Episode Summary

In this episode, Bob talks about how balancing his love of writing fiction, non-fiction, and screen plays allows him to give himself needed breaks. He talks about the importance of an outline for his process and why he loves that rules can be broken when writing.

Highlights

•Bob has a physics degree and originally wanted to become a physicist.
•Bob took some film making classes and started to write.
•To pay his bills he became an engineering consultant which gives him flexibility to take time off to write.
•Bob enjoys being able to switch from one writing style to the other to give himself a break.
•Bob finds that outlining the story streamlines his process.
•When Bob was younger, he required his office and a specific schedule to focus on his writing. But now he can write almost anywhere.
•Bob enjoys high stakes poker and can actually write while he as at a table playing. 
•Bob has played poker against some high ranked players and has won hands. 
•He is starting a new business called Good Beat Poker where you can watch live tournament poker online.
•The Blue Knight by Joseph Wambaugh was a book that greatly inspired Bob.
•The Blue Knight helped Bob understand that in writing, rules can be broken.
•The success of his non-writing career allows Bob to be very flexible in his writing and try new genres as he please.
•Bob has a collection of short stories that he is writing now.

Episode Summary

In this episode, Monica talks about her transition from Mexico City to the Midwest if the United States. She also discusses the difficulty of creating a fantasy universe and how she approaches the task.

Highlights

•Monica is originally from Mexico City and lived there for almost 25 years before relocating to the Midwest.
•Monica has an office, but she prefers to work on her kitchen table where she has plenty of room to work.
•Monica prefers to have some noise around her while writing. Music, noise of the household, etc. all help her focus.
•She enjoys listening to music to help set the mood for whatever scene she is writing.
•When not writing Monica loves to paint.
•One of her favorite authors is Wilbur Smith. She loves how descriptive he is and how he can transport you into the story. His writing heavily influenced her interests and writing.
•Monica finds it difficult to create a fantasy world and finds starting small is helpful.
•Monica tries to write at least 30 to 45 minutes for days a week. The weekend is usually for family.
•Monica is currently working on a new series that is science fiction.
•She has a 3-year-old Husky that is a workout partner. She also has parakeets.
•Some of her pets inspire or are parts of characters in some of her stories.
•Monica loves to hike, and it makes a great vacation. She also loves Hawaii and wants to return.

Episode Summary

In this episode, Rachel discusses how loving poetry in her youth transitioned into her novel writing. She talks about the importance of writing stories that inspire people to heal and be better versions of themselves.   

Highlights

•Rachel first started writing poetry when she was in middle school. 
•She wrote her first book in 2019.
•She had gone to college for photography but never lost her love of writing.
•Photography allowed her to tell a story without words.
•Rachel likes to write in her bedroom or her husband’s studio.
•Rachel prefers to have some music or some other sound in the background to help with the mood.
•Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons by Ann Rinaldi and The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd were two of Rachels favorite books.
•Rachel found that writing poetry was a way to heal and release things from her mind.
•For any aspiring writers, Rachels advice is to write whatever words come. Just start writing. Then you can rearrange them and work through the story.
•Drafting is an important part of Rachels writing process.
•Covid gave Rachel more free time to start writing.
•Deja Soul is Rachels favorite of her characters. She feels that she shares more in common with Deja Soul.

Episode Summary

In this episode, Joann discusses how she hesitated to write because she thought that it was only something that “smart” people could do. She talks about the fear of publishing and having people that she knew be critical as well as what event inspired her to finally write and publish her books.

Highlights

•Joann started writing small stories when she was a child to give to people as gifts.
•She wrote her first novel around the age of 12.
•She earned her master’s degree in creative writing.
•For a long time, she didn’t think that writing was for her. She thought it was something that only smart people could do.
•She was inspired to start writing while she was sitting at her husband’s bedside in the hospital. She realized that she may not get the chance if she didn’t act now.
•She likes to write in coffee shops but also has a tent that she writes in outside.
•Joann likes to start her writing with a loose framework but along the path she can veer into unexpected directions.
•In her spare time, Joann enjoys taking hikes and being in nature.
•Covid removed distractions and allowed Joann to focus on her writing.
•Joann loves Fannie Flagg.
•Joann found it difficult to publish her first book because she was worried about the feedback from people that she knew.
•Her advice to anybody thinking about writing is to just write. Everyone’s definition of success is different.
•Joann still finds it difficult to plot.
•Her favorite part of the process is editing, and she sometimes has 8 to 9 drafts before publishing.

Episode Summary

In this episode, Richard discusses his transition from a career in commercial writing to starting to write his own stories. He talks about where he finds inspiration and what sent him on the path to write his book 50 States.

Highlights

•Richard has been writing for about 30 years. He had mostly helped tell other people’s stories.
•Richard taught for 20 years at UNLV.
•Richard has a home office that he likes to use for writing.
•He has many objects in his office, but he finds that his St. Christopher medal gives him inspiration. It was something from his grandmother who he was very close with.
•Richard is usually in the process of reading 4 books.
•Richard writes fiction but he finds inspiration all around him in real life.
•Stefan G Bucher’s The Daily Monster project was part of what inspired Richard to write his anthology.
•Deadlines were something that Richard responded well to after 30 years of commercial writing. He liked the idea of 50 stories in 50 weeks because it gave him some structure around deadlines.
•Jeff Livingston helped Richard understand that you have to put your projects first in order to fit them in with your career and other interests.
•Short stories allow you to do some experimentation. If you write something that you do not like then you can put it aside for use later or try it again with a different approach.
•Always try to bring humanity to the story and be honest about what emotions you are bringing to the story. 
•Brian Callanan was the narrator for the audio version of 50 States and Richard felt like Brian was a perfect match for the project.
•Covid was not good for Richard’s writing. Much of what he writes is inspired by being out and what he sees in daily life. Covid prevented him from doing that.

Episode Summary

In this episode, John discusses the bond that he feels with his characters and the challenge of writing to get them where he wants them on their journey.

Highlights

•John grew up in Forest Hills, Queens, New Your City.
•John attended Hunter College and studied Anthropology.
•While John is a writer, he considers himself a Journeyman. He has had many professions and jobs across his career.
•John worked in the wine industry. The name of his Nebilon Series was derived from his favorite grape the Nebbiolo.
•John can write and take notes almost anywhere while moving around the city. He does like writing at his kitchen table because it has more space.
•John used to write short stories, but he discovered that his characters wanted more so he started writing novels. 
•John found building his fantasy world a difficult task.
•He enjoys fantasy that isn’t too dark or gruesome.
•Book 4 in the Nebilon series is in process.
•John sees Millie Bobby Brown as Luma, Patrick Stewart as Glanzing, and Sean Astin as Vigo.

Episode Summary

In this episode, Kelly discusses how her childhood as an introvert helped her fall in love with stories and put her on the path to becoming a writer. She talks about the power of good critique groups as well as the challenge of grabbing the attention of a public that has so many options for entertainment.

Highlights

•Kelly was raised as a “military brat” and her family moved every 3 years.
•As a child, Kelly was an introvert, so she turned to stories and reading. She always felt like she would be a writer.
•She writes in her spare time, and it usually takes her about a year to complete a book.
•Kelly gets up early and writes in her living room before anybody gets up so that it is quiet.
•Kelly shares her creative space with a cat and a dog.
•Kelly found inspiration in Sandra Brown’s writing.
•If a book doesn’t have some exciting elements, then Kelly will stop reading it.
•Kelly recommends to any writer to find someone that can give you honest but kind critique.
•Her goal is to constantly improve so that she can see that she is mastering her writing.
•If Kelly could pick the lead actor for Nick, she would pick Hugh Jackman or Jamie Dornan.  K.D. Lang would be her pick for Pat.

Episode Summary

In this episode, Nate discusses how growing up near the ocean shaped his writing. He talks about how he enjoys the research process for writing his stories and also has advice for those wanting to write their first book.

Highlights

•Nate was born and raised in Pensacola, Florida.
•He grew up on the beaches of the gulf and loved marine life and that influenced what he wanted to convey to the readers.
•Nate enjoys writing in his backyard when the weather is nice.
•He also has a nice library that he uses to write.
•Nate always has his portable Bluetooth speaker with him to help get in the zone when he is writing.
•Nate has two cats that are part of the creative process.
•Nate loves to scuba dive.
•Doing research and learning is one of Nate’s favorite parts of writing.
•Nate is finding that the second book is going faster since he knows his process and understands his characters.
•Nate’s advice to anyone that wants to write is to never stop. Do not let setback, problems, or opinions stop you. Find a way to move forward.
•Matthew McConaughey would be Nate’s choice to play the leading role if his book was turned into a movie.

Episode Summary

In this episode, Dean discusses his journey through the entertainment industry as well as the career that allowed him to live abroad in Turkey and Germany. He also talks about how Shakespeare inspired him on his path to becoming a writer. 

 Highlights

• Dean was born and raised in Calgary, Canada.
• He has lived in Germany for 17 years and prior to that lived in Turkey for 9 years.
• Dean started out in the entertainment industry as a singer, actor, and technician.
• Dean writes on a desk in his office. He does not find it practical to write at home.
• Dean has a lucky rock that he found on a vacation that he keeps near him when writing.
• Dean is not the most voracious reader.
• Shakespeare is a big inspiration for Dean.
• Dean likes to write in the evening. He believes that he can find clarity in the evening with fewer people on the frequencies to create.
• Dean sees Jake Gyllenhaal as a good fit for his main character if a movie was made.