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

Gregg Hurwitz, a New York Times and #1 international bestselling thriller author known for the Orphan X series and work across comics and film, returns. He discusses deep, curiosity-driven research into cults, propaganda, and online tribalism. He talks about writing as play, balancing vengeance and mercy in Antihero, and why fiction can feel truer than truth.

Rosie Storey, debut novelist and writing coach whose novel Dandelion Is Dead was long-listed for the Bath Novel Award and optioned for TV. She talks about leaving a corporate career to write full-time. She describes rewrites, finding editorial help, pacing craft, balancing humor with grief, and themes of authenticity and midlife choices. She also discusses the book’s TV option and plans for a second novel.

Elizabeth Arnott, award-winning author and journalist known for historical fiction and true crime reportage. She recounts a wild journalism career, writing a rapid six-week first draft, and researching 1960s California for her new period-set mystery about ex-wives of serial killers. Conversation touches on a seven-way auction, cinematic writing, and why she changed her author name.

In this engaging conversation, bestselling author Gregg Hurwitz shares insights into his journey as a writer, noting that all writing is a form of self-discovery. He explains his unique approach to humanizing the character Evan Smoak, a trained assassin in his acclaimed Orphan X series. Gregg also discusses the importance of maintaining distinct character traits and how he designs antagonists to challenge Evan's evolving humanity. With valuable advice on refining one's voice and writing process, this chat is a treasure trove for aspiring authors.

In this engaging conversation, bestselling author Dean Koontz shares his journey from a struggling writer to a literary giant with over 120 novels. He reflects on leaving science fiction behind, the challenges of publisher expectations, and his shift to allowing characters to guide his stories. Koontz reveals the inspiration behind his latest book, The Friend of the Family, rooted in his childhood carnival memories. With a dash of humor, he also hints at future memoirs about his career mistakes and offers encouraging advice for aspiring writers.

Betsy Lerner, a bestselling author and literary agent with decades in publishing, shares her journey as a late-blooming novelist at 64. She discusses the critical acclaim for her debut novel, Shred Sisters, particularly its honest portrayal of mental illness and sisterhood. Betsy also reflects on her varied career, from editing for Patti Smith to co-authoring with Temple Grandin. She reveals how writing screenplays influenced her novel's pacing and talks about the liberating freedom of writing without external expectations.

Marissa Meyer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles, shares her journey from fan fiction to bestselling novels. She discusses how writing fan fiction taught her valuable skills in storytelling and discipline. Marissa emphasizes the importance of joy in the writing process and offers practical tips for overcoming writer’s block through daily gratitudes. She also shares her writing routines, insights from her podcast The Happy Writer, and her passion for living fully to inspire creativity.

Georgia Jeffries, an Emmy-nominated TV writer and USC professor, shares her journey from journalism to screenwriting, crediting Cagney & Lacey as her film school. She delves into the inspiration behind her novel, The Younger Girl, revealing the chilling true crime elements that shaped its narrative. Jeffries discusses the contrasting freedoms of novel writing versus the pressures of TV deadlines and offers candid advice for aspiring writers on balancing confidence with humility. Her insights into the quest for justice and the fascination with tragedy are both compelling and thought-provoking.

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. [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 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