#1 New York Times bestselling novelist and screenwriter, Ernest Cline, spoke to me about what inspired him to become a novelist, the success of Ready Player One, and his love letter to Austin, Texas, the mostly true tall tale BRIDGE TO BAT CITY.

Ernest Cline is the bestselling author of Ready Player One, Ready Player Two, and Armada,  and co-screenwriter of the film adaptation of Ready Player One, directed by Steven Spielberg.

His debut middle-grade novel, BRIDGE TO BAT CITY (on sale 4/9/24; ages 8 & up), is described as “... a mostly true tall tale about a recently orphaned girl and her mission to help a family of displaced bats find a new home under the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin, Texas.”

His books have been published in over fifty countries and have spent more than 100 weeks on The New York Times bestsellers list.

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In Part Two of this file Ernest Cline and I discussed:

The crazy story behind Stephen King’s Misery

What it was like waiting for a call from Stephen Spielberg

How the author got to see his fiction turned into reality

Making the transition from adult sci-fi to middle grade novels

His shout outs to ET, Roald Dahl, Charles Portis

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Ernest Cline Writes: Part One

Bridge to Bat City by Ernest Cline (Amazon)

Ernest Cline Amazon Author Page

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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#1 New York Times bestselling novelist and screenwriter, Ernest Cline, spoke to me about what inspired him to become a novelist, the success of Ready Player One, and his love letter to Austin, Texas, the mostly true tall tale BRIDGE TO BAT CITY.

Ernest Cline is the bestselling author of Ready Player One, Ready Player Two, and Armada, and co-screenwriter of the film adaptation of Ready Player One, directed by Steven Spielberg.

His debut middle-grade novel, BRIDGE TO BAT CITY, is described as “... a mostly true tall tale about a recently orphaned girl and her mission to help a family of displaced bats find a new home under the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin, Texas.”

His books have been published in over fifty countries and have spent more than 100 weeks on The New York Times bestsellers list.

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In Part One of this file Ernest Cline and I discussed:

The signposts on the road to becoming a writer

His change of fortune (and opinion) as a screenwriter

The big idea behind Ready Player One 

Why 90% of Stephen King’s protagonists are school teachers or writers

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Ernest Cline Writes: Part Two

Bridge to Bat City by Ernest Cline (Amazon)

Ernest Cline Amazon Author Page

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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#1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer spoke with me about cutting her teeth on fanfiction, working briefly in publishing, and THE HAPPY WRITER, a guide to writing with less stress and more JOY.

Marissa Meyer is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles, Heartless, The Renegades Trilogy, and Instant Karma, as well as the graphic novel duology Wires and Nerve.

Marissa also created and hosted a popular podcast, The Happy Writer, that inspired her debut writing guide, The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond.

Described as, “Applicable to writers in all genres and disciplines—from screenwriters to novelists, journalists to picture book authors, aspiring to many-times published—The Happy Writer is a heartfelt and optimistic guide that will show you the way to a happier writing journey.”

Marissa holds a BA in Creative Writing from Pacific Lutheran University and a MA in Publishing from Pace University.

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In this file Marissa Meyer and I discussed:

How an overactive imagination led to a lifetime of storytelling

What she learned about the author/editor relationship early on 

Why optimism has always been a part of her brand

How to bring more joy to your writing “process”

Embracing lifelong creativity

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

marissameyer.com

The Happy Writer: Get More Ideas, Write More Words, and Find More Joy from First Draft to Publication and Beyond By Marissa Meyer

Marissa Meyer Amazon Author Page

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book On Novel Writing You'll Ever Need by Jessica Brody (Amazon)

Marissa Meyer on Facebook

Marissa Meyer on Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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Psychology and Neuroscience Professor Kurt Gray spoke with me about the timely release, and inspiration behind his latest book OUTRAGED: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground.

Kurt Gray is a Professor in Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he directs the Deepest Beliefs Lab and the Center for the Science of Moral Understanding.

Kurt Gray's, new book OUTRAGED: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground “... explains the science behind the United States' current political divide.”

A NEXT BIG IDEA CLUB MUST-READ BOOK • It is described as “A groundbreaking new perspective on the moral mind that rewrites our understanding of where moral judgments come from, and how we can overcome the feelings of outrage that so often divide us.”

#1 New York Times best-selling author Adam Grant called it, "A riveting read. . . . Overturns widespread assumptions about why we’re divided and reveals how we can come together."

Kurt Gray received a PhD in Social Psychology from Harvard University, has published over 120 scientific papers, and his findings have been featured in The  New York Times, the Economist, Scientific American, Wired, and Hidden Brain.

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In this file Kurt Gray and I discussed:

What it finally feels like to publish a book after decades of research

How we have misunderstood the moral mind

Who makes a profit from the “outrage machine”

Why humans are innately storytelling creatures

How to unplug, get words on the page, keep going

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

kurtjgray.com

Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground By Kurt Gray (Amazon)

Dragon Transcription App

Why We Fight About Morality and Politics | Kurt Gray | TEDxReno

Kurt Gray on Twitter

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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Award-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author, Robert Crais, returns to talk with me about the destruction of the recent LA fires, writing “enlightened” crime fiction, and the 20th in his Elvis Cole and Joe Pike series THE BIG EMPTY.

Robert Crais is the author of 24 novels, 20 featuring private investigator Elvis Cole and his laconic ex-cop partner, Joe Pike. The first in the series, The Monkey’s Raincoat, won the Anthony and Macavity Awards and was nominated for the Edgar Award.

The 20th in the series, THE BIG EMPTY, is described as an unpredictable and powerful thriller, and "Cole and Pike's toughest case yet, testing their loyalty to their clients and themselves in ways they've never been tested before.”

#1 New York Times bestselling author James Patterson said of the book, “Elvis Cole and Joe Pike are right up there with Harry Bosch and Reacher as must reads….It’s close to flawless. Robert Crais has mastered the fine art of storytelling.”

In a previous life Robert Crais was an Emmy-nominated TV writer/producer and spent several years writing scripts for classic television series like Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, and Miami Vice.

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In this Part Two of this file Robert Crais and I discussed:

What writing 20 novels for the same hit series means to him

How he became a master of LA detective fiction

Why every novel gets harder than the last

The catharsis of storytelling for both writer and reader

How to keep going 

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

How #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Robert Crais Writes: Part One

robertcrais.com

The Big Empty (An Elvis Cole and Joe Pike Novel) by Robert Crais (Amazon)

Robert Crais Author Page on Amazon

Robert Crais on Facebook

Robert Crais on Instagram

Robert Crais on Twitter

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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NOTE: Preface to Part Two of this prescient interview with a master of the craft: “[Crais is] an enlightened crime writer.”—New York Times Book Review

Award-winning and #1 NY Times bestselling author, Robert Crais, spoke to me about breathing life into the ur detective novel, the legacy of Raymond Chandler, his love of LA, and his latest, "Racing the Light."

Robert Crais is the author of 23 novels, 19 of which feature private investigator Elvis Cole and his laconic ex-cop partner, Joe Pike. The first in the series, The Monkey’s Raincoat, won the Anthony and Macavity Awards and was nominated for the Edgar Award.

The latest is Racing the Light, described as "... a pulse-pounding read and Elvis Cole's most dangerous case yet." Bestselling author David Baldacci called it "... another grand slam for the master storyteller Robert Crais. If there’s a better dynamic duo than Elvis Cole and Joe Pike in all of crime fiction, I’m not aware of it.”

On Reader's Digest's list of "30 new books we can't wait to read in 2022," Kirkus Reviews said that, "... [Crais] keeps the traditional detective novel alive and well."

In a previous life Robert Crais was an Emmy-nominated TV writer/producer and spent several years writing scripts for classic television series like Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, and Miami Vice.

screenwriting thesis program at an American university.

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In this file Robert Crais and I discussed:

Show Notes:

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New York Times bestselling author and award-winning journalist L.M. Elliott spoke with me about the heyday of magazine writing and new journalism, why research tells her what to write, and her latest novel TRUTH, LIES, AND THE QUESTIONS IN BETWEEN.

L.M. Elliott (who also writes as Laura Elliot) was an award-winning magazine journalist for 20 years before becoming the New York Times bestselling author of 14 historical and biographical novels. The three-time finalist for the National Magazine Award and winner of multiple Dateline Awards, focused primarily on women's issues and human interest profiles.

Her latest novel Truth, Lies, and the Questions in Between, is described as a “‘docu-novel’ … of 1973—the year of Watergate hearings, the Equal Rights Amendment, and Roe v. Wade…” and “... [explores] a fraught political era and the dangers of disinformation, unchecked power, hate-rhetoric, and censorship.”

NYT bestselling author Sharon Cameron said of the author, “... Elliott uses the pen of a journalist and the heart of a storyteller to create  a masterful, page-turning, razor-sharp commentary on a past that looks eerily like our present.”

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In this file L.M. Elliott and I discussed:

Her journey to accidental bestseller and a second career

Why there isn’t any better training than writing historical fiction

The definition of “saving string” for journalists and fictionists

How her books mix photo documentary and in-depth research

Hanging out with Emily Brontë

And a lot more!

Show Notes: 

lmelliott.com

Truth, Lies, and the Questions in Between by L.M. Elliott (Amazon)

L.M. Elliott Amazon Author Page

L.M. Elliott on Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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Award-winning TV writer/producer turned novelist Georgia Jeffries spoke with me about why Cagney and Lacey was her film school, teaching screenwriting at USC, and the ghosts, grief, and grievance in her debut novel THE YOUNGER GIRL.

Georgia Jeffries is the Emmy-nominated TV writer/producer who became the first individual female screenwriter to earn a Writers Guild Award for Episodic Drama for her work on the ground-breaking series Cagney & Lacey.

Her debut is The Younger Girl: A Dark Labyrinth of Family Betrayal, based on a true crime. It was described by bestselling author Rachel Howzell Hall as “...historical fiction at its best. … [and] an eye-opening, immersive story about a family, then and now, nearly stripped bare from greed and the steadfast refusal to acknowledge a painful past.”

Jeffries has written docudramas and series pilots for CBS, ABC, NBC, HBO, and Showtime and is a professor at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts where she created the first undergraduate screenwriting thesis program at an American university.

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In this file Georgia Jeffries and I discussed:

Her early years as a journalist

How she received rave rejections on her first attempt at a novel

Why she based her debut on true events from her family’s past

The throughline of her quest for justice and love of noir fiction

Writing genre-bending historical suspense

And a lot more!

Show Notes: 

georgiajeffries.com

The Younger Girl: A Dark Labyrinth of Family Betrayal by Georgia Jeffries (Amazon)

Georgia Jeffries on IMDb

Georgia Jeffries on Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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NOTE: Repost of our second most popular episode of the year, Happy Holidays!

New York Times bestselling author, Ann Napolitano, spoke with me about overcoming rejection early on, how grief transformed her writing process, and getting that fateful call from Oprah about Hello Beautiful.

Ann Napolitano is the New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful which was selected as Oprah’s 100th Book Club pick; Dear Edward, an instant New York Times bestseller, a Read with Jenna selection, and an Apple TV+ series; A Good Hard Look, and Within Arm’s Reach.

Hello Beautiful has been called a “powerfully affecting” (People) family story that asks: Can love make a broken person whole? The Washington Post said of the book, “Another tender tearjerker . . . Napolitano chronicles life’s highs and lows with aching precision.”

It was named Chicago Public Library’s Ten Best Books of the Year and a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times Book Review, NPR, The Washington Post, Time, Vogue, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, New York Post, She Reads, and Bookreporter.

Ann was the associate editor of the literary magazine One Story for seven years, and she received an MFA from New York University.

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In this file Ann Napolitano and I discussed:

Her long and rocky road to success

How an illness early in life helped her realize she was a writer

Why her first published book felt like a proving ground

The nine-month approach to planning your next novel

How to write the truest sentence possible

Why you need to string together as many Xs as you can

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

AnnNapolitano.com

Hello Beautiful (Oprah's Book Club): A NOVEL By Ann Napolitano (Amazon)

Ann Napolitano Amazon Author Page

Ann Napolitano on Twitter

Ann Napolitano on Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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NOTE: Repost of our most popular episode of the year by far, enjoy!

Bestselling author, podcaster, blogger, speaker, and my friend Jeff Goins, brought me along on a creative journey not too long ago called Hey, Creator! and it was some of the most fun I’ve had as a podcast producer.

Here’s an episode from the last season we did together titled “How to Finish the First Draft of Anything.”

Jeff Goins helps creative people succeed. Through his bestselling books, courses, coaching, and speeches, he shares his ongoing journey of transformation, inspiring creators to discover their voice and share it with the world.

He is also the founder of Fresh Complaint, a bespoke creative agency that helps authors, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs turn their stories and ideas into books that change the way people think.

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In this file Jeff Goins and I discussed:

Why the first step to finishing is to begin

The secret to getting unstuck

Why nothing is ever really finished

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

goinswriter.com

freshcomplaint.com

Hey, Creator! Podcast

Jeff Goins Amazon Author Page

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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