The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience

In anticiapation of the second part in this series!

New York Times bestselling author, Emma Straub, spoke to me about why everything in life is timing, how to write a book for yourself, time travel, and her latest This Time Tomorrow.

Emma is the bestselling author of six novels — including All Adults Here, The Vacationers, Modern Lovers, and Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures — the short story collection Other People We Married. Her books have been published in 20 countries. 

Her latest, This Time Tomorrow, has been named One of the Most Anticipated Books of 2022 by Vogue, Oprah, Entertainment Weekly, Glamour, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Reader’s Digest, Today, Parade, Thrillist, Pop Sugar, Lithub and more.

Described as "...a moving father-daughter story and a playful twist on the idea of time travel," author Michael Chabon called the book "...a beautifully made, elegant music box of a novel that sets in motion its clever clockwork of delight—then breaks your heart with its bittersweet, lingering song.”

Emma and her husband also own Books Are Magic, a popular independent bookstore in Brooklyn, New York.

[This episode is sponsored by Ulysses. Go to⁠⁠ ⁠ulys.app/writeabook⁠⁠⁠ to download Ulysses, and use the code FILES at checkout to get 25% off the first year of your yearly subscription."]

[Discover⁠⁠ The Writer Files Extra⁠⁠: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at⁠⁠ writerfiles.fm⁠⁠]

[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please⁠⁠ click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews⁠⁠. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]

In this file Emma Straub and I discussed:

Why getting an MFA helped her slow down her writing

How she met everyone in publishing at an indie bookshop 

The unique perspective of Xennials

How to find confidence and pages while being off-balance 

Why she'd drink less Olde English if she could go back 

And a lot more!

Stay calm and write on ...

⁠emmastraub.net⁠

⁠This Time Tomorrow a Novel by Emma Straub⁠

⁠'This Time Tomorrow' is the time travel book millennials need⁠ - USA Today

⁠Emma Straub on Facebook⁠

⁠Emma Straub on Instagram⁠

⁠Emma Straub on Twitter⁠

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer⁠

⁠diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram⁠

⁠Kelton Reid Instagram⁠

⁠Kelton Reid on Twitter
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New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author, Gregg Hurwitz, returns to chat with us about his unflagging curiosity and fascinating research process, how to find your true writing voice, and his 11th Orphan X novel, ANTIHERO.

Gregg Hurwitz is the award-winning and internationally bestselling author of 27 novels including the lauded ORPHAN X series. His work has appeared in 33 languages, and the Los Angeles Times called him “... a thriller giant."

He is also a New York Times bestselling comic book writer, has written screenplays and TV scripts for many major studios and networks, and is an award-winning documentary producer. He has published numerous academic articles on Shakespeare, taught fiction writing at USC, and currently serves as the Co-President of International Thriller Writers (ITW).

His 11th Orphan X novel, Antihero, continues to follow The Nowhere Man, “Evan Smoak [as he] takes on his most complex mission yet―one where he not only has to protect but also avenge, and find a way to balance vengeance with mercy.”

The series has been described as, “All Gas. No Breaks," by The Real Book Spy, and Library Journal called the book, "A relentless battle between vengeance and virtue."

[This episode is sponsored by Ulysses. Go to⁠ ⁠ulys.app/writeabook⁠⁠ to download Ulysses, and use the code FILES at checkout to get 25% off the first year of your yearly subscription."]

[Discover⁠ The Writer Files Extra⁠: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at⁠ writerfiles.fm⁠]

[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please⁠ click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews⁠. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]In this file Gregg Hurwitz, Milena and I discussed:

Going on book tour and hanging out with David Duchovny

How his prescient contemporary thriller plots come to be

His most eye-opening research and future as a cult leader

Why writing should be a version of play

How fiction can be truer than truth

Why writers and  readers connect more with flawed characters  

And a lot more! 

Show Notes:

How NY Times Bestselling Author Gregg Hurwitz Writes: Part One

GreggHurwitz.net

The Last Orphan By Gregg Hurwitz (Amazon)

Gregg Hurwitz Amazon Author Page

Gregg Hurwitz on Facebook

Gregg Hurwitz on Instagram

Gregg Hurwitz on Twitter

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Acclaimed debut novelist Rosie Storey spoke with us about her rejection advice for writers, chasing personal authenticity, and the "accidental catfishing" at the heart of DANDELION IS DEAD.

Rosie Storey left her corporate career to finish her hotly anticipated debut novel, Dandelion Is Dead. The book received significant buzz in early 2026, including a January 2026 Indie Next selection, an exclusive excerpt on Today.com, an NPR interview, coverage from Reader’s Digest, and optioned for TV, among many others.

Described as a “... witty, heart-wrenching debut that follows a woman who starts dating under her late sister’s online profile,” and a “... ‘messy millennial’ story that’s Fleabag meets P.S. I Love You.” 

Booklist said of the book, “Storey's debut novel is striking, with staggeringly complex characters and messy situations reminiscent of real life…. filled with intimacy and kindness….Fast-paced but never hurried.” #1 New York Times bestselling author Carley Fortune called it “... the perfect book club book.”

Rosie Storey holds a master’s in creative writing, and lives in East London, where she works as a writing coach. She is working on her second book.

[This episode is sponsored by Ulysses. Go to ⁠ulys.app/writeabook⁠ to download Ulysses, and use the code FILES at checkout to get 25% off the first year of your yearly subscription."]

[Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm]

[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]

In this file Rosie Storey, Milena and I discussed:

How it feels to be compared to your heroes

The many opportunities she had to give up the writing life

Getting support and much-needed advice from her editors early on

The importance of pacing for the novel

Writing about grief and the societal pressures on men and women

Dancing at Studio 54 with Miranda July

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

Rosie Storey on Instagram

Dandelion Is Dead: A Novel About Life by Rosie Storey (Amazon)

Rosie Storey’s Rejection Advice for Writers TheNovelry.com

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Award-winning author and journalist Elizabeth Arnott spoke with us about her early studies of serial killers, a wild journalism career, and her latest period-set crime novel THE SECRET LIVES OF MURDERERS' WIVES.

Elizabeth Arnott has written critically acclaimed historical fiction as Lizzie Pook (her maiden name). As a journalist, she covered everything from true crime to Arctic exploration and appeared in publications such as The Sunday Times, National Geographic, The New York Times Book Review, and The Guardian among others.

She has described her much-anticipated latest historical crime novel as Mad Men with murders, and Lessons in Chemistry with a body count. The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives [available for pre-order and landing March 3, 2026; Berkley Hardcover], is a story that “... centers on three unlikely friends—all former wives of serial killers—and their efforts to solve a string of local killings in 1966 California.”

The book was acquired in a heated seven-way auction and named one of “The Best Books for Book Clubs in 2026” by Glamour, and among “The 10 Most-Anticipated Mystery-Thriller Books of 2026” by Marie Claire.

Parade wrote of the book, “... a story that feels like Bright Young Women collided with Mindhunter …. a propulsive, period-set whodunit perfect for anyone who loves early criminal profiling and Mad Men-era aesthetics with bite.”

[This episode is sponsored by Ulysses. Go to ⁠ulys.app/writeabook⁠ to download Ulysses, and use the code FILES at checkout to get 25% off the first year of your yearly subscription."]

[Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm]

[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]

In this file Elizabeth Arnott, Milena and I discussed:

Elizabeth’s early obsession with the film Almost Famous

Renting a flat above a brothel in grad school

Her freewheeling freelance days traveling the globe for stories

When her journalism career hit rock bottom

The path to writing about the forgotten victims of violent crimes

How to write a novel in six weeks

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

Elizabeth Arnott on Instagram

The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives By Elizabeth Arnott – March 3, 2026 (Amazon)

Elizabeth Arnott on Twitter

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In anticipation of the author's return to the pod ...

New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author, Gregg Hurwitz, spoke with me about why all writing is a process of self-discovery, how to humanize a trained assassin, and the latest Orphan X thriller, THE LAST ORPHAN.

Gregg Hurwitz is an award-winning and internationally bestselling author of 23 thrillers including the ORPHAN X series. He has been published in 33 languages, and the Los Angeles Times called him “... a thriller giant." 

He is also a NY Times bestselling comic book writer, having penned stories for AWA (Knighted and the critically acclaimed anthology NewThink), Marvel (Wolverine, Punisher) and DC (Batman, Penguin).

His eighth Orphan X novel is The Last Orphan, the ongoing series featuring The Nowhere Man, “Evan Smoak, a man with skills, resources, and a personal mission to help those with nowhere else to turn. He’s also a man with a dangerous past.”

#1 NY Times bestselling author Meg Gardiner said of the book, "Just when I thought the Orphan X novels couldn’t get any better, Gregg Hurwitz takes the series to an even higher level. The Last Orphan is pulse-pounding, heart-stopping, and thought-provoking.”

Gregg Hurwitz has written screenplays and TV scripts for many of the major studios and networks, has published poetry, numerous academic articles on Shakespeare, and has taught fiction writing at USC.

[This episode is sponsored by Ulysses. Go to⁠ ⁠ulys.app/writeabook⁠⁠ to download Ulysses, and use the code FILES at checkout to get 25% off the first year of your yearly subscription."]

[Discover⁠ The Writer Files Extra⁠: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at⁠ writerfiles.fm⁠]

[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please⁠ click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews⁠. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]

In this file Gregg Hurwitz and I discussed: 

The reason he never took a creative writing class

Why Orphan X is the culmination of his career

Plot as character in motion

How every writer’s voice is as distinctive as a fingerprint

Writing Batman vs Bruce Wayne and villains vs antagonists

Grabbing a bourbon with William Faulkner

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

⁠GreggHurwitz.net⁠


⁠The Last Orphan⁠ By Gregg Hurwitz (Amazon)

⁠Gregg Hurwitz Amazon Author Page⁠

⁠Gregg Hurwitz on Facebook⁠

⁠Gregg Hurwitz on Instagram⁠

⁠Gregg Hurwitz on Twitter⁠

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer⁠

⁠diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram⁠

⁠Kelton Reid Instagram⁠

⁠Kelton Reid on

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices