Barry Friedman Goes to Portugal—and Writes

Bestselling authors William and Lara Bernhardt discuss the latest news from the book world, offer writing tips, and interview Barry Friedman. Barry has been a prominent professional standup comic for decades, but in recent years, he’s started writing. He’s got six books published to date, including his warm and witty series about his father (Jack Sh*t). But he also has a popular humor/political newsletter, and he does…geology writing?

0:00 Opening Thoughts
Bill. Lara, and Jesse make book world predictions for 2025.

7:32 News
1) Deluxe Book Editions Surge in Popularity
2) Arkansas Judge Strikes Down Book-Banning Law

16:21 Craft Corner
Jon Meyers and Emily Brooks, the authors of Write Better Together, discuss the best approaches to narrating your character’s experiences, specifically targeting that old adage you’ve probably heard, “Show don’t tell.” What’s it mean?

19:25 Interview with Barry Friedman
In this hilarious interview, you will learn:
1) how Barry got started in standup comedy;
2) how he transitioned into writing;
3) dealing with grief and death in prose;
4) how his series honors his father; and
5) why he's moving to Portugal.

52:23 Parting Words
Join us for the WriterCon Alaskan Cruise (May 31-June 6, departing from Seattle). We have worked double-hard to find something beautiful but affordable. You’ll get over 20 hours of writing instruction, scheduled when the boat is at sea, not when you’d rather get off and see glaciers. For more info, please visit our website. I’ll leave a link in the show notes. If you have any questions, just email: [e-mail].

Until next time, keep writing, and remember: You cannot fail, if you refuse to quit.
William Bernhardt
www.williambernhardt.com
www.writercon.com