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

Acclaimed horror author — Jonathan Janz — stopped by this week to talk about his passions, his workmanlike process as a writer, and the skeletons in his closet. 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! Award-winning horror and zombie maestro Brian Keene called Janz, “One of the best writers in modern horror to come along in the last decade.” In addition to being a multi-genre author, Jonathan leads a double life as a full-time high school educator and family man. He is the author of nine novels and recently signed an 11-book deal to offer limited-run, collector’s editions of his books. Jonathan’s tenth novel — Children of the Dark — lands March 15th, 2016, and it has been likened by critics to Stephen King’s work. Join us for this two-part interview. If you missed the first half you can find it here. In Part Two of the file Jonathan Janz and I discuss: Th

Acclaimed horror author — Jonathan Janz — stopped by this week to talk about his passions, his workmanlike process as a writer, and the skeletons in his closet. 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! Award-winning horror and zombie maestro Brian Keene called Janz, “One of the best writers in modern horror to come along in the last decade.” In addition to being a multi-genre author, Jonathan leads a double life as a full-time high school educator and family man. He is the author of nine novels and recently signed an 11-book deal to offer limited-run, collector’s editions of his books. Jonathan’s tenth novel — Children of the Dark — lands March 15th, 2016, and it has been likened by critics to Stephen King’s work. Join us for this two-part interview. In Part One of the file Jonathan Janz and I discuss: Why Rejection Should Only Strengthen Your Determinati

National bestselling poet — Tyler Knott Gregson — visited the podcast to discuss his writing process and his journey to finding success. 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! The New York Times called Mr. Gregson “the literary equivalent of a unicorn: a best-selling celebrity poet.” His latest collection recently “… hit No. 3 on Nielsen s top 10 best-selling poetry titles, ahead of Dante, Homer, Seamus Heaney and Khalil Gibran.” The author is also a professional photographer and multimedia artist who started his writing career as a humble freelance copywriter. His love of words, vintage typewriters, and photography have combined to inspire a new digital art form. Tyler boasts over 500,000 social media followers that have translated into two bestselling volumes of poetry with a third on the way. In this file, Tyler Knott Gregson and I discuss: Literary U

Prolific, international bestselling authorpreneur, Mark Dawson, dropped by to talk about self-publishing versus traditional publishing, and the productivity hacks that have helped him publish over 23 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, and self-publishing savvy, have helped him to build a vast, hungry audience of readers and unparalleled levels of success. In addition to international bestsellers, and stellar ratings from fans, Mark has become an indie author advocate and online marketing authority for writers. Join us for this two-part interview. If you missed the first half, you can find it here. In Part Two of the file, Mark Dawson and I discuss: How an 80s TV Show Can Inspire Your Writing Why Great Writers Have to Understand Story First How to Write Page-Turning Fiction Why You Should Leave Out the P

Prolific, international bestselling authorpreneur, Mark Dawson, dropped by to talk about self-publishing versus traditional publishing, and the productivity hacks that have helped him publish over 23 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, and self-publishing savvy, have helped him to build a vast, hungry audience of readers and unparalleled levels of success. In addition to international bestsellers, and stellar ratings from fans, Mark has become an indie author advocate and online marketing authority for writers. Join us for this two-part interview. In Part One of the file Mark Dawson and I discuss: The Challenges and Rewards of the Writer’s Life Why If Your Process Isn’t Broken … You Don’t Need to Fix It How to Write (and Publish) One Million Words in One Year What a Bestselling Author Does to Unwind Li

New York Times bestselling author and New Yorker columnist, Maria Konnikova, took a beat from her hectic schedule to talk with me about her new book and 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! Her latest book — The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It . . . Every Time — examines the psychology of the con, and The New York Times Book Review wrote, “Konnikova … is an insightful analyst of the dark art of the scam.” As Forbes describes the book, “One of the best science writers of our time examines the minds, motives, and methods of con artists — and the people who fall for their cons.” In addition to her past work as a TV producer for Charlie Rose, Ms. Konnikova has contributed countless articles and essays for The Atlantic, The New York Times, Slate, The Paris Review, The Wall Street Journal, WIRED, and Scientific American, among many othe

Award-winning journalist and author, Adam Skolnick, returned to the podcast and we got down to brass tacks about his writer’s journey, his new book, and the globetrotting life of a travel writer. 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! Adam’s first narrative nonfiction book — One Breath: Freediving, Death, and the Quest to Shatter Human Limits — was recently published by Crown Archetype, and it’s based on his award-winning New York Times sports coverage of the death of the greatest American free diver of all time. One Breath has been compared to other classics of extreme sports journalism — like Jon Krakauer s Into Thin Air — and early reviews have been very positive. In addition to his most recent work, Adam is the author and co author of 25 Lonely Planet guidebooks, and has written for publications as varied as ESPN.com, Men’s Health, Outside, BBC, Playboy

Award-winning journalist and author, Adam Skolnick, returned to the podcast to get down to brass tacks about his writer’s journey, his new book, and the globetrotting life of a travel writer. 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! Adam’s first narrative nonfiction book — One Breath: Freediving, Death, and the Quest to Shatter Human Limits — was recently published by Crown Archetype, and it’s based on his award-winning New York Times sports coverage of the death of the greatest American freediver of all time. One Breath has been compared to other classics of extreme sports journalism — like Jon Krakauer s Into Thin Air — and early reviews have been very positive. In addition to his most recent work, Adam is the author and co author of 25 Lonely Planet guidebooks, and has written for publications as varied as ESPN.com, Men’s Health, Outside, BBC, Playboy Magaz

International bestselling author and critically acclaimed screenwriter of Room — Emma Donoghue — talked with me about her writing process and adapting her best known work into an award-winning movie. 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! In addition to writing for the screen, stage, and radio over her prolific career, the multi-genre author has had her popular fiction translated into over 40 languages. Her 2010 novel Room was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and won a New York Times Book of the Year award, among others. The film adaptation of the book has been nominated for four Oscars — including Best Adapted Screenplay — for Ms. Donoghue’s stunning first full-length script. Room (2015) boasts 54 international award wins and 102 nominations (as of this writing), including nods from The Golden Globes, Critics Choice Movie Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awa

International bestselling author and critically acclaimed screenwriter of Room — Emma Donoghue — talked with me about her writing process and adapting her best known work into an award-winning movie. 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! In addition to writing for the screen, stage, and radio over her prolific career, the multi-genre author has had her popular fiction translated into over 40 languages. Her 2010 novel Room was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and won a New York Times Book of the Year award, among others. The film adaptation of the book has been nominated for four Oscars — including Best Adapted Screenplay — for Ms. Donoghue’s stunning first full-length script. Room (2015) boasts 54 international award wins and 102 nominations (as of this writing), including nods from The Golden Globes, Critics Choice Movie Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awa

The bestselling author of The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do — Jeff Goins — stopped by for a marathon return to The Writer Files to cap off 2015. 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! His popular blog — Goinswriter.com — offers free tips on writing and creativity to help writers build an audience, get attention, and learn what it takes to turn pro. In addition to being an entrepreneur, speaker, consultant, and author of four books, Jeff hosts The Portfolio Life podcast where he shares ideas to help listeners pursue work that matters and discover their true voice. Join us for this two-part interview. If you missed the first half you can find it here: How Bestselling Author Jeff Goins Writes: Part One. REMINDER: The Writer Files will be taking the last week of the year off but will return with new guests in January. Seas

The bestselling author of The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do — Jeff Goins — stopped by for a marathon return to The Writer Files to cap off 2015.   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! His popular blog — Goinswriter.com — offers free tips on writing and creativity to help writers build an audience, get attention, and learn what it takes to turn pro. In addition to being an entrepreneur, speaker, consultant, and author of four books, Jeff hosts The Portfolio Life podcast where he shares ideas to help listeners pursue work that matters and discover their true voice. Join us for this two-part interview. In Part One of the file Jeff Goins and I discuss: How to Think Like a Professional Writer Why You Need to Be Intentional about Your Next Project The Myths of Very Productive Writers Jeff’s Systematic ‘Workout’ for Effo

The most fascinating news on the internet always seems to find its way into Dave Pell’s carefully curated — and always entertaining — NextDraft email newsletter.   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. Pell has turned his addiction for getting the scoop into a vast and loyal following of A-list media heads. He calls NextDraft his “modern-day column,” and the infectious, one-man curation engine is hard to delete (although he believes his friends do it often). In addition to being a successful venture capitalist, Dave carves out time to do a weekly podcast with veteran journalist Phil Bronstein called What Hurts, a unique blend of “fascinating news and personal angst.” In this file Dave Pell and I discuss: The Downside of Technology How to Turn an Addiction to News into an Audience Video Game Music as a Productivity Hack Why You Should Always Delete Y

Prolific, multi-brand entrepreneur Joanna Penn has turned her passion for writing into a successful career as both an educator and bestselling indie author.   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! As her dark, alter ego — J.F.Penn — she has notched chart-toppers on both The New York Times and USA Today bestsellers lists. As a nonfiction writer, professional speaker, podcaster, and entrepreneur, she’s been voted one of The Guardian UK’s Top 100 Creative Professionals. Her site — TheCreativePenn.com — offers both publishing and marketing resources and is regularly voted a Top 10 website for writers. Join us for this two-part interview. If you missed the first half you can find it here: How Bestselling Author Joanna Penn Writes: Part One In Part Two of the file Joanna Penn and I discuss: Why It’s Still Hard to Write a Book in the Future How Getting Lost Ca

Prolific, multi-brand entrepreneur Joanna Penn has turned her passion for writing into a successful career as both an educator and bestselling indie author.   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! As her dark, alter ego — J.F.Penn — she has notched chart-toppers on both The New York Times and USA Today bestsellers lists. As a nonfiction writer, professional speaker, podcaster, and entrepreneur, she’s been voted one of The Guardian UK’s Top 100 Creative Professionals. Her site — TheCreativePenn.com — offers both publishing and marketing resources and is regularly voted a Top 10 website for writers. Join us for this two-part interview. In Part One of the file Joanna Penn and I discuss: How to Turn Your Passion into a Career The Cumulative Successes of Creating Every Day How Rewarding Your Inner Child Can Boost Productivity Why Input Equals Output for Wr

Mr. Gottschall is the author or editor of seven books, including The Storytelling Animal — a New York Times Editor’s Choice Selection and a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize — and most recently he published a fascinating book titled The Professor in the Cage: Why Men Fight and Why We Like to Watch.   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! As a Distinguished Fellow at the English Department of Washington & Jefferson College his work lands at the intersection of science and art and is frequently covered in outlets like The New York Times, Scientific American, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and NPR. For his latest book he personally climbed into the cage to research the world of mixed martial arts, violence, masculinity, and why society is attracted to violent spectacle. Join us for this two-part interview. If you missed the first half you can find it here: Ho

Mr. Gottschall is the author or editor of seven books, including The Storytelling Animal — a New York Times Editor’s Choice Selection and a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize — and most recently he published a fascinating book titled The Professor in the Cage: Why Men Fight and Why We Like to Watch.   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! As a Distinguished Fellow at the English Department of Washington & Jefferson College his work lands at the intersection of science and art and is frequently covered in outlets like The New York Times, Scientific American, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and NPR. For his latest book he personally climbed into the cage to research the world of mixed martial arts, violence, masculinity, and why society is attracted to violent spectacle. Join us for this two-part interview. In Part One of the file Jonathan Gottschall and I di

Critically acclaimed screenwriter and director John August stopped by the show to chat with me about his writing process, the film business, and his hit podcast Scriptnotes.   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! Since his breakthrough film debut Go (1999), John has penned an impressive list of big budget Hollywood films from Charlie’s Angels (2000), to a handful of Tim Burton films including Big Fish (2003), and Frankenweenie (2013). The prolific author has also worked in TV, on Broadway, creates his own writing apps, and is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He currently produces the Scripnotes Podcast with co-host Craig Mazin where they discuss the ins-and-outs of the screenwriting business. Join us for this two-part interview. If you missed Part One you can find it here: How Hollywood Screenwriter and Director John Augu

Critically acclaimed screenwriter and director John August stopped by the show to chat with me about his writing process, the film business, and his hit podcast Scriptnotes.   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! Since his breakthrough film debut Go (1999), John has penned an impressive list of big budget Hollywood films from Charlie’s Angels (2000), to a handful of Tim Burton films including Big Fish (2003), and Frankenweenie (2013). The prolific author has also worked in TV, on Broadway, creates his own writing apps, and is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He currently produces the invaluable Scriptnotes podcast with co-host Craig Mazin where they discuss the ins-and-outs of the screenwriting business. Join us for this two-part interview. In Part One of the file John August and I discuss: How a Journalism Major Becam

From incredibly successful transmedia serial writer to internationally published author, this week’s guest — Michelle Miller — has tapped into her former life in high finance to create a hit franchise in The Underwriting.   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! Billed as social satire, Ms. Miller’s original 12-part serial drew angel investors that helped her build it into a viral, multi-media maelstrom. Her marriage of the cutthroat worlds of investment banking and tech landed her a traditional publishing deal, and her debut novel is now being developed into a TV series. Join us for this two-part interview. If you missed the first half, you can find it here: How Michelle Miller (Writer and Producer of ‘The Underwriting’) Writes: Part One In Part Two of the file Michelle Miller and I discuss: The Slippery Definition of ‘Creativity’ How Curiosity and Authe