I’ve always found the goal of meeting a word count to be a bit silly. Some messages can be clearly communicated in 200 words and others need 2,000 words. But if you use 2,000 words when 200 words would perfectly suffice, your writing will likely feel excessive or even self-indulgent. That’s why I consider the Read More…
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Category: The Writer Files
How Journalist and Bestselling Author of ‘The Revenge of Analog’ David Sax Writes: Part Two
The business and culture journalist and bestselling author of the recent book The Revenge of Analog, David Sax, dropped by the show to talk about the writing life, the importance of real things in a digital world, and the revenge of paper.
David is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Bloomberg Businessweek, The New York Times, The New Yorker online, and other publications.
The author’s first book, Save the Deli, was a Los Angeles Times bestseller and won the James Beard Award for Writing and Literature.
His latest, The Revenge of Analog: Real Things and Why They Matter “… looks at the resurgence of analog goods and ideas, during a time when we assumed digital would conquer all.” It was longlisted for the 2017 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence.
Kevin Kelly, founding editor of Wired magazine and author of The Inevitable, said of the book, “The better digital gets, the more important analog becomes … Sax’s reporting is eye-opening and mind-changing.”
NOTE: This is the last episode of the year for us, due to the impending holiday break, but we will return with more great interviews for you in 2017. Thanks for listening!
If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.
In Part Two of this file David Sax and I discuss:
Why you should work regular hours, and the author’s “Cinderella Clause”
The significance of unplugging for writers
How to record your audiobook in the same studio as Drake
Why the reward is the
How Journalist and Bestselling Author of ‘The Revenge of Analog’ David Sax Writes: Part One
The business and culture journalist and bestselling author of the recent book The Revenge of Analog, David Sax, dropped by the show to talk about the writing life, the importance of real things in a digital world, and the revenge of paper.
David is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Bloomberg Businessweek, The New York Times, The New Yorker online, and other publications.
The author’s first book, Save the Deli, was a Los Angeles Times bestseller and won the James Beard Award for Writing and Literature.
His latest, The Revenge of Analog: Real Things and Why They Matter “… looks at the resurgence of analog goods and ideas, during a time when we assumed digital would conquer all.” It was longlisted for the 2017 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence.
Kevin Kelly, founding editor of Wired magazine and author of The Inevitable, said of the book, “The better digital gets, the more important analog becomes … Sax’s reporting is eye-opening and mind-changing.”
If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.
In Part One of this file David Sax and I discuss:
Writing at the intersections of business and culture
Why your best ideas come to you in the shower
The importance of impeccable research for great nonfiction
A road map for cranking out 3,000–4,000 words a day
How printing and editing your work on paper can improve your writing
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The post How Journalist and Bestselling Author of ‘The Revenge of Analog’ David Sax
How the Bestselling Author of ‘The Blue Zones’ Dan Buettner Writes
The multiple New York Times bestselling author of The Blue Zones books and National Geographic Fellow, Dan Buettner, dropped by the show to talk about his world travels, life-saving longevity research, and some fantastic advice for writers.
The author is an internationally recognized explorer who discovered five places in the world — called Blue Zones — where humans live the longest and healthiest, and his 2005 National Geographic cover story “The Secrets of Living Longer” was a finalist for a National Magazine Award.
Based on his Blue Zones work, Dan founded a company of the same name to share “the world’s best practices in longevity and well-being” and has helped to successfully raise life expectancy in American cities including both Minnesota and Los Angeles.
Mr. Buettner has been featured on Real Time with Bill Maher, CNN, the Late Show with David Letterman, Good Morning America, and the TODAY Show to discuss his research.
His TED talk “How to live to be 100+” has been viewed almost 2.9 million times, and he has given more than 500 keynote speeches over the last 10 years.
If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.
In this file Dan Buettner and I discuss:
Wise words from the author’s mentor George Plimpton
Why good stories are the Trojan Horse to winning over readers
How a decade of research and writing became a life-saving blueprint for American cities
The coffee-shop effect for productive writing
One great trick for beating writer’s block
Why building your
How the Author of ‘The Bestseller Code’ Jodie Archer Writes: Part Two
Literary scholar, publishing consultant, and co-author of the critically acclaimed book The Bestseller Code, Jodie Archer dropped by to chat with me about her journey, the coming revolution in publishing, and the insecurities that all writers face.
Before earning her PhD from Stanford, Ms. Archer studied English at Cambridge, worked in both journalism and TV, and became an acquisitions editor for Penguin UK publishing.
While at Stanford, Jodie taught nonfiction and memoir writing, and researched both contemporary fiction and bestsellers. Upon completion of her doctoral work, she was recruited by Apple, where she was the lead in research on books.
Her book, The Bestseller Code, is based on her doctoral research with professor Matt Jockers on an algorithm that they tested over four years and refined by text mining more than 20,000 contemporary novels.
The Guardian proclaimed that their book “… may revolutionize the publishing industry,” in part because their algorithm was able to predict bestselling books 80 percent of the time, based on a theme, plot, character, and many other big data points.
If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.
If you missed the first half you can find it right here.
In Part Two of this file Jodie Archer and I discuss:
How to use Google Docs to co-write a book
Why every writer is organized in their own disorganized way
How to get into your creativity zone
The worst question you can ask a book lover
Why authenticity is critical for your productivity
Listen to
How the Author of ‘The Bestseller Code’ Jodie Archer Writes: Part One
Literary scholar, publishing consultant, and co-author of the critically acclaimed book The Bestseller Code, Jodie Archer dropped by to chat with me about her journey, the coming revolution in publishing, and the insecurities that all writers face.
Before earning her PhD from Stanford, Ms. Archer studied English at Cambridge, worked in both journalism and TV, and became an acquisitions editor for Penguin UK publishing.
While at Stanford, Jodie taught nonfiction and memoir writing, and researched both contemporary fiction and bestsellers. Upon completion of her doctoral work, she was recruited by Apple, where she was the lead in research on books.
Her book, The Bestseller Code, is based on her doctoral research with professor Matt Jockers on an algorithm that they tested over four years and refined by text mining more than 20,000 contemporary novels.
The Guardian proclaimed that their book “… may revolutionize the publishing industry,” in part because their algorithm was able to predict bestselling books 80 percent of the time, based on a theme, plot, character, and many other big data points.
If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.
In Part One of this file Jodie Archer and I discuss:
How a word nerd helped program a computer to predict bestsellers with a high degree of accuracy
Why all writers of fiction should read The Bestseller Code
How to turn years of research into an entertaining and educational nonfiction book
The power of deadlines for beating procrastination
Listen to this Episode Now
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How Bestselling Sci-fi Thriller Author Blake Crouch Writes: Part Two
International bestselling sci-fi and thriller novelist and screenwriter, Blake Crouch, took time out from his busy schedule to talk to me about his mind-bending new book Dark Matter and adapting his work for both film and TV.
The hybrid author has penned more than a dozen novels that have been translated into more than 30 languages, and his short fiction has appeared in numerous publications.
In addition to having his Wayward Pines trilogy adapted into a #1 hit TV show by FOX, Blake wrote the screenplay for his latest novel, Dark Matter, for Sony Pictures. He also recently co-created Good Behavior, a TNT show based on his novellas, starring Michelle Dockery (set to premiere November 15, 2016).
His novel Dark Matter was described by the NY Times as an, “… alternate-universe science fiction …. countdown thriller in which the hero must accomplish an impossible task,” and bestselling sci-fi author Andy Weir called it, “An exciting, ingeniously plotted adventure about love, regret, and quantum superposition.”
If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.
If you missed the first half, you can find it right here.
In Part Two of this file Blake Crouch and I discuss:
The author’s tips for conquering writer’s block
Why versioning and backing up drafts is crucial
How to lean into procrastination and find your most productive writing time
Why understanding that “everything’s been written,” can set your creativity free
Why you need to write the kind of book you want to read
Listen to this
How Bestselling Sci-fi Thriller Author Blake Crouch Writes: Part One
International bestselling sci-fi and thriller novelist and screenwriter Blake Crouch took time out from his busy schedule to talk to me about his mind-bending new book Dark Matter and adapting his work for both film and TV.
The hybrid author has penned more than a dozen novels that have been translated into more than 30 languages, and his short fiction has appeared in numerous publications.
In addition to having his Wayward Pines trilogy adapted into a #1 hit TV show by FOX, Blake wrote the screenplay for his latest novel, Dark Matter, for Sony Pictures. He also recently co-created Good Behavior, a TNT show based on his novellas, starring Michelle Dockery (set to premiere November 15, 2016).
His novel Dark Matter was described by the NY Times as an, “… alternate-universe science fiction …. countdown thriller in which the hero must accomplish an impossible task,” and bestselling sci-fi author Andy Weir called it, “An exciting, ingeniously plotted adventure about love, regret, and quantum superposition.”
If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.
In Part One of this file Blake Crouch and I discuss:
The power of self-publishing for a traditionally published author
Why in-depth research is so crucial to writing believable fiction
The importance of outlining for a bestselling author and screenwriter
How the right soundtrack can boost your creativity
Listen to this Episode Now
The post How Bestselling Sci-fi Thriller Author Blake Crouch Writes: Part One appeared first on Copyblogger.
How Bestselling Author Jennifer Weiner Writes: Part Two
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of 12 books, Jennifer Weiner, took a few minutes to talk with me about the writer’s life, her new memoir, and Revenge of the Nerds.
Before her prolific career as a novelist, Ms. Weiner started out as a small town newspaper reporter and freelancer, before signing her first big book deal for her novel Good in Bed (2001).
Since then, her books have spent more than five years on the New York Times bestseller list, she has had a novel made into a major motion picture — In Her Shoes, starring Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette (2005) — contributed op-eds to the New York Times,, executive produced a TV series, and published a children’s book (The Littlest Bigfoot).
Her latest offering is the memoir Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing, and it “… is about yearning and fulfillment, loss and love, and a woman who searched for her place in the world, and found it as a storyteller.”
If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.
If you missed the first half, you can find it right here.
In Part Two of this file Jennifer Weiner and I discuss:
How creative people see the world through their own lenses
Why hard work alone forges enduring writers
Why ebooks are indispensable to writers on the go
Why you just need to sit down and start writing
Listen to this Episode Now
The post How Bestselling Author Jennifer Weiner Writes: Part Two
How Bestselling Author Jennifer Weiner Writes: Part One
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of 12 books, Jennifer Weiner, took a few minutes to talk with me about the writer’s life, her new memoir, and Revenge of the Nerds.
Before her prolific career as a novelist, Ms. Weiner started out as a small town newspaper reporter and freelancer, before signing her first big book deal for her novel Good in Bed (2001).
Since then, her books have spent more than five years on the New York Times bestseller list, she has had a novel made into a major motion picture — In Her Shoes, starring Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette (2005) — contributed op-eds to the New York Times, executive produced a TV series, and published a children’s book (The Littlest Bigfoot).
Her latest offering is the memoir Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing, and it “… is about yearning and fulfillment, loss and love, and a woman who searched for her place in the world, and found it as a storyteller.”
If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.
In Part One of this file Jennifer Weiner and I discuss:
How her iconic writing mentors Joyce Carol Oates and John McPhee helped guide her
Why 10 years and 10,000 hours in the trenches is par for the course
How working in busy environments boosts your productivity
Great tricks to keep the ink flowing, without opening a vein
Listen to this Episode Now
The post How Bestselling Author Jennifer Weiner Writes: Part One