Best Writingcomics Podcasts (2025)

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ATTENTION: THIS PODCAST HAS MOVED!

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3y ago

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Please read and/or listen to the following special announcement about the "Writers on Writing" podcast, as it has moved. As you likely know, for the past several months, "Writers on Writing"has been experiencing trouble with our Apple and Amazon podcast platforms. Ironically, the problemstems from how long we've been podcasting the show. When we or…

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Paul Bradley Carr, 1414 Degrees

3y ago

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Paul Bradley Carr, author of the new novel 1414 Degrees, talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about his new novel, writing in multiple POVs, the crossover from nonfiction to fiction, opening a bookstore, and so much more. Download audio. (Recorded in October 2022) Find us on our Patreon page. Music and sound design by Travis Barrett Barbara DeMarco-B…

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Liska Jacobs, author of The Pink Hotel

3y ago

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Novelist Liska Jacobs, author of The Pink Hotel (FSG), talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about influences, first drafts, bloglines, synopses, and the art, craft, and business of writing. Liska Jacobs is also author of Catalina and The Worst Kind of Worst. She holds an MFA from the University of California, Riverside. Her essays and fiction have ap…

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George Saunders on his latest collection, "Liberation Day"

3y ago

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George Saunders joins Marrie to talk about his latest collection of stories (and first collection since Tenth of December in 2013). The nine stories in Liberation Day contain his signature humor and compassion, broken characters and strange landscapes. Time Magazine calls Saunders "the best short-story writer in English." He spends the hour sharing…

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Celeste Ng, Our Missing Hearts

3y ago

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Novelist Celeste Ng, author of Our Missing Hearts and Barbara DeMarco-Barrett discuss her latest novel (NYT review, 10/2/22). They talk about world building, developing characters, reading for writers, and much more. Celeste Ng is the author of three novels, Everything I Never Told You, Little Fires Everywhere, and Our Missing Hearts. Celeste grew …

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Literary Agent Lori Galvin on finding the right agent

3+ y ago

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Literary agent Lori Galvin of Aevitas Creative Management represents both adult fiction (especially women's fiction and crime fiction) and non-fiction (memoir, food writing, and cookbooks). A few of her clients include Hannah Kirshner's Water, Wood, and Wild Things (Viking '21), Cambria Brockman's Tell Me Everything (Ballantine '19), and Wanda M. M…

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Novelist Antoine Wilson, Mouth to Mouth

3+ y ago

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Novelist Antoine Wilson, author of Mouth to Mouth, and Barbara DeMarco-Barrett discuss setting, plotting, creating characters, ironic endings, and more. About Mouth to Mouth, one of Barack Obama's favorite books of 2022, Kirkus said, "A deliciously nasty morality play in the guise of a thriller." Download audio. (Recorded on August 18, 2022) Music …

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Novelist Anthony Marra, author of "Mercury Pictures Presents"

3+ y ago

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Anthony Marra is the New York Times bestselling author of The Tsar of Love and Techno and A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, longlisted for the National Book Award. He joins Marrie Stone to talk about his latest novel, Mercury Pictures Presents, and how a book he began over eight years ago suddenly took on new and unsettling relevance in today's A…

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Memoirist Isaac Fitzgerald, author of "Dirtbag, Massachusetts"

3+ y ago

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Isaac Fitzgerald, author of the new memoir, Dirtbag, Massachusetts: A Confessional, talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about the art, craft, and business of writing his memoir. Fitzgerald is the New York Times bestselling author of Dirtbag, Massachusetts. He appears frequently on The Today Show and is also the author of the bestselling children's b…

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Memoirist Amy Turner, author of "On the Ledge"

3+ y ago

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In 1957, when Amy Turner was four years old, her father stepped out onto the ledge of his high-rise hotel room and threatened to jump. More than 50 years later, Turner faced her own near-death experience when she was struck by a truck in a pedestrian crosswalk. Those two incidents, happening over half a century apart, led Turner to understand the l…

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Novelist Jacinda Townsend, Mother Country

3+ y ago

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By [email protected] (Barbara DeMarco-Barrett)

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Novelist Tom Perrotta, author of "Tracy Flick Can't Win"

3+ y ago

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Tom Perrotta joins Marrie to talk about his latest novel, Tracy Flick Can't Win. The author of nine previous works of fiction, Perrotta wrote Election, The Leftovers, Little Children and Mrs. Fletcher, all of which have been adapted to screen. The conversation covers the #metoo movement and how feminism and the women's rights movement has evolved s…

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Novelist Susan Straight, Mecca

3+ y ago

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Susan Straight, author of the novel, Mecca, which Michael Connelly called "a masterpiece," talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about her new novel and how it came to be. Susan Straight was born in Riverside, CA, and still lives there with her family. She’s passionate about home, California, the Santa Ana River, the foothills and the deserts, and has…

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Monique Roffey, author of "The Mermaid of Black Conch"

3+ y ago

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Monique Roffey is the author of six works of fiction and the 2012 memoir, With the Kisses of His Mouth. The British-Tobagonian author's latest book, The Mermaid of Black Conch, was released by a small press during the height of the 2020 pandemic. But, much like Roffey's outcast mermaid, the novel is enjoying a second life, winning prestigious award…

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Memoirist Tad Friend

3+ y ago

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Memoirist Tad Friend, author of In the Early Times, and Barbara DeMarco-Barrett discuss getting to the truth in memoir, what to do when you're asked to record your own audio book (and don't want to), revision, backstory vs. front story, and so much more. Tad Friend has been a New Yorker staff writer since 1998. An excerpt of this book was published…

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Debut crime writer Dwyer Murphy, author of "An Honest Living"

3+ y ago

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Dwyer Murphy is the editor-in-chief of CrimeReads, Literary Hub‘s crime fiction vertical and a popular destination for thriller readers. A former litigator, Murphy is the author of the debut novel An Honest Living (publishing on July 26, 2022 by Viking). Murphy joins Marrie Stone to talk about writing crime fiction and what he's learned about crime…

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Novelist Julie Clark

3+ y ago

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Julie Clark, author of the new novel, The Lies I Tell, talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about how she found her way to the domestic thriller genre, why she finds female con artists fascinating, her revision process, how she finds time to teach full-time and get her writing done, and so much more. Julie Clark is the New York Times bestselling auth…

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Eric Nguyen, author of "Things We Lost to the Water"

3+ y ago

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Eric Nguyen's debut novel, Things We Lost to the Water, was one of President Obama's favorite books of 2021. It's recently out in paperback. Eric joined Marrie Stone to talk about understanding his own history through the lens of fiction, how he came to know his characters, writing about a well-known city in a new light, how bilingualism serves his…

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Novelist Erica Ferencik, Girl in Ice

3+ y ago

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Erica Ferencik, author of Girl in Ice, talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about her new novel, creatures that can freeze and thaw out alive, why she's a plotter, writing the book she wished existed, and more. Erica Ferencik is an award-winning novelist who writes adventure novels featuring women who brave not only internal struggles but face extrem…

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Alexis Schaitkin, author of "Elsewhere"

3+ y ago

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Alexis Schaitkin joins Marrie Stone to talk about her latest novel, Elsewhere (to be published by Celadon on June 28, 2022). The speculative fiction story explores the perils and pleasures of motherhood, how mothers judge one another, how women can often disappear into motherhood — and into aging — and how sometimes they can find themselves again. …

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Novelist, Steve Almond, All the Secrets of the World

3+ y ago

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Steve Almond, author of All the Secrets of the World (Zando, 2022) joins Barbara DeMarco-Barrett to discuss his new novel and why he wanted to write a social novel, how it took him five tries to get it right, and much more on the process of writing. Steve is the author of twelve books of fiction and nonfiction, including the New York Times bestsell…

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Jess Walter, author of collection "The Angel of Rome"

3+ y ago

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Novelist and short story writer Jess Walter joins Marrie Stone to talk about his latest collection, The Angel of Rome. Jess is the author of seven novels (including The Cold Millions and Beautiful Ruins), two collections of short stories, and a non-fiction book. He is the recipient of the Edgar Allan Poe Award (Citizen Vance), and was a finalist fo…

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Novelist Jeffrey Fleishman

3+ y ago

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Jeffrey Fleishman, author of the brand new novel, Good Night, Forever (Blackstone), and Barbara DeMarco-Barrett talk about setting your book where you live, side characters, crime fiction and social issues, and so much more. Download audio. Jeff Fleishman is foreign and national editor at the Los Angeles Times. Previously, he was a senior writer on…

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A.J. Jacobs, author of "The Puzzler"

3+ y ago

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Immersion journalist A.J. Jacobs returns to the show to talk with Marrie Stone about his latest book, The Puzzler: One Man's Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life. Along the way he shares mounds of writing advice, including the importance of approaching your work with a curious mindset, how…

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Tony Guaraldi Brown Returns! 1:35:31

6y ago1:35:31

1:35:31

Tony, aka TGB Art, returns to discuss the evolution of personal projects on the way to completion, personal vs professional work, and the life epiphanies we gather along the way. Throughout it all, Tony ties everything to his ongoing project, and the reshaping of it as he reshapes his life. #aikidoyourself Follow Tony on FB & twitter @tgbArt, and o…

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Jennifer Lynn Simpson 1:15:17

6y ago1:15:17

1:15:17

In a breath of fresh air to all the comics talk lately, the engaging and talented Jennifer Lynn Simpson joins me for a great talk about her new album "All I Know", available everywhere, the long road of pursuing dreams, the benefits of appreciating the journey and one's place on it, and the powerful influence your creative community has to get you,…

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Odin Abbott reveals how Odin Makes a YouTube show 1:58:55

6y ago1:58:55

1:58:55

YouTube Pop-Prop-Maker extraordinaire Odin Abbott breaks down the process behind his currently exploding YouTube show, and we peel back the fundamental personal layers of making things for decades. We simultaneously explore our decades long acquaintance only to find it's roots at a classic, but sadly departed, Northern California comic book shop. T…

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Working through grief 2, making art of it! 30:26

6y ago30:26

30:26

In another solo episode I tackle loss and family turmoil in the most practical terms possible, to share how I have been coping over the last handful of months. Although this is an intensely personal and somewhat emotional episode, I believe what I share could be helpful for all kinds of trauma, and all kinds of creators. Plus, I recommend a great b…

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Bon Voyage Mike Dubisch, see you soon - plus, selling art on ebay 1:40:21

6+ y ago1:40:21

1:40:21

In a hilarious, emotional, insightful and info packed episode, Mike Dubisch says goodbye to Phoenix and our regular think-tank sessions on the show. It's not a full goodbye, but indeed a huge change from what was, and in turn we discuss the way life changes affect our work, as well as using life's big hurdles to catapult yourself to mixing metaphor…

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Creator origins with Jack La Pick 1:47:40

6+ y ago1:47:40

1:47:40

Voiceover artist Jack La Pick chats with me about formative high school pressures, drama class & our early creative inspirations, the sometimes underwhelming realities of professional creative work, and finding your lane-- all through a healthy dose of hilarious anecdotes. Look for Jack to return in the near future! Subscribe to Storycraft on iTune…

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Social skills are hard! With returning guest Stevie Rae Brown 1:22:30

6+ y ago1:22:30

1:22:30

Stevie Rae Brown (aka Stevie Spade) returns to talk about breaking into a new stand-up comedy scene after moving to Seattle in the spring, and how its hard to be a human with feelings. We also have a nice heart to heart about the emotional perils of doing conventions when you're down, and have an illegal amount of laughs. (I looked it up.) Subscrib…

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Discussing the Crumb Documentary 25 years later 53:45

6+ y ago53:45

53:45

Seamus Smith & I talk Robert Crumb the man and artist through the lens of "Crumb", the mind-blowing documentary from 1994 by Terry Zwigoff. Even after 25 years, and having built my own art career in the meantime, I was still floored by revisiting this film, and stunned at how much artists are alike at their core, even when they go through hell to g…

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William Stout 1:38:40

6+ y ago1:38:40

1:38:40

Legendary illustrator & Production Designer William Stout shares captivating tales of his epic career and adventurous life. He's a huge inspiration to me, and throughout this conversation, he exhibits why, while simultaneously revealing all the wisdom you need to see your own creative career from a different perspective, and truly go after what you…

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J Gonzo 2:13:50

6+ y ago2:13:50

2:13:50

Self-publishing comic book creator & brilliant designer J. Gonzo (La Mano Del Destino) and I share a blisteringly sharp conversation about the DNA beneath our work, writing deep characters without getting too highbrow, genre, ancient history, banking on yourself, and so very much more. Find out more about Gonzo and his amazing work at jgonzodesigns…

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Mike and Kraig talk Moebius art tips - part 2 1:26:31

6+ y ago1:26:31

1:26:31

Mike & Kraig dive back in to finish the second half of Moebius "18 tips to aspiring artists", and the results are a very engaged and nuanced look at the craft of comics, as well as the core of creativity. Moebius has given us a perfect roadmap, although it starts out lofty, to attain truly captivating, relatable results. This one was yet another de…

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Kraig & Mike on Moebius art tips - part 1 1:08:33

6+ y ago1:08:33

1:08:33

Last week, an old transcribed lecture from master cartoonist Moebius, made it's way around the web once again. Mike Dubisch and I decided to sit down and address all 18 tips, point by point, since Moebius is one of our mutual favorites. The conversation turned out to be illegal levels of fun, hilarious, and thought provoking all at once, even if we…

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Ben Gleib Returns, and he's running for President! 52:40

6+ y ago52:40

52:40

Disclaimer: This is not a campaign endorsement. Really, the title says it all. Previous guest and friend of the show, comedian Ben Gleib returns to reveal why he's running for the highest office in the land, why he might be a very interesting choice, and just what the hell it's like to do what he's doing. Go to Gleib2020.com to find out more about …

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Mike & Kraig - Art is Practical 1:02:14

6+ y ago1:02:14

1:02:14

Favorite sometime co-host Mike Dubisch and I talk about working through hardships, the misnomer that art isn't practical, the art market, and it's history. Plus we reveal a number of drawing tips & tricks, and share some truly excellent nerdy laughs. Subscribe to Storycraft on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you listen, and please rate & revi…

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Storycraft Chronicles 4 - Working through Grief 17:15

6+ y ago17:15

17:15

In a very personal episode, I go solo to share a very big change my life just encountered, and how I am attempting to cope with it while still producing creative work. (WARNING: this is an extremely emotional episode.) Thank you very much to all the friends who have reached out personally. I don't have enough words to express my true gratitude. Sub…

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Natalie Ngo 1:17:04

6+ y ago1:17:04

1:17:04

Prolific self-publishing comic book writer and convention queen Natalie Ngo joins me for a lively, hilarious chat about running a creative business, how to structure your business with the aim of actually making money, the ins and outs of conventions, and the ins and outs (so to speak) of modern dating. Follow Natalie on the socials @goldenassgwen …

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Mike Wellman 1:11:21

7y ago1:11:21

1:11:21

Writer, Retailer (owner, the Comic Bug), and all around one of my favorite people in comics, Mike Wellman joins me to chat about the ins and outs of being in our community. We talk about the realities of life in comics, or simply life AND comics, community, cons, childhood inspiration and much more! Follow Mike Wellman on Facebook, @atomicbasement1…

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TJ Storm 1:41:14

7y ago1:41:14

1:41:14

TJ Storm, Martial Arts Hall of Famer, Performance Capture Pioneer, and all around action film guy, sat down with me to talk about his path into the movies, fighting vs filming, and working with great directors. We also nerd out to a hilarious degree over kung fu, and kung fu movies. This episode is very close to my heart, just for that, and its a t…

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Michal Sinnott - Born That Way 1:18:30

7y ago1:18:30

1:18:30

A couple months ago, filmmaker and actress Michal Sinnott blew my mind when she described her incredibly unique and powerful film project, Born That Way. We reenact that so you can join in as we discuss the film, it's personal roots, family influence on creative work, long gestating projects, and the lesson we learn about ourselves on the creative …

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Mike Dubisch's Forbidden Futures 1:16:43

7y ago1:16:43

1:16:43

Longtime pal and sometime co-host Mike Dubisch returns after a long stretch to reveal his quarterly art & fiction magazine "Forbidden Futures" in a lively and idea packed episode. We also chat about our comics obsession, whether or not it is responsible, and whether or not we care if it's responsible. Plus, we get really practical about "getting hi…

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Karina Wolfe 1:00:26

7+ y ago1:00:26

1:00:26

Actress Karina Wolfe talks with me about her recent, wonderful short film Thirsty Girl, Acting in LA vs SF, marketing yourself, and the skinny on LA auditions. We also cover her upcoming projects, her early film and stage work, including the brilliant Desdemona by Paula Vogel, and writing scripts for yourself. Plus, we discuss using your resources …

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Fred Williamson 1:25:53

7+ y ago1:25:53

1:25:53

I have now had the absolute pleasure of talking with Fred Williamson on two occasions. The first was at a con in Palm Springs, when fortune happened to place our tables next to each other, and I was blessed with a weekend of his high energy anecdotes. The second is this amazing conversation-- a glimpse into 50 plus years of Hollywood and America, c…

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Alexis Lopez 1:33:58

7+ y ago1:33:58

1:33:58

Illustrator and Painter Alexis Lopez joins me to promote her gallery show in Phoenix, "Hustle & Flow", and to generally break down the life of making art. We discuss community, voice, splitting focus and allowing a project to arise from playing with ideas on the side. Please follow Alexis Lopez on Instagram @heavymetalalo, as well as on esty, and j…

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Michael McMillian & Bryce Johnson 1:37:04

7+ y ago1:37:04

1:37:04

Hosts of the Bigfoot Collector's Club Podcast-- stars of True Blood and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, & Willow Creek and Misfits & Monsters, respectively, join me to talk all things paranormal, podcast and professional creative career. It's a high energy, high concept dive into many facets of imagination, reality, and everything in between. Fans of True Blo…

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Malek Houlihan side A - Secret personal & business hacks, social media 1:37:15

7+ y ago1:37:15

1:37:15

Musician, actor, all around maker, Malek Houlihan & I talk pitch meeting hacks, personal hacks and global hacks. This is a terrifically insightful, deeply practical, powerful episode, for everyone who makes anything, or wants to make anything out of their lives. Malek accompanies the podcast with his acoustic guitar to give a deceptively laid back …

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Storycraft Chronicles 3/Content Trap 2: Fake News Edition/NerdNite Announcement 15:26

7+ y ago15:26

15:26

I take to the mic in a brief mini to talk about an upcoming event on May 10th in Sacramento, and some insanity from my recent online AND personal experience. The insanity comes in the form of 2 Fake News stories that affect me directly (mostly) and the fact that even exists. Plus, I talk about writing my stories with pictures as I go, and share 2 g…