Back in episode 10, I spoke with Monica Leonelle, the author of Write Better, Faster. In that book she broke down the exact methods she uses to write really fast. That episode has proven to be one of the most popular I’ve published so far. I’ve invited Monica back onto the show because she’s got… Continue reading
How WordPress Creator Matt Mullenweg Writes
I was recently in Hong Kong for a tech conference where I had the chance to meet Matt Mullenweg. For those of you who don’t know who Matt is, Matt took a piece of open source blogging software 12 years ago and started modifying it and improving it, and eventually turned it into WordPress, the… Continue reading
Mark Vanhoenacker on How Flying Inspires Him to Write
Mark Vanhoenacker is a Senior First Officer for British Airways who flies cross-continental routes on 747s. He writes about flying for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Slate, and other publications. He’s the author of the recent book, Skyfaring: A Journey With a Pilot, which was published by Knopf. The book has received glowing… Continue reading
Shane Snow Explains the Elements of Good Storytelling
Shane is the bestselling author of Smartcuts: How Hackers, Innovators, and Icons Accelerate Success. He’s also the Chief Creative Officer of Contently, a technology company he co-founded in 2010 with the mission to create a better media world. An alumnus of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, Shane’s writing has appeared in Wired Magazine, The… Continue reading
Bestselling Author Joanna Penn Explains How She Does It
In 2008, Joanna Penn was a highly paid but terribly unhappy management consultant who felt the pull from her creative side. So she started a blog, a podcast, and then published her first non-fiction book about changing careers. She quickly moved into writing fiction and published her first novel a year later. In 2011, she… Continue reading
How Kevin Kruse Quit the 9-to-5 to Pursue His Passion for Writing
Kevin Kruse is a New York Times bestselling author who decided to leave his 9-to-5 job this past January so he could devote himself full-time to his passion: writing and publishing books. He’s been blogging about the experience and sharing all of his strategies and even income reports on his blog. And just last week,… Continue reading
Shawn Coyne Explains How to Write Great Stories Using The Story Grid
One skill I’ve always tried to develop over the past couple of decades as a writer and editor is my ability to tell more compelling stories. Whether I’m writing (or editing) a 100-page research report, a 3,000-word essay, or a 750-word blog post— hooking my readers and telling a story that will keep them interested in… Continue reading
Oliver Burkeman on the Joy of Writing (Even When You Don’t Feel Inspired)
Oliver Burkeman is a journalist with The Guardian where he writes a popular column about self-help culture, productivity and the science of happiness. He’s also the author of an excellent book that has taken the self-help industry by storm: The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking. I spoke with Oliver about his… Continue reading
Prof. Daniel Oppenheimer on Why the Pen is Mightier Than the Keyboard
Professor Oppenheimer holds joint positions in marketing and psychology at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Previously he was a Professor at Princeton University for 8 years, where he held a joint appointment in psychology and public affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He joined the faculty of Princeton after receiving his… Continue reading
Paul Jarvis on Writing and the Work of a Creative Freelancer
Paul Jarvis is a successful digital entrepreneur who publishes best-selling books on writing, publishing, and digital marketing. He’s also a web designer who has helped some of the biggest names in the online space like Marie Forleo. And, he creates online courses where he shares everything he knows about building a successful business as a… Continue reading