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

How Bestselling Author & TV Producer Dwain Worrell Writes


Listen Later

Bestselling author and award-winning screenwriter, Dwain Worrell, spoke to me about making the move from the writers' room to the cafe, the art and science of suspense, and his debut novel ANDRONE.

Dwain Worrell is an award-winning Marvel and Disney+ TV producer, filmmaker, and novelist whose writing credits include Marvel’s Iron Fist, CBS’s Fire Country, Amazon Studios’ The Wall, and the Disney+ series National Treasure, among others. Dwain also worked as a translator of Mandarin Chinese in Beijing for nearly a decade.

His bestselling debut novel, Androne, is described as a “... near future … highly cinematic and propulsive story [centered] around a terrifying event called the Ninety-Nine, where all major military installations on Earth [are] eviscerated, heralding humanity's start of a war with an unknown enemy.”

Niels Arden Oplev, Director of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo called the book “A crazy-cool ride into the unknown …. [Androne] reads like a high-end videogame on steroids with a destiny of Shakespearean magnitude.”       

Publishers Weekly wrote, “... taut intrigue … reels readers into a thrilling yet thoughtful narrative about the futility of war and the cost of doing the right thing…”

[Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm]

[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 Dwain Worrell and I discussed: 

  • Making the move from screenwriter to novelist during a WGA strike
  • How he discovered theater after having his basketball dreams dashed
  • Why writing for TV is harder (and easier) than prose
  • The inspiration that went into his latest sci-fi thriller
  • Our mutual love of Hans Zimmer soundtracks
  • Hanging out with Shakespeare at Chili’s
  • And a lot more!
  • Show Notes:

    • Dwainworrell.com
    • Dwain Worrell - IMDb
    • Behind the Science of Writing Good Suspense - Writer's Digest
    • Androne By Dwain Worrell (Amazon)
    • Dwain Worrell on Instagram
    • Dwain Worrell on Twitter
    • Kelton Reid on Twitter

    • Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store

      The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and NeuroscienceBy Kelton Reid

      • 4.5
      • 4.5
      • 4.5
      • 4.5
      • 4.5

      4.5

      206 ratings


      More shows like The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience

      View all
      On Being with Krista Tippett by On Being Studios

      On Being with Krista Tippett

      10,087 Listeners

      The New Yorker: Fiction by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

      The New Yorker: Fiction

      3,305 Listeners

      The Creative Penn Podcast For Writers by Joanna Penn

      The Creative Penn Podcast For Writers

      611 Listeners

      Helping Writers Become Authors by K.M. Weiland

      Helping Writers Become Authors

      965 Listeners

      Otherppl with Brad Listi by Brad Listi

      Otherppl with Brad Listi

      501 Listeners

      Between The Covers : Conversations with Writers in Fiction, Nonfiction & Poetry by David Naimon, Tin House Books

      Between The Covers : Conversations with Writers in Fiction, Nonfiction & Poetry

      442 Listeners

      Writing Excuses by Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler

      Writing Excuses

      1,288 Listeners

      The History of Literature by Jacke Wilson / The Podglomerate

      The History of Literature

      1,079 Listeners

      The History of Standup by Wayne Federman & Andrew Steven / The Podglomerate

      The History of Standup

      337 Listeners

      Micheaux Mission by The Podglomerate / Micheaux Mission

      Micheaux Mission

      206 Listeners

      The New Yorker: The Writer's Voice - New Fiction from The New Yorker by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

      The New Yorker: The Writer's Voice - New Fiction from The New Yorker

      2,072 Listeners

      Freelance to Founder by Millo / The Podglomerate

      Freelance to Founder

      67 Listeners

      Writer's Routine by Dan Simpson

      Writer's Routine

      295 Listeners

      Book Dreams by Eve Yohalem and Julie Sternberg / The Podglomerate

      Book Dreams

      57 Listeners

      Fiction Writing Made Easy by Savannah Gilbo

      Fiction Writing Made Easy

      1,370 Listeners

      The Shit No One Tells You About Writing by Bianca Marais, Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra

      The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

      725 Listeners

      Trail Weight by Andrew Steven / The Podglomerate

      Trail Weight

      62 Listeners

      Poured Over by Barnes & Noble

      Poured Over

      288 Listeners

      31 for 31 by Chris Boniello, Jamie Lansdowne, and Cody Mason

      31 for 31

      14 Listeners

      Essential Guide to Writing a Novel by James Thayer

      Essential Guide to Writing a Novel

      355 Listeners

      Writers on Writing by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett and Marrie Stone

      Writers on Writing

      58 Listeners

      No Write Way with V. E. Schwab by V. E. Schwab (Author)

      No Write Way with V. E. Schwab

      45 Listeners