The Writer Files: Writing, Productivi...

Learn how acclaimed writers keep the ink flowing, the cursor moving, and avoid writer’s block.

Each week, host Kelton Reid chats with guests like Nobel Prize winner Abdulrazak Gurnah, on life after becoming a laureate; #1 New York Times bestselling author, Emily Henry on her past life as a YA mid-lister; Celebrated author, Walter Mosley, on his conflicted feelings after winning a National Book Award; NY Times bestselling author, Lisa Scottoline, on what she learned from literary lion Philip Roth; #1 NY Times bestselling author Dennis Lehane on what he borrowed from Clint Eastwood; and bestselling author, Matt Haig, on the process behind his novel, The Midnight Library, and serial guest hosts: neuroscientist Michael Grybko, journalist Adam Skolnick, and short story writer Robert Bruce.

Arts
Books
Education
101
How NY Times Bestselling Author Gregg Hurwitz W...
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.
33 min
102
How Critically Acclaimed Author Margot Douaihy ...
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.
42 min
103
How to Write a Bestselling Audio Drama with Wri...
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.
39 min
104
How Award-Winning Author, Artist & Filmmaker Le...
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.
57 min
105
How NY Times Bestselling Author Jill Santopolo ...
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.
29 min
106
How NY Times Bestselling Author Rebecca Makkai ...
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.
33 min
107
How NY Times Bestselling Author William Landay ...
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.
40 min
108
‘On Writing and Failure’ with Author Stephen Ma...
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.”
27 min
109
How NY Times Bestselling Author Deepti Kapoor W...
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.
26 min
110
How NY Times Bestselling Debut Novelist Ana Rey...
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.”
26 min
111
How NY Times Bestselling Horror Writer Grady He...
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.”
30 min
112
How Academy Award-Nominated Screenwriter & Nove...
Academy Award-nominated screenwriter and debut novelist, Iris Yamashita, spoke to me about working with Clint Eastwood, her journey from Hollywood to publishing, and falling down the rabbit hole with her first mystery “City Under One Roof.”
32 min
113
How Acclaimed Debut Novelist Kai Thomas Writes
Acclaimed debut novelist, Kai Thomas, spoke to me about writing historical fiction that interweaves Black and Indigenous cultures, the power of storytelling, keeping grounded in his work, and his novel “In the Upper Country.”
36 min
114
How NY Times Bestselling Author Jayne Ann Krent...
Award-winning and NY Times bestselling author, Jayne Ann Krentz, spoke to me about how persistence has defined her career, why you need to describe your core story in three words, and her latest thriller, “Sleep No More.”
30 min
115
How to Ghostwrite a Bestseller with Author Adam...
Award-winning indie journalist and author, Adam Skolnick, returns to discuss the “virus of dissatisfaction,” writing for modern-day samurai David Goggins, and their latest journey to bestseller with “Never Finished,” the sequel to a bestselling memoir.
37 min
116
How to Ghostwrite a Bestseller with Author Adam...
In Part Two of this file, we return with an exclusive look into the process behind not only how a writer gets paid to ghostwrite a title for a celebrity, but also the writing, research, and indie publishing of a book that has sat on top of the Amazon charts for over a year!
30 min
117
How to Ghostwrite a Bestseller with Author Adam...
We are rebroadcasting this incredible look into the process behind not only how a writer gets paid to ghostwrite a title for a celebrity, but also the writing, research, and indie publishing of a book that sat on top of the Amazon charts for over a year! Did it finally beat Michelle Obama’s competing bestseller? Stay tuned to find out.
27 min
118
How Acclaimed Debut Novelist Brendan Slocumb Wr...
Violinist and lauded debut novelist, Brendan Slocumb, spoke to me about how both music and writing saved his life, the darker side of the classical music world, and his debut "The Violin Conspiracy."
31 min
119
How NY Times Bestselling Thriller Writer Jeffer...
#1 international bestselling author of over 40 novels, Jeffery Deaver, returns to rap about his prolific output, an award-winning handbook for mystery writers, and the latest Colter Shaw novel, "Hunting Time."
38 min
120
How NY Times Bestselling Thriller Writer Jeffer...
The #1 internationally bestselling author of over 40 novels, Jeffery Deaver, took a few minutes to discuss his advice on how to write emotionally engaging fiction, the merits of plotters vs. pantsers, and a 5-step process for writing your novel.
32 min
121
How Award-Winning Author & Filmmaker Priyanka K...
Award-winning author and filmmaker, Priyanka Kumar, spoke to me about the language of cinema, her Zen leanings, returning to the solace of nature, and her latest, "Conversations with Birds."
35 min
122
How Hemingway Wrote with Prof. Mark Cirino
Ernest Hemingway scholar and author, Professor Mark Cirino, spoke to me about the ethos of the late literary lion, how Hemingway outlived his myth, and his mission to uncover Hem's truest sentence.
39 min
123
How #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Robert...
Award-winning and #1 NY Times bestselling author, Robert Crais, spoke to me about breathing life into the ur detective novel, the legacy of Raymond Chandler, his love of LA, and his latest, "Racing the Light."
25 min
124
How NY Times Bestselling Mystery Writer Tana Fr...
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.
29 min
125
How Award-Winning Debut Memoirist Prince Shakur...
Award-winning, queer, Jamaican-American writer, videographer, activist, and debut memoirist, Prince Shakur, spoke to me about James Baldwin's legacy, writing towards his father's murder, and his latest, "When They Tell You To Be Good."
31 min