How Writers Write by HappyWriter

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Episode 97 - How Cat Rambo Writes Nov 18, 2021

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Welcome to episode 97 - How Cat Rambo Writes

Welcome to a fun interview with science fiction writer, Cat Rambo.

In this interview, we get into the ins and outs and self-publishing, a topic I am super interested in. I know so many of you out there also self-publish. Cat also shares her method for writing fiction, and of course, we chat about what makes for good science fiction.

This interview is a blast, and I want to take a quick moment to say thank you to Cat for her time.

And now, here is the interview with Cat Rambo.

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Episode 96 - How Jenn McKinlay Writes Nov 11, 2021

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Welcome to Episode 96 - How Jenn McKinlay Writes

Jenn is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher's Weekly bestselling author of several mystery and romance novels. In 2020 she published a stand-alone romantic comedy, titled PARIS IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA. In this interview, Jenn and I dive into her creative process and unpack how she writes novels.

I love this interview because it shows the pig-headed determinism it takes to write books. Jenn is a perfect example of the what comes of focus and hard work.

I want to take a moment to say thank you to Jenn for her time. And now, my friends, without any further ado, here is the interview with Jenn McKinlay.

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Episode 95 - How J.D. Barker Writes Nov 04, 2021

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Welcome to Episode 95 - How JD Barker Writes

I continue my deep dive with horror writers with this week's guest, JD Barker. JD is such a master of storytelling, and in this episode, we dive into the horror genre, how he has collaborated with James Patterson, and his path to becoming a storyteller.

I have to say, I've found a new appreciation and interest in reading horror. In fact, I picked up Dracula as a response to this interview, I'm loving it, and I cannot wait to read JD Barker's "Dracul" which is the prequel to Dracula.

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(Replay) How Kelly Harms Writes Oct 28, 2021

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Episode 94 - How Jeffrey Archer Writes Oct 21, 2021

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Welcome to Episode 94 - How Jeffrey Archer Writes

I think Jeffrey Archer takes the cake for the author I’ve interviewed with the most books in print. Jeffrey is a storyteller to his core, and a wildly entertaining person to interview. In this interview, Jeffrey and I dive into his amazing backstory, his journey to storytelling, and how he structures his day to write.

I want to take a quick minute to thank Jeffrey for his time.

And now, here is the interview with Jeffrey Archer.

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Episode 93 - How Josh Malerman Writes Oct 14, 2021

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Welcome to Episode 93 - How Josh Malerman writes

Josh is a novelist and author of the breakout hit, "Bird Box." He is also one of two singer/songwriters for the rock band The High Strung.

It was a blast to dive into horror writing with yet another amazing author. Josh and I do a deep dive on horror writing and again my perspective is growing on horror as a genre. We also discuss how learning music has informed his novel writing, how he writes on the road as a traveling musician, and much more.

I want to thank Josh for his time and for sharing his story with me. I count it as such a blessing to spend even an hour with guests such as Josh.

And now, without any further ado, here is the interview with Josh Malerman.

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Episode 92 - How Paul Tremblay Writes Oct 07, 2021

Show notes

Welcome to Episode 92 - How Paul Tremblay Writes

Welcome, my friends, to episode 92 with Paul Tremblay. For the first time in a long time, in this episode, I interview a horror writer. For whatever reason, I've just not had a ton of horror writers on the show, so I was pumped to dive into what makes for good horror.

Paul and I dive into his process for creating horror and some of his inspirations. I learned a ton in this episode, and in fact, like, reevaluated my beliefs about horror. I've generally been a big scary pants, but after this interview, I realized the complexity of horror.

I want to say thank you to Paul. This interview was fun.

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Episode 91 - How Lindsay Ellis Writes Sep 30, 2021

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Welcome to episode 91 - How Lindsay Ellis Writes

In this episode, I get to interview a bonafide Youtube star and wonderful fiction writer. Lindsay is full of spunk and wisdom and this "get down into it and work your butt off" attitude that I just love.

In this episode, Lindsey and I discuss how fiction overlaps with film, her journey to becoming a storyteller, and that age-old question: why is making YouTube videos so hard.

This is a fun interview with one of my favorite quotes from a guest when Lindsay said, "Ability doesn't come from nature, it comes from practice." There is the entire podcast summed up in a sentence.

I want to take a moment to thank Lindsay one more time for this interview.

And now, my friends, without any further ado, here is the episode with Lindsay Ellis

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Episode 90 - How Scott Turow Writes Sep 23, 2021

Show notes

Welcome to episode 90 - How Scott Turow Writes

Welcome my friends to episode 90 with another author who has solid tens of millions of books. Scott Turow is an author and lawyer.

In this discussion, Scott and I dive into the guts of storytelling. More than just about any other interview, this one with Scott is special because we really tackle these big ideas in the storytelling life. It is philosophical and practical. Just the mix I love. Scott is so thoughtful in his responses and each time I've listened to this interview I've pulled out something new.

I want to take a quick second to thank Scott for his time and for sharing so much with me.

And now, without any further ado, here is the interview with Scott Turow.

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Episode 89 - How Omar El Akkad Writes - Part Two Sep 16, 2021

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Welcome to Episode 89 - How Omar el Akkad writes

I am so excited to welcome Omar back for a second time to the show. Omar was my first real interview for the podcast and he was last seen here on Episode 3. Unreal.

I love Omar's work, and when I saw he had a novel out in the world — What Strange Paradise—I knew I wanted him back on the show.

Omar is always so wise and insightful. I feel as if every time I speak with him, I go through a kind of storytelling masterclass. This interview is a deep dive into his writing process, some insights on the difference between writing book one and two, and how he uses real events to create story.

I want to take a moment to thank Omar for his time and generosity.

And now, without any further ado, here is the interview with Omar el Akkad.

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