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Steven Puri, founder of Sukha and a former Hollywood visual-effects producer, returns to talk about the neuroscience of flow states, what separates writers who make it from those who don't, and why writing is rewriting.

After thirty years and 140 rejected literary agents, Rob Cole self-published the authorized biography of Arlinda Willis, a story of Jim Crow Alabama, Cleveland's Black entertainment scene, and the medical racism that shaped her final years.

Book marketing strategist and podcaster Susan Friedman joins Kevin Johns to talk about why marketing is a long game, how fiction and nonfiction require different strategies, the power of niche positioning and “micro-celebrity,” and why passion and mindset matter more than any single tactic.

Longtime editor and first-time novelist Candace Johnson joins The Writing Coach Podcast to share insider insights on traditional publishing, what copy editors really do, how to know when your manuscript is ready for editing, and how to build a strong author–editor relationship without losing your voice.

Graphic novelist Emil Wilson joins Kevin Johns to discuss his stunning debut, The Nightingales, a sketchbook-style, semi-autobiographical story about family, memory, AIDS, queer identity, and empathy. They dive into visual storytelling, composition, colour, humanizing “antagonists,” and how Emil’s background in advertising and design shaped this powerful, genre-bending book.

Oscar-winning producer Steven Puri shares Hollywood storytelling lessons, flow states, and dopamine management tactics to help writers beat procrastination and finish their work.

Author Susan Leon discusses her debut novel If They’d Only Known, crime fiction, grief, forgiveness, Northern Ontario, and the ripple effects of loss.

Writing coach Kevin T. Johns explains the excitement art can provide and the joy literature can bring to a reader's life.

Writing coach Kevin T. Johns discusses the habit writers have of wanting to jump to a new project and provides advice about the right time to do it.

Writing coach Kevin T. Johns shares his thoughts on four quotes related to writing from futurist, author, and founder of Wired Magazine, Kevin Kelly.

Writing coach Kevin T. Johns outlines half-a-dozen common mistakes he sees in the manuscripts of aspiring authors.

Writing coach Kevin T. Johns discusses the "literary elements" he considers the building blocks of a scene. He covers the four external literary elements and the four internal literary elements, and then asks whether a ninth should be included.

Writing coach Kevin T. Johns explains why no writer gets it right on the first try and how writing is always iterative. He also explores the joys and benefits of the revision process.

Writing coach Kevin T. Johns discusses Star Wars, punk rock, and how writers should consider desperation as a preferable alternative to perfection.

Writing coach Kevin T. Johns says goodbye to The Story Grid Podcast, which published its final episode last week. Kevin discusses the importance of the podcast, and his admiration for its hosts Shawn Coyne and Tim Grahl, and explains how their podcast was a profound act of generosity for both writing coaches and students of writer's craft.