Writers, Ink: Your backstage pass to the world's most prolific authors

By J.D. Barker, Christine DaigleBusiness

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Writers, Ink: Your backstage pass to the world's most prolific authors episodes

November 21, 2022The one where bestselling ghostwriter Alex Cody Foster explains how to run from the cartel when traveling with John McAfee.
After Running with the Devil, ghostwriter Alex Cody Foster explores John McAfee’s descent into madness with Foster’s latest book, “The Man Who Hacked the World.” As one of the world’s most sought after ghostwriters Alex has ghostwritten eight #1 Amazon Bestsellers, wrote for one of the U.K's most successful thriller writers, and worked as John McAfee's ghostwriter for six months, which is profiled in a new Netflix documentary. Foster closely with Gotham Ghostwriters and Reedsy, two of the top ghostwriting agencies in the world. Alex writes from New York City, telling true stories from the heart with an unmatched style and voice.
From Amazon.com:
Alex Cody Foster is a #1 Amazon bestselling ghostwriter. He's featured in the Netflix documentary, Running With the Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee, and is the founder of Ghostwriting University, an online course that teaches writers how to become ghosts. He lives in New York City.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
How Alex escaped a life on the streets

Why studying masterworks can make you a great writer

What to do when assignments become dangerous
Links:
J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/
J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/
Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/
Christine Daigle - https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/
Alex Cody Foster - https://www.alexfosterghostwriter.com/
The Man Who Hacked the World: A Ghostwriter’s Descent into Madness with John McAfee - https://books2read.com/manwhohacked
Ghostwriting University - https://www.ghostwritinguniversity.com/
Three Story Method: Writing Scenes - https://books2read.com/threestorymethodws
Best of BookTook - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com
Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com
Scene Rubric - http://scenerubric.com
Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ and Atticus - https://www.atticus.io/ and Ghostwriting University - https://www.ghostwritinguniversity.com/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - http://www.emberletter.com/
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
1 hr 10 min
November 14, 2022The one where Jennifer Givhan talks witches, demons, motherhood, and unreliable narrators.
Jennifer Givhan knows the power of cultural storytelling. In her latest novel, River Woman, River Demon, she draws heavily from her and her husband’s own Latina, Indigenous, and Black heritage to create a thrilling mystery infused with organic, emotional experiences. Jennifer is the award-winning author of novels like Trinity Sight and Jubilee and an accomplished poet. To purchase River Woman, River Demon, follow the link below.
From Amazon.com:
Jennifer Givhan, a National Endowment for the Arts and PEN/Rosenthal Emerging Voices Fellow, is a Mexican-American writer and activist from the Southwestern desert and the author of four full-length poetry collections: Landscape with Headless Mama (2015 Pleiades Editors’ Prize), Protection Spell (2016 Miller Williams Poetry Prize Series chosen by Billy Collins), Girl with Death Mask (2017 Blue Light Books Prize chosen by Ross Gay), and Rosa’s Einstein (Camino del Sol Poetry Series, University of Arizona Press 2019). Her novels include Trinity Sight (2019) and Jubilee (forthcoming) from Blackstone Publishing. Her other honors include the Frost Place Latinx scholarship, a National Latinx Writers’ Conference scholarship, the Lascaux Review Poetry Prize, Phoebe Journal’s Greg Grummer Poetry Prize, the Pinch Poetry Prize, and the Joy Harjo Poetry Prize 2nd place. Her work has appeared in Best of the Net, Best New Poets, Poetry Daily, Verse Daily, The New Republic, Ploughshares, POETRY, The Rumpus, TriQuarterly, Boston Review, AGNI, Crazyhorse, Witness, Southern Humanities Review, Missouri Review, The Kenyon Review, and many others. She lives in New Mexico with her family near the Sleeping Sister Volcanoes.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Why writing about magic is so important

How being a mother enriches your writing

How to use unreliable narration

Jennifer’s writing process

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
57 min
November 07, 2022The one where NYT Bestseller Anthony Marra discusses Mercury Pictures Presents and how films can inspire your fiction.
Bestseller Anthony Marra talks about his latest novel, Mercury Pictures Presents, with new co-host Christine Daigle. Thinking about “how storytelling redeems and uplifts, and how it breaks us,” Anthony and Christine explore tales of creativity and perseverance from both the novel and his writing journey. Anthony is the NYT bestselling author of books like The Tsar of Love of Techno and A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. To purchase Mercury Pictures Presents, follow the link below.
From Amazon.com:
Anthony Marra is the New York Times bestselling author of The Tsar of Love and Techno and A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, winner of the National Book Critics Circle’s John Leonard Prize and the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, and longlisted for the National Book Award. His new novel, Mercury Pictures Presents, will be published in July 2022.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Why Anthony’s latest novel was almost named Sunny Siberia

The importance of accountability to authors

Why you should check in with your writer friends

How history becomes fictionalized

Why he watched films for writing inspiration
Links:
J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/
J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/
Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/
Christine Daigle - https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/
Anthony Marra - https://sites.prh.com/anthonymarra
Mercury Pictures Presents - https://books2read.com/MercuryPictures
Three Story Method: Writing Scenes - https://books2read.com/threestorymethodws
Best of BookTook - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com
Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com
Scene Rubric - http://scenerubric.com
Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ and Atticus - https://www.atticus.io/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - http://www.emberletter.com/
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
1 hr
October 31, 2022The one where Bestseller David Kadavy helps us all rethink productivity.
Bestseller David Kadavy has dedicated his work to helping authors and creatives rethink productivity. In his bestselling book, Mind Management, Not Time Management, he explores the limits of creativity and the importance of structure, self-awareness, and self-control to writers. David is a bestseller author of mostly shorter nonfiction, but has also won praise for longer pieces like The Heart to Start and Design for Hackers. To purchase Mind Management, follow the link below.
From Amazon.com:
David Kadavy is a bestselling author whose books help people be productive when creativity matters. He was design advisor for behavioral scientist Dan Ariely’s productivity app, Timeful, where David’s “mind management” principles were applied to features now used by millions – in Google Calendar. He lives in Medellín, Colombia. Follow him on Twitter or Instagram at @kadavy.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
What is dirty electricity

The email that changed David’s life

How he transitioned from writing blogs to books

The psychology of writing

What makes stories memorable
Links:
J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/
J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/
Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/
David Kadavy - https://kadavy.net
Mind Management, Not Time Management - https://books2read.com/MindManagement
David’s Course - https://100wordwritinghabit.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/kadavy
Three Story Method: Writing Scenes - https://books2read.com/threestorymethodws
Best of BookTook - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com
Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com
Scene Rubric - http://scenerubric.com
Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ and Atticus - https://www.atticus.io/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - http://www.emberletter.com/
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
1 hr 4 min
October 24, 2022The one where Bestseller Wanda M. Morris adds a twist of thriller to historical fiction.
Declared one of the “Fifteen Standout Historical Fiction Books to Read This Year” by Oprah Daily, Wanda M. Morris delivers on her new book, Anywhere You Run. Morris takes the reader on a high-stakes journey from Jackson, Mississippi to Cleveland, Ohio, following the lives of two sisters in the Jim Crow South of 1964. A corporate attorney and board member for the International Thriller Writers, Wanda Morris knows how to write superb thrillers.
From Amazon.com:
Bestselling author, Karin Slaughter, has described Wanda M. Morris as a "vibrant and welcome new voice to the thriller space."
As a corporate attorney, Wanda M. Morris has worked in the legal departments of some of America’s top Fortune 100 companies. She is an accomplished presenter and leader. Wanda previously served as President of the Georgia Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel, in which she established a signature female empowerment program known as the Women’s Initiative. She is an alumna of the Yale Writers Workshop and Robert McKee’s Story Seminar. Wanda is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America and Crime Writers of Color. She is married, the mother of three, and lives in Atlanta, Georgia. All Her Little Secrets is her debut novel.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Why research is important for historical fiction

How to incorporate your own experiences in your storytelling

How to combine work and pleasure when it comes to travel
Links:
J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/
J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/
Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/
Wanda M. Morris - https://wandamorriswrites.com/
Anywhere You Run - https://books2read.com/anywhereyourun
Three Story Method: Writing Scenes - https://books2read.com/threestorymethodws
Best of BookTook - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com
Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com
Scene Rubric - http://scenerubric.com
Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ and Atticus - https://www.atticus.io/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - http://www.emberletter.com/
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
52 min
October 17, 2022The one where #1 International Bestseller Ruth Ware explains "faffing around."
International Bestseller Ruth Ware sets a very simple goal for herself: write a book a year. After battling with guilt for not producing more after becoming a full-time writer, she realized she is most productive and successful when not pushing herself and only expending as much of her imagination as she can. Ruth is the international bestseller of numerous thriller novels, including In A Dark, Dark Wood and One by One. To order her latest novel, The It Girl, follow the link below.
From Amazon.com:
Ruth Ware is an international number one bestseller. Her thrillers In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, The Lying Game, The Death of Mrs Westaway, The Turn of the Key, One by One and The It Girl have appeared on bestseller lists around the world, including the Sunday Times and New York Times, and she is published in more than 40 languages. She lives on the south coast of England, with her family. Visit www.ruthware.com to find out more, or find her on facebook or twitter as @RuthWareWriter
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Why her latest character is a bookseller

What is “faffing around?”

Why getting distracted can be beneficial

Ways to alleviate writer’s block

How she decided to write full-time
Links:
J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/
J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/
Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/
Ruth Ware - https://ruthware.com/
The It Girl - https://books2read.com/TheItGirl
Three Story Method: Writing Scenes - https://books2read.com/threestorymethodws
Best of BookTook - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com
Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com
Scene Rubric - http://scenerubric.com
Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ and Atticus - https://www.atticus.io/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - http://www.emberletter.com/
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
59 min
October 10, 2022The one where NYT Bestseller Andrew Child explains why Jack Reacher has No Plan B.
Returning guest Andrew Child makes an appearance to discuss his new Jack Reacher book, No Plan B. The third Reacher book he’s collaborated on with brother Lee Child, Andrew walks through the extent of his planning and editing process, the pros and cons of writing with a sibling, and his afterthoughts of the book’s outcome. Andrew is the critically-acclaimed author of ten standalone novels, including Die Twice and Even. To preorder No Plan B, releasing October 25th, follow the link below.
From JackReacher.com:
Andrew Grant was born in Birmingham, England in May 1968. He went to school in St Albans, Hertfordshire and later attended the University of Sheffield where he studied English Literature and Drama. After graduation Andrew set up and ran a small independent theatre company which showcased a range of original material to local, regional and national audiences. Following a critically successful but financially challenging appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival Andrew moved into the telecommunications industry as a ‘temporary’ solution to a short-term cash crisis. Fifteen years later, after carrying out a variety of roles – including a number which were covered by the UK Official Secrets Act – Andrew escaped from corporate life, and established himself as the author of the critically-acclaimed novels Even, Die Twice, More Harm Than Good, RUN, False Positive, False Friend, False Witness, Invisible, and Too Close To Home. Andrew is married to novelist Tasha Alexander, and lives on a wildlife preserve in Wyoming, USA.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
How Andrew turns a “sense or feeling” into a story

His process for choosing a setting

What it’s like writing with your brother

How he wrote collaboratively during COVID-19
Links:
J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/
J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/
Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/
Andrew Child - https://www.jackreacher.com/us/authors/
No Plan B - https://books2read.com/NoPlanB
Three Story Method: Writing Scenes - https://books2read.com/threestorymethodws
Best of BookTook - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com
Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com
Scene Rubric - http://scenerubric.com
Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ and Atticus - https://www.atticus.io/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - http://www.emberletter.com/
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
1 hr 6 min
October 03, 2022The one where Zach interviews half the NYT bestseller list about the Harlan Coben Challenge.
In this special episode of Writers, Ink, Zach Bohannon hosts a panel of authors brave enough to take the Harlan Coben Challenge, resulting in the Audible Original, “Birds of Prey.” Listen in as Tess Gerritsen, Kathy Reichs, Heather Graham, and other bestsellers discuss the behind-the-scenes process of writing and collaborating on a unique and spontaneous anthology.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
How the Birds of Prey project originated

How you can get your work published in an ITW anthology

How a defined writing prompt makes drafting easier

If writing for Audiobook adaptation affects the writing process

And much more!
Links:
J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/
J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/
Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/
Birds of Prey - https://www.audible.com/pd/Birds-of-Prey-The-Harlan-Coben-Challenge-Audiobook/B09WZHXGMQ
Three Story Method: Writing Scenes - https://books2read.com/threestorymethodws
Best of BookTook - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com
Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com
Scene Rubric - http://scenerubric.com
Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ and Atticus - https://www.atticus.io/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - http://www.emberletter.com/
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
1 hr 1 min
September 26, 2022The one where International Bestseller Jeffrey Archer explains why he writes by hand.
Prolific author Jeffrey Archer knows the importance of sticking with your process. By consistently writing in scheduled two-hour segments, drafting by hand, and keeping series alive only as long as he wants to, he efficiently produces gripping novels that both him and his readers enjoy. Jeffrey is an international bestseller of over 275 million copies worldwide, and has been writing for over fifty years. To preorder his latest novel, Next in Line, releasing tomorrow, follow the link below.
From Amazon.com:
Jeffrey Archer is one of the world’s bestselling authors, with sales of over 275 million copies in 97 countries, and is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction (twenty times), short stories (four times) and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries). He was born in London, and brought up in the West Country. He gained a Blue in Athletics at Oxford, was President of the University Athletics Club, and went on to run the 100 yards in 9.6 seconds for Great Britain in 1966. Jeffrey has served five years in the House of Commons as a Member of Parliament, and thirty years as a Member of the House of Lords.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
How Jeffrey approached writing Princess Diana’s character

Why he pays special attention to character progression

What his novel planning looks like

Why he writes every word by hand
Links:
J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/
J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/
Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/
Jeffrey Archer - https://www.jeffreyarcher.com/
Next in Line - https://books2read.com/NextinLine
Three Story Method: Writing Scenes - https://books2read.com/threestorymethodws
Best of BookTook - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com
Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com
Scene Rubric - http://scenerubric.com
Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ and Atticus - https://www.atticus.io/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - http://www.emberletter.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
46 min
September 19, 2022The one where NYT Bestseller Josh Malerman talks basketball and Daphne.
Bestseller Josh Malerman makes his third appearance on the podcast with Daphne. His latest paranormal thriller, he uses expert character development and scarily accurate depictions of anxiety to make the novel truly come alive. Josh is a NYT bestselling author well known for his debut novel, Bird Box, which was adapted for film by Netflix. To preorder Daphne, which releases tomorrow, follow the link below.
From Amazon.com:
Josh Malerman is a New York Times best selling author and one of two singer/songwriters for the rock band The High Strung, whose song "The Luck You Got" can be heard as the theme song to the Showtime show "Shameless". His book Bird Box was made into a Netflix film of the same name, starring Sandra Bullock and John Malkovich. He has been nominated for 8 Bram Stoker Awards and has written 36 books, many of those (14) prior to the publication of Bird Box, his debut. Daphne will be his 11th published book. He lives in Michigan with his fiancee, the artist/musician Allison Laakko.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Why Daphne started as a novella

How he avoided bloating the novel

How to synthesize your interests when writing

How he plays with time and setting

The importance of death in Daphne
Links:
J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/
J. Thorn - https://theauthorlife.com/
Zach Bohannon - https://zachbohannon.com/
Josh Malerman - https://joshmalerman.com/
Daphne - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09MHCV1FQ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1
Three Story Method: Writing Scenes - https://books2read.com/threestorymethodws
Best of BookTook - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Story Rubric - http://storyrubric.com
Nonfic Rubric - http://nonficrubric.com
Scene Rubric - http://scenerubric.com
Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ and Atticus - https://www.atticus.io/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - http://www.emberletter.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
57 min

About Writers, Ink: Your backstage pass to the world's most prolific authors

From the publisher's feed

What does it take to succeed as a writer? Join host J.D. Barker and a panel of industry experts as they pull back the curtain and offer rare insights from the household names found on bookshelves…