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

#PodcastersForJustice Bestselling novelist, Nick Petrie, spoke with me about keeping your sanity as a writer, the importance of boredom for creativity, and how to write a thriller series. Nick's the award-winning author of the critically acclaimed Peter Ash series. His debut novel, The Drifter, won the ITW Thriller and Barry Awards, and was nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, and Hammett Awards. He won a 2016 Literary Award from the Wisconsin Library Association and was named one of Apple’s 10 Writers to Read in 2017. Light It Up was named the Best Thriller of 2018 by Apple Books and has been nominated for a Barry Award. His latest is The Breaker, the sixth in his award-winning series featuring Peter Ash, the war veteran struggling with PTSD who travels the US, "... stumbling into mysteries that only a man with his unique skill set can solve." #1 New York Times bestselling author C.J. Box said of the book, "Nonstop action at a machine-gun pace. If you aren't reading Nick Petrie, now is the time to start."

#PodcastersForJustice Award-winning novelist and creative writing professor, Kali White VanBaale, chatted with me about the transition from literary fiction to true crime, her work with the PEN America Prison & Justice Writing program, and taking chances. Kali is an award-winning, Iowa-based author of novels, short stories, and essays. Her novel The Space Between (penned as Kali VanBaale), won an American Book Award, an Independent Publisher’s silver medal for fiction, and was winner of the Fred Bonnie First Novel Award. Her latest is The Monsters We Make (as Kali White), a mystery loosely based on the real-life unsolved "Des Moines paperboy abductions" of the early ‘80s. Pulitzer Prize finalist Lee Martin, author of The Bright Forever, said, “[The Monsters We Make] ... kept me on the edge of my seat. I truly did read this remarkable new novel in one sitting.” Kali is a regular contributor to the A&E Network Real Crime blog series, and her short stories and essays have appeared in The Coachella Review, Th

#PodcastersForJustice Writer-director duo and activists, Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz (AKA Bush+Renz), took a timeout to chat with me about storytelling to amplify social justice, hanging out with Jay-Z, their debut feature film "Antebellum," and why you need stamina to make it. “When we conceived A​ntebellum​, we did not – could not – envision the way that systemic racism would break through to force the meaningful conversation we desperately need. But it has.” – Gerard Bush The duo have been together for 12 years and got their start in advertising in Miami. After losing the taste for producing champagne commercials they pivoted to their "... passion for telling powerful stories of the disenfranchised, marginalized, and underrepresented." After their police brutality PSA "Against the Wall," starring Michael B. Jordan, went viral, their paths shifted toward Hollywood. Their chart-topping, timely, debut feature film is "Antebellum" starring Janelle Monae, a "... psychological thriller showcasing the

#PodcastersForJustice A unique double-wide lit mag themed episode that includes interviews with two pioneering souls. My first guest is Erik Harper Klass, a writer and the founder of the full-service short story submissions service Submitit. And my second guest is Jenna Faccenda, Founder of Eclipse Lit, a nonprofit literary magazine. Erik Harper Klass is the founder of a unique business, the world's first full-service submissions company for short story writers – submititnow.com. He is also a critically acclaimed writer whose work has appeared in a variety of journals and been nominated for multiple Pushcart Prizes. Erik and I talked about: The sniper vs blunderbuss approach to publishing "Zen and the Art of Rejection" How his unique submission algorithm was designed Why glossy lit mag queries might be a waste of time And how to stagger your submissions In the second segment of the show, I chatted with inspiring Philadelphia native and writer, Jenna Faccenda, Founder of Eclipse Lit. Eclipse Lit

#PodcastersForJustice Award-winning writer, commentator, and Professor of Media Studies at Georgetown University, Christopher Chambers, chatted with me about why there's never been a better time to break through as a writer of color, unreliable narrators and the 2nd person POV, and writing for Marvel's Black Panther franchise. Christopher Chambers is a professor of media studies and novelist whose books include A Prayer for Deliverance and Sympathy for the Devil, the graphic anthology (with Gary Phillips) The Darker Mask, and PEN/Malamud-nominated story, "Leviathan." His writing was included in the anthology The Obama Inheritance: 15 Stores of Conspiracy Noir, which won numerous awards including the Anthony Award. His latest novel is Scavenger: A Mystery, set in Washington D.C.'s underbelly where "... a Black homeless man must quickly learn the ropes of being a detective after [being framed] for a brutal crime he didn’t commit." Publishers Weekly called the book, a “... no-holds-barred crime novel . . . a

#PodcastersForJustice The international bestselling thriller writer of the Dexter series, Jeff Lindsay, chatted with me about his previous life in the dramatic arts, marrying into literary royalty, and what it's like to hang out with actor Andy Garcia. "I thought I was creating a bad guy. And I was trying to make him just interesting and likeable enough to keep people reading .... I was glad it took off like it did, but it was always a shock to me that people actually liked Dexter." — Jeff Lindsay Jeff is the New York Times bestselling author of the Dexter novels – which debuted in 2004 with Darkly Dreaming Dexter – adapted by Showtime into the popular TV series that ran for eight seasons. His latest novel is Fool Me Twice, second in the Riley Wolfe series, about "... a master thief that targets the wealthiest 0.1 percent." Publishers Weekly said of the series in a starred review, “Fans of the Ocean’s Eleven film franchise will be eager for more.” Jeff has also spent time as an actor, comedian, and pl

#PodcastersForJustice Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Dani Shapiro, chatted with me about the Groundhog's Day effect of the pandemic, the transition from fiction to memoir, and the hidden power of Family Secrets. "There's no check the boxes kind of 'career development,' or anything like that, that exists in the creative life. People think that there is, and that they're not doing it right. And there's no right." — Dani Shapiro Dani is the author of 10 books including the instant New York Times bestselling memoir, Inheritance, which was published in 2019. Her other books include the memoirs Hourglass, Still Writing, Devotion, and Slow Motion, and five novels including Black & White and Family History. Inheritance won the 2019 National Jewish Book Award, was named one of Wired’s top Science books of 2019 and a best book of 2019 by Vanity Fair. It was also a book club pick for Now Read This, the PBS NewsHour’s book club with The New York Times. “A meditation on what it means to live in a

#PodcastersForJustice The award-winning mystery writer and popular crime novelist, Craig Johnson, spoke with me about his long-running Longmire series, shotgun self-realization, and how to write good books. "How am I ever gonna get seen? Write good books." — Craig Johnson Craig is the New York Times bestselling author of the Longmire mysteries, the bedrock of the hit Netflix series of the same name. His latest novel is the 16th Sheriff Walt Longmire murder mystery, Next to Last Stand, a story that centers around Custer’s Last Fight, one of the most viewed paintings in American history. "Custer's Last Fight was copied and distributed by Anheuser-Busch at a rate of over two million copies a year and destroyed in a fire at the 7th Cavalry Headquarters in Fort Bliss, Texas, in 1946 . . . Or was it?" In a starred review, Library Journal said of the book, "... Johnson lightens the atmosphere in this complex, thought-provoking mystery that highlights art and Western history, emphasizing the contrast between

#PodcastersForJustice The internationally bestselling thriller writer, Emily Schultz, spoke with me about recollections of coming of age as a Gen-Xer, her creative process in multiple mediums, and how to funnel emotion onto the page. "You have to be able to take your own emotions and experiences and translate them into a fictional story. If you can pull on the truths that you know, you can bring them to the reader." — Emily Schultz Emily is the co-founder of the literary magazine Joyland and is the author of The Blondes, an international bestseller named a Best Book of 2015 by NPR, BookPage, and Kirkus Reviews. Her latest novel is Little Threats, described as a "...taut whodunit and a haunting snapshot of the effects of a violent crime [that] tells the story of a woman who served 15 years in prison for murder ... and now it's time to find out if she's guilty." The book was named an Apple Books Best of November 2020 pick. Booklist said of the book, "Fans of Tana French, Kimberly Belle, and Orange is the

#PodcastersForJustice Internationally bestselling author, publisher, and founder of Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Press, Jesse Krieger, took time to chat with me about disruptions to the publishing industry, the intersection of creativity and commerce, and marketing and promotion strategies for self-published authors. "Learn what you need to know, to do what you love to do, so you can be the person you want to be" — Jesse Krieger Jesse has signed publishing deals on two different continents and navigated the path of becoming a bestselling author twice. He has been featured on over 50 media outlets for his bestselling book Lifestyle Entrepreneur. He has also published 100+ books during his six-year tenure as founder and publisher of Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Press, a boutique, hybrid model publishing house. “Their mission is to deliver a world-class publishing experience for authors – which they accomplish through their done-for-you publishing service – focused primarily on personal development, entrepreneurshi

#PodcastersForJustice Celebrated designer, Creative Director of Scribe Media, and author, Erin Tyler, spoke with me about how she overcame childhood trauma to become one of the industry's best book cover designers, why this is such an important time in publishing, and book cover fails to avoid. "My relationship with writing is a private one. It's just something that I do every day. It's almost religious for me. Some people meditate or do yoga. I write." — Erin Tyler Over her 20-year career, Erin has designed book covers for multiple New York Times bestselling authors including James Altucher, Ryan Holiday, David Goggins, and Tucker Max. As Creative Director of Scribe Media she helps manage and support "...the best book cover designers in the game ... to create unforgettable covers for authors." Erin recently illustrated and published her own memoir – The Bad One: A Memoir About Growing Up a Goat (short for scapegoat) – the story of her traumatic childhood. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: We can

#PodcastersForJustice New York Times Notable author, Bryan Washington, dropped by to chat about how his short stories garnered so much acclaim, what cuisine tells us about the larger narrative around sharing a meal, and why writers need to ignore the publishing marketplace. "A reading itself can feel more akin to a set list. You adjust your set list based on the context in which you're performing. I think of the reading ... as being interconnected with the text, but its own singular entity." — Bryan Washington The author published the award-winning story collection Lot in 2019 which garnered him – to name only a few – a National Book Award 5 Under 35 honor, the Dylan Thomas Prize, a Lambda Literary Award, numerous best-of-the-year lists, and one of President Barack Obama’s favorite books of 2019. His debut novel is Memorial, and it too earned a NY Times notable spot, a Good Morning America Book Club Pick, and was named a Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post, TIME, O, the Oprah Magazine, Esquire,

#PodcastersForJustice The New York Times bestselling crime novelist, Tana French, took a break to talk with me about her early training as an actress, her definition of creativity, and how to write through the tough times. "I didn't know if I could write a book. I'd written short stories and really galactically bad teenager poetry, but I'd never tried to write a book before." — Tana French The author has written eight mystery novels and is considered a master of suspense and the modern psychological thriller. Her work has been compared to writers including James Ellroy and Donna Tartt, and has been called "incandescent" by Stephen King, and "absolutely mesmerizing" by Gillian Flynn. Her novels have sold over three million copies and won numerous awards, including the Edgar and Barry awards, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Best Mystery/Thriller, and the Irish Book Award for Crime Fiction. Her latest bestseller, The Searcher, is her second stand-alone novel, and she was described by The Washington P

#PodcastersForJustice The New York Times bestselling Southern crime writer, Ace Atkins, took a minute to talk with me about his superhero origins as a journalist, the complicated, dark history of the American South, and the challenge and thrill of changing POVs in the novel. "Make sure you're picking [your genre and subject] for the right reason, that you're picking something that's your personal obsession. When you do that you're never really working, you're really just having fun." — Ace Atkins The author has written 26 books, including ten in his country noir, Quinn Colson series, and eight bestselling novels in the continuation of Robert B. Parker’s iconic Spenser series. He has been nominated for every major award in crime fiction, including the Edgar three times. HBO recently optioned his Quinn Colson novels for a series that's currently in development and Ace's second novel for the Robert B. Parker estate, Wonderland, was made into the film "Spenser Confidential" starring Mark Wahlberg and direct

#PodcastersForJustice The #1 New York Times bestselling author of paranormal fiction, Laurell K. Hamilton, took a break to talk with me about why her first fantasy novel nearly tanked her career, some of the systems that go into her world-building, and why writers need to stay off the internet and protect their writing time. "I am very much a believer that if my characters have a better idea then that's magic. They've become alive enough to argue with me, to have an opinion. And I don't squash my own magic." — Laurell K. Hamilton The trailblazing, genre-bending author of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series, and the Merry Gentry series, is considered an influential pioneer to the urban-fantasy genre. Laurell has sold more than 20 million books worldwide. The 27th novel in her wildly popular Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series is Sucker Punch, a mash-up of her signature blend of mystery, magic, horror, and romance. Fellow #1 New York Times bestselling author, Charlaine Harris, said of the author, "Hamilton re

#PodcastersForJustice The lauded science journalist and author, Marta Zaraska, spoke with me about the impacts of loneliness on your health, why we need to think about aging earlier, and how smartphones ruin relationships. "Too much concentration on our smartphones is definitely damaging our health. The reason for that is that it tends to damage our relationships ." — Marta Zaraska Marta is the author of two non-fiction books (including Meathooked and Growing Young) two literary novels, and has contributed to two travel books published by National Geographic. Her latest book is Growing Young: How Friendship, Optimism and Kindness Can Help You Live to 100, and is "A smart, research-driven case for why optimism, kindness, and strong social networks will help us live to 100." Bestselling author Adam Grant said of the book, "If you care about the length and quality of your life but can’t stomach yet another diet or workout routine, this book is for you." Marta has been published in the Washington Post, Sc

#PodcastersForJustice The internationally bestselling author of The Productivity Project and Hyperfocus, Chris Bailey, took the time to chat with me about tricks for focusing on what matters most, and how writers can cultivate more calm and creativity through uncertain times. "Tolkien said, 'Not all those who wander are lost.' I would argue that the exact same thing is true for our attention." — Chris Bailey Fresh out of college Chris took a full year off to study productivity. He posted his experiments to his popular blog, A Life of Productivity, which went on to become the international bestseller, The Productivity Project. His latest book is Hyperfocus: How to Manage Your Attention in a World of Distraction, "A practical guide to managing your attention--the most powerful resource you have to get stuff done, [and be] more creative." Chris’s TEDx talk – How to Get Your Brain to Focus – on the subject of Hyperfocus has received over 5.4 million views. David Allen, author of Getting Things Done said o

#PodcastersForJustice The internationally bestselling author of "domestic suspense" thrillers, Shari Lapena, took a few minutes to chat with me about her circuitous path to success, how she subverts the idea of the perfect "white picket fence" family, and her unique process as a novelist. "I always just start with an idea and write chronologically all the way through to the end. I don't have a plan, but as I go along, ideas present themselves....it's all very organic" — Shari Lapena She's the author of popular "suburban paranoia" thrillers – including The Couple Next Door and Someone We Know – and multiple New York Times and The Sunday Times (London) bestsellers. The Couple Next Door was an international breakout and New York Times bestseller for an astounding 23 consecutive weeks. Her books have been sold in 37 countries and sold more than seven million copies worldwide. Her latest is The End of Her, a book that "... will have readers questioning their spouse’s past and their own judgment as well." #

#PodcastersForJustice Award-winning speculative fiction and fantasy novelist, Robert Jackson Bennett, chatted with me about turning genre conventions upside down, how he incorporates critiques on modern society into his writing, and why truth is stranger than fiction. He's the Hugo-nominated author of a handful of critically acclaimed novels including The Divine Cities trilogy and The Founders Trilogy. He has received the Edgar Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, and the Phillip K. Dick Citation of Excellence, and he has been shortlisted for the World Fantasy, British Fantasy, and Locus Awards. Bennett posited the idea of "industrialized magic" in book one of his Founders Trilogy, Foundryside (a Time, Paste, Vulture, and The Verge “Best Fantasy Books of 2018” pick). His second installment in that series is Shorefall, which Kirkus Review called, "Tolkien meets AI .... neatly blending technology, philosophy, and fantasy ... An expertly spun yarn by one of the best fantasy writers on the scene today." Please

#PodcastersForJustice Busy screenwriter and director, Mattson Tomlin, took a minute to rap with me about debuting a film during a pandemic, what it takes to break into Hollywood, and how he was brought on to co-write The Batman with Director Matt Reeves. "Every script is an opportunity to change your life. Every script is an investment in yourself."—Mattson Tomlin Mattson rose to prominence in 2017 after a bidding war for his original screenplay that became the Netflix film, Project Power, starring Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and breakout Dominique Fishback. Hollywood Reporter describes the film as an "... action-packed tale that tackles themes [like] government control and the exploitation of marginalized communities." Tomlin recently gained attention for being brought on board to co-write The Batman with Matt Reeves; the reboot will star Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, and Jeffrey Wright among others. He is writing a film adaption of the video game character Mega Man for 20th Century Studios an