The Writer Files

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

Hosted ByKelton Reid

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.

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

November 15, 2024 The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience 00:34:31 Comments Off on How Award-Winning & Bestselling Author A.M. Homes Writes: Redux

Note: I revisited a chat from 2022 with soothsayer, bestselling, award-winning author A.M. Homes, who 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.” A.M. Homes is a TV producer, art critic, and the author of 13 books, including the bestselling memoir The Mistress’s Daughter. Her last novel, May We Be Forgiven, was the winner of the 2013 Women’s Prize for Fiction.

How ‘It’s Always Sunny’ Creator and Star Rob McElhenney Writes: Redux

November 8, 2024 The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience 00:39:29 Comments Off on How ‘It’s Always Sunny’ Creator and Star Rob McElhenney Writes: Redux

The writer, producer, and actor best known for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Rob McElhenney, took a timeout during the apocalypse to rap with me about how he runs his writer’s room, his humble beginnings and admiration for the great TV comedies, and his advice for aspiring TV producers.

It’s a Matter of Taste: Part Two with Jeff Goins

November 1, 2024 The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience 01:00:13 Comments Off on It’s a Matter of Taste: Part Two with Jeff Goins

Bestselling author, podcaster, blogger, speaker, and my friend Jeff Goins, recently brought me along on a creative journey called Hey, Creator!

It’s a Matter of Taste: Part One with Jeff Goins

October 25, 2024 The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience 01:01:16 Comments Off on It’s a Matter of Taste: Part One with Jeff Goins

Bestselling author, podcaster, blogger, speaker, and my friend Jeff Goins, recently brought me along on a creative journey called Hey, Creator!

How Bestselling Crime Novelist Walter Mosley Writes: Redux

October 18, 2024 The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience 00:33:19 Comments Off on How Bestselling Crime Novelist Walter Mosley Writes: Redux

Note: A revisiting of an amazing chat I had with the amazing Walter Mosley from 2021. Celebrated author, Walter Mosley, took a timeout to chat with me about how he didn’t write a sentence he liked until age 35, the sprawling muse of Los Angeles, and his conflicted feelings after winning a big National Book Award.

Creative Idiots with Jeff Goins

October 11, 2024 The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience 01:01:30 Comments Off on Creative Idiots with Jeff Goins

Bestselling author, podcaster, blogger, speaker, and my friend Jeff Goins, recently brought me along on a creative journey called Hey, Creator!

How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Anne Lamott Writes

October 4, 2024 The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience 00:37:03 Comments Off on How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Anne Lamott Writes

#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.

How NY Times Bestselling Author Ashley Audrain Writes: Redux

September 27, 2024 The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience 00:25:52 Comments Off on How NY Times Bestselling Author Ashley Audrain Writes: Redux

We’re excited to be partnering with Writers Rising as one of this year’s sponsors, and as a special gift to our listeners, we were able to get you a 10% discount on your in-person or virtual retreat ticket. Visit WritersRising.com today and enter code writerfiles10 to get that discount. Buy your ticket now before they sell out! We’ll see you there.

How Critically Acclaimed Debut Author Bryan VanDyke Writes

September 20, 2024 The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience 00:40:42 Comments Off on How Critically Acclaimed Debut Author Bryan VanDyke Writes

Critically acclaimed debut author Bryan VanDyke, spoke with me about the writer’s life in NYC, pushing the boundaries of literature and speculative fiction, and his latest novel about AI tech, IN OUR LIKENESS.

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