Write About Now

When the New York Times declared it was "the end of work as we knew it" for Gen X, it did not feel fine. The story called the generation obsolete, irrelevant, and even likened them to candlestick makers in the age of electricity. Seriously? The article sparked a firestorm, prompting host Jonathan Small to write a viral Substack response that only raised the temperature. Now, Dana DuBois—fellow Gen X-er, writer, alt-rock aficionado—joins the show to talk about why the article sparked so much rage, what it got dead wrong, and how Gen X is not just surviving but reinventing midlife on their own terms. Read Jon's response on Substack here. Read the original NYT story here. All things Dana DuBois can be found here.

Has anyone ever told you, "Your life is so interesting—you should write a memoir!" It's flattering, no doubt. But then comes the doubts and the fears and the paralysis. How do you transform decades of memories and anecdotes into a narrative people would actually want to read? You can start by reading guest Wendy Dale's new book, The Memoir Engineering System. In it, she gives you the structure for constructing your memoir from the ground up. On this episode, we talk about useless writing advice such as just write a first draft, why the journey is more important than the memories themselves, and the things to prep yourself for capturing your life on the page in the best way possible. Write About Now is sponsored by AG1, order using my code and get some freebies.DrinkAG1.com/writeaboutnow Subscribe to the Small Talk substack @ https://jonsmalltalk.substack.com/

Back in Hollywood's Golden Age, two men with vastly different backgrounds came together to shape the future of film. Louis B. Mayer, a shrewd businessman and Irving Thalberg, a visionary producer, formed a partnership that defined MGM and set the standard for the modern studio system. In this episode, famed film critic Kenneth Turan explores their unlikely partnership, their imperial rise, and their eventual fall.

div>div>:is(p,ul,ol)]:pr-4 md:[&>div>div>:is(p,ul,ol)]:pr-8 [&_pre>div]:bg-bg-300 [&_.ignore-pre-bg>div]:bg-transparent"> _*]:min-w-0"> The 97th Academy Awards will grace Hollywood this Sunday, bringing its signature blend of glamour and controversy to the red carpet. To unpack all the drama, we're joined by Katey Rich, Awards Editor at The Ankler and host of the acclaimed podcast "Prestige Junkie." Katey reveals her journey to securing her coveted position, the state of awards shows in today's world, and why they continue to be popular despite yearly reports of their demise. Katey also delves into the scandals clouding this year's Oscar race and shares her expert predictions for best picture, best actress, best actor, and more.

Was a bestselling romantasy novel stolen from someone else's unpublished book? New Yorker staff writer Katy Waldman investigates a fascinating case of alleged plagiarism rocking the publishing world—the first novel copyright infringement to reach trial in a century. The case raises profound questions about creative ownership in publishing, while exposing the way books in this red-hot genre are written. You'll never look at enemies-to-lovers werewolf sexcapades the same way again. Read Katy's story @ https://bit.ly/4hyxLUP Subscribe to Small Talk @ jonsmalltalk.substack.com

Stuck in a creative rut? Need some fresh ideas? The solution isn't staring harder at your screen – it's getting up from your desk and walking. This simple activity has been the secret weapon of history's most brilliant minds, from Charles Dickens to Virginia Woolf, Aristotle to Steve Jobs. Science backs this up: walking increases creative output by 60% compared to doom scrolling. But not all walks are created equal. Award-winning author Abbs Streets shares insights from her book "52 Ways to Walk," breaking down exactly when, where, and how to walk for maximum creative benefit.

The devastating wildfires in Los Angeles have destroyed 12,000 structures and taken at least 25 lives. In an intimate conversation, guest Lee Ann Daly shares her harrowing experience of evacuating her Pacific Palisades home with just minutes to spare, managing to save three cats and only a few documents. Lee Ann is a creative executive and former head of marketing at ESPN, Reuters, and the Game Show Network. In our conversation, she brings her unique perspective to processing tragedy. We discuss the true character of the Pacific Palisades that you won't hear in the news, details of her traumatic escape, the challenges of navigating California's complex fire insurance system, and how she's coping with the uncertainty of this unprecedented tragedy. To donate to families affected by the fire: Mutual Aid Los Angeles Network To help animals in need: Pasadena Humane Society

Two years ago, most people had never heard of generative AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude. Now, they're an integral part of our workflow. But what astonishes and impresses us about the technology also scares the living bejesus out of us. Will AI eventually replace us as writers? Will our profession become obsolete? How do we make this rapidly evolving technology our assistant, not our adversary? Tech expert Christoper S. Penn joins the show to demystify the technology and offer tips on making AI a productive collaborative partner. Topics include understanding how generative AI works, writing effective prompts using his RAPPEL framework, comparing top AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, tackling thorny ethical questions, and practical strategies for using AI in your work. Whether you're excited or anxious about AI's impact on your profession, this episode gives you a roadmap to embracing the technology's awesome power. Follow us at: Small Talk substack: https://jonsmalltalk.substack.com/ Christoper S Penn's Almost Timely Newsletter: https://almosttimely.substack.com/

In this year-end episode, we look back at some of the most memorable moments from the show, featuring intimate discussions with some of the literary world's most fascinating voices. You'll hear the writing origin stories of JA Jance, Joyce Maynard, and Richard Osman, how Kristin Hannah overcomes her fear of failure, writing through writer's block with Steve Almond, the best writing advice linguist Valerie Fridland ever received, Todd Boyd on the global appeal of hip hop, and how Molly Roden Winter endured 50 rejections of her manuscript before getting a yes. To listen to the interviews in full, click the links below. JA Jance Joyce Maynard Kristin Hannah Richard Osman Steve Almond Valerie Fridland Todd Boyd Molly Roden Winter Support the show by subscribing to the Small Talk substack @ https://jonsmalltalk.substack.com/

Douglas Vigliotti is the author of the new book "Aristotle for Novelists: 14 Timeless Principles on the Art of Story." He says everything you need to know about storytelling can be found in the Ancient Greek philosopher's great treatise "Poetics," written over 2300 years ago. In this episode, Vigliotti breaks down Aristotle's tried-and-true principles that have been used since antiquity to tell great stories, including the real difference between tragedies vs. comedies, the importance of the three-act structure, why every character needs both external and internal obstacles, how a character's fatal flaw drives the story, why plot solutions must arise from within the story itself, how consistency in style and point of view shapes the narrative, the critical difference between plot-driven versus character-driven stories. Vigliotti also hosts the terrific podcast Books for Men and recommends his must-reads for 2025.