Welcome back to another special edition of The Writer Files called “The Writer’s Brain,” a guest series with neuroscientist Michael Grybko, and in this episode we’ll dig into the inextricable link between productivity and creativity, and the Catch-22 so many writers face as a result. 

This all began when Michael and I started a conversation about why we need to rethink our definition of productivity.

As busyness, the cult of productivity, and multitasking seem to take over our lives, it’s easy to forget that the origins of the word productivity comes from the Latin, productivitas.

Translation: creative power.

Creativity — a topic Michael and I have discussed at length — is the beating heart of change, progress, and innovation, but our work-life scales are bending dangerously toward more busywork, distraction, inefficiency, and overall dissatisfaction.

Truly scaling creativity requires productivity, so a balance must be struck between the two. Writing is a great example of this push and pull in the human brain.

Luckily, research scientist Michael Grybko returned to the podcast to help me find some answers from the perspective of neuroscience.

If you’ve missed previous episodes of The Writer’s Brain you can find them all in the show notes, in the archives at writerfiles.fm, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you tune in.

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In Part One of this file Michael Grybko and I discuss:

• How neuroscience views the complex interplay between productivity and creativity
• Why writers often struggle to finish longer projects
• The great irony of the “10 year overnight success”
• How memory plays such a big part in productivity
• Why so many writing instructors prescribe “life experience” for great writing
• How always on, open concept workspaces can actually hinder both productivity and creativity
• And the close study of musicians, artists, and the pitfalls of mapping creativity in the brain

The Show Notes:

• ‘The Writer’s Brain’ on Productivity vs. Creativity: Part Two
• The Best of 'The Writer's Brain' Part One: Creativity
• The Best of ‘The Writer’s Brain’ Part Two: Empathy
• The Best of ‘The Writer’s Brain’ Part Three: Storytelling
• The Best of ‘The Writer’s Brain’ Part Four: Writer’s Block
• The Best of ‘The Writer’s Brain’ Part Five: Fake News
• The Writer s Brain on Impostor Syndrome: Part One
• Productivity vs. Creativity, the Content Creator’s Catch-22
• Rethink Your Definition of Productivity to Squash Uninspired Filler
• How to Outsmart Writer s Block with Neuroscience
• Mapping Creativity in the Brain:
  New research sheds some light on the neuroscience of improvising – The Atlantic
• This Is Your Brain on Writing
• Kelton Reid on Twitter
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Happy holidays from the Writer Files, this is just a quick update that we are on hiatus until 2019. Thank you so much for listening and helping us find our audience! I hope 2018 has been a creative, productive, and successful year for your writing life and career, and that you’re setting some ambitious goals for 2019.

If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews, and leave us a rating or a review on APPLE PODCASTS to help your fellow scribes find us.

I am very looking forward to wiping the slate clean myself and we have some great episodes to look forward to to kick off the podcast when we return in January.

We'll start the next year with a Writer's Brain episode, featuring my esteemed serial co-host and friend, neuroscientist Michael Grybko. He and I got a chance to sit down over coffee in the studio to talk about the fascinating, inextricable link between productivity and creativity on a double-wide special edition of the podcast.

Of course we have more bestselling authors and journalists in the queue where we ll continue our study of their habits, habitats, and brains to learn their secrets.

We'll have more self-publishing superstars in the mix for 2019 and of course more writer porn, so stay tuned for episodes with the illustrious Adam Skolnick and the reclusive Robert Bruce.

I hope you learned as much as I did about how successful writers keep the ink flowing, the cursor moving and avoid writer s block, and I also hope you had a chance to reflect on all you’ve accomplished or hope to accomplish in the coming year.

A big shout out to my two associate producers this year, long time collaborator Clare Garrett, and more recently, the talented Claire Emerson. This show couldn't happen without your help.

You can also explore our archives to find interviews with notable guests that include bestselling authors John Scalzi (Old Man’s War), Greg Iles (Natchez Burning), Jay McInerney (Bright Lights, Big City), Kevin Kelly (founder of WIRED magazine), Emma Donoghue (Oscar Nominee for Room), Maria Konnikova (The Confidence Game), Andy Weir (The Martian), Dan Buettner (The Blue Zones), Austin Kleon (Steal Like an Artist), Daniel Pink (When), and many others.

Thank you for tuning in, catch you next year!

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In Part Two of this file the audiobook publisher, award-winning podcast producer, and internationally acclaimed speaker, Tina Dietz, returned to wrap up our chat about her passion for helping authors grow their audiences, why you should produce an audiobook, and the bright future of audio content.

Discover why more than 80,000 companies in 135 countries choose WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting.

Tina is an entrepreneur and content marketing expert who has been featured on ABC, Inc.com, Huffington Post, and Forbes (to name a few), and her company, StartSomething Creative Business Solutions, helps authors and entrepreneurs expand their audiences with audio content.

She is an award-winning podcaster and an expert in leveraging and repurposing content, and her company specializes deeply in audiobook production and publishing for one simple reason …

It’s “… the fastest growing, in-demand segment of the book publishing industry,” and the barrier to entry is dropping rapidly.

Tina and her cohorts love to help authors expand their audiences, income, influence, and opportunities.

If you missed the first half you can find it here.

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• The surprising truth about who should, and who should not, narrate their own audiobook
• How to decide whether to invest the time and money in professional voice narration or go DIY
• The art and science that goes into a bestselling audiobook
• Why you can’t rush professionally produced audio
• Where to send your audiobook once it s finished
• The future of audio content and smart coffee makers
• And why you need to fall in love with your own voice and message

• The Bright Future of Audiobooks with Tina Dietz: Part One
• StartSomething Creative Business Solutions – StartSomethingPositive.com

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This week audiobook publisher, award-winning podcast producer, and internationally acclaimed speaker, Tina Dietz, took a timeout to chat with me about her passion for helping authors grow their audiences, why you should produce an audiobook, and the bright future of audio content.

Tina is an entrepreneur and content marketing expert who has been featured on ABC, Inc.com, Huffington Post, and Forbes (to name a few), and her company, StartSomething Creative Business Solutions, helps authors and entrepreneurs expand their audiences with audio content.

She is an award-winning podcaster and an expert in leveraging and repurposing content, and her company specializes deeply in audiobook production and publishing for one simple reason …

It’s “… the fastest growing, in-demand segment of the book publishing industry,” and the barrier to entry is dropping rapidly.

Tina and her cohorts love to help authors expand their audiences, income, influence, and opportunities.

If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.

• The Renaissance of audiobooks, the fastest growing format in publishing
• When authors should start thinking about audiobook production
• The importance of reading your book out loud for editing
• Tina’s twisty journey from voice acting to helping authors’ tell their own stories with audio
• Why audiobooks are more popular than ever
• And who can benefit the most from publishing an audiobook today

• The Bright Future of Audiobooks with Tina Dietz: Part Two
• StartSomething Creative Business Solutions – StartSomethingPositive.com

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In Part Two of this file the acclaimed New York Times bestselling sci-fi author, Richard K. Morgan, spoke with me from overseas about his winding journey from English tutor to bestseller, having his novel adapted for the small screen, what it’s like to write for Marvel comics, and his unique take on creativity and the writing life.

Richard is best known as the award-winning author of the noir sci-fi novel Altered Carbon (Amazon), a New York Times Notable and Philip K. Dick Award winner, that was recently turned into a hit Netflix series.

The author of the hard-boiled, “carbon-black,” futuristic thriller series, the Takeshi Kovacs novels (including Altered Carbon), also writes the dark fantasy series A Land Fit for Heroes (The Steel Remains, The Cold Commands, and The Dark Defiles).

His award-winning novels also include stand-alones Market Forces (also optioned for film) and Thirteen, and he’s the author of two volumes of Black Widow comics for Marvel, as well as the Crysis 2 and Syndicate computer games.

His latest novel, Thin Air, is described as “an atmospheric tale of corruption and abduction set on Mars” and it’s a return to his signature hardboiled sci-fi that The New York Times Book Review called, “Ferociously readable.”

Join us for this two-part interview. If you missed the first half you can find it here.

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• The writing life and the fallacy of “a hard day’s writing”
• How exercise, unplugging, and reading a lot jumpstart creativity
• Why good writers live inside of their work
• Richard’s candid takes on the incredible influence of Bladerunner and the critics reviews of the Altered Carbon Netflix series
• Why serious writers need grit, stamina, and self-confidence
• And his entreaty to all aspiring novelists

• How Bestselling Sci-Fi Author Richard K. Morgan Writes: Part One

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Acclaimed New York Times bestselling sci-fi author, Richard K. Morgan, spoke with me from overseas about his winding journey from English tutor to bestseller, having his novel adapted for the small screen, what it’s like to write for Marvel comics, and his unique take on creativity and the writing life.

Richard is best known as the award-winning author of the noir sci-fi novel Altered Carbon (Amazon), a New York Times Notable and Philip K. Dick Award winner, that was recently turned into a hit Netflix series.

The author of the hard-boiled, “carbon-black,” futuristic thriller series, the Takeshi Kovacs novels (including Altered Carbon), also writes the dark fantasy series A Land Fit for Heroes (The Steel Remains, The Cold Commands, and The Dark Defiles).

His award-winning novels also include stand-alones Market Forces (also optioned for film) and Thirteen, and he’s the author of two volumes of Black Widow comics for Marvel, as well as the Crysis 2 and Syndicate computer games.

His latest novel, Thin Air, is described as “an atmospheric tale of corruption and abduction set on Mars” and it’s a return to his signature hardboiled sci-fi that The New York Times Book Review called, “Ferociously readable.”

Join us for this two-part interview.

If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.

• His American literary doppelganger
• The door that finally opened and dumped him onto the red carpet
• How The Sopranos helped change the zeitgeist toward darker fiction
• Why luck plays such a big part in success for writers
• The author’s hallucinatory visit to the set of the Altered Carbon Netflix series
• The two distinct DNA types of writers and the fallacy of block 

• How Bestselling Sci-Fi Author Richard K. Morgan Writes: Part Two

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In Part Two of this file the prolific pro comedy writer, author, and amateur parenting expert, James Breakwell, took a timeout to rap with me about @XplodingUnicorn and his rise to viral Twitter fame, how he juggles multiple writing projects, his family and his sanity, and the writer as entrepreneur.

In the early days of his writing career James told me that he knew he wouldn’t score a book deal sending out query letters or tossing his ideas over the transom, so he decided to build an online following for his unique, self-effacing comedy.

Finding inspiration in his family of four girls all under the age of eight, he turned his attentions to blogging, web comics, podcasting, and family humor on Twitter where he eventually found viral fame.

In 2016 Buzzfeed dubbed him “The Funniest Dad On Twitter” and shortly thereafter his audience grew … in a big way.

He has been featured on media outlets around the world, has attracted over a million followers on social media, has signed multiple book deals, and even writes a column for a newspaper.

His second book, Bare Minimum Parenting: The Ultimate Guide to Not Quite Ruining Your Child, comes out November 6th, 2018, and is “… a book about doing as little as possible without quite ruining your child.”

New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins said, “… Parents! Read this book and free yourself from the blood sport that parenting has become!” And bestselling author Liliana Hart wrote, “Breakwell has a hit … uproariously funny, and at times, unexpectedly poignant.”

Join us for this two-part interview. If you missed the first half you can find it here.

If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.

• How he balances his work and family life
• The author’s unique workflow and process
• How his humor builds on real-life experiences
• The difference between comedy and non-fiction
• The conundrum of internet fame
• And why writers have to like what they’re writing to succeed over the long haul

• How Professional Comedy Writer & Author James Breakwell Writes: Part One
• Bare Minimum Parenting: The Ultimate Guide to Not Quite Ruining Your Child – James Breakwell
• @XplodingUnicorn, James Breakwell on Twitter
• Exploding Unicorn on Facebook
• James Breakwell on Instagram
• This Guy With Four Daughters Just Might Be The Funniest Dad On Twitter – BuzzFeed
• Podcast: Wrong & Wronger – Steve Olivas & James Breakwell
• Podcast: 10 Minutes to Save Your Marriage – Steve Olivas & James Breakwell
• Kelton Reid on Twitter

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Prolific pro comedy writer, author, and amateur parenting expert, James Breakwell, took a timeout to rap with me about @XplodingUnicorn and his rise to viral Twitter fame, how he juggles multiple writing projects, his family and his sanity, and the writer as entrepreneur.

In the early days of his writing career James told me that he knew he wouldn’t score a book deal sending out query letters or tossing his ideas over the transom, so he decided to build an online following for his unique, self-effacing comedy.

Finding inspiration in his family of four girls all under the age of eight, he turned his attentions to blogging, web comics, podcasting, and family humor on Twitter where he eventually found viral fame.

In 2016 Buzzfeed dubbed him “The Funniest Dad On Twitter” and shortly thereafter his audience grew … in a big way.

He has been featured on media outlets around the world, has attracted over a million followers on social media, has signed multiple book deals, and even writes a column for a newspaper.

His second book, Bare Minimum Parenting: The Ultimate Guide to Not Quite Ruining Your Child, comes out November 6th, 2018, and is “… a book about doing as little as possible without quite ruining your child.”

New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins said, “… Parents! Read this book and free yourself from the blood sport that parenting has become!” And bestselling author Liliana Hart wrote, “Breakwell has a hit … uproariously funny, and at times, unexpectedly poignant.”

Join us for this two-part interview.

If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.

• The irony of the 10-year overnight success
• Why James hated journalism right out of college
• Why it’s better to practice your art in public
• How to be so good they can’t ignore you
• Why comedy writers need an audience to improve
• And the author’s unique process for writing 10,000 words in a day 

• How Professional Comedy Writer & Author James Breakwell Writes: Part Two
• Here’s where you can get the details for the copywriting course

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In Part Two of this file the prolific, bestselling author of the paranormal and dark fantasy, Steff Green, returned to talk with me about overcoming rejection, perseverance, her inspiring journey from copywriter to bestseller, and her advice to fellow scribes who may be facing adversity.

Steff Green is a New Zealander who is a fervent self-publishing advocate, public speaker, and a legally blind writer who has turned her disability into a superpower to self-publish 24 books and counting.

She has topped the USA Today bestsellers list writing paranormal romance under the pen name, Steffanie Holmes, and is also the author of six dark fantasy books under the name S C Green.

Steff received both the 2017 Attitude Award for Artistic Achievement, and was a finalist for the 2018 Women of Influence award.

She recently launched a successful crowdfunding campaign to raise interest and awareness for an anti-bullying storybook for kids that caught the eye of traditional publishing.

That book, Written and illustrated by two artists who were victims of bullying themselves, Only Freaks Turn Things Into Bones uses darkly gothic humour to address the very real issue of being different.”

Join us for this two-part interview. If you missed the first half you can find it here.

If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.

• Her simple yet effective workflow and organizational hacks
• Why curiosity is a synonym for creativity
• What motivates the author to write 20,000 words in just a few days
• Jack London’s timeless and moving credo
• How to read an ebook … with your nose
• And why we need to remember why we’re doing this crazy thing called writing 

• Copyblogger’s first persuasive copywriting course — coming this autumn
• How Bestselling Self-Published Author Steff Green Writes: Part One
• Steff Green’s author website
• Only Freaks Turn Things Into Bones – Steff Green
• Story behind the crowdfunding of Only Freaks Turn Things Into Bones
• Blind and bullied, now a bestselling author: Steff Green’s next book is personal
• Steff Green on Twitter
• Kelton Reid on Twitter

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Prolific, bestselling author of the paranormal and dark fantasy, Steff Green, dropped by the show to talk with me about overcoming rejection, perseverance, her inspiring journey from copywriter to bestseller, and her advice to fellow scribes who may be facing adversity.

Steff Green is a New Zealander who is a fervent self-publishing advocate, public speaker, and a legally blind writer who has turned her disability into a superpower to self-publish 24 books and counting.

She has topped the USA Today bestsellers list writing paranormal romance under the pen name, Steffanie Holmes, and is also the author of six dark fantasy books under the name S C Green.

Steff received both the 2017 Attitude Award for Artistic Achievement, and was a finalist for the 2018 Women of Influence award.

She recently launched a successful crowdfunding campaign to raise interest and awareness for an anti-bullying storybook for kids that caught the eye of traditional publishing.

That book, Written and illustrated by two artists who were victims of bullying themselves, Only Freaks Turn Things Into Bones uses darkly gothic humour to address the very real issue of being different.”

Join us for this two-part interview.

If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.

• Why you should never give up on your dreams, no matter the obstacles
• How a dare from a friend led to a big breakthrough
• Her “rocking” life as a full-time writer
• How to juggle multiple pen names and genres
• Her obsessions with heavy metal, ancient languages, and checklists
• And how to write yourself out of a corner

• How Bestselling Self-Published Author Steff Green Writes: Part Two
• Steff Green’s author website
• Only Freaks Turn Things Into Bones – Steff Green
• Story behind the crowdfunding of Only Freaks Turn Things Into Bones
• Blind and bullied, now a bestselling author: Steff Green’s next book is personal
• Steff Green on Twitter
• Kelton Reid on Twitter

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