creative nonfiction – Page 21 – Home of The Creative Nonfiction Podcast

Episode 246: Jenni Gritters on the Freelance Life, Not Waiting for Perfect, and Sh*t Sandwiches

She’s a freelancer and she is not a struggling freelancer in the ways that many of us identify as a struggling freelancer, which is to say: we po’.

Jenni, @jenni_gritters, along with her co-pilot on The Writers’ Co-op Podcast Wudan Yan, are thriving. Through strategy and rigor, Jenni is a six-figure earner, this during the pandemic, this when many writers are struggling to make a go of it.

She turned her skill into money, which allows her to double down on her skill and do more projects that are more personal-driven.

I like to think of some content/branded writing gigs like when Jake Gyllenhaall does a blockbuster movie so that he can then do the art-house stuff he probably wants to do. Book your Marvel movie, then go write your memoir. Haha.

Episode 244: Jackie MacMullan on the Fear of Failure, Writing that Teaches You, and the Final Chapter of ‘Best American Sports Writing’

View on Zencastr

Become a Patron!

By Brendan O’Meara

Jackie MacMullan, the legendary basketball writer, is on the podcast to talk about judging what we know to be the final installment of The Best American Sports Writing.

She’s chronicled the NBA (big ups to Louisa Thomas) since the early 1980s for The Boston Globe, Sports Illustrated and now ESPN.

Her five-part series on mental health in the NBA was widely lauded and a must-read.

Episode 243: Claire McNear of The Ringer Talks All Things Writing, Jeopardy!, and the Late Great Alex Trebek

Become a Patron!

By Brendan OMeara

Claire McNear is a staff writer for The Ringer and the author of Answers in the Form of Questions (Twelve).

“The times that I write best, the times that I’m able to write a lot are the times that I’ve got a fire under me. And that is what happens with a deadline. That is what happens when it’s 10 p.m. and you’ve written like, 150 words that day,” Claire says on the podcast.

Episode 242: ‘How Are You Going to Change the World?’ asks Damon Brown

View on Zencastr

Become a Patron!

By Brendan O’Meara

Damon Brown returns!

Had a great time talking about his new book Build from Now: Know Your Power, See Your Abundance and Change the World.

Damon’s all over the place. He’s talkin’ TED, he’s coaching, he’s almost written thirty books, he’s the primary caretaker of his two young boys, all of that and he’s one of the most generous people I’ve ever met. I think you’ll agree.

Episode 240: Scott Eden Pans for, Finds Gold in his Atavist Story ‘The Gilded Age’

Become a Patron!

By Brendan O’Meara

Scott Eden returns to the show to talk about his incredible and ambitious piece for The Atavist titled “The Guilded Age.”

This extra interview in your feed is part of a new partnership with The Atavist where I interview that month’s featured writer about that month’s story to provide readers and listeners some extra depth to the experience.

In this very first one with The Atavist, Scott talks about:

Developing sources as an investigative reporter
How COVID affected this story … right at the very end
Finding a new angle on something that was already covered
And that moment when a machete was brandished in Peru

I hope you dig this extra bit of goodness. If you’re new to The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, it’s the show where I speak to badass people about the art and craft of telling true stories. Subscribe wherever you podcast!

If you want to support the show, the audio magazine we produce and help keep the lights on at HQ, consider becoming a member at patreon.com/cnfpod.

We put out a great monthly newsletter with book recommendations, cool blogs and articles, podcast news, and an exclusive invite to a monthly CNFin’ Happy Hour. Once a month. No spam. Can’t beat it!

Episode 238: Ashkan Soltani Stone and Natale Zappia Rock Out with ‘Rez Metal’

Become a Patron!

By Brendan O’Meara

Ashkan Soltani Stone and Natale Zappia (@natzappia) wrote a killer little book based on a killer documentary called Rez Metal: Inside the Navajo Nation Heavy Metal Scene (University of Nebraska Press).

I mean, you know I was into this, right, CNFers?

Episode 237: A Fiction/Non/Fiction Festival with V.V. Ganeshananthan and Whitney Terrell

Become a Patron!

By Brendan O’Meara (@CNFPod)

V.V. Ganeshananthan is the author of Love Marriage, an essayist, and a journalist. She also teaches at the MFA program at the University of Minnesota. She’s on Instagram and Twitter.

Whitney Terrell is the author of The Good Lieutenant. He also is a journalist who covered the Iraq War. He teaches at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He’s on Instagram and Twitter.

They co-host the Fiction/Non/Fiction Podcast as part of the Lithub network of podcasts. It’s on Instagram and Twitter.

Call for submissions! SUMMER: CLOSED!

Become a Patron!

Dear CNFers,

Issue 2 of the CNF Pod audio magazine is coming down the pipe. The theme is summer.

I want your best essays about summer. Summer jobs. Summer flings. Summer breeze. Summer, summer, summer time!

We come of age in summer and I want your best essays of what those precious summer months mean to you.

Word limit: Up to 2,000 words. This is about a 15-minute read. Only submit written pieces.

Deadline: March 21, 2021.

Submit to creativenonfictionpodcast at gmail dot com with SUMMER in the subject line.

Issue 2 will be exclusive to Patreon members, so for as little as $4 a month you’ll get access to the the magazine, as well as some other goodies.

Become a Patron!

Episode 235: Athletic Brewing’s Mason Gravely says ‘Make It Easy to Say Yes’

Become a Patron!

By Brendan O’Meara

During my conversation with Mason Gravely (@alive_adventures on IG), I asked him what a good interviewer is like. I admire him as an interview so much, I had to know.

He said, “You know, it’s someone who listens. Someone who really is present. You can really tell when an interviewer is distracted, or they’re just kind of going off. They’re calling it in.”

Mason does incredible work for Athletic Brewing, the nations best and only (?) brewery only brewing non-alcoholic beer. Amazing stuff.

Episode 233: Lee Gutkind on Magical Moments, the Rope Test, and ‘My Last Eight Thousand Days’

Lee Gutkind, Brendan O'Meara — Lee Gutkind

Become a Patron!

By Brendan O’Meara

Lee Gutkind (@LeeGutkind) has returned to the show after a long, long time, this time to talk about his wonderful new book My Last Eight Thousand Days: An American Male in His Seventies (University of Georgia Press).

We talk about a lot of stuff, like voice. Lee says:

Brendan’s Monthly Newsletter: First of the month! No spam! Can’t beat it!