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How A Veteran CNN Editor Built A Writing Career
In this episode, I sat down with John DeDakis, a journalist with 45 years in the newsroom and 25 years at CNN, to get honest about the upsides and downsides of artificial intelligence in writing, publishing, and education, and where he draws the line.
John walked me through his pivot from journalism to mystery and suspense fiction, including what reporters have to unlearn when they move from “just the facts” to character emotion, interiority, and voice. We talked about persistence through rejection, why small independent publishers can be a great home, and how self-publishing changes the workload by making marketing and management your responsibility.
If you want grounded advice on writing craft, author marketing, and the future of AI for writers, listen through and take notes.
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🥒 NEW! The Lonely Cucumber — Natasha's latest children's book
A multicultural illustrated story that teaches kids about healthy eating in a fun, heartwarming way. Perfect for elementary school children, gift-giving, and classroom read-alouds.
👉 Get your copy on Amazon
⭐ Loved it? Leave a review — it helps more kids discover the book.
About Natasha Natasha Tynes is a Jordanian-American author, journalist, and book coach based in the DC area. Beyond children's books, she writes literary fiction (They Called Me Wyatt, Karma Unleashed) and helps aspiring authors pu...
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By Natasha TynesIn this episode, I sat down with John DeDakis, a journalist with 45 years in the newsroom and 25 years at CNN, to get honest about the upsides and downsides of artificial intelligence in writing, publishing, and education, and where he draws the line.
John walked me through his pivot from journalism to mystery and suspense fiction, including what reporters have to unlearn when they move from “just the facts” to character emotion, interiority, and voice. We talked about persistence through rejection, why small independent publishers can be a great home, and how self-publishing changes the workload by making marketing and management your responsibility.
If you want grounded advice on writing craft, author marketing, and the future of AI for writers, listen through and take notes.
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
🥒 NEW! The Lonely Cucumber — Natasha's latest children's book
A multicultural illustrated story that teaches kids about healthy eating in a fun, heartwarming way. Perfect for elementary school children, gift-giving, and classroom read-alouds.
👉 Get your copy on Amazon
⭐ Loved it? Leave a review — it helps more kids discover the book.
About Natasha Natasha Tynes is a Jordanian-American author, journalist, and book coach based in the DC area. Beyond children's books, she writes literary fiction (They Called Me Wyatt, Karma Unleashed) and helps aspiring authors pu...