The Writing Coach

Sci-fi and nonfiction author David Deane Haskell talks about the five-year writer's block that followed his sobriety, the floodgates that opened with The Solarian Deep and his memoir Wounded Angels, how he uses AI as a writer, and the message of hope at the heart of his work.

Sherilyn Dector spent two years and over twenty drafts turning a minor character from her Moonshiner Mysteries series into The Promise Trilogy. Here's how a single book became three, why she writes all of them at once, and what her revision process actually looks like.

Novelist and writing coach Ellen Baker joins her longtime client Terence Sullivan, whose viral TikTok series became the novel Alice of Oz, to talk about seven rounds of developmental edits, 75 agent queries, and why Terence self-publishing turned out to be the right call.

Steven Puri, founder of Sukha and a former Hollywood visual-effects producer, returns to talk about the neuroscience of flow states, what separates writers who make it from those who don't, and why writing is rewriting.

Usama Munir of Design Dusk on pre-made vs. custom book covers, genre conventions, and how AI is (and isn't) changing cover design for authors.

Ron Black's debut novel Bleu: A Transgressive Tale takes a hard look at addiction, the art world, and domestic violence — with the abuse running in a direction fiction rarely shows. Here's how a night-shift prompt became a book, and why an unlikable character just needs to be an understandable one.

Marvin Wey, co-founder of AuthorScale, on the two proven social media formats selling books right now, how to find the scenes in your own manuscript worth promoting, and why he thinks marketing and writing should stay two different jobs.

Spiritual director Charlotte Donlon on the rituals, permission, and belonging that keep writers out of burnout and the two-minute practice she uses daily.

J.E. Sheasby joins The Writing Coach to explore AI, sentience, futuristic crime, worldbuilding, and the decade-long journey behind his ambitious sci-fi series.

After thirty years and 140 rejected literary agents, Rob Cole self-published the authorized biography of Arlinda Willis, a story of Jim Crow Alabama, Cleveland's Black entertainment scene, and the medical racism that shaped her final years.

Kevin T. Johns interviews Nathan Lang, Barbados resident, hospitality expert, and co-host of the November 2026 Barbados Writing Retreat, about what writers can expect from five days on the Platinum Coast.

Book marketing strategist and podcaster Susan Friedman joins Kevin Johns to talk about why marketing is a long game, how fiction and nonfiction require different strategies, the power of niche positioning and “micro-celebrity,” and why passion and mindset matter more than any single tactic.

Longtime editor and first-time novelist Candace Johnson joins The Writing Coach Podcast to share insider insights on traditional publishing, what copy editors really do, how to know when your manuscript is ready for editing, and how to build a strong author–editor relationship without losing your voice.

Graphic novelist Emil Wilson joins Kevin Johns to discuss his stunning debut, The Nightingales, a sketchbook-style, semi-autobiographical story about family, memory, AIDS, queer identity, and empathy. They dive into visual storytelling, composition, colour, humanizing “antagonists,” and how Emil’s background in advertising and design shaped this powerful, genre-bending book.

Oscar-winning producer Steven Puri shares Hollywood storytelling lessons, flow states, and dopamine management tactics to help writers beat procrastination and finish their work.

Author Susan Leon discusses her debut novel If They’d Only Known, crime fiction, grief, forgiveness, Northern Ontario, and the ripple effects of loss.

In this episode, Kevin sits down with author Sandy Day to discuss her new Ontario noir novel WHERE THE NIGHT WINDS WAIL, a haunting story inspired by the classic song “The Long Black Veil” and driven by themes of obsession, grief, and unresolved wounds.

In this episode of The Writing Coach Podcast, Kevin T. Johns speaks with author Linda Garnett about the release of her debut Gothic vampire novel, Red Falls. Linda shares what it felt like to see the book climb the Amazon bestseller charts, how the novel evolved through outlining and revision, and why writing community, coaching, and messy first drafts helped her bring the story to life.

Storytelling expert and author Gabrielle Dolan joins writing coach Kevin T. Johns to reveal how writers, coaches, and leaders can use “story intelligence” (and even AI) to communicate with more clarity, emotion, and authenticity in a skeptical, digital world.

Kevin Johns talks with literacy expert Patty McGee about grammar, feedback, revision, voice, and how to help writers grow with more confidence and skill.

Kevin chats with his client Margot Stornelli, a retired librarian who turned a personal journaling project into a full travel memoir, The Big Red Suitcase.

Author Kevin Tumlinson joins The Writing Coach Podcast to talk burnout, AI, virtual assistants, and how writers can build a sustainable, human-centered author career without doing everything themselves.

Kathleen Sweeney of Book Brush shares how authors can simplify visual marketing, stay on brand, and choose DIY vs done-for-you support.

Amy Suto on freelancing, paid newsletters, self-publishing, pricing, AI, and building a writing career with real autonomy—without gatekeepers.

Anne Kane returns to The Writing Coach Podcast to share how plotting helped her write faster, publish more books, and build a real writing career—without losing the joy of writing.