The Book I HAD to Write

About this episode

Paul talks with the best-selling author Dr. Robert Glover about how the publication of the book, No More Mr. Nice Guy, helped him to create a platform, and to launch himself as internationally-recognized men’s dating and self-improvement expert. To date, NMMNG has some 6000+ reviews on Amazon.

In the interview, Dr. Glover discusses how he came to write his book, and how fear of success almost derailed that project. And he talks about how he used the initial buzz about his book to help launch his career as an early digital nomad, living part-time in Mexico as he launched online courses, retreats, and coaching. 

We also touch on:

* What is the problem with “nice guys”

* What the “pickup” community gets wrong about dating and women

* How men and women can learn to become better daters

* Publishing at a time of rapidly changing gender roles

* How Amazon has changed the publishing model

* How publishers view platform today

Dr. Glover is an internationally recognized authority on the "Nice Guy Syndrome." He is a frequent guest on radio talk shows and has been featured in numerous local and national publications. He is also the author of Dating Essentials for Men and is the director of TPI University. He lives in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Discussed on this episode

No More Mr Nice Guy: A Proven Plan for Getting What You Want in Love, Sex, and Life

Dating Essentials for Men: The Only Dating Guide You Will Ever Need

Total Personal Integration (TPI) Workshops

Credits

This episode was edited by Paul Zakrzewski and produced by Magpie Audio Productions. Theme music  is "The Stone Mansion" by BlueDot Productions. 

Paul talks with the NYT-bestselling memoirist and teacher, Abigail Thomas. Her memoir, Safekeeping (2000), is a marvel of technical innovation, enviable humor, and just plain old heart. She’s clear-sighted about her own failings, as well as other people’s, but she never seems to judge anyone.

In this episode Abigail Thomas shares the backstory of how she came to write Safekeeping, how the memoir was initially turned down by all the editors the book was sent, except for one. 

The interview is something of a masterclass on writing memoir as Thomas also talks about:

• How to shape an experimental or “mosaic” memoir like hers
• How to own what you don’t remember
• Her favorite writing exercise (hint: it’s 2 pages about…)
• How to stop getting hung up by chronology in memoir
• Writing memoir vs. "tattling"
• How to create distance in memoir

Abigail Thomas, the daughter of renowned science writer Lewis Thomas, is the author of three works of fiction: Getting Over Tom, An Actual Life, and Herb’s Pajamas.

Her memoir, A Three Dog Life, was named one of the best books of 2006 by the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post. She is also author of Safekeeping and What Comes Next and How to Like it (memoirs), as well as Thinking About Memoir.

Discussed in this episode:

 “Getting Started” (essay): https://www.abigailthomas.net/getting-started/

Safekeeping (memoir)

What Comes Next and How to Like it (memoir)

Forthcoming Untitled Memoir published by the Golden Notebook bookstore, Woodstock, NY

Credits:

This episode was edited by Paul Zakrzewski and produced by Magpie Audio Productions. Theme music  is "The Stone Mansion" by BlueDot Productions.

About the episode

What do you do when you want to read a book that’s not already out there? nd what’s the difference between keeping a journal and writing for publication?

In S1E1 of TBIHTW, writer and editor Karen Propp explores these and other questions. She tells the story of how she came to write her memoir,In Sickness &  In Health: A Love Story.

Karen based her book on extensive journals she’d kept during her late ex-husband’s prostate cancer and treatment.

Published in 2002,  In Sickness &  In Health is a beautifully-written memoir – one of the very first to honestly and vulnerably explored the impact of illness on a caregiver.

In the interview, Karen also discusses:

* her identity as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor

* the MAUS controversy

* the importance of writing groups

* how to find urgency in your writing

* AND unintended consequences of publishing personal/confessional memoir

Today, Karen is an independent editor and writer who specializes in business, health care, and memoir. She’s a highly-popular writing consultant who with thought leaders across the globe.

Karen is also the author of the memoir, The Pregnancy Project: Encounters With Reproductive Therapy, and the co-editor of Why I’m Still Married: Women Write Their Hearts Out On Love, Loss, Sex, and Who Does The Dishes, the best-selling anthology of essays about marriage.  She has a Ph.D. in British and American Literature from the University of Utah.

Discussed on this episode

“How to Hide: Instructions from a Daughter of Survivors” (Lilith Magazine):https://lilith.org/articles/how-to-hide-instructions-from-a-daughter-of-survivors/

In Sickness &  In Health: A Love Story:https://www.amazon.com/Sickness-Health-Love-Story/dp/1579545521

More about Karen Proppwww.karenpropp.com

Credits

This episode was edited and produced by Magpie Audio Productions. Theme music  is "The Stone Mansion" by BlueDot Productions.

Welcome to the Book I Had to Write!

This is the show where I feature critically-acclaimed writers, who tell me about the stories they just HAD to get out in the world. Episodes focus on places where that sense of urgency meets resistance.

We talk about where authors get stuck—and how they succeed. Whether it’s about the stuff that gets in the way of showing up; or about craft challenges; or just how to navigate the changing landscape of publishing--this show covers everything you need to know to start & finish your own writing project.