The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, And Neuroscience

Internationally bestselling authors, Lynne & Valerie Constantine – AKA Liv Constantine – spoke to me about the importance of writers’ conferences, how to write perfidy with your best friend, and their latest thriller THE SENATOR'S WIFE. Liv Constantine is the pen name of sisters Lynne and Valerie Constantine who are the WSJ, USA Today, and Internationally bestselling authors of Reese’s Book Club pick The Last Mrs. Parrish, which has sold over 500,000 copies and is soon to be adapted for Netflix Their latest, The Senator's Wife, is described as “... a psychological thriller that upends the private lives of those who walk the halls of power. Because when you have it all, you have everything to lose.” #1 New York Times bestselling author A. J. Finn called the book, “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle meets The West Wing, a high-stakes paranoia thriller, slippery as a politician’s handshake, that's both sophisticated and irrepressibly fun.” Lynne is a former marketing executive with a Master’s degree in Business from

New York Times bestselling author, Fiona Barton, spoke to me about why so many famous journalists have turned to crime fiction, the power of the deadline, and her latest hit novel LOCAL GONE MISSING. Fiona Barton is the award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author of novels The Widow, The Child, and The Suspect – all three featuring journalist Kate Waters. Her latest thriller, Local Gone Missing, follows a new protagonist in Detective Elise King and follows the brewing changes of a small seaside town.  Kirkus Reviews said of the book, “Barton presents such an embarrassment of riches … Layers and layers of unlovely revelations about people who seemed perfectly nice.” And BookPage wrote, “Thanks to Barton’s airtight plotting and impeccable characteri­zation, a minibreak by the sea will never seem relaxing again." In her past life, Fiona was a senior writer at the Daily Mail, a news editor at the Daily Telegraph, and chief reporter at the Mail on Sunday. She has trained and worked with journali

#1 New York Times bestselling author, Carley Fortune, spoke to me about her storied career as a journalist, writing a breakout hit in just four months, and her latest novel, MEET ME AT THE LAKE. Carley Fortune is an award-winning Canadian journalist and the #1 New York Times and #1 Globe and Mail bestselling author of Meet Me at the Lake and Every Summer After.  Her latest, Meet Me at the Lake, is described as a “...love story about two strangers who come together when they need each other most. Once, in their early twenties, and again a decade later.” GMA said of the book, "Fortune explores the aftermath of losing a beloved parent and reclaiming a relationship in this unputdownable, witty, soulful and stirring novel." And New York Times bestselling author Jill Santopolo called Meet Me at The Lake “... a beautiful, heart-tugging, love story about secrets, lies, missed connections and second chances.” Carley has worked as an editor at some of Canada’s top publications, including The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine,

#1 New York Times bestselling author, Emily Henry, returns to chat with me about depressing first drafts, what it's like to be a genre-bending, commercial fiction superstar, and her “glittering” new novel HAPPY PLACE. Emily Henry is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Book Lovers, People We Meet on Vacation, and Beach Read, and has sold over three million copies of her novels. Her latest is Happy Place, an instant ​​#1 New York Times bestseller and her first hardcover novel, described as a book “...about reluctant exes who make a pact to pretend to date during an annual friends’ trip...” Author Taylor Jenkins-Reid called it "Another knock-out from the champ.” The Washington Post wrote that the book, “Blur[s] the lines between women’s and literary-leaning commercial fiction, departing from the fantasy spaces of bodice rippers and misty moors to depict a world that looks a lot more like, well, our own…” Emily's books have been featured in Buzzfeed, Oprah Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Time

NOTE: This is an updated replay of an amazing chat I had with Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, Hernan Diaz, who spoke to me exactly one year ago about rejection, his unusual path to literary stardom, subverting reader expectations, and his latest novel TRUST. A big congrats to Hernan who recently won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. His novel, Trust, shared the Pulitzer Books prize with Barbara Kingsolver’s novel, Demon Copperhead. Trust was named one of 2022’s Most Anticipated Books by The New York Times, OprahDaily, The Today Show, Vogue, Vulture, AV Club, and many others. Described as "...an immersive story and a brilliant literary puzzle .... about money, power, intimacy, and perception," The NY Times called Trust, “Intricate, cunning and consistently surprising ..." Hernan was also a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award and his first novel, In the Distance, won the Saroyan International Prize, the Cabell Award, the Prix Page America, and the New American Voices Award, among other distinctions. He hold

#1 New York Times bestselling author, Ruta Sepetys, spoke to me about what she learned in the music industry, the secrets to strong, vivid writing, and her non-fiction debut YOU: THE STORY: A Writer’s Guide to Craft Through Memory. Ruta Sepetys is an award-winning and internationally acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction published in over sixty countries and forty languages. Her acclaimed “crossover” YA literature includes the Carnegie Medal-winning Salt to the Sea.  Her latest is the creative guide to writing, You: The Story: A Writer’s Guide to Craft Through Memory (available May 16, 2023), which “... provides aspiring writers with a roadmap to crafting compelling stories by encouraging them to look inward and excavate their own memories in order to discover authentic voices and compelling details.” In a starred review Booklist said of the book, “Part writing guide, part memoir, Sepetys’ fresh, fun handbook is all inspiration.” [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Write

New York Times bestselling author, J. Ryan Stradal, spoke to me about the unsurpassed passive aggressiveness of Midwesterners, writing about the restaurant industry during the pandemic, and his latest novel SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE LAKESIDE SUPPER CLUB. J. Ryan Stradal is the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest and national bestseller The Lager Queen of Minnesota, named one of the year's best books by NPR, USA Today, Booklist, and many others. His latest novel is Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club, described as “... a sharp and poignant tale of a couple from two different restaurant families in rural Minnesota – one has inherited her grandparents’ old-fashioned supper club, and the other is heir to a chain of homestyle diners (known for putting those supper clubs out of business).” The book was named An Amazon Best Book of April 2023. New York Times bestselling author Roxane Gay said of the novel, “This is a perfect book.” And in a starred review, Kirkus c

New York Times bestselling author, Chanel Cleeton, spoke to me about her passion for exploring Cuban-American identity via women's perspectives throughout history, how she plots her popular historical fiction, and her latest novel THE CUBAN HEIRESS. Chanel Cleeton is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick Next Year in Havana, as well as instant New York Times bestsellers When We Left Cuba, and The Last Train to Key West. Her most recent historical fiction entry is The Cuban Heiress, described as a novel inspired by true events that “ … follows two women whose lives become intertwined during a fateful journey upon the S.S. Morro Castle—a luxury cruise liner that caught fire and sank on its way from Havana to New York in September 1934” Booklist wrote of the book, “Nothing is what it seems in Cleeton's latest gripping historical novel.... Handsome con men, clever thieves, desperate rebels, and our valiant heroines all convene on this elegant but doomed ocean line

#1 New York Times bestselling author, Bonnie Garmus, spoke to me about the evolution of her craft, how her protagonist changed her life, getting blurbed by Stephen King, and the never-ending book tour for her lauded debut LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY. Bonnie Garmus is a copywriter, creative director, and author of the #1 New York Times bestselling novel, Lessons in Chemistry, named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Oprah Daily, Entertainment Weekly, and Newsweek. The book introduced the main character, “Elizabeth Zott, a headstrong, gifted chemist in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show.” BuzzFeed wrote of the book, “A kicky debut, this book tackles feminism, resilience, and rationalism in a fun and refreshing way.” And Stephen King called it, “witty, sometimes hilarious…the Catch-22 of early feminism.” [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfil

New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author, Gregg Hurwitz, spoke with me about why all writing is a process of self-discovery, how to humanize a trained assassin, and the latest Orphan X thriller, THE LAST ORPHAN. Gregg Hurwitz is an award-winning and internationally bestselling author of 23 thrillers including the ORPHAN X series. He has been published in 33 languages, and the Los Angeles Times called him “... a thriller giant."  He is also a NY Times bestselling comic book writer, having penned stories for AWA (Knighted and the critically acclaimed anthology NewThink), Marvel (Wolverine, Punisher) and DC (Batman, Penguin). His eighth Orphan X novel is The Last Orphan, the ongoing series featuring The Nowhere Man, “Evan Smoak, a man with skills, resources, and a personal mission to help those with nowhere else to turn. He’s also a man with a dangerous past.” #1 NY Times bestselling author Meg Gardiner said of the book, "Just when I thought the Orphan X novels couldn’t get any better, Gregg Hurw

Critically acclaimed debut crime novelist and poet, Margot Douaihy, spoke with me about what she learned from Gillian Flynn, subverting the hard-boiled mystery, and writing a queer, iconoclastic, chain-smoking, punk rock nun, for her latest SCORCHED GRACE. Margot Douaihy is an award-winning educator, editor, and poet whose first novel is Scorched Grace, the inaugural title published by Gillian Flynn Books, an imprint with Zando. It was named a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, Amazon Editors’ Choice
, Apple Books Best Book of the Month, and one of the “most anticipated crime books” of the year by Barnes & Noble, Crime Reads, Electric Lit, LGBTQ Reads and many others. The book has been described as a lyrical mystery that kicks off a series featuring protagonist “Sister Holiday, a chain-smoking, heavily tattooed, queer nun, [who] puts her amateur sleuthing skills to the test…” Don Winslow, #1 internationally bestselling author of The Power of the Dog and City on Fire, said of the book, “Margot Douaihy

Yale educator and TV writer/producer, Aaron Tracy, spoke with me about what it takes to make it as a TV writer, breaking into the audio drama space, producing Audible’s most successful original fiction series, and working on the upcoming “Supreme” with Eva Longoria. Aaron Tracy teaches “The Art and Craft of Television Drama” at Yale University, and his TV credits include Law & Order: SVU, Fairly Legal, The Tap, and Sequestered, a serialized thriller that ran two seasons, for which he was Creator and Executive Producer.  He is also the Creator, Head Writer, and Exec. Producer of scripted audio dramas for iHeartRadio, Audible, and Spotify, with various production partners. These include an underdog NBA story with Steve Nash, a legal thriller with James Patterson, a historical romance with Shonda Rhimes, and a courtroom drama with Eva Longoria. His first show to be released, The Coldest Case, a detective thriller starring Aaron Paul, Krysten Ritter, and Alexis Bledel, premiered as the #1 download on Audible in 2

Award-winning author, visual artist, and filmmaker, Leopoldo Gout, spoke with me about making music videos for David Byrne, going from homeless auteur to working for James Patterson, his unique creative process, and his latest horror novel PIÑATA. Leopoldo Gout is the author of the books Ghost Radio, the award-winning Genius YA trilogy, and the recently published fable for all ages, Monarca. He has also packaged, published, and developed books with other writers under his imprint at Simon & Schuster: Leopoldo & Co., and was co-president of the James Patterson Entertainment company for many years. His latest novel is Piñata (Tor Nightfire), described as “... a bone-chilling possession tale perfect for fans of Hereditary and A Head Full of Ghosts. Based on the true, horrific story of the Spanish conquistadors that used piñatas to force Aztec children to destroy their gods…” Publishers Weekly wrote of the author, “Gout puts a unique twist on a classic possession story by incorporating Indigenous Mexican lore int

New York Times and internationally bestselling author, Jill Santopolo, spoke with me about finding balance as a writer/publisher, writing as therapy, the universal power of myths, and her latest novel STARS IN AN ITALIAN SKY. Jill Santopolo’s debut adult novel, The Light We Lost, was a Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club pick, landed on the New York Times bestsellers list, and has been optioned for film. Her books have been translated into more than 35 languages and she is also the associate publisher of Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, where she has edited critically-acclaimed, award-winning, and best-selling books including She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton, and Superheroes Are Everywhere by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and Mechal Roe. Her fourth novel is Stars in an Italian Sky, described as “… a sweeping story of two star-crossed lovers in post-World War II Italy, and a blossoming relationship generations later that will reveal a long-buried family secret.” Publishers Weekly wrote

New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer finalist, Rebecca Makkai, spoke with me about her love of the short story, the true crime industrial complex, and her latest “literary feminist boarding school murder mystery,” I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU. Rebecca Makkai’s last novel, The Great Believers, was a Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award finalist, won a slew of awards, and was one of The New York Times' Ten Best Books of 2018. Her latest novel is I Have Some Questions for You, named a Most Anticipated Book of 2023 by TIME, The Seattle Times, Good Housekeeping, Today.com, CrimeReads, NPR, and many others. Described by the San Francisco Chronicle as, "part true-crime page-turner, part campus coming-of-age," and The New York Times Book Review as, "A spellbinding work …" Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jennifer Egan called the book, “Part boarding school drama, part forensic whodunnit, I Have Some Questions for You is a true literary mystery—haunting and hard to put down.” Rebecca is a 2022 Guggenheim

Award-winning and New York Times bestselling novelist, William Landay, spoke with me about how former lawyers get pigeonholed in publishing, why we can’t get enough true crime, and his latest ALL THAT IS MINE I CARRY WITH ME. William Landay is a former assistant district attorney, and the bestselling author of Defending Jacob, recently adapted into the Emmy-nominated Apple TV+ series starring Chris Evans. His eagerly anticipated follow-up is All That Is Mine I Carry With Me (on sale 3/7; Bantam), a March 2023 LibraryReads pick, described by NY Times bestselling author Scott Turow as, “... masterful, original and riveting ... With its subtle mystery and compelling portraits of how lives are transformed in the aftermath of violent crime ...”  NY Times bestselling author Joseph Finder said of the author, “With All That Is Mine I Carry With Me, the masterful author of Defending Jacob has created something … unforgettable, and original—unlike any other crime novel I’ve read.” [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get

Former Shakespeare professor and author, Stephen Marche, spoke with me about how to roll with the punches, finding comfort in the history of writerly failure, and his candid guide on handling a lifetime of rejection, “On Writing and Failure.” Stephen Marche is a novelist, essayist, and cultural commentator, and he was a contributing editor at Esquire, for which he wrote a monthly column entitled "A Thousand Words about Our Culture." His latest is the book-length essay titled “On Writing and Failure: Or, On the Peculiar Perseverance Required to Endure the Life of a Writer.” The Midwest Book Review called it “... essential reading for anyone seeking to write for a living, be it as a novelist, essayist, poet, columnist, or any other writing genre." Stephen Marche received a doctorate in early modern English drama from the University of Toronto and taught Renaissance drama at CUNY. He is the author of half a dozen books, and has written opinion pieces and essays for The New Yorker, the New York Times, The Atlanti

New York Times bestselling novelist, Deepti Kapoor, spoke with me about plumbing her subconscious for stories, a changing India and the trifecta of big business, crime, and corruption, and her sprawling saga AGE OF VICE. Deepti Kapoor is the bestselling author of Age of Vice, a novel described as, “Deftly shifting through time and perspective in contemporary India, Age of Vice is an epic, action-packed story propelled by… seductive wealth, startling corruption, and bloodthirsty violence…” The book was the “Good Morning America” book club selection for January, and it’s been purchased by FX for a series. It was also described by #1 internationally bestselling author Lee Child as, “Sensationally good — huge, epic, immersive and absorbing … certain to be a book of the year.” After growing up in Northern India, Deepti Kapoor studied journalism at the University of Delhi and later completed an MA in Social Psychology. She worked for several years as a journalist in New Delhi, driving the city, finding stories, and

New York Times bestselling debut author, Ana Reyes, spoke with me about the importance of the writing community, the evolution of a haunting tale from graduate thesis to instant bestseller, and her first thriller “The House in the Pines.” Ana Reyes is the bestselling author of Reese's Book Club pick The House in the Pines, her debut psychological thriller. Described by New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager as, "Powerfully eerie and atmospheric, The House in the Pines is a compelling mix of psychological thriller and dark fairy tale." An Amazon Best Book of January 2023 review also described it as “... an absorbing, cleverly plotted story of female friendship, loyalty repaid, maternal love, and the powerful desire to unlock secrets, even in the face of evil.” Ana Reyes has an MFA from Louisiana State University and her work has appeared in Bodega, Pear Noir!, The New Delta Review, and others. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfile

Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author and screenwriter, Grady Hendrix, spoke with me about getting serious about horror, turning genre tropes on their head, and his latest “How to Sell a Haunted House.” Grady Hendrix is an award-winning novelist, screenwriter, and journalist best known for My Best Friend’s Exorcism (adapted into a feature film by Amazon Studios), and the New York Times bestsellers The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, and The Final Girl Support Group. His latest is How to Sell a Haunted House, an #1 Indie Next List pick, described as a “...novel that explores the way your past—and your family—can haunt you like nothing else.” The New York Times called it a “…gripping, wildly entertaining exploration of childhood horrors,” and Esquire called it “... an authentically frightening, genuinely funny reconfiguration of what a haunted house can be.” New York Times bestselling author Chuck Wendig said of the book, “A spirited nightmare story about death, but also, what comes a