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

Latest Episodes:

How Bestselling Thriller Writer Nick Petrie Writes Mar 11, 2021

Show notes

#PodcastersForJustice
Bestselling novelist, Nick Petrie, spoke with me about keeping your sanity as a writer, the importance of boredom for creativity, and how to write a thriller series.

Nick's the award-winning author of the critically acclaimed Peter Ash series. His debut novel, The Drifter, won the ITW Thriller and Barry Awards, and was nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, and Hammett Awards.

He won a 2016 Literary Award from the Wisconsin Library Association and was named one of Apple’s 10 Writers to Read in 2017. Light It Up was named the Best Thriller of 2018 by Apple Books and has been nominated for a Barry Award.

His latest is The Breaker, the sixth in his award-winning series featuring Peter Ash, the war veteran struggling with PTSD who travels the US, "... stumbling into mysteries that only a man with his unique skill set can solve."

#1 New York Times bestselling author C.J. Box said of the book, "Nonstop action at a machine-gun pace. If you aren't reading Nick Petrie, now is the time to start."

Stay calm and write on ...

If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please "Follow" us to automatically see new interviews. In this file Nick Petrie and I discussed:

His 25-year overnight success
The challenges of running a business and writing a book a year
How to "keep the faith"
The rituals and routines that keep him going
William Gibson's genius
And more!

Show Notes:

NickPetrie.com
The Breaker (A Peter Ash Novel) by Nick Petrie (Amazon)
Nick Petrie Amazon author page
Neuromancer by William Gibson (Amazon)
The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch (Amazon)
Nick Petrie on Facebook
Nick Petrie on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Award-Winning True Crime Writer Kali White VanBaale Writes Feb 24, 2021

Show notes

#PodcastersForJustice
Award-winning novelist and creative writing professor, Kali White VanBaale, chatted with me about the transition from literary fiction to true crime, her work with the PEN America Prison & Justice Writing program, and taking chances.

Kali is an award-winning, Iowa-based author of novels, short stories, and essays. Her novel The Space Between (penned as Kali VanBaale), won an American Book Award, an Independent Publisher’s silver medal for fiction, and was winner of the Fred Bonnie First Novel Award.

Her latest is The Monsters We Make (as Kali White), a mystery loosely based on the real-life unsolved "Des Moines paperboy abductions" of the early ‘80s. Pulitzer Prize finalist Lee Martin, author of The Bright Forever, said, “[The Monsters We Make] ... kept me on the edge of my seat. I truly did read this remarkable new novel in one sitting.”

Kali is a regular contributor to the A&E Network Real Crime blog series, and her short stories and essays have appeared in The Coachella Review, The Chaffey Review, Midwestern Gothic, Nowhere Magazine, Poets&Writers, The Writers’ Chronicle and others.

If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews. In this file Kali White VanBaale and I discussed:

The challenges writers had to overcome in 2020
Her advocacy for social justice through writing
How to cut yourself off from the rabbit hole of research
On writing what scares you
Why writers need to lean on revision
And more!

At the break I've got a special segment with an inspiring young non-fiction writer you won't want to miss. Hint: She is an influencer, author, artist, and tech-savvy 10-year-old.

Stay calm and write on …

Show Notes:

KaliWhite.com
The Monsters We Make: A Novel by Kali White (Amazon)
Past Ten
PEN America Prison & Justice Writing
The Paperboy Abduction Cases: The Legacy of Two Des Moines Boys Who Are Still Missing
Kali White VanBaale on Facebook
Kali White VanBaale on Instagram
Kali White VanBaale on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter

_____

Prisha Hedau is a 10-year-old from Louisville, KY, and the author of PANDEMIC 2020: A 9 Year Old's Perspective.

Prisha is an elementary student who holds USA state and USA national level ranking in Chess and Math Kangaroo competitions.

She's also a budding philanthropist with a big heart!

In this file Prisha Hedau and I talked about:

The importance of note taking
Staying positive through tough times
Her favorite book
And how she helps the less fortunate

I know the audio is little rough, but it's an inspiring story.

Show Notes:

PrishaHedau.com
PANDEMIC 2020: A 9 Year Old's Perspective by Prisha Hedau

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Writer-Director-Activist Duo Bush+Renz Write Feb 18, 2021

Show notes

#PodcastersForJustice
Writer-director duo and activists, Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz (AKA Bush+Renz), took a timeout to chat with me about storytelling to amplify social justice, hanging out with Jay-Z, their debut feature film "Antebellum," and why you need stamina to make it.

“When we conceived Antebellum, we did not – could not – envision the way that systemic racism would break through to force the meaningful conversation we desperately need. But it has.” – Gerard Bush

The duo have been together for 12 years and got their start in advertising in Miami. After losing the taste for producing champagne commercials they pivoted to their "... passion for telling powerful stories of the disenfranchised, marginalized, and underrepresented."

After their police brutality PSA "Against the Wall," starring Michael B. Jordan, went viral, their paths shifted toward Hollywood.

Their chart-topping, timely, debut feature film is "Antebellum" starring Janelle Monae, a "... psychological thriller showcasing the stark reality of being black in America."

Variety named the film a Top 10 Best Film of 2020 and called it, "... a wickedly effective horror-movie metaphor for white supremacy’s enduring grip on American society."

Bush+Renz's mission is to amplify weighty social justice issues including climate change, LGBTQ equality, women's equality, voter suppression, mass incarceration, and more.

If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews. In this file Bush+Renz and I talked about:

Their unique perspectives and how they came to work in politics and social justice
How Antebellum began as a short story
The exhaustive research that went into their first film and the prescience that made them believers
What it's like to be tapped by HBO
And more!

Show Notes:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Submit Your Short Story to Literary Magazines Feb 11, 2021

Show notes

#PodcastersForJustice
A unique double-wide lit mag themed episode that includes interviews with two pioneering souls.

My first guest is Erik Harper Klass, a writer and the founder of the full-service short story submissions service Submitit.

And my second guest is Jenna Faccenda, Founder of Eclipse Lit, a nonprofit literary magazine.

Erik Harper Klass is the founder of a unique business, the world's first full-service submissions company for short story writers – submititnow.com.

He is also a critically acclaimed writer whose work has appeared in a variety of journals and been nominated for multiple Pushcart Prizes.

Erik and I talked about:

The sniper vs blunderbuss approach to publishing
"Zen and the Art of Rejection"
How his unique submission algorithm was designed
Why glossy lit mag queries might be a waste of time
And how to stagger your submissions

In the second segment of the show, I chatted with inspiring Philadelphia native and writer, Jenna Faccenda, Founder of Eclipse Lit.

Eclipse Lit is a nonprofit literary magazine founded on a "... mission to give artists a medium to heal while benefiting organizations dedicated to helping people facing trauma."

After losing her fiancé to suicide and finding solace in the transformative power of writing, Jenna set out to provide a forum for others who have suffered.

In this file Jenna and I talked about:

The Writer's Journey and healing through art
Her dedication to help lift other writers out of the darkness
Raising mental health awareness (and support)
And how to start a non-profit literary journal

**National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.

**1-800-273-8255 or text TALK to 741741

Show Notes:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Award-Winning Crime Writer Christopher Chambers Writes Feb 04, 2021

Show notes

#PodcastersForJustice

Award-winning writer, commentator, and Professor of Media Studies at Georgetown University, Christopher Chambers, chatted with me about why there's never been a better time to break through as a writer of color, unreliable narrators and the 2nd person POV, and writing for Marvel's Black Panther franchise.

Christopher Chambers is a professor of media studies and novelist whose books include A Prayer for Deliverance and Sympathy for the Devil, the graphic anthology (with Gary Phillips) The Darker Mask, and PEN/Malamud-nominated story, "Leviathan." His writing was included in the anthology The Obama Inheritance: 15 Stores of Conspiracy Noir, which won numerous awards including the Anthony Award.

His latest novel is Scavenger: A Mystery, set in Washington D.C.'s underbelly where "... a Black homeless man must quickly learn the ropes of being a detective after [being framed] for a brutal crime he didn’t commit." Publishers Weekly called the book, a “... no-holds-barred crime novel . . . a 21st-century twist on traditional hardboiled noir,” and friend of the pod, writer S.A. Cosby, called it "wholly original."

Professor Chambers is an honors graduate of Princeton University and the University of Baltimore School of Law, where he was the first African American in the Law Review. He's a regular commentator/contributor on media and culture issues on SiriusXM Radio, ABC News, MSNBC, and HuffPost.

Stay tuned for a special offer from this week's sponsor Neuro.

If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews. In this file Christopher Chambers and I discussed:

Why he didn't want to be the next Scott Turow
How to incorporate today's confluence of societal crises into your writing
What it's like to be invited to write about Wakanda
Why the writing life equates to isolation
And more!

Show Notes:

Christopher Chambers
Scavenger: A Mystery by Christopher Chambers (Amazon)
Christopher Chambers Amazon author page
Christopher Chambers on Instagram
Christopher Chambers on FaceBook
Christopher Chambers on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How NY Times Bestselling Thriller Writer Jeff Lindsay Writes Jan 27, 2021

Show notes

#PodcastersForJustice

The international bestselling thriller writer of the Dexter series, Jeff Lindsay, chatted with me about his previous life in the dramatic arts, marrying into literary royalty, and what it's like to hang out with actor Andy Garcia.

"I thought I was creating a bad guy. And I was trying to make him just interesting and likeable enough to keep people reading .... I was glad it took off like it did, but it was always a shock to me that people actually liked Dexter." — Jeff Lindsay

Jeff is the New York Times bestselling author of the Dexter novels – which debuted in 2004 with Darkly Dreaming Dexter – adapted by Showtime into the popular TV series that ran for eight seasons.

His latest novel is Fool Me Twice, second in the Riley Wolfe series, about "... a master thief that targets the wealthiest 0.1 percent."

Publishers Weekly said of the series in a starred review, “Fans of the Ocean’s Eleven film franchise will be eager for more.”

Jeff has also spent time as an actor, comedian, and playwright.

Stay tuned for a special offer from this week's sponsor Neuro.

If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews. In this file Jeff Lindsay and I discussed:

The signs that pointed to being a writer
What it's like to be married to a Hemingway
On moral ambiguity, famous last words, and enduring antiheroes
The return of 'Dexter' to the small screen
A memorable dinner with Armistead Maupin
And more!

Show Notes:

Jeff Lindsay
Fool Me Twice by Jeff Lindsay [Amazon]
Jeff Lindsay Amazon author page
Showtime’s plans for bringing back Dexter for a limited series
Jeff Lindsay on FaceBook
Jeff Lindsay on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How NY Times Bestselling Memoirist Dani Shapiro Writes Jan 20, 2021

Show notes

#PodcastersForJustice

Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Dani Shapiro, chatted with me about the Groundhog's Day effect of the pandemic, the transition from fiction to memoir, and the hidden power of Family Secrets.

"There's no check the boxes kind of 'career development,' or anything like that, that exists in the creative life. People think that there is, and that they're not doing it right. And there's no right." — Dani Shapiro

Dani is the author of 10 books including the instant New York Times bestselling memoir, Inheritance, which was published in 2019. Her other books include the memoirs Hourglass, Still Writing, Devotion, and Slow Motion, and five novels including Black & White and Family History.

Inheritance won the 2019 National Jewish Book Award, was named one of Wired’s top Science books of 2019 and a best book of 2019 by Vanity Fair. It was also a book club pick for Now Read This, the PBS NewsHour’s book club with The New York Times.

“A meditation on what it means to live in a time when secrecy, anonymity, and mystery are vanishing.” — The New Yorker

Dani has taught at Columbia and New York University, is the co-founder of the Sirenland Writers Conference in Positano, Italy, and teaches writing workshops around the world.

In early 2019, Dani launched an original podcast, Family Secrets, in collaboration with iHeartMedia. An iTunes Top 10 podcast, the series features "...stories from guests who — like Dani — have uncovered life-altering and long-hidden secrets from their families’ past."

Stay tuned for a special offer from this week's sponsor Neuro.

NOTE: Our apologies for any audio issues with our podcast guest interview. We hope it doesn't distract from the important message of this episode. Thank you!

If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews. In this file Dani Shapiro and I discussed:

How to change the rhythm of your day to spark creativity
Her mentors and awakening to her writing voice
Learning to write in public (and find an agent the right way)
On throwing out hundreds of pages
The power of storytelling in the aftermath of family trauma
And much more!

Show Notes:

DaniShapiro.com
Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by Dani Shapiro [Amazon]
Dani Shapiro Amazon author page
‎Family Secrets on Apple Podcasts
William Faulkner's Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech C.1950
The Essay on Self Reliance - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Dani Shapiro on Instagram
Dani Shapiro on Facebook
Dani Shapiro on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How NY Times Bestselling Author Craig Johnson Writes Jan 13, 2021

Show notes

#PodcastersForJustice

The award-winning mystery writer and popular crime novelist, Craig Johnson, spoke with me about his long-running Longmire series, shotgun self-realization, and how to write good books.

"How am I ever gonna get seen? Write good books." — Craig Johnson

Craig is the New York Times bestselling author of the Longmire mysteries, the bedrock of the hit Netflix series of the same name.
His latest novel is the 16th Sheriff Walt Longmire murder mystery, Next to Last Stand, a story that centers around Custer’s Last Fight, one of the most viewed paintings in American history.

"Custer's Last Fight was copied and distributed by Anheuser-Busch at a rate of over two million copies a year and destroyed in a fire at the 7th Cavalry Headquarters in Fort Bliss, Texas, in 1946 . . . Or was it?"

In a starred review, Library Journal said of the book, "... Johnson lightens the atmosphere in this complex, thought-provoking mystery that highlights art and Western history, emphasizing the contrast between Native accounts and white history."
Craig is also the recipient of the Western Writers of America Spur Award for fiction, the Mountain & Plains Independent Booksellers Association's Reading the West Book Award for fiction, the Nouvel Observateur Prix du Roman Noir, and the Prix SNCF du Polar.

If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews. In this file Craig Johnson and I discussed:

Why he chose to feature veterans in his latest book
The wisdom behind "Choose a job you love..."
How to host a virtual book tour event
His special relationship with the cast and crew of the Longmire TV series
And more!

Show Notes:

CraigAllenJohnson.com
Next to Last Stand: A Longmire Mystery by Craig Johnson [Amazon]
Craig Johnson Amazon author page
Tinderbox: Soldier of Indira by Lou Diamond Phillips [Amazon]
Craig Johnson on FaceBook
Craig Johnson on Instagram
Craig Johnson on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How International Bestselling Novelist Emily Schultz Writes Jan 05, 2021

Show notes

#PodcastersForJustice

The internationally bestselling thriller writer, Emily Schultz, spoke with me about recollections of coming of age as a Gen-Xer, her creative process in multiple mediums, and how to funnel emotion onto the page.

"You have to be able to take your own emotions and experiences and translate them into a fictional story. If you can pull on the truths that you know, you can bring them to the reader." — Emily Schultz

Emily is the co-founder of the literary magazine Joyland and is the author of The Blondes, an international bestseller named a Best Book of 2015 by NPR, BookPage, and Kirkus Reviews.

Her latest novel is Little Threats, described as a "...taut whodunit and a haunting snapshot of the effects of a violent crime [that] tells the story of a woman who served 15 years in prison for murder ... and now it's time to find out if she's guilty." The book was named an Apple Books Best of November 2020 pick.

Booklist said of the book, "Fans of Tana French, Kimberly Belle, and Orange is the New Black will fall under this book's spell. . . Terse and tense, Little Threats investigates righteous anger, teenage angst, and the enormity of setting the record straight."
Emily’s writing has appeared in Elle, Slate, Vice, Hazlitt, Prairie Schooner, and many others. She is also a producer at the indie media company Heroic Collective where she recently released a complimentary podcast adaptation of The Blondes.

Stay tuned for a clip from the Little Threats audiobook at the break, “... excerpted courtesy [of] Penguin Random House Audio ... read by Dylan Moore and Ariadne Meyers.”

Please help us learn more about you by completing this short 7-question survey If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews. In this file Emily Schultz and I discussed:

The influential literary magazine she helped co-found
How to get an "accidental" blurb from Stephen King
The pandemic's effect on her creative process
How to pull on the truths you know and bring them to your readers
And what to do when you don't have access to resources as a writer

Show Notes:

EmilySchultz.com
Little Threats by Emily Schultz - [Amazon]
Emily Schultz Amazon page
Joyland literary magazine
Emily Schultz on FaceBook
Emily Schultz on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The State of Publishing 2020 with Hybrid Publisher Jesse Krieger Dec 24, 2020

Show notes

#PodcastersForJustice
Internationally bestselling author, publisher, and founder of Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Press, Jesse Krieger, took time to chat with me about disruptions to the publishing industry, the intersection of creativity and commerce, and marketing and promotion strategies for self-published authors.

"Learn what you need to know, to do what you love to do, so you can be the person you want to be" — Jesse Krieger

Jesse has signed publishing deals on two different continents and navigated the path of becoming a bestselling author twice. He has been featured on over 50 media outlets for his bestselling book Lifestyle Entrepreneur.

He has also published 100+ books during his six-year tenure as founder and publisher of Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Press, a boutique, hybrid model publishing house.

“Their mission is to deliver a world-class publishing experience for authors – which they accomplish through their done-for-you publishing service – focused primarily on personal development, entrepreneurship, self-help, and healthy lifestyles.”

Through their unique distribution and sales models, and a focus on helping authors on each phase of the publishing journey, they strive to provide both higher quality work and resultant royalties.

How books get published: traditional vs. hybrid publishing
Why he doesn't recommend starting a publishing company
Best practices for non-fiction authors thinking of writing a book
The most common mistakes he sees authors make
How to write a great book that will stand the test of time
Why you can't anticipate where your audience will find you
And much more!

Show Notes:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

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

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected