The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience
Kelton Reid
“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 ...
14 Timeless Storytelling Principles with Author Douglas Vigliotti: Part One
Polymath and author of ARISTOTLE FOR NOVELISTS Douglas Vigliotti spoke with me about the outsized influence of Poetics on storytelling, why a well-told story is so cathartic, and the three big questions every writer must answer.
Douglas Vigliotti is the author of four non-fiction and fiction books, including Tom Collins: A ‘Slightly Crooked’ Novel. He is also the host of Books for Men, a weekly podcast created to inspire (more) men to read.
His latest, Aristotle for Novelists: 14 Timeless Principles on the Art of Story, is described as a writing and creativity guide on “... how to write a novel using tried-and-true principles that have been used since antiquity to tell great stories.”
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In this file Douglas Vigliotti and I discussed:
How he mined Poetics to help craft his first novel
His take on why The Penguin is so popular
Why he doesn’t trust writers who don’t read (a lot)
The importance of consistency in all great fiction
Why tragedies are more powerful than epics
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
douglasvigliotti.com
Aristotle for Novelists: 14 Timeless Principles on the Art of Story by Douglas Vigliotti (Amazon)
Douglas Vigliotti Amazon Author Page
Douglas Vigliotti on Instagram
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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53:44
How NY Times Bestselling Author Christina Lynch Writes
New York Times bestselling author Christina Lynch spoke with me about working with Harvard pal Conan O’Brien, gang writing for TV, her nom de plume, and her new novel, PONY CONFIDENTIAL, featuring a grumpy pony.
Christina Lynch is the author of Sally Brady's Italian Adventure, The Italian Party, and – under the pen name Magnus Flyte – co-author of New York Times bestseller City of Dark Magic and City of Lost Dreams.
Her latest mystery, Pony Confidential (Berkley/PRH), is “... an epic saga, narrated by a pony, about the bond between animals and their humans.” It was named an NPR “Book of the Day,” Amazon Top 100 Books of 2024, an Indie Next Pick for November, and many other “most anticipated” lists.
Christina Lynch was an editor on the Harvard Lampoon, the Milan correspondent for W magazine, and wrote for TV on the writing staffs of Unhappily Ever After and Stephen King’s The Dead Zone among others. She teaches at College of the Sequoias.
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In this file Christina Lynch and I discussed:
End-of-semester panic and counseling her students
Why she burned out on fashion and disappeared in Tuscany
How a game with a fellow writer turned into a bestseller
What her most recent success has meant to her
The crazy story behind her latest novel
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
clynchwriter.com
Pony Confidential By Christina Lynch (Amazon)
In the new novel 'Pony Confidential,' a crime-solving pony seeks revenge - NPR
Christina Lynch Amazon Author Page
Christina Lynch on Facebook
Christina Lynch on Instagram
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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38:53
How Award-Winning & Bestselling Author A.M. Homes Writes: Redux
Note: I revisited a chat with the soothsayer A.M. Homes from 2022.
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."
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.
Her latest novel is The Unfolding, described as a "... darkly comedic alternative history that takes us into the heart of a fractured family living in a divided country."
New York Times bestselling author Salman Rushdie called the book, “A terrific black comedy, written almost entirely in pitch-perfect dialogue, that feels terrifyingly close to the unfunny truth.”
A.M. Homes was a Co-Executive Producer and Writer on David E. Kelly and Stephen King’s, Mr. Mercedes, and a writer/producer of the Showtime series The L Word.
Her work has been translated into 22 languages and appears frequently in Art Forum, Harpers, Granta, McSweeney's, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Zoetrope. She is a Contributing Editor to Vanity Fair, Bomb and Blind Spot, and she has taught in the Creative Writing Program at Princeton.
Stay calm and write on ...
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In this file A.M. Homes and I discussed:
Her early struggles with dyslexia
Why awards and votes of confidence are so important for writers
How she helped hire Dennis Lehane to write for Mr. Mercedes
Her strange obsession with George Washington and her claim to Capitol Hill
How to write your way out of a jam
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
amhomesbooks.com
The Unfolding: A Novel by A.M. Homes (Amazon)
A.M. Homes on Facebook
A.M. Homes on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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34:31
How 'It's Always Sunny' Creator and Star Rob McElhenney Writes: Redux
Note: I revisited a chat with multi-hyphenate Rob McElhenney from 2020.
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.
"Everyone is going through the same things. At least, people who respect science are. That sense of loneliness and despair ... needs to be addressed in some way, but ultimately we want to leave people with a sense of optimism." – Rob McElhenney
FX recently renewed his irreverent "It’s Always Sunny..." for a 15th season, making it officially the longest-running live-action sitcom in US history.
The multihyphenate's latest, Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet, is a comedy series "...that follows a team of video game developers as they navigate the challenges of running a popular video game,"
The Apple TV+ show was co-created with "Sunny" alums Charlie Day and Megan Ganz (executive produced by McElhenney and Day), and has been described as "... the travails of a boisterous video game studio – think Silicon Valley meets Veep."
*Note: Though I was lucky enough to catch Rob in his natural LA habitat, sadly the interview was cut short due to technical difficulties, our apologies for the abrupt ending.
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In this file Rob McElhenney and I discussed:
How It's Alway Sunny in Philadelphia almost didn't make it to the fourth season
The inner-workings of a perpetual creativity engine
How little episodic and streaming models of TV differ from a sitcom producer's perspective
His relationships with Danny DeVito and F. Murray Abraham
The evolution of "It's Always Sunny..." and why it stays culturally relevant
And how the greatest indie production tool you own is in your pocket
Show Notes:
Rob McElhenney on IMDb
Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet – Apple TV+
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia now longest-running live-action comedy series ever after season 15 renewal
Rob McElhenney on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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39:29
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!
We’re back with another episode from the second season titled “It’s a Matter of Taste.” This is part two of a two-part conversation.
Jeff Goins helps creative people succeed. Through his bestselling books, courses, coaching, and speeches, he inspires creators to discover their voice and share it with the world.
He is also the founder of Fresh Complaint, a bespoke creative agency that helps authors, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs turn their stories and ideas into books that change the way people think.
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In this file Jeff Goins and I discussed:
How developing your taste is a process of trusting yourself and your experience
Learning to live in the moment
Why it never gets better than the first sip
The art of learning to live a little more fully alive
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
goinswriter.com
freshcomplaint.com
Hey, Creator! Podcast
Jeff Goins Amazon Author Page
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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About The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience
“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.
Listen to The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience, 99% Invisible and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app