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

Former Shakespeare professor and author, Stephen Marche, spoke with me about how to roll with the punches, finding comfort in the history of writerly failure, and his candid guide on handling a lifetime of rejection, “On Writing and Failure.”Stephen Marche is a novelist, essayist, and cultural commentator, and he was a contributing editor at Esquire, for which he wrote a monthly column entitled "A Thousand Words about Our Culture."His latest is the book-length essay titled “On Writing and Failure: Or, On the Peculiar Perseverance Required to Endure the Life of a Writer.” The Midwest Book Review called it “... essential reading for anyone seeking to write for a living, be it as a novelist, essayist, poet, columnist, or any other writing genre."Stephen Marche received a doctorate in early modern English drama from the University of Toronto and taught Renaissance drama at CUNY. He is the author of half a dozen books, and has written opinion pieces and essays for The New Yorker, the New York Times, The Atlantic, Esquire, The Walrus, and many others.He is also the host of the hit Audible series How Not to F*ck Up Your Kids Too Bad, and the sequel How Not to F*ck Up Your Marriage Too Bad.Stay calm and write on ...[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 Stephen Marche and I discussed: Why his career has been more than a little weird How to get back up after you’ve been knocked down Why good writers offer advice and great writers offer condolences What the writing life offers the uninitiated Where to hang out with Shakespeare And a lot more! Show Notes: stephenmarche.com On Writing and Failure: Or, On the Peculiar Perseverance Required to Endure the Life of a Writer by Stephen Marche (Amazon) Stephen Marche Amazon Author Page A Writer’s Lament: The Better You Write, the More You Will Fail - NY Times Stephen Marche on Facebook Stephen Marche on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York Times bestselling novelist, Deepti Kapoor, spoke with me about plumbing her subconscious for stories, a changing India and the trifecta of big business, crime, and corruption, and her sprawling saga AGE OF VICE.Deepti Kapoor is the bestselling author of Age of Vice, a novel described as, “Deftly shifting through time and perspective in contemporary India, Age of Vice is an epic, action-packed story propelled by… seductive wealth, startling corruption, and bloodthirsty violence…”The book was the “Good Morning America” book club selection for January, and it’s been purchased by FX for a series. It was also described by #1 internationally bestselling author Lee Child as, “Sensationally good — huge, epic, immersive and absorbing … certain to be a book of the year.”After growing up in Northern India, Deepti Kapoor studied journalism at the University of Delhi and later completed an MA in Social Psychology. She worked for several years as a journalist in New Delhi, driving the city, finding stories, and learning the streets.** Note: The audio quality during the interview varies, Deepti lives in a densely populated part of Portugal and sirens can be heard at times. And there is a mention of drug use, though theoretical.Stay calm and write on ...[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 Deepti Kapoor and I discussed: How to employ radical empathy in your storytelling Starting a novel without a plan or an outline  The importance of a strict routine and letting ideas incubate When characters insinuate themselves into your story How to write propulsive entertainment with a message And a lot more! Show Notes: Age of Vice: A NOVEL By Deepti Kapoor (Amazon) ‘Age of Vice’: A Lush Thriller Dives Into New Delhi’s Underworld - NY Times Deepti Kapoor on Instagram Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York Times bestselling debut author, Ana Reyes, spoke with me about the importance of the writing community, the evolution of a haunting tale from graduate thesis to instant bestseller, and her first thriller “The House in the Pines.”Ana Reyes is the bestselling author of Reese's Book Club pick The House in the Pines, her debut psychological thriller.Described by New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager as, "Powerfully eerie and atmospheric, The House in the Pines is a compelling mix of psychological thriller and dark fairy tale."An Amazon Best Book of January 2023 review also described it as “... an absorbing, cleverly plotted story of female friendship, loyalty repaid, maternal love, and the powerful desire to unlock secrets, even in the face of evil.”Ana Reyes has an MFA from Louisiana State University and her work has appeared in Bodega, Pear Noir!, The New Delta Review, and 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 Ana Reyes and I discussed: How her work and process evolved over the seven years to publication Writing through and into the symptoms of withdrawal Why teaching is the best education for writers Weaving cultural heritage and magical realism into her work Embracing the thriller genre And a lot more! Show Notes: anareyeswriter.com The House in the Pines a Novel By Ana Reyes (Amazon) Ana Reyes on Instagram Ana Reyes on Facebook Ana Reyes on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author and screenwriter, Grady Hendrix, spoke with me about getting serious about horror, turning genre tropes on their head, and his latest “How to Sell a Haunted House.”Grady Hendrix is an award-winning novelist, screenwriter, and journalist best known for My Best Friend’s Exorcism (adapted into a feature film by Amazon Studios), and the New York Times bestsellers The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, and The Final Girl Support Group.His latest is How to Sell a Haunted House, an #1 Indie Next List pick, described as a “...novel that explores the way your past—and your family—can haunt you like nothing else.” The New York Times called it a “…gripping, wildly entertaining exploration of childhood horrors,” and Esquire called it “... an authentically frightening, genuinely funny reconfiguration of what a haunted house can be.”New York Times bestselling author Chuck Wendig said of the book, “A spirited nightmare story about death, but also, what comes after: grief, guilt, family secrets, and estate administration. Oh, also, did I mention the evil puppets?” Grady Hendrix’s work is currently in multiple phases of adaptation at HBO and others, for both feature film and streaming.[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 Grady Hendrix and I discussed: How his novel about a haunted Scandinavian furniture store launched his fiction career Perseverance and writing what you know Stripping down the horror genre to its core The importance of sucky drafts  Why haunted house stories are always about families And a lot more! Show Notes: How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix (Amazon) Grady Hendrix Amazon Author Page Gradyhendrix.com The Smell of Fear - How To Sell A Haunted House Candle Grady Hendrix on Facebook Grady Hendrix on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Academy Award-nominated screenwriter and debut novelist, Iris Yamashita, spoke to me about working with Clint Eastwood, her journey from Hollywood to publishing, and falling down the rabbit hole with her first mystery “City Under One Roof.”Iris Yamashita has been working in Hollywood for over 15 years and was nominated for a “Best Original Screenplay” Oscar for the movie Letters from Iwo Jima (directed by Clint Eastwood).Her debut novel is City Under One Roof, described as “Alice in Wonderland meets Fargo,” and, “The ultimate locked room mystery, [the novel] drops readers into an isolated, snowy town and is perfect for fans of Twin Peaks, Mare of Easttown, and Broadchurch.”A Publishers Weekly starred review noted, “Unusual topography plays a major role in screenwriter Yamashita’s atmospherically charged debut….This distinctively original perspective on a ‘community of stragglers, oddballs, and recluses’ heralds the arrival of a major new talent.”#1 New York Times bestselling author C.J. Box called the book, “A compulsive page-turner that’s both atmospheric and claustrophobic at the same time.”Iris continues to work in Hollywood, developing for both film and streaming media. She has taught screenwriting at UCLA and the American Film Institute.Stay tuned until the end of the show for a preview of the Audiobook, excerpted courtesy Penguin Random House Audio from City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita, read by Aspen Vincent, Shannon Tyo, and Anna Caputo.[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 Iris Yamashita and I discussed: How she kept her dream of becoming a novelist alive The reverse path from TV pilot to novel What her transition from the movie world to the book world was like Why nothing is precious Vomit drafting Finding flow state versus slow state And a lot more! Show Notes: City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita (Amazon) www.irisyamashita.com Iris Yamashita on Facebook Iris Yamashita on Instagram Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Acclaimed debut novelist, Kai Thomas, spoke to me about writing historical fiction that interweaves Black and Indigenous cultures, the power of storytelling, keeping grounded in his work, and his novel “In the Upper Country.”Kai Thomas is a writer, carpenter, and land steward of Soul Fire Farm a community-centered “… farm committed to uprooting racism and seeding sovereignty in the food system.”His debut novel is In the Upper Country and described as “... an unforgettable story that unearths the tangled fates of two resilient women from different generations with different pasts …. as they reveal the deeply connected histories of Black and Indigenous peoples of North America and their relationship to the land around them.”A Publishers Weekly starred review called it, “... [a] mesmerizing debut [that] explores freedom, family, and the interconnections between white, Black, and Indigenous communities in 1859 Canada….”Stay calm and write on ...[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 Kai Thomas and I discussed: How an MFA program helped him find his confidence as a writer The importance of mentorship, peer evaluation, and fiction workshops for honing his debut Gleaning inspiration from his own cultural heritage and an old photograph Exploring lesser-known chapters of history Finding a balance between research and writing Trusting the process And a lot more! Show Notes: In the Upper Country by Kai Thomas (Amazon) KaiThomasAuthor.com SOUL FIRE FARM Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Award-winning and NY Times bestselling author, Jayne Ann Krentz, spoke to me about how persistence has defined her career, why you need to describe your core story in three words, and her latest thriller, “Sleep No More.”Jayne Ann Krentz is the author of over 50 consecutive New York Times bestsellers with over 40 million copies of her books in print. She currently writes under three pseudonyms and her award-winning books have earned her the title of “Queen of Romantic Suspense.”Her latest is Sleep No More, the first novel of the Lost Night Files series, described as a “... new romantic suspense trilogy about a night that changed three women forever—but that none of them can remember.”Kirkus Reviews called the book, “A richly layered mystery full of pleasing paranormal elements from a master of the genre,” and Booklist wrote, in a starred review, “[Krentz] skillfully [taps] into the current vogue for true-crime podcasts with her heroine’s side hustle while at the same giving a clever nod to the eternal appeal of the Gothic …”Jayne Ann earned a BA in history from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and went on to obtain a Master’s degree in library science from San Jose State University in California.Stay calm and write on ...[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 Jayne Ann Krentz and I discussed: Her warnings against using multiple pseudonyms How she invented the Futuristic Romance subgenre Finding her niche and why each writer has a unique universe Why she doesn't love police procedurals Leaning into dreams and the paranormal And a lot more! Show Notes: JayneAnnKrentz.com Sleep No More by Jayne Ann Krentz (Amazon) Jayne Ann Krentz Amazon Author Page Jayne Ann Krentz on Instagram Jayne Ann Krentz on Facebook Jayne Ann Krentz Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Award-winning indie journalist and author, Adam Skolnick, returns to discuss the “virus of dissatisfaction,” writing for modern-day samurai David Goggins, and their latest journey to bestseller with “Never Finished,” the sequel to a bestselling memoir.Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within is the follow-up to Can’t Hurt Me, David Goggins’ smash hit memoir. It’s been described as a tour of David’s “... Mental Lab, where he developed the philosophy, psychology, and strategies that enabled him to learn that what he thought was his limit was only his beginning and that the quest for greatness is unending.”Adam is an award-winning independent journalist and author covering adventure sports, environmental issues, and civil rights for outlets such as The New York Times, Outside, ESPN, BBC, and Men’s Health, among others. Adam is also the author of One Breath, has narrated David Goggins’ bestselling audiobooks, and co-hosts The Rich Roll Podcast, on the "Roll On" edition.This is the last episode of the year but we’ll be back soon with more inspiration from your favorite authors. Happy Holidays!Stay calm and write on ...[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 Three of this file Adam Skolnick and I discussed: How the sequel to a memoir hit #1 on Amazon and Audible in its week Battling Michelle Obama (once again) The pressure of publishing a follow-up to a longtime bestseller  “Goggins Grad School” and the pursuit of greatness Why ghostwriters need to stay out of the way, be a servant to the story… And a lot more! Show Notes: AdamSkolnick.com Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within – by David Goggins (Amazon) Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds – by David Goggins (Amazon) Adam Skolnick on Instagram Adam Skolnick on The Rich Roll Podcast A Mostly Uncensored Chat with Award-Winning Journo Adam Skolnick 21 Productivity Hacks from 21 Prolific Writers: Part One 21 Productivity Hacks from 21 Prolific Writers: Part Two Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part Two of this file, we return with an exclusive look into the process behind not only how a writer gets paid to ghostwrite a title for a celebrity, but also the writing, research, and indie publishing of a book that has sat on top of the Amazon charts for over a year!We had to get special permission from the incredible human and author, David Goggins, to share this story, but it’s no secret that the book was co-written by my good friend Adam Skolnick.Adam is an award-winning independent journalist and author covering adventure sports, environmental issues, and civil rights for outlets such as The New York Times, Outside, ESPN, BBC, and Men’s Health, among others. He is also the author of One Breath, was the narrator of David Goggins’ bestselling audiobook for Can’t Hurt Me, and co-hosts The Rich Roll Podcast, on the "Roll On" edition.Adam returns later this month for the next installment of How to Ghostwrite a Bestseller: Part Three to talk about his journey with David to his latest bestseller Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within.Stay calm and write on ...[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 and I discussed: The importance of a large social following for non-fiction authors How timing plays such a big role in self-publishing success Why an audiobook/podcast hybrid might be the next big thing for authors The Golden Age for ghostwriting opportunities How David Goggins's inspiring message goes beyond cookie-cutter self-help And why "there is no finish line" for writers Show Notes: AdamSkolnick.com Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within – by David Goggins (Amazon) Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds – by David Goggins (Amazon) Adam Skolnick on Instagram Adam Skolnick on The Rich Roll Podcast A Mostly Uncensored Chat with Award-Winning Journo Adam Skolnick 21 Productivity Hacks from 21 Prolific Writers: Part One 21 Productivity Hacks from 21 Prolific Writers: Part Two Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are rebroadcasting this incredible look into the process behind not only how a writer gets paid to ghostwrite a title for a celebrity, but also the writing, research, and indie publishing of a book that sat on top of the Amazon charts for over a year! Did it finally beat Michelle Obama’s competing bestseller? Stay tuned to find out.We had to get special permission from the incredible human and author, David Goggins, to share this story, but it’s no secret that the book was co-written by my good friend Adam Skolnick.Adam is an award-winning independent journalist and author covering adventure sports, environmental issues, and civil rights for outlets such as The New York Times, Outside, ESPN, BBC, and Men’s Health, among others. He is also the author of One Breath, was the narrator of David Goggins’ bestselling audiobook for Can’t Hurt Me, and co-hosts The Rich Roll Podcast, on the "Roll On" edition.Adam returns later this month for the next installment of How to Ghostwrite a Bestseller to talk about his journey with David to his latest bestseller Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within. A huge thank you to Mr. Goggins.Stay calm and write on ...[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 Adam Skolnick and I discussed: A definition of ghostwriting How Adam got tapped to ghostwrite for author and endurance athlete David Goggins Why Goggins turned down a major book publishing deal and decided to self-publish (with Adam still attached) The Joe Rogan effect for authors How Adam made the decision to help write David's story And the unique research and drafting process that went into a bestseller ... Show Notes: AdamSkolnick.com Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within – by David Goggins (Amazon) Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds – by David Goggins (Amazon) Adam Skolnick on Instagram Adam Skolnick on The Rich Roll Podcast A Mostly Uncensored Chat with Award-Winning Journo Adam Skolnick 21 Productivity Hacks from 21 Prolific Writers: Part One 21 Productivity Hacks from 21 Prolific Writers: Part Two Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices