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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 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.

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

New York Times bestselling author Penn Cole spoke with me about her past life as an attorney, living in Paris, how she became a breakout hybrid author, and book #2 in the Kindred’s Curse saga: GLOW OF THE EVERFLAME.
Penn Cole is an internationally bestselling author whose debut series, The Kindred’s Curse Saga, became a BookTok and Bookstagram sensation, and an instant New York Times bestseller with over a million copies in more than a dozen languages.
Described as a slow burn, epic romantasy series, Book #2, GLOW OF THE EVERFLAME, was called "Gripping…,” by The Library Journal, and in a starred review noted, “Readers will be clamoring for the next in the series after the cliffhanger ending."
Before pursuing her lifelong dream of publishing, Penn had a prior career as an artist and attorney.
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In this file Penn Cole and I discussed:
Falling for the myth of the “starving artist”
How she self-published three books in 2023
Why she was so adamant about keeping her e-book rights when traditional publishers called
The huge adjustment she’s had to make for her fans
Why there’s some misconception about going “viral”
And a lot more!
Show Notes: 
penncole.com
Glow of the Everflame: A Novel; Book #2 of The Kindred’s Curse Saga by Penn Cole (Amazon)
Penn Cole Amazon Author Page
Penn Cole on Facebook
Penn Cole on Threads
Penn Cole on TikTok
Penn Cole on Instagram
Penn Cole on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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How NY Times Bestselling Author Penn Cole Writes

NOTE: Repost of our most popular episode of the year by far, enjoy!
Bestselling author, podcaster, blogger, speaker, and my friend Jeff Goins, brought me along on a creative journey not too long ago called Hey, Creator! and it was some of the most fun I’ve had as a podcast producer.
Here’s an episode from the last season we did together titled “How to Finish the First Draft of Anything.”
Jeff Goins helps creative people succeed. Through his bestselling books, courses, coaching, and speeches, he shares his ongoing journey of transformation, inspiring 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:
Why the first step to finishing is to begin
The secret to getting unstuck
Why nothing is ever really finished
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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How to Finish the First Draft of Anything with Jeff Goins: Redux

NOTE: Repost of our second most popular episode of the year, Happy Holidays!

New York Times bestselling author, Ann Napolitano, spoke with me about overcoming rejection early on, how grief transformed her writing process, and getting that fateful call from Oprah about Hello Beautiful.
Ann Napolitano is the New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful which was selected as Oprah’s 100th Book Club pick; Dear Edward, an instant New York Times bestseller, a Read with Jenna selection, and an Apple TV+ series; A Good Hard Look, and Within Arm’s Reach.
Hello Beautiful has been called a “powerfully affecting” (People) family story that asks: Can love make a broken person whole? The Washington Post said of the book, “Another tender tearjerker . . . Napolitano chronicles life’s highs and lows with aching precision.”
It was named Chicago Public Library’s Ten Best Books of the Year and a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times Book Review, NPR, The Washington Post, Time, Vogue, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, New York Post, She Reads, and Bookreporter.
Ann was the associate editor of the literary magazine One Story for seven years, and she received an MFA from New York University.
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In this file Ann Napolitano and I discussed:
Her long and rocky road to success
How an illness early in life helped her realize she was a writer
Why her first published book felt like a proving ground
The nine-month approach to planning your next novel
How to write the truest sentence possible
Why you need to string together as many Xs as you can
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
AnnNapolitano.com
Hello Beautiful (Oprah's Book Club): A NOVEL By Ann Napolitano (Amazon)
Ann Napolitano Amazon Author Page
Ann Napolitano on Twitter
Ann Napolitano on Instagram
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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How NY Times Bestselling Author Ann Napolitano Writes: Redux

Award-winning TV writer/producer turned novelist Georgia Jeffries spoke with me about why Cagney and Lacey was her film school, teaching screenwriting at USC, and the ghosts, grief, and grievance in her debut novel THE YOUNGER GIRL.
Georgia Jeffries is the Emmy-nominated TV writer/producer who became the first individual female screenwriter to earn a Writers Guild Award for Episodic Drama for her work on the ground-breaking series Cagney & Lacey.
Her debut is The Younger Girl: A Dark Labyrinth of Family Betrayal, based on a true crime. It was described by bestselling author Rachel Howzell Hall as “...historical fiction at its best. … [and] an eye-opening, immersive story about a family, then and now, nearly stripped bare from greed and the steadfast refusal to acknowledge a painful past.”
Jeffries has written docudramas and series pilots for CBS, ABC, NBC, HBO, and Showtime and is a professor at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts where she created the first undergraduate screenwriting thesis program at an American university.
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In this file Georgia Jeffries and I discussed:
Her early years as a journalist
How she received rave rejections on her first attempt at a novel
Why she based her debut on true events from her family’s past
The throughline of her quest for justice and love of noir fiction
Writing genre-bending historical suspense
And a lot more!
Show Notes: 
georgiajeffries.com
The Younger Girl: A Dark Labyrinth of Family Betrayal by Georgia Jeffries (Amazon)
Georgia Jeffries on IMDb
Georgia Jeffries on Instagram
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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How Award-Winning TV Writer & Novelist Georgia Jeffries Writes

New York Times bestselling author and award-winning journalist L.M. Elliott spoke with me about the heyday of magazine writing and new journalism, why research tells her what to write, and her latest novel TRUTH, LIES, AND THE QUESTIONS IN BETWEEN.

L.M. Elliott (who also writes as Laura Elliot) was an award-winning magazine journalist for 20 years before becoming the New York Times bestselling author of 14 historical and biographical novels. The three-time finalist for the National Magazine Award and winner of multiple Dateline Awards, focused primarily on women's issues and human interest profiles.

Her latest novel Truth, Lies, and the Questions in Between, is described as a “‘docu-novel’ … of 1973—the year of Watergate hearings, the Equal Rights Amendment, and Roe v. Wade…” and “... [explores] a fraught political era and the dangers of disinformation, unchecked power, hate-rhetoric, and censorship.”

NYT bestselling author Sharon Cameron said of the author, “... Elliott uses the pen of a journalist and the heart of a storyteller to create a masterful, page-turning, razor-sharp commentary on a past that looks eerily like our present.”

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In this file L.M. Elliott and I discussed:
Her journey to accidental bestseller and a second career
Why there isn’t any better training than writing historical fiction
The definition of “saving string” for journalists and fictionists
How her books mix photo documentary and in-depth research
Hanging out with Emily Brontë
And a lot more!

Show Notes: 
lmelliott.com
Truth, Lies, and the Questions in Between by L.M. Elliott (Amazon)
L.M. Elliott Amazon Author Page
L.M. Elliott on Instagram
Kelton Reid on Twitter

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How NY Times Bestselling Author L.M. Elliott Writes

NOTE: Preface to Part Two of this prescient interview with a master of the craft: “[Crais is] an enlightened crime writer.”—New York Times Book Review

Award-winning and #1 NY Times bestselling author, Robert Crais, spoke to me about breathing life into the ur detective novel, the legacy of Raymond Chandler, his love of LA, and his latest, "Racing the Light."
Robert Crais is the author of 23 novels, 19 of which feature private investigator Elvis Cole and his laconic ex-cop partner, Joe Pike. The first in the series, The Monkey’s Raincoat, won the Anthony and Macavity Awards and was nominated for the Edgar Award.
The latest is Racing the Light, described as "... a pulse-pounding read and Elvis Cole's most dangerous case yet." Bestselling author David Baldacci called it "... another grand slam for the master storyteller Robert Crais. If there’s a better dynamic duo than Elvis Cole and Joe Pike in all of crime fiction, I’m not aware of it.”
On Reader's Digest's list of "30 new books we can't wait to read in 2022," Kirkus Reviews said that, "... [Crais] keeps the traditional detective novel alive and well."
In a previous life Robert Crais was an Emmy-nominated TV writer/producer and spent several years writing scripts for classic television series like Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, and Miami Vice.
screenwriting thesis program at an American university.
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In this file Robert Crais and I discussed:

Burning out as a TV writer and chasing the dream of becoming a novelist

Why he never anticipated fame

How his novel LA Requiem changed the trajectory of his career

When your author name gets bigger than the title

Why he'll always be a meticulous outliner

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

How #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Robert Crais Writes: Part Two

robertcrais.com

Racing the Light (An Elvis Cole and Joe Pike Novel Book 19) by Robert Crais (Amazon)

Robert Crais Author Page on Amazon

Robert Crais on Facebook

Robert Crais on Instagram

Robert Crais on Twitter

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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How #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Robert Crais Writes: Part One - Redux

Award-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author, Robert Crais, returns to talk with me about the destruction of the recent LA fires, writing “enlightened” crime fiction, and the 20th in his Elvis Cole and Joe Pike series THE BIG EMPTY.

Robert Crais is the author of 24 novels, 20 featuring private investigator Elvis Cole and his laconic ex-cop partner, Joe Pike. The first in the series, The Monkey’s Raincoat, won the Anthony and Macavity Awards and was nominated for the Edgar Award.

The 20th in the series, THE BIG EMPTY, is described as an unpredictable and powerful thriller, and "Cole and Pike's toughest case yet, testing their loyalty to their clients and themselves in ways they've never been tested before.”

#1 New York Times bestselling author James Patterson said of the book, “Elvis Cole and Joe Pike are right up there with Harry Bosch and Reacher as must reads….It’s close to flawless. Robert Crais has mastered the fine art of storytelling.”

In a previous life Robert Crais was an Emmy-nominated TV writer/producer and spent several years writing scripts for classic television series like Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, and Miami Vice.

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[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]
In this Part Two of this file Robert Crais and I discussed:
What writing 20 novels for the same hit series means to him
How he became a master of LA detective fiction
Why every novel gets harder than the last
The catharsis of storytelling for both writer and reader
How to keep going 
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
How #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Robert Crais Writes: Part One
robertcrais.com
The Big Empty (An Elvis Cole and Joe Pike Novel) by Robert Crais (Amazon)
Robert Crais Author Page on Amazon
Robert Crais on Facebook
Robert Crais on Instagram
Robert Crais on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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How #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Robert Crais Writes: Part Two

Psychology and Neuroscience Professor Kurt Gray spoke with me about the timely release, and inspiration behind his latest book OUTRAGED: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground.
Kurt Gray is a Professor in Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he directs the Deepest Beliefs Lab and the Center for the Science of Moral Understanding.
Kurt Gray's, new book OUTRAGED: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground “... explains the science behind the United States' current political divide.”
A NEXT BIG IDEA CLUB MUST-READ BOOK • It is described as “A groundbreaking new perspective on the moral mind that rewrites our understanding of where moral judgments come from, and how we can overcome the feelings of outrage that so often divide us.”
#1 New York Times best-selling author Adam Grant called it, "A riveting read. . . . Overturns widespread assumptions about why we’re divided and reveals how we can come together."
Kurt Gray received a PhD in Social Psychology from Harvard University, has published over 120 scientific papers, and his findings have been featured in The New York Times, the Economist, Scientific American, Wired, and Hidden Brain.

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In this file Kurt Gray and I discussed:
What it finally feels like to publish a book after decades of research
How we have misunderstood the moral mind
Who makes a profit from the “outrage machine”
Why humans are innately storytelling creatures
How to unplug, get words on the page, keep going
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
kurtjgray.com
Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground By Kurt Gray (Amazon)
Dragon Transcription App
Why We Fight About Morality and Politics | Kurt Gray | TEDxReno
Kurt Gray on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter

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How Psychology and Neuroscience Prof. Kurt Gray Writes

Bestselling author and literary agent Betsy Lerner spoke with me about being a “late bloomer,” what 35 years in publishing has taught her, and portraying mental illness in her debut novel SHRED SISTERS.
Betsy Lerner is the author of the popular advice book to writers, The Forest for the Trees, and the memoirs Food and Loathing and The Bridge Ladies. With Temple Grandin, she is the also co-author of the New York Times bestseller Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns and Abstractions.
Her debut novel, Shred Sisters, is described as “... an intimate and bittersweet story exploring the fierce complexities of sisterhood, mental health, loss and love.” The book was longlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, a New York Times Notable Book of 2024, and a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice and Best Book of the Year So Far, among many other accolades.
Betsy received an MFA from Columbia University in Poetry and was selected as one of PEN’s Emerging Writers. She also received the Tony Godwin Publishing Prize for Editors. After working as an editor for 15 years, she became an agent and is currently a partner with Dunow, Carlson and Lerner Literary Agency.
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[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]
In this file Betsy Lerner and I discussed:
Getting kicked out of film school
How "No Bad Dogs" inspired her to write The Forest for the Trees about writer personalities
Working with punk rock icon Patti Smith
The secrets behind her writing process
Why she wants to have dinner with filmmaker Greta Gerwig
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
betsylerner.com
Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency
Shred Sisters by Betsy Lerner (Amazon)
The Forest for the Trees: An Editor's Advice to Writers by Betsy Lerner (Amazon)
Betsy Lerner Amazon Author Page
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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How Bestselling Author & Literary Agent Betsy Lerner Writes

#1 New York Times bestselling novelist and screenwriter, Ernest Cline, spoke to me about what inspired him to become a novelist, the success of Ready Player One, and his love letter to Austin, Texas, the mostly true tall tale BRIDGE TO BAT CITY.
Ernest Cline is the bestselling author of Ready Player One, Ready Player Two, and Armada, and co-screenwriter of the film adaptation of Ready Player One, directed by Steven Spielberg.
His debut middle-grade novel, BRIDGE TO BAT CITY, is described as “... a mostly true tall tale about a recently orphaned girl and her mission to help a family of displaced bats find a new home under the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin, Texas.”
His books have been published in over fifty countries and have spent more than 100 weeks on The New York Times bestsellers list.
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[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]
In Part One of this file Ernest Cline and I discussed:
The signposts on the road to becoming a writer
His change of fortune (and opinion) as a screenwriter
The big idea behind Ready Player One 
Why 90% of Stephen King’s protagonists are school teachers or writers
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Ernest Cline Writes: Part Two
Bridge to Bat City by Ernest Cline (Amazon)
Ernest Cline Amazon Author Page
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Ernest Cline Writes: Part One - Redux

Have you ever wondered how prolific writers summon vast stores of creativity without seemingly breaking a sweat? I would like to introduce you to a guest segment where I enlist the help of a neuroscientist to give us a tour of The Writer s Brain.
I've invited research scientist Michael Grybko — of the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington — to help me define creativity from a scientific standpoint.
He will help us to pinpoint where exactly in the brain creative ideas come from, decide if you can teach an old writer new tricks, and test the theory that writer s brains are similar to professional athletes.
In this 22-minute file Michael Grybko and I discuss:

How Science is Expanding Our Definition of Creativity

Why Memory Plays Such a Big Part in Writing

Don’t Take Your Typing Skills for Granted

Where Creative Ideas Come From

Can You Teach an Old Writer New Tricks?

Why Staying Curious Is So Important to Creativity

Are Prolific Writers Like Pro Athletes?

Why “Write What You Know” Is Good Advice

The Show Notes

This Is Your Brain on Writing

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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How Neuroscientist Michael Grybko Defines Creativity

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