Writer's Bone

Author Sebastian Barry, who has twice been nominated for the Man Booker Prize, talks to Daniel Ford about his career as a storyteller, how his son influenced his new novel Days Without End, tackling the American Civil War, and what aspiring authors, playwrights, and poets need to keep in mind when pursuing the mysterious craft of writing.

Shanthi Sekaran, author of the recently published Lucky Boy, talks to Daniel Ford about how her mother influenced her storytelling, her research process for Lucky Boy, how she developed the novel’s memorable main characters, and why writers need to step out of their comfort zones. Daniel also makes a statement about President Trump’s recent Executive Order regarding U.S. immigration policy.

Lynn Povich, pioneering journalist and author of The Good Girls Revolt, talks to Stephanie Schaefer and Daniel Ford about how she got into journalism and the vibe at Newsweek when she first started in the late 1960s. She also spoke about why she wrote The Good Girls Revolt when she did, how the Amazon show based on her book came about, what she thinks about the future of journalism, and how feminism has changed since she entered the workforce.

Following an entertaining and passionate Q & A at the Harvard Coop, James Rollins, best-selling author of the Sigma Force series, talks to Sean Tuohy and Daniel Ford about adding to his writing toolkit, his research “box,” how his veterinary background influences his writing process, interacting with his readership, and what Nikola Tesla and Mark Twain are doing in his new book The Seventh Plague.

Daniel Ford and Dave Pezza introduce #NovelClass, a new “Friday Morning Coffee” segment that features an in-depth discussion about a novel chosen by Writer’s Bone’s social media followers. The first installment features Kevin Morris’ All Joe Knight, which was published December 2016 by Grove Press. (Be warned, this discussion contains spoilers.)

Three years ago, two guys met in a Boston bar and something groundbreaking happened. Across the street, at another bar, Daniel Ford and Sean Tuohy created Writer's Bone. The pair got together recently to reminisce about the podcast’s humble beginnings, champion their dedicated and passionate staff, and share what they have planned for Writer’s Bone in 2017.

Ingrid Thoft, author of Loyalty, Brutality, and the recently published Duplicity, talks to Daniel Ford about her (decaffeinated) writing process, tackling “third-rail” issues, and what inspired her new novel.

Sean Tuohy, after learning about an opera singer’s crazy regimented day-to-day life, talks to Daniel Ford about what sacrifices writers have to make for their craft. The pair also discusses how to strike a balance between writing schedules and real life, how lucky they are to have found supportive significant others, and how they plan to attack their writing goals in 2017. 

Adeline Hotel (aka songwriter Dan Knishkowy) talks to Robert Masiello and Sean Tuohy about how he got into songwriting, the genesis of the Adeline Hotel project, writing and recording “It's Alright, Just The Same,” and what he’s got planned for his next album.

In the first “Friday Morning Coffee” episode of 2017, Gary Almeter talks with David Galef, author of Brevity: A Flash Fiction Handbook, about various flash fiction formats, pithy sentence structure, and the art of “leaving stuff out to emphasize what remains.”

Sonya Chung, author of The Loved Ones and Long for This World, talks to Daniel Ford about her approach to storytelling, her love of nonfiction, how she develops her characters, and what inspired The Loved Ones.

We named Julia Claiborne Johnson’s Be Frank With Me the “Best Book of 2016” earlier this week. The author stopped by “Friday Morning Coffee” to talk more about writing her debut novel, how hard it was to move on from her character Frank, and what she’s working on now. Johnson also tells a good story about John Glenn on the set of “Frasier!”

Daniel Ford and Sean Tuohy discuss their favorite books, movies, television shows, and short stories from 2016. The pair also chats about how they’ve progressed as writers during the past year and their writing goals for 2017.

Jade Chang, author of The Wangs vs. the World, talks to Daniel Ford about what inspired her debut novel, her approach to character development, how she navigated the publishing process, and why aspiring authors need to be ambitious.

Wally Lamb, best-selling author of She’s Come Undone, I Know This Much Is True, We Are Water, and the recently published I’ll Take You There, talks to Daniel Ford about how his family ignited his passion for storytelling, his pokey writing style, his partnership with Metabook, and what inspired I’ll Take You There.

Daniel Ford, Adam Vitcavage, and Gary Almeter discuss Writer’s Bone’s book recommendations from the past two months. Authors include Jade Chang, Nick Mainieri, Zadie Smith, Tim Murphy, Sonya Chung, and more!

William Wisher Jr.—whose credits include “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” “Judge Dredd,” and “I.T.”—talks to Sean Tuohy about his path to becoming a screenwriter, working as a script doctor, his screenwriting process, working with James Cameron on the Terminator movies, and why he’s always learning new things having to do with filmmaking.

Gene Policinski, longtime journalist, chief operating officer for the Newseum Institute, and senior vice president of the First Amendment Center, talks to Daniel Ford about 2016 Presidential Election coverage, why we need more shoe-leather reporting, and what lessons news organizations, editors, and reporters need to learn to keep the profession relevant and necessary in the future.

Laura McHugh, award-winning author of The Weight of Blood and Arrowood, talks to Daniel Ford about how she became a storyteller, her organic writing process, how she crafts her Midwestern settings, and what she has planned next.

Nicole Blades, author of The Thunder Beneath Us and Earth’s Waters, talks to Daniel Ford about her lifelong love of reading and writing, how she developed the character Best Lightburn, and why writers need to use their own voices to write the stories they would want to read.