Write About Now

Relationships and sex have gone through a seismic shift in the past few years, and both women and men are looking for help understanding, navigating, and staying safe in a world where people have sex to get to know each other rather than the other way around. Enter Joanna Coles. She is the chief content officer at Hearst Magazines and the former editor-in-chief of Marie Claire and Cosmo. On the podcast, we talk about her new book, "Love Rules", dating apps, and how to approach dating like dieting.

When Lori Majewski was 16, she camped out in front of hotels just to get autographs from Duran Duran. Now she's on frontman Simon Le Bon's speed dial. As a host on SiriusXm's Volume and First Wave channels and co-author of the book Mad World: An Oral History of New Wave Music and Artists That Defined the 1980s, Lori's parlayed her childhood obsession with New Wave music into a successful career. Lori has also held top spots at US Weekly, YM, and Teen People. If you like new wave, you'll love this episo

Joanna Angel is an erotica writer, adult actress, and porntrepeneur. Her new novel, Night Shift, is a choose-your-own adventure-style story based on her own real-life experiences. On the episode, she talks about her first foray into fiction and what it's like to write about sex. She also shares the story of how an Orthodox Jew from a highly-religious family launched a punk rock porn company out of her college dorm room. Warning: This episode is definitely not for kids—and maybe even some adults.

David Hochman's success as a freelance writer, editor, and storyteller is as enviable as it is expansive. He has written about everything from flying around the world in a private jet to potty training his son, visiting the vanishing tribes of Ethiopia's Omo Valley to helicopter parenting his dog, with his byline appearing regularly in The New York Times, Forbes, GQ, and Food and Wine. He's also the founder of Upod (Under Promise Over Deliver), an invaluable online resource for freelancers writers and editors, and Upod Academy, which offers in-person workshops, webinars, retreats, and private coaching sessions. On the podcast, David offers 10 valuable lessons he's learned over his 20-plus year career, sage wisdom that's earned him the nickname "The Freelance Whisperer." 

 

Bill James and Rachel McCarthy James tell the fascinating and tragic story behind The Man from the Train, their true crime thriller that ties together a series of horrific murders that occurred across America from 1898 to 1912. Through extensive research and some good old-fashioned detective work, the father-daughter writing team makes the compelling case that the murders were all the handiwork of one of the most prolific serial killers ever.

Stacey Glick gives honest and actionable advice on how to get noticed by an agent, what publishers are buying (and not buying), and the one untapped market you might now know about. As VP of the New York City agency, Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret, Stacey represents an impressive and eclectic list of authors—in both adult and children's books, fiction and non-fiction. Check out https://www.dystel.com/

Lisa Lombardi is a writer/editor and co-author of What the Yuck?! The Freaky & Fabulous Truth About Your Body. On this episode, she talks about her dynamic career, which has included top editorial jobs at YM, Twist, Redbook, and, Health, where she realized her true passion for health and wellness journalism. Lisa gives advice to aspiring health writers about how to break into the market, and what health stories editors just can't get enough of.

Investigative journalist, William Brennan, discusses his haunting story for New York Magazine. "Worst Roommate Ever." It's the tale of Jamison Bachman, a failed lawyer and troubled tutor, who duped dozens of tenants into agreeing to let him live with them. Bachman eventually snaps and murders the person closest to him. Brennan shares the story behind the story, and what it was like to work on a true crime story happening in real time.

Joanna Penn is an indie author, entrepreneur, podcaster, and self-publishing expert. She's written 27 books, selling over 500,000 in 84 countries. On the podcast, she offers a blueprint for success in self-publishing that extends beyond simply writing. Joanna is part of a new movement of writers who are leveraging advances in e-publishing and digital marketing to build business empires with multiple streams of revenue. To find out more about Joanna, visit her website  thecreativepenn.com

Unsane co-writer Jonathan Bernstein tells the only-in-Hollywood story about how this movie came to be. Directed by Stephen Soderbergh, the film, the film was shot entirely on iPhones. This isn't how Jonathan imagined it, but he also didn't imagine he'd see his name on billboards. Jonathan has created a successful writing career through his ability to adapt and pivot to a number mediums. Before you consider giving up on your writing dreams, listen to Jonathan's story.