Writing in Real Life

Writing in Real Life

By Barry Lyga & Morgan BadenArts
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Writing in Real Life episodes

  • Episode 59: The One with a Note under the Door
    Ep. 059: The One with a Note under the Door
    Barry Lyga & Morgan Baden
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    Does living in close quarters give neighbors permission to tell parents when a baby is crying too much? Morgan’s new career aspiration. Reese Witherspoon is on Goodreads—who knew? Does being a writer ruin your ability to enjoy reading for its own sake?

    Links:

    • The Happiest Baby Homepage | Happiest Baby | Sleep, Colic, and Health Solutions
    • Family extremely offended after neighbors leave nasty note about their crying baby - AOL
    • Reese Witherspoon’s New Role: Power Broker - WSJ
    • #AskHerMore: How the Media Talks to Women On the Red Carpet - The Representation ProjectThe Representation Project
    • Hugo - Awards - IMDb
    • My Childless Year — Barry Lyga Dot Com
    • Center Stage (2000) - IMDb
    • Morgan is Reading: Vivian Apple at the End of the World by Katie Coyle | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
    • The Secret Sea preorders: Amazon | BN.com
    • Rate us on iTunes
      • 30 min
    • Episode 58: The One that Ends with a Bang
      Ep. 058: The One that Ends with a Bang
      Barry Lyga & Morgan Baden
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      Writing advice — it’s everywhere. But is any of it actually useful? Or even from this century? Morgan invented Pinterest. Barry and Morgan reveal their parenting philosophy. Also: Barry’s new book!

      Links:

      • Michael Arndt About The 5 Steps He Learned at Pixar to Write a Good Beginning - mentorless
      • Agent Jennifer Laughran’s “not for me” tweet
      • Writing Advice #1: A Million Bad Words — Barry Lyga Dot Com
      • Mary's "pantsing" tweet
      • Barry’s ancient keyboard
      • Some Babies Are Just Easier Than Others - The New York Times
      • Is Attachment Parenting a Traditionalist Plot? -- The Cut
      • The Secret Sea preorders: Amazon | BN.com
      • Rate us on iTunes
        • 39 min
      • Episode 57: The One with Morgan’s Apple Watch
        Ep. 057: The One with Morgan’s Apple Watch
        Barry Lyga & Morgan Baden

        Can walking make you a better writer? Thoreau and Rowling think so! Why is there so much contradictory advice for authors? Morgan feels stressed. Why Barry goes to the gym every day. The glory of a speaker in the shower. Plus: The secret to making your kids behave. (Seriously. No joke.)

        Links:

        • To Become a Better Writer, Be a Frequent Walker | Psychology Today
        • Henry David Thoreau - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
        • Writing Advice #1: A Million Bad Words — Barry Lyga Dot Com
        • Apple celebrates 40th anniversary with Beer Bash DJ'd by Zane Lowe
        • Apple Watch - Apple
        • Sorry Folks, But Standing Desks May Not Make You Any Healthier
        • Amazon.com: SoundBot SB510 HD Water Resistant Bluetooth 3.0 Shower Speaker
        • The Alan Kazdin Method for Making Your Children Behave - The Atlantic
        • Rate us on iTunes
          • 31 min
        • Episode 56: The One with Too Much Data
          Ep. 056: The One with Too Much Data
          Barry Lyga & Morgan Baden
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          Barry’s nightmare comes true, as the Netflix model approaches publishing. Morgan counsels calm, but c’mon — it’s Barry. An extended discussion of data in publishing, and we want YOUR opinions. Plus: Barry has an epiphany about revisions and reveals (again) what a horrible, egotistical monster he is.

          Links:

          • Moneyball for Book Publishers: A Detailed Look at How We Read - The New York Times
          • Writing in Real Life — Episode 15: The One where Leia Flirts
          • Inaccurate Bookscan Stats and the Plight of the Midlist Author | A Distant Soil by Colleen Doran
          • Henry's Hard Soda
          • Tell us what you think about data in publishing
          • John Byrne on "Growing Roses"
          • Morgan is Reading: The Witches: Salem 1692 by Stacy Schiff | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
          • Barry is Reading: The Singing Bone by Beth Hahn | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
          • Rate us on iTunes
            • 35 min
          • Episode 55: The One where Morgan Dances
            Ep. 055: The One where Morgan Dances
            Barry Lyga & Morgan Baden
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            What, when, and how should you share about your kids on social media? Do they have a say in it? Are Barry and Morgan hypocrites for talking about Leia on the show? Being alone in the house when you have kids. Morgan reads the comments on an article.

            Links:

            • In the Air Tonight : snopes.com
            • Super Grover 2.0 - Muppet Wiki - Wikia
            • Don't Post About Me on Social Media, Children Say - The New York Times
            • STFU, Parents
            • David After Dentist video
            • Dance it out — Morgan Baden
            • It's a Lot More Fun to Play Make-Believe With Your Kids If You're Slightly High on Weed  | Jezebel
            • "I haven't had sex in a very long time."
            • Meat Loaf - I Would Do Anything For Love - YouTube
            • Barry is Reading: Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
            • Morgan is Reading: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
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              • 35 min
            • Episode 54: The One where Leia Watches Law & Order
              Ep. 054: The One where Leia Watches Law & Order
              Barry Lyga & Morgan Baden
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              Prologues: Threat or menace? Morgan rolls her eyes…in a loving way. Barry says writers don’t cheat, and then admits he cheats. Being a good parent will kill you. Waiting for the perfect week that doesn’t exist. Dueling revision updates! Morgan disses Rockford.

              Links:

              • Urban Dictionary: Hang a lantern
              • Cold open - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
              • Being a good parent will physiologically destroy you, new research confirms - Quartz
              • Writing in Real Life — Episode 47: The One with Discipline (Not the Fun Kind)
              • 5 Habits Of Creative Working Parents | Fast Company
              • Writing in Real Life — Episode 17: The One with Meta-Topics (We discuss "Every Day is a Disaster")
              • Morgan Recommends: The Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
              • Barry Recommends: The Garner Files by James Garner & Jon Winkour | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
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                • 32 min
              • Episode 53: The One Five Years after They Met
                Ep. 053: The One Five Years after They Met
                Barry Lyga & Morgan Baden
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                Barry talks about how getting an editorial letter triggers pretty much every neurosis he’s got. (Morgan chortles.) Barry accidentally reveals the true extent of his ego. (Morgan chortles again.) Morgan talks scary movies. (Barry cowers.) Morgan reveals foreign parenting tips. (Barry freaks out.)

                Links:

                • Apparently, ostriches actually don't stick their heads in the sand...
                • Tom Perrotta
                • The Witch (2016) - Rotten Tomatoes
                • We talk about tension, slow openings, and The Leftovers: Writing in Real Life — Episode 36: The One about Pop Culture
                • Global Parenting Habits That Haven't Caught On In The U.S. : Parallels : NPR
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                  • 33 min
                • Episode 52: The One where They Don’t Canoodle
                  Ep. 052: The One where They Don’t Canoodle
                  Barry Lyga & Morgan Baden
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                  Morgan lets Barry see Deadpool on Valentine’s Day. Saying “thank you” to your spouse. Barry does not get offended. The narrative of the inept dad and its consequences. Morgan’s revision update. Barry has lots of books to read.

                  Links:

                  • The Significance of "52" for DC fans: Weekly Comic Book Series | The New 52 | 52 Breaches on The Flash | Room 52
                  • Deadpool
                  • Secret to a happy marriage is to say 'thank you', Georgia University study finds | Daily Mail Online
                  • "The Gift of the Magi"
                  • She Divorced Me Because I Left Dishes by the Sink
                  • Dumb-Ass Stuff We Need To Stop Saying To Dads
                  • Morgan is Reading: Year of Yes by Shonda Rimes | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
                  • Rate us on iTunes
                    • 33 min
                  • Episode 51: The One with the Ministry of Verbiage
                    Ep. 051: The One with the Ministry of Verbiage
                    Barry Lyga & Morgan Baden
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                    Morgan returns, with magical tales of Harry Potter! How do you name your characters? Thinking about your character’s parents. The art of inventing names. Writers and newsletters. The average lifespan of a tweet. Barry’s fantasy novel.

                    Links:

                    • Wizarding World of Harry Potter™Hogsmeade | Universal Orlando
                    • "Days of Yore": The One with the Apothecary Table/Transcript - Friends Central - Wikia
                    • Popular Baby Names
                    • Académie française - Official moderator of the French language
                    • Judge: ‘Messiah’ Is Not an Acceptable Baby Name | TIME.com
                    • Tiny Letter
                    • Uptalk
                    • The daily email newsletter to start your day — theSkimm
                    • Barry’s newsletter
                    • NextDraft.com
                    • Flipboard
                    • What is a "piker?"
                    • Rate us on iTunes
                      • 36 min
                    • Episode 50: The One with Sarah
                      Ep. 050: The One with Sarah
                      Barry Lyga & Morgan Baden
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                      A mega-sized fiftieth episode, with special guest Sarah MacLean! What to expect from a two-year-old. The how and why of romance novels. Challenges that lie ahead for publishing. Is there such a thing as too much sex? The bane of real-world accuracy in fiction. Plus: the ballad of Ted Cruz.

                      Links:

                      • SarahMacLean.net
                      • Milton's Areopagitica
                      • Urban Dictionary: Redshirt
                      • Bing Crosby: Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (Thats An Irish Lullaby) - YouTube
                      • JAMES TAYLOR ~ Sweet Baby James ~.wmv - YouTube
                      • Sarah on Twitter
                      • How Paperbacks Transformed the Way Americans Read | Mental Floss
                      • Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
                      • Reading the Romance by Janice A. Radway | Amazon | BN.com
                      • Goodreads | Popular Secret Baby Books
                      • Sarah Recommends: Playing with Fire by Kate Meader | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
                      • Gender Difference in Audio-Visual Sexual Stimulation
                      • The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss | Amazon | BN.com | iBooks | Indiebound
                      • Rate us on iTunes
                        • 49 min

                      About Writing in Real Life

                      From the publisher's feed

                      New York Times bestselling author Barry Lyga (I HUNT KILLERS) and publishing communications executive Morgan Baden discuss a range of related issues, from writing to parenthood.