The Writer Files: Writing, Productivi...

If you’re searching for a show that pulls back the curtain on the mystique of the writing life, look no further than The Writer Files. Hosts Kelton Reid and Milena Gonzalez study the habits, habitats, and brains of the biggest and brightest authors of our time.

Tune in each week to learn from bestselling and acclaimed writers on how to keep the ink flowing, the cursor moving, and avoid writer’s block. Please follow The Writer Files wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a rating or review to help other writers find us.

Arts
Books
Education
51
How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Jim Butcher ...
#1 New York Times bestselling author, Jim Butcher, spoke with me about how he outlined a hit 20-novel series (years before he had an agent), why all steampunks wear goggles, and the second book in his Cinder Spires series, THE OLYMPIAN AFFAIR.
31 min
52
How NY Times Bestselling Author Antony Johnston...
New York Times bestselling author Antony Johnston, spoke to me about falling backwards into video game writing, meeting Atomic Blonde’s Charlize Theron, and his new interactive whodunit Can You Solve the Murder?
34 min
53
How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Anne Lamott ...
#1 New York Times bestselling author, Anne Lamott, spoke with me about 40 years of teaching writing, how to write more bravely, on sh*tty first drafts, and sharing hacks she’s learned over her career at the Writers Rising 2024 retreat.
31 min
54
How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Jodi Picoult...
#1 New York Times bestselling author, Jodi Picoult, spoke with me about writing for Wonder Woman, adapting books for musical theater, and the question of Shakespeare's true authorship in her upcoming novel BY ANY OTHER NAME.
31 min
55
How to Build a Meaningful Author Platform with ...
29 min
56
How Founding Editor of the LA Review of Books T...
Bestselling, award-winning author, and founder of the LA Review of Books, Tom Lutz, returned to talk with me about life in the French countryside, his writer’s residency, and the greatest year in literary history, 1925.
34 min
57
How Bestselling Author Rachel Slade Writes
Award-winning journalist and bestselling author Rachel Slade spoke to me about majoring in “New York,” killing her darlings, and the future of manufacturing in her latest book MAKING IT IN AMERICA.
40 min
58
How #1 Sunday Times Bestselling Ghostwriter Mar...
#1 Sunday Times Bestselling ghostwriter Marie Ellis spoke to me about her past lives in both acting and journalism, setting her ego aside as a ghost, and hacking the hero’s journey.
32 min
59
How NY Times Bestselling Author Hanif Abdurraqi...
New York Times bestselling author Hanif Abdurraqib spoke to me about taking a leap of faith, the tentpoles of his writing practice, and his recent NBCC award-winning THERE’S ALWAYS THIS YEAR: On Basketball and Ascension.
28 min
60
How NY Times Bestselling Author Laura Munson Wr...
New York Times bestselling Author Laura Munson spoke to me about her acclaimed writing retreats, building a bridge to readers, and bringing wonder back into our lives with her latest THE WILD WHY.
49 min
61
How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Tomi Adeyemi...
#1 New York Times bestselling author, Tomi Adeyemi, spoke to me about the film adaptation of Children of Blood and Bone, her evolution as a writer, and the final book in her Orisha trilogy, Children of Anguish and Anarchy.
28 min
62
How Acclaimed Debut Novelist Emily Everett Writes
Acclaimed debut novelist Emily Everett spoke to me about finding a writing community, impostor syndrome, setting aside self-doubt, and her literary debut, ALL THAT LIFE CAN AFFORD.
32 min
63
How Award-Winning Writer & Producer Arvind Etha...
Award-winning writer and producer Arvind Ethan David spoke to me about making sh*t up for a living, late bloomers, and adapting RAYMOND CHANDLER’S TROUBLE IS MY BUSINESS into a graphic novel.
31 min
64
How Founding Editor of the LA Review of Books T...
Award-winning author, founder, and editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Review of Books, Tom Lutz, took a timeout to talk with me about his early years as a literary ne'er-do-well, what it's like to hang out with your heroes, and why you can assume every writer is faking it just a little bit.
47 min
65
How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Susannah Cah...
#1 New York Times bestselling author, Susannah Cahalan, spoke to me about her writing process, witch candles, and stepping into the shoes of psychedelic pioneer Rosemary Woodruff Leary in her new biography THE ACID QUEEN.
32 min
66
How NY Times Bestselling Author Emma Knight Writes
New York Times bestselling author, journalist, and entrepreneur Emma Knight spoke to me about finding the courage to write fiction, the Loch Ness Monster of motherhood, and her breakout debut novel The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus.
28 min
67
How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Carley Fortu...
#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.
30 min
68
How Acclaimed Debut Novelist Jeanette Horn Writes
Acclaimed debut novelist and award-winning poet Jeanette Horn spoke to me about writing experimental poetry, getting a fateful call from the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, and the magical realism in her debut novel PLAY, WITH KNIVES.
29 min
69
How Award-Winning Journo & The Atlantic Writer ...
29 min
70
Bonus: Matt Haig Reads an Excerpt from 'The Mid...
26 min
71
How NY Times Bestselling Author Matt Haig Write...
35 min
72
How Bestselling Author & Literary Agent Betsy L...
32 min
73
How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Ernest Cline...
27 min
74
How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Ernest Cline...
#1 New York Times bestselling novelist and screenwriter, Ernest Cline, spoke to me about what inspired him to become a novelist, the success of Ready Player One, and his love letter to Austin, Texas, the mostly true tall tale BRIDGE TO BAT CITY.
24 min
75
How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Marissa Meye...
#1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer spoke with me about, cutting her teeth on fanfiction, working briefly in publishing, and THE HAPPY WRITER, a guide to writing with less stress and more JOY.
29 min