Writing and Editing (Jennia D'Lima)

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Wayne interviews Dr. Kirby Conrod, who is a lecturer in linguistics at the University of Washington. Dr. Conrod’s commentary, especially on what is called “the singular they,” has appeared in many other publications, in print, on the web, and in podcasts.

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Wayne goes through his list of the most important things you should keep in mind when you are choosing an editor.

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Wayne discusses mixed metaphors and makes a case for why they should be categorically avoided in your writing. Along the way, he has some comments also about metaphors generally and about clichés.

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Wayne discusses his own practices and those of others in handling "hard material." He goes on to talk about freedom of expression generally in the woke cancel culture that we are unfortunately living in now. (Note: he makes a reference to and also discusses briefly an episode of Bari Weiss's podcast Honestly. You can find that episode here.)

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Wayne talks about the various things you need to do in order to self-publish your book, and also identifies a new player in the overall publishing business: the company specifically designed to provide full service for self-publishing authors.

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Wayne talks about his valuing the style and the how of fiction (and film), and along the way has some comments on non-fiction, editing, the Talking Heads, and figure skating.

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Wayne discusses why and how editors keep all aspects of their clients' work consistent. One of the main tools in this effort is the "style sheet."

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Wayne analyzes the writing in the speech that Vladimir Putin gave on Russian television before the invasion of Ukraine. There are similarities in the rhetoric to speeches given in the past by Western leaders. Along the way, George Carlin and Jonathan Swift are invoked to bring some sense to everything.

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Wayne interviews and chats with his friend Mel Simoneau, who's written and published both poetry and non-fiction, about the similarities and differences between the mindsets and methods in writing them both.

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Wayne uses examples from fiction and from film to talk about the 4 (or 5) different ways in which sex scenes are done:

• Clinical
• Euphemistic
• Vernacular
• Literary
• (Evasive)

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As they say, it's like it says on the tin: Wayne discusses and gives some examples of some of the basic reference works (dictionaries and much more) that any writer should have handy.

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Wayne talks about lying in in writing, in film, and in real life.

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Wayne receives an assignment from NATO and the EU to write a communiqué tomorrow about the war in Ukraine.

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Wayne talks about blocks, sentences, and transitions.

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Wayne provides a list of 11 things that, as an editor, he commonly sees in the writing by his clients. How many do you know?

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Wayne discusses in general how it's inappropriate to make comparisons between versions of the same work done in two different art forms, and then talks about some of his favourites: American Psycho; Hamlet; Glengarry Glen Ross; A Clockwork Orange; and The Exorcist.

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Wayne talks about the use of euphemism not only in our everyday personal lives, but also in society in general as well as in contexts such as war or where the stakes are high for an organization that cannot really come out and say in plain language the truth about what it is up to.

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In this episode, Wayne interviews young fantasy writer Sarah Humpherys, who had her first novel published when she was just 16 years old. You can check out her website here, and purchase her novel on amazon, where (as of March 26, 2022) she has an impressive 4.5 rating based on 70 reviews. Sarah lives in Utah.

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Wayne makes some comments about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock during the Academy Awards ceremony, and extrapolates to talk about art in general and how it is separate from real life.

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Wayne talks about dictionaries and words, specifically the Oxford English Dictionary, and the five possible things that happen to any word that ever enters the English language.

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Wayne talks about the importance of tone, and consistency of tone, in writing. He defines the term, provides some examples to illustrate the meaning, and also some cases from his editing work where issues of tone need to be addressed.

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This episode consists of an interview I did via Zoom with Lauca (she is in Germany and I am in Canada). I had come across her website and I was interested in several aspects of her work, including the different genres she writes in, reactions to her decision to write from the point of view of a man, and her experience with self-publishing. You can check out some of her work on her website, lauca.eu.

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Wayne discusses some of the new words and uses of words that have come into English in the last couple of years since COVID began, and also how they illustrate some typical ways in which the language works.

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This episode of Editing Writing consists of an interview and chat I had with Robert Rosen on April 10. He was in New York City and I was, as usual, in Ottawa, Canada. Robert is a writer and editor who has produced several books and whose work has appeared in many magazines and periodicals.

I was particularly interested though in his book about when he worked in the porn industry as an editor and writer in the 80s and 90s. It’s called Beaver Street, and when it came out in 2010 it was well reviewed in both popular magazines and academic journals.

It was a really fun (and funny) and informative talk—and stay tuned till the end, when he reveals how he came up with the title.

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Wayne talks about the lies in our culture, but the truth among pornographers and standup comedians.

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This episode of Editing Writing consists of an interview I did with Ashley Kalagian Blunt. Ashley is a writer with three books to her credit and is currently working on her fourth.

She also teaches writing as well as creativity generally, and co-hosts with her husband the podcast James and Ashley Stay at Home. She was really fun to talk to, and she has a lot of practical advice for writers.

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Wayne talks about two aspects of detail in writing: le mot juste and the telling detail. All inspired by another podcaster oversharing a little ...

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The comedian who’s my guest today is actually someone I’ve known personally for the past 5 or 6 years. Matt Balaker. He and I co-wrote a biography of the great standup comedian named Greg Giraldo, which was published in 2019. Matt is a really great guy, generous, easy to talk to, and very funny. It was a real hoot working with him. I’ve never actually seen Matt perform standup—he lives in the US and I live in Canada—and when I visited him while we were writing the book, we were concentrating on the book. So I wanted to ask him about the writing process in standup comedy, and also about his relatively new venture as a podcaster himself. 

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This episode of Editing Writing is an interview I did with Emily Enger. She runs a marketing service for writers of all kinds—though perhaps mostly those who have self-published or have published with a small press—called Good Enough Book Marketing. She’s a book marketing coach, and as she puts it, she is “helping authors cut through the marketing noise to stay true to their first calling of writing great books.”

If you want to find out more about her, or sign up for her service, check out her website.

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This episode of Editing Writing is an interview I did with my good friend Oscar Martens, who has published two collections of short literary collection with small presses. One is called The Girl with the Full Figure Is Your Daughter, and the most recent one is No Call Too Small. Both were very well reviewed—but there’s a but.

It’s that even though being published by a small press involves the same waiting for acceptance and publishing in literary journals that publishing with one of the big famous publishers does, often there is not the publicity machine to help sell copies. It can be discouraging for any author who has written high-quality work, but then doesn’t see a “return,” so to speak, on it.

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Wayne discusses the importance of an editor not editing a writer's ideas, but rather the writer's expression of those ideas. He ends with a half-remembered joke that ironically ended up getting him a fun editing gig with a great client.

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This episode consists of an interview I did of Mike Oppenheim, whose day job is compiling back-of-the-book indexes. I was interested in some of the nitty-gritty of practical indexing, and Mike came through with the details. He does a lot more than indexing though: he writes, podcasts, and makes music. He has a podcast about death with the great title of Coffin Talk, which I am looking forward to bingeing on a bit.

He’s published three novels and has a slew of other accomplishments. And yet with all of that he was super easy to talk to, explained things well, and had a great sense of humour.

If you’re looking for more info about him, check out his website at mikeyopp.com.

Have a listen to our conversation and find out a bit about those pages at the end of a book that can be so helpful to you …

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Wayne talks about his messy relationship with Twitter, including about a half dozen break-ups, and one just last week.

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This episode consists of an interview I did of Mike Ulmer, who’s a writer based in Hamilton, Ontario. He often writes for a business readership, but I was curious about asking him about the psychology of writing, about how and why someone thinks they might not be able to write any kind of book, or any kind of anything, at all. Mike’s latest book is Show and Tell Writing, and he was a lot of fun to talk to.

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Wayne uses the example of his own published novel, Will's Dead Wife, to illustrate some aspects of literary fiction.

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Wayne continues with  the example of an excerpt from his own published novel, Will's Dead Wife, to illustrate some aspects of literary fiction. Part 1 here.

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This episode consists of an interview I did with Katie Wall. She is an editor and certified book coach who works with authors to improve the books they are writing. She and her husband Andrew co-founded Craft Better Books. They offer a variety of packages and services to potential clients. She is articulate and enthusiastic and was a lot of fun to talk to.

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This episode of Editing Writing consists of an interview I did with Erin Lebacqz. Erin has been teaching writing for over 25 years. Her clients include businesses and non-profit organizations. Erin’s book High-Value Writing: Real Strategies for Real-World Writing was published just earlier this year. I wanted to focus our conversation on clear and concise writing, and Erin came through with practical examples as well as smart explanatory answers to my questions. (You can also check out Erin's YouTube channel.)

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This episode of Editing Writing consists of an interview I did with Ali Khamseh. He describes himself on a website as "a bearded nerd from Iran in his mid 20’s, with a particular interest in the motion pictures as a hobby, career and general life. Has a very high opinion of Jeremy Irons, adores Westerns and Musicals and loves movies from the 1960s." I can add to that that he has an extremely detailed knowledge of film from around the world, and was also very articulate and thoughtful about both art forms.

See his YouTube channel here.

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This episode of Editing Writing consists of an interview I did with Lindsay Lees.  Lindsay is originally from Los Angeles, but grew up in both the US and the UK. She has a BA from Manchester Metropolitan University and a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from the California College of the Arts. Her debut novel is called The Willing, and is available in paperback and kindle formats on Amazon. We had a really interesting chat about literary technique and dystopia.

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This episode of Editing Writing consists of an interview I did with Meryl Klemow. She’s a standup comedian, performing mostly around California, but much more. Meryl co-hosts and co-produces Campfire Sht Show (with the “i” discreetly omitted from the s-word), a weekly comedy podcast with her podcast partner Beau Hufford. She’s also founded Pre-Canceled apparel, so that both she and you can cancel yourself before our woke and cancel culture does. I ordered a T-shirt right after the interview. She was an absolute hoot to talk to.

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Wayne provides details about how the various parts of a self-published book should generally be organized, drawing on information in three style manuals. You can find a PDF with all the details here.

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Jody Sperling is a fiction writer, and one of the few who at one time has had a literary agent to represent his book to publishers. But after failing to attract a willing publisher, in his words, his “dream wilted.” He ultimately went on to found the podcast The Reluctant Book Marketer, appealing to people such as himself who have tried and tried to get published by a traditional publisher, but never succeeded. He now tries to help writers with their marketing mindset. We had a great conversation—Jody is thoughtful and articulate and open—that ranged well beyond the vagaries and frustrations of publishing. Please listen.

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Barbara Boyd says on her website that a book coach is a combination of “an editor, a project manager, a mentor, and an honest BFF … [providing] editorial feedback, emotional support, and project management and accountability.” In my conversation with her, she was extraordinarily sensitive, intelligent, and articulate. I concentrated on her work with people who are writing memoirs. It was really a fascinating interview of a person whose centredness and empathy I could sense on Zoom all the way from her olive farm in Italy to my condo in Canada. Please listen.

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My guest on this episode of Editing Writing is Donna Mazzitelli. She is a writing coach who helps writers particularly with memoirs. Donna says herself that “everyone has stories to tell, and how we grow through our life experiences is what others want to read. The more we share our stories from our hearts, the more our readers will connect with us and be transformed.” She is the founder of Merry Dissonance Press, and also continues with her own writing. She’s published three children’s books, and earlier this year her first memoir, called Mosaic Heart: Pieces of an Unfinished Life. She’s now at work on her second one, called Madonna Blue Heart. Donna was insightful and empathetic, and a pleasure to talk to. Please listen.

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My guest today is Rachael Hanel. She’s a writer and also an associate professor of Mass Communication at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Raechel also teaches narrative nonfiction and memoir at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. She has a master’s degree in history and a Ph.D. in creative writing. She has an interesting book coming out, which we discuss in our conversation. It’s called Not the Camilla We Knew: One Woman's Life from Small-town America to the Symbionese Liberation Army, and is due for release this fall. She was a really great guest: knew what she was talking about, enthusiastic, but also able to speak clearly to complicated or nuanced issues. We compared Minnesota and Canadian accents before we started recording, and then got right into it. Please listen.

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Lauren Hunter is a writer and consultant, with a career spanning more than two decades in public relations, content marketing, freelance writing, and publishing. Her latest book is Write Your Journey: A Step-by-Step Guide to Write Your Life Story Fast. She also maintains a twice-monthly newsletter, and if you sign up you’ll receive as a gift a PDF of the introduction and first chapter. Lauren walked me through the seven sections of her book during our conversation. Please listen.

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Carol Saller describes herself succinctly as “helping writers and editors on behalf of the reader.” She has written six books for young children, including her latest, Eddie’s War. She’s best known in the editing world for her work for The Chicago Manual of Style, but after a long career in editing of one kind or another, she is now writing full-time, focusing on middle-grade contemporary and historical. I interviewed her about her great book, now in its second edition, called The Subversive Copy Editor, which in true writer style has not only a subtitle (“Advice from Chicago”) but an alternative subtitle (“or, How to Negotiate Good Relationships with Your Writers, Your Colleagues, and Yourself”). She was a true joy to talk to. Quick-witted and funny. Comprehensively knowledgeable about editing. And as down to earth and smart as you would want a person to be. Please listen.

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Sheri Saginor is an audiobook narrator and producer based in Boston. She has over 20 years experience as a speaker, writer, and performer. Sheri specializes in nonfiction, including business, self-development, and memoir. She also loves narrating fiction, especially mysteries. For listeners to this episode of Editing Writing, Sheri is offering a complimentary, 30-minute consultation call. Just mention the podcast when you contact her.

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Robin Landa holds the title of Distinguished Professor in the Michael Graves College of Kean University in Union, New Jersey. She’s also “creativity guru” who champions her students, advocates for industry inclusion and equity, and provides scholarships for meritorious students or students in need. Robin’s expertise is in creative advertising, branding, graphic design, and social media. Her 26th book, called The New Art of Ideas: Unlock Your Creative Potential, will be published this fall. I thoroughly enjoyed talking to her. She is intelligent and engaging, but also modest and very down to earth. Not to mention her comprehensive knowledge of her field and her ability to write about it clearly.

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Tanya Gough is the founder of StoryBilder, a creative writing platform for new and aspiring writers. It’s built to foster creativity no matter what or how you write. Tanya also writes middle-grade fantasy fiction and science-infused fantasy short stories for adults.

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Nancy O’Brien was raised in small-town southern Ontario and ventured to Ottawa in her early twenties with dreams of making a difference in Canada’s capital. Throughout her career she has written about everything from local news to fishing to online dating. She also worked in municipal politics for over five years and volunteered in multiple elections. She is a proud millennial mother of three beautiful girls, who loves animals, working with the community and following her intuition.

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Kirsten Weiss writes mysteries for people who want to escape but with real, complex, and flawed but likable characters. If there’s magic in the story, she insists that it must work consistently within the world’s rules and be based in history or the reality of current magical practices. She’s best known for her cozy mystery and witch mystery novels, though she’s written some steampunk mystery as well. (Media kit here.)

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Molly O'Connor describes herself as truly a country gal. She lives in a large, century-old, farmhouse, teeming with four active grandchildren, their parents, three cats, a rabbit, and one dog, not to mention a busy bird feeder outside her office window. Her novels have underlying themes of lesser-known and lesser-understood emotional anxieties and the hidden abuse of women. But her writing is not meant to be a lecture. She says that she tries to take the reader on a journey as the characters grow as individuals, deal with mysteries, and travel to different locations in Canada and beyond.

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Dave Milbrandt is the author of Fool's Luck and the Jim Mitchell series of novels (Chasing Deception, Undue Pressure, and Running). Dave was born in southern California and spent five years in journalism and public relations before becoming a teacher. In addition to working at several area colleges, he has taught high school English and social studies classes since 2005. Dave also has written a parenting book titled High School Declassified: An Insider's Guide to Helping Your Student Succeed.

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Based partly on his interviews of many writers over the past month or so on the podcast, Wayne offers his opinions and thoughts about literary fiction and genre fiction. Their differences, what they have in common. He provides some definitions and examples, including an extended analysis of Vladimir Nabokov's novel, Pale Fire (1962).

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Deb Courtney hosts the popular Write Drunk, Edit Sober Improv Writing sessions online and  in-person in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The sessions focus on microskills in fiction writing to improve how writers make progress on what they’re writing. She frequently speaks on Project Management for Writers, The Procrastination Myth, and the psychological and chemical underpinnings of procrastination. Deb herself has also published many short stories and her book on Write Drunk, Edit Sober is forthcoming. She was a pleasure to talk to, and I learned a thing or two. Please listen. 

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Hannah Lyon is a professional editor who has assisted dozens of authors in both fiction and nonfiction, working with them to achieve successful publication. Some of the books she has edited or ghostwritten have made it to #1 bestseller lists both nationally and internationally. Hannah practices what she calls “comprehensive editing,” and I was curious to find out from her what exactly she meant by that. She has also been a guest expert on writing and editing at virtual and in-person conferences and writers’ retreats. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. Please have a listen to our conversation.

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Pete Zaborszky is a serial entrepreneur who previously founded a privacy advocate organization, and now is the CEO and founder of Retalk.com. He was born in Soviet Hungary, and grew up in both the UK and Hungary. Pete strongly believes in individual liberty and freedom of speech. This led him to create Retalk, a new social network for people frustrated with censorship. Retalk is built to encourage civil discussion. It is run by people who welcome conservative/right-wing and center-right views. I had an excellent conversation with Pete, who is smart and thoughtful at the same time as he is modest. Please listen.

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Wayne discusses the case of standup comedian Andrew Schulz. He bought his standup special back from Amazon for $1 million (his life's savings) after they requested that he delete some "wild" jokes about abortion. The special is now being shown as a pay-per-view event on July 17. Wayne is offering to pay the price of the show to the first 10 listeners who contact him. Email wayne@waynejones.ca. Text 613-884-8953.

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Nita Sweeney is the award-winning wellness author of the running and mental health memoir, Depression Hates a Moving Target: How Running with My Dog Brought Me Back from the Brink. She has written other books since, but is also a certified meditation leader, mental health advocate, and ultramarathoner. Nita founded Mind, Mood, and Movement to support well-being through meditation, exercise, and writing practice, and another group called The Writer’s Mind, to share writing practices in order to produce publishable work. She lives in central Ohio with her husband, Ed, and their yellow Labrador retriever, Scarlet. She was a really informed guest, and exuded a feeling of calm and content. Please have a listen to our conversation.

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Marjorie Turner Hollman has completed four Easy Walking guide books, and the backstory is essentially her memoir of learning to find joy in the face of difficult life circumstances. Partially paralyzed, she gets outdoors using hiking poles for support. She is now a writer and editor and book coach. Please listen.

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As a professional writer since the age of 20, ROmana supports people who want to get started with their own writing. She offers different programs on how to get started with your first book—how to persist and publish it. Her online workshops strive to give writers a happier mindset. She has written 8 books and has 3 more on the way. She helps a writer get past the overwhelming feeling of just getting started. Please listen.

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Dr. Heather Davis is a storyteller, certified book coach, copy editor, and an author platform expert. She has a B.S. in biology from Salisbury University, a PhD in molecular and cellular biology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and has spent over ten years as a teacher. She also has a creative writing certificate from Stanford University, and loves helping passionate writers make the life-changing leap from dreamer to published author.  Heather also writes about the writing process (here, here). Please listen.

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My guest on this episode is Erin Ollila. She calls herself a “Conversion copywriter. Copywriting coach. Word slinger. Wing woman.” She has over 15 years of publishing experience and (backed by an an MFA in Creative Writing), she creates and implements smart SEO website copy and strategic content campaigns. She also hosts her own podcast called Talk Copy to Me. Please listen.

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My guest on this episode is Jennifer Westbrook. She describes her passion as “helping women entrepreneurs earn a full-time income doing the work they love.” Jennifer is a former practicing lawyer, advising clients in the area of antitrust and trade practices. She now owns JenWestWriting, created based on her love for business strategy, web design, and copywriting. Please listen.

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My guest for this episode is Wendy Fedan. Wendy is an award-winning full-time freelance illustrator/designer, and last year she launched Create a Way Design & Publishing. She calls herself a “book shepherd,” leading and helping other authors through the self-publishing process. In addition to the books she’s designed (mostly picture books which she’s also illustrated), Wendy also has her own novel series called Somewhere In-Between, exploring her personal interest in the paranormal. She graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art where she now teaches continuing education courses for teens and adults.

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My guest for this episode is Mark A. Herschberg. Mark is the author of an excellent book called The Career Toolkit: Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You. Mark has had a career in diverse sectors, launching and developing new ventures at startups, in Fortune 500 companies, and in academia. He helped start the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program at MIT, the “career success accelerator,” where he teaches annually. Mark’s education includes a B.S. in physics, a B.S. in electrical engineering & computer science, and an M.Eng. in electrical engineering & computer science. He has worked with the Harvard Business School and with many non-profits as well. Mark has written other works as well, including the provocative “Book Publishers are an Anachronism.” On a lighter note, he was once one of the top-ranked ballroom dancers in the country and now lives in New York City, where he is known for his diverse cufflink collection. Talking to him was a breeze and a pleasure: he knows a lot, and he is as articulate a speaker as he is skilled a writer.

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Shanti Hershenson’s first two novellas were published when she was in the sixth grade, although she had been writing even before then. Shanti writes in a variety of genres, mostly Science Fiction but Fantasy and Historical Fiction as well. She has now published 12 novels and she’s only 14 years old. She was fascinating to talk to: she was enthusiastic, she knew what she was talking about, and she was confident and smart in a very sort of casual way. Please have a listen to our conversation.

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My guest on this episode is Jesse Filipko. He’s been teaching young people filmmaking for 15 years, and has produced podcasts for over a decade with shows about film, high school, and virtual reality. He is also one of the brothers on the excellent podcast The Brothers Dim, where there’s modesty and self-deprecation in the title, because the episodes are casual but intelligent discussions about film and many other things. He was a great guest on Editing Writing. Please listen.

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My guest for this episode is Donnie Boivin. After serving in the Marine Corps, he he eventually landed his first sales job and has spent over 20 years learning what it takes to be successful in sales, business, and life. He is the Founder and CEO of the Success Champions family of companies, which among other things includes consulting, a podcast, and a magazine. Donnie was an excellent guest, straight-talking, genuine, and funny. What he says in his own profile came to life in my conversation with him: “Get ready to have your fire lit and start chasing your own dreams.”

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My guest for this episode is Mark W. Travis, a film and video director, and author of the #1 bestselling book Directing Feature Films as well as The Film Director’s Bag of Tricks. People call him the “director’s director,” because he has trained and guided directors, writers, and actors on how to bring their stories and characters to life. His focus is always on storytelling and characters, and he's able to read each artist, re-aligning them with their unconscious creative intentions, and so elevating their stories and performances. I was kind of blown away by my conversation with Mark. He is extremely knowledgeable and insightful about his craft, and my interview itself turned out to be a mini-lesson in film for me. Please have a listen to this outstanding practitioner and teacher.

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My guest on this episode is Miracle Sims. She’s a busy and creative person, but our discussion focused on religion generally, and on her podcast God, Sex, and Love. Miracle has published several books, including her very open memoir about single life as a Christian, The Cultivation Period: A Single Christian Journey. She has an associate’s degree in theatre from Gordon College, and in addition to being a writer, she is also an actor, singer, and songwriter. She was a genuine pleasure to talk to—smart, funny, and open—and we proved that a Christian and an atheist can in fact have a civilized conversation.

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Wayne presents a 10-item admittedly non-comprehensive list.

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My guest on this episode is Hillary Webb. She has a background touching on very diverse aspects of life and living. Her bachelor’s degree is in journalism from New York University, her masters is in philosophy from Goddard College, and her doctorate is in existential psychology from Saybrook University. Hillary now teaches at Goddard and is a cultural anthropologist. She also writes books (four so far) and studies, as she puts it, “cross-cultural perspectives on human consciousness.” And so her latest book is called The Friendliest Place in the Universe: Love, Laughter, and Stand-Up Comedy in Berlin: An Anthropological Memoir. I found her really fascinating to talk to. She combines a deep knowledge of her subjects with a very clear, accessible, and personal way of expressing it in both writing and speaking. Please listen.  

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Wayne talks about his participation in the contest, especially as part of a group of friends including Mel and Martin, who also provide thoughts on their history, strategy, and general experience with it as well.

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My guest for this episode is Lindsay McMahon, who is co-host of the wildly popular All Ears English. It’s an English as a Second Language podcast aimed at intermediate to advanced English speakers who are also professionals, university students, or ESL teachers. They teach listeners how to use everyday English vocabulary, and carry on regular conversations on the widest variety of topics. Lindsay and her co-host have been podcasting since 2013, and have made All Ears English into a huge success: 100,000 downloads per episode, four times a week. If you are a podcaster, as I am obviously, you’ll know that this is really exceptional. The podcast has won numerous awards. I had a great conversation with her: she knows what she’s talking about, and I learned a lot even during our chat. You will too: please listen.

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This episode is a continuation of the conversation I had in the previous episode with Lindsay McMahon. Lindsay is co-host of the wildly popular All Ears English. It’s an English as a Second Language podcast aimed at intermediate to advanced English speakers who are also professionals, university students, or ESL teachers. They teach listeners how to use everyday English vocabulary, and carry on regular conversations on the widest variety of topics. Lindsay and her co-host have been podcasting since 2013, and have made All Ears English into a huge success: 100,000 downloads per episode, four times a week. The podcast has won numerous awards. We had a great conversation, which ended just as she was getting into the details of monetization. And these are details you don’t want to miss. Please listen.

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My guest on this episode is John Gibbs, who’s a retired lecturer in cultural studies and US politics, as well as a podcaster on philosophy and popular culture. He and his fellow members of the Spinoza Triad like to use philosophy to understand contemporary culture. John also created and maintains the Politics Shed site, and hosts a Friday morning slot on Teachers Talk Radio. And to top it all off, he’s performed standup comedy, focusing on surreal storytelling.

Note: view this episode also on the Writing & Editing YouTube channel.

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My guest on this episode is Nancy K. Napier, who is Distinguished Professor Emerita at Boise State University. She has published widely on organizational creativity, innovation, and emerging economies over the years, with a special focus on Vietnam. In the last few years, she has received two of Vietnam’s top honors for foreigners, the Medal of Honor, for contributing to the advancement of education in the country, and the Medal of Friendship, for helping to build relationships between the U.S. and Vietnam. She’s now writing novels, and experiencing the joys and challenges of being a beginner again. 

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Wayne provides examples of minute, exquisite details that a professional proofreader is likely to notice, and makes a plea that you have a professional look at your proofs and not just yourself.

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Becca Babcock teaches creative and academic writing at Dalhousie University, as well as English and Canadian Studies. She has also published two works of fiction, a collection of linked stories and a novel, and has another novel forthcoming next spring.

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The topic of this episode is a bit of an indulgence for me. It’s about writing, yes, but specifically about handwriting, and even more specifically about handwriting analysis. I’ve always been kind of fascinated by the whole idea of it. And any writers out there who are writing crime novels or psychological thrillers might be interested as well. My guest is an internationally renowned handwriting expert named LaurieAnn Campbell. She is one of only five people in the world with a Masters Certification. She was knowledgeable to talk to, to say the least, but also a lot of fun—and, talking of even more indulgence, she even agreed to analyze a page of my own handwriting. Take a listen …

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My guest for this episode is Adam Rosen, who has been a writer and editor in both print and digital publishing since 2008. He has spent his time editing nonfiction books and articles, as well as writing articles and essays for print and online publications. He’s been freelancing since 2016. My chat with him is about an anthology he edited and contributed to called You Are Tearing Me Apart, Lisa!: The Year's Work on The Room, the Worst Movie Ever Made. Depending on your tastes, the movie The Room is just a bad movie to be dismissed, or a bad movie to be talked about, read about, and rewatched. I feel the latter. And Adam has produced a very readable, accessible, funny, and informative book about it. Please have a listen to our conversation.

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My guest today is Dr. Valerie Fridland, who is a professor of linguistics in the English department at the University of Nevada, Reno. She’s also more publically engaged than many linguists, with a regular column in Psychology Today, and an upcoming book called—you heard it here first!—Like, Literally, Dude, which is about modern English, its beauties and controversies, and how it changes and adapts. This is the first part of my conversation with her: you can hear the rest on Friday in episode 94. 

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Today’s episode is a continuation of my conversation with Dr. Valerie Fridland, who is a professor of linguistics in the English department at the University of Nevada, Reno. She’s also more publically engaged than many linguists, with a regular column in Psychology Today, and an upcoming book called Like, Literally, Dude. In this second part of our chat, we concentrate on a couple of language things that Professor Fridland was happy to discuss and elucidate. And BTW the first part of our conversation can be found as episode 93 from Wednesday.

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My guest today is Marcy Pusey. Marcy has a wide range of ability and experience. She’s a writer of books on adult trauma as well as books for children. She says that her "jam" is "anything related to story (the ones we tell ourselves and the ones we tell the world) and how it interacts with the brain."

Marcy is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and Certified Trauma & Resilience Practitioner, an international speaker, story coach—and a bestselling, award-winning author of books for adults and for children. You can also check out her TEDx Talks: “How Story Empowers Kids to Shape our World” and “You Are More Than Your Traumatic Experiences.” Marcy also provides a free guide that walks people through telling their story in a way that both impacts their audience and brings unexpected healing to themselves. Get it here.

She also prefers Pepsi to Coke, and can tell the difference.

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My guest today is Natasha Mott. Natasha is many things. A neuroscientist, a writer, a host of two podcasts, Syllojism and NeoAcademia. She describes herself as an "ex-academic, former seller of science/biotech shill ... now, depending on the day I might be  a podcaster, an educator, a scientist, a meme-r, a world builder, a creator, an organizer, a friend, a mother, a writer, a musician." You can find links to most of her work on the Theory Gang substack.

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My guest today is James Noll, who practices those first three arts and also has a friend who helps him with the fourth one. (One of his books is available for free BTW.) He has also been a teacher for the last 20 years.

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Wayne discusses two examples of what may be scams he came across on Instagram, one to get your short book published and making money for you (and with a double-your-money-back guarantee), and the other an offer to make money selling books on Amazon without you  actually writing any books.

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Wayne provides an update on the book he's writing, My Sam Johnson: A Biography for General Readers.

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Wayne reacts to the notice he received from YouTube that one of the podcast audio episodes he had uploaded there had been removed for violating community standards.

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My guest today is Maccabee Griffin. He’s a voiceover actor and podcaster.
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Announcements:
- I successfully appealed the removal of episode 60 of my podcast from YouTube because they had said it violated community standards (questioning the integrity of the 2020 US election). I'm happy to say that YouTube has now reinstated the episode.
- As of this episode, the frequency of Writing & Editing changes from 3 times weekly to twice weekly (Monday and Thursday). The idea is to give me a little more free time, to give me more time to work on episodes, and to give you, the listeners, a bit more time to listen to each one by making them a little less frequent.

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This episode, published on the 12th anniversary of the death of standup comedian Greg Giraldo, covers his life, his writing, and his character.

Further info:

- Greg Giraldo: A Comedian's Story, by Matt Balaker and Wayne Jones (book)

- Give It Up for Greg Giraldo (video documentary)

- Dark Side of Comedy: Greg Giraldo (TV series episode)

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NOTE: Apologies for the sometimes poor audio of this episode: I was recording on a laptop with spotty wifi and with none of my regular audio editing tools - Wayne

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I discuss how the phrase "not necessarily" seems to be taking on a new meaning.

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My guest today is Karin Freeland, who is a life coach and the author of The Ins and Outs of My Vagina: A Penetrating Memoir.

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My guest today is Meirav Zur. She is a theatre performer, producer, writer, and director. Her latest show is Inconceivable: The Totally True One-Woman Semi-Fertile Quasi-“Musical.” 

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My guest is Diane Hatz, who indie-published her book Rock Gods & Messy Monsters in September 2022.  She also has a substack called Next Draft. In the 1990s, Diane worked at major and indie record companies. She is the co-founder of The Relay, a fanzine on The Who.

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My guest is Tegan Kehoe, who is a public historian specializing in healthcare and science at the Russell Museum of Medical History and Innovation at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Her book, Exploring American Healthcare through 50 Historic Treasures, was published in February 2022.

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My guest is Cathy Jean-François, who talks about the incorporation of details about her own depression into her novel The Box, for which she is looking for a literary agent.