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

Novelist, veteran screenwriter, and longtime Blue Bloods showrunner Kevin Wade spoke with us about the challenges of transitioning across writing mediums, storytelling principles, and book two of his debut crime series, ONE GOOD EYE.

Kevin Wade is the Golden Globe and the Writers Guild of America nominated screenwriter of movies including the seven-time Oscar nominated comedy Working Girl (1988), True Colors (1991) starring John Cusack and James Spader, the Tom Selleck comedy Mr. Baseball (1992), Ivan Reitman's Junior (1994), the epic romance Meet Joe Black (1998), and the rom-com Maid in Manhattan (2002).

In 2010, he joined the rookie CBS drama Blue Bloods as a writer, and in 2011 he became its showrunner and executive producer for the entire 14-year run.

His latest release is the follow-up to his debut crime novel Johnny Careless, a book author John Sanford called a “fast-moving classic crime novel,” and that was shortlisted for the Edgar Best First Novel Award.

One Good Eye is the second in the Police Chief Jeep Mullane series and Library Journal said of the author, “Wade delivers another compelling literary mystery. His characters feel intimately real...and Jeep remains a deeply engaging protagonist...With sharp prose and a vivid sense of place on Long Island’s Gold Coast, Wade’s second…book will have readers eager to read more stories about Jeep and his community."

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In this file Kevin Wade, Milena, and I discussed:

What his early aspirations as an actor in NYC taught him about playwriting

How he had his first screenplay turned into a hit movie by a legendary director

Why he wrote his debut novel during the Writers Guild strike

The biggest challenges of moving from TV writing to the novel

His favorite advice from Elmore Leonard's Ten Rules for Writers

How to write relatable characters

Classic advice from literary lions

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web

One Good Eye: A Jeep Mullane Novel (The Jeep Mullane Series, 2) by Kevin Wade (Amazon)

Kevin Wade Amazon Author Page

Kevin Wade on IMDb

Kevin Wade on Instagram

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 bestselling author Gillian McAllister spoke with us about how to deal with rejection, deleting full drafts, the business side of adaptations, and her latest US release, the thriller THAT NIGHT.

Gillian McAllister is the internationally bestselling author of Wrong Place Wrong Time, Just Another Missing Person, Famous Last Words, and others. Her novels have been selected by both Read with Jenna and Reese’s Book Club, and she has become one of today’s most celebrated voices in psychological suspense.

Her latest US release is That Night (already adapted into a Netflix series), a novel that follows a family’s dream vacation in Italy that spirals into a nightmare.

New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry said of Gillian, “McAllister is the best at putting her characters in impossible situations and making her readers not only contemplate but feel what it would be like to find themselves in those situations.”

Gillian graduated with an English degree before working as a lawyer. She is also the creator and co-host of the popular Honest Authors podcast.

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[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 Gillian McAllister, Milena, and I discussed:

Her law background and path to publication

How she wrote close to 400K words before breaking through

Why she plans novels via synopsis and keeps her early drafts private

Business advice on how to talk to publishers once you’ve sold a book

The real reason so many lawyers become crime writers

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web

gillianmcallister.com

The Honest Authors’ Podcast

That Night: A Novel by Gillian McAllister (Amazon)

Gillian McAllister Amazon Author Page

Gillian McAllister Facebook

Gillian McAllister on Instagram

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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Bestselling author and storytelling expert Abbie Emmons spoke with us about topping 600K YouTube followers, helping writers craft emotionally resonant narratives, and her new writing guide MAKE YOUR STORY MATTER.

Abbie Emmons is the popular YouTube creator behind the channel Make Your Story Matter. For over seven years, she has been sharing her wisdom on YouTube (@abbieemmons), where she teaches writers how to make their stories matter by harnessing the power and psychology of storytelling to transform their ideas into masterpieces

Her latest book, Make Your Story Matter: An Interactive Guide to Unlocking Your Brain's Storytelling Power and Writing a Book Readers Love (releasing August 11, 2026), “... [offers a] simple but powerful 3-step framework for storytelling that’s rooted in psychology called the Who, What, Why Method.”

Jessica Brody, bestselling author of Save The Cat! Writes a Novel, wrote of the book, "Understanding why stories move us is one of the most powerful things a writer can learn. Make Your Story Matter brings the psychology and heart of storytelling to life in a way that will transform how you think about your characters and your craft."

Her online learning platform, Abbie’s Story University, has thousands of students worldwide. Through monthly live lectures and in-depth courses, Abbie offers comprehensive instruction on creative writing, editing, publishing, and more.

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[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 Abbie Emmons, Milena, and I discussed:

Her three-pillar framework for crafting compelling stories

How to make your characters relatable

Why writers struggle with motivation and writing slumps despite having great ideas

What “writing ugly” can do for your productivity

How to create a conversation around your book

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web

abbieemmonsauthor.com

abbiesstoryuniversity.com

Make Your Story Matter: An Interactive Guide to Unlocking Your Brain's Storytelling Power and Writing a Book Readers Love by Abbie Emmons (Amazon)

Abbie Emmons on YouTube

Abbie Emmons on Facebook

Abbie Emmons on Instagram

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

New York Times bestselling author Laura Moriarty spoke with us about her teaching philosophy as a creative writing professor, the craft of historical fiction, and the research process behind her latest novel, SUNLIGHT FINDS YOU.

Laura Moriarty is the New York Times bestselling author of The Chaperone, The Center of Everything, The Rest of Her Life, While I'm Falling, and a Creative Writing Professor at the University of Kansas.

Her latest novel is Sunlight Finds You, described as a book that “explores the fervor of young love, the shock of parental betrayal, and the long-term consequences of adolescent choices.”

A Kirkus starred review wrote of the work, “Moriarty has an unusual gift for voice, a spark that can turn a novel about ordinary events into something compelling…A rich, rewarding slice of history that should remind us how important it is for women to have choices of all kinds.”

Laura Moriarty received her master's degree from the University of Kansas and was awarded the George Bennett Fellowship for Creative Writing at Phillips Exeter Academy.

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[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 Laura Moriarty, Milena, and I discussed:

Her early career in social work and how she almost became a doctor

Why she loves working with graduate students on their WIPs

The research process that went into Sunlight Finds You

What changing the POV can do for your narrative

How incorporating psychological authenticity over modern values can improve historical fiction

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web

english.ku.edu/people/laura-moriarty

Sunlight Finds You: A Novel by Laura Moriarty (Amazon)

Laura Moriarty Amazon Author Page

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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Bestselling memoirist, chef, and former restaurateur Sarma Melngailis spoke with us about her much-loved restaurant, Pure Food and Wine, reclaiming her narrative post Bad Vegan, and her eight-year journey writing THE GIRL WITH THE DUCK TATTOO.

Sarma Melngailis is the founder of One Lucky Duck and co-creator of the acclaimed New York City restaurant Pure Food and Wine. Her notorious story of scandal and betrayal was the subject of the Netflix docuseries Bad Vegan—a series that left much of her story misrepresented.

Her bestselling memoir, The Girl with the Duck Tattoo, is described as a “reclamation” and “... a raw, unflinching memoir of how one smart, driven woman went from building a dream to being ensnared in a cult of one.”

Sarma is the author of cookbooks Living Raw Food and the co-author of Raw Food/Real World, and is currently in production on a new docuseries while working to re-launch her businesses. She is also graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the French Culinary Institute

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[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 Part Two of this file Sarma Melngailis, Milena, and I discussed:

Her professional journey from the French Culinary Institute to celebrity restaurateur

Reclaiming her narrative from sensationalist and biased media coverage

How she continues to examine the psychology of manipulation

Reliving some of the trauma of her experience by recording the audiobook

Her thoughts on resurrecting Pure Food and Wine

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web

Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/files! #squarepod

sarmaraw.com

linktr.ee/sarmamelngailis

The Girl with the Duck Tattoo: A Memoir by Sarma Melngailis (Amazon)

Sarma Melngailis on Instagram

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