The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience

Bestselling author and storytelling expert Abbie Emmons spoke with us about topping 600K YouTube followers, helping writers craft emotionally resonant narratives, and her new writing guide MAKE YOUR STORY MATTER.

Abbie Emmons is the popular YouTube creator behind the channel Make Your Story Matter. For over seven years, she has been sharing her wisdom on YouTube (@abbieemmons), where she teaches writers how to make their stories matter by harnessing the power and psychology of storytelling to transform their ideas into masterpieces

Her latest book, Make Your Story Matter: An Interactive Guide to Unlocking Your Brain's Storytelling Power and Writing a Book Readers Love (releasing August 11, 2026), “... [offers a] simple but powerful 3-step framework for storytelling that’s rooted in psychology called the Who, What, Why Method.”

Jessica Brody, bestselling author of Save The Cat! Writes a Novel, wrote of the book, "Understanding why stories move us is one of the most powerful things a writer can learn. Make Your Story Matter brings the psychology and heart of storytelling to life in a way that will transform how you think about your characters and your craft."

Her online learning platform, Abbie’s Story University, has thousands of students worldwide. Through monthly live lectures and in-depth courses, Abbie offers comprehensive instruction on creative writing, editing, publishing, and more.

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In this file Abbie Emmons, Milena, and I discussed:

Her three-pillar framework for crafting compelling stories

How to make your characters relatable

Why writers struggle with motivation and writing slumps despite having great ideas

What “writing ugly” can do for your productivity

How to create a conversation around your book

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web

abbieemmonsauthor.com

abbiesstoryuniversity.com

Make Your Story Matter: An Interactive Guide to Unlocking Your Brain's Storytelling Power and Writing a Book Readers Love by Abbie Emmons (Amazon)

Abbie Emmons on YouTube

Author on Facebook

Author on Instagram

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
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New York Times bestselling author Laura Moriarty spoke with us about her teaching philosophy as a creative writing professor, the craft of historical fiction, and the research process behind her latest novel, SUNLIGHT FINDS YOU.

Laura Moriarty is the New York Times bestselling author of The Chaperone, The Center of Everything, The Rest of Her Life, While I'm Falling, and a Creative Writing Professor at the University of Kansas.

Her latest novel is Sunlight Finds You, described as a book that “explores the fervor of young love, the shock of parental betrayal, and the long-term consequences of adolescent choices.”

A Kirkus starred review wrote of the work, “Moriarty has an unusual gift for voice, a spark that can turn a novel about ordinary events into something compelling…A rich, rewarding slice of history that should remind us how important it is for women to have choices of all kinds.”

Laura Moriarty received her master's degree from the University of Kansas and was awarded the George Bennett Fellowship for Creative Writing at Phillips Exeter Academy.

[Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm]

[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]

In this file Laura Moriarty, Milena, and I discussed:

Her early career in social work and how she almost became a doctor

Why she loves working with graduate students on their WIPs

The research process that went into Sunlight Finds You

What changing the POV can do for your narrative

How incorporating psychological authenticity over modern values can improve historical fiction

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web

english.ku.edu/people/laura-moriarty

Sunlight Finds You: A Novel by Laura Moriarty (Amazon)

Laura Moriarty Amazon Author Page

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter

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Bestselling memoirist, chef, and former restaurateur Sarma Melngailis spoke with us about her much-loved restaurant, Pure Food and Wine, reclaiming her narrative post Bad Vegan, and her eight-year journey writing THE GIRL WITH THE DUCK TATTOO.

Sarma Melngailis is the founder of One Lucky Duck and co-creator of the acclaimed New York City restaurant Pure Food and Wine. Her notorious story of scandal and betrayal was the subject of the Netflix docuseries Bad Vegan—a series that left much of her story misrepresented.

Her bestselling memoir, The Girl with the Duck Tattoo, is described as a “reclamation” and “... a raw, unflinching memoir of how one smart, driven woman went from building a dream to being ensnared in a cult of one.”

Sarma is the author of cookbooks Living Raw Food and the co-author of Raw Food/Real World, and is currently in production on a new docuseries while working to re-launch her businesses. She is also graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the French Culinary Institute

[Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm]

[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]

In Part Two of this file Sarma Melngailis, Milena, and I discussed:

Her professional journey from the French Culinary Institute to celebrity restaurateur

Reclaiming her narrative from sensationalist and biased media coverage

How she continues to examine the psychology of manipulation

Reliving some of the trauma of her experience by recording the audiobook

Her thoughts on resurrecting Pure Food and Wine

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web

Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/files! #squarepod

sarmaraw.com

linktr.ee/sarmamelngailis

The Girl with the Duck Tattoo: A Memoir by Sarma Melngailis (Amazon)

Sarma Melngailis on Instagram

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York Times best selling author Dan Heath has a podcast called What It’s Like to Be... where he explores the world of work one profession at a time. It's a fascinating show for all those times when we've met someone with an interesting job and wondered what their day is actually like. We hope you enjoy What It's Like To Be... as much as we do!

Bestselling memoirist, chef, and former restaurateur Sarma Melngailis spoke with us about her much-loved restaurant, Pure Food and Wine, reclaiming her narrative post Bad Vegan, and her eight-year journey writing THE GIRL WITH THE DUCK TATTOO.

Sarma Melngailis is the founder of One Lucky Duck and co-creator of the acclaimed New York City restaurant Pure Food and Wine. Her notorious story of scandal and betrayal was the subject of the Netflix docuseries Bad Vegan—a series that left much of her story misrepresented.

Her bestselling memoir, The Girl with the Duck Tattoo, is described as a “reclamation” and “... a raw, unflinching memoir of how one smart, driven woman went from building a dream to being ensnared in a cult of one.”

Sarma is the author of cookbooks Living Raw Food and the co-author of Raw Food/Real World, and is currently in production on a new docuseries while working to re-launch her businesses. She is also graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the French Culinary Institute

[Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm]

[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]

In Part One of this file Sarma Melngailis, Milena, and I discussed:

How she knew she would write the book while serving time at Rikers Island

The Art of Memoir as part of the healing process

When she knew the book would become an investigation and a cautionary tale

How memory plays tricks on us

Why she chose to publish her memoir independently

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web

Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/files! #squarepod

sarmaraw.com

linktr.ee/sarmamelngailis

The Girl with the Duck Tattoo: A Memoir by Sarma Melngailis (Amazon)

Sarma Melngailis on Instagram

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices