Write About Now

Guest Courtney Kocak is a writer, podcaster, and comedian based in LA. She reports frequently on taboo topics such as porn, sexuality, and sex work. On her podcast Private Parts Unknown, Courtney takes a Bourdain-like sexual tour around the world, revealing secret seductive subcultures. On this episode, she talks about why she enjoys writing about sex, her fascinating experience getting a happy ending massage in Tokyo, and what she's learned having an OnlyFans page. After you've finished listening head on over to her other podcast, The Bleeders, in which she grills me about writing the "Jake" column for Glamour magazine.  Listen to our interview on The Bleeders:  https://bit.ly/3YnMmJW Watch the video on YouTube: bit.ly/3Qv5fZn Subscribe to my Substack: https://jonathan856.substack.com/

UFOs are back in the news. Last month, three U.S. military veterans testified to the congress that the government had possession of "non-human" biologics. And my guest Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb recently led an exhibition to the bottom of the Pacific to retrieve what he believes could be materials from an extraterrestrial spacecraft. In this episode, we revisit my conversation with Dr. Loeb about his book, Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth  and his controversial belief that we have been visited by ETs.   For more information on Write About Now, visit: writeaboutnowmedia.com Subscribe to my newsletter @ jonathan856.substack.com  

Ian Fleming introduced James Bond 007 in 1953, writing 14 Bond books before he died. Since then, a few well-regarded novelists have carried the torch for the world's most famous spy. But guest Kim Sherwood is the first woman to pen a James Bond book. Sherwood is an award-winning author and creative writing teacher at the University of Edinburgh. On the podcast, she talks about how she got the gig, her lifelong obsession with Bond, her secret mission in writing the novel, and how she updated the characters and universe for the 21st Century. 

Fiona Davis is one of the most successful historical fiction writers working today. Her seven novels all take place in famous historic New York landmarks. Last month, she released The Spectacular, set in Radio City Music Hall in its mid-century heyday. On the pod, she talks about her circuitous route to becoming a novelist, how she accidentally became a New York City real estate scribe, who she turns to for her ideas, and how she researches her projects. She also offers tips on imposter syndrome and getting over writer's block.  To learn more about Write About Now, visit: writeaboutnowmedia.com Subscribe to the Small Stack substack @ https://jonathan856.substack.com/  Watch interviews on youtube.com/@writeaboutnowpodcast111

Recently, I surveyed listeners about the biggest challenge they face in achieving their goals The number one answer: Procrastination. So this episode is all about the dreaded P-word. What procrastination is, why we do it, and how to overcome it. Guest Petr Ludwig is a procrastination slayer. His book The End of Procrastination is a well-researched action plan for inaction. Petr's main argument is that procrastination is not a time-management problem—it's an emotions-management problem. He offers tips to stop beating yourself up and start psyching yourself up to get the stuff done you know you should. 

The biggest obstacle standing between you and your goals could be yourself. Even more insidious—you might not even know you're doing this. Self-sabotage is the act of unconsciously undermining our own success, often through negative thoughts and behaviors. In this episode, Dr. Judy Ho talks about the hidden reasons why we self-sabotage, the signs to look for, and how to break free from this destructive pattern. Dr. Judy is a triple-certified psychologist and author of Self Sabotage: Six Ways to Unlock Your True Motivation, Harness Your Willpower and Get Out Of Your Own Way! Subscribe to my newsletter: https://jonathan856.substack.com/ Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/writeaboutnowpodcast Special discount on AG1 by Atheletic Greens: http://athleticgreen.com/writeaboutnow

Guest David Grann is one of the most popular authors working today. He has a new book out called The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder, which tells the fascinating true story of an 18th-century British warship that wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia. The survivors sailed thousands of miles to safety, and later faced mutiny charges. Grann spent five years researching and writing this book, a task that required him to pour over hundreds of log books kept by the seaman and traverse the same treacherous seas they did. To learn more about Grann and how he rose to such prominence, listen to my first interview with @ https://bit.ly/3Mpik2J Subscribe to my Small Talk substack @ https://jonathan856.substack.com/ Support the show @ https://www.patreon.com/writeaboutnowpodcast

Hollywood writers went on strike last week, with thousands of WGA writers joining picket lines in LA and New York. But what are the writers striking for exactly—and how will it affect us as consumers and writers? Guest Miranda Banks joins the show to make sense of it all. Miranda is the author of The Writers: A History of American Screenwriters and Their Guild and associate professor and Department Chair of Film, Television, and Media Studies at Loyola Marymount. In the interview, she talks about why the writers are storming Hollywood studios from coast to coast, the threat of streaming services and AI to their livelihood, and how this strike fits into a historical context. 

We all understand the importance of choosing the right words, but few realize that minor tweaks to how we speak and write can change people’s minds, engage our audiences, and persuade them to do things we want them to do. Podcast guest Jonah Berger has a new book out called Magic Words: What to Say to Get Your Way. Berger is a marketing professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a language detective. He shares what his research and science can tell us about language and how to use it more effectively.  Want to watch the full video on youtube? Click here. To find out more about Write About Now, go here.  More information on Jonah Berger.  

Are you looking to start a hustle that helps you earn some extra money on the side? This episode is for you. Guest Nick Loper is the host of the podcast The Side Hustle Show and the author of nine books. At any given time, he's engaged in 10 to 15 side hustles that earn him hundreds to thousands of dollars monthly. On the show, we talk about identifying opportunities in your own life, the steps and barriers to success, writing side hustles in 2023, and much more.