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

Literary scholar, publishing consultant, and co-author of the critically acclaimed book The Bestseller Code, Jodie Archer dropped by to chat with me about her journey, the coming revolution in publishing, and the insecurities that all writers face.Rainmaker.FM is Brought to You By Discover why more than 80,000 companies in 135 countries choose WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting.Start getting more from your site today!Before earning her PhD from Stanford, Ms. Archer studied English at Cambridge, worked in both journalism and TV, and became an acquisitions editor for Penguin UK publishing.While at Stanford Jodie taught nonfiction and memoir writing, and researched both contemporary fiction and bestsellers. Upon completion of her doctoral work she was recruited by Apple where she was the lead in research on books.Her book, The Bestseller Code, is based on her doctoral research with professor Matt Jockers, an algorithm that they tested over four years and refined by text mining over 20,000 contemporary novels.The Guardian proclaimed that their book “… may revolutionize the publishing industry,” in part because their algorithm was able to predict bestselling books 80% of the time, based on a theme, plot, character and many other big data points.If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.In Part One of this file Jodie Archer and I discuss: How a word nerd helped program a computer to predict bestsellers with a high degree of accuracy Why all writers of fiction should read The Bestseller Code How to turn years of research into an entertaining and educational non-fiction book The power of deadlines for beating procrastination The Show Notes Audible is Offering a Free Audiobook Download with a 30-day Trial: Grab Your Free Audiobook Here – audibletrial.com/rainmaker How the Author of The Bestseller Code Jodie Archer Writes: Part Two How Critically Acclaimed Literary Scholar Jonathan Gottschall Writes: Part One How Andy Weir (Bestselling Author of ‘The Martian’) Writes: Part One How ‘Sweetbitter’ Author Stephanie Danler Writes: Part One The Bestseller Code: Anatomy of the Blockbuster Novel – Jodie Archer & Matt Jockers ArcherJockers.com Jodie Archer on Good Reads Jodie Archer on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

International bestselling sci-fi and thriller novelist and screenwriter, Blake Crouch, took time-out from his busy schedule to talk to me about his mind-bending new book Dark Matter, and adapting his work for both film and TV.Rainmaker.FM is Brought to You By Discover why more than 80,000 companies in 135 countries choose WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting.Start getting more from your site today!The hybrid author has penned more than a dozen novels that have been translated into over 30 languages, and his short fiction has appeared in numerous publications.In addition to having his Wayward Pines trilogy adapted into a #1 hit TV show by FOX, Blake wrote the screenplay for his latest novel, Dark Matter, for Sony Pictures. He also recently co-created Good Behavior, a TNT show based on his novellas, starring Michelle Dockery (set to premiere November 15th, 2016).His novel Dark Matter was described by the NY Times as an, “… alternate-universe science fiction …. countdown thriller in which the hero must accomplish an impossible task,” and bestselling sci-fi author Andy Weir called it, “An exciting, ingeniously plotted adventure about love, regret, and quantum superposition.”If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.If you missed the first half you can find it right here.In Part Two of this file Blake Crouch and I discuss: The author’s tips for conquering writer’s block Why versioning and backing up drafts is crucial How to lean into procrastination and find your most productive writing time Why understanding that ‘everything’s been written,’ can set your creativity free Why you need to write the kind of book you want to read The Show Notes Audible is Offering a Free Audiobook Download with a 30-day Trial: Grab Your Free Audiobook Here – audibletrial.com/rainmaker BlakeCrouch.com Dark Matter: A Novel – Blake Crouch Blake Crouch on Facebook Blake Crouch on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

International bestselling sci-fi and thriller novelist and screenwriter, Blake Crouch, took time-out from his busy schedule to talk to me about his mind-bending new book Dark Matter, and adapting his work for both film and TV.Rainmaker.FM is Brought to You By Discover why more than 80,000 companies in 135 countries choose WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting.Start getting more from your site today!The hybrid author has penned more than a dozen novels that have been translated into over 30 languages, and his short fiction has appeared in numerous publications.In addition to having his Wayward Pines trilogy adapted into a #1 hit TV show by FOX, Blake wrote the screenplay for his latest novel, Dark Matter, for Sony Pictures. He also recently co-created Good Behavior, a TNT show based on his novellas, starring Michelle Dockery (set to premiere November 15th, 2016).His novel Dark Matter was described by the NY Times as an, “… alternate-universe science fiction …. countdown thriller in which the hero must accomplish an impossible task,” and bestselling sci-fi author Andy Weir called it, “An exciting, ingeniously plotted adventure about love, regret, and quantum superposition.”If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.In Part One of this file Blake Crouch and I discuss: The power of self-publishing for a traditionally published author Why in-depth research is so crucial to writing believable fiction The importance of outlining for a bestselling author and screenwriter How the right soundtrack can boost your creativity The Show Notes Audible is Offering a Free Audiobook Download with a 30-day Trial: Grab Your Free Audiobook Here – audibletrial.com/rainmaker How Bestselling Sci-fi Thriller Author Blake Crouch Writes: Part Two How Oscar Nominee Emma Donoghue (Screenwriter of ‘Room’) Writes: Part One BlakeCrouch.com Dark Matter: A Novel – Blake Crouch Blake Crouch on Facebook Blake Crouch on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of 12 books, Jennifer Weiner, took a few minutes to talk with me about the writer’s life, her new memoir, and Revenge of the Nerds.Rainmaker.FM is Brought to You By Discover why more than 80,000 companies in 135 countries choose WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting.Start getting more from your site today!Before her prolific career as a novelist, Ms. Weiner started out as a small town newspaper reporter and freelancer, before signing her first big book deal for her novel Good in Bed (2001).Since then her books have spent over five years on the New York Times bestseller list, she has had a novel made into a major motion picture — In Her Shoes, starring Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette (2005) — contributed op-eds to the New York Times, executive produced a TV series, and published a children’s book (The Littlest Bigfoot).Her latest offering is the memoir Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing, and it “… is about yearning and fulfillment, loss and love, and a woman who searched for her place in the world, and found it as a storyteller.”If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.If you missed the first half you can find it right here.In Part Two of this file Jennifer Weiner and I discuss: How Creative People See the World Through Their Own Lenses Why Hard Work Alone Forges Enduring Writers Why Ebooks are Indispensable to Writers on the Go Why Just You Need Sit Down and Start Writing The Show Notes Audible is Offering a Free Audiobook Download with a 30-day Trial: Grab Your Free Audiobook Here – audibletrial.com/rainmaker JenniferWeiner.com So you want to be a novelist? Jennifer Weiner The Littlest Bigfoot – Jennifer Weiner Jennifer Weiner on Instagram Jennifer Weiner on Facebook Jennifer Weiner on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of 12 books, Jennifer Weiner, took a few minutes to talk with me about the writer’s life, her new memoir, and Revenge of the Nerds.Rainmaker.FM is Brought to You By Discover why more than 80,000 companies in 135 countries choose WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting.Start getting more from your site today!Prior to her prolific career as a novelist, Ms. Weiner started out as a small town newspaper reporter and freelancer, before signing her first big book deal for her novel Good in Bed (2001).Since then her books have spent over five years on the New York Times bestseller list, she has had a novel made into a major motion picture — In Her Shoes, starring Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette (2005) — contributed op-eds to the New York Times, executive produced a TV series, and published a children’s book (The Littlest Bigfoot).Her latest offering is the memoir Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing, and it “… is about yearning and fulfillment, loss and love, and a woman who searched for her place in the world, and found it as a storyteller.”If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.In Part One of this file Jennifer Weiner and I discuss: How Her Iconic Writing Mentors Joyce Carol Oates and John McPhee Helped Guide Her Why Ten Years and 10,000 Hours in the Trenches Is Par for the Course How Working in Busy Environments Boosts Your Productivity Great Tricks to Keep the Ink Flowing, without Opening a Vein The Show Notes Audible is Offering a Free Audiobook Download with a 30-day Trial: Grab Your Free Audiobook Here – audibletrial.com/rainmaker How Bestselling Author Jennifer Weiner Writes: Part Two JenniferWeiner.com So you want to be a novelist? Jennifer Weiner The Littlest Bigfoot – Jennifer Weiner Jennifer Weiner on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special edition of the show, two writers joined me to opine the death of one of the most influential forms in the history of the written word. I posed the question that many great writers have pondered stretching across the last two centuries …Rainmaker.FM is Brought to You By Discover why more than 80,000 companies in 135 countries choose WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting.Start getting more from your site today!Is the novel dead? And maybe a more up-to-date version of that question is, did the Internet kill books?Of course these are famous — almost cliche — theoretical discussions that writers often chew on over stiff drinks, and they raise hackles for those of us who adore them.What you won’t find here is a highbrow literary dissertation, or even a very strict definition as to what the novel is or isn’t. But you will find a lively discussion between friends who care about the writing life and its future.Robert Bruce is a writer, voice actor, and copywriter, as well as the Vice President of Rainmaker Digital and the guy who runs the Rainmaker.FM podcast network.Adam Skolnick is an award-winning journalist, author, and a returning guest on the show. His first book, One Breath, was published by Crown last January, and his work has appeared in publications including Playboy, The New York Times, and many others.If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews as soon as they’re published.In Part Two of the file Robert, Adam, and I discuss: How Digital Culture Has Exploded Traditional Forms of Writing On the Millenial Generation’s Preference for Paper Books Why It’s so Hard to Define the Novel in the Internet Age How Click-Bait is Killing Journalism Why the Novel Will Never Die The Show Notes Audible is Offering a Free Audiobook Download with a 30-day Trial: Grab Your Free Audiobook Here – audibletrial.com/rainmaker Get More from Robert Bruce at RobertBruce.com Find more from Adam Skolnick at AdamSkolnick.com The novel is dead (this time it’s for real)- Will Self Reality Hunger – David Shields The Medium is the Message: How We Read and How It Affects Us – John Bradley Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special edition of the show, two writers joined me to opine the death of one of the most influential forms in the history of the written word. I posed the question that many great writers have pondered stretching across the last two centuries …Of course these are famous — almost cliche — theoretical discussions that writers often chew on over stiff drinks, and they raise hackles for those of us who adore them.What you won’t find here is a highbrow literary dissertation, or even a very strict definition as to what the novel is or isn’t. But you will find a lively discussion between friends who care about the writing life and its future.Robert Bruce is a writer, voice actor, and copywriter, as well as the Vice President of Rainmaker Digital and the guy who runs the Rainmaker.FM podcast network.Adam Skolnick is an award-winning journalist, author, and a returning guest on the show. His first book, One Breath, was published by Crown last January, and his work has appeared in publications including Playboy, The New York Times, and many others.If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews as soon as they’re published.In Part One of the file Robert, Adam, and I discuss: How Longer Works of Writing Have Been Forced to Compete with Disposable Culture Why Herman Melville Died Penniless How the Novel has Stood the Test of Time The Role of Podcasting for Modern Writers Author Hugh Howey’s ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’ Model of Book Retail The Show Notes Audible is Offering a Free Audiobook Download with a 30-day Trial: Grab Your Free Audiobook Here – audibletrial.com/rainmaker Is the Novel Dead? Part Two Get More from Robert Bruce at RobertBruce.com Find more from Adam Skolnick at AdamSkolnick.com How Andy Weir (Bestselling Author of ‘The Martian’) Writes: Part One How Bestselling Author Jay McInerney Writes: Part One The Passive Voice – After Months of Strong Sales, Bookstores See Drop in July Hugh Howey – Rock, Paper, Scissors Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before kicking off the next season of the show, we wanted to share with you some highlights from our previous seasons. I don’t want to shortchange the most recent interviews with inspiring guests including Jay McInerney (’80s defining author of Bright Lights, Big City), Stephanie Danler (the bestselling author of Sweetbitter), the co-founder of Wired magazine Kevin Kelly, or How Neuroscientist Michael Grybko Defined Writer’s Block for us. But I do want to dig into the archives with you and pull out a few of my favorites from a handful of the other 40 authors The Writer Files has cross-examined to learn how they keep the ink flowing, the cursor moving, and avoid writer’s block. You’ll find links to the these shows in the show notes and past episodes are easy to find in the archives of your favorite podcast app, in iTunes, or at WriterFiles.fm. If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, click subscribe in iTunes, to automatically see new interviews. In this “Best of” Volume One, we’ll hear from a handful of past guests, including: Advice Columnist and Critic Heather Havrilesky on Social Media and Managed Procrastination NYTimes Bestselling Author of ‘The Martian’ Andy Weir on Productivity vs Laziness Bestselling Debut Novelist Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney on Beating Fear and Procrastination Bestselling Thriller Author Mark Dawson on How to Publish Over a Million Words in a Year And Bestselling Author Ann Handley on the Only Reason to Write a Book Listen to The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience below ... Download MP3 Subscribe by RSS Subscribe in iTunes The Show Notes Audible is Offering a Free Audiobook Download with a 30-day Trial: Grab Your Free Audiobook Here – audibletrial.com/rainmaker How Advice Columnist and Author Heather Havrilesky Writes: Part Two How Andy Weir (Bestselling Author of ‘The Martian’) Writes: Part One How Bestselling Debut Novelist Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney Writes: Part Two How Bestselling Thriller Author Mark Dawson Writes: Part One How Bestselling Author Ann Handley Writes Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The bestselling author of 11 books, including the eighties defining Bright Lights, Big City, Jay McInerney, took a break to chat with me about his new book, the writing process, and some timeless tips from his mentor, Raymond Carver.Vanity Fair called Mr. McInerney “Our modern-day Fitzgerald,” and his most recent book — Bright, Precious Days — is described as “… a sexy, vibrant, cross-generational New York story — a literary and commercial triumph of the highest order.”The author is a renowned short story writer, screenwriter, and actor, who has lived in New York for three decades and rubbed elbows with a laundry list of literary lions, including his mentors Tobias Wolff and Raymond Carver.In addition to fiction, Jay writes a highly regarded wine column for Town & Country magazine, and has written several essay collections on wine.The author most recently joined the Prince Street podcast as a culinary and arts correspondent and has interviewed director Francis Ford Coppola, author Stephanie Danler, and celebrity chefs including Eric Ripert, to name a few.Join us for this two-part interview, and if you’re a fan of the show, please subscribe in iTunes to automatically see new interviews, and help other writers find us.In Part Two of the file Jay McInerney and I discuss: The Author’s Astute Anatomical Analogy for Writer’s Block How a Short Story Became a Series of Bestselling Novels Why Writers Need to Stretch the Boundaries of Their Genres The Big City as Creative Muse Some Timeless Advice from Raymond Carver on the Importance of Discipline The Show Notes JayMcInerney.com Bright, Precious Days: A novel – Jay McInerney Prince Street Podcast Jay McInerney: why Gatsby is so great Jay McInerney on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The bestselling author of 11 books, including the eighties defining Bright Lights, Big City, Jay McInerney, took a break to chat with me about his new book, the writing process, and some timeless tips from his mentor, Raymond Carver.Vanity Fair called Mr. McInerney “Our modern-day Fitzgerald,” and his most recent book — Bright, Precious Days — is described as “… a sexy, vibrant, cross-generational New York story — a literary and commercial triumph of the highest order.”The author is a renowned short story writer, screenwriter, and actor, who has lived in New York for three decades and rubbed elbows with a laundry list of literary lions, including his mentors Tobias Wolff and Raymond Carver.In addition to fiction, Jay writes a highly regarded wine column for Town & Country magazine, and has written several essay collections on wine.The author most recently joined the Prince Street podcast as a culinary and arts correspondent and has interviewed director Francis Ford Coppola, author Stephanie Danler, and celebrity chefs including Eric Ripert, to name a few.Join us for this two-part interview, and if you’re a fan of the show, please subscribe in iTunes to automatically get new interviews, and help other writers find us.In Part One of the file Jay McInerney and I discuss: Why It’s Not a Bad Thing to Be Compared to Your Betters How to Incorporate Your Passions into Your Writing Why You Need to Sit at Your Desk Every Day and Listen to the Voices in Your Head The Author’s Process of Discovery at the Level of Language How the Right Soundtrack Can Inspire Your Writing The Show Notes How Bestselling Author Jay McInerney Writes: Part Two JayMcInerney.com Bright, Precious Days: A novel – Jay McInerney Prince Street Podcast Jay McInerney: why Gatsby is so great Book Excerpt: Jay McInerney on Joy Division’s Heyday Jay McInerney on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices