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

New York Times bestselling author Sarah Pinborough spoke with us about her approach to plotting twists, the stark difference between writing novels and screenplays, and her latest THEY SAY A GIRL DIED HERE. Sarah Pinborough is the New York Times and Sunday Times #1 bestselling author of international hit Behind Her Eyes, published in over 25 territories worldwide. Her latest novel, They Say a Girl Died Here, is describe as “a thrilling, genre-bending mystery about two murdered girls, a town with dark secrets, and a race to break a deadly cycle.” Publishers Weekly called the book, “An addictive tale of Midwestern macabre. . . Pinborough's fierce yet flawed characters are easy to root for, and she doles out the story's shocking secrets at a tantalizing pace. Thriller fans who like it dark will devour this.” Sarah Pinborough was the 2009 winner of the British Fantasy Award for Best Short Story and also the 2010 and 2014 winner of the British Fantasy Award for Best Novella, and she has four times been short-l

New York Times bestselling author Nina Simon spoke with us about her unconventional career path, low-overhead creative lifestyle, and her sophomore novel MY SISTER IS GOING TO KILL ME. Nina Simon is the bestselling author of the hit novel Mother-Daughter Murder Night. A Reese’s Book Club pick and New York Times bestseller, Simon’s debut was an Anthony Award winner, an Indie Next pick, and a Best of 2023 selection for Barnes & Noble, Library Journal, and Amazon. Her follow-up, My Sister Is Going to Kill Me, is described as a “family-centric, women-led whodunnit about two sisters who work together to find a killer as they raft down the rapids of the Grand Canyon.” Nita Prose, #1 bestselling author of The Maid series, called the book "A high-octane thriller about two sisters who have to solve a murder ... or die trying. Propulsive and page-turning, this is armchair adventure at its best." Before turning to fiction, Nina wore many hats: NASA engineer, slam poet, game designer, museum director, and nonprofit C

#1 international bestselling author Raphael Montes spoke with us about his dual career in TV and fiction, finding commercial success while maintaining authenticity, and the US publication of his hit book THE SECRET DINNER. Raphael Montes is the internationally acclaimed, #1 bestselling Brazilian thriller writer best known for The Secret Dinner, a dark and provocative novel set in Rio de Janeiro described as "a mixture of Alfred Hitchcock's suspense with Quentin Tarantino's black comedy.” He is published in over 25 countries with over 8 million copies sold. Set in Copacabana, The Secret Dinner—a biting, dark satire of foodie culture, wealth excess, and youth desperation—is landing in the US for the first time and has been named a summer most-anticipated by Crimereads, in addition to two mentions in The New York Times. #1 New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager said of the book, "The Secret Dinner is a potent combination of gallows humor, Hitchcockian suspense, and trenchant social commentary. Bold and

#1 New York Times bestselling author Karin Slaughter spoke with us about her writing origins, cabin-based creative process, TV adaptations, and her new novel THE SECRETS WE HIDE, a follow-up to #1 hit WE ARE ALL GUILTY HERE.  Karin Slaughter is one of the world's most popular crime thriller writers, a fixture on bestseller lists who has written more than 25 novels. Her work consistently tops the charts and We Are All Guilty Here was her first #1 on the New York Times list. The follow up is to that hit novel is her latest thriller in the North Falls series, The Secrets We Hide. Publishers Weekly wrote of the author, "Slaughter remains as skilled as ever at probing the darker side of life in Georgia."  Karin is published in 120 countries with over 40 million copies sold. The TV series based on her novel PIECES OF HER debuted at #1 worldwide on Netflix, and her beloved Will Trent series is now in its fourth season with ABC. She also wrote the limited series adaptation of The Good Daughter for Peaco

Novelist, veteran screenwriter, and longtime Blue Bloods showrunner Kevin Wade spoke with us about the challenges of transitioning across writing mediums, storytelling principles, and book two of his debut crime series, ONE GOOD EYE. Kevin Wade is the Golden Globe and the Writers Guild of America nominated screenwriter of movies including the seven-time Oscar nominated comedy Working Girl (1988), True Colors (1991) starring John Cusack and James Spader, the Tom Selleck comedy Mr. Baseball (1992), Ivan Reitman's Junior (1994), the epic romance Meet Joe Black (1998),  and the rom-com Maid in Manhattan (2002). In 2010, he joined the rookie CBS drama Blue Bloods as a writer, and in 2011 he became its showrunner and executive producer for the entire 14-year run. His latest release is the follow-up to his debut crime novel Johnny Careless, a book author John Sanford called a “fast-moving classic crime novel,” and that was shortlisted for the Edgar Best First Novel Award. One Good Eye is the second in the P

New York Times bestselling author Gillian McAllister spoke with us about how to deal with rejection, deleting full drafts, the business side of adaptations, and her latest US release, the thriller THAT NIGHT. Gillian McAllister is the internationally bestselling author of Wrong Place Wrong Time, Just Another Missing Person, Famous Last Words, and others. Her novels have been selected by both Read with Jenna and Reese’s Book Club, and she has become one of today’s most celebrated voices in psychological suspense. Her latest US release is That Night (already adapted into a Netflix series), a novel that follows a family’s dream vacation in Italy that spirals into a nightmare.  New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry said of Gillian, “McAllister is the best at putting her characters in impossible situations and making her readers not only contemplate but feel what it would be like to find themselves in those situations.” Gillian graduated with an English degree before working as a lawyer. She is al

Bestselling author and storytelling expert Abbie Emmons spoke with us about topping 600K YouTube followers, helping writers craft emotionally resonant narratives, and her new writing guide MAKE YOUR STORY MATTER. Abbie Emmons is the popular YouTube creator behind the channel Make Your Story Matter. For over seven years, she has been sharing her wisdom on YouTube (@abbieemmons), where she teaches writers how to make their stories matter by harnessing the power and psychology of storytelling to transform their ideas into masterpieces Her latest book, Make Your Story Matter: An Interactive Guide to Unlocking Your Brain's Storytelling Power and Writing a Book Readers Love (releasing August 11, 2026), “... [offers a] simple but powerful 3-step framework for storytelling that’s rooted in psychology called the Who, What, Why Method.” Jessica Brody, bestselling author of Save The Cat! Writes a Novel, wrote of the book, "Understanding why stories move us is one of the most powerful things a writer can learn. Make Y

New York Times bestselling author Laura Moriarty spoke with us about her teaching philosophy as a creative writing professor, the craft of historical fiction, and the research process behind her latest novel, SUNLIGHT FINDS YOU. Laura Moriarty is the New York Times bestselling author of The Chaperone, The Center of Everything, The Rest of Her Life, While I'm Falling, and a Creative Writing Professor at the University of Kansas. Her latest novel is Sunlight Finds You, described as a book that “explores the fervor of young love, the shock of parental betrayal, and the long-term consequences of adolescent choices.”  A Kirkus starred review wrote of the work, “Moriarty has an unusual gift for voice, a spark that can turn a novel about ordinary events into something compelling…A rich, rewarding slice of history that should remind us how important it is for women to have choices of all kinds.” Laura Moriarty received her master's degree from the University of Kansas and was awarded the George Bennett Fello

Bestselling memoirist, chef, and former restaurateur Sarma Melngailis spoke with us about her much-loved restaurant, Pure Food and Wine, reclaiming her narrative post Bad Vegan, and her eight-year journey writing THE GIRL WITH THE DUCK TATTOO. Sarma Melngailis is the founder of One Lucky Duck and co-creator of the acclaimed New York City restaurant Pure Food and Wine. Her notorious story of scandal and betrayal was the subject of the Netflix docuseries Bad Vegan—a series that left much of her story misrepresented. Her bestselling memoir, The Girl with the Duck Tattoo, is described as a “reclamation” and “... a raw, unflinching memoir of how one smart, driven woman went from building a dream to being ensnared in a cult of one.” Sarma is the author of cookbooks Living Raw Food and the co-author of Raw Food/Real World, and is currently in production on a new docuseries while working to re-launch her businesses. She is also graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the French Culinar

Bestselling memoirist, chef, and former restaurateur Sarma Melngailis spoke with us about her much-loved restaurant, Pure Food and Wine, reclaiming her narrative post Bad Vegan, and her eight-year journey writing THE GIRL WITH THE DUCK TATTOO. Sarma Melngailis is the founder of One Lucky Duck and co-creator of the acclaimed New York City restaurant Pure Food and Wine. Her notorious story of scandal and betrayal was the subject of the Netflix docuseries Bad Vegan—a series that left much of her story misrepresented. Her bestselling memoir, The Girl with the Duck Tattoo, is described as a “reclamation” and “... a raw, unflinching memoir of how one smart, driven woman went from building a dream to being ensnared in a cult of one.” Sarma is the author of cookbooks Living Raw Food and the co-author of Raw Food/Real World, and is currently in production on a new docuseries while working to re-launch her businesses. She is also graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the French Culinar

New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize winner Daniel Kraus spoke with us about book promotion as an introvert, writing two books a year, his creative process, and his first sci-fi novel, THE SIXTH NIK. Daniel Kraus is a New York Times bestselling novelist, screenwriter, and 2026 Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction for his novel Angel Down. His novel Whalefall received a front-cover review in The New York Times Book Review, won the Alex Award, was an Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist, and was named a Best Book of Year by NPR, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and more. His latest novel is The Sixth Nik, “Perfectly aligned for readers of Iain M. Banks’s The Culture series and Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”, The Sixth Nik is a galaxy-spanning adventure,” that Booklist called “Strange and intense and impossible to look away from … sf at its most daring.” Daniel Kraus coauthored The Shape of Water with Guillermo del Toro, based on the same idea the two created for th

New York Times bestselling author, filmmaker, and decorated chef Eddie Huang spoke with us about his origins as a writer, the pivot from memoir to autofiction, and the personal transformation behind his debut novel COME UNDONE. Eddie Huang is a chef, restaurateur, food personality, filmmaker, and polmath widely recognized for his bestselling memoir, Fresh Off the Boat, which inspired the hit ABC sitcom of the same name. Anthony Bourdain wrote of the book, “Mercilessly funny and provocative, Fresh Off the Boat is also a serious piece of work.” Eddie recently published his fiction debut, Come Undone: A Novel, described as “a sharp, emotionally raw exploration of love, masculinity, and self-destruction.” “A subversively funny first novel, the bestselling author of Fresh Off the Boat delivers a portrait of a haunted manchild and his messy search for love…” Eddie is also a co-owner of BaoHaus, a restaurant in the East Village of Lower Manhattan, and was previously the host of “Huang's World” for Viceland. He w

#1 New York Times bestselling author and two-time Newbery Medal winner Kate DiCamillo spoke with us about overcoming rejection early on, her workmanlike process, and how she stays grounded after more than 25 years in the craft.  Kate DiCamillo is a celebrated author of children's fiction, and famously one of only seven authors to win two Newbery Medals for her outstanding contributions to American children's literature. Because of Winn-Dixie—her debut novel—became a runaway bestseller and snapped up a Newbery Honor. Since then she has written for a wide range of ages, received countless awards, has nearly 49 million books in print worldwide, and been translated into 41 languages. Kate has multiple new books this year, and is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the beloved classic, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. The Chicago Tribune wrote of the author, “DiCamillo has carved out a distinct place as one of her generation’s most beloved writers.” There are popular feature film versions of some

Acclaimed debut novelist Austin Taylor spoke with us about the pressure cooker of Harvard life, studying AI law in the heart of Silicon Valley, and the inspiration behind her debut set in the biotech startup world of NOTES ON INFINITY. Austin Taylor graduated from Harvard University in 2021 with a joint degree in Chemistry and English. She is currently pursuing a JD at Stanford Law School as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar, with a focus on generative AI, copyright, and authorship. Her debut novel, Notes on Infinity, was named an Oprah Daily “Best Summer Read,” a Zibby Owens’ “Summer Read,” a Goodreads “Hottest Debut of 2025,” and is inspired in part by her undergraduate studies, peers, and lab work in Harvard’s chemistry department. Booklist wrote of the book, "With a trajectory that echoes that of Elizabeth Holmes’ Theranos, Taylor's debut provides an insider's glimpse into the high-stakes Ivy League climate and the potentially devastating personal consequences for those caught up in ambition beyond their abili

New York Times bestselling author Jessica Knoll spoke with us about her career trajectory from magazine editor to novelist and screenwriter, the allure of dark romance, and her latest erotic thriller, HELPLESS. Jessica Knoll is the New York Times bestselling author of Bright Young Women, The Favorite Sister, and Luckiest Girl Alive — now a major motion picture on Netflix starring Mila Kunis. She adapted and executive-produced Luckiest Girl Alive for the screen. In 2021, she was named a screenwriter to watch by Variety, and in 2019, her original script, ‘Til Death, sold to Amazon and made The Black List. Her latest novel, Helpless, was named a New York Times, Oprah Daily, Crime Reads, Town & Country, and Bookpage Most Anticipated Book. Booklist described Helpless as “[A] taut contemporary tale of the explosive reunion of two former lovers… Knoll's twisty tale of psychological suspense, with its exploration of a nuanced relationship with elements of submission and control, will get readers talking.” And the

New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton returns to speak to me about the unknown nature of early spaceflight, watching The Right Stuff, the Artemis launch, and writing speculative fiction in her latest novel, AN INFINITE LOVE STORY. Chanel Cleeton is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick Next Year in Havana, as well as instant New York Times bestsellers When We Left Cuba, and The Last Train to Key West, among others. Her new historical fiction novel, An Infinite Love Story, is described as Interstellar meets Daisy Jones & the Six: a sweeping dual-timeline novel set against the backdrop of the 1960s Space Race, perfect for readers of Taylor Jenkins Reid, Kate Quinn, and Kristin Hannah. Booklist called it "[A] charming exploration of romantic entanglements during the Space Race…,” and New York Times bestselling author Kate Quinn said of the book, "Cleeton's most deeply personal and deeply moving book yet! As an Air Force spouse herself, Cleeton paint

New York Times bestselling author, Chanel Cleeton, spoke to me about her passion for exploring Cuban-American identity via women's perspectives throughout history, how she plots her popular historical fiction, and her latest novel THE CUBAN HEIRESS. Chanel Cleeton is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick Next Year in Havana, as well as instant New York Times bestsellers When We Left Cuba, and The Last Train to Key West. Her most recent historical fiction entry is The Cuban Heiress, described as a novel inspired by true events that “ … follows two women whose lives become intertwined during a fateful journey upon the S.S. Morro Castle—a luxury cruise liner that caught fire and sank on its way from Havana to New York in September 1934” Booklist wrote of the book, “Nothing is what it seems in Cleeton's latest gripping historical novel.... Handsome con men, clever thieves, desperate rebels, and our valiant heroines all convene on this elegant but doomed ocean l

New York Times bestselling author and Shakespeare Professor Emeritus, Eloisa James, spoke with us about balancing literary scholarship with romance writing, leaving academia to write full-time, and her new “gothic adjacent” novel, THE LAST LADY B. Eloisa James is a New York Times bestselling author who has lead a “double life” as both Mary Bly—a Harvard, Oxford, and Yale-educated Shakespeare professor—and Eloisa James—a powerhouse of historical romance (recognized for her Regency and Georgian-era romances). Eloisa, called “a reigning queen of romance” by CBS Sunday Morning and a newly retired Shakespeare professor, continues to reinvent herself with her latest novel. THE LAST LADY B is a sharp, contemporary take on historical romance and her first foray into near-gothic storytelling—described as Jane Austen meets The White Lotus in the Scottish Highlands. Publishers Weekly said of the book in a starred review, "As the intrigue ramps up—complete with death, scandalous revelations, criminal allegations, and

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 (deliciousl

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 previousl