Write About Now

Christina Sweeney-Baird wrote her new speculative fiction novel The End of Men before Covid-19 struck, but the similarities are striking. Baird writes about a 2025 pandemic that kills only men and what that means for the women left behind. She tells the story of the Male Plague through first-person accounts of survivors. It's fascinating and terrifying. We talk about how she came up with the idea, the research she did, and how the absence of men would change society. 

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Writing is never easy, but there are certain tricks, shortcuts, and techniques you can use to increase your productivity and efficiency. David Hochman joins the show to suggest some very useful writing “hacks.” He is a long-time freelance writer whose byline has appeared in The New York Times, GQ, AARP, and more. He also runs UPOD Academy, a semi-secret school for freelancers. Over the years, he's developed and acquired some handy tools to make the painful experience of writing just a little more tolerable

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“It all started with a mixtape,” says guest Nifemi Aluko, who used that inspiration to write his fascinating new book: Press Play: Music as A Catalyst For Change. Originally from Nigeria, Nifemi is a graduate of Stanford Business School, a musician, beatmaker, and business owner. We talk about his journey from a first-time writer to a published author, the tools he used to complete his book, the challenges he faces marketing it, and how music can truly change the world.

My guest is Kristin van Ogtrop. In her new memoir, Did I Say That Out Loud?: Midlife Indignities and How to Survive Them, she shares a funny and insightful take on being middle age.

Kristin is an old colleague and friend. We first met as young-ish editors at Glamour magazine back in its heyday.

On the pod, we reminisce about her successful career in magazines, which began working under Anna Wintour and Vogue and culminated as editor in chief of Real Simple, where she reigned for 13 years.

Then we discuss the radical shift she had to make in her career after getting let go at Real Simple.

Other topics include:

• How she got the idea to write a book on middle age indignities.

• Shifting careers in your 50s

• Her writing process, which includes the sage advice to: "write with no attachment to outcome."

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In her debut novel GOLD DIGGERS, Sanjena Sathan tells a funny and moving story about growing up Indian American in the suburbs of Atlanta and the costs of the American dream. The book is so good that Mindy Kaling recently announced her production company will adapt it for a TV series. Like her main character, Sanjena is a second-generation South Asian who bucked a traditional path to become a writer. On the podcast, Sanjena talks about telling the story from a guy’s point of view, her daring decision to use magic realism as a plot device, and how the strange idea for her book was actually inspired by real-life events. We also dive into her process, which includes being a vomit drafter and learning to read books for craft not just pleasure.

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Before the Big Lie of 2021, there was the Big Lie of 1847. Missionary Marcus Whitman and 11 others were killed by members of the Cayuse tribe, which led Congress to make Oregon a U.S territory and justified countless crimes against Native Americans for decades to come. But as guest Blaine Harden explains in his stirring new book Murder at the Mission, the "heroic" story of Marcus Whitman's life and death is a fable invented by other missionaries, opportunists, and expansionists. This is what really happened. 

How does a writer find their voice? If you're bestselling novelist Emma Straub, you let it find you. Emma is the author of four novels, including her latest All Adults Here, a funny and keenly perceptive novel about a dysfunctional family in a small town in upstate New York. She talks about her upbringing in Manhattan with a famous writer dad, her early struggles getting published, and her decision to open an independent books store in Brooklyn.

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We all need help navigating our relationships with our loved ones. Marc and Angel Chernoff are experts on this topic. The married couple and life coaches have written a few bestselling books, including their latest 1000 Little Habits of Happy, Successful Relationships. On the pod, we talk about the most common pain points for couples, questions you should ask each other to save your relationship, toxic behavior that destroys your bond, and the best relationship advice they ever received. We also talk about they transitioned from their unfulfilling day jobs to being superstar writers, and what they've learned about how to make stories go viral. 

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Who was the first DJ? Where did the term disc jockey come from? Who are the superstar DJs that changed the game? How have DJs survived and thrived all these years? These are just some of the questions our guest Bill Brewster takes for a spin. Bill is the co-author of Last Night a DJ Saved My Life, which chronicles the definitive history of the DJ from the 1930s to the present day, from radio to the clubs to your streaming services. Here's how DJs have revolutionized the way music is created and consumed. 

Editing by Kaylon Rushing

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Writing and rejection go hand and hand, but many of us are not equipped for it. Guest Barbara DeMarco Barrett has some suggestions about handling criticism, along with some other great advice. Barbara has been writing and teaching for over three decades. Her first book Pen On Fire: A Busy Woman's Guide to Igniting the Writer Within made the LA Times bestseller list. Recently, she edited an upcoming anthology called Palm Springs Noir, which includes her own creepy short story. Barbara also teaches writing classes and was recognized with a Distinguished Instructor Award at UC-Irvine. Barbara co-hosts the Writers on Writing podcast KUCI-FM. She is also the founder of the Pen on Fire Speakers Writers Salon in Corona del Mar, California.  

Our sponsor News Break is hiring writers all across the US to cover local happenings in their city. To apply, go to newsbreak.com/podcasts. 

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