on religion generally, and on her podcast God, Sex, and Love . Miracle has published several books, including her very open memoir about single life as a Christian, The Cultivation Period: A Single Christian Journey . She has an associate’s degree in theatre from Gordon College, and in addition...

My guest for this episode is Mark W. Travis , a film and video director, and author of the #1 bestselling book Directing Feature Films as well as The Film Director’s Bag of Tricks . People call him the “director’s director,” because he has trained and guided directors, writers, and actors on how to bring their stories and characters to life. His focus is always on storytelling and characters, and...

My guest for this episode is Donnie Boivin . After serving in the Marine Corps, he he eventually landed his first sales job and has spent over 20 years learning what it takes to be successful in sales, business, and life. He is the Founder and CEO of the Success Champions family of companies, which among other things includes consulting, a podcast , and a magazine. Donnie was an excellent guest, s...

My guest on this episode is Jesse Filipko. He’s been teaching young people filmmaking for 15 years, and has produced podcasts for over a decade with shows about film, high school, and virtual reality. He is also one of the brothers on the excellent podcast The Brothers Dim , where there’s modesty and self-deprecation in the title, because the episodes are casual but intelligent discussions about f...

Shanti Hershenson ’s first two novellas were published when she was in the sixth grade, although she had been writing even before then. Shanti writes in a variety of genres, mostly Science Fiction but Fantasy and Historical Fiction as well. She has now published 12 novels and she’s only 14 years old. She was fascinating to talk to: she was enthusiastic, she knew what she was talking about, and she...

My guest for this episode is Wendy Fedan. Wendy is an award-winning full-time freelance illustrator/designer, and last year she launched Create a Way Design & Publishing . She calls herself a “book shepherd,” leading and helping other authors through the self-publishing process. In addition to the books she’s designed (mostly picture books which she’s also illustrated), Wendy also has her own...

My guest on this episode is Jennifer Westbrook. She describes her passion as “helping women entrepreneurs earn a full-time income doing the work they love.” Jennifer is a former practicing lawyer, advising clients in the area of antitrust and trade practices. She now owns JenWestWriting , created based on her love for business strategy, web design, and copywriting. Please listen.

My guest on this episode is Erin Ollila. She calls herself a “Conversion copywriter. Copywriting coach. Word slinger. Wing woman.” She has over 15 years of publishing experience and (backed by an an MFA in Creative Writing), she creates and implements smart SEO website copy and strategic content campaigns. She also hosts her own podcast called Talk Copy to Me . Please listen.

Marjorie Turner Hollman has completed four Easy Walking guide books, and the backstory is essentially her memoir of learning to find joy in the face of difficult life circumstances. Partially paralyzed, she gets outdoors using hiking poles for support. She is now a writer and editor and book coach. Please listen.

Dr. Heather Davis is a storyteller, certified book coach, copy editor, and an author platform expert. She has a B.S. in biology from Salisbury University, a PhD in molecular and cellular biology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and has spent over ten years as a teacher. She also has a creative writing certificate from Stanford University, and loves helping passionate writers make the li...

As a professional writer since the age of 20, ROmana supports people who want to get started with their own writing. She offers different programs on how to get started with your first book—how to persist and publish it. Her online workshops strive to give writers a happier mindset. She has written 8 books and has 3 more on the way. She helps a writer get past the overwhelming feeling of just gett...

Nita Sweeney is the award-winning wellness author of the running and mental health memoir, Depression Hates a Moving Target: How Running with My Dog Brought Me Back from the Brink . She has written other books since, but is also a certified meditation leader, mental health advocate, and ultramarathoner. Nita founded Mind, Mood, and Movement to support well-being through meditation, exercise, and w...

Wayne discusses the case of standup comedian Andrew Schulz . He bought his standup special back from Amazon for $1 million (his life's savings) after they requested that he delete some "wild" jokes about abortion. The special is now being shown as a pay-per-view event on July 17. Wayne is offering to pay the price of the show to the first 10 listeners who contact him. Email wayne@wa...

Pete Zaborszky is a serial entrepreneur who previously founded a privacy advocate organization, and now is the CEO and founder of Retalk.com . He was born in Soviet Hungary, and grew up in both the UK and Hungary. Pete strongly believes in individual liberty and freedom of speech. This led him to create Retalk, a new social network for people frustrated with censorship. Retalk is built to encourag...

Hannah Lyon is a professional editor who has assisted dozens of authors in both fiction and nonfiction, working with them to achieve successful publication. Some of the books she has edited or ghostwritten have made it to #1 bestseller lists both nationally and internationally. Hannah practices what she calls “comprehensive editing,” and I was curious to find out from her what exactly she meant by...

Deb Courtney hosts the popular Write Drunk, Edit Sober Improv Writing sessions online and  in-person in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The sessions focus on microskills in fiction writing to improve how writers make progress on what they’re writing. She frequently speaks on Project Management for Writers, The Procrastination Myth, and the psychological and chemical underpinnings of procrastination. D...

Based partly on his interviews of many writers over the past month or so on the podcast, Wayne offers his opinions and thoughts about literary fiction and genre fiction. Their differences, what they have in common. He provides some definitions and examples, including an extended analysis of Vladimir Nabokov's novel, Pale Fire (1962).

Dave Milbrandt is the author of Fool's Luck and the Jim Mitchell series of novels ( Chasing Deception, Undue Pressure, and Running ). Dave was born in southern California and spent five years in journalism and public relations before becoming a teacher. In addition to working at several area colleges, he has taught high school English and social studies classes since 2005. Dave also has writt...