The Story Blender

Science fiction author John R. Carlos joins me to talk about world building and how emergent trends in technology might affect our lives in the future. We touch on context and trajectory—both in culture and in storytelling—and how stories can equip us with the courage to face oppression in whatever form it might come. We also talk about his debut novel Cryonic Dreams: Awakening. Check it out!

This week, bestselling author Mia Sheridan joins me to talk about how monsters can be made, whether it’s important to include the background on a villain in your story, how much believability stories need, longing for justice to occur in the stories that we read, and what’s more important—a story’s beginning or the ending? We also chat about her latest romantic thriller, The Fix. 

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Melinda Leigh, the bestselling author of 40 novels, talks about how her background in the martial arts informs how she writes fight scenes (and why you need vaguely specific details to make them believable). We also talk plot twists, why it’s so much fun to write villains, working through revisions, voice, and honest writing. Check it out!

This week on The Story Blender I talk with legendary action thriller writer David Morrell. As the author of First Blood, he is known as the father of the modern action thriller. In this wide-ranging conversation, he shares his inspiration, words of advice for aspiring authors, and hard-won insights into the writing process that you just won’t want to miss. Check it out.

Join me as I chat with acclaimed comedian John Branyan. We talk about secrets to comedy, how to gain confidence, how to tap into the truths of life and your own experiences to find humorous stories to tell. He also explains the history behind his famous Shakespearean “Three Little Pigs” rendition and shares who he thinks are the three comedians you definitely need to check out today. Give it a listen and enjoy.

This week I sit down with former CIA officer, Traci Hunter Abramson to talk about writing political and spy thrillers. We cover what spies are (and what they are not), what to include in your novels and what to leave out, advice she would give to aspiring authors, and the story behind her latest novel, VICTIM #8. Check it out!

• My guest this week is an author, editor, and publishing professional who has written more than 50 books and coached hundreds of authors on how to put together book proposals. Terry Whalin and I talk about the importance of details, gripping openings, showing instead of telling, looking at the bigger picture, giving readers a reason to flip the page, and The 11th Myth. Check it out!

Don’t miss this week’s conversation with novelist Yannick Murphy. We examine whether or not there is such a thing as talent, how a story is like a mirror, and how to write in a way that makes the reader feel like you are their best friend. Learn to observe what has gone unnoticed, bring a sense of presence to the page, and invite in the turbulence. Give it a listen!

This week, Jennifer Fawcett joins me to talk about how playwriting and novel writing intersect and inform each other.  We explore what a scene is and why scenes in plays are longer than they often are in novels. We also talk about the importance of surprise, the difference between motivation and intention and her latest thriller Keep This For Me. Give it a listen!

This week I talk with acclaimed author Jerome Charyn, who has been a professional writer for 70 years. We explore the music of sentences, the lyrical landscape of New York City, looking for magic in the stories we write and tell, the importance of the first and last sentence, and how every sentence in Hamlet destroys you. Check it out!

This week, crime writer Victoria Dowd joins me to discuss the art of the red herring, how to plant clues in plain sight in a way that no one will notice, locked room mysteries, and coming up with (almost!) impossible crimes. We also discuss her latest historical mystery, Death in the Aviary. Check it out!

This week on The Story Blender, I caught up with bestselling authors Kathleen Antrim & D.P. Lyle at Killer Nashville, one of the country’s premier crime-writing conferences.

We chat about crime writing, mysteries, thrillers, and twists. Both of them have taught writing seminars throughout the country and founded Outliers University, an online school for anyone serious about improving their writing craft. Check it out. 

Join me this week to listen to an interview I did a few years ago with legendary thriller author, Dean Koontz. With hundreds of millions of books in print and a loyal following around the world, Dean is one of the most influential authors of our generation. Enjoy!