How NY Times Bestselling Author James Swallow Writes: Part One

05/14/20 • 55 min

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

Award-winning New York Times, Sunday Times, and Amazon #1 bestselling author, James Swallow, spoke with me about his superhero origin story, how he found success channeling his own anger, and the most important lessons he's learned along the way.

"I try to make the details as authentic as I possibly can ... because a lot of the action in my books is 'heightened reality.'" – James Swallow

James is a former journalist and British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) nominated scriptwriter who has written for video games, TV, and radio.

The prolific author of over 50 books – who has written sci-fi for storied franchises including Star Trek, Dr. Who, and Stargate – is best known for his espionage thrillers.

His Marc Dane series – with over 750,000 books in print worldwide – includes novels Nomad, Exile, Ghost, Shadow, and his forthcoming novel Rogue, the fifth in the bestselling series featuring "Britain's answer to Jason Bourne," out May 28th (from Zaffre Books).

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In this file James Swallow and I discussed:

Why the pandemic feels like "almost the end of the world"
The renaissance of "high-speed, low-drag" thrillers inspired by the '80s
His theories on the fallibility of action heroes
How his journalism and TV writing experience set him up for success
Why writers are always writing ... even when they're not
His greatest influences
And much more!

Show Notes:

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"I try to make the details as authentic as I possibly can ... because a lot of the action in my books is 'heightened reality.'" – James Swallow

James is a former journalist and British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) nominated scriptwriter who has written for video games, TV, and radio.

The prolific author of over 50 books – who has written sci-fi for storied franchises including Star Trek, Dr. Who, and Stargate – is best known for his espionage thrillers.

If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.

In this file James Swallow and I discussed:

Why the pandemic feels like "almost the end of the world"
The renaissance of "high-speed, low-drag" thrillers inspired by the '80s
His theories on the fallibility of action heroes
How his journalism and TV writing experience set him up for success
Why writers are always writing ... even when they're not
His greatest influences
And much more!

Show Notes:

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

Previous Episode

How to Publish Your First Novel with Acclaimed Author Abbigail N. Rosewood

Award-winning writer and debut novelist, Abbigail N. Rosewood, joined me to discuss the roller coaster of emotions first-time authors face, how she overcame rejection and uncertainty, and her advice to aspiring scribes on how to rise above the noise.

"Seeking representation didn't prepare me well for what was to come..." – Abbigail N. Rosewood

Abbigail was born in Vietnam and lived there until the age of 12, so it's no surprise that she tapped into her past as a well for her fiction.

After a false start in International Business, she earned an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University where she studied with famed fictionist Gary Shteyngart.

Her lauded debut novel, If I Had Two Lives, has been described as "... [The] story [of] a young woman from her childhood in Vietnam to her life as an immigrant in the United States – and the necessary return to her homeland."

The Los Angeles Review of Books called it, “... a tale of staggering artistry,” and The New Yorker said "...the novel poignantly conjures the difficulties of reconciling the present with an 'ungraspable history.'"

** Note: This interview was recorded in mid-February, 2020.

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If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.

In this file Abbigail N. Rosewood and I discussed:

Why empathy is so critical in fiction and the human experience
The surreal (and fleeting) feeling of holding your first book in print
How she was compelled to write the story of a Vietnamese immigrant/protagonist
Why rejection is such an integral part of the traditional publishing path
The importance of music and coffee to the creative process
And the most valuable traits for aspiring writers

Show Notes:

abbigailrosewood.com
If I Had Two Lives – by Abbigail N. Rosewood [Amazon]
Abbigail N. Rosewood on Facebook
Abbigail N. Rosewood on Instagram
Kelton Reid on Twitter

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Next Episode

Productivity Secrets from NY Times Bestselling Author John Zeratsky

New York Times bestselling author and productivity expert, John Zeratsky, made time to chat with me about his mission to help you improve your focus, find greater meaning in your work, and get more out of each day.

“All of the old structures and routines are gone.... When we have a schedule for ourselves ... that becomes scaffolding we can stand on, we're free to focus.” — John Zeratsky

John studied journalism in college and has spent over 15 years as a designer for tech companies like YouTube and Google. He was also Google Ventures's in-house copywriter, editor, and content strategist. At Google Ventures, he helped develop the design sprint process and worked with close to 200 startups, including Uber, Slack, 23andMe, and Nest.

As a result he co-authored the bestseller Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days – written with fellow "Time Dork" Jake Knapp. But they're by no means run-of-the-mill productivity experts, as you'll soon hear.

Their latest collaboration is Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day a book described by the bestselling author of The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg, as "A charming manifesto [and] do-it-yourself guide to building smart habits that stick. If you want to achieve more (without going nuts), read this book."

Seems only fitting at a time when many of us are WFH (working from home), experiencing cabin fever (or worse), and questioning the future of work itself (i.e. "going nuts").

John is a keynote speaker whose writing has been published by The Wall Street Journal, TIME, Harvard Business Review, Wired, Fast Company, and many other publications.

Please help us learn more about you by completing this short 7-question survey

If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.

In this file John Zeratsky (JZ – no not that Jay-Z) and I discussed: