Episodes

  • On Finding Your Voice! (Guest Michelle McGill-Vargas)

    On Finding Your Voice! (Guest Michelle McGill-Vargas)
    Sep 22 2024
    Tananarive talks to debut novelist Michelle McGill-Vargas about how she nurtured her writing practice while teaching full-time and how she found her voice to write her debut vampire novel, AMERICAN GHOUL. On the persistence and confidence writers need to win! LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL at https://www.speakpipe.com/LifewritingPodcast (We might play your message!) Join Tananarive's mailing list at https://tananarivelist.com Join Steve's mailing list at https://stevenbarneslist.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    50 mins
  • Guest S.A. Cosby! (All the Sinners Bleed, Razorblade Tears)

    Guest S.A. Cosby! (All the Sinners Bleed, Razorblade Tears)
    Sep 15 2024
    In this episode, Steve and Tananarive talk to New York Times bestseller S.A. Cosby, author of the bestselling novels ALL THE SINNERS BLEED, RAZORBLADE TEARS (praised by Barack Obama!) and BLACKTOP WASTELAND. They talk about how he almost gave up writing, blending crime fiction and horror, and what inspires him to write. LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL at https://www.speakpipe.com/LifewritingPodcast (We might play your message!) Join Tananarive's mailing list at https://tananarivelist.com Join Steve's mailing list at https://stevenbarneslist.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    58 mins
  • Best of Lifewriting: It's Spooky Season! Secrets to Writing Great Horror

    Best of Lifewriting: It's Spooky Season! Secrets to Writing Great Horror
    Sep 8 2024
    In this episode, pioneering science fiction author Steven Barnes and Bram Stoker Award / Los Angeles Times Book Prize winner Tananarive Due (your hosts!) break down the secrets to writing great horror: bringing the scares and why strong characters matter so much in horror. LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL at https://www.speakpipe.com/LifewritingPodcast (We might play your message!) Join Tananarive's mailing list at https://tananarivelist.com Join Steve's mailing list at https://stevenbarneslist.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    56 mins
  • Guest Justin C. Key! (The World Wasn't Ready for You, Out There Screaming)

    Guest Justin C. Key! (The World Wasn't Ready for You, Out There Screaming)
    Sep 1 2024
    In this episode, Steve and Tananarive talk to author Justin C. Key, who just published his debut sci fi/horror short story collection, The World Wasn't Ready For You. He's also a contributor to Jordan Peele's Out There Screaming horror anthology. They talk about the social impact he wants to make with his work and his journey to portraying his own identity in his writing. Also how his job as a full-time psychiatrist has an impact on his work. LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL at https://www.speakpipe.com/LifewritingPodcast (We might play your message!) Join Tananarive's mailing list at https://tananarivelist.com Join Steve's mailing list at https://stevenbarneslist.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Guest Justina Ireland! (Star Wars: The High Republic, Dread Nation)

    Guest Justina Ireland! (Star Wars: The High Republic, Dread Nation)
    Aug 25 2024
    Steve and Tananarive talk to NY Times bestselling author Justina Ireland, author of Dread Nation (YA horror) and one of the story architects of Star Wars: The High Republic. She talks about taking up writing later in life, YA horror, writing for established IP, working in her first television writers' room for the Netflix series House of Usher under Mike Flanagan, and how race has had an impact on her writing. LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL at https://www.speakpipe.com/LifewritingPodcast (We might play your message!) Join Tananarive's mailing list at https://tananarivelist.com Join Steve's mailing list at https://stevenbarneslist.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Guest Grady Hendrix! (My Best Friend's Exorcism - How to Sell a Haunted House)

    Guest Grady Hendrix! (My Best Friend's Exorcism - How to Sell a Haunted House)
    Aug 18 2024
    In this episode, Steve and Tananarive talk to New York Times bestselling horror writer Grady Hendrix (My Best Friend's Exorcism, How to Sell a Haunted House) about how he started his career, why and how he writes so many women characters, and the role of grief in his storytelling. Also, hints about his upcoming new novel, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls. LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL at https://www.speakpipe.com/LifewritingPodcast (We might play your message!) Join Tananarive's mailing list at https://tananarivelist.com Join Steve's mailing list at https://stevenbarneslist.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Author Jeff Lindsay! On Dreaming Dexter and the Dark Side of Fame

    Author Jeff Lindsay! On Dreaming Dexter and the Dark Side of Fame
    Aug 11 2024
    In this episode, Steve and Tananarive talk to bestselling author Jeff Lindsay, creator of the iconic character of Dexter Morgan in his eight-book series that began with DARKLY DREAMING DEXTER. He also recently published books in his Riley Wolfe series (THE FOURTH RULE). On how he created his serial killer character, the unexpected success of Dexter, how he began his career, working in Hollywood, and the dark side of creating an iconic character when some readers think he's a little too real. LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL at https://www.speakpipe.com/LifewritingPodcast (We might play your message!) Join Tananarive's mailing list at https://tananarivelist.com Join Steve's mailing list at https://stevenbarneslist.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • On Creating Unforgettable Characters!

    On Creating Unforgettable Characters!
    Aug 6 2024
    In this episode, Steve and Tananarive celebrate their 26th wedding anniversary and give tips on how to create characters that spring to life! Learn more about characterization from Steve and Tananarive at their hybrid writing workshop in Southern California on Aug. 24th. More info at www.writerwebinar.com. LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL at https://www.speakpipe.com/LifewritingPodcast (We might play your message!) Join Tananarive's mailing list at https://tananarivelist.com Join Steve's mailing list at https://stevenbarneslist.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    55 mins