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

Cheers! Welcome to our year-end Holiday Party for 2025. How Long Did Famous Novels Take to Write (infographic)? Kafka’s diaries are heartening Why We Should Keep Notebooks (According to Joan Didion) Milena on being more intentional as a reader/writer The last chapter of Stephen Pressfield’s The War of Art and his blurb of Adam’s American Tiger Who couldn’t use 3 years uninterrupted in a cabin in the woods to finish your novel lol Revisiting “Beginner’s Mindset” and the concept of the Duning-Kruger Effect: The “Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias where people with low ability in a specific area overestimate their competence, while experts often underestimate theirs, stemming from a lack of self-awareness about their own deficiencies or the complexity of the topic. Essentially, you need some knowledge to realize how much you don't know; the unskilled lack this meta-cognitive ability, leading to inflated confidence, while the skilled recognize the vastness of what's unknown, sometimes leading to underconfidence.” Milena's Two Favorite Books of 2025! Milena read (or listened to) 64 books this year, and her faves all come down to language Joining up with yours truly and our favorite TWF interviews in 2025: Albom, Zang, Lockhart, Skolnick, and Jeneva (freakin) Rose lol, and a shoutout to the most popular episode of the year with Emma Knight We were named one of the “12 Best Writing Podcasts” by LARB, and won a Spotify “2025 Most Shared Show” Award [This episode is sponsored by Ulysses. Go to ⁠ulys.app/writeabook⁠ to download Ulysses, and use the code FILES at checkout to get 25% off the first year of your yearly subscription."] [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] Show Notes: How Long Did Famous Novels Take to Write? (infographic) Ever wondered how long it takes to write a classic? via @agelessliterature Why We Should Keep Notebooks (According to Joan Didion) via @literahua Milena’s Two Favorite Books of 2025 Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram Kelton Reid Instagram Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listen to a replay of 2025's most popular episode! New York Times bestselling author, journalist, and entrepreneur Emma Knight spoke to me about finding the courage to write fiction, the Loch Ness Monster of motherhood, and her breakout debut novel The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus. Emma Knight is an author, journalist, Co-Founder and Head of Brand at Greenhouse, an award-winning organic beverage company, and co-author of The Greenhouse Cookbook (2017), a national bestseller. Her debut novel and instant New York Times bestseller, The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus, is described as a “coming-of-age story, part family drama, and part campus novel.” #1 New York Times bestselling author Carley Fortune called the book “A spellbinding debut about friendship, motherhood, first love, and the choices that bind us . . . I couldn’t put it down.” Emma Knight also has an MA in Journalism, and her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Walrus, The Globe and Mail, Literary Hub, and more. [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 Emma Knight and I discussed: The contrast of her whirlwind world tour after five years of writing Why you can only write one sentence at a time The process of removing your ego from the work Taking the same advice she shared with her daughters Why it's so much better to make things up for a living And a lot more! Show Notes: ⁠The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus⁠ by Emma Knight (Amazon) ⁠Emma Knight talks how debut novel is a metaphor for motherhood⁠ - Today ⁠Emma Knight on Instagram⁠ Kelton Reid Instagram⁠ ⁠Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Part 1 of 2 Throwback to a Pre-Pandemic podcast! Pete has some big news on the radar … The New York Times bestselling novelist, award-winning adventure writer, and journalist, Peter Heller, spoke with me about his early life as a starving poet, breaking into journalism, how he makes things up for a living, and what it's like to be compared to your heroes. Peter is a longtime contributor to NPR, and a former contributing editor at Outside Magazine, Men’s Journal, and National Geographic Adventure. He received an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop in fiction and poetry, is the author of four nonfiction books, and winner of the National Outdoor Book Award for Literature. Heller is also a notable bestselling author of a half-dozen novels including The Dog Stars – a lauded breakout bestseller, now published in 22 languages – The Painter, and Celine (a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize that won the prestigious Reading the West Book Award, shared in the past by Western writer Cormac McCarthy). His latest novel, and Edgar Award Nominee, The River, has been called a "... heart-pounding survival story of .... two college students on a wilderness canoe trip – [and] a gripping tale of a friendship tested by fire, white water, and violence." The New York Times called The River, “[A] modern-day survival tale .... [with] the urgency of a thriller.” [This episode is sponsored by Ulysses. Go to⁠ ⁠ulys.app/writeabook⁠⁠ to download Ulysses, and use the code FILES at checkout to get 25% off the first year of your yearly subscription."] [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 Peter and I discussed: How the author channels his fictional characters The only way to start a novel Why once you start "making it up" you can never go back Productivity hacks for writing 1000 words a day, rain or shine The importance of connecting with your  #writingcommunity And fantastic advice from other award-winning authors to help you relax and let it rip    Show Notes: The River: A novel⁠ by Peter Heller [Amazon] peterhellerauthor.com  ⁠Peter Heller on Amazon⁠ ⁠Peter Heller on Facebook⁠ Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer⁠ ⁠diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram⁠ ⁠Kelton Reid Instagram⁠ ⁠Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Part 2 of 2 Bestselling author and award-winning journalist Adam Skolnick returns to chat with us about the mystery of the creative process, why timing is everything in crafting a story, and his much-anticipated debut novel, AMERICAN TIGER. I am joined by my co-host Milena Gonzalez. Adam Skolnick is an author and award-winning journalist who covers travel, adventure and endurance sports, and the environment. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Outside, Wired, Lonely Planet, and Men's Health. He's the author of One Breath: Freediving, Death and the Quest to Shatter Human Limits, and the ghostwriter and audiobook narrator of the bestselling David Goggins memoirs, Can't Hurt Me and Never Finished. A frequent contributor on The Rich Roll Podcast, he lives in Southern California where he was born and raised. His debut novel, American Tiger (available for preorder now, out  December 2, 2025), “Based on true events, rooted in the stunning Southern California landscape, and populated with vivid characters, [the book] is more than a frantic tiger hunt. It's about a child's quest for self-discovery, her stoic father's struggle to come to terms with their past, and the innate wildness of every living thing.” New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert said of the author, "Adam Skolnick is a tireless investigator of the human experience, writes like a dream, and American Tiger is a gorgeous, subtly subversive yarn ringing with truth." [This episode is sponsored by Ulysses. Go to ⁠ulys.app/writeabook⁠ to download Ulysses, and use the code FILES at checkout to get 25% off the first year of your yearly subscription."] [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 Part Two of this file Adam Skolnick, Milena Gonzalez and I discussed: Why the journey of becoming a dad changed the scope and tenor of his novel The only way to write something great Telling his moving story from a unique point of view  The many paths to publication Receiving signs from the universe And a lot more! Show Notes: americantigerbook.com American Tiger by Adam Skolnick (Amazon) adamskolnick.substack.com Adam Skolnick on Instagram AdamSkolnick.com Adam Skolnick on Twitter Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram Kelton Reid Instagram Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Part 1 of 2 Bestselling author and award-winning journalist Adam Skolnick spoke with us about earning his 10,000 hours, living with yours truly in a trailer in the mountains, and his much-anticipated debut novel, AMERICAN TIGER. I am joined by my co-host Milena Gonzalez. Adam Skolnick is an author and award-winning journalist who covers travel, adventure and endurance sports, and the environment. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Outside, Wired, Lonely Planet, and Men's Health. He's the author of One Breath: Freediving, Death and the Quest to Shatter Human Limits, and the ghostwriter and audiobook narrator of the bestselling David Goggins memoirs, Can't Hurt Me and Never Finished. A frequent contributor on The Rich Roll Podcast, he lives in Southern California where he was born and raised. His debut novel, American Tiger (available for preorder now, out  December 2, 2025), “Based on true events, rooted in the stunning Southern California landscape, and populated with vivid characters, [the book] is more than a frantic tiger hunt. It's about a child's quest for self-discovery, her stoic father's struggle to come to terms with their past, and the innate wildness of every living thing.” Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful, wrote that the book,  “Gripped me from the first page. Rarely have I read a novel with such an exquisite sense of place.” [This episode is sponsored by Ulysses. Go to ulys.app/writeabook to download Ulysses, and use the code FILES at checkout to get 25% off the first year of your yearly subscription."] [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 Part One of this file Adam Skolnick, Milena Gonzalez and I discussed: His latest adventures and his next non-fiction book What it was like to go through a horrible dry spell as a writer The evolution of his process from non-fiction to fiction Our superhero origin story How he wrote and published a true labor of love And a lot more! Show Notes: americantigerbook.com American Tiger by Adam Skolnick – December 2, 2025 (Amazon) adamskolnick.substack.com Adam Skolnick on Instagram AdamSkolnick.com Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram Kelton Reid Instagram Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mitch Albom, the #1 New York Times bestselling author and philanthropist, shares his journey from musician to acclaimed writer. He discusses his breakthrough with "Tuesdays with Morrie" and how family storytelling influenced his narrative style. Mitch reveals that he starts his writing process with themes rather than characters, exploring concepts of faith and regret in his latest novel, "Twice." He candidly reflects on how personal loss has shaped his writing and encourages aspiring writers to immerse themselves in diverse forms of creativity.

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett, a bestselling author and award-winning podcaster, shares insights from her extensive career and her new short story collection, Pool Fishing. She discusses her journey into noir fiction, revealing its moral complexities and character depth. Barbara also reflects on maintaining a vibrant teaching career, emphasizing the importance of community and self-promotion for authors. Plus, she shares the story behind her vintage typewriter collection and imagines a dinner with literary giants Edward Abbey and Raymond Chandler.

E. Lockhart, a #1 New York Times bestselling author known for her gripping YA novels, shares insights into her journey from academia to fiction. She discusses the impact of her PhD on her beachy gothic storytelling and addresses the resurgence of her hit We Were Liars thanks to TikTok. Lockhart delves into the importance of YA literature, connecting with fans through deluxe editions and emotional themes, and hints at upcoming adaptations. She emphasizes daily writing as a vital practice for aspiring authors.

In this engaging conversation, Jami Attenberg, a New York Times bestselling author and the brains behind the #1000WordsofSummer project, shares the origins of her global writing movement and how it blossomed from a two-week challenge into a supportive community. She discusses her latest book, 1000 Words, emphasizing creativity and productivity, while revealing the motivational anchors she believes every writer needs. Jami also teases her upcoming novel and offers insights into her writing process, making this a must-listen for aspiring authors!

Milena Gonzalez, bookstagram influencer and writer known as Diary of a Book Babe, shares her insights on the literary world. She dives into the differences of interviewing established versus debut authors like Geneva Rose and Penny Zhang. Milena highlights her top five-star book pick, 'Wild Dark Shore,' and discusses the immersive experiences in writing, alongside the importance of a supportive writing community. They also touch on adaptations of popular books and how fiction can inspire environmental awareness.