Tag

Storytelling

Creativity, Non Fiction, Personal Development, Writers on Writing

Jun 23: Start Realizing Your Creative Dreams with Matthew Dicks

Someday is Today: 22 Simple, Actionable Ways to Propel Your Creative Life

Like many of us, returning guest Matthew Dicks wears many hats, yet he is super creative and extremely prolific. So how does he get it all done?

Matthew shares some of his winning strategies to wipe out those excuses we make about being too busy or too tired. His goal is to help you go from dreaming to doing, from talking to creating. We discuss black holes, living a life of YES, performative productivity, the power of accountability, the importance of gathering your tribe … and much more.

About Matthew Dicks

Matthew Dicks is a bestselling novelist, nationally recognized storyteller, playwright, communications consultant, award-winning elementary schoolteacher, humor and advice columnist, minister, wedding DJ, and professional public speaker. He’s won multiple Moth GrandSLAM story competitions. And with his wife, Elysha, created the organization SPEAK UP. Vicki last talked with Matthew Dicks about his first book on creativity, Storyworthy – podcast. Today we discuss his latest, Someday is Today: 22 Simple, Actionable Ways to Propel Your Creative Life

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Creativity, Journalism, Non Fiction, Science

Jun 15: Inspired–Understanding Creativity with Matt Richtel

A Journey Through Art, Science, and the Soul

How do we define creativity? How does it work? Where does inspiration spark? How can we optimize our own creative potential? And what do great creators have to share with us?

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Matt Richtel takes a deep dive into the new science behind creativity and creative minds, and blends it with insight from great creators, and stories of his own. We talk about The Muse and Hope. Why intelligence doesn’t always factor into creativity.  How anyone can become more creative. And more delicious insight from  Inspired: Understanding Creativity, A Journey Through Art, Science, and the Soul.

About Matt Richtel

An American writer, narrative storyteller, and New York Times Science reporter Matt Richtel was awarded the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for a series on distracted driving. He’s the author of three narrative nonfiction books, several novels, and a daily comic strip. His latest book is Inspired: Understanding Creativity, A Journey Through Art, Science, and the Soul.

Catch our previous podcast with Matt Richtel right here A Deadly Wandering.

 

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History, Non Fiction, Travel & Adventure

DEC 01: Brad Ricca with True Raiders

The Untold Story of the 1909 Expedition to Find the Legendary Ark of the Covenant

When author Brad Ricca learned his favorite movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark, might have been based on a real life expedition, he felt as though his “… face was melting off.” So maybe it was inevitable that one day he’d dig deeper into the story and write his own book about the true archaeological exploration.

We discuss some of the real life characters from the 1909 event, and how Brad researched the facts (and maybe a few conspiracies). How he chooses what to include and discard when storytelling for nonfiction. And how he managed to climb into the mindset of each character to share their point of view.

About Brad Ricca

The author of the Edgar Award-nominated Mrs. Sherlock Holmes, Olive the Lionheart, and Super Boys, Brad Ricca is also the winner of the Ohioana Book Award for Nonfiction. He won the St Lawrence Book Award for American Mastodon. And his latest book is True Raiders: The Untold Story of the 1909 Expedition to Find the Legendary Ark of the Covenant.

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Fiction, History, Writers on Writing, Young Adult Fiction

MAR 04: Sharon Cameron with The Light in Hidden Places

With World War II Poland as a backdrop, The Light in Hidden Places is based on the extraordinary true story of Stefania Podgorska, a teenage girl who made the choice to hide 13 Jews in the attic, while two Nazis requisitioned the house below them.  Author Sharon Cameron took a hands-on approach to her research, stepping foot into the places and experiences of one of the most troubling times in world history.  As memories dwindle, Sharon emphasizes the importance of carrying history forward through storytelling, and shares where, how, and why she took creative license in telling this remarkable story.

Sharon Cameron is a multiple award-winning author, and the #1 NYT bestselling author of The Dark Unwinding, A Spark UnseenRookThe Forgetting, and The Knowing. 

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Fiction, Writers on Writing

AUG 26: Greg Iles’ Cemetery Road & Glen Hamilton’s Mercy River

Despite a car accident that left him in a coma for 8 days, #1 New York Times Bestseller Greg Iles, much like bandmate Stephen King, rejoined the legendary and notorious lit-rock band The Rock Bottom Remainders. Described as the William Faulkner of the Breaking Bad generation, the incident left Greg no stranger to adversity.  Today we’ll discuss how his body of work has helped put his homestate of Mississippi on the map.

Born in Germany in 1960, where his father ran the US Embassy Medical Clinic during the height of the Cold War, Greg spent his youth in Natchez, Mississippi, graduating from the University of Mississippi in 1983.  His novels have been made into films, translated into more than twenty languages, and published in more than thirty-five countries worldwide.  His latest is Cemetery Road.

Later, while Glen Hamilton’s novels always begin and end in rain-soaked Seattle, Mercy River never leaves the Pacific Northwest as the central plot sees our hero race on a mysterious journey to the arid high desert of central Oregon.  A Seattle native and award-winning author, Glen returns to Conversations Live to discuss the fourth installment in his popular Van Shaw series.

Glen is the current President of the Southern California chapter of Mystery Writers of America.  He is a winner of the Anthony, Macavity, and Strand Magazine Critics Awards.  A resident of California, he frequently returns to Seattle to soak up the rain.

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Fiction, Writers on Writing

APR 01: Greg Iles’ Cemetery Road & Glen Hamilton’s Mercy River

Described as the William Faulkner of the Breaking Bad generation, #1 New York Times Bestseller Greg Iles is no stranger to adversity in a career spanning nearly three decades as an author.  Following a car accident that left him in a coma for 8 days, Greg, much like bandmate Stephen King, rejoined the legendary and notorious lit-rock band The Rock Bottom Remainders.  Today we’ll discuss how his body of work has helped put his homestate of Mississippi on the map.

Born in Germany in 1960, where his father ran the US Embassy Medical Clinic during the height of the Cold War, Greg spent his youth in Natchez, Mississippi, graduating from the University of Mississippi in 1983.  His novels have been made into films, translated into more than twenty languages, and published in more than thirty-five countries worldwide.  His latest is Cemetery Road.

Later, while Glen Hamilton’s novels always begin and end in rain-soaked Seattle, Mercy River stays in the Pacific Northwest as the central plot sees our hero race on a mysterious quest to the arid high desert of central Oregon.  A Seattle native and award-winning author, Glen returns to Conversations Live to discuss the fourth installment in his popular Van Shaw series.

Glen is the current President of the Southern California chapter of Mystery Writers of America.  He is a winner of the Anthony, Macavity, and Strand Magazine Critics Awards.  A resident of California, he frequently returns to Seattle to soak up the rain.

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Fiction, Non Fiction, Personal Development, Writers on Writing

JAN 07: Robyn Carr’s The Best of Us & Matthew Dicks’ Storyworthy

Robyn Carr began writing novels as a young mother of two, ignoring harsh criticism from a peer suggesting she find another line of work and persevering to become an eleven time New York Times bestselling author.  “There’s a need for positive drama,” she says, “Not just (a) goody-two-shoes, everything-is-beautiful kind of story,  but a kind of story where  characters serve as positive role models for women who read the books.”  Her new book is the latest in her Sullivan’s Crossing series, The Best of Us.

Robyn has written over 40 novels, has received a Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award, and has a scripted drama with Netflix coming soon.

Next, Vicki chats with one of her favorite storytellers, Matthew Dicks, whose book Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling offers tips and techniques to polish your storytelling to hold any audience’s attention, big or small!

Matthew is a 35-time Moth StorySLAM champion and 6-time Moth GrandSLAM champion. He’s an international bestseller, and in addition to his novels he has written musicals, a rock opera, and comic books.

 

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Fiction, Non Fiction, Writers on Writing

OCT 15: Joseph Olshan’s Black Diamond Fall & James Swallow’s Nomad

In a constantly changing publishing world, two writers and authors have managed to sustain thriving careers.  Today, we’ll find out how they stay ahead of the game.

First, Joseph Olshan returns to discuss how he drove the publishing path for his tenth book, Black Diamond Fall, without an agent, and whether or not it is a direction he would continue to go in.  Joseph is an award-winning author of 10 novels and is the editorial director of Delphinium Books.  He will be appearing at University Bookstore in Seattle on October 18 at 6pm.

Later, from videogames, to audio dramas, to science fiction, to the first in a new thriller series with his new book Nomad, there is virtually no writing genre too big for James Swallow.  Today he’ll share how he approaches writing a game differently than, say, a novel.  James is a British author and scriptwriter. A BAFTA nominee, Scribe Award winner, New York Times, Sunday  Times and Amazon bestseller, he is the author of over 45 original books and tie-in novels, along with numerous short stories, audio dramas and videogames.

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Humor, Non Fiction, Personal Development, Women's Issues, Writers on Writing

AUG 06: Matthew Dicks’ Storyworthy & Maxine Rosaler’s Queen for a Day

You’re already a storyteller.  Whether it’s on a date, a job interview, or relating something that happened on the way to work, we tell stories every day.  Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling by Matthew Dicks gives you straightforward tips and techniques to take your ability to tell your stories to the next level.

Matthew is a 35-time Moth StorySLAM champion and 6-time Moth GrandSLAM champion.  He is an international bestseller, and in addition to his novels he has written musicals, a rock opera, and comic books.

Next, who wouldn’t want to be Queen for a day?  What if that meant you get to compete against other potential Queens for the grand prize of … stainless steel silverware?  Maxine Rosaler uses 1950’s era nostalgia as inspiration in her new book, Queen for a Day, examining imperfect women with special needs children, living under enormous pressure. 

Maxine has had fiction and nonfiction published in several literary magazines and is the recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship for Fiction.

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Fiction, Health & Wellness, Writers on Writing

JUL 09: Dan Millman’s Return of the Peaceful Warrior & Mary Simses’ The Rules of Love and Grammar

Dan Millman provides a calm harbor in the storm of today’s ever-changing daily news cycles and stresses in his new book, The Hidden School: Return of the Peaceful Warrior.  He intertwines fiction and autobiography, and shows how to stay centered, focused, and present.

Dan Millman is a former world champion gymnast, coach, martial arts teacher, and college professor, and has authored 17 books.

Later, Mary Simses gives a valuable lesson in the futility of striving for perfection in her second novel,  The Rules of Love and Grammar.  Bestselling author James Patterson calls it a “… smart, well-told story about memory, family, and of course, love.”

Mary Simses enrolled in a fiction writing course while working as a corporate attorney, and her experiences getting short stories published led her to write her first novel, which was adapted into a Hallmark movie.

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