How Copywriter and Entrepreneur James Chartrand (of Men with Pens) Writes

06/01/15 • 31 min

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

Writing can be a lonely sport, whether you re running a digital agency, or slaving away on the next great novel. In this week's episode, we'll examine the writing process of James Chartrand, a prolific online publisher, copywriter, and digital entrepreneur.

It s hard to settle on a specific title for my guest because James wears so many different hats — founder of the popular blog, web design, and copywriting agency Men with Pens — as well as an author, educator, and writing coach.

James s many accomplishments have been chronicled in such high profile publications as Forbes, Newsweek, and The New York Times, and we got the chance to sit down and talk shop.

In this 26-minute file James Chartrand and I discuss:

How Wearing Many Hats Can Boost Your Productivity
Why Simplicity Helps You Stay Focused
The Cathartic Feeling of Crumpling Up Post-It Notes
The Hardest Question in the World
Why Good Ideas are Like Fishing
The Difference Between Making Friends and Making Money
Why Every Writer Should Have a Therapist

The Show Notes

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James s many accomplishments have been chronicled in such high profile publications as Forbes, Newsweek, and The New York Times, and we got the chance to sit down and talk shop.

In this 26-minute file James Chartrand and I discuss:

How Wearing Many Hats Can Boost Your Productivity
Why Simplicity Helps You Stay Focused
The Cathartic Feeling of Crumpling Up Post-It Notes
The Hardest Question in the World
Why Good Ideas are Like Fishing
The Difference Between Making Friends and Making Money
Why Every Writer Should Have a Therapist

The Show Notes

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

Previous Episode

How Sarah Stodola (Author of Process: The Writing Lives of Great Authors ) Writes

Journalist and creative non-fiction author Sarah Stodola shared her writer s file with me in this episode. Her recent book Process: The Writing Lives of Great Authors is a fascinating collection of the habits and habitats of heralded scribes.

Ms. Stodola is also an accomplished journalist and editor whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Mental Floss, The Daily Beast, The Fiscal Times, Conde Nast Traveler, The Nation, The Wall Street Journal, Storyboard, Slate, and many others.

Take a listen to learn about the process of an author who is a curator of true writer porn, a window into the processes of the greats.

In this 21-minute file Sarah Stodola and I discuss:

How to Write About Great Writers
The Weird Trick Coffee Shops Play on Productivity
Sarah s New Definition of Writer s Block
A Surefire Way to Find Freedom from The Internet
Can a Season Be a Muse to Writers?
Where Does True Writing Genius Really Come From?
Why Writing is Rewriting
The Three Rules for Writing a Novel
Why You Shouldn t Worry About Your First Drafts

The Show Notes

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Next Episode

Writer Porn: Standing Desks, Binge Reading, and James Patterson s MasterClass

This week, award-winning, globe-trotting travel journalist Adam Skolnick returns as guest host for another edition of Writer Porn, where we discuss pertinent, writerly paraphernalia that has crossed our collective radar.

Adam is the author and co author of 25 Lonely Planet guidebooks. He has also written for publications as varied as the New York Times, ESPN, Men’s Health, Outside, and Playboy.

He recently finished his first narrative non-fiction book — based on his award-winning New York Times coverage of the death of the greatest American free diver of all time — titled One Breath (slated for publication in January).

In this 41-minute file Adam Skolnick and I discuss: