Writing – Page 31 – Home of The Creative Nonfiction Podcast

Episode 142—Jeff Goins on Amateurism, Clarity, and the Myth of the Starving Artist

By Brendan O’Meara

“You’ve gotta find new ways to have fun in old things.” —Jeff Goins, @JeffGoins.

All right, it’s The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I talk to badass writers, producers, and filmmakers about the art and craft of telling true stories, how they got to where they are, how the cope with crippling self-doubt, and the routines they enlist to get the work done. I’m your host Brendan O’Meara and today’s episode is a tight 30, man.

When you get somebody like Jeff Goins on the show, author of a quintillion blog posts and several books, including Real Artists Don’t Starve, you adhere to the time allotment. So this was a tight window, but I think it’s packed with great stuff. Amazing what you can get done in a tight window if you focus and don’t dither.

So, yes, a little house keeping is in order, as it usually is. You know where to subscribe to the show, don’t you? If you want to be in the know and get a little blip of goodness every CNFriday, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast/Play Music, Spotify, and Stitcher. That’s enough I think.

Yes, Jeff Goins is here and he’s the author of The Art of Work and Real Artists Don’t Starve and he sits in that Steven Pressfield/Seth Godin/Austin Kleon space of empowering you to make a go of it. We talk about how he was read the dictionary as a kid and breaking down the barriers between who we think the geniuses are (they’re more like us than we think), and a lot more. He’s @JeffGoins on Twitter and visit goinswriter.com for all sorts of goodies and to buy a bunch of his stuff.

Books by Jeff Goins

You Are a Writer So Start Acting Like One
Real Artists Don’t Starve: Timeless Strategies for Thriving in the New Creative Age
The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Are Supposed to Do
The In Between: Embracing the Tension Between Now and the Next Big Thing
Wrecked: When a Broken World Slams into Your Comfortable Life

That’s it, friends, here’s me and Jeff Goins:

Nothing wrong with a tight 30, right? It has a different vibe to it, but it’s no less valuable.

Thanks to Jeff, go check him out on the socials and thanks to our sponsors in Goucher College and Bay Path University tag teaming this Royal Rumble.

Be sure to give the show a follow across the socials, but more important, share it with a friend. You are the social network. Reviews are nice and welcome, but if you share it with your people, that means more. Tag me @BrendanOMeara and @CNFPod on Twitter, @cnfpod on Instagram and The Creative Nonfiction Podcast on Facebook. I’ll jump in the fire with you.

Episode 141—Evan Ratliff on Garbage-ing, Legwork in Pitching, and ‘The Mastermind’

Evan Ratliff, author of ‘The Mastermind’, came by the show to talk shop. Photo credit: Jonah Green

By Brendan O’Meara

“My system is, it’s okay not to have a system.” —Evan Ratliff (@ev_rat)

“I’m the opposite of the 500-words-a-day person. Sometimes I’ll be like, ‘I’m not gonna get anything done today.’ … Whatever …I’m a freelancer!”—Evan Ratliff

This week I spoke to Evan Ratliff, who puts the bad in badass. Yes, that means I put the ass in badass. Neither here nor there.

Evan came on the show to talk about his career as a freelance journalist and, most recently, his epic new book titled The Mastermind: Drugs, Empire, Murder, Betrayal. It’s a book that combines all the tools of the trade a master reporter needs to tell the globetrotting story

That’s right, this is The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show were I talk to badass writers, filmmakers, and producers about the art and craft of telling true stories. I try and unpack their origins and how they go about the work so you can apply those tools of mastery to your own work.

Episode 140—James Carl Nelson on What It Takes to be a Writer, Jumping into the Action, and ‘The Polar Bear Expedition’

James Carl Nelson, purveyor of the WWI narrative nonfiction book, joined me to talk all things Polar Bears (not the bears).

By Brendan O’Meara

“If you’re gonna be a writer, you gotta sweat.”—James Carl Nelson (Facebook)

Hey, there CNFers, what is goin’ on? You fired up? Comin’ in hot it’s James Carl Nelson, author of The Polar Bear Expedition: The Heroes of America’s Forgotten Invasion of Russia, 1918-1919.

Okay, we here are The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I talk to badass writers, filmmakers, and producers about the art and craft of telling true stories. It’s here we learn how they became the artists they are, the struggles they deal with, and the routines that allow them to get the work done, so you can apply those tools of mastery to your own work.

Episode 139—Dane Huckelbridge and the Deadliest Tiger the World Has Ever Known

Dane Huckelbridge, author of “No Beast So Fierce” joined me this week.

By Brendan O’Meara

“The freak-of-nature-tiger was actually a man-made disaster.” —Dane Huckelbridge (@huckelbridge)

Today’s guest for Episode 139 of The Creative Nonfiction Podcast is Dane Huckelbridge, author of No Beast So Fierce: The Terrifying True STory of the Champawat Tiger, the Deadliest Animal in History, published by William Morrow.

Dane, in my opinion, is the heir apparent to the most interesting man in the world. Just go to danehuckelbridge.com and check him out. It’s the best author site I’ve ever seen. Anyway.

Episode 138—Connor Ratliff on Falling Backward into Show Biz and How Improv Made Him a Better Listener

Connor Ratliff, an improve performer at Upright Citizens Brigade and countless other projects, hopped on the show to talk about improve and his essay in Paste.

By Brendan O’Meara

“You build good habits, but the terrain going forward should be unknown to you.” —Connor Ratliff (@connorratliff on Twitter)

Check this out. This is Connor Ratliff’s bio on the Upright Citizens Brigade website:

Connor Ratliff can be seen every Friday night performing with The Stepfathers, and every Sunday night performing in UCBT’s longest-running show, ASSSSCAT 3000. He is the creator of The George Lucas Talk Show, where real guests are interviewed by him while he pretends to be George Lucas. He was the warm-up comedian for The Chris Gethard Show on TruTV, as well as a frequent contributor to MNN version, where he launched his 2012 Presidential campaign and for which he co-created a series of experimental and animated shorts with award-winning artist Maelle Doliveux called The Lone Cornmeal Machine. He is also the co-star and co-creator of the web series I’m Too Fragile For This with Cathryn Mudon, and starred in the IFC web series, Bottled, and the current Comedy Central web series, Dollar Store Therapist. TV credits include Orange Is The New Black, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Search Party, The President Show, Debate Wars, The Characters, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Broad City, VEEP and hosting an episode of season 2 of The UCB Show on Starz. Feature films include Mike Birbiglia’s Don’t Think Twice, Netflix teen thriller Coin Heist and The Discovery, as well as the upcoming Standing Up, Falling Down (with Billy Crystal & Ben Schwartz). He has also appeared on This American Life and the Comedy Bang Bang podcast. You can hear Connor as the co-host of the podcast “12 Hour Day with JD & Connor” which is a 12-hour long podcast where every episode consists of an uncut and unedited twelve-hour conversation between himself and JD Amato. The Spirit Of Ratliff, his album of Secular XMAS songs & anti-Summer anthems written with singer/songwriter Mikey Erg is available as a limited edition 12″ Secular Red vinyl LP from State Champion Records. One time he got stuck on a train and Huffington Post and NBC News speculated that he had lost his mind. Google it, it was a real news story.

What an amazing body of work!

Episode 137—Bozos on the Same Bus with Bronwen and Brendan

Bronwen Dickey, author of Pit Bull: The Battle Over an American Icon, came by for the third time.

By Brendan O’Meara

“Clarity is the goal I want to be working toward. The more clear a piece of writing is, the more honest it feels.” —Bronwen Dickey (@BronwenDickey)

Ever feel like a garden gnome without a garden? That’s why I started this racket in 2013. This is the Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I talk to badass writers, filmmakers, and producers about the art and craft of telling true stories.

Today’s guest returns for her third time. It’s Bronwen Dickey, author of Pit Bull: The Battle Over an American Icon. She is LITerally, my best friend even though we’ve never met in person. She was so sweet. She asked about my baseball book as soon as she came on the phone and indulged me for almost seven minutes. So naturally I cut it.

Episode 136—J. Hope Stein on Being a Not-So-Secret Secret Poet, the Sheer Love of Writing, and ‘Little Astronaut’

J. Hope Stein reads from her work with her daughter.

By Brendan O’Meara

Hey, this is the Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I talk to badass writers (like Mary Karr), filmmakers (like Lisa D’Apolito), and producers (like Scott Neumyer) about the art and craft of telling true stories. I try and unpack their origin stories to see how they became the artists they are. You might even learn a thing or two worth applying to your own work.

I’ve got J. Hope Stein for you today. Her latest book of poetry is titled Little Astronaut and it is about early motherhood. I don’t have nor want children. That is a spouse-approved sentence, and I loved this little book about being a parent. That should tell you something right there.

Episode 135—Leanna James Blackwell Talks About Fallow Periods, Running with Ideas, and 90s Grunge

Leanna James Blackwell wrote an essay. It’s good. Real good.

By Brendan O’Meara

Tweetables by Leanna James Blackwell (@baypathmfaCNF)

“Don’t worry if you go through a fallow period. It doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you.”

“When that idea comes, don’t wait, grab it, run.”

Okay, this is The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I talk to badass writers (like Laura Hillenbrand), filmmakers (like Emer Reynolds), and producers (like Alexandra DiPalma) about the art and craft of telling true stories, how they became who they are, and the habits and routines that make them special, so maybe you can apply those tools of mastery to your own work.

We got Leanna James Blackwell for you today, for episode 135 of this racket. But we’ll get there. We’re gonna talk about a lot of things, and especially her long essay “Lethe” which appeared as Issue No. 22 of Creative Nonfiction’s True Story. I love these little things, man. You should subscribe. That’s a free shout out if I ever heard one.

Episode 134—Harrison Scott Key on Finding the Nature of His Talent, Humor, and the Pull to Create

Harrison Scott Key (right) returns to the podcast.

View on Zencastr

By Brendan O’Meara

“I always felt this indescribable pull to create something I’m proud of. ‘Look. I made this.'” —Harrison Scott Key (@HarrisonKey)

“A memoir is just a slice.” —Harrison Scott Key

Harrison Scott Key came back to the show to talk about his amazing work. Since that day way back in 2013, Harrison has published his first memoir The World’s Largest Man about his father, which also won the Thurber Prize for the funniest book in the country. And his latest book, Congratulations, Who Are You Again?, Was my single favorite book from 2018.

This one was so funny, inspiring, and entertaining that I took it with me on walks and when I found a crack in my schedule I’d pick this thing up and read a few pages if I could while my boss wasn’t looking.

But we’ll get to that. I guess I forgot to mention that this is The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I speak to badass writers, filmmakers, and producers about the art and craft of telling true stories. I also unpack their origins and how they approach the work in the face of day jobs and crippling self-doubt. Am I projecting. Perhaps.

Do you subscribe this here podcast? You can find it just about anywhere and if you dig this show and others, link up to it on your social media platforms. You are the social network, CNFers. Rage Against the Algorithm. And if you have a minute or two, please give the show a rating over on Apple Podcasts. Follow the show @CNFPod on Twitter and @BrendanOMeara on Twitter.

What else, oh, yes, subscribe to my monthly newsletter. It’s chock full of my reading recommendations and what you might have missed from the world of the podcast. Once a month. No spam. Can’t beat it.

So Harrison came back to the show and as always I try and cut down these interviews by about 10-15% and I simply couldn’t do that with this one. Couldn’t do it, so I hope you enjoy the big man himself, Harrison Scott Key.

Don’t forget to Rage Against the Algorithm with my monthly up-to-11 newsletter. First of the month. No spam. Can’t beat it.

Consider supporting the show via Patreon patreon.com/cnfpod. Shop around if you want to support the community. I just paid out the writers from the last audio magazine. You make that possible. The show is free but it ain’t cheap.

Free ways to support the show?

Subscribe and download and share across your socials. And don’t forget to consider leaving a kind review on Apple Podcasts. Those go a LONG way.

Stay wild, CNFers!

Episode 133—Vanya Erickson Speaks Fluent ‘Boot Language’

By Brendan O’Meara

“We all need little successes.” —Vanya Erickson (@vanyaerickson.author on Facebook.

Today’s episode is also brought to you by the noun despair, “Driven to despair, he threw himself under a train.” despair: the complete absence of hope.

I don’t know what to say, man. Happy New Year, that’s a start. How are YOU? What’s going on with YOU? It’s just you and me here, man. I’m Brendan O’Meara and this is my podcast, The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, the show where I speak to badass writers, filmmakers, and producers about the art and craft of telling true stories.

Books by Jeff Goins

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!: Once a Month. No Spam. Can’t Beat It.