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

Hanif Abdurraqib, a New York Times bestselling author and MacArthur Foundation recipient, shares his transformative journey from a diner job to acclaimed writer. He discusses his experiences on a year-long book tour and the challenges of the literary world. Abdurraqib reflects on the balance between recognition and humility, and the unique journey from poetry to prose. He also connects his passion for basketball to personal identity, emphasizing the discipline behind his writing routine while celebrating community and perseverance in the craft.

Laura Munson, a New York Times bestselling author and founder of Haven Writing Retreats, explores rekindling creativity and authenticity in writing. She discusses her new book, 'The Wild Why,' which guides readers to rediscover wonder in a worried world. Munson emphasizes the power of storytelling for connection and the emotional journey of writers. She shares insights from her transformative retreats, encouraging individuals to embrace their creative voice and slow down to foster deeper self-expression and reflection. Dive into the magic of storytelling and reconnect with your sense of wonder!

#1 New York Times bestselling author, Tomi Adeyemi, spoke to me about the film adaptation of Children of Blood and Bone, her evolution as a writer, and the final book in her Orisha trilogy, Children of Anguish and Anarchy. Tomi Adeyemi is the #1 New York Times bestselling, Hugo and Nebula award-winning novelist and screenwriter who was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, Forbes’s 30 Under 30 in Media, and whose website was named one of the 101 Best Websites for writers by Writer’s Digest. Her Children of Blood and Bone series continues to be a publishing phenomenon, acquired in a heated bidding war with the first two books becoming instant #1 NY Times bestsellers – spending over 150 weeks on the list – and over 1.5 million copies in print to date including recent paperback re-releases. The Nigerian/American writer graduated from Harvard University with an honors degree in English literature and studied West African mythology, religion, and culture in Salvador, Brazil [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 Tomi Adeyemi and I discussed: Her newly found balance and definition of success as a writer  Facing rejection early on in her career How she persevered through meticulous planning Why her acknowledgments are so lengthy in her long-awaited capstone to her trilogy What’s next for the superstar And a lot more! Show Notes: ⁠tomiadeyemi.com⁠ ⁠thewritersroadmap.net⁠ ⁠Children of Anguish and Anarchy (Legacy of Orisha, 3)⁠ – June 25, 2024 by Tomi Adeyemi (Amazon) ⁠Tomi Adeyemi Amazon Author Page⁠ ⁠Tomi Adeyemi on Instagram⁠ ⁠Tomi Adeyemi on Twitter⁠ ⁠Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Acclaimed debut novelist Emily Everett spoke to me about finding a writing community, impostor syndrome, setting aside self-doubt, and her literary debut, ALL THAT LIFE CAN AFFORD. Emily Everett is a writer and the managing editor of The Common, a literary magazine based at Amherst College. Her debut novel All That Life Can Afford, is the Reese’s Book Club pick for April 2025 (out now from Putnam Books), was named a most anticipated book of 2025 by Harper’s Bazaar, Town & Country, and E! News, as well as an Apple Books Audiobook Staff Pick. Described as “A taut and lyrical coming-of-age debut about a young American woman navigating class, lies, and love amid London’s jet-set elite.” New York Times bestselling author Sarah McCoy said of the book, “Emily Everett’s All That Life Can Afford is a wildly entertaining fish-out-of-water story meets Cinderella fairy tale.” Emily Everett has an MA in literature from Queen Mary University of London, where she lived and worked from 2009 to 2013. Her short fiction appears in Electric Literature, Tin House, and Mississippi Review, among 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 Emily Everett and I discussed: Teaching SAT classes for wealthy families abroad Why you don’t have to wait to get started on your book Her thirst to prove herself with the first novel Time-blocking vs writing in the margins with a full-time job On crappy first drafts And a lot more! Show Notes: emily-everett.com The Common literary magazine All That Life Can Afford: Reese's Book Club by Emily Everett (Amazon) Emily Everett on Instagram Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Award-winning writer and producer Arvind Ethan David spoke to me about making sh*t up for a living, late bloomers, and adapting RAYMOND CHANDLER’S TROUBLE IS MY BUSINESS into a graphic novel. Arvind Ethan David is the Stoker Award-nominated graphic novelist who has also written chart-topping Audiodramas (The Crimes of Dorian Gray, Earworms), television (Anansi Boys) and plays (The Boy with Wings). Arvind is also a producer of film and theater, including the Emmy & Grammy award-winning musical Jagged Little Pill with Diablo Cody. His latest adaptation TROUBLE IS MY BUSINESS is a graphic novel adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s novella featuring one of the most well-known characters in hard-boiled fiction, detective Phillip Marlowe. Library Journal called it “A gripping adaptation of a classic short story [...] A compelling exploration of greed and justice in shadowy 1940s Los Angeles.” Arvind is a principal of Prodigal, the entertainment company where he has produced eight feature films including the Asian Academy Award-winning "The Garden of Evening Mists" and theatrical shows including the Tony- and Grammy-winning Alanis Morissette musical "Jagged Little Pill." [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 Arvind Ethan David and I discussed: Why he was told to be more like Chekhov or Grisham His past lives as a lawyer and venture capitalist Working with some of the greatest writers in the world How storytelling is genetic Adapting one of the great prose stylists for a graphic novel The most interesting dinner in literary history And a lot more! Show Notes: Raymond Chandler's Trouble Is My Business – May 20, 2025 – by Raymond Chandler and Arvind Ethan David; illustrated by Ilias Kyriazis (Amazon) Arvind Ethan David on IMDb Arvind Ethan David on Instagram Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Award-winning author, founder, and editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Review of Books, Tom Lutz, took a timeout to talk with me about his early years as a literary ne'er-do-well, what it's like to hang out with your heroes, and why you can assume every writer is faking it just a little bit."Writing has never felt like a chore to me. It always feels like the space of freedom, and that I'm stealing the time from my job to do something I love." – Tom LutzIn addition to editing the Los Angeles Review of Books, "... a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and disseminating ... engaging writing on every aspect of literature, culture, and the arts," Tom also founded The LARB Radio Hour, The LARB Quarterly Journal, The LARB/USC Publishing Workshop, and LARB Books.He's a Distinguished Professor of Creative Writing at UC Riverside, and the author of multiple bestselling and award-winning nonfiction titles – translated into dozens of languages – including Doing Nothing (American Book Award winner), Crying, and American Nervousness, 1903 (both New York Times Notables).His fiction debut is, “A literary thriller that wanders the globe,” novel Born Slippy is described as part "... literary thriller, noir and political satire ... a darkly comic and honest meditation on modern life under global capitalism.”Bestselling novelist James Ellroy said of the book, "Lutz has the seven deadly sins nailed and rethought for our 2020 world. You’ve got to dig this book!"Tom's writing has appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, New Republic, Chicago Tribune, ZYZZYVA, and many other newspapers and literary venues, as well as in dozens of books and academic journals.He previously taught at Stanford University, University of Iowa, CalArts, and the University of Copenhagen.[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 Tom Lutz and I discussed: His early years as a juvenile delinquent and the teacher that duped him into becoming a writerWhy "... if you want something done, ask a busy person to do it."How he's happiest (and most creative) when playing hookyOn impostor syndrome and sneaking in the back door of an exclusive club of writersWhat it's like to hang out with Salman Rushdie and Margaret Atwood And why you may not be the type of writer you think you areShow Notes: TomLutzWriter.comAll things LARBBorn Slippy by Tom Lutz [Amazon]Tom Lutz's Amazon Author PageTom Lutz on FacebookTom Lutz on InstagramTom Lutz on TwitterKelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#1 New York Times bestselling author, Susannah Cahalan, spoke to me about her writing process, witch candles, and stepping into the shoes of psychedelic pioneer Rosemary Woodruff Leary in her new biography THE ACID QUEEN.Susannah Cahalan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, journalist, and public speaker. Her first book, Brain on Fire, has sold over a million copies and has been translated into more than twenty languages. Her second book, The Great Pretender, was shortlisted for the Royal Society’s 2020 Science Book Prize.Her latest biography The Acid Queen: The Psychedelic Life and Counterculture Rebellion of Rosemary Woodruff Leary, “...chronicles the life of Rosemary Woodruff Leary (1935–2002), a prominent figure in the 1960s psychedelic movement and Timothy Leary’s wife from 1967 through 1976.” Kirkus gave THE ACID QUEEN a glowing review, calling it a “well-wrought narrative that brings deserved attention to a lost figure in the counterculture,” and Publishers Weekly called it a “... stranger than fiction story [that offers] a vivid portrait of how flower power cracked up in the ’70s.”Susannah Cahalan has been profiled in the New York Times, featured as an answer on Jeopardy!: delivered a TEDx Talk, and appeared as a guest on The Today Show, PBS, BBC’s Inside Science, and Fresh Air, among 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 Susannah Cahalan and I discussed:The throughline that connects all of her booksSynchronicities that led her to the life story of a psychedelic iconHow she used the research process to fully immerse herself in Rosemary’s personaWhat she’s learned over the course of her writing careerWhy you need to find time for “deep work” to get the pagesAnd a lot more!Show Notes:susannahcahalan.comThe Acid Queen: The Psychedelic Life and Counterculture Rebellion of Rosemary Woodruff Leary By Susannah Cahalan (Amazon)Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport (Amazon)The Modern Library Writer's Workshop: A Guide to the Craft of Fiction by Stephen KochSusannah Cahalan on FacebookSusannah Cahalan on InstagramKelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 writingWhy you can only write one sentence at a timeThe process of removing your ego from the workTaking the same advice she shared with her daughtersWhy it's so much better to make things up for a livingAnd 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 - TodayEmma Knight on InstagramKelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#1 New York Times bestselling author, Carley Fortune, spoke to me about her storied career as a journalist, writing a breakout hit in just four months, and her latest novel, MEET ME AT THE LAKE.Carley Fortune is an award-winning Canadian journalist and the #1 New York Times and #1 Globe and Mail bestselling author of Meet Me at the Lake and Every Summer After. Her latest, Meet Me at the Lake, is described as a “...love story about two strangers who come together when they need each other most. Once, in their early twenties, and again a decade later.”GMA said of the book, "Fortune explores the aftermath of losing a beloved parent and reclaiming a relationship in this unputdownable, witty, soulful and stirring novel." And New York Times bestselling author Jill Santopolo called Meet Me at The Lake “... a beautiful, heart-tugging, love story about secrets, lies, missed connections and second chances.”Carley has worked as an editor at some of Canada’s top publications, including The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, Toronto Life, and a now-defunct weekly paper, The Grid. She was most recently the Executive Editor of Refinery29 Canada.[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, Carley Fortune and I discussed: What prompted her to reclaim her creative energyHow to write 80 thousand words in just four monthsWhy writers need to keep their expectations realistic and protect their mental healthHow she starts planning her novels Why extroverted writers need to get into real clothes and out of the houseAnd a lot more!Show Notes:carleyfortune.comMeet Me at the Lake By Carley Fortune (Amazon) Carley Fortune Amazon Author PageCarley Fortune on InstagramCarley Fortune on TwitterKelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Acclaimed debut novelist and award-winning poet Jeanette Horn spoke to me about writing experimental poetry, getting a fateful call from the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, and the magical realism in her debut novel PLAY, WITH KNIVES.Jeanette Horn is an Iowa Writers' Workshop MFA program graduate and was a Maytag Fellow.Her debut novel, Play, With Knives, is described as the story of “A struggling theater troupe [that] tours the Midwest by surreal train—where aspects of their plays come to life and wreak havoc—in this inventive literary novel.”Elizabeth Gilbert, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Eat Pray Love, said of the book, "Play, With Knives is a work of wondrous imagination—a dream from which I did not want to awaken." Jeanette also earned a BA in English from the University of Texas, where she won several Adele Steiner Burleson Awards for poetry and essay writing. Her work has appeared in MARGIE, Poetry International, Stand, Washington Square, and other journals.[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 Jeanette Horn and I discussed:What it was like at Iowa's famed Writer's WorkshopWhy her debut novel was a labor of love (10 years in the making)The successful query letter that led to publishing the bookHer true feelings about the cover artWhy it’s ok to write in the marginsAnd a lot more!Show Notes:www.jeanettehorn.comPlay, With Knives by Jeanette Horn (Amazon)Successful Queries: Jaynie Royal and “Play, With Knives,” by Jeanette HornBy Any Other Name Paperback by Jodi Picoult (Amazon)The Stab - jeanettehorn.substack.comJeanette Horn on InstagramKelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices