The Creative Nonfiction Podcast with Brendan O'Meara

Athena Dixon is the author of The Loneliness Files (Tin House) and The Incredible Shrinking Woman. Her work has appeared in Hippocampus Magazine, Lit Hub, and The Rumpus.In this episode, Athena talks about: Writing quietly Being OK with the plateau Throat clearing And how to find a damn residencyNewsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendanomeara.comSocial: @creativenonfiction podcast on IG and ThreadsSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpod

Katya Cengel (@kcengel) is a journalist and author who wrote "The Truth is Out There" for The Atavist Magazine. In this episode we also here from editor Jonah Ogles on: What sets pitches over the top Pitching multiple timesAnd trustKatya takes over and talks about: Untidy endings Earning trust with sources And finding enough 'there' thereNewsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmShow notes: brendanomeara.comSocial: @creativenonfiction podcast on IG and ThreadsSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpod

Bestselling author Susan Orlean discusses the entrepreneurial nature of a writing career and the importance of always having an audience in mind. She shares her approach to finding extraordinary stories in ordinary lives and highlights the value of silence in creating compelling narratives. The chapter also explores the challenges of reporting and writing and emphasizes the entrepreneurial mindset needed for success in the industry.

Damon Brown is an author, entrepreneur, and coach and his latest book is The Complete Bring Your Worth Collection.In this episode, we talk about: How he grew is YouTube channel from 0 to 18K The BYW Collection as capstone And how obscurity is your friend ... to a pointSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpodShow notes: brendanomeara.comNewsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmSocial: @creativenonfictionpodcast on IG and Threads

This episode originally aired on December 6, 2015.Glenn Stout is a brilliant editor and writer. He's the author of Young Woman and the Sea, The Selling of the Babe, and Tiger Girl and Candy Kid.Here, we revisit the first of his many times on the pod to talk about: Effort How none of this makes sense Why we continue to tell stories And a whole lot more!Support: Patreon.com/cnfpodShow notes: brendanomeara.comNewsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmSocial: @creativenonfictionpodcast on IG and Threads

In "Two Thousand Miles from Home," journalist Lily Hyde chronicles the unbelievable true story of three pregnant women torn apart by war.Lily talks about how she hates every thing she writes, struggling with the invasiveness of journalism, and how she earned the truest of her central figures.Support: Patreon.com/cnfpodShow notes: brendanomeara.comNewsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmSocial: @creativenonfictionpodcast on IG and Threads

Will Harrison is an instructor at the School for Visual Arts in New York City as well the author of several essays including "My Unlikely Writing Teacher: Pedro Martinez" for the New York Times Magazine.Will talks about: How slow of a writer he is How voice just emerges over time And how "pitch selection" is akin to how you vary your sentencesSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpodShow notes: brendanomeara.comNewsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmSponsor: Liquid IV, promo code cnfSocial: @creativenonfictionpodcast on IG and Threads

This originally aired as Episode 49 on May 19, 2017.“The people I know who fail as writers … lack patience, stubbornness.”Dinty W. Moore is the founder of Brevity Magazine and the author of several books including The Story Cure: A Book Doctor's Pain-Free Guide to Finishing Your Novel or Memoir.In this episode we talk about: Patience Voice Getting inspired instead of dejected by feedback And the power of dozens of draftsSupport: Patreon.com/cnfpodShow notes: brendanomeara.comNewsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmSponsor: Liquid IV, promo code cnfSocial: @creativenonfictionpodcast on IG and Threads

Author Kim H. Cross discusses agency, empathy, and the ethics of writing true crime. They explore the importance of giving people agency, being a human first and a journalist second, and the value of writing retreats. They also touch on maintaining objectivity, navigating off the record and background information as a journalist, and the issue of missing white girl syndrome in media coverage of missing persons cases.

This originally aired as Episode 54 on June 23, 2017.Andre Dubus III is the author of the memoir Townie and the novels The House of Sand and Fog and Such Kindness.Support: Patreon.com/cnfpodShow notes: brendanomeara.comNewsletter: Rage Against the AlgorithmSponsor: Liquid IV, promo code cnfSocial: @creativenonfictionpodcast on IG and Threads