How Writers Write by HappyWriter
231 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 143 ratingsHow Writers Write is a podcast for creative writers to learn how their favorite writers tell their stories. The podcast's host, Brian Murphy, interviews world-class writers to decode their tips, routines, and motivations for producing best-sellers.
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Episodes
Episode 124 - How Matthew Quick Writes
November 03, 2022 08:00 - 49 minutes - 33.9 MBWelcome to the Episode 124 How Matthew Quick Writes Matthew Quick is the New York Times bestselling author of The Silver Linings Playbook—which was made into an Oscar-winning film—and eight other novels. His work has been translated into more than thirty languages, received a PEN/Hemingway Award Honorable Mention, was an LA Times Book Prize finalist, a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, and many more awards & accolades. Matthew lives with his wife, the novelist Alicia Bessette, ...
Episode 124 - How Matthew Quick Writes
November 03, 2022 08:00 - 49 minutes - 33.9 MBWelcome to the Episode 124 How Matthew Quick Writes Matthew Quick is the New York Times bestselling author of The Silver Linings Playbook—which was made into an Oscar-winning film—and eight other novels. His work has been translated into more than thirty languages, received a PEN/Hemingway Award Honorable Mention, was an LA Times Book Prize finalist, a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, and many more awards & accolades. Matthew lives with his wife, the novelist Alicia Bessette, ...
Episode 123 - How Deanna Raybourn Writes
October 27, 2022 08:00 - 48 minutes - 33.4 MBWelcome to Episode 123 - How Deanna Raybourn Writes Deanna Raybourn is a 6th-generation native Texan. Her novels have been nominated for numerous awards including two RT Reviewers’ Choice awards, the Agatha, and most recently the 2019 Edgar Award for Best Novel. She launched a new Victorian mystery series with the 2015 release of A CURIOUS BEGINNING, featuring intrepid butterfly-hunter and amateur sleuth, Veronica Speedwell. Veronica has returned in several more adventures, most recently ...
Episode 122 - How Mur Lafferty Writes
October 13, 2022 08:00 - 43 minutes - 30 MBWelcome to Episode 122 - How Mur Lafferty Writes Mur is a podcaster and writer from Durham, NC. She made her name with podcasting (I Should Be Writing, The Angry Robot Podcast, and Escape Pod, the premier SF podcast magazine) and has written for magazines, roleplaying games, and audio and video podcasts. In 2018 Mur was a Hugo, Nebula, Philip K. Dick, Manly Wade Wellman Best Novel nominee for Six Wakes. Her latest novel, Station Eternity (The Midsolar Murders Book 1), was published on Oct...
Episode 121 - How Alexandra Rowland Writes
October 06, 2022 08:00 - 52 minutes - 36 MBWelcome to Episode 121 How Alexandra Rowland Writes Alexandra is the author of several fantasy books, including A Conspiracy Of Truths, A Choir Of Lies, and Some by Virtue Fall, as well as a cohost of the Hugo Award-nominated podcast, Be the Serpent. Alexandra holds a degree in world literature, mythology, and folklore from Truman State University. Here is the episode with Alexandra Rowland Support the show
Episode 120 - How Alexis Henderson Writes
September 29, 2022 08:00 - 38 minutes - 26.8 MBWelcome to Episode 120 - How Alexis Henderson Writes Alexis is a speculative fiction writer with a penchant for dark fantasy, witchcraft, and cosmic horror. She grew up in one of America’s most haunted cities, Savannah, Georgia, which instilled in her a life-long love of ghost stories. And now here's episode 120 with Alexis Henderson Support the show
Episode 119 - How Jamie Ford Writes
September 08, 2022 08:00 - 50 minutes - 35 MBWelcome to Episode 119 - How Jamie Ford Writes In this episode, Jamie and I dive into my current favorite topic - writing and reading dystopia. Jamie and I ponder what pulls us into dystopia, and whether or not our generations are more drawn to the genre. We also chop up themes, and how a writer can get to know themselves. We cover a ton of ground in this one. I want to take a quick minute to say thank you to Jamie for the interview. I had a blast. And now, here is episode 119 with Jamie ...
Episode 118 - How Belinda Huijuan Tang Writes
September 01, 2022 08:00 - 36 minutes - 25.2 MBWelcome to the How Writers Write Podcast. I am your host, Brian, and today's guest is Belinda Huijuan Tang. Belinda is a 2021 graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where she was a Truman Capote Fellow and recipient of the Michener-Copernicus Fellowship. She holds a BA from Stanford University and was a 2019 work-study fellow at the Middlebury Bread Loaf Writers' Conference. Her debut novel, "A Map for the Missing" was just published on August 9th, 2022. Support the show
Episode 117 - How Zoe Sivak Writes
August 25, 2022 08:00 - 43 minutes - 30.1 MBWelcome to Episode 117 - How Zoe Sivak Writes Welcome my friends to a fun, power-packed episode with Zoe Sivak. Zoe Sivak aims to restore diversity to historical narratives. In her writing, she explores famous male figures through the lens of the women beside them–women who could have existed, even if history left them behind. Zoe's debut novel, MADEMOISELLE REVOLUTION, was just published on August 2, 2022. When not engrossed in historical research, Zoe is pursuing both her Juris Docto...
Episode 116 - How Mark Tufo Writes
August 18, 2022 08:00 - 37 minutes - 25.8 MBWelcome to episode 116 - How Mark Tufo Writes Mark is an author, former Marine, and father. Mark is the author of multiple series, including the wildly popular Zombie Fallout novels. Mark's books are generally written in a first-person narrative style and crossover into several genres including horror, science fiction, and comedy. Mark's upcoming release, "Zombie Fallout 18" will be released on August 16, 2022, in the United States. Support the show
Episode 114 - How Jennifer Probst Writes
July 21, 2022 08:00 - 42 minutes - 29.1 MBWelcome to episode 114 - How Jennifer Probst Writes Jennifer is the NYT, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of sexy and erotic contemporary romance. Her book, The Marriage Bargain, spent 26 weeks on the NY Times best sellers list. Her work has been translated in over a dozen countries, sold over a million copies, and was dubbed a "romance phenom" by Kirkus Reviews. Jenn's newest novel, Meant to Be, which is the first novel in the "Twist of Fate" series, is out now, with...
Episode 112 - How Janet Burroway Writes
July 07, 2022 09:00 - 42 minutes - 29 MBWe're back with Episode 112 - How Janet Burroway Writes Janet Burroway is the author of eight novels as well as short fiction, plays, poetry, essays, texts for dance, and children's books. She is also the author of "Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft (tenth edition)," which is the one of the most widely used creative writing text in America, as well as her multi-genre Imaginative Writing is out in a fourth edition. Support the show
Episode 111 - How Deborah Halverson Writes
May 26, 2022 08:00 - 51 minutes - 35.7 MBWelcome to Episode 111, How Deborah Halverson Writes After 110 episodes, I finally got to interview an author of one of the "For Dummies books." Mission. Accomplish. Among many other craft books and novels, Deborah wrote the "Writing Young Adult Fiction For Dummies" guide, and in this episode, you can guess the topic we dove into. This is a fun interview with an absolute expert of writing and teaching fiction. Thank you again to Deborah for her time. I'm always floored at how many author...
Episode 110 - How Jordan Rosenfeld Writes
May 19, 2022 08:00 - 43 minutes - 29.7 MBWelcome to Episode 110 - How Jordan Rosenfeld Writes Welcome, my friends, to a wonderful episode with Jordan Rosenfeld. Jordan is a writer, teacher, and coach, as well as the author of many craft writing books. I'm on a deep dive with authors who have also written craft books, and this episode will not disappoint. I'm just so interested in the people who are writing craft, practicing craft... just putting it all together. I want to say thank you to Jordan for her time. And now, my frie...
Episode 109 - How Carole Lawrence Writes
May 12, 2022 08:00 - 58 minutes - 40.1 MBWelcome to episode 109, how Carole Lawrence Writes I am so incredibly excited to be back! I took a few months off to rest, get moved, and let my life calm down a bit. And, for the most part, we've settled down into our new town of Charleston. I've laughed to myself that over the course of this podcast, I've lived in Brooklyn, Denver, an RV, and now Charleston. Here's to hoping for a long season in our new home. I also want to take a quick second to thank all ya'll for the insane number o...
Episode 109 - Carole Lawrence
May 12, 2022 08:00 - 58 minutes - 40.1 MBWelcome to episode 109, how Carole Lawrence Writes I am so incredibly excited to be back! I took a few months off to rest, get moved, and let my life calm down a bit. And, for the most part, we've settled down into our new town of Charleston. I've laughed to myself that over the course of this podcast, I've lived in Brooklyn, Denver, an RV, and now Charleston. Here's to hoping for a long season in our new home. I also want to take a quick second to thank all ya'll for the insane number o...
Episode 108 - How J. A. Jance Writes
March 03, 2022 09:00 - 40 minutes - 28 MBWelcome to episode 108 - How J. A. Jance Writes. Today's returning guest from episode 63 is JA Jance. J.A. Jance is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 60 novels, including the Ali Reynolds series, the J.P. Beaumont series, and the Joanna Brady series, as well as five interrelated Southwestern thrillers featuring the Walker family. I want to take a moment to thank Judith for her time and for sharing so much with me. And now, my friends here is episode 108 with J. A. Janc...
Episode 107 - How Maurice Ruffin Writes
February 24, 2022 09:00 - 36 minutes - 25.3 MBWelcome to episode 107 - How Maurice Ruffin Writes Maurice is the author of The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You, which was published in August 2021. His first book, We Cast a Shadow, was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and the PEN America Open Book Prize. Ruffin is the winner of several literary prizes, including the Iowa Review Award in fiction. A New Orleans native, Ruffin is a professor of Creative Writing at Louisiana State University, and the ...
Episode 106 - How Rebecca Ross Writes
February 17, 2022 09:00 - 44 minutes - 30.7 MBWelcome to Episode 106 - How Rebecca Ross Writes Welcome welcome to a special episode with fantasy author Rebecca Ross. Rebecca and I dive into the difference between writing for teens and adults and her journey to becoming a storyteller. I'm also so excited to release this episode right as her novel, A River Enchanted, published this week. Congrats to Rebecca for a big week. And now, my friends here is the interview with Rebecca Ross. Support the show
Episode 105 - How Matt Bell Writes
February 10, 2022 09:00 - 52 minutes - 36.4 MBWelcome to episode 105 - How Matt Bell Writes Matt Bell penned one of my favorite novels of the past year, Appleseed, and so it is kinda like a pinch-me moment to interview Matt for the show. In this podcast, we dive into how to write poetic prose, how so much of the writing life is rewriting, and the list goes on and on. Matt is a master storyteller and educator. Someone who I could have interviewed for 3 hours and just barely scratched the surface. On that note, I know there are tons of...
Episode 104 - How Patti Callahan Writes
February 03, 2022 09:00 - 42 minutes - 29.2 MBWelcome to episode 104 - How Patti Callahan Writes This is the first website intro that I am recording from the comfort of our new home in Charleston, SC. I'm so excited to settle in here and explore this amazing part of the country. I'm also so excited to share this interview with Patti Callahan. Patti is a best-selling author and overall storytelling master. You can hear the excitement in her voice as we dive deep into the existential roots of the story. This is an interview I'll cheri...
Episode 103 - How Fiona Davis Writes
January 27, 2022 09:00 - 40 minutes - 28.1 MBWelcome to episode 103 - How Fiona Davis Writes Welcome my friends to a wonderful episode with best-selling historical author Fiona Davis. Join Fiona and I as we jump into what makes New York City just so amazing for writers, how she researches her novels, and how she designs her work. This is such a fun episode. Another one of those interviews that felt as if it ended right as it was getting started because I was having such a good time. I want to take a moment to thank Fiona for her ti...
Episode 102 - How Thrity Umrigar Writes
January 20, 2022 09:00 - 40 minutes - 27.9 MBWelcome to Episode 102 - How Thrity Umrigar Writes. I'm so excited to bring this episode to you, episode 102 with Thrity it's something special; in this episode, Thrity and I discussed all the parts of the writing life and you'll tell from the very beginning that she is somebody that is both, a Master storyteller, but also somebody who just deeply understands and loves and communicate so well, all these little pieces about what it takes to be a storyteller. I found myself again just kind o...
Episode 101 - How Benjamin Percy Writes
January 13, 2022 09:00 - 57 minutes - 39.6 MBWelcome to Episode 101 - How Benjamin Percy Writes Before we get started, just want to say thank you for hanging with me over the past month or so of the podcast. I've been through a real season with my family. We've all struggled with the flu AND Covid, back-to-back, and we, unfortunately, lost family to Covid. So, thank you, for kicking off 2022 with me. And for those who have reached out and emailed and messaged me, thank you so much. Okay, so, here we are. Episode 101 with Benjamin P...
Special Episode: Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
December 23, 2021 10:00 - 7 minutes - 5.39 MBSupport the show
Episode 100 - How Jillian Cantor Writes
December 16, 2021 09:00 - 34 minutes - 23.5 MBWelcome to Episode 100 - How Jillian Cantor Writes Before we get started, I am just kinda pinching myself here as I say, "Episode 100." It's so hard for me to believe that we are publishing our 100th episode. I can still remember how nervous I was before my first interview. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, but I thought, "what questions do I, personally, have?" I can also still remember publishing the first few episodes and think, "Absolutely no one is going to listen to this sh...
Episode 99 - How Jeffery Deaver Writes
December 09, 2021 09:00 - 41 minutes - 28.8 MBWelcome to Episode 99 - How Jeffery Deaver Writes I'm so excited to bring you episode 99 with Jeffery Deaver. We got going talking about writing and I honestly blinked and I was out of time. Jeffery is both a wonderful, beautiful writer, but also a world-class educator. Jeffery really loves to share his wisdom about the writing process, and boy oh boy does that come through in this interview. I want to take a moment to thank Jeffery for his time and for sharing so much wisdom about the wr...
Episode 98 - How James Wade Writes
December 02, 2021 09:00 - 1 hour - 41.9 MBWelcome to Episode 98 -How James Wade Writes Welcome to the How Writers Write podcast. I am your host, Brian, and today's special guest is the one and only James Wade. James Wade is an award-winning fiction author with twenty short stories published in various literary journals and magazines. His debut novel, ALL THINGS LEFT WILD, was released June 16, 2020, from Blackstone Publishing. His second novel, RIVER, SING OUT, also from Blackstone Publishing, was released June 8, 2021. He has 6 a...
Episode 99 - How James Wade Writes
December 02, 2021 09:00 - 1 hour - 43.3 MBWelcome to Episode 99 -How James Wade Writes Welcome to the How Writers Write podcast. I am your host, Brian, and today's special guest is the one and only James Wade. James Wade is an award-winning fiction author with twenty short stories published in various literary journals and magazines. His debut novel, ALL THINGS LEFT WILD, was released June 16, 2020, from Blackstone Publishing. His second novel, RIVER, SING OUT, also from Blackstone Publishing, was released June 8, 2021. He has 6 a...
Thanksgiving Episode - Seven Things I'm Grateful For
November 25, 2021 11:00 - 7 minutes - 4.86 MBSupport the show
Episode 97 - How Cat Rambo Writes
November 18, 2021 09:00 - 34 minutes - 23.7 MBWelcome to episode 97 - How Cat Rambo Writes Welcome to a fun interview with science fiction writer, Cat Rambo. In this interview, we get into the ins and outs and self-publishing, a topic I am super interested in. I know so many of you out there also self-publish. Cat also shares her method for writing fiction, and of course, we chat about what makes for good science fiction. This interview is a blast, and I want to take a quick moment to say thank you to Cat for her time. And now, ...
Episode 96 - How Jenn McKinlay Writes
November 11, 2021 09:00 - 41 minutes - 28.2 MBWelcome to Episode 96 - How Jenn McKinlay Writes Jenn is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher's Weekly bestselling author of several mystery and romance novels. In 2020 she published a stand-alone romantic comedy, titled PARIS IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA. In this interview, Jenn and I dive into her creative process and unpack how she writes novels. I love this interview because it shows the pig-headed determinism it takes to write books. Jenn is a perfect example of the what comes of foc...
Episode 95 - How J.D. Barker Writes
November 04, 2021 08:00 - 42 minutes - 29.2 MBWelcome to Episode 95 - How JD Barker Writes I continue my deep dive with horror writers with this week's guest, JD Barker. JD is such a master of storytelling, and in this episode, we dive into the horror genre, how he has collaborated with James Patterson, and his path to becoming a storyteller. I have to say, I've found a new appreciation and interest in reading horror. In fact, I picked up Dracula as a response to this interview, I'm loving it, and I cannot wait to read JD Barker's "D...
Episode 94 - How Jeffrey Archer Writes
October 21, 2021 08:00 - 43 minutes - 30.3 MBWelcome to Episode 94 - How Jeffrey Archer Writes I think Jeffrey Archer takes the cake for the author I’ve interviewed with the most books in print. Jeffrey is a storyteller to his core, and a wildly entertaining person to interview. In this interview, Jeffrey and I dive into his amazing backstory, his journey to storytelling, and how he structures his day to write. I want to take a quick minute to thank Jeffrey for his time. And now, here is the interview with Jeffrey Archer. Support...
Episode 93 - How Josh Malerman Writes
October 14, 2021 08:00 - 46 minutes - 31.8 MBWelcome to Episode 93 - How Josh Malerman writes Josh is a novelist and author of the breakout hit, "Bird Box." He is also one of two singer/songwriters for the rock band The High Strung. It was a blast to dive into horror writing with yet another amazing author. Josh and I do a deep dive on horror writing and again my perspective is growing on horror as a genre. We also discuss how learning music has informed his novel writing, how he writes on the road as a traveling musician, and much ...
Episode 92 - How Paul Tremblay Writes
October 07, 2021 08:00 - 44 minutes - 30.8 MBWelcome to Episode 92 - How Paul Tremblay Writes Welcome, my friends, to episode 92 with Paul Tremblay. For the first time in a long time, in this episode, I interview a horror writer. For whatever reason, I've just not had a ton of horror writers on the show, so I was pumped to dive into what makes for good horror. Paul and I dive into his process for creating horror and some of his inspirations. I learned a ton in this episode, and in fact, like, reevaluated my beliefs about horror. I'v...
Episode 91 - How Lindsay Ellis Writes
September 30, 2021 08:00 - 49 minutes - 34.4 MBWelcome to episode 91 - How Lindsay Ellis Writes In this episode, I get to interview a bonafide Youtube star and wonderful fiction writer. Lindsay is full of spunk and wisdom and this "get down into it and work your butt off" attitude that I just love. In this episode, Lindsey and I discuss how fiction overlaps with film, her journey to becoming a storyteller, and that age-old question: why is making YouTube videos so hard. This is a fun interview with one of my favorite quotes from a gue...
Episode 90 - How Scott Turow Writes
September 23, 2021 08:00 - 44 minutes - 30.9 MBWelcome to episode 90 - How Scott Turow Writes Welcome my friends to episode 90 with another author who has solid tens of millions of books. Scott Turow is an author and lawyer. In this discussion, Scott and I dive into the guts of storytelling. More than just about any other interview, this one with Scott is special because we really tackle these big ideas in the storytelling life. It is philosophical and practical. Just the mix I love. Scott is so thoughtful in his responses and each tim...
Episode 89 - How Omar El Akkad Writes - Part Two
September 16, 2021 08:00 - 48 minutes - 33.7 MBWelcome to Episode 89 - How Omar el Akkad writes I am so excited to welcome Omar back for a second time to the show. Omar was my first real interview for the podcast and he was last seen here on Episode 3. Unreal. I love Omar's work, and when I saw he had a novel out in the world — What Strange Paradise—I knew I wanted him back on the show. Omar is always so wise and insightful. I feel as if every time I speak with him, I go through a kind of storytelling masterclass. This interview is a ...
Episode 88 - How Yasmin Angoe Writes
September 09, 2021 08:00 - 45 minutes - 31.5 MBWelcome to episode 88 - How Yasmin Angoe Writes I am so excited to air this interview with Yasmin Angoe. Yasmin’s debut novel, Her Name is Knight, will be released on November 1st, 2021, and chatting with her as she surfs with her debut coming out was such a pleasure. Yasmin and I dive into what is has been like to publish her first novel, her entire writing journey, and some of the lessons she has learned along the way. More than anything, I loved just chatting with Yasmin. Her spirit and...
Episode 87 - How Margaret Mizushima
September 02, 2021 08:00 - 40 minutes - 28 MBWelcome to Episode 87 - How Margaret Mizushima Writes Welcome my friends to episode 87. This episode with Margaret Mizushima is overdue, because we open up a brand-new topic that I know is important to many writers. How to write non-human characters. So, for those of you who write animal or alien or monster characters, this is a great episode to learn from a master storyteller how to bring these characters to life. I want to take a moment to thank Margaret for her time. And now, without a...
Episode 87 - How Margaret Mizushima Writes
September 02, 2021 08:00 - 40 minutes - 28 MBWelcome to Episode 87 - How Margaret Mizushima Writes Welcome my friends to episode 87. This episode with Margaret Mizushima is overdue, because we open up a brand-new topic that I know is important to many writers. How to write non-human characters. So, for those of you who write animal or alien or monster characters, this is a great episode to learn from a master storyteller how to bring these characters to life. I want to take a moment to thank Margaret for her time. And now, without a...
Episode 86 - How Steve Berry Writes
August 26, 2021 08:00 - 39 minutes - 27 MBWelcome to episode 86 - How Steve Berry Writes After a nice long summer break, we are back! I hope everyone has enjoyed their summer and some warm weather. I am recording this intro from Cape Cod. We've been across half the country, from Colorado all the way to the east coast. It's been fun and crazy and crazy and crazy. But boy oh boy does it feel good to be back-producing episodes. So, we're kicking it off with a big one. Steve Berry is a #1 bestselling author with over 25 million books ...