Welcome back to another special edition of The Writer Files called “The Writer’s Brain,” a guest series with neuroscientist Michael Grybko, and in this episode we’ll dig into the inextricable link between productivity and creativity, and the Catch-22 so many writers face as a result. This all began when Michael and I started a conversation about why we need to rethink our definition of productivity. As busyness, the cult of productivity, and multitasking seem to take over our lives, it’s easy to...
Jan 09, 2019•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Happy holidays from the Writer Files, this is just a quick update that we are on hiatus until 2019. Thank you so much for listening and helping us find our audience! I hope 2018 has been a creative, productive, and successful year for your writing life and career, and that you’re setting some ambitious goals for 2019. If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews, and leave us a rating or a review on APPLE PODCASTS to help your fellow scribes fin...
Dec 22, 2018•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast In Part Two of this file the audiobook publisher, award-winning podcast producer, and internationally acclaimed speaker, Tina Dietz, returned to wrap up our chat about her passion for helping authors grow their audiences, why you should produce an audiobook, and the bright future of audio content. Rainmaker.FM is Brought to You By Discover why more than 80,000 companies in 135 countries choose WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting. Start getting more from your site today! Tina is an entreprene...
Dec 11, 2018•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week audiobook publisher, award-winning podcast producer, and internationally acclaimed speaker, Tina Dietz, took a timeout to chat with me about her passion for helping authors grow their audiences, why you should produce an audiobook, and the bright future of audio content. Tina is an entrepreneur and content marketing expert who has been featured on ABC, Inc.com, Huffington Post, and Forbes (to name a few), and her company, StartSomething Creative Business Solutions, helps authors and en...
Dec 04, 2018•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast In Part Two of this file the acclaimed New York Times bestselling sci-fi author, Richard K. Morgan, spoke with me from overseas about his winding journey from English tutor to bestseller, having his novel adapted for the small screen, what it’s like to write for Marvel comics, and his unique take on creativity and the writing life. Richard is best known as the award-winning author of the noir sci-fi novel Altered Carbon (Amazon), a New York Times Notable and Philip K. Dick Award winner, that was...
Nov 19, 2018•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Acclaimed New York Times bestselling sci-fi author, Richard K. Morgan, spoke with me from overseas about his winding journey from English tutor to bestseller, having his novel adapted for the small screen, what it’s like to write for Marvel comics, and his unique take on creativity and the writing life. Richard is best known as the award-winning author of the noir sci-fi novel Altered Carbon (Amazon), a New York Times Notable and Philip K. Dick Award winner, that was recently turned into a hit N...
Nov 13, 2018•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast In Part Two of this file the prolific pro comedy writer, author, and amateur parenting expert, James Breakwell, took a timeout to rap with me about @XplodingUnicorn and his rise to viral Twitter fame, how he juggles multiple writing projects, his family and his sanity, and the writer as entrepreneur. In the early days of his writing career James told me that he knew he wouldn’t score a book deal sending out query letters or tossing his ideas over the transom, so he decided to build an online fol...
Nov 06, 2018•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Prolific pro comedy writer, author, and amateur parenting expert, James Breakwell, took a timeout to rap with me about @XplodingUnicorn and his rise to viral Twitter fame, how he juggles multiple writing projects, his family and his sanity, and the writer as entrepreneur. In the early days of his writing career James told me that he knew he wouldn’t score a book deal sending out query letters or tossing his ideas over the transom, so he decided to build an online following for his unique, self-e...
Oct 30, 2018•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast In Part Two of this file the prolific, bestselling author of the paranormal and dark fantasy, Steff Green, returned to talk with me about overcoming rejection, perseverance, her inspiring journey from copywriter to bestseller, and her advice to fellow scribes who may be facing adversity. Steff Green is a New Zealander who is a fervent self-publishing advocate, public speaker, and a legally blind writer who has turned her disability into a superpower to self-publish 24 books and counting. She has...
Oct 23, 2018•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Prolific, bestselling author of the paranormal and dark fantasy, Steff Green, dropped by the show to talk with me about overcoming rejection, perseverance, her inspiring journey from copywriter to bestseller, and her advice to fellow scribes who may be facing adversity. Steff Green is a New Zealander who is a fervent self-publishing advocate, public speaker, and a legally blind writer who has turned her disability into a superpower to self-publish 24 books and counting. She has topped the USA To...
Oct 16, 2018•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast The author of the captivity memoir, The Desert and the Sea: 977 Days Captive on the Somali Pirate Coast, Michael Scott Moore joined me this week to talk about his fascinating journey as a writer, how he wrote his harrowing and detailed memoir (much of it without notes), and why it’s changed him as a writer and a person. Michael is an investigative journalist, novelist, and author of a critically acclaimed folk history of surfing, Sweetness and Blood, named a book of the year by The Economist in ...
Oct 09, 2018•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the second half of this special edition of the show we’re shining the light on two more freelance writers out there who are making it happen as professional online content creators. These are scribes who have found success — and a very good living — doing what they love … writing and helping others achieve success. In full disclosure, the two writers I’m highlighting in this show, Sharlyn Lauby and Trudi Roth, are both online content creators and strategists who run profitable freelance writi...
Oct 02, 2018•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this special edition of the show we’re shining the light on freelance writers out there who are making it happen as professional online content creators. These are scribes who have found success — and a very good living — doing what they love … writing and helping others achieve success. In full disclosure, the two writers I’m highlighting in this show, Mark Crosling and Aaron Wrixon, are online content creators and strategists who both run profitable freelance writing businesses. The other t...
Sep 25, 2018•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast In Part Two of this archival file from early 2016, the prolific international bestselling thriller author and self-publishing advocate, Mark Dawson, rapped with me about self-publishing versus traditional publishing, and the productivity hacks that have helped him publish over 30 books. Rainmaker.FM is Brought to You By Discover why more than 80,000 companies in 135 countries choose WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting. Start getting more from your site today! Mr. Dawson’s multiple thriller s...
Sep 11, 2018•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Prolific international bestselling thriller author and self-publishing advocate, Mark Dawson, dropped by the show back in early 2016 to talk with me about self-publishing versus traditional publishing, and the productivity hacks that have helped him publish over 30 books. Rainmaker.FM is Brought to You By Discover why more than 80,000 companies in 135 countries choose WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting. Start getting more from your site today! Mr. Dawson’s multiple thriller series, self-pub...
Sep 04, 2018•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast In Part Two of this special edition of the show we traditionally call “writer porn” I’ve invited back my old friend, award-winning international journalist, author, pundit, and bad penny, Adam Skolnick, to discuss with me a piece I wrote recently for Copyblogger titled, “5 Things Only Serious Writers Do.” There are never enough words to thank all of you who reached out last week with your sweet thoughts, virtual hugs, and notes of encouragement following the sadder half of the show. So on to the...
Aug 29, 2018•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to a special edition of The Writer Files, we’re back from an extended summer hiatus. My old friend, the award-winning international journalist, author, pundit, and bad penny, Adam Skolnick, turned up this week to discuss with me a piece I wrote recently for Copyblogger titled, 5 Things Only Serious Writers Do. But before Adam and I get into it I wanted to explain why I’ve been away from the microphone for so long. It’s a heartbreaking story, and if you’re not into tragedies, feel free to...
Aug 21, 2018•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast In Part Two of another special edition of the show we traditionally call “writer porn,” writer, educator, and co-founder of Prolifiko, Bec Evans, returned to conclude our chat about writer personality types, productivity secrets, and understanding your writing psychology. Rainmaker.FM is Brought to You By Discover why more than 80,000 companies in 135 countries choose WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting. Start getting more from your site today! Bec is the co-founder of Prolifiko, a new digit...
Jul 31, 2018•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome to another special edition of the show we traditionally call “writer porn,” and this week the writer, educator, and co-founder of Prolifiko, Bec Evans, stopped by to chat with me about writer personality types, productivity secrets, and understanding your writing psychology. Rainmaker.FM is Brought to You By Discover why more than 80,000 companies in 135 countries choose WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting. Start getting more from your site today! Bec is the co-founder of Prolifiko, ...
Jul 24, 2018•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast In Part Two of this special edition of the show we traditionally call “writer porn” I’ve invited back award-winning international journalist, author, and serial pundit, Adam Skolnick, to discuss a piece I wrote for Copyblogger.com last year titled, “21 Productivity Hacks from 21 Prolific Writers.” Over the last four years, I ve been given the fantastic opportunity to interview a wide range of more than 70 prolific, renowned, and bestselling authors for The Writer Files series. As you may know, e...
Jul 17, 2018•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this special edition of the show I’ve invited back award-winning international journalist, author, and serial pundit, Adam Skolnick, to discuss a piece I wrote for Copyblogger.com last year titled, “21 Productivity Hacks from 21 Prolific Writers.” Over the last four years, I've been given the fantastic opportunity to interview a wide range of more than 70 prolific, renowned, and bestselling authors for The Writer Files series. As you may know, each interview digs into the habits, habitats, an...
Jul 10, 2018•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast In Part Two of this special edition of the show we call “The Writer’s Brain,” a guest series with neuroscientist Michael Grybko, we dig into a phenomenon known as “impostor syndrome,” an experience many writers struggle with. The Experience Known as “Impostor Syndrome” The experience known as “impostor syndrome” has been recognized in over 70% of the population across a wide range of demographics. Everyone from bestselling authors, to A-list celebrities, and even genius-level scientists, have al...
Jun 26, 2018•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome back to a special edition of The Writer Files called “The Writer’s Brain,” a guest series with neuroscientist Michael Grybko, and in this episode we dig into a phenomenon known as “impostor syndrome,” an experience many writers struggle with. The Experience Known as “Impostor Syndrome” The experience known as “impostor syndrome” has been recognized in over 70% of the population across a wide range of demographics. Everyone from bestselling authors, to A-list celebrities, and even genius-...
Jun 19, 2018•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome back to a special edition of The Writer Files called “The Best of the Writer s Brain,” a series neuroscientist Michael Grybko and I started in 2015 where I enlisted his help to give us a tour of the inner workings of the writer’s process. Rainmaker.FM is Brought to You By Discover why more than 80,000 companies in 135 countries choose WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting. Start getting more from your site today! This is Part Five of the series and a rebroadcast of the Fact vs. Fiction...
Jun 12, 2018•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome back to a special edition of The Writer Files called “The Best of the Writer’s Brain,” a series neuroscientist Michael Grybko and I started in 2015 where I enlisted his help to give us a tour of the inner workings of the writer’s process. Q: Have you ever wondered why writer’s block is such a widely disputed malady, if it’s curable, or even real? As we wrap up our Summer hiatus before the upcoming season, I thought I d put all of these enlightening episodes in one place … In Part Four of...
Jun 05, 2018•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome back to a special edition of The Writer Files called “The Best of the Writer s Brain,” a series neuroscientist Michael Grybko and I started in 2015 where I enlisted his help to give us a tour of the inner workings of the writer’s process. Rainmaker.FM is Brought to You By Discover why more than 80,000 companies in 135 countries choose WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting. Start getting more from your site today! Q: Have you ever wondered why storytelling is such an omnipresent theme o...
May 29, 2018•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome back to a special edition of The Writer Files called “The Best of the Writer s Brain,” a series neuroscientist Michael Grybko and I started in 2015 where I enlisted his help to give us a tour of the inner workings of the writer’s process. Q: Have you ever wondered how great writing creates an emotional response in readers? As we take a short Summer hiatus to book new guests for the upcoming season, I thought I d put all of these enlightening episodes in one place … In Part Two of the ser...
May 22, 2018•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome back to a special edition of The Writer Files called “The Best of the Writer s Brain,” a series neuroscientist Michael Grybko and I started in 2015 where I enlisted his help to give us a tour of the inner workings of the writer’s process. Q: Have you ever wondered how prolific writers summon vast stores of creativity without breaking a sweat? As we take a short Summer hiatus to book new guests for the upcoming season, I thought I d put all of these enlightening episodes in one place, sta...
May 15, 2018•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast The iconic, international bestselling author of 14 novels, including the era-defining Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, Douglas Coupland, paid a visit to the show to rap with me about his latest collection, his strange ritual for starting a new book, and the timeless difficulties of getting published. Rainmaker.FM is Brought to You By Discover why more than 80,000 companies in 135 countries choose WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting. Start getting more from your site today!Mr. ...
May 08, 2018•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast In Part Two of this file, the award-winning New York Times bestselling author, investigative journalist, and anthropologist, Scott Carney, returned to talk about the dangers of putting yourself into the story, what he’s learned in his 20+ years in mainstream publishing, and how he juggles his multiple creative adventures. Rainmaker.FM is Brought to You By Discover why more than 80,000 companies in 135 countries choose WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting. Start getting more from your site tod...
May 01, 2018•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast