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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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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 NY Times Bestselling Author & Publishing Exec. Jenny Jackson Writes

    How NY Times Bestselling Author & Publishing Exec. Jenny Jackson Writes
    Jun 26 2026
    New York Times bestselling author and Knopf Executive Editor, Jenny Jackson, spoke with us about balancing life as an #authormom, editing bestsellers, finding standalone books, and her anticipated second novel, THE SHAMPOO EFFECT. Jenny Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of Pineapple Street, a graduate of Williams College and the Columbia Publishing Course, and a Vice President and Editorial Director of Fiction at Alfred A. Knopf. Her second novel, The Shampoo Effect (Pamela Dorman Books; June 30), was named a most anticipated book of 2026 by the New York Times, described as “a frothy novel of love, money, sex, and friendship,” [about] “an ambitious young woman [who] insinuates herself into a tight-knit social set, shaking up friendships and marriages in a small seaside town.” New York Times bestselling author Coco Mellors said, “Jackson has a rare knack for capturing the intensity of old friendships and the way love, jealousy, money, and history combust until everyone is behaving (deliciously) badly.” Jenny Jackson is a prominent figure in the publishing world, having edited numerous high-profile works, including Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, and Cormac McCarthy’s final books, 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 Jenny Jackson, Milena, and I discussed: Why she has the "shortest resume in all of publishing" What 23 years at Penguin Random House have taught her How John Updike inspired her latest The number of pages it takes her to know if your voice works Why you need to reject “rise and grind” culture and write whenever you can And a lot more! Show Notes: www.jennyjacksonbooks.com The Shampoo Effect: A Novel by Jenny Jackson (Author) Jenny Jackson Amazon Author Page Jenny Jackson 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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    36 mins
  • How Critically Acclaimed Author & Podcaster Bobby Finger Writes: Part Two

    How Critically Acclaimed Author & Podcaster Bobby Finger Writes: Part Two
    Jun 19 2026
    Critically acclaimed novelist and entertainment podcaster, Bobby Finger, returns to speak with us about his weekly word counts, wedding DJs, Who? Weekly, and his latest beach read WE ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY. Bobby Finger is the author of The Old Place and Four Squares, and co-creator and cohost of the popular celebrity and entertainment podcast, Who? Weekly, "The podcast that tells you everything you need to know about celebrities you don’t." His third novel, We Are Gathered Here Today, was named a New York Times Summer's Best Beach Read. It’s described as The Wedding People meets The Celebrants, and a “...sharp and tender story [that] follows a recently engaged gay man who begins to question the idea of marriage while attending his cousin’s chaotic Wild West-themed wedding weekend.” Booklist called the book “… a perfect read for anyone confused by or suspicious of the wedding-industrial complex, which can leave happy celebrations feeling more like a second full-time job for young lovers.” Bobby previously worked as a staff writer for the culture website Jezebel from 2015 to 2018 and has contributed extensively to outlets like Vulture and The New York Times. [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 Bobby Finger, Milena, and I discussed: How his latest originally featured a death until his editor suggested everyone live, transforming it into a beach read Why he changed the book’s setting from fall to June at the`` publisher's request to position as summer release How a scene from the book became a part of the cover design The craziest thing he’s ever witnessed at a wedding IRL His next book and upcoming essay collection written with his podcast co-host And a lot more! Show Notes: ⁠whoweekly.us⁠ We Are Gathered Here Today By Bobby Finger⁠ (Amazon) Bobby Finger Amazon Author Page Bobby Finger 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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    46 mins
  • How Acclaimed Debut Novelist and Podcaster Bobby Finger Writes: Part One - Redux

    How Acclaimed Debut Novelist and Podcaster Bobby Finger Writes: Part One - Redux
    Jun 16 2026
    Journalist, hit entertainment podcaster, and debut novelist, Bobby Finger, spoke to me about writing for Jezebel, turning a screenplay into a novel, and his debut, "The Old Place." Bobby Finger is a writer and co-host of the popular celebrity and entertainment podcast, Who? Weekly, "The podcast that tells you everything you need to know about celebrities you don’t." His debut novel is The Old Place, described as "A bighearted and moving debut about a wry retired schoolteacher whose decade-old secret threatens to come to light and send shockwaves through her small Texas town." It has been named Washington Post‘s 10 Noteworthy Books for September, People‘s Best New Books, Town & Country’s 45 Must-Read Books of Fall, New York’s 25 Notable New Releases, Kirkus Review‘s 150 Most Anticipated Fall Books, LitHub‘s Most Anticipated Books of 2022, among many others. New York Times bestselling author Emma Straub said of the book, “I loved being inside this skillful novel—at the planning parties for church fundraisers, learning to drive with a can of beer in the cupholder, and in the heads of some wonderfully tangy old Texan ladies. Bobby Finger has built a rich world in The Old Place, and I will think of it every time I make toast.” Stay calm and write on ... ⁠Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox⁠ If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, ⁠please "Follow" us to automatically see new interviews⁠. In this file Bobby Finger and I discussed: Growing up in a small Texas town His start in copywriting and freelance journalism Writing screenplays in the margins Becoming a full-time podcaster How to write autofiction with a twist What happens when people leave, and those left behind And a lot more! Show Notes: ⁠whoweekly.us⁠ ⁠The Old Place By Bobby Finger⁠ (Amazon) Bobby Finger 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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    34 mins
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