The Creative Writing Life
Paul Zeidman
From screenplays to TV, novels to video games, everybody has their own path to establishing a creative writing life. Join host Paul Zeidman as he interviews writers from all mediums and genres to find out about them, their work, and what advice and guidance they have for ambitious and aspiring writers.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 7, 2026 • 42min
J.A. Merkel
Author J.A. Merkel (THE FALL GAUNTLET) talks using short stories to hone your writing skills, finding the right balance between sci-fi and fantasy, doing what works for you, and how it all started with the movie CLUEhttp://jamerkel.com
Sep 30, 2026 • 51min
Bryan Gruley
Author Bryan Gruley (RIVER DEEP) talks the basics of crime fiction, getting out after painting yourself into a corner, knowing your hook in the first two sentences, multiple POV storytelling, and…flying werewolves?http://bryangruley.com
Sep 23, 2026 • 43min
Theresa Halvorsen
Author/instructor Theresa Halvorsen talks about being a “recovering pantser”, knowing your characters beyond their backstory, disagreeing (sort of) with Stephen King, and the multiple versions of a writer’s self-carehttp://theresahalverson.com
Aug 19, 2026 • 39min
Nina Chayka
Author Nina Chayka (SEAGULLS) talks creating and inter-connecting an ensemble of characters, developing a non-linear story, the language of events, and non-traditional approaches to resolutionhttp://ninachayka.com
Aug 12, 2026 • 47min
Neal Lipschutz
Author Neal Lipschutz (LONG ARM OF THE PAST) talks grounding your story with plausibility, creating fallible characters, balancing the unexpected and the cohesive, and fine-tuning the story to play fair with the readerhttp://neallipschutz.com
Aug 5, 2026 • 46min
Erin Baldwin
Author Erin Baldwin (GOOD LUCK, BABE!) talks how first-person POV is more “voicey”, representing for queer stories, the challenge of not giving readers the ending they want, and the concept of kayfabe within reality TVhttp://erinbwrites.com
Jul 22, 2026 • 44min
Sherre Vernon
Writer/poet Sherre Vernon (TRANSLATING BLUE) talks about loving the sound of words, striking a balance when you write, how complexity is important, and the value of finding the right wordhttp://sherrevernon.com
Jul 15, 2026 • 44min
Miguel Eichelberger
Writer/poet Miguel Eichelberger (EVERYTHING IS) talks “translating the untranslatable”, adding human detail, why writers should write everything, the Stargate universe, and “don’t show, let them see”http://migueleichelberger.com
Jul 1, 2026 • 59min
Sara DiVello & Leslie Zemeckis
Authors Sara DiVello (BROADWAY BUTTERFLY) and Leslie Zemeckis (FEUDING FAN DANCERS) talk about the power of stories, remembering women excluded by history, and the fun of nerding out about writinghttp://saradivello.comhttp://lesliezemeckis.com
Jun 24, 2026 • 46min
Jill Rosenberg
Author Jill Rosenberg (NOW I’M PHOTOGENIC AND OTHER STORIES I TELL MYSELF) talks embracing surrealism, overcoming the fear of revealing emotion, and the sound of the story
