The Jack Carr Channel Mastering the Art of Storytelling with Will Dean
Will Dean, a British author residing in Sweden, known for his psychological thrillers, shares insights about his latest novel, The Chamber. He reveals the gripping inspiration behind his story involving saturation divers trapped in a hyperbaric chamber. The discussion delves into his writing rituals, including reading specific books before drafting. Dean also contrasts the isolation of saturation diving with space missions and discusses the importance of immersive storytelling in a digital age. A fascinating peek into a writer's life set against the backdrop of nature.
01:06:12
Use A Ritual To Enter Writing Mode
- Use rituals to prime your creative state before writing; Will Dean reads The Road before each first draft. Rituals cue focus and make the transition into writing easier and more consistent.
From City Job To Cabin Writer
- Will Dean left his city job, bought a cheap laptop and a pad of paper and wrote his first novel in the Swedish woods. He still writes on that compact, offline laptop to avoid distractions and preserve focus.
Create Physical Separation To Avoid Interruptions
- Eliminate interruptions by separating writing devices and spaces; Jack Carr keeps a dedicated writing computer and moves phones to another room. Create physical barriers to preserve deep-work flow.
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Intro
00:00 • 1min
Meeting at Simon & Schuster and Festivals
01:03 • 2min
Swedish Speech Culture and Will's Move
03:02 • 33sec
Why The Chamber Resonated
03:35 • 53sec
Ad break
04:28 • 24sec
Formative Reading: Libraries and Roald Dahl
04:52 • 1min
Rituals Before Writing
06:13 • 2min
Growing Up Remote in the East Midlands
08:01 • 3min
Studying Law and an Unconventional CV
10:47 • 3min
Becoming a Writer in the Woods
13:45 • 3min
Writing Routine and No-Distraction Setup
16:30 • 2min
Trying Cafés and Author Behavior
18:33 • 34sec
Family Life in the Swedish Woods
19:07 • 3min
Access to Unspoiled Coastline and Winters
21:45 • 3min
Fitting Into a Tight-Knit Community
24:23 • 1min
Origins of The Chamber Idea
25:30 • 2min
Saturation Diving Explained
27:46 • 4min
Character Backgrounds and Trust Dynamics
32:10 • 2min
Comparing Chambers to Spacecraft
34:01 • 55sec
Women in Saturation Diving
34:56 • 40sec
Vintage Watches and Analog Passion
35:35 • 3min
Analog Tools Versus Digital Distraction
38:21 • 2min
Author Visibility in the Digital Age
40:23 • 10min
First Death in The Chamber
50:21 • 3min
Escalating Murders and Inescapability
52:54 • 3min
Immersive Writing to Compete with Visual Media
56:01 • 2min
Adaptation Interest and Development
58:14 • 4min
Writing Advice and Reader Connection
01:01:47 • 3min
Outro
01:04:43 • 1min
#206
• Mentioned in 99 episodes
Liar's poker
Michael Lewis
Liar's Poker is a non-fiction, semi-autobiographical book that details Michael Lewis's three-year tenure at Salomon Brothers, one of Wall Street's premier investment firms in the 1980s.
The book provides a behind-the-scenes look at the culture of bond traders, highlighting the frat-boy camaraderie, killer instincts, and high-stakes games of bluffing and deception.
Lewis describes the creation and use of mortgage bonds, the excessive bonuses, and the ruthless competition among traders.
The narrative also touches on the author's disillusionment with the industry, leading to his resignation and transition into financial journalism.
#69590
Winter's Bone
Daniel Woodrell
Amir Tsukerman
Daniel Woodrell's 'Winter's Bone' tells the story of Ree Dolly, a 16-year-old girl in the Ozark Mountains who is struggling to care for her mentally ill mother and younger brothers.
When her father disappears after putting their house up for bond, Ree must navigate a dangerous criminal underworld to find him and save her family from homelessness.
The novel paints a stark and unflinching portrait of poverty, violence, and the bonds of family in a rural American community.
Ree's resilience and determination drive the narrative, as she confronts drug dealers, meth cooks, and her own extended family to uncover the truth.
'Winter's Bone' explores themes of survival, loyalty, and the sacrifices people make to protect those they love.
#189
• Mentioned in 105 episodes
The Road
Tom Stechschulte
Cormac McCarthy
The Road is set in a world that has been devastated by an unspecified cataclysmic event, resulting in the extinction of nearly all life on Earth.
The story follows an unnamed father and his young son as they travel south along the road, carrying their meager possessions and a pistol with only two bullets.
The father, suffering from a worsening respiratory condition, is determined to protect his son from the dangers of their new world, including cannibalistic marauders.
Along their journey, they encounter various survivors, some of whom are cruel and others who show kindness.
The novel explores themes of love, survival, and the preservation of humanity in a world devoid of hope.
Ultimately, the father's health fails, and he dies, but not before ensuring his son's safety with a new family who may offer a chance for a better future.
#22910
• Mentioned in 2 episodes
Shutter Island
Dennis Lehane
Set in the summer of 1954, Shutter Island follows U.S.
Marshal Teddy Daniels and his partner Chuck as they arrive at Ashecliffe Hospital on Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of Rachel Solando, a patient convicted of murdering her children.
As they delve deeper, Teddy uncovers disturbing secrets about the hospital, including drug experiments and radical psychiatric treatments.
The story explores themes of reality, identity, and mental illness, culminating in an ambiguous ending that questions the true nature of Teddy's identity and past.
The novel is a gripping psychological thriller that challenges perceptions of sanity and truth.
#9530
• Mentioned in 5 episodes
The Chamber
John Grisham
#787
• Mentioned in 39 episodes
No Country for Old Men
Cormac McCarthy
The novel follows the interweaving paths of three central characters: Llewelyn Moss, who stumbles upon a large sum of money at a drug deal gone wrong; Anton Chigurh, a ruthless and principled hitman hired to retrieve the money; and Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, who reflects on the changing world and the moral decay he witnesses.
The story is a harrowing exploration of greed, violence, and the consequences of one's actions, set in the harsh landscape of West Texas in 1980.
It delves into themes of fate vs. free will, good vs.
evil, and the ties of love, blood, and duty that shape destinies.
#37
• Mentioned in 248 episodes
Frankenstein
Mary Shelley
Written in epistolary form, the novel tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant and ambitious scientist who, driven by Enlightenment-era ideas of progress and science, creates a living being from dead body parts.
However, upon seeing the creature come to life, Frankenstein is horrified and abandons it.
The creature, shunned by society due to its appearance, seeks revenge against its creator, leading to a series of tragic events.
The novel explores themes of guilt, loss, and the emotional and moral consequences of scientific hubris, blending elements of Gothic and Romantic literature.
#7530
• Mentioned in 6 episodes
Danny, The Champion of the World
Roald Dahl
The book follows Danny, a nine-year-old boy who lives with his father in a caravan behind their gas station and garage.
After his mother's death, Danny's father takes on both parental roles and teaches Danny various skills.
When Danny discovers his father's secret habit of poaching pheasants, they plan a clever scheme to capture and humiliate Mr. Hazell, a wealthy landowner who hosts extravagant hunting parties.
The story highlights themes of good parenting, courage, loyalty, and class politics, all characteristic of Roald Dahl's storytelling style.
#3801
• Mentioned in 11 episodes
Trainspotting
Irvine Welsh
Published in 1993, 'Trainspotting' is Irvine Welsh's first novel and is set in the late 1980s in Leith, Edinburgh.
The book is a collection of short stories narrated in a mix of Scots, Scottish English, and British English.
It follows the lives of Mark Renton and his friends, including Sick Boy, Begbie, and Spud, as they navigate heroin addiction, violent behavior, and personal struggles.
The novel is known for its dark humor, vivid characters, and non-linear narrative structure.
It has been praised for its raw and honest portrayal of addiction and its impact on individuals and communities.
The October Book of the Month is THE CHAMBER, written by Will Dean.
Six experienced saturation divers are locked inside a hyperbaric chamber. Calm and professional, they know that rapid decompression would be fatal and so they work in shifts, breathing helium, and surviving in hot, close quarters.
Then one of them is found dead in his bunk.
Will Dean grew up in the East Midlands of the United Kingdom. After studying law at the London School of Economics and working in London, he settled in rural Sweden where he built a wooden house in a vast forest, and it’s from this base that he compulsively reads and writes. His debut novel, DARK PINES, was selected for Zoe Ball’s book club on ITV, shortlisted for the National Book Award (UK), The Guardian’s Not the Booker prize, and was named a Telegraph book of the year. He is also the author of THE LAST ONE, FIRST BORN, THE LAST THING TO BURN, which was shortlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and THE CHAMBER.
To learn more about Will, follow him on Instagram and X @willrdean, and on Facebook and YouTube @willdeanauthor.
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