Acclaimed debut novelist and award-winning poet Jeanette Horn spoke to me about writing experimental poetry, getting a fateful call from the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, and the magical realism in her debut novel PLAY, WITH KNIVES.

Jeanette Horn is an Iowa Writers' Workshop MFA program graduate and was a Maytag Fellow.

Her debut novel, Play, With Knives, is described as the story of “A struggling theater troupe [that] tours the Midwest by surreal train—where aspects of their plays come to life and wreak havoc—in this inventive literary novel.”

Elizabeth Gilbert, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Eat Pray Love, said of the book, "Play, With Knives is a work of wondrous imagination—a dream from which I did not want to awaken." 

Jeanette also earned a BA in English from the University of Texas, where she won several Adele Steiner Burleson Awards for poetry and essay writing. Her work has appeared in MARGIE, Poetry International, Stand, Washington Square, and other journals.

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In this file Jeanette Horn and I discussed:

What it was like at Iowa's famed Writer's Workshop

Why her debut novel was a labor of love (10 years in the making)

The successful query letter that led to publishing the book

Her true feelings about the cover art

Why it’s ok to write in the margins

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

www.jeanettehorn.com

Play, With Knives by Jeanette Horn (Amazon)

Successful Queries: Jaynie Royal and “Play, With Knives,” by Jeanette Horn

By Any Other Name Paperback by Jodi Picoult (Amazon)

The Stab - jeanettehorn.substack.com

Jeanette Horn on Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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Award-winning journalist and The Atlantic staff writer Olga Khazan spoke to me about the worst way to launch a book, writing long-form watchdog journalism, and her latest ME, BUT BETTER, The Science and Promise of Personality Change.

Olga Khazan is a staff writer for The Atlantic – covering science, health, and psychology for more than a decade – and the author, previously, of Weird: The Power of Being an Outsider in an Insider World. She was also The Atlantic’s Global editor, and ​​former host of The Atlantic’s podcast How To Start Over.

In her forthcoming book Me, But Better: The Science and Promise of Personality Change (S&S/Simon Element), she reveals the science behind lasting personality change, and explains how anyone, at any age, can seize the reigns of their destiny.

New York Times bestselling author Gretchen Rubin called the book, “Hilarious, honest, and packed with cutting-edge research…”, and #1 New York Times bestselling author Adam Grant wrote, “This book shatters the myth that personality is set in stone. Drawing on state-of-the-art evidence and rich personal experience, Olga Khazan artfully reveals what our traits really are—and how we can adapt them to achieve our goals.”

Olga Khazan has also written for The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Vox, and other publications. She is a two-time recipient of the International Reporting Project’s Journalism Fellowship and winner of the 2017 National Headliner Award for Magazine Online Writing.

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In this file Olga Khazan and I discussed:

How she got her start at The Atlantic

Why she never got to see her first book in a bookstore

Turning a piece of long-form journalism into a book pitch

Why reducing your neuroticism by even a small amount can improve your life

On crappy first drafts 

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

olgakhazan.com

Olga Khazan - The Atlantic

Me, But Better: The Science and Promise of Personality Change by Olga Khazan (Amazon)

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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Matt Haig reads an excerpt from The Midnight Library, backed by an original Storybound remix with Robert Wynia, and sound design and arrangement by Jude Brewer.

Robert Wynia is a founding member of the Portland band Floater. Known for their progressive concept albums, Floater is famous for incorporating stylized storytelling. Wynia also releases music under his own name and released his book Night Walks with its own accompanying soundtrack in 2020.

Storybound comes to you from The Podglomerate and Lit Hub Radio. Season 4 is some of their most inspired work yet, so be sure to subscribe today on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune in.

Matt Haig is the author of 20 books including the #1 bestselling memoir, Reasons to Stay Alive, five novels – including How to Stop Time – and several award-winning children’s books. His work has been translated into over 40 languages.

His latest novel is The Midnight Library, a runaway, #1 bestseller and reader favorite of 2020. It was a Goodreads Choice Awards Best Fiction Book of 2020, a Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post, Amazon, the New York Public Library, among many others.

The New York Times said of the book, "An absorbing ... vision of limitless possibility, of new roads taken, of new lives lived, of a whole different world available to us somehow, somewhere, [perhaps] exactly what’s wanted in these troubled and troubling times.”

Stay calm and write on …

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Show Notes:

How NY Times Bestselling Author Matt Haig Writes

MattHaig.com

The Midnight Library: A Novel by Matt Haig (Amazon)

Matt Haig Amazon author page

Matt Haig on Instagram

Matt Haig on Facebook

Matt Haig on Twitter

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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Internationally bestselling author, Matt Haig, spoke with me about how the novelist became an accidental "mental health expert," why writers need resilience, and the process behind The Midnight Library.

"The only reader you're ever going to truly know ... is yourself." – Matt Haig

Matt is the author of 20 books, including the #1 bestselling memoir Reasons to Stay Alive, five novels, including How to Stop Time, and several award-winning children’s books. His work has been translated into over 40 languages.

His latest novel is The Midnight Library, a runaway, #1 bestseller and reader favorite of 2020. It was a Goodreads Choice Awards Best Fiction Book of 2020, a Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post, Amazon, the New York Public Library, among many others.

The New York Times said of the book, "An absorbing ... vision of limitless possibility, of new roads taken, of new lives lived, of a whole different world available to us somehow, somewhere, [perhaps] exactly what’s wanted in these troubled and troubling times.”

Stay calm and write on …

**Audio excerpted courtesy Penguin Random House Audio from The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, read by Carey Mulligan.

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In this file Matt Haig and I discussed:

His superhero origins and the blog post that became a book

How to write "like no one's watching"

Inconsistent routines and the power of deadlines

Why writers need to surprise themselves

How he got Carey Mulligan to record his audiobook

And more!

Show Notes:

MattHaig.com

The Midnight Library: A Novel by Matt Haig (Amazon)

Matt Haig Amazon author page

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

Matt Haig on Instagram

Matt Haig on Facebook

Matt Haig on Twitter

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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Bestselling author and literary agent Betsy Lerner spoke with me about being a “late bloomer,” what 35 years in publishing has taught her, and portraying mental illness in her debut novel SHRED SISTERS.

Betsy Lerner is the author of the popular advice book to writers, The Forest for the Trees, and the memoirs Food and Loathing and The Bridge Ladies. With Temple Grandin, she is the also co-author of the New York Times bestseller Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns and Abstractions.

Her debut novel, Shred Sisters, is described as “... an intimate and bittersweet story exploring the fierce complexities of sisterhood, mental health, loss and love.” The book was longlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, a New York Times Notable Book of 2024, and a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice and Best Book of the Year So Far, among many other accolades.

Betsy received an MFA from Columbia University in Poetry and was selected as one of PEN’s Emerging Writers. She also received the Tony Godwin Publishing Prize for Editors. After working as an editor for 15 years, she became an agent and is currently a partner with Dunow, Carlson and Lerner Literary Agency.

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In this file Betsy Lerner and I discussed:

Getting kicked out of film school

How "No Bad Dogs" inspired her to write The Forest for the Trees about writer personalities

Working with punk rock icon Patti Smith

The secrets behind her writing process

Why she wants to have dinner with filmmaker Greta Gerwig

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

betsylerner.com

Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency

Shred Sisters by Betsy Lerner (Amazon)

The Forest for the Trees: An Editor's Advice to Writers by Betsy Lerner (Amazon)

Betsy Lerner 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 (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

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

#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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