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

Kelton Reid studies the habits, habitats, and brains of a wide spectrum of renowned writers to learn their secrets of productivity and creativity. Tune in each week to learn how great writers keep the ink flowing, the cursor moving, and avoid block. Explore our archives at writerfiles.fm to find interviews with notable guests that include bestselling authors John Scalzi (Old Mans War), Greg Iles (Natchez Burning), Jay McInerney (Bright Lights, Big City), Kevin Kelly (founder of WIRED magazine), Emma Donoghue (Oscar Nominee for Room), Maria Konnikova (The Confidence Game), Andy Weir (The Martian), Dan Buettner (The Blue Zones), Austin Kleon (Steal Like an Artist), Daniel Pink (When), and serial guest hosts: neuroscientist Michael Grybko, journalist Adam Skolnick, and short story writer Robert Bruce.

How Award-Winning NY Times Bestselling Author Deanna Raybourn Writes

Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author, Deanna Raybourn, spoke to me about how she still feels like a debut author, why she doesn’t read reviews, and her new contemporary thriller “Killers of a Certain Age.”

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How Acclaimed Debut Novelist and Podcaster Bobby Finger Writes

Journalist, hit entertainment podcaster, and debut novelist, Bobby Finger, spoke to me about writing for Jezebel, turning a screenplay into a novel, and his debut, “The Old Place.”

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How Award-Winning & Bestselling Author A.M. Homes Writes

Bestselling, award-winning author A.M. Homes, spoke to me about getting sued by J.D. Salinger, the irony of winning the Women’s Prize for Fiction, and her latest “The Unfolding.”

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How Award-Winning & Bestselling Author Candice Carty-Williams Writes

Bestselling, award-winning author Candice Carty-Williams, spoke to me about the tragicomic nature of being, winning “Book of the Year” at the British Book Awards, and her latest “People Person.”

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How Award-Winning Journalist & Debut Memoirist Casey Parks Writes

Award-winning journalist and debut memoirist, Casey Parks, spoke to me about her lifelong reverence for journalism, the emotional cost of writing a memoir, and her debut “Diary of a Misfit.”

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How Nobel Prize-Winning Author Abdulrazak Gurnah Writes

2021 winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, Abdulrazak Gurnah, spoke to me about life after becoming a laureate, the difference between authors and writers, and his latest novel “Afterlives.”

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How Award-Winning Debut Novelist LaToya Watkins Writes

Pushcart Prize-winning short story writer and debut novelist, LaToya Watkins, spoke to me about landing the cover of Publishers Weekly’s Writers to Watch Fall 2022, the legacy of William Faulkner, and her debut “Perish.”

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How Literary Critic & Publishing Insider Bethanne Patrick (AKA TheBookMaven) Writes

Longtime literary critic and publishing insider, Bethanne Patrick, spoke to me about how she became a famed reviewer, where she puts all the books, and her new investigative podcast “Missing Pages.”

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How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Mark Greaney Writes: Part Two

#1 New York Times bestselling author, Mark Greaney, returned to talk about hanging out on the red carpet with Netflix “The Gray Man” stars Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans, turning a failed screenplay into a hit audio play, and his latest, “Armored.”

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How NY Times Bestselling Author Sarah Pearse Writes

New York Times and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author, Sarah Pearse, spoke to me about Agatha Christie’s legacy, how to write plausible police procedurals, and the place that inspired her latest, “The Retreat.”

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