Shawn and Amy chat about comedy writing vs. novel writing, great dialogue, being Midwestern, debut novels, shifting careers, and the importance of supportive partners for creative people.

Shawn and Jane talk about surviving and thriving after a cancer diagnosis, healthcare for women over the years, the bandwagon effect, what history was actually like, and the magic of teamwork.

Shawn and Ali chat about Ali's Fan Fiction origins and her path to traditional publishing, the role that luck plays in our lives, the best writing advice you can give or get, how stories help us deal with difficult times, finding your community, and a billion-dollar idea.

Shawn and returning guest Katherine Ramsland discuss crime-solving teams, horse dentists, teamwork and brainstorming, Mother Nature and the weather, the DC Snipers, saying yes to opportunities, Dostoevsky, and philosophy.

Shawn and Libi chat about Ben Franklin quotes; professional storytelling; living and traveling in Italy IRL and in your mind; elegant murder; and beautiful book covers.

Shawn and Shelley chat about Shelley being a Ph.D. and Edgar-nominated writer, finding power in words and how they impact others as well as ourselves, how to write mysteries, Mark Twain, and food, of course.

Shawn and Sidney chat about gay characters who aren’t just sidekicks, the lasting appeal of rom-coms, their mutual distrust of outlining stories, a roller-coaster of words, writers on strike, and being culture vultures.

Shawn and Genevive chat about The Viking Age, pantsers/discovery writing vs. plotting, faking it till you're making it, content warnings on novels, Viking women, and how women fight.

Shawn and Ore discuss her debut novel, THE THREE OF US, what it's like being a debut author, writing short and long fiction, pandemic novel writing, friendships and love, juggling on Zoom, and eavesdropping on someone's worst nightmare.

Shawn and Lauryn chat about Millenials vs Gen-X experiences, The Interestings, the financial crisis of 2008 and how it impacted a generation, growing up with social media, pantsers, restructuring a book post editorial review, multiple POVs, and hard writing math.