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 52 - How Andrew Peterson Writes
November 12, 2020 09:00 - 53 minutes - 37 MBWelcome to Episode 52 - How Andrew Peterson Writes There was about 1500 hundred writers who participated in our Plot Your Novel in Just Five Days challenge and it was truly epic. If you missed the challenge and you want to jump in, you can now take the challenge in HappyWriter, and we're offering seven days of access to HappyWriter for just $1. So, jump in with Tiffany Yates-Martin and I as we walk you through, step-by-step, exactly what you need to plot your novel. To jump into your free t...
Monday Motivation - Take Joy
November 09, 2020 10:00 - 3 minutes - 2.7 MBWelcome to Monday Motivation - Take Joy All too often I think these talks highlight some of the really difficult parts of the writing life, but I'm totally guilty of not discussing just how amazing it is to have a gift like storytelling. I often wonder what my life would be like if I hadn't found this passion for storytelling. It kinda feels like the thought of "what would my life be like if I hadn't married my wife, or had kids." It is impossible to imagine because storytelling is fundamen...
Episode 51 - How Kim Harrison Writes
November 05, 2020 09:00 - 37 minutes - 25.6 MBWelcome to Episode 51 - How Kim Harrison Writes This episode is sponsored by... HappyWriter! Of course! This month we have a stacked content calendar. On top of the already growing library of challenges, courses, and workshops, in November 2020 we have a writing workshop on how to be more productive, a masterclass with Jennifer Probst, and a storytelling spotlight with James Wade, and another storytelling spotlight with Robert Desiderio. As an FYI, a storytelling spotlight is a video serie...
Monday Motivation - Three Ways to Supercharge Your Creative Energy
November 02, 2020 10:00 - 7 minutes - 5.14 MBWelcome to Monday Motivation - Three Ways to Supercharge Your Creative Energy So, this is a five-minute version of a five-day course that I have in HappyWriter about how to build, maintain, and manage your creative energy. As I am putting the finishing touches on the core HappyWriter curriculum and the promise of the platform—all of that I'll share in a few weeks—the one skill that touches almost every part of the writing life and is interwoven into the curriculum is the ability to manage y...
Episode 50 - How Anthony Horowitz Writes
October 29, 2020 08:00 - 37 minutes - 25.6 MBWelcome to episode 50! 50!! How Anthony Horowitz Writes. I remember I used to imagine what it would be like to say episode 50, and here we are. Thank you so much for listening, and sharing this podcast with me. This has truly been one of the most enjoyable projects I have ever worked on in my entire life. On such a momentous occasion as episode 50, I am happy to share this interview with Anthony Horowitz with you. Anthony is just a titan of storytelling. Again, I often pinch myself being a...
No episode this week!
October 26, 2020 09:00 - 1 minute - 736 KBSo, my friends, I COMPLETELY underestimated how long it would take me to move... again. No episode this week but I’ll be back next week! Support the show
No episode this week!
October 26, 2020 09:00 - 1 minute - 736 KBSo, my friends, I COMPLETELY underestimated how long it would take me to move... again. No episode this week but I’ll be back next week! Support the Show.
Episode 49 - How Ian K. Smith Writes
October 22, 2020 08:00 - 49 minutes - 33.9 MBWelcome to Episode 49 - How Dr. Ian K. Smith Writes I can tell you that I have thought a lot about this interview with Dr. Ian K Smith in the past month since I recorded it. Ian is such an inspiration, from his commitment to health, fiction, and serving others. He is an accomplished author, media personality, and to top it all off, he is so incredibly humble. I can honestly say that I've reflected a lot on this interview, specifically how in times of stress, Dr. Ian leans into the ways he ...
Monday Motivation - A Crippling Belief
October 19, 2020 09:00 - 4 minutes - 3.36 MBWelcome to Monday Motivation - A Crippling Belief If you've been listening to this podcast, you'll know I place tremendous value on intentionally building your beliefs because beliefs are the driver of feelings, and how we feel dictates how we act. So the chain goes beliefs drive feelings, feelings drive actions. That insight alone has radically changed my life. I never ever try to change one of my actions, because when you only focus on changing an action it is sure to fail. To change your...
Episode 48 - How Francine Rivers Writes
October 15, 2020 08:00 - 40 minutes - 28.2 MBWelcome to Episode 48 - How Francine Rivers Writes This episode is sponsored by... HappyWriter! I just completed book coach Amanda Polick's writing workshop, "what writers can learn from improv." Amanda who also trained at The Second City’s school of improvisation breaks down how writers can learn from the sketch comic’s approach to receiving and processing feedback. Eeeeek. This writing workshop was an absolute BLAST, and as a compliment, we're having a live QA with Amanda on Wednesday, Oc...
Monday Motivation - Do One Thing
October 12, 2020 09:00 - 4 minutes - 3.12 MBWelcome to Monday Motivation - Do One Thing This week in HappyWriter, a question came up during our coffee hour— which is like our informal time to just hang out, drink coffee, share some wins, and ask questions— that I thought was so good that I'd make an entire podcast out of it. A member asked, basically, how they could manage the different components of their short story—tension, and pacing, and character and so forth— while they were composing. My answer was pretty straight forward, a...
Episode 47 - How Laurell K. Hamilton Writes
October 08, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 55.8 MBWelcome to Episode 47 - How Laurell K. Hamilton Writes HappyWriter—our new community for creative writers—is live! Right now for just 39/month, you can sign up for HappyWriter. And October's content is packed. You can jump into a writing workshop on what writers can learn from improv with book coach Amanda Polick, attend a live author masterclass on October 22nd with James Wade, and you can even retake the plotting challenge that we just concluded. And that, my friends, is just a snippet of...
Monday Motivation - Perception vs Reality
October 05, 2020 09:00 - 6 minutes - 4.31 MBWelcome to Monday Motivation - Perception vs Reality This week we ran a challenge called "Plot Your Novel in Just Five Days." The idea for the challenge was to try and create the perfect learning environment to teach a huge group of writers something that many of them believed they were incapable of learning—specifically how to plot a novel. I had seen these kinds of challenges before work so well. I know a lot of people do NanoWriMo and love the thrill of writing a novel in the month. So,...
Episode 46 - How Marybeth Mayhew Whalen Writes
October 01, 2020 08:00 - 46 minutes - 32.1 MBWelcome to Episode 46 - How Marybeth Mayhew Whalen Writes Here we are. Episode 46 with Marybeth Mayhew Whalen. Sometimes I get to interview people who feel as if they are just so aligned with a similar vision of the power of storytelling. This is how I felt interviewing Marybeth. I know you will find so much insight and wisdom in this interview. Also, as a quick note, I misspoke the title of Marybeth's new novel. It is not "the Secret thing..." it is THIS secret thing. So, sorry to Marybet...
Monday Motivation - The Most Important Skill
September 28, 2020 09:00 - 7 minutes - 4.95 MBWelcome to Monday Motivation - The Most Important Skill This week I want to talk about the most important skill to develop as a writer. The skill that all other skills derive from. I'm sure as I say this, there are lots of different thoughts of what this could be. I wish I could talk with you, because the interviewer in me would love to know all of the answers to this prompt. I'd guess some people might say something curiosity, or structure, maybe even having a critical writer's eye. All of...
Episode 45 - How Simon Stephenson Writes
September 24, 2020 08:00 - 52 minutes - 35.9 MBWelcome to Episode 45 - How Simon Stephenson Writes It is not too late to join the free How to Plot Your Novel in just Five Days challenge. We are going to have well over 1,000 people join the challenge which just makes me so insanely excited. The challenge kicks off on Monday, September 28th. Tiffany Yates Martin will lead you step-by-step on how to build a killer plot. I know a lot of writers say plot is their big sticking point, so if that is you, head on over to howwriterswrite.com/plot...
Monday Motivation - On Grit
September 21, 2020 09:00 - 6 minutes - 4.66 MBRegister for the Plot Your Novel in Just Five Days challenge here - howwriterswrite.com/plot Support the Show.
Episode 44 - How Madeleine Roux Writes
September 17, 2020 08:00 - 56 minutes - 39.1 MBWelcome to Episode 44 - How Madeleine Roux Writes Oftentimes, when I connect with writers, one of the biggest struggles they have is learning how to plot. In fact, many of the authors I've interviewed say they want to learn how to be a better plotter. For those of you out there who want to dive into plotting your own novel, like maybe you just need a little extra support and kick in the pants, on September 28th I will be running a FREE challenge with editor-to-the-stars and podcast guest Ti...
Monday Motivation - Just Don't Give Up
September 14, 2020 09:00 - 6 minutes - 4.53 MBSupport the Show.
Episode 43 - How Brad Parks Writes
September 10, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 43.1 MBWelcome to Episode 43 - How Brad Parks Writes Do you enjoy listening to all of the amazing answers guests give when I ask about their one piece of writing advice? If so, I've compiled the first 35 responses in a FREE eBook. The answers are all sorts of awesome, with some inspirational and others a kick in the pants. To download your free eBook go to howwriterswrite.com/ebook and I hope you enjoy! This week's episode with Brad Parks is a wild ride. Brad is full of energy, stories, and passi...
Special Episode... Introducing HappyWriter!
September 09, 2020 09:00 - 24 minutes - 16.8 MBI am so excited to finally give you a sneak peek into HappyWriter! To save your spot as a Founding Member, visit howwriterswrite.com/happywriter Support the Show.
Monday Motivation - Creative, Resourceful, and Whole
September 07, 2020 09:00 - 6 minutes - 4.35 MBWelcome to Monday Motivation - Creative, Resourceful, and Whole Before we kick off this episode, my friends, I have just completed a project that was a total blast. So, you know how I ask each guest for their one piece of writing advice? I went through the first 35 episodes, transcribed the answers, and dropped them into a FREE eBook for you to download. Did I say free? Why, yes, I did. Free. To get your copy and also get a sneak sneak sneak peek into our new writing community- HappyWriter,...
Episode 42 - How Ben Marcus Writes
September 03, 2020 08:00 - 46 minutes - 32.2 MBWelcome to Episode 42 - How Ben Marcus Writes Do you enjoy listening to all of the amazing answers guests give when I ask about their one piece of writing advice? If so, I've compiled the first 35 responses in a FREE eBook. The answers are all sorts of awesome, with some inspirational and others a kick in the pants. To download your free eBook go to howwriterswrite.com/ebook and I hope you enjoy! This interview with Ben was a real blast. Ben is a literary treasure-trove. Ben is humble and ...
Monday Motivation - The Antidote to Boredom
August 31, 2020 09:00 - 7 minutes - 4.88 MBWelcome to Monday Motivation- The Antidote to Boredom Before we kick off this episode, my friends, I have just completed a project that was a total blast. So, you know how I ask each guest for their one piece of writing advice? I went through the first 35 episodes, transcribed the answers, and dropped them into a FREE eBook for you to download. Did I say free? Why, yes, I did. Free. To get your copy and also get a sneak sneak sneak peek into our new writing community- HappyWriter, head over...
Monday Motivation - The Antidote to Boredom
August 31, 2020 09:00 - 7 minutes - 4.88 MBWelcome to Monday Motivation- The Antidote to Boredom Before we kick off this episode, my friends, I have just completed a project that was a total blast. So, you know how I ask each guest for their one piece of writing advice? I went through the first 35 episodes, transcribed the answers, and dropped them into a FREE eBook for you to download. Did I say free? Why, yes, I did. Free. To get your copy and also get a sneak sneak sneak peek into our new writing community- HappyWriter, head over...
Episode 41 - How Miranda Popkey Writes
August 27, 2020 08:00 - 40 minutes - 27.9 MBWelcome to Episode 41 - How Miranda Popkey Writes Hello and I hope you are having a wonderful week. This episode with Miranda Popkey is a welcome change of pace. Miranda and I discuss a topic that is so relevant in our crazy world - how is it writers decide when to be producing work and when to take a break? Miranda and I discuss her writing process, but what is really special is Miranda's openness on how she has come to the decision to take a pause in her writing. I'm happy to provide her...
Monday Motivation - A Perspective on Failure
August 24, 2020 09:00 - 7 minutes - 5.2 MBI was chatting with a writing friend about writing. This person wanted to write a really out-there book that was both technically challenging and outside of the norm of what is being published. My friend said, "I'd write it if I wasn't so afraid of f-ing it up." I probably wouldn't have really thought about what my friend had said, but something about it really stuck with me. I chewed on it for a week. Do you know that feeling? When you just know there is some insight if you can just dig de...
Episode 40 - How Laura Lippman Writes
August 20, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 42.9 MBWelcome to Episode 40, How Laura Lippman Writes This was a super fun interview to record. I've had a fun time ping-ponging between guests who have been writing for decades and brand new debut authors. Laura is an absolute pro, having written over a dozen crime and standalone novels. I want to say a special thank you to Laura for sharing so much writing wisdom with me. And now, without any further ado, here is the interview with Laura Lippman. Support the Show.
Monday Motivation - Connecting with Your Humanity
August 17, 2020 09:00 - 4 minutes - 3.06 MBWelcome to Monday Motivation - Connecting with Your Humanity Last week I took a walk with my dog Lulu, who has grown into truly the sweetest, cutest dog I have ever seen. And yes, I know I have a lot of listeners who have dogs who they also believe are the cutest and sweetest dogs, and so we're just going to have to agree to disagree on who has the cutest dog. Anyways, I now live right on Sloan's Lake Park in Denver, which is this massive lake just west of downtown. The park is stunning. T...
Monday Motivation - Connecting with Your Humanity
August 17, 2020 09:00 - 4 minutes - 3.06 MBWelcome to Monday Motivation - Connecting with Your Humanity Last week I took a walk with my dog Lulu, who has grown into truly the sweetest, cutest dog I have ever seen. And yes, I know I have a lot of listeners who have dogs who they also believe are the cutest and sweetest dogs, and so we're just going to have to agree to disagree on who has the cutest dog. Anyways, I now live right on Sloan's Lake Park in Denver, which is this massive lake just west of downtown. The park is stunning. T...
Episode 39, Part 2 - How Tiffany Yates Martin Writes
August 13, 2020 08:00 - 36 minutes - 24.9 MBWelcome to episode 39 part 2, How Tiffany Yates Martin Writes. So last week we had the first part of this interview with Tiffany, where Tiffany and I discussed really like the, building blocks and the fundamentals of what you need to look for when you're hiring an editor. Tiffany is an absolute, complete total expert in that field. This week's episode is the second part of the interview, where we talk more about how as writers, we can kind of write as an editor think as an editor and the...
Monday Motivation - Learning How to Learn
August 10, 2020 09:00 - 9 minutes - 6.75 MBWelcome to Monday Motivation - Learning how to Learn So, today I want to talk about a superpower for writers. As I continue to interview and study more and more successful authors, I'm also making notes of the common practices and characteristics of these amazing people. One thing that has stuck out to me, and something I've experienced first hand in my life, is the superpower of learning how to learn. All of the super successful people I've interacted with in my life share this trait. The...
Episode 39, Part 1 - How Tiffany Yates Martin Writes
August 06, 2020 08:00 - 47 minutes - 32.6 MBWelcome to Episode 39, Part 1 - How Tiffany Yates Martin Writes... or is it edits? So, this is a special episode. Tiffany is a world-class development editor and author of a wonderful new book named Intuitive Editing. The interview is broken up into two sections that I'm going to air in two parts. In today's episode, Part 1, Tiffany and I dive into the world of development editing and I tried to cover every question I could possibly think about. Tiffany shares SO MUCH value here. So much. ...
Monday Motivation - How to get Through a Dry Spell
August 03, 2020 09:00 - 11 minutes - 7.68 MBWelcome to Monday Motivation- How to get through a dry spell I am in a really interesting spot in my writing life and I want to share my journey with you, as well as some thoughts on how I am addressing this... uh... interesting time in my life. So I've had a real season. Like a lot of you, COVID has been nuts, I've moved across the country, started a business and we're right now cranking on getting out a truly transformative product for writers. More on that later, but, the end result whe...
Episode 38 - How Daniel Handler "Lemony Snicket" Writes
July 30, 2020 08:00 - 47 minutes - 32.4 MBWelcome to Episode 38, How Daniel Handler Writes This week's episode is really fun. I got to interview Daniel Handler, who you may also know as Lemony Snicket. Oftentimes, I pinch myself when I get to ask amazing authors any question I want, but I am always blown away by the generosity and openness of the show's guest. Daniel fully embodied these attributes. I want to say thank you to Daniel again for his time and sharing so much with me. And so now, without any further ado, here is the in...
Monday Motivation - It Starts with a Seed
July 27, 2020 09:00 - 6 minutes - 4.31 MBWelcome to Monday Motivation - It Starts with a Seed I am sooooo excited to be back here recording a fresh Monday Motivation. I feel as if I've escaped the black hole of moving and it is just so good to be back here with you. This is my happy place. So, as I was driving through Nebraska, I had this powerful thought that unfolded over the course of a few hundred miles of open road. As some of you know, when you drive through the middle chunk of the country, there are long stretches where al...
(Replay) How Madeline Miller Writes
July 23, 2020 09:00 - 56 minutes - 38.8 MBWelcome to a special replay of episode 11, How Madeline Miller Writes. I am so excited to share a replay of this episode from January of 2020. Interviewing Madeline was such a blast, both because of Madeline's amazing openness and the wisdom she shared, but also because I love talking about the ancient world just about as much as I love talking about anything. Please enjoy this interview with the wonderful Madeline Miller. Support the Show.
Monday Motivation - The Shape of Stories
July 20, 2020 09:00 - 19 minutes - 13.5 MBEnjoy this special recording of Kurt Vonnegut's lecture, "The Shape of Stories." Support the Show.
Episode 37 - How Susan Wiggs Writes
July 16, 2020 08:00 - 51 minutes - 35.1 MBWelcome to Episode 37 - How Susan Wiggs Writes Now, when this podcast airs, I will be somewhere in between New York City and Colorado so I am gonna keep this intro nice and short and sweet. I loved interviewing Susan. She was just a well of knowledge of the writing life and what it takes to be a pro. I found myself scribbling all sorts of notes and I just love going back through the episode and listening over and over and over again. I am sure you'll feel the same way I wanna say a quick ...
Episode 36 - How James Wade Writes
July 09, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 43.4 MBWelcome to Episode 36 - How James Wade Writes I had so much fun interviewing someone who is so aligned with the mission and philosophy of How Writers Write. In a lot of ways, I felt as if I was interviewing a philosopher-writer, someone who writes beautiful stories, but also deeply engages with the writing life. James is someone who has such a rooting in himself and his writing that when we ended the interview, I felt some of that same energy transfer to me. Thank you again to James for su...
Oops! No episode this week!
July 06, 2020 09:00 - 1 minute - 799 KBHi my friends-- So, between my crazy move, some equipment problems, already packing the rest of my equipment, and general moving insanity, I could not get the episode done this week. :-( Taking a mulligan this week, and I'll be back next week with a great inspirational author speech. Support the Show.
Episode 35 - How Michael Elias Writes
July 02, 2020 08:00 - 44 minutes - 30.9 MBWelcome to episode 35 -How Michael Elias Writes It isn't every day that I get to interview such a veteran writer. Michael Elias has written for just about every medium - film, TV, fiction, and theater. I am so grateful to share his insights into the writing life, his process, and some lessons he's learned along the way. Thank you again to Michael for his time and sharing his story with me. And now, without any further ado, here is the interview with Michael Elias! Support the Show.
Monday Motivation - Make Good Art
June 29, 2020 08:00 - 22 minutes - 15.2 MBThis week I am playing you one of my ALL TIME favorite writing motivations. As I pack up and move to Denver, please enjoy Neil Gaiman's "Make Good Art." Support the Show.
Episode 34 - How Francesca Serritella Writes
June 25, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 43.5 MBWelcome to Episode 34 - How Francesca Serritella Writes I hope everyone is having a good week of writing as we dig into the dog weeks of summer. Here in NYC, we are enjoying a Phase 2 Opening as finally, playgrounds are open. So, it is with this happiness that I get to intro this week's wonderful guest, Francesca Serritella. Francesca is the author of a series of non-fiction books that she co-wrote with her mother, Lisa Scottoline as well as a debut novel, Ghosts of Harvard. This interview...
Monday Motivation - Some Changes for How Writers Write
June 22, 2020 09:00 - 8 minutes - 5.85 MBHello and Welcome! This isn't going to be a Monday Motivation per se, more of a general catch up episode. There are so many changes happening in my life and for HWW that I wanted to take a week to just communicate them all at once. So first, some personal news. In about three weeks my family and I will be relocating to Denver, Colorado. Even before COVID hit, we had eyed moving back to sunny-ol Colorado. While we will miss our Brooklyn life and friends, it feels like we are stepping into a...
Episode 33 - How Sofia Segovia Writes
June 18, 2020 08:00 - 53 minutes - 36.8 MBWelcome to Episode 33 - How Sofia Segovia Writes I love the opportunity to interview authors on the bigger picture stuff, like where do stories come from and how or where do characters live? I find myself drawn to those topics because I have so many questions. Do stories exist outside of us? And if so, where? What about characters? Are they real or part of our imagination? I could disappear for days in those thoughts. I am so grateful that I was able to explore those questions with Sofia...
Monday Motivation - Get small
June 15, 2020 09:00 - 5 minutes - 4.01 MBWelcome to Monday Motivation- Get Small At one point in my life, I was living in my brother-in-law's basement with my wife and newborn. I'd been trying to get a job for six months after my start-up failed, but I was struggling to land on my feet. I was down to just a couple hundred dollars, and my relationship with Jennifer was strained to the point of failure. It. Was. Awful. I found it was so easy to let my mind run into a grim future. So easy that I internalized a belief that the future...
Episode 32 - How Lily King Writes
June 11, 2020 09:00 - 50 minutes - 34.4 MBWelcome to Episode 32 – How Lily King Writes Before we get started with this episode, I want to share a quick word of encouragement to the writers out there. I know times are crazy. I believe in times of crisis, stories and storytelling becomes even more important, because often a good story reminds of the truth we already know: that we are all the same on the inside. A good story refreshes and encourages. It transports you to a place of hope, even if the story ends in tragedy. This...
Monday Motivation - Making Space
June 08, 2020 08:00 - 27 minutes - 19 MBThis week has been remarkable in so many ways. In my neck of the woods in Brooklyn, thousands of protestors walking down my block, down the main arteries of my neighborhood, is a daily occurrence. I’ve been able to participate in the protests. The memory of the black, brown, and white faces will forever bring a smile to my face. Wherever you live in this country or the world, I’m sure you’ve seen and hopefully participated in peaceful protests against this country’s systemic brutality agains...
Monday Motivation - Making Space
June 08, 2020 08:00 - 27 minutes - 19 MBThis week has been remarkable in so many ways. In my neck of the woods in Brooklyn, thousands of protestors walking down my block, down the main arteries of my neighborhood, is a daily occurrence. I’ve been able to participate in the protests. The memory of the black, brown, and white faces will forever bring a smile to my face. Wherever you live in this country or the world, I’m sure you’ve seen and hopefully participated in peaceful protests against this country’s systemic brutality agains...