The Story Blender

This week, award-winning mystery writer and acclaimed crime novelist Reed Farrel Coleman shares his unique insights into the craft of writing. What matters more than hooking readers’ attention? How do you write when you don’t know where you’re going? What does it mean to write toward the edge of your headlights? How important is the poetry of language in a crime novel? Check this episode out to learn the answers to these questions and much more.

This week, author Steve S. Saroff hops on to discuss his novel PAPER TARGETS. We chat in depth about his journey from being a teenage runaway who struggled with reading to becoming a successful tech entrepreneur, and how his dyslexia actually became his “superpower.” We also talk about poignancy and truth in storytelling, the poetry of fiction, and the power of stories to impact people’s lives and perspectives. Check it out!

Novelist and former TV reporter Elise Hart Kipniss shares how her journalism background helped equip her to tell stories and write novels. We discuss the differences between fiction and nonfiction, as well as between a report and a story. We also talk about how to create more irresistible characters and her upcoming release, PRICE OF SILENCE. Check it out!

Bestselling author and award-winning journalist Laurie Dove joins me this week to talk about following your characters, weaving the unexpected into your stories, and being honest in your storytelling. She also shares her two paramount rules of writing: write until you surpass your doubt, and continue until the story surprises you. Check it out!

This week, I sat down at the Storytelling Resource Place in Jonesborough, Tennessee, to chat with award-winning poet and storyteller Jack Smith. He shares his passion for writing poetry and telling tales, gives us a glimpse into his creative process, and reminds us how important it is to leave the nest. He also shares several of his moving and poignant poems.

Award-winning author Chris Mullen talks with me about everything from writing Westerns to teaching Kindergarten to encouraging creativity and risk-taking—and how to move past the obstacles that so many adults put in their own way. Chris is an award-winning teacher and the acclaimed author of Westerns for teens and adults.

Acclaimed novelist Deborah Raney joins me to talk about writing women’s fiction and romance, how she crafts stories without using an outline, what she does when her characters surprise her, and how important it is—or isn’t—to keep stories believable. We also talk about her latest novel, WHO NAMES THE STARS. Check it out!

This week, I'm thrilled to speak with literary agent Mark Gottlieb. He has represented many award-winning and bestselling authors and offers a look under the hood of the publishing industry, sharing what literary agents are looking for, what turns them off, and why it's important to have a strong query letter. We also discuss whether or not you should follow publishing trends, verbal breakdancing, and what we can learn from Shakespeare. If you're wondering what goes on inside the publishing industry from the perspective of a literary agent, give it a listen.

Acclaimed and bestselling mystery writer Rachel Howzell Hall joins me to talk about how to craft a great mystery, the importance of receptivity rather than rigidity when writing, why main characters should be both vulnerable and admirable (without being perfect), and her latest book, MIST AND MALICE.

Veteran screenwriter and author Anderson Boyd joins me to talk about his advice for writing a novel, what he learned from screenwriting that transferred into writing fiction, some of his favorite authors, and specific thoughts on shaping and telling the stories you have within you. We also chat about his novel THE LEASE OF NATURE. Check it out!