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

New York Times bestselling creative nonfiction author, Michael Tougias, joined me to talk about how he translated his success in the true survival genre for younger audiences, his unique research processes, and how he captures the "... heroism and humanity of people on life-saving missions..." during maritime disasters. "You've interviewed these people that have lost loved ones ... They're counting on you to tell the story right, and ... as an author you really do feel that pressure." – Michael Tougias Michael has written or co-written 29 books in a multitude of genres, including history, and humor, but found the most success with his popular true survival, creative nonfiction. He's the author of the bestseller The Finest Hours (now a motion picture from Disney starring Chris Pine and Casey Affleck), and Ten Hours Until Dawn (named an Editor's Choice by ALA and praised by Booklist as "the best story of peril at sea since The Perfect Storm"). With his latest "True Rescue Series" – adapted from his popula

The Emmy-nominated TV writer and professor, Sandy Fries, joined me this week to talk about the lessons he learned over his storied, 20-year career in Hollywood, and how he wrote hundreds of popular TV episodes, including Star Trek: The Next Generation, NBC’s Quantum Leap, and Spider-Man: The Animated [TV] Series. "We all have cracks, the sun shines through those cracks, and through those cracks is how one human being connects to another." – Sandy Fries Sandy has rubbed elbows with an incredible assortment of media moguls including Sam Simon, co-creator of The Simpsons – who gave Sandy his first break – Marvel's Stan Lee, Star Trek's Gene Rodenberry, and Chuck Lorre of The Big Bang Theory fame. He's written for almost every TV genre and has had feature film and television development deals with Warner Brothers and Dick Clark Productions throughout his career. In addition to his Emmy nod he recently won the 101 Best Written TV Series in the History of Television award from the Writer’s Guild of America, f

Bestselling novelist, award-winning adventure writer, and journalist, Peter Heller, jumped on the phone to talk with me about his early life as a starving poet, breaking into journalism, how he makes things up for a living, and what it's like to be compared to your heroes. "When I read [great] poetry or prose [it] comes through my skin and straight to my heart, and pretty much bypasses my head..." – Peter Heller Peter is a longtime contributor to NPR, and a former contributing editor at Outside Magazine, Men’s Journal, and National Geographic Adventure. He received an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop in fiction and poetry, is the author of four nonfiction books, and winner of the National Outdoor Book Award for Literature. Heller is a notable bestselling author of a half-dozen novels including The Dog Stars – a lauded breakout bestseller, published in 22 languages – The Painter, and Celine (a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize and winner of the Reading the West Book Award, shared in the past by West

Author, educator, and award-winning architect, Donald M. Rattner, stopped by this week to expound on invaluable research into the latest psychology and productivity studies to offer practical tips for designing your writing space for maximum creative output. “Unfortunately, once you go down this rabbit hole, you could go on and on forever...” – Donald M. Rattner Donald has an art history degree from Columbia (where he graduated with honors), and a Masters of Architecture from Princeton. He's now the founder of an award-winning architecture firm and a "Creativity Architect" whose work (on the psychology of creative spaces) has been featured on CNN, in The New York Times, Work Design Magazine, Better Humans, Town & Country, and many others. His latest book, My Creative Space: How to Design Your Home to Stimulate Ideas and Spark Innovation, offers "48 Techniques to Boost Your Creativity at Home, According to Science." The book has a coffee table slash textbook feel to it and includes "... over 200 high-qu

In Part Two of this file the international bestselling hybrid author and crime novelist, Adam Croft, returned to chat with me from overseas about the processes, productivity hacks, and professionalism that have helped him become one of the most successful independently published authors in the world, and why writers need to develop a business mindset to do the same. "Writing more books is going to earn you more money, and that should always be your priority.” – Adam Croft Adam's previous career was as a freelance designer and editor, but his hard work and persistence over ten years have helped him become one of the biggest selling authors of the last decade. How did Adam go on to sell close to two million books in over 120 countries in such a short time? We'll dig into his inspiring story, including the stories behind his breakthrough worldwide bestseller Her Last Tomorrow, and his crime thriller Knight & Culverhouse series, which knocked J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child off the top sp

The international bestselling hybrid author and crime novelist, Adam Croft, spoke with me from overseas about the processes, productivity hacks, and professionalism that have helped him become one of the most successful independently published authors in the world, and why writers need to develop a business mindset to do the same. "Writing more books is going to earn you more money, and that should always be your priority.” – Adam Croft Adam's previous career was as a freelance designer and editor, but his hard work and persistence over ten years have helped him become one of the biggest selling authors of the last decade. How did Adam go on to sell close to two million books in over 120 countries in such a short time? We'll dig into his inspiring story, including the stories behind his breakthrough worldwide bestseller Her Last Tomorrow, and his crime thriller Knight & Culverhouse series, which knocked J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child off the top spot in Canada only weeks after Her La

New York Times bestselling author, Joseph Finder, took a timeout to talk with me about how to write prescient, cutting-edge suspense, his writing rituals, overcoming impostor syndrome, and how to come to terms with a business built on rejection. "My objective is not to present research...my objective is to make people turn the pages." – Joseph Finder The award-winning author is known for his "cutting-edge suspense ripped straight from the headlines." He's written 16 novels and counting, including Judgment, The Switch, Guilty Minds, The Fixer, Suspicion, and the international bestseller Killer Instinct. Two of his bestselling novels – Paranoia and High Crimes – have been turned into major motion pictures, and Vanished, Finder's instant bestseller, introduced readers to “private spy” Nick Heller. His latest is House on Fire: A Novel (A Nick Heller Novel), focusing on "... a wealthy family who owns a pharmaceutical company at the epicenter of the opioid crisis." The Washington Post said of the book, the t

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, researching, and indie publishing of a book that has sat on top of the Amazon charts for over a year. “If you’re struggling to figure out what to write, it means you don’t know what you want to say." – Adam Skolnick Note: We had to get special permission from the incredible human and author, David Goggins, to share this story – so this is truly an exclusive – but it’s no secret that the book was written by my good friend. A huge thank you to Mr. Goggins and his spirit, generosity, and ethos. From ideation of his bestselling book Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds – by Author David Goggins – to publishing with Lioncrest, and the experimental new media formats like an audiobook/podcast and beyond, this is a glimpse behind the camouflage curtain. “... Can't Hurt Me, shares [Goggins's] astonishing life story and reveals that m

Welcome back to a special edition of the show we traditionally call “Writer Porn.” To kick off 2020 we have a very enlightening show for you that you're not going to want to miss. It’s 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! Did it beat Michelle Obama in 2019? TK “If you’re struggling to figure out what to write, it means you don’t know what you want to say." – Adam Skolnick Note: We had to get special permission from the incredible human and author, David Goggins, to share this story – so this is truly an exclusive – but it’s no secret that the book was written by my good friend. A huge thank you to Mr. Goggins and his spirit, generosity, and ethos. From ideation of his bestselling book Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds – by Author David Goggins – to publishing with Lioncrest, and the experimenta

Acclaimed, award-winning Mexican author and critic, Juan Pablo Villalobos, spoke with me from Barcelona, Spain about making difficult subjects accessible to young adults, the challenge of shifting from fiction to non-fiction, and why finding the right voice and POV is so important to telling your story. “If you know perfectly where you're going, the reader will feel the same ... he or she will get bored.” – Juan Pablo Villalobos The tragicomic, avant-garde author (known to his friends as J.P.) has published film and literary criticism, short stories, and award-winning novels now translated into 15 languages. His novels include Down the Rabbit Hole, shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award (2011), as well as I Don’t Expect Anyone to Believe Me, a Herralde Prize (2016) winner soon to be published in English. New York Times bestselling author Roxane Gay has called his writing “Excellent satire ... hilarious and smart, [that] takes on class in Mexico ... in a really useful way.” The author's latest is

Tony Award-winning Broadway producer, writer, and artrepreneur, Ken Davenport, stopped by this week to talk with me about what it takes to consistently create hit musical theatre, his passion for storytelling, and lessons on today's business of Broadway. “I'm on a mission to help 5000 shows get produced by 2025.” – Ken Davenport Over his storied career Mr. Davenport has had multiple Tony Award wins and nominations for his productions including 2018's Best Revival of a Musical for Once on This Island. His lengthy list of credits also includes The Play That Goes Wrong, Groundhog Day (Tony nomination), Awakening (Tony nomination), Macbeth starring Alan Cumming, Godspell, Kinky Boots (Broadway – Tony Award, National Tour, Toronto and West End), The Visit (Tony nomination), Mothers and Sons (Tony nomination), The Bridges of Madison County, Chinglish, Oleanna starring Bill Pullman and Julia Stiles, and Will Ferrell’s You’re Welcome America, to name only a few. Ken is a co-founder of TEDxBroadway whose product

In Part Two of this file the Academy Award nominated screenwriter, actor, and author, Kim Krizan, returned to discuss how she came to work with director Richard Linklater on the critically acclaimed Before Sunrise film series, her lifelong study of femme fatales, and the pioneering work of author Anaïs Nin. "I write so the endangered thoughts roaming naked and vulnerable through the misty jungles of my mind aren't slain by the guns of practical living." – Kim Krizan Kim earned her Masters degree in English and Literature and while she was writing her thesis – titled "Anaïs Nin and The Psychology of Creativity" – she auditioned for a film part on a lark. As a result, she went on to act in some of acclaimed director Richard Linklater's best known films including Slacker, Dazed and Confused, and even played herself in Waking Life. After taking interest in her Masters thesis, Linklater and Krizan went on to co-write the lauded film Before Sunrise (1995), featuring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, and they colla

Academy Award nominated screenwriter, actor, and author, Kim Krizan, joined me this week to discuss how she came to work with director Richard Linklater on the critically acclaimed Before Sunrise film series, her lifelong study of femme fatales, and the pioneering work of author Anaïs Nin. "I write so the endangered thoughts roaming naked and vulnerable through the misty jungles of my mind aren't slain by the guns of practical living." – Kim Krizan Kim earned her Masters degree in English and Literature and while she was writing her thesis – titled "Anaïs Nin and The Psychology of Creativity" – she auditioned for a film part on a lark. As a result, she went on to act in some of acclaimed director Richard Linklater's best known films including Slacker, Dazed and Confused, and even played herself in Waking Life. After taking interest in her Masters thesis, Linklater and Krizan went on to co-write the lauded film Before Sunrise (1995), featuring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, and they collaborated on the ent

In Part Two of this file the showrunner and Executive Producer of Netflix's Daybreak, Aron Eli Coleite, returned to chat with me about what it takes to survive high school (at the apocalypse), paying his dues in Hollywood, and the collaborative nature of world-building and scriptwriting for TV. "Surviving high school is like surviving the apocalypse," – Aron Eli Coleite Aron is a comic book writer, TV writer, and producer best known for his work on the popular NBC series Heroes and the CBS series Star Trek Discovery. His latest is the dark, zombie comedy series Daybreak starring Matthew Broderick, co-created with Brad Peyton for Netflix. It's been called “Mad Max meets Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” by SyFy.com and is based on Brian Ralph's graphic novel series of the same name. Aron also helped co-develop the newest version of Locke & Key for Netflix - including co-writing the first episode with comic book series creator Joe Hill. His upcoming projects include adapting Amulet for 20th Century Fox. Please

Showrunner and Executive Producer of Netflix's Daybreak, Aron Eli Coleite, took a break to chat with me about what it takes to survive high school (at the apocalypse), paying his dues in Hollywood, and the collaborative nature of world-building and scriptwriting for TV. "Surviving high school is like surviving the apocalypse," – Aron Eli Coleite Aron is a comic book writer, TV writer, and producer best known for his work on the popular NBC series Heroes and the CBS series Star Trek Discovery. His latest is the dark, zombie comedy series Daybreak starring Matthew Broderick, co-created with Brad Peyton for Netflix. It's been called “Mad Max meets Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” by SyFy.com and is based on Brian Ralph's graphic novel series of the same name. Aron also helped co-develop the newest version of Locke & Key for Netflix - including co-writing the first episode with comic book series creator Joe Hill. His upcoming projects include adapting Amulet for 20th Century Fox. Please help us learn more about

In Part Two of this file the award-winning, New York Times bestselling narrative nonfiction author, Andrew Maraniss, returned to chat about what it was like to grow up around so many famous journalists, why he chooses to weave social issues into sports history, and some age-old wisdom on how to beat writer's block. "Just get started.” – Andrew Maraniss Andrew is the son of Pulitzer Prize winning Washington Post journalist and author, David Maraniss, so it's no surprise that he has writing in his blood (and a touch of impostor syndrome). His winding path to bestseller started out as a history writing assignment at Vanderbilt University that only years later became his award-winning book Strong Inside: Perry Wallace and the Collision of Race and Sports in the South. His lauded basketball biography went on to become a bestseller, and received the 2015 Lillian Smith Book Award for civil rights and the RFK Book Awards’ Special Recognition Prize for social justice, the first sports-related book to ever receiv

Award-winning, New York Times bestselling narrative nonfiction author, Andrew Maraniss, stopped by to chat about what it was like to grow up around so many famous journalists, why he chooses to weave social issues into sports history, and some age-old wisdom on how to beat writer's block. "Just get started.” – Andrew Maraniss Andrew is the son of Pulitzer Prize winning Washington Post journalist and author, David Maraniss, so it's no surprise that he has writing in his blood (and a touch of impostor syndrome). His winding path to bestseller started out as a history writing assignment at Vanderbilt University that only years later became his award-winning book Strong Inside: Perry Wallace and the Collision of Race and Sports in the South. His lauded basketball biography went on to become a bestseller, and received the 2015 Lillian Smith Book Award for civil rights and the RFK Book Awards’ Special Recognition Prize for social justice, the first sports-related book to ever receive either honor. The author

Bestselling children's author and publishing coach, Laurie Wright, joined me this week to talk about her mission to help the emotional welfare of kids around the world, how she self-published a bestseller, and tools and resources for writer's aspiring to pen their own illustrated children's books. “I've realized, quickly, that what they say about 80% of people wanting to write a book really is true.” – Laurie Wright The former kindergarten teacher and mom of three saw an opportunity in the classroom for both parents and educators seeking solutions to get their kids to overcome "learned helplessness," and undertake simple problem-solving. She crowdfunded her first self-published, illustrated children's book in 2016, the hugely popular Amazon bestseller, I Can Handle It (a Mindful Mantras book), now translated into seven languages. The book established her as a childhood mental health authority – even though her background is in education – and since 2016 Laurie has gone on to publish 11 kid's books, thre

International and New York Times bestselling author, Tess Gerritsen, dropped by to chat with me about the role of luck in finding success as a writer, where she draws inspiration for her thrillers, her love-hate relationship with writing for the screen, and her unique creative process. “Make every single chapter feel that somebody is off balance, that something is not right. That is what propels readers to read the next chapter.” – Tess Gerritsen The award-winning author graduated from medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, and began her writing career in earnest while on maternity leave from her work as a physician. She published her first romantic thriller in 1987 and never looked back. Her books have since topped the charts in both the US and abroad, and sold more than 30 million copies in 40 countries. Tess has now written 28 novels, including the acclaimed Rizzoli & Isles series (which inspired the TNT TV series of the same name starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander), as

In Part Two of this file bestselling author, Kim Petersen, returned to talk with me about tactics to tap into age-old wisdom, quiet your inner critic, get back to basics, rediscover your voice, and recharge your creative batteries. “With how our lifestyles are, and the technology, we seem to have also become more disconnected from ourselves.” – Kim Petersen The award-winning, USA Today Bestselling, Australian author of fantasy, paranormal, and dystopian fiction, writes The Ascended Angels Chronicles, and co-authors the Stone the Crows series. Her latest is a foray into non-fiction titled Creative Writing Energy: Tools to Access Your Higher-Creative Mind - co-authored with colleague, romance writer Catherine Evans. It's been described as a book "...written for creatives about developing pathways to access the higher-creative mind...alternative ways..." and tools for unlocking your creativity. Before you dismiss this episode as a little "woo-woo," I assure you that we dig into the reasons behind the curr