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 Critically Acclaimed Author Hilary Leichter...
Critically acclaimed author, Hilary Leichter, spoke to me about why she thinks of herself as a realist, how her life imitates art, finding a novel hidden in her closet, and her latest, TERRACE STORY.
33 min
102
How NY Times Bestselling Author Andrea Bartz Wr...
New York Times bestselling author and journalist, Andrea Bartz, spoke to me about her previous life as a magazine editor, how to write feminist psychological thrillers, and all the tension, twists, and toxic relationships in her latest novel THE SPARE ROOM.
31 min
103
How Critically Acclaimed Author Andrew Lipstein...
Critically acclaimed author, Andrew Lipstein, spoke to me about failure as an MFA, how he sold his first novel, why time spent not writing is also important, and his latest THE VEGAN.
27 min
104
How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Susan Wiggs ...
#1 New York Times bestselling author, Susan Wiggs, spoke to me about why writers need to follow their bliss, how her stories come together like patchwork quilts, and her most “summery” novel yet, WELCOME TO BEACH TOWN.
31 min
105
How NY Times Bestselling Author Helen Schulman ...
New York Times bestselling author and educator, Helen Schulman, spoke to me about her winding path to bestseller, why a writing career is 90% sweat and rejection, and how the #MeToo movement inspired her latest novel, LUCKY DOGS.
32 min
106
How NY Times Bestselling Author James Swallow W...
New York Times bestselling author, James Swallow, returns to chat with me about the solitary life of a writer, his undying love of ‘80s and ‘90s cinema, why you’re only as good as your last title, and his latest novel DARK HORIZON.
35 min
107
How NY Times Bestselling Author Ashley Audrain ...
New York Times bestselling author, Ashley Audrain, spoke to me about giving herself permission to write sh*tty first drafts, writing in public, and her second novel THE WHISPERS.
25 min
108
How Internationally Bestselling Author Liv Cons...
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.
30 min
109
How NY Times Bestselling Author Fiona Barton Wr...
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.
30 min
110
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
111
How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Emily Henry ...
#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.
30 min
112
How Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Hernan Diaz W...
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.
33 min
113
How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Ruta Sepetys...
#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.
30 min
114
How NY Times Bestselling Author J. Ryan Stradal...
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.
29 min
115
How NY Times Bestselling Author Chanel Cleeton ...
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.
26 min
116
How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Bonnie Garmu...
#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.
27 min
117
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
118
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
119
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
120
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
121
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
122
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
123
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
124
‘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
125
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