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

NOTE: Repost of our most popular episode of the year by far, enjoy! Bestselling author, podcaster, blogger, speaker, and my friend Jeff Goins, brought me along on a creative journey not too long ago called Hey, Creator! and it was some of the most fun I’ve had as a podcast producer. Here’s an episode from the last season we did together titled “How to Finish the First Draft of Anything.” Jeff Goins helps creative people succeed. Through his bestselling books, courses, coaching, and speeches, he shares his ongoing journey of transformation, inspiring creators to discover their voice and share it with the world. He is also the founder of Fresh Complaint, a bespoke creative agency that helps authors, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs turn their stories and ideas into books that change the way people think. [Discover The Writer Files Extra [https://mailchi.mp/b93a5bdd9b99/writer-files-extra]: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm [https://mailchi.mp/b93a5bdd9b99/writer-files-extra]] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id984527862]. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Jeff Goins and I discussed: Why the first step to finishing is to begin The secret to getting unstuck Why nothing is ever really finished And a lot more! Show Notes: goinswriter.com [https://goinswriter.com/] freshcomplaint.com [https://freshcomplaint.com/] Hey, Creator! Podcast [https://open.spotify.com/show/4GDmX03XafPsR9NlpLCnXz] Jeff Goins Amazon Author Page [https://amzn.to/3wsKSV8] Kelton Reid on Twitter [https://twitter.com/KeltonReid] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

New York Times bestselling author Penn Cole spoke with me about her past life as an attorney, living in Paris, how she became a breakout hybrid author, and book #2 in the Kindred’s Curse saga: GLOW OF THE EVERFLAME. Penn Cole is an internationally bestselling author whose debut series, The Kindred’s Curse Saga, became a BookTok and Bookstagram sensation, and an instant New York Times bestseller with over a million copies in more than a dozen languages. Described as a slow burn, epic romantasy series, Book #2, GLOW OF THE EVERFLAME, was called "Gripping…,” by The Library Journal, and in a starred review noted, “Readers will be clamoring for the next in the series after the cliffhanger ending." Before pursuing her lifelong dream of publishing, Penn had a prior career as an artist and attorney. [Discover The Writer Files Extra [https://mailchi.mp/b93a5bdd9b99/writer-files-extra]: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm [https://mailchi.mp/b93a5bdd9b99/writer-files-extra]] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id984527862]. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Penn Cole and I discussed: Falling for the myth of the “starving artist” How she self-published three books in 2023 Why she was so adamant about keeping her e-book rights when traditional publishers called The huge adjustment she’s had to make for her fans Why there’s some misconception about going “viral” And a lot more! Show Notes:  penncole.com [https://www.penncole.com/] Glow of the Everflame: A Novel; Book #2 of The Kindred’s Curse Saga [https://amzn.to/3Z1h8ce] by Penn Cole (Amazon) Penn Cole Amazon Author Page [https://amzn.to/3AXpCcu] Penn Cole on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/authorpenncole/] Penn Cole on Threads [https://www.threads.net/@authorpenncole] Penn Cole on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@AuthorPennCole] Penn Cole on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/authorpenncole/?hl=en] Penn Cole on Twitter [https://x.com/authorpenncole] Kelton Reid on Twitter [https://twitter.com/KeltonReid] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

PEN/Bellwether winner Fabienne Josaphat spoke with me about being born into storytelling, writing socially engaged fiction, and the revolution and injustice at the center of her new novel KINGDOM OF NO TOMORROW. Fabienne Josaphat was born and raised in Haiti, and graduated with an MFA in Creative Writing from Florida International University. Her sophomore novel KINGDOM OF NO TOMORROW was the 2023 winner of the PEN / Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction. Barbara Kingsolver established the biennial prize in 2000 to highlight previously unpublished works of fiction that addressed issues of social justice. Barbara Kingsolver, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Demon Copperhead, said of the book, "This beautifully convincing slice of history is powered not just by good research, but by lots of suspense, compelling characters, and understated political themes that …. bring the fierce vision of the Black Panthers to new generations of readers, adding some stunning context to the modern Black Lives Matter movement." In addition to fiction, Josaphat writes non-fiction, screenplays, and is an anthologized poet. Her work has been featured in The African American Review, The Washington Post, Teen Vogue, The Master’s Review, Grist Journal, and many others. [Discover The Writer Files Extra [https://mailchi.mp/b93a5bdd9b99/writer-files-extra]: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm [https://mailchi.mp/b93a5bdd9b99/writer-files-extra]] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id984527862]. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Fabienne Josaphat and I discussed: Why her grandfather’s stories helped shape her into a writer The surreal journey from award-winner to publication of her second novel How the Black Panthers were maligned by mainstream media The importance of preserving the oral storytelling tradition of her culture What writers can do to tame distraction And a lot more! Show Notes:  PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction [https://pen.org/program/pen-bellwether-prize/] - PEN America Kingdom of No Tomorrow [https://amzn.to/4eWiM50] by Fabienne Josaphat  (Amazon) Fabienne Josaphat on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/fabyjosaphat/] Fabienne Josaphat on Twitter [https://x.com/fabyjosaphat] Kelton Reid on Twitter [https://twitter.com/KeltonReid] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Polymath and author of ARISTOTLE FOR NOVELISTS Douglas Vigliotti spoke with me about the outsized influence of Poetics on storytelling, why a well-told story is so cathartic, and the three big questions every writer must answer. Douglas Vigliotti is the author of four non-fiction and fiction books, including Tom Collins: A ‘Slightly Crooked’ Novel. He is also the host of Books for Men, a weekly podcast created to inspire (more) men to read. His latest, Aristotle for Novelists: 14 Timeless Principles on the Art of Story, is described as a writing and creativity guide on “... how to write a novel using tried-and-true principles that have been used since antiquity to tell great stories.” [Discover The Writer Files Extra [https://mailchi.mp/b93a5bdd9b99/writer-files-extra]: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm [https://mailchi.mp/b93a5bdd9b99/writer-files-extra]] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id984527862]. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Douglas Vigliotti and I discussed: How he mined Poetics to help craft his first novel His take on why The Penguin is so popular Why he doesn’t trust writers who don’t read (a lot) The importance of consistency in all great fiction Why tragedies are more powerful than epics And a lot more! Show Notes:  douglasvigliotti.com [https://douglasvigliotti.com/] Aristotle for Novelists: 14 Timeless Principles on the Art of Story [https://amzn.to/4g21FA8] by Douglas Vigliotti (Amazon) Douglas Vigliotti Amazon Author Page [https://amzn.to/3AIirEV] Douglas Vigliotti on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/douglasvigliotti] Kelton Reid on Twitter [https://twitter.com/KeltonReid] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

New York Times bestselling author Christina Lynch spoke with me about working with Harvard pal Conan O’Brien, gang writing for TV, her nom de plume, and her new novel, PONY CONFIDENTIAL, featuring a grumpy pony. Christina Lynch is the author of Sally Brady's Italian Adventure, The Italian Party, and – under the pen name Magnus Flyte – co-author of New York Times bestseller City of Dark Magic and City of Lost Dreams. Her latest mystery, Pony Confidential (Berkley/PRH), is “... an epic saga, narrated by a pony, about the bond between animals and their humans.” It was named an NPR “Book of the Day,” Amazon Top 100 Books of 2024, an Indie Next Pick for November, and many other “most anticipated” lists. Christina Lynch was an editor on the Harvard Lampoon, the Milan correspondent for W magazine, and wrote for TV on the writing staffs of Unhappily Ever After and Stephen King’s The Dead Zone among others. She teaches at College of the Sequoias. [Discover The Writer Files Extra [https://mailchi.mp/b93a5bdd9b99/writer-files-extra]: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm [https://mailchi.mp/b93a5bdd9b99/writer-files-extra]] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id984527862]. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Christina Lynch and I discussed:  End-of-semester panic and counseling her students Why she burned out on fashion and disappeared in Tuscany How a game with a fellow writer turned into a bestseller What her most recent success has meant to her The crazy story behind her latest novel And a lot more! Show Notes:  clynchwriter.com [https://www.clynchwriter.com/] Pony Confidential [https://amzn.to/3OfFvhj] By Christina Lynch (Amazon) In the new novel 'Pony Confidential,' a crime-solving pony seeks revenge [https://www.npr.org/2024/11/18/1213978439/nprs-book-of-the-day-christina-lynch-pony-confidential] - NPR Christina Lynch Amazon Author Page [https://amzn.to/3OmTou1] Christina Lynch on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/christinalynchauthor/] Christina Lynch on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/clynchwriter/] Kelton Reid on Twitter [https://twitter.com/KeltonReid] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]