For this edition of Working Overtime, hosts Isaac Butler and Karen Han reply to an email from a listener named Jeffrey, who points out how rare it is to see an accurate depiction of creativity in movies and on TV. One reason for this, Jeffrey asserts, is that creative work requires a lot of boring drudgery. Isaac and Karen weigh in on this idea and list some examples of accurate depictions of the creative process. Is there a question about creativity or inspiration that you’d like to ask the hosts of Working? Give us a call and leave a message at (304) 933-9675, or email us at working@slate.com.Podcast production by Kevin Bendis and Cameron Drews. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Big Mood, Little Mood—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host June Thomas talks to author, ghostwriter, and YouTuber Michelle Schusterman, who’s written more than a dozen novels. In the interview, Michelle differentiates between her various writing jobs and explains how she juggles so many projects. She also gives a step-by-step description of her ghostwriting process for fiction and offers advice on how to manage clients. After the interview, June and co-host Isaac Butler discuss strategies for managing multiple jobs at once and learning through trial-and-error. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Michelle talks about her time as a marching band teacher and explains how it led to one of her first big writing jobs. Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.Podcast production by Cameron Drews. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Big Mood, Little Mood—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to composer and band leader Fabian Almazan. In the interview, Fabian explains how he uses physical places, like the Everglades or a region in Cuba, as a jumping-off point to compose music. He also discusses Biophilia Records, a label he started as a way to gather like-minded musicians. His latest album, This Land Abounds With Life, was released as a “Biopholio,” which is Fabian’s green alternative to traditional physical media. After the interview, Isaac and co-host Karen Han talk about Fabian’s approach to inspiration and their own relationships to classical music. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Isaac asks Fabian about his experience working with composer and Spike Lee collaborator Terence Blanchard. Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.Podcast production by Cameron Drews.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Big Mood, Little Mood—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this episode of Working Overtime, hosts June Thomas and Karen Han discuss their experiences with writer’s block. Then they analyze how the Apple TV+ series about Emily Dickinson, aptly named Dickinson, addresses writer’s block. Have you experienced writer’s block or other creative hurdles? Share them with us at (304) 933-9675 or email us at working@slate.com. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis and Cameron Drews.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Big Mood, Little Mood—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host Karen Han talks to Isaac Butler about the writing of his new book The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act. They discuss how Isaac’s background as a child professional actor informed his understanding of his subject, how he researched a wide-ranging topic that spanned geography and generations, and how he conceived of the book’s structure and managed its narrative tension. After the interview, Karen and co-host June Thomas talk about learning from the questions that arise during a book’s research phase, coming to terms with having to make cuts to a manuscript, and how to find trusted outside readers.In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Karen asks Isaac to recommend some great Method performances. Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Big Mood, Little Mood—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host June Thomas talks to New Yorker writer Rebecca Mead about her new memoir Home/Land, which traces her experience moving back to Britain after making a home for herself in New York and becoming a U.S. citizen. In the interview, Rebecca discusses the feelings she wanted to capture in the book and describes her impulse to document an important moment in her life. She also explains why Home/Land was more difficult to write than her previous books. After the interview, June and co-host Karen Han talk about the challenges Rebecca faced while writing her book and what we can learn from them. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, June asks Rebecca for some moving tips. Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Big Mood, Little Mood—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this episode of Working Overtime, hosts Karen Han and June Thomas dissect some creative advice from the director Bong Joon-ho, who claimed during his 2020 Oscars acceptance speech that “the most personal is the most creative,” a phrase he attributed to director Martin Scorsese. In their conversation, Karen and June examine the advice and discuss the upsides and downsides of making their work personal. Is there a piece of creative advice that you’d like to share with us? Call and leave us a message at (304) 933-9675 or email us at working@slate.com. Podcast production by Cameron Drews and Kevin Bendis.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Big Mood, Little Mood—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to playwright Aleshea Harris and director Whitney White, whose new play On Sugarland is currently in preview performances at the New York Theatre Workshop. In the interview, Aleshea and Whitney explain the crucial relationship between playwrights and directors and discuss the ways they work together, solve problems, and ultimately put on the best production possible. After the interview, co-host June Thomas asks Isaac about his experience working as a director and collaborating with writers. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Aleshea and Whitney explain how COVID protocols have affected their rehearsal process. Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.Podcast production by Cameron DrewsIf you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Big Mood, Little Mood—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host Karen Han talks to comedy writer Karen Chee, who works as a writer and performer for Late Night With Seth Meyers. In the interview, Chee discusses her early work writing humor pieces for the New Yorker before landing a job writing for the Golden Globes. Then she breaks down her joke-writing process for Late Night, which involves generating dozens of setups and punchlines every day. After the interview, Karen Han and co-host June Thomas discuss the challenges of producing a large volume of work under a tight deadline. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Chee talks about her taste in movies. Then she shares more secrets from the Late Night writers' room. Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.Podcast production by Cameron Drews.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Big Mood, Little Mood—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this edition of Working Overtime, hosts June Thomas, Isaac Butler, and Karen Han discuss the pomodoro technique, which involves breaking work into timed intervals and taking breaks in between those intervals. In their conversation, they talk about the benefits of taking breaks and using timers, but they also underscore the importance of creative momentum. Could the pomodoro technique actually disrupt the flow of certain tasks?If you have creative techniques or strategies to share, or if you’d like some advice from June, Isaac, and Karen, send us an email at working@slate.com or leave a message at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews and Kevin Bendis.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Big Mood, Little Mood—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices