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The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience

The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience

By: Kelton Reid
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Summary
 If you’re searching for a show that pulls back the curtain on the mystique of the writing life, look no further than The Writer Files. Hosts Kelton Reid and Milena Gonzalez study the habits, habitats, and brains of the biggest and brightest authors of our time. Tune in each week to learn from bestselling and acclaimed writers on how to keep the ink flowing, the cursor moving, and avoid writer’s block. Please follow The Writer Files wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a rating or review to help other writers find us.New Media Dojo LLC, All Rights Reserved Art Literary History & Criticism
Episodes
  • How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Sharon Cameron Writes

    How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Sharon Cameron Writes
    Oct 30 2026
    #1 New York Times bestselling author Sharon Cameron spoke with us about her unconventional path to writing, intensive research process, giving hope to young readers, and her ninth novel UP FROM THE ASHES. Sharon Cameron is the bestselling author of nine award-winning novels, including international bestseller and Reese’s Book Club pick The Light in Hidden Places (2020), Bluebird (2021) and Artifice (2023). She is best known for immersive Young Adult historical fiction and thrillers. Her latest novel, Up from the Ashes, is based on the true story of two heroes and their resistance in the Sobibor death camp during the Holocaust. Kirkus Reviews (starred review) called it “Powerfully written...Harrowing and riveting.” A Booklist starred review said of the book, "Cameron's gripping account...carefully balances visceral descriptions of the Nazis' mind-numbing cruelty with moments of tenderness … as well as showing the prisoners' courage, resilience, and creativity... An unforgettable story of triumphant, defiant determination and hope." Sharon’s books have won the Parents’ Choice Gold Award, the Westchester Fiction Award, the Junior Library Guild’s Gold Standard Award, earned starred reviews from Booklist, SLJ, Book Page and Kirkus, and have been chosen for Indie Next Top Ten, Audible Best Books, among many others. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [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 Sharon Cameron, Milena, and I discussed: Using her classical piano training as a foundation for her writing How she stumbled upon inspiration for the latest on book tour The differences between dramatized reality and pure historical fiction Writing for young adults and balancing darkness with hope Her 20-year friendship with Ruta Sepetys And a lot more! Show Notes: sharoncameronbooks.com Up from the Ashes by Sharon Cameron [Amazon] Sharon Cameron Amazon Author Page⁠ Sharon Cameron on Facebook Sharon Cameron on Instagram Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram Kelton Reid Instagram Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    51 mins
  • How International Bestselling Author Meg Mason Writes

    How International Bestselling Author Meg Mason Writes
    Oct 29 2026
    Internationally bestselling author Meg Mason spoke with us about her journalism origins, the winding road to bestseller, how to navigate bad reviews, and her latest novel SOPHIE, STANDING THERE. Meg Mason is the author of You Be Mother and the critically acclaimed Sorrow and Bliss, which became an international bestseller in 2020. Winner of the British Book Industry Book of the Year, and shortlisted for the Women’s Prize, it has since been translated into more than 30 languages. Her latest is Sophie, Standing There, set behind the scenes of a literary festival; the novel follows Sophie Pattison, a cheerful but increasingly invisible staffer whose life has quietly unraveled. A starred Library Journal review called the novel “a special treat for book lovers,” and Mason features real authors in the novel. Ann Patchett praised the book as “a moving examination of what it means to be alone in the world, and what it means to find connection…by turns, heartbreaking, hilarious, and deeply hopeful. Meg Mason is a dazzling talent.” Meg’s first career was in journalism, beginning at The Times of London, later writing for Vogue, ELLE, GQ, Sunday Style, The New Yorker’s Daily Shouts, among others. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [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 Meg Mason, Milena, and I discussed: The viral moment that changed everything for Sorrow and Bliss How to write in third person ventriloquist The parasocial reader-author dynamic at the heart of her new book Hanging out with Ann Patchett The discipline required to write seriously And a lot more! Show Notes: megmason.com Sophie, Standing There by Meg Mason [Amazon] Meg Mason Amazon Author Page⁠ Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram Kelton Reid Instagram Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    46 mins
  • How NY Times Bestselling Author Alma Katsu Writes

    How NY Times Bestselling Author Alma Katsu Writes
    Oct 23 2026
    New York Times bestselling author Alma Katsu spoke with us about her 30-plus-year career in intelligence, her deep expertise in AI and social media disinformation, and her new techno-horror novel INCARNATE. Alma Katsu’s books have won and been nominated for multiple prestigious awards, including the Stoker, Goodreads Readers Choice, and International Thriller Writers, and have appeared on numerous Best Books lists, including NPR, the Observer, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Goodreads, and Amazon. Prior to becoming a full-time novelist, she spent 35 years working as a senior intelligence analyst for several U.S. agencies, including the CIA and NSA. Her latest is Incarnate, described as a terrifying reimagining of The Picture of Dorian Gray for the internet age. Library Journal wrote of the book, “A deal with the devil is reworked for the online age, with a healthy dose of body horror joining AI. The combination makes the story uniquely terrifying.” Author of Japanese Gothic, Kylie Lee Baker called it, “A deliciously addictive techno-horror that you can’t look away from.” Alma’s debut novel, The Taker, was selected by Booklist as one of the top 10 debut novels of 2011. She is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins Writing Program and Brandeis University, where she studied with novelist John Irving. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [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 Alma Katsu, Milena, and I discussed: Why intelligence work provided strong preparation for fiction Her evolution as a writer and path to horror How she chose Dorian Gray as a framework for her latest Her concerns with recent developments in social media and generative AI How she got a Stephen King blurb And a lot more! Show Notes: almakatsubooks.com Incarnate by Alma Katsu [Amazon] Alma Katsu Amazon Author Page⁠ Alma Katsu on Facebook Alma Katsu on Substack Alma Katsu on Instagram⁠⁠ Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram Kelton Reid Instagram Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Show More Show Less
    49 mins
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