New York Times bestselling author and award-winning journalist L.M. Elliott spoke with me about the heyday of magazine writing and new journalism, why research tells her what to write, and her latest novel TRUTH, LIES, AND THE QUESTIONS IN BETWEEN.

L.M. Elliott (who also writes as Laura Elliot) was an award-winning magazine journalist for 20 years before becoming the New York Times bestselling author of 14 historical and biographical novels. The three-time finalist for the National Magazine Award and winner of multiple Dateline Awards, focused primarily on women's issues and human interest profiles.

Her latest novel Truth, Lies, and the Questions in Between, is described as a “‘docu-novel’ … of 1973—the year of Watergate hearings, the Equal Rights Amendment, and Roe v. Wade…” and “... [explores] a fraught political era and the dangers of disinformation, unchecked power, hate-rhetoric, and censorship.”

NYT bestselling author Sharon Cameron said of the author, “... Elliott uses the pen of a journalist and the heart of a storyteller to create  a masterful, page-turning, razor-sharp commentary on a past that looks eerily like our present.”

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In this file L.M. Elliott and I discussed:

Her journey to accidental bestseller and a second career

Why there isn’t any better training than writing historical fiction

The definition of “saving string” for journalists and fictionists

How her books mix photo documentary and in-depth research

Hanging out with Emily Brontë

And a lot more!

Show Notes: 

lmelliott.com

Truth, Lies, and the Questions in Between by L.M. Elliott (Amazon)

L.M. Elliott Amazon Author Page

L.M. Elliott on Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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Award-winning TV writer/producer turned novelist Georgia Jeffries spoke with me about why Cagney and Lacey was her film school, teaching screenwriting at USC, and the ghosts, grief, and grievance in her debut novel THE YOUNGER GIRL.

Georgia Jeffries is the Emmy-nominated TV writer/producer who became the first individual female screenwriter to earn a Writers Guild Award for Episodic Drama for her work on the ground-breaking series Cagney & Lacey.

Her debut is The Younger Girl: A Dark Labyrinth of Family Betrayal, based on a true crime. It was described by bestselling author Rachel Howzell Hall as “...historical fiction at its best. … [and] an eye-opening, immersive story about a family, then and now, nearly stripped bare from greed and the steadfast refusal to acknowledge a painful past.”

Jeffries has written docudramas and series pilots for CBS, ABC, NBC, HBO, and Showtime and is a professor at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts where she created the first undergraduate screenwriting thesis program at an American university.

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In this file Georgia Jeffries and I discussed:

Her early years as a journalist

How she received rave rejections on her first attempt at a novel

Why she based her debut on true events from her family’s past

The throughline of her quest for justice and love of noir fiction

Writing genre-bending historical suspense

And a lot more!

Show Notes: 

georgiajeffries.com

The Younger Girl: A Dark Labyrinth of Family Betrayal by Georgia Jeffries (Amazon)

Georgia Jeffries on IMDb

Georgia Jeffries on Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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NOTE: Repost of our second most popular episode of the year, Happy Holidays!

New York Times bestselling author, Ann Napolitano, spoke with me about overcoming rejection early on, how grief transformed her writing process, and getting that fateful call from Oprah about Hello Beautiful.

Ann Napolitano is the New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful which was selected as Oprah’s 100th Book Club pick; Dear Edward, an instant New York Times bestseller, a Read with Jenna selection, and an Apple TV+ series; A Good Hard Look, and Within Arm’s Reach.

Hello Beautiful has been called a “powerfully affecting” (People) family story that asks: Can love make a broken person whole? The Washington Post said of the book, “Another tender tearjerker . . . Napolitano chronicles life’s highs and lows with aching precision.”

It was named Chicago Public Library’s Ten Best Books of the Year and a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times Book Review, NPR, The Washington Post, Time, Vogue, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, New York Post, She Reads, and Bookreporter.

Ann was the associate editor of the literary magazine One Story for seven years, and she received an MFA from New York University.

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In this file Ann Napolitano and I discussed:

Her long and rocky road to success

How an illness early in life helped her realize she was a writer

Why her first published book felt like a proving ground

The nine-month approach to planning your next novel

How to write the truest sentence possible

Why you need to string together as many Xs as you can

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

AnnNapolitano.com

Hello Beautiful (Oprah's Book Club): A NOVEL By Ann Napolitano (Amazon)

Ann Napolitano Amazon Author Page

Ann Napolitano on Twitter

Ann Napolitano on Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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NOTE: Repost of our most popular episode of the year by far, enjoy!

Bestselling author, podcaster, blogger, speaker, and my friend Jeff Goins, brought me along on a creative journey not too long ago called Hey, Creator! and it was some of the most fun I’ve had as a podcast producer.

Here’s an episode from the last season we did together titled “How to Finish the First Draft of Anything.”

Jeff Goins helps creative people succeed. Through his bestselling books, courses, coaching, and speeches, he shares his ongoing journey of transformation, inspiring creators to discover their voice and share it with the world.

He is also the founder of Fresh Complaint, a bespoke creative agency that helps authors, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs turn their stories and ideas into books that change the way people think.

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In this file Jeff Goins and I discussed:

Why the first step to finishing is to begin

The secret to getting unstuck

Why nothing is ever really finished

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

goinswriter.com

freshcomplaint.com

Hey, Creator! Podcast

Jeff Goins Amazon Author Page

Kelton Reid on Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York Times bestselling author Penn Cole spoke with me about her past life as an attorney, living in Paris, how she became a breakout hybrid author, and book #2 in the Kindred’s Curse saga: GLOW OF THE EVERFLAME.

Penn Cole is an internationally bestselling author whose debut series, The Kindred’s Curse Saga, became a BookTok and Bookstagram sensation, and an instant New York Times bestseller with over a million copies in more than a dozen languages.

Described as a slow burn, epic romantasy series, Book #2, GLOW OF THE EVERFLAME, was called "Gripping…,” by The Library Journal, and in a starred review noted, “Readers will be clamoring for the next in the series after the cliffhanger ending."

Before pursuing her lifelong dream of publishing, Penn had a prior career as an artist and attorney.

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In this file Penn Cole and I discussed:

Falling for the myth of the “starving artist”

How she self-published three books in 2023

Why she was so adamant about keeping her e-book rights when traditional publishers called

The huge adjustment she’s had to make for her fans

Why there’s some misconception about going “viral”

And a lot more!

Show Notes: 

penncole.com

Glow of the Everflame: A Novel; Book #2 of The Kindred’s Curse Saga by Penn Cole (Amazon)

Penn Cole Amazon Author Page

Penn Cole on Facebook

Penn Cole on Threads

Penn Cole on TikTok

Penn Cole on Instagram

Penn Cole on Twitter

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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PEN/Bellwether winner Fabienne Josaphat spoke with me about being born into storytelling, writing socially engaged fiction, and the revolution and injustice at the center of her new novel KINGDOM OF NO TOMORROW.

Fabienne Josaphat was born and raised in Haiti, and graduated with an MFA in Creative Writing from Florida International University.

Her sophomore novel KINGDOM OF NO TOMORROW was the 2023 winner of the PEN / Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction. Barbara Kingsolver established the biennial prize in 2000 to highlight previously unpublished works of fiction that addressed issues of social justice.

Barbara Kingsolver, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Demon Copperhead, said of the book, "This beautifully convincing slice of history is powered not just by good research, but by lots of suspense, compelling characters, and understated political themes that …. bring the fierce vision of the Black Panthers to new generations of readers, adding some stunning context to the modern Black Lives Matter movement."

In addition to fiction, Josaphat writes non-fiction, screenplays, and is an anthologized poet. Her work has been featured in The African American Review, The Washington Post, Teen Vogue, The Master’s Review, Grist Journal, and many others.

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In this file Fabienne Josaphat and I discussed:

Why her grandfather’s stories helped shape her into a writer

The surreal journey from award-winner to publication of her second novel

How the Black Panthers were maligned by mainstream media

The importance of preserving the oral storytelling tradition of her culture

What writers can do to tame distraction

And a lot more!

Show Notes: 

PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction - PEN America

Kingdom of No Tomorrow by Fabienne Josaphat  (Amazon)

Fabienne Josaphat on Instagram

Fabienne Josaphat on Twitter

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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Polymath and author of ARISTOTLE FOR NOVELISTS Douglas Vigliotti spoke with me about the outsized influence of Poetics on storytelling, why a well-told story is so cathartic, and the three big questions every writer must answer.

Douglas Vigliotti is the author of four non-fiction and fiction books, including Tom Collins: A ‘Slightly Crooked’ Novel. He is also the host of Books for Men, a weekly podcast created to inspire (more) men to read.

His latest, Aristotle for Novelists: 14 Timeless Principles on the Art of Story, is described as a writing and creativity guide on “... how to write a novel using tried-and-true principles that have been used since antiquity to tell great stories.”

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In this file Douglas Vigliotti and I discussed:

How he mined Poetics to help craft his first novel

His take on why The Penguin is so popular

Why he doesn’t trust writers who don’t read (a lot)

The importance of consistency in all great fiction

Why tragedies are more powerful than epics

And a lot more!

Show Notes: 

douglasvigliotti.com

Aristotle for Novelists: 14 Timeless Principles on the Art of Story by Douglas Vigliotti (Amazon)

Douglas Vigliotti Amazon Author Page

Douglas Vigliotti on Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York Times bestselling author Christina Lynch spoke with me about working with Harvard pal Conan O’Brien, gang writing for TV, her nom de plume, and her new novel, PONY CONFIDENTIAL, featuring a grumpy pony.

Christina Lynch is the author of Sally Brady's Italian Adventure, The Italian Party, and – under the pen name Magnus Flyte – co-author of New York Times bestseller City of Dark Magic and City of Lost Dreams.

Her latest mystery, Pony Confidential (Berkley/PRH), is “... an epic saga, narrated by a pony, about the bond between animals and their humans.” It was named an NPR “Book of the Day,” Amazon Top 100 Books of 2024, an Indie Next Pick for November, and many other “most anticipated” lists.

Christina Lynch was an editor on the Harvard Lampoon, the Milan correspondent for W magazine, and wrote for TV on the writing staffs of Unhappily Ever After and Stephen King’s The Dead Zone among others. She teaches at College of the Sequoias.

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In this file Christina Lynch and I discussed: 

End-of-semester panic and counseling her students

Why she burned out on fashion and disappeared in Tuscany

How a game with a fellow writer turned into a bestseller

What her most recent success has meant to her

The crazy story behind her latest novel

And a lot more!

Show Notes: 

clynchwriter.com

Pony Confidential By Christina Lynch (Amazon)

In the new novel 'Pony Confidential,' a crime-solving pony seeks revenge - NPR

Christina Lynch Amazon Author Page

Christina Lynch on Facebook

Christina Lynch on Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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Note: I revisited a chat with the soothsayer A.M. Homes from 2022.

Bestselling, award-winning author A.M. Homes, spoke to me about getting sued by J.D. Salinger, the irony of winning the Women's Prize for Fiction, and her latest "The Unfolding."

A.M. Homes is a TV producer, art critic, and the author of 13 books, including the bestselling memoir The Mistress’s Daughter. Her last novel, May We Be Forgiven, was the winner of the 2013 Women’s Prize for Fiction.

Her latest novel is The Unfolding, described as a "... darkly comedic alternative history that takes us into the heart of a fractured family living in a divided country."

New York Times bestselling author Salman Rushdie called the book, “A terrific black comedy, written almost entirely in pitch-perfect dialogue, that feels terrifyingly close to the unfunny truth.”

A.M. Homes was a Co-Executive Producer and Writer on David E. Kelly and Stephen King’s, Mr. Mercedes, and a writer/producer of the Showtime series The L Word.

Her work has been translated into 22 languages and appears frequently in Art Forum, Harpers, Granta, McSweeney's, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Zoetrope. She is a Contributing Editor to Vanity Fair, Bomb and Blind Spot, and she has taught in the Creative Writing Program at Princeton.

Stay calm and write on ...

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In this file A.M. Homes and I discussed:

• Her early struggles with dyslexia
• Why awards and votes of confidence are so important for writers
• How she helped hire Dennis Lehane to write for Mr. Mercedes 
• Her strange obsession with George Washington and her claim to Capitol Hill
• How to write your way out of a jam
• And a lot more!

Show Notes:

• amhomesbooks.com
• The Unfolding: A Novel by A.M. Homes (Amazon)
• A.M. Homes on Facebook
• A.M. Homes on Twitter
• Kelton Reid on Twitter

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Note: I revisited a chat with multi-hyphenate Rob McElhenney from 2020.

The writer, producer, and actor best known for It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Rob McElhenney, took a timeout during the apocalypse to rap with me about how he runs his writer's room, his humble beginnings and admiration for the great TV comedies, and his advice for aspiring TV producers.

"Everyone is going through the same things. At least, people who respect science are. That sense of loneliness and despair ... needs to be addressed in some way, but ultimately we want to leave people with a sense of optimism." – Rob McElhenney

FX recently renewed his irreverent "It’s Always Sunny..." for a 15th season, making it officially the longest-running live-action sitcom in US history.

The multihyphenate's latest, Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet, is a comedy series "...that follows a team of video game developers as they navigate the challenges of running a popular video game,"

The Apple TV+ show was co-created with "Sunny" alums Charlie Day and Megan Ganz (executive produced by McElhenney and Day), and has been described as "... the travails of a boisterous video game studio – think Silicon Valley meets Veep."

*Note: Though I was lucky enough to catch Rob in his natural LA habitat, sadly the interview was cut short due to technical difficulties, our apologies for the abrupt ending.

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In this file Rob McElhenney and I discussed:

How It's Alway Sunny in Philadelphia almost didn't make it to the fourth season

The inner-workings of a perpetual creativity engine

How little episodic and streaming models of TV differ from a sitcom producer's perspective

His relationships with Danny DeVito and F. Murray Abraham

The evolution of "It's Always Sunny..." and why it stays culturally relevant

And how the greatest indie production tool you own is in your pocket

Show Notes:

Rob McElhenney on IMDb

Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet – Apple TV+

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia now longest-running live-action comedy series ever after season 15 renewal

Rob McElhenney on Twitter

Kelton Reid on Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bestselling author, podcaster, blogger, speaker, and my friend Jeff Goins, recently brought me along on a creative journey called Hey, Creator!

We’re back with another episode from the second season titled “It’s a Matter of Taste.” This is part two of a two-part conversation.

Jeff Goins helps creative people succeed. Through his bestselling books, courses, coaching, and speeches, he inspires creators to discover their voice and share it with the world.

He is also the founder of Fresh Complaint, a bespoke creative agency that helps authors, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs turn their stories and ideas into books that change the way people think.

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[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]

In this file Jeff Goins and I discussed:

How developing your taste is a process of trusting yourself and your experience

Learning to live in the moment 

Why it never gets better than the first sip

The art of learning to live a little more fully alive

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

goinswriter.com

freshcomplaint.com

Hey, Creator! Podcast

Jeff Goins Amazon Author Page

Kelton Reid on Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices