Episoder
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New York Times bestselling author Christina Lynch spoke with me about working with Harvard pal Conan O’Brien, gang writing for TV, her nom de plume, and her new novel, PONY CONFIDENTIAL, featuring a grumpy pony.
Christina Lynch is the author of Sally Brady's Italian Adventure, The Italian Party, and – under the pen name Magnus Flyte – co-author of New York Times bestseller City of Dark Magic and City of Lost Dreams.
Her latest mystery, Pony Confidential (Berkley/PRH), is “... an epic saga, narrated by a pony, about the bond between animals and their humans.” It was named an NPR “Book of the Day,” Amazon Top 100 Books of 2024, an Indie Next Pick for November, and many other “most anticipated” lists.
Christina Lynch was an editor on the Harvard Lampoon, the Milan correspondent for W magazine, and wrote for TV on the writing staffs of Unhappily Ever After and Stephen King’s The Dead Zone among others. She teaches at College of the Sequoias.
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In this file Christina Lynch and I discussed:
End-of-semester panic and counseling her students
Why she burned out on fashion and disappeared in Tuscany
How a game with a fellow writer turned into a bestseller
What her most recent success has meant to her
The crazy story behind her latest novel
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
clynchwriter.com
Pony Confidential By Christina Lynch (Amazon)
In the new novel 'Pony Confidential,' a crime-solving pony seeks revenge - NPR
Christina Lynch Amazon Author Page
Christina Lynch on Facebook
Anne Lamott on Instagram
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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Note: I revisited a chat with the soothsayer A.M. Homes from 2022.
Bestselling, award-winning author A.M. Homes, spoke to me about getting sued by J.D. Salinger, the irony of winning the Women's Prize for Fiction, and her latest "The Unfolding."
A.M. Homes is a TV producer, art critic, and the author of 13 books, including the bestselling memoir The Mistress’s Daughter. Her last novel, May We Be Forgiven, was the winner of the 2013 Women’s Prize for Fiction.
Her latest novel is The Unfolding, described as a "... darkly comedic alternative history that takes us into the heart of a fractured family living in a divided country."
New York Times bestselling author Salman Rushdie called the book, “A terrific black comedy, written almost entirely in pitch-perfect dialogue, that feels terrifyingly close to the unfunny truth.”
A.M. Homes was a Co-Executive Producer and Writer on David E. Kelly and Stephen King’s, Mr. Mercedes, and a writer/producer of the Showtime series The L Word.
Her work has been translated into 22 languages and appears frequently in Art Forum, Harpers, Granta, McSweeney's, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Zoetrope. She is a Contributing Editor to Vanity Fair, Bomb and Blind Spot, and she has taught in the Creative Writing Program at Princeton.
Stay calm and write on ...
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In this file A.M. Homes and I discussed:
Her early struggles with dyslexia
Why awards and votes of confidence are so important for writers
How she helped hire Dennis Lehane to write for Mr. Mercedes
Her strange obsession with George Washington and her claim to Capitol Hill
How to write your way out of a jam
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
amhomesbooks.com
The Unfolding: A Novel by A.M. Homes (Amazon)
A.M. Homes on Facebook
A.M. Homes on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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Note: I revisited a chat with multi-hyphenate Rob McElhenney from 2020.
The writer, producer, and actor best known for It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Rob McElhenney, took a timeout during the apocalypse to rap with me about how he runs his writer's room, his humble beginnings and admiration for the great TV comedies, and his advice for aspiring TV producers.
"Everyone is going through the same things. At least, people who respect science are. That sense of loneliness and despair ... needs to be addressed in some way, but ultimately we want to leave people with a sense of optimism." – Rob McElhenney
FX recently renewed his irreverent "It’s Always Sunny..." for a 15th season, making it officially the longest-running live-action sitcom in US history.
The multihyphenate's latest, Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet, is a comedy series "...that follows a team of video game developers as they navigate the challenges of running a popular video game,"
The Apple TV+ show was co-created with "Sunny" alums Charlie Day and Megan Ganz (executive produced by McElhenney and Day), and has been described as "... the travails of a boisterous video game studio – think Silicon Valley meets Veep."
*Note: Though I was lucky enough to catch Rob in his natural LA habitat, sadly the interview was cut short due to technical difficulties, our apologies for the abrupt ending.
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In this file Rob McElhenney and I discussed:
How It's Alway Sunny in Philadelphia almost didn't make it to the fourth season
The inner-workings of a perpetual creativity engine
How little episodic and streaming models of TV differ from a sitcom producer's perspective
His relationships with Danny DeVito and F. Murray Abraham
The evolution of "It's Always Sunny..." and why it stays culturally relevant
And how the greatest indie production tool you own is in your pocket
Show Notes:
Rob McElhenney on IMDb
Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet – Apple TV+
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia now longest-running live-action comedy series ever after season 15 renewal
Rob McElhenney on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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Bestselling author, podcaster, blogger, speaker, and my friend Jeff Goins, recently brought me along on a creative journey called Hey, Creator!
We’re back with another episode from the second season titled “It’s a Matter of Taste.” This is part two of a two-part conversation.
Jeff Goins helps creative people succeed. Through his bestselling books, courses, coaching, and speeches, he inspires creators to discover their voice and share it with the world.
He is also the founder of Fresh Complaint, a bespoke creative agency that helps authors, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs turn their stories and ideas into books that change the way people think.
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In this file Jeff Goins and I discussed:
How developing your taste is a process of trusting yourself and your experience
Learning to live in the moment
Why it never gets better than the first sip
The art of learning to live a little more fully alive
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
goinswriter.com
freshcomplaint.com
Hey, Creator! Podcast
Jeff Goins Amazon Author Page
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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Bestselling author, podcaster, blogger, speaker, and my friend Jeff Goins, recently brought me along on a creative journey called Hey, Creator!
We’re back with another episode from the second season titled “It’s a Matter of Taste.” This is part one of a two-part conversation.
Jeff Goins helps creative people succeed. Through his bestselling books, courses, coaching, and speeches, he inspires creators to discover their voice and share it with the world.
He is also the founder of Fresh Complaint, a bespoke creative agency that helps authors, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs turn their stories and ideas into books that change the way people think.
[Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm]
[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]
In this file Jeff Goins and I discussed:
Why an artist’s taste is everything
How it takes time and effort to develop your palate
Why we can’t know what we like until we experience what we don’t
The importance of paying attention
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
goinswriter.com
freshcomplaint.com
Hey, Creator! Podcast
Jeff Goins Amazon Author Page
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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Note: I revisited a chat with the amazing Walter Mosley from 2021.
Celebrated author, Walter Mosley, took a timeout to chat with me about how he didn't write a sentence he liked until age 35, the sprawling muse of Los Angeles, and his conflicted feelings after winning a big National Book Award.
“Write your truth, and believe in it. And if your mother doesn’t like it ... too bad.” – Walter Mosley
Walter is the first Black man to receive the National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters for lifetime achievement in writing.
The critically acclaimed author, playwright, screenwriter, and producer has written over 60 books including fiction (literary, mystery, and science fiction), writing guides, memoir, a YA novel, has won dozens of prestigious awards (including an Emmy), and been translated into 25 languages.
His bestselling historical mysteries feature infamous, hard-boiled detective "Easy" Rawlins, a black PI living in the Watts neighborhood of LA.
Blood Grove (Easy Rawlins Book 15) is the latest in that series and described as "... a novel of vast scope and intimate insight, and a soulful call for justice by any means necessary."
Walter's work has also been adapted for film and TV including Devil in a Blue Dress (starring Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle and Jennifer Beals) and the HBO production of Always Outnumbered (starring Laurence Fishburne and Natalie Cole).
Preview a sample of a podcast at the break from this week's sponsor Look Closer: The Found Fiction Podcast, more at foundfiction.org.
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In this file Walter Mosley and I discussed:
His winding career path
How the apex of post-hippie Los Angeles, California affected his writing
What it was like to work with the late, Oscar-nominated filmmaker John Singleton (Boyz N the Hood)
Why you need to read your drafts out loud
And more!
Show Notes:
WalterMosley.com
Walter Mosley Amazon author page
Writing Los Angeles: A Literary Anthology: A Library of America Special Publication (Amazon)
Roger Zelazny Amazon author page
Walter Mosley on Facebook
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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Bestselling author, podcaster, blogger, speaker, and my friend Jeff Goins, recently brought me along on a creative journey called Hey, Creator!
We’re back with another episode from the second season we did together titled “Creative Idiots.”
Jeff Goins helps creative people succeed. Through his bestselling books, courses, coaching, and speeches, he inspires creators to discover their voice and share it with the world.
He is also the founder of Fresh Complaint, a bespoke creative agency that helps authors, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs turn their stories and ideas into books that change the way people think.
[Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm]
[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]
In this file Jeff Goins and I discussed:
Why all art is a little scandalous
When great artists play the trickster
How humanity expands and evolves by pushing the boundaries of art
And a lot more weird stuff!
Show Notes:
goinswriter.com
freshcomplaint.com
Hey, Creator! Podcast
Jeff Goins Amazon Author Page
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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*We’re excited to be partnering with Writers Rising as one of this year’s sponsors, and as a special gift to our listeners, we were able to get you a 10% discount on your in-person or virtual retreat ticket.
Visit WritersRising.com today and enter code writerfiles10 to get that discount. Buy your ticket now before they sell out! We’ll see you there.*
#1 New York Times bestselling author, Anne Lamott, spoke with me about 40 years of teaching writing, how to write more bravely, on sh*tty first drafts, and sharing hacks she’s learned over her career at the Writers Rising 2024 retreat.
Anne Lamott is the author of 20 books, including New York Times bestsellers Help, Thanks, Wow; Dusk, Night, Dawn; Traveling Mercies; and Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, as well as seven novels.
Her latest book, Somehow: Thoughts on Love was a #1 New York Times bestseller. Publishers Weekly praised “…her ability to distill complex truths with a deceptive lightness” in their starred review.
Anne is a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, an inductee to the California Hall of Fame, and was recently a columnist for The Washington Post. She has taught at UC Davis, writing conferences across the country, and is currently an artist in residence at A Writing Room Collective.
[Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm]
[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]
In this file Anne Lamott and I discussed:
The debt of honor that is the writing life
Why you don’t have to know everything to finish your book
What it was like getting inducted into the California Hall of Fame next to Mark Zuckerberg and Serena Williams
The importance of accountability for staying on track
Why you need to stop not writing and get your butt in the chair
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
Writers Rising 2024
awritingroom.com
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott (Amazon)
Somehow: Thoughts on Love By Anne Lamott (Amazon)
Anne Lamott Amazon Author Page
Anne Lamott on Twitter
Anne Lamott on Facebook
Anne Lamott on Instagram
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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Note: A revisiting of an amazing chat I had with Ashley Audrain. Also ...
We’re excited to be partnering with Writers Rising as one of this year’s sponsors, and as a special gift to our listeners, we were able to get you a 10% discount on your in-person or virtual retreat ticket.
Visit WritersRising.com today and enter code writerfiles10 to get that discount. Buy your ticket now before they sell out! We’ll see you there.
New York Times bestselling author, Ashley Audrain, spoke to me about giving herself permission to write sh*tty first drafts, writing in public, and her second novel THE WHISPERS.
Ashley Audrain’s debut novel, The Push, was a New York Times, Sunday Times (London), #1 international bestseller, and a Good Morning America Book Club pick. It has sold in more than 40 territories, and a limited TV series is currently in development.
Her latest, The Whispers, is described as “ … a propulsive page-turner about four families whose lives are changed when the unthinkable happens – and what is lost when we give in to our own worst impulses.”
The New York Times Book Review wrote, "Expertly, subtly and powerfully rendered …. [The Whispers] delivers a sucker-punch ending you’ll have to read twice to believe.” And #1 New York Times bestselling author Carley Fortune called it, “[An] electrifying … razor-sharp page-turner.”
Ashley Audrain previously worked as the publicity director of Penguin Books Canada, and prior to that, worked in public relations.
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[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]
In this file, Ashley Audrain and I discussed:
Why she felt intimidated by writers while working in PR
How to write claustrophobic, voyeuristic fiction
Why she is drawn to the darker side of literature
Tapping into the messiness of midlife ennui
How to escape your kids
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
Writers Rising 2024
ashleyaudrain.com
The Whispers By Ashley Audrain (Amazon)
Ashley Audrain Amazon Author Page
Ashley Audrain on Instagram
Ashley Audrain on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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Critically acclaimed debut author Bryan VanDyke, spoke with me about the writer’s life in NYC, pushing the boundaries of literature and speculative fiction, and his latest novel about AI tech, IN OUR LIKENESS.
Bryan VanDyke is a former staff writer for The Millions, and he graduated from writing programs at Columbia University and Northwestern. As a digital strategist, he advised and partnered with technologists, startup founders and venture capitalists.
His “eerily timely debut novel,” IN OUR LIKENESS, draws on his experience and dramatizes many of the as-yet-unanswered questions about “the wonders and chaos” of artificial intelligence.
Described as a “Frankenstein-esque tale befitting the information age,” CNN journalist and author of Age of Revolutions Fareed Zakaria called the book “A total triumph.”
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In this file Bryan VanDyke and I discussed:
Feeling like a double agent while he was struggling to get published
His love of genre science fiction and literary lions
What it was like to edit a book about AI during a sea change in the tech
How he edits his work on the go
Grabbing a drink with William Faulkner at Grand Central Terminal
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
bryanvandyke.com
In Our Likeness: A Novel by Bryan VanDyke (Amazon)
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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#1 New York Times bestselling author, Mark Oshiro, spoke with me about what journalism taught them about book editing, capturing a transitional age with young adult and middle-grade fiction, and their latest novel JASMINE IS HAUNTED.Mark Oshiro is the #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of young adult books including Anger Is a Gift, as well as middle-grade books The Insiders, You Only Live Once, David Bravo, and Star Wars Hunters: Battle for the Arena. They are also the coauthor (with Rick Riordan) of The Sun and the Star: A Nico Di Angelo Adventure.Their upcoming middle-grade novel JASMINE IS HAUNTED (Starscape, Hardcover; October 1, 2024), is described as a "heartfelt, funny, fast-paced, and spooky” (Rick Riordan), tale about the gravity of grief and the courage it takes to overcome it.Mark Oshiro won the 2024 Georgia Author of the Year Award and the 2019 Schneider Family Book Award.[Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm][If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]In this file Mark Oshiro and I discussed: The strange circuitous route to bestseller and the public perception of debut authorsWhy their journalism background prepared them for a full-time fiction careerHow they teamed up with the author of Percy Jackson & the OlympiansOn writing queer stories with characters of colorThe outsized influence of Octavia ButlerAnd a lot more!Show Notes: www.markoshiro.comJasmine Is Haunted by Mark Oshiro (Amazon)Mark Oshiro Amazon Author PageMark Oshiro on InstagramMark Oshiro on TwitterKelton Reid on TwitterLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Note: A revisiting of an amazing chat I had with the humble Emily Henry.
#1 New York Times bestselling author, Emily Henry, returns to chat with me about depressing first drafts, what it's like to be a genre-bending, commercial fiction superstar, and her “glittering” new novel HAPPY PLACE.
Emily Henry is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Book Lovers, People We Meet on Vacation, and Beach Read, and has sold over three million copies of her novels.
Her latest is Happy Place, an instant #1 New York Times bestseller and her first hardcover novel, described as a book “...about reluctant exes who make a pact to pretend to date during an annual friends’ trip...”
Author Taylor Jenkins-Reid called it "Another knock-out from the champ.” The Washington Post wrote that the book, “Blur[s] the lines between women’s and literary-leaning commercial fiction, departing from the fantasy spaces of bodice rippers and misty moors to depict a world that looks a lot more like, well, our own…”
Emily's books have been featured in Buzzfeed, Oprah Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, and many more.
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In this file, Emily Henry and I discussed:
What it feels like to (still) be living inside a lightning strike
Why it’s easy for her to stay humble as a writer
How to write rom-com at the top of readers’ intelligence
Her take on superhero movie tropes
Why making a reader laugh is so much harder than making them cry
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Emily Henry Writes: Part One
emilyhenrybooks.com
Happy Place By Emily Henry (Amazon)
Emily Henry Amazon Author Page
Emily Henry on Instagram
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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NOTE: This is an updated replay of my amazing chat with #1 New York Times bestselling author and screenwriter-producer Dennis Lehane. His latest novel, Small Mercies, was an instant NY Times Bestseller named an Amazon Editors' pick for Best Books 2023. Stephen King said of the book “Small Mercies is thought-provoking, engaging, enraging, and can’t-put-it-down entertainment.” Enjoy!
New York Times bestselling author and screenwriter-producer, Dennis Lehane, spoke to me about what he learned from Clint Eastwood, working on "Mr. Mercedes" with David E. Kelley, and his new Apple TV+ show "Black Bird."
Dennis Lehane is the bestselling author of 13 novels including four adapted into films of the same name: 2003's Academy Award-winning film Mystic River, directed by Clint Eastwood; 2007's Gone Baby Gone; 2010's Shutter Island directed by Martin Scorsese, and 2016’s Live by Night directed by Ben Affleck.
His latest is the limited Apple TV+ series, Black Bird, described as a "...fascinating, ripped-from-the headlines story [and] true-crime drama..." based on the 2010 memoir by James Keene and Hillel Levin, “In With The Devil: A Fallen Hero, A Serial Killer, and A Dangerous Bargain for Redemption."
"Jimmy Keene (Taron Egerton), cuts a deal with the FBI to enter maximum-security prison for the criminally insane and befriend a suspected serial killer, Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser)."
Black Bird premieres globally with the first two episodes on Friday, July 8, followed by one new episode weekly every Friday.
Lehane was a staff writer on the acclaimed HBO series "The Wire" and also worked as a writer-producer on HBO’s "Boardwalk Empire" the Netflix series, "Bloodline," and a writer and producer on the television adaptation of Stephen King’s "Mr. Mercedes."
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[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]
In this file Dennis Lehane and I discussed:
Why he sucked at everything except writing and playing pool
How he landed a literary agent while parking cars
Dealing with impostor syndrome early on
Why he prefers screenwriting to novel writing today
Why narcissists have no place on a TV set
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane (Amazon)
Dennis Lehane Amazon Author Page
Black Bird | Apple TV+
Dennis Lehane on IMDb
In With The Devil: A Fallen Hero, A Serial Killer, and A Dangerous Bargain for Redemption by James Keene and Hillel Levin (Amazon)
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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#1 New York Times bestselling author, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, returned to chat about why bestsellers stick around for years, why fiction is perfectly geared for the human mind, and her latest YA thriller, THE GRANDEST GAME.
Jennifer Lynn Barnes is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 25 acclaimed young adult novels, including The Inheritance Games series (over 3 million copies sold), Little White Lies, Deadly Little Scandals, The Lovely and the Lost, and The Naturals series.
Her latest is another #1 New York Times bestseller, The Grandest Game (Volume 1) “... a new series that brings readers deeper into the lush, romantic, and puzzle-filled world of the #1 bestselling Inheritance Games series, set a year after we last saw Avery and the Hawthornes.”
Jen is a Fulbright Scholar with advanced degrees in psychology, psychiatry, and cognitive science including a Ph.D. from Yale University, and “...is one of the world's leading experts on the psychology of fandom and the cognitive science of fiction and the imagination.”
[Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm]
[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]
In this file Jennifer Lynn Barnes and I discussed:
Juggling a book launch, edits, and revisions for three new books
How to reboot a hit series to capture the same energy as the original
Why she approaches writing as both a scientist and an author
How she uses lists of her favorite tropes to unlock her scenes
More theories on why readers love fiction
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Jennifer Lynn Barnes Writes: Part One
Jenniferlynnbarnes.com
The psychology of fiction with Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Re:Thinking with Adam Grant - TED Audio Collective
The Grandest Game (Volume 1) (The Grandest Game, 1) By Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Amazon)
Jennifer Lynn Barnes Amazon Author Page
Jennifer Lynn Barnes on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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Award-winning author and journalist, Alex Temblador, spoke with me about seeing publishing through rose-colored glasses, teaching writers to create inclusive narratives, and her essential guide WRITING AN IDENTITY NOT YOUR OWN.
Alex Temblador is an award-winning travel, arts, and culture journalist, award-winning author of novels Half Outlaw, and Secrets of the Casa Rosada, as well as the Executive Director of Write Here DFW and the founder and moderator of LitTalk at Whose Books, a panel series for Dallas-Forth Worth authors.
Her recently published resource, WRITING AN IDENTITY NOT YOUR OWN: A Guide for Creative Writers (8/13/24 from St. Martin’s Essentials), is described as a “...practical guide [that] delves into one of the most contentious topics in creative writing: creating characters with historically marginalized identities.”
David Mura, author of A Stranger's Journey: Race, Identity & Narrative Craft in Writing said of the author, "Alex Temblador provides a concrete and detailed guide to the issues of misrepresentation, appropriation and stereotypes in creative writing….and interrogates not just issues of craft but the biases we all carry that we may be unaware of. An essential text."
Alex has an MFA in Creative Writing and her journalism has been published in Conde Nast Traveler, Outside, Travel + Leisure, among others.
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[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]
In this file Alex Temblador and I discussed:
Writing subtitles for films
Her love of magical realism
How she became a freelance journalist focusing on DEI
Why she decided to undertake an ambitious creative writing guide
What authors can do for their mental health
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
www.alextemblador.com
Writing an Identity Not Your Own: A Guide for Creative Writers by Alex Temblador (Amazon)
writinganidentitynotyourown.com
Alex Temblador on Instagram
Alex Temblador on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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Writers, publishing experts, and Hungry Authors podcast hosts, Ariel Curry and Liz Morrow, returned to chat about playing the long game, meeting readers where they’re at, and the origins of their much-anticipated publishing guide.
Ariel Curry is a writer and Senior Editor of nonfiction at Sourcebooks with over 10 years of experience in traditional publishing. Her partner in crime at hungryauthors.com is Liz Morrow, a traditionally published ghostwriter for entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and business experts who specializes in personal and professional development and memoir.
Their debut as co-authors is Hungry Authors: The Indispensable Guide to Planning, Writing, and Publishing a Nonfiction Book (August 6, 2024), available now.
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[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]
In this file Ariel, Liz and I discussed:
Time-blocking, non-negotiables, and writing when you have kids
How the Hungry Authors multiverse came to be
Why finding comps to your work is so important
How to navigate the publishing landscape without losing faith
Overcoming fear, procrastination, scarcity mindset, impostor syndrome …
And much more!
Show Notes:
How to Plan, Write & Publish Nonfiction with Hungry Authors Hosts Ariel Curry & Liz Morrow: Part One
hungryauthors.com
Hungry Authors: The Indispensable Guide to Planning, Writing, and Publishing a Nonfiction Book by Liz Morrow and Ariel Curry (Amazon)
Hungry Authors - Podcast w/ Ariel Curry & Liz Morrow
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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Bestselling author and teacher, Natalie Goldberg, spoke to me about igniting a revolution with Writing Down the Bones, meeting creative block in a cemetery, and her latest, WRITING ON EMPTY: A Guide to Finding Your Voice.
Natalie Goldberg is a poet, teacher, author, painter, and 24-year student of Zen Buddhism who teaches writing workshops based on the methods presented in her popular bestseller Writing Down the Bones. The book has sold over a million copies and has been translated into 14 languages.
Her latest is Writing on Empty: A Guide to Finding Your Voice, where the author “... shares her inspiring personal journey out of a devastating period of writer’s block and back into a life of growth, creativity, and healing.”
Described as a guide to “… discovering how to write through the emptiness in order to fill up the world with compassion, healing, and renewed liveliness.” Publishers Weekly praised it as "... a refreshingly honest look at the struggles of the creative mind."
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In this file Natalie Goldberg and I discussed:
How her Zen practice informs her work
Her early life as a poet
When New York publishers made fun of her, at their peril
Why she hates the diagnosis “writer’s block”
Finding catharsis in writing a personal history
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
NatalieGoldberg.com
Writing on Empty: A Guide to Finding Your Voice by Natalie Goldberg (Amazon)
Natalie Goldberg Amazon Author Page
Natalie Goldberg on Facebook
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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#1 New York Times bestselling author, Lev Grossman, spoke to me about his tenure at Time magazine, how The Magicians poked holes in Narnia and Potter, and reimagining a legend with THE BRIGHT SWORD: A Novel of King Arthur.
Lev Grossman is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Magicians trilogy—The Magicians, The Magician King, and The Magician’s Land—which has been published in 30 countries and adapted as a TV show that ran for five seasons on SYFY.
His latest novel is THE BRIGHT SWORD: A Novel of King Arthur, named a Best Summer Read by The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Time, Vulture, Esquire, Boston Globe, Elle, Town & Country, Seattle Times, New York Post, Lit Hub, and many others.
George R. R. Martin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Game of Thrones said of the book, “If you love King Arthur as much as I do, you’ll love Lev Grossman’s The Bright Sword, a fresh and engrossing take on the Matter of Britain featuring a colorful cast of Round Table knights who don’t often get as much story time as they deserve. The creator of The Magicians has woven another spell.”
Lev has written two critically acclaimed novels for children, and the screenplay for the movie The Map of Tiny Perfect Things, a finalist for the Critic’s Choice awards (based on his short story).
He also worked as a staff writer at Time magazine, and has written essays and articles for Vanity Fair, the Believer, the Village Voice, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Salon, Slate, Wired, Entertainment Weekly, Buzzfeed, NPR, and many others.
[Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm]
[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]
In this file Lev Grossman and I discussed:
How he talked his way into writing for Time magazine
The evolution of his career from journalist to novelist
Breaking through with middle-grade fantasy and The Magicians
How he “got into the weeds” with his latest Arthurian tome
World-building for streaming vs. collaborating on the graphic novel
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
levgrossman.com
The Bright Sword: A Novel of King Arthur by Lev Grossman (Amazon)
Lev Grossman Amazon Author Page
Lev Grossman on Facebook
Lev Grossman on Instagram
Lev Grossman on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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Lauded debut author, Isabel Banta, spoke to me about working at Books Are Magic with Emma Straub, her love of Britney Spears, and capturing Y2K era pop superstardom in her debut novel HONEY.
Isabel Banta is a writer, book publicist, and indie bookseller at Books Are Magic in Brooklyn.
Her debut novel is HONEY, named a 'GMA' Buzz Pick and described as “...a coming-of-age story about a pop star in the late '90s and early 2000s who's determined to find and claim her own identity.”
Honey was named a best book of the summer by PEOPLE, ELLE, PureWow and Our Culture, as well as a Goodreads Editor's Choice and IndieNext Pick.
New York Times bestselling author Emma Straub said of the book, "Honey is a sexy swagger of a debut." LitHub named it one of 18 Books to Read this Summer, “A delightfully bubblegum novel of hot summer nostalgia that also lands some serious blows to the patriarchal mores of a cultural milieu we still haven’t fully shaken off.”
[Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm]
[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]
In this file Isabel Banta and I discussed:
Why she loves talking about and promoting other writers
The surreality of finally publishing her own book
How she approached the subject of the commodification of young stars in the music industry
Why you need to pivot POVs as a novelist
Her writing routine
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
isabelbanta.com
Honey: A Novel By Isabel Banta (Amazon)
Isabel Banta on Instagram
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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#1 New York Times bestselling author, Jodi Picoult, spoke with me about writing for Wonder Woman, adapting books for musical theater, and the question of Shakespeare's true authorship in her upcoming novel BY ANY OTHER NAME.
Jodi Picoult is the bestselling author of 30 novels, including landmark titles such as Mad Honey – her most recent 1 million-copy bestseller – Wish You Were Here, A Spark of Light, and Small Great Things. 40 million copies of her books are in print worldwide and have been translated into 34 languages.
Her forthcoming novel is BY ANY OTHER NAME (on sale 8/20; Ballantine), described as a novel about two women, centuries apart – one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare’s plays – who are both forced to hide behind another name.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Kristin Hannah said of the book, “You’ll fall in love with Emilia Bassano, the unforgettable heroine based on a real woman that Picoult brings vividly to life in her brilliantly researched new novel.” Elle called it, “[An] inspiring work of feminist literature inspired by real historical accounts.”
Jodi was also co-librettist for the stage musical adaptation of her young adult novel Between the Lines (which premiered Off-Broadway in Summer 2022), the co-librettist of the musical BREATHE, the co-librettist of the musical adaptation of The Book Thief, and she is currently at work on an adaptation of Austenland.
[Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm]
[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]
In this file Jodi Picoult and I discussed:
What's changed and what hasn't for women (in theater) over 400+ years?
The best time to break an arm for an author
How she works in cycles for her books
Why her kids made her write for Wonder Woman
The conundrum of a famous playwright who didn’t own a single book
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
jodipicoult.com
By Any Other Name: A Novel By Jodi Picoult (Amazon)
Jodi Picoult Amazon Author Page
WAS SHAKESPEARE A WOMAN? – Elizabeth Winkler for The Atlantic
Jodi Picoult on Facebook
Jodi Picoult on Twitter
Jodi Picoult on Instagram
Jodi Picoult on TikTok
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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