Behind The Prose

I recorded this episode in September when Dinty W. Moore’s latest book, Dear Mister Essay Writer Guy: Advice and Confessions on Writing, Love, and Cannibals hit the stands. We talk about that book and his classic memoir Between Panic and Desire. In this interview you’ll learn how to: Craft universality in memoir,Create “character” in nonfiction, andTrust your ear in the drafting process. Plus, I’ve got the Writers' Check-In and a great giveaway for THE INTROVERT ENTREPRENEUR: Amplify Your Strengths and Create Success on Your Own Terms (Perigee/ Penguin Random House; November 3, 2015), a book Publisher’s Weekly said it's  “{A} winning business manual…a thoughtful, kind and helpful guide for all those who are looking to strike out on their own, but are concerned that their need for alone time may get in the way.” Listen, learn, and write. **Transcripts have been suspended until Thanksgiving Break.**

This week’s episode goes behind the prose of Sharisse Tracey, a fellow New School Creative Writing Program alum. Sharisse recorded this show in the middle of one of her best writing weeks ever! If you’re not on the email newsletter - why not? - here’s a reminder of why that week in early October was so amazing. (And I do mean amazing. Listen to the show and you’ll get it.) In an email, Sharisse wrote: "Last week was the best week of my writing career. I published four pieces back to back starting with the Salon piece. Over the next three days Yahoo Parenting ran three pieces of mine for their #NoShameParenting series. Then, on Friday while I was happily fooling around on Twitter I see my own words. The New York Times had posted my piece from July, An Adult Stepson Moves Back In. And then I get a mention later that night that The NY Times editor has shared my Ebony.com piece from January, Don't Read The Comments talking about some of the racist comments I read while participating in a Cut.com video talking t

What do you get if you cross a syndicated newspaper columnist with a business book author on a Pearson imprint with an entrepreneur who owns Pro Blog Service and novelist who's the Spring 2016 writer-in-residence at the Jack Kerouac House in Orlando, Florida? Erik Deckers, this week’s guest of Behind the Prose. I interviewed Erik in August, just before he relocated to Florida. (Ironically, he was already planning a move there just before learning that he won the coveted residency). By now, I’m sure he’s settled in and enjoying the “vibrant literary community” of Orlando that he talks about in this episode. But before we get to the Kerouac Project, we go through his decades long career as a humor columnist and his book deals on Que Publishing. In this interview you’ll also learn: The rhetorical move he started using in his humor and now can’t stop How travel writing led him to making an activist move that sent one of his posts viral and cost him a job His trick to churning out content on a weekly basis

Let me just start off by saying that after transcribing writer Sean Ennis' interview (Yeah, I'm back on that again!), I've decided that he's the most conscious self-editor I've interviewed this year. As soon as the words leave his mouth, he’s already assessed whether it’s actually what he means, whether it’s “a dumb pun” or “too dramatic.” He often doesn’t retract what he says, just adds a disclaimer and keeps going. Somehow, the listener sees actually what he meant initially and what he means now. The result? An interview that is thoughtful, humble, and personable. Sean's short story collection, Chase Us, fuels our discussion as we meander through the a narrative that is both engaging and mysterious. In this episode, you'll find out: - How the people you surround yourself with can help or impede your writing journey - What one detail can do for an entire story - What's Sponge Bob Got To Do With It - The best writing advice Sean ever got - The rhetorical move that made Sean “wiggle in his seat” when h

In this meta-writing hour, author and fellow New School alum Scott Alexander Hess, dissects his use  and balance of language to create scene and character in his latest book, a historical novel, The Butcher’s Son (a literary fiction hell-of-a-work if I do say so mahself.) The author of three books, Hess masters juxtaposing elements of nature to “aggravate and propel things that are already happening” in the plot. The novel, set in 1930s in New York City, gains its viscosity from something Hess calls “method writing” as well as immersion research. “When I’m writing a book, I basically live in a world,” Hess says. “So for a year and a half, I’m living in the 30s.” The result? For a day and half, the time it took me to read The Butcher’s Son, I too lived in the 30s in a Hell's Kitchen tenement with three brothers taking divergent paths that eventually lead Hess right onto my bookshelf of “writers I want to be when I grow up.” But in the words of the first book reviewer I ever knew, “Don’t take my word for i

In this Behind the Prose exclusive, I interview Shapiro, who was my thesis mentor while I was an MFA student in the Creative Writing Program at The New School, where she's taught writing since 1993 and won a Distinguished Teaching Award. The first time I took her highly popular "Instant Gratification Takes Too Long" Journalism course, I - like many of the other students -published a personal essay (on the website The Frisky.) I have to credit Shapiro with guiding my foray into the world of creative nonfiction. Once you listen to this interview, you’ll know exactly why I call her New York City’s Writer-in-Residence. I’m not the only student whose writing life has been changed by her insight. More than 85 of her students have landed book deals over the last 10 years. The latest is Aspen Matis whose memoir Girl in the Woods is out this month from HarperCollins. Shapiro's students’ successes are reflective of a philosophy she lives by: publishing karma. You can benefit from Sue's good publishing karma tomorrow

Hey Behind the Prosers, I know you've been waiting for part two of the awesome interview with Gwen Hernandez, and here it is! In this episode we talk about crafting introductions, how the writing software Scrivener helps "plotters" and "pantsers" - (listen to find out which one you are), how Hernandez uses Scrivener to structure her books with four parts, and what about self-publishing appealed to her and how she's done so successfully with her romantic suspense novels. I've got many great authors cued up for you in the next several episodes including: Dinty W. Moore's Creative Nonfiction Writers' Conference Presentation (Dinty has a great new book out by the way! If you write, you should def add it to your library.) Scott Hess, author of the historical novel, The Butcher's Sons Sean Ennis, author of Chase Us, a collection of short stories Susan Shapiro, New York Times Bestselling author of What's Never Said, a novel  You know what to do next: Listen. Learn. Write.

Many writers might covet a byline on one of the most popular educational, instructional series ever, the For Dummies line published by Wiley.  But not many can snag that gig. For Gwen Hernandez, her story shows how a writer follows a passion that puts her in the “right place at the right time” to compete for a contract on Wiley. In other words, it’s the magic of the universe and Gwen’s quite familiar with the serendipity of things. In this candid interview, which will be released in two parts, we break down how Gwen matched the witty and quick voice that is trademark to the stories, how she organized a 400-page book (hint, hint), and whether landing a For Dummies book deal means she’s hit the big time. For show links – visit Behindtheprose.com

Here's the craft-packed episode you've been waiting for - the exciting and extended episode featuring the award-winning international-selling humble and personable Neil Smith. Neil is the author of Bang Crunch, a wildly successful book of short stories. A few weeks ago, he stopped by the virtual Behind the Prose studio to discuss his new novel Boo, a captivating and imaginative Young Adult whodunnit. In this interview, which promises to show you how he wrote a novel when he didn't know how, you'll learn how stumbling upon voices can help your writing, what makes young adult narrators come more alive, and how one can become a more serious writer. Though I tried to do the interview without spoilers, we just couldn't really talk craft without some of them. If you've read Boo and want to learn about writing YA, you should pull up a chair and your annotated copy because this show is for you. Get the full episode and show links on behindtheprose.com  

In May, nearly 200 folks descended on the historic city of Pittsburgh to rub writing elbows with authors, essayists, journalists, and editors at the 2015 Creative Nonfiction Writers’ Conference. Maybe you were there. Maybe you weren’t. If you find yourself in the latter, shame on you. Your penance is to listen to this great episode of Behind the Prose featuring an amazing structure analogy by the “Godfather of Creative Nonfiction” Lee Gutkind. If you’ve ever struggled with how to pull together the narrative in a nonfiction piece, this excerpt of his opening presentation has got your name all over it. Plus, some folks in Michigan are giving away houses to writers. The innovative and perhaps pioneering initiative by Write A House takes the concept of a writers’ residency quite literally. And of course, I’ve got the check in for you and my web find of the week. Listen below or subscribe on iTunes.

Serendipity. Noun: the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way: a fortunate stroke of serendipity, a series of small serendipities When I interviewed writer and teacher Kate Walter in the second week of June, I’d already delayed the recording at least a week or two. Then, after a great interview about her memoir, Looking for a Kiss: A Chronicle of Downtown Heartbreak, a story about her struggle to understand a mysterious breakup after a 26-year relationship and frustrating and often fruitless efforts to re-enter the dating world, I became overwhelmed with life and decided to change the production schedule and release her episode in two weeks. Today, which at the time of writing this post, is Friday, June 26. Is it serendipity that today, the American landscape on marriage equality has changed forever? And that Kate’s memoir is about her decades-long relationship with a woman who ultimately walked off with more than just pieces of her heart? With the retirement savings t

In May, I interviewed author Kira Lynne Allen about her new book Write This Second out now on Prashanti Press. In this episode, Kira explains how she used various strategic moves to recreate voice and pace in her work. She tells you what she thinks of the publishing process (as opposed to self-publishing) and whether it helped or hurt her work. You'll also hear what obsession fueled her desire to finish the book by October 2014. Kira is an artist in the most robust sense of the word. In the interview part that is on my editing floor through no fault of its own, we talk about her collage work which she's been doing for years. Actually, her mother also had the talent. In this image which accompanies her blog post, "You Call It A Book, I Call It A Movement or 7 Reasons Why I Founded: Write This Second," we see a young compilation Kira - a mix of real photos and sketch work which she drew herself. I absolutely loved this book and would read it again, so I advise you to check it out. But in the words of the firs

Hello from Pittsburgh, PA! I'm way past my bedtime and I still have homework to do for Dinty W. Moore's Master Class at the Creative Nonfiction Writers Conference 2015. But the show must go on. And boy is it a show. Jennifer Niesslein, a founder of Brain, Child Magazine, discusses her latest venture, an online literary journal, Full Grown People and anthology of the same name. I interviewed on of Jennifer's essayists, Andrew Bomback in February, then pitched her myself. She accepted! In this interview, she explains how her life experiences fuel her entrepreneurial ventures and what makes a compelling essay about "the other awkward age." Plus, a Behind the Prose bonus interview with Alyssa Sorresso (the spelling of her name is so symmetrical; I love it) who had her first major break in the issue of Creative Nonfiction that hit the stands in June 2014. She's got great energy and I suspect it will ride the airwaves right to you if you need a boost.  ABOUT JENNIFER NIESSLEIN Jennifer is a writer and editor

It's the most anticipated podcast episode of the season . . . Part Two of Rachel Toor's amazing interview which aired in April. I interviewed Rachel a few weeks ago and we had a great conversation about the magic of fiction. Though On the Road to Find Out is her first novel, the mystical experience she recounts jives with what I've heard other fiction writers say, including Natalie Baszile, author of Queen Sugar, in episode 7 of Behind the Prose. To borrow Baszile's words, "it's magic." In this episode, Rachel's got the wand and she knows how to use it.    

Yes, you read it right. The legendary Lee Gutkind graces the Behind the Prose virtual studio for a chat with yours truly.  In this interview, we discuss everything from what time he goes to bed to how he crafted an overall narrative in a collection of stand-alone essays in his book Forever Fat: Essays by the Godfather. Plus, you get the scoop on what he's working on now and hear the answer to a question that he's never been asked before! Here's a preview of some of the great lessons he gives in this show: "The overall story determines the _______ and the __________ that you____________."  "Good advice to writers is to start with ________ __________."   If you can't fill in those blanks now, you will be able to after you listen to the show. After you've done all your good listening, head over to the Creative Nonfiction website and buy your passes to the 2015 Creative Nonfiction Writers' Conference featuring tons of amazing writers ready to share their wisdom with you. I will be there too. Come say hello!

This episode of Behind the Prose is more like Behind the Lyrics. Indiana-born, New York-based singer/songwriter Gandhi takes us on a journey that starts when he taught himself how to play the guitar and write songs. That was 15 years ago. Today, like prose writers, Gandhi says through an process of experimentation and practice, he’s found his voice and is preparing for the release of Rebel On, an EP that reflects the musician with a mission he’s become. In this interview, you’ll learn there are many parallels between penning lyrics and writing prose, including a surprising discovery about the role of the producer. We listen to some of Gandhi’s song’s, dissect his lyrics, and invite you out to Brooklyn on May 1, where Gandhi will perform a collaboration show with writer and photographer Abigail Ekue. The Darker Side of Lust Private Reading and Concert features Ekue’s erotic poetry and Gandhi’s acoustic melodies and vocals. Go ahead. Listen. Learn. Write songs. Visit Behind the Prose for links and bios.

Though she hesitates to call herself a “writer” (she thinks it sounds self-important), author and columnist Rachel Toor has written her way into a new Young Adult novel and onto my list of writers I want to be when I grow up. You’ll remember I blogged about her wise but rude writing advice, and as soon as I hit publish, I emailed her to invite her to the show. Not only does she write monthly and bi-monthly columns for The Chronicle of Higher Education and Running Times Magazine respectively, she’s published three nonfiction books. Her latest work and first novel, On the Road to Find Out, dropped in 2014 on Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. In this two-part interview, you’ll learn about Rachel’s career (she’s been a publishing house editor and an admissions counselor at an Ivy League school) and how authors lose some creative control at commercial houses versus university presses. Plus, she tells us what exactly fiction writers mean when they say they can’t wait to see what their characters do next. Also, in the

This week’s episode features a candid conversation with Washington Post reporter Soraya McDonald. In this interview, you’ll recognize right away the wit that shades much of her prose.  Soraya is a graduate of Howard University and began covering the high school sports desk as an college intern. After traveling across the country completing journalism fellowship, internships, and eventually employment, Soraya returned to the Washington Post where she eventually became a staff reporter. I discovered her work last year when I read an article about a female gamer who had received death threats. Soraya had been covering the story for some time, and I wanted her to speak to my article writing class. That didn’t happen, but I’m glad this did! I’ll release her bonus material which includes a how-to make the most out of your college experience, a segment particularly helpful for students. In this show, you also get the 411 on a new daily humor site, The Reject Pile. Founded by writer Joel Miller, the site wants you

This week's episode has all kinds of literary good stuff: - a Q&A with Lisa Cron, the author of Wired for Story - a feature interview with writer and editor Chesley Clammer - The Writer's Check-In Visit BehindtheProse.com for the episode show page that includes links and transcripts for this episode.        

In this week's episode, I talk to author and journalist Kenny Porpora about his debut memoir The Autumn Balloon.  The show also features: An interview with Emily Griffin, Kenny's editor at Grand Central Publishing Writers on Writing Radio Show  My New School MFA classmate Erin Harris Writer's Psych with Dr. Ike Listen on demand or download on iTunes. ABOUT KENNY PORPORA Kenny Porpora’s work can be found in The New York Times, New York Daily News, Newsday, and The Huffington Post, and is an associate editor and part-owner of Man About World magazine. He graduated magna cum laude from Hofstra University, where he studied philosophy and holds an M.S. from Columbia in investigative journalism. He wrote his master’s thesis on professional wrestling. He’s reported on some of the biggest national news stories of the last decade, including the New York Yankees’ World Series win, the 2008 presidential primaries, the John Gotti, Jr. trial, and the ‘Miracle on the Hudson’ plane crash.   The Autumn Balloon is hi