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

#1 New York Times bestselling author, Lev Grossman, spoke to me about his tenure at Time magazine, how The Magicians poked holes in Narnia and Potter, and reimagining a legend with THE BRIGHT SWORD: A Novel of King Arthur.

Lev Grossman is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Magicians trilogy—The Magicians, The Magician King, and The Magician’s Land—which has been published in 30 countries and adapted as a TV show that ran for five seasons on SYFY.

His latest novel is THE BRIGHT SWORD: A Novel of King Arthur, named a Best Summer Read by The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Time, Vulture, Esquire, Boston Globe, Elle, Town & Country, Seattle Times, New York Post, Lit Hub, and many others.

George R. R. Martin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Game of Thrones said of the book, “If you love King Arthur as much as I do, you’ll love Lev Grossman’s The Bright Sword, a fresh and engrossing take on the Matter of Britain featuring a colorful cast of Round Table knights who don’t often get as much story time as they deserve. The creator of The Magicians has woven another spell.”

Lev has written two critically acclaimed novels for children, and the screenplay for the movie The Map of Tiny Perfect Things, a finalist for the Critic’s Choice awards (based on his short story).

He also worked as a staff writer at Time magazine, and has written essays and articles for Vanity Fair, the Believer, the Village Voice, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Salon, Slate, Wired, Entertainment Weekly, Buzzfeed, NPR, and many others. 

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In this file Lev Grossman and I discussed: 
How he talked his way into writing for Time magazine
The evolution of his career from journalist to novelist
Breaking through with middle-grade fantasy and The Magicians
How he “got into the weeds” with his latest Arthurian tome
World-building for streaming vs. collaborating on the graphic novel
And a lot more!

Show Notes:
levgrossman.com
The Bright Sword: A Novel of King Arthur by Lev Grossman (Amazon)
Lev Grossman Amazon Author Page
Lev Grossman on Facebook
Lev Grossman on Instagram
Lev Grossman on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter

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Lauded debut author, Isabel Banta, spoke to me about working at Books Are Magic with Emma Straub, her love of Britney Spears, and capturing Y2K era pop superstardom in her debut novel HONEY.

Isabel Banta is a writer, book publicist, and indie bookseller at Books Are Magic in Brooklyn.

Her debut novel is HONEY, named a 'GMA' Buzz Pick and described as “...a coming-of-age story about a pop star in the late '90s and early 2000s who's determined to find and claim her own identity.”

Honey was named a best book of the summer by PEOPLE, ELLE, PureWow and Our Culture, as well as a Goodreads Editor's Choice and IndieNext Pick.

New York Times bestselling author Emma Straub said of the book, "Honey is a sexy swagger of a debut." LitHub named it one of 18 Books to Read this Summer, “A delightfully bubblegum novel of hot summer nostalgia that also lands some serious blows to the patriarchal mores of a cultural milieu we still haven’t fully shaken off.”

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In this file Isabel Banta and I discussed: 
Why she loves talking about and promoting other writers
The surreality of finally publishing her own book
How she approached the subject of the commodification of young stars in the music industry
Why you need to pivot POVs as a novelist
Her writing routine
And a lot more!

Show Notes:
isabelbanta.com
Honey: A Novel By Isabel Banta (Amazon)
Isabel Banta on Instagram
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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#1 New York Times bestselling author, Jodi Picoult, spoke with me about writing for Wonder Woman, adapting books for musical theater, and the question of Shakespeare's true authorship in her upcoming novel BY ANY OTHER NAME.
Jodi Picoult is the bestselling author of 30 novels, including landmark titles such as Mad Honey – her most recent 1 million-copy bestseller – Wish You Were Here, A Spark of Light, and Small Great Things. 40 million copies of her books are in print worldwide and have been translated into 34 languages.
Her forthcoming novel is BY ANY OTHER NAME (on sale 8/20; Ballantine), described as a novel about two women, centuries apart – one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare’s plays – who are both forced to hide behind another name.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Kristin Hannah said of the book, “You’ll fall in love with Emilia Bassano, the unforgettable heroine based on a real woman that Picoult brings vividly to life in her brilliantly researched new novel.” Elle called it, “[An] inspiring work of feminist literature inspired by real historical accounts.”
Jodi was also co-librettist for the stage musical adaptation of her young adult novel Between the Lines (which premiered Off-Broadway in Summer 2022), the co-librettist of the musical BREATHE, the co-librettist of the musical adaptation of The Book Thief, and she is currently at work on an adaptation of Austenland.
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In this file Jodi Picoult and I discussed: 

What's changed and what hasn't for women (in theater) over 400+ years?

The best time to break an arm for an author

How she works in cycles for her books

Why her kids made her write for Wonder Woman

The conundrum of a famous playwright who didn’t own a single book

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

jodipicoult.com


By Any Other Name: A Novel By Jodi Picoult (Amazon)

Jodi Picoult Amazon Author Page


WAS SHAKESPEARE A WOMAN? – Elizabeth Winkler for The Atlantic


Jodi Picoult on Facebook

Jodi Picoult on Twitter

Jodi Picoult on Instagram

Jodi Picoult on TikTok

Kelton Reid on Twitter


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Critically acclaimed author, Tracy O'Neill, spoke with me about reality hunger vs. the hyper-realness of the pandemic, writing a love letter to friendship, and searching for her birth mother in her noir-adjacent memoir WOMAN OF INTEREST.
Tracy O'Neill is a National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35 honoree, and the author of The Hopeful, one of Electric Literature's Best Novels of 2015, and Quotients, a New York Times​ New & Noteworthy Book, TOR Editor's Choice, & Literary Hub Favorite Book of 2020.
Her first book of nonfiction is the memoir WOMAN OF INTEREST (HarperOne; on-sale: 6/25/24) described by The Millions as “an intimate memoir written with the narrative propulsion of a detective novel” in their list of Most Anticipated Books of Spring 2024.
In a Starred Review Publishers Weekly, called it “…riveting… cool, noir-tinted prose shot through with wit and compassion, O’Neill presents her inquiry as a sort of metaphysical detective story. Readers will be riveted.”
Her writing has appeared in Granta, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, The Atlantic, the New Yorker, LitHub, and BOMB, among other publications. She teaches at Vassar College and holds an MFA from the City College of New York and a PhD from Columbia University.
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In this file Tracy O'Neill and I discussed:
COVID as a catalyst for life change
Why real life doesn’t adhere to any genre
Meditations on language and storytelling
How her process has evolved from fiction to non-fiction
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
tracyoneill.net
Woman of Interest: A Memoir By Tracy O'Neill (Amazon)
Tracy O'Neill Amazon Author Page
Tracy O'Neill on Twitter
Tracy O'Neill on Instagram
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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Bestselling author, podcaster, blogger, speaker, and my friend Jeff Goins, recently brought me along on a creative journey called Hey, Creator! and it was some of the most fun I’ve had as a podcast producer. I also learned a lot from Jeff over the course of the show.
We’re back with another episode from the second season we did together titled “Living the Dream.”`
Jeff Goins helps creative people succeed. Through his bestselling books, courses, coaching, and speeches, he shares his ongoing transformation journey, 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:
What tattoos, dreams, and bulls have in common
This dream-like existence we call life
The creator’s dilemma of making sense of the mystery
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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Bestselling author, Fred Waitzkin, spoke with me about journalism, Searching for Bobby Fischer, the thin veil between fiction and non-fiction, and the Zen of his latest novel ANYTHING IS GOOD.
Fred Waitzkin is the journalist and internationally acclaimed bestselling author of Searching for Bobby Fischer, made into the Academy Award-nominated film of the same name.
His work has appeared in Esquire, New York Magazine, The New York Times Sunday Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, Outside, Sports Illustrated, and Forbes, among other publications.
Fred Waitzkin’s fourth novel, Anything Is Good, is described as a “... hypnotically compelling tale of a man haunted by the fate of his childhood buddy, and of that friend’s pleasures and misfortunes as he navigates an unhoused life.”
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks said of the book, “Anything Is Good, based on the true story of a brilliant and beleaguered childhood friend, offers a deeply affecting dive into the lives of the unhoused.”
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In this file Fred Waitzkin and I discussed:
Finding his unique voice as a journalist
Why great writers blend non-fiction and fiction
How he chose the subject matter of his latest book
The evolution of his process as a novelist
Why he hates the question, “What’s next?”
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
FredWaitzkin.com
Anything Is Good by Fred Waitzkin (Amazon)
Fred Waitzkin Amazon Author Page
Fred Waitzkin on Facebook
Fred Waitzkin on Instagram
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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