Brian McClellan's Blog, page 5
October 26, 2021
Page Break Podcast Episode 19: Fonda Lee
The nineteenth episode of my new podcast Page Break is now out! In this episode, my guest is novelist Fonda Lee.
Fonda is the author of the young adult Exo series as well as the epic fantasy Green Bone Saga. The first book in that series, Jade City, was a finalist for the Nebula Award and won the World Fantasy Award in 2018.
Fonda and I discuss her transition from the world of business to being a creative, how outside influences can affect an author’s career, and the debut energy that surrounds a new author.
Listen NowPage Break with Brian McClellan is a collection of casual conversations between me and fellow creative professionals—like two friends sitting down over lunch to discuss career, craft, family, and hobbies.
Authorhood is a quiet sort of minor fame where the person behind the words is often obscured by the works they’ve created. I aim to use this podcast to find out more about my friends and colleagues.
Look forward to weekly conversations with creators like TV writer/producer Joseph Mallozzi, epic fantasy author Robin Hobb, science fiction author Pierce Brown, Twitch streamer Mark Hulmes, and many more!
Listen on YouTube Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Early Access + Ad-Free Episodes on Patreon
October 22, 2021
Page Break Podcast Episode 18.5: RA Salvatore
Welcome to part two of this week’s two-part episode where I chat individually with a pair of co-authors, R.A. Salvatore and Erika Lewis, for the launch week of their new book Color of Dragons!
My second guest is Robert Anthony Salvatore! Bob is a long-time bestselling author of the DemonWars Saga and the creator of the beloved character Drizzt Do’Urden for Forgotten Realms. Most listeners even tangentially aware of epic fantasy will know Bob’s name, and to that end we start by chatting about the nature of fame. We also talk about Bob’s controversial dip into Star Wars, when it’s appropriate to kill a character, and his longstanding relationship with Forgotten Realms.
Listen NowPage Break with Brian McClellan is a collection of casual conversations between me and fellow creative professionals—like two friends sitting down over lunch to discuss career, craft, family, and hobbies.
Authorhood is a quiet sort of minor fame where the person behind the words is often obscured by the works they’ve created. I aim to use this podcast to find out more about my friends and colleagues.
Look forward to weekly conversations with creators like TV writer/producer Joseph Mallozzi, epic fantasy author Robin Hobb, science fiction author Pierce Brown, Twitch streamer Mark Hulmes, and many more!
Listen on YouTube Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Early Access + Ad-Free Episodes on PatreonOctober 19, 2021
Page Break Podcast Episode 18: Erika Lewis
This week I have something a little different for you: a special two-part episode in which I chats individually with a pair of co-authors, R.A. Salvatore and Erika Lewis, for the launch week of their new book Color of Dragons!
First up is Erika Lewis! Erika is a former television producer who has written novels for multiple age groups—her debut Game of Shadows, the newly released Color of Dragons, and the upcoming Kelcie Murphy and The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts. She’s also written extensively for comics.
Erika and I chat about an author’s relationship with their editors, working with a giant of the field like Bob Salvatore, her previous career in TV, and the importance of getting out of the house as a work-from-home creative.
Listen NowPage Break with Brian McClellan is a collection of casual conversations between me and fellow creative professionals—like two friends sitting down over lunch to discuss career, craft, family, and hobbies.
Authorhood is a quiet sort of minor fame where the person behind the words is often obscured by the works they’ve created. I aim to use this podcast to find out more about my friends and colleagues.
Look forward to weekly conversations with creators like TV writer/producer Joseph Mallozzi, epic fantasy author Robin Hobb, science fiction author Pierce Brown, Twitch streamer Mark Hulmes, and many more!
Listen on YouTube Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Early Access + Ad-Free Episodes on PatreonOctober 12, 2021
Page Break Episode 17: Mallory O'Meara
The seventeenth episode of my new podcast Page Break is now out! In this episode, my guest is author and podcaster Mallory O’Meara.
Mallory wrote the bestselling nonfiction book The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick. Her upcoming Girly Drinks, a feminist history of women and alcohol, is out just a week from broadcast of this episode. Mallory is also the co-host of the literary podcast Reading Glasses.
Mallory and I talk about how authors are bound to social media and the frustration that brings; how her career took a left turn into nonfiction; and the way Covid disrupted the fragile social lives of creative professionals.
Listen NowPage Break with Brian McClellan is a collection of casual conversations between me and fellow creative professionals—like two friends sitting down over lunch to discuss career, craft, family, and hobbies.
Authorhood is a quiet sort of minor fame where the person behind the words is often obscured by the works they’ve created. I aim to use this podcast to find out more about my friends and colleagues.
Look forward to weekly conversations with creators like TV writer/producer Joseph Mallozzi, epic fantasy author Robin Hobb, science fiction author Pierce Brown, Twitch streamer Mark Hulmes, and many more!
Listen on YouTube Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Early Access + Ad-Free Episodes on PatreonOctober 5, 2021
Page Break Episode 16: Daniel Greene
The sixteenth episode of my new podcast Page Break is now out! In this episode, my guest is YouTuber and author Daniel Greene.
Daniel is the writer and performer behind the hugely popular Fantasy News YouTube and Twitch channels, as well as the author of the epic fantasy novellas Breach of Peace and Rebel’s Creed.
Daniel and I chat about what it’s like to be on the other side of the reviewer’s crosshairs, the massive amount of work it takes to make it on YouTube, the upcoming Wheel of Time show, and more!
Enjoy my conversation with Daniel Greene!
Listen NowPage Break with Brian McClellan is a collection of casual conversations between me and fellow creative professionals—like two friends sitting down over lunch to discuss career, craft, family, and hobbies.
Authorhood is a quiet sort of minor fame where the person behind the words is often obscured by the works they’ve created. I aim to use this podcast to find out more about my friends and colleagues.
Look forward to weekly conversations with creators like TV writer/producer Joseph Mallozzi, epic fantasy author Robin Hobb, science fiction author Pierce Brown, Twitch streamer Mark Hulmes, and many more!
Listen on YouTube Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts Google PodcastsSeptember 28, 2021
Page Break Episode 15: Brent Weeks
The fifteenth episode of my new podcast Page Break is now out! In this episode, my guest is author Brent Weeks, known for the Night Angel Trilogy and Lightbringer series, two acclaimed and best-selling epic fantasies.
Brent and I dig pretty deep into the world of an epic fantasy writer—we talk about the bloat experienced by most long series; how writing dark scenes can affect mental health; what Brent is up to next; and how to choose what to remove and what to leave in a story.
Enjoy my conversation with Brent Weeks!
Listen NowPage Break with Brian McClellan is a collection of casual conversations between me and fellow creative professionals—like two friends sitting down over lunch to discuss career, craft, family, and hobbies.
Authorhood is a quiet sort of minor fame where the person behind the words is often obscured by the works they’ve created. I aim to use this podcast to find out more about my friends and colleagues.
Look forward to weekly conversations with creators like TV writer/producer Joseph Mallozzi, epic fantasy author Robin Hobb, science fiction author Pierce Brown, Twitch streamer Mark Hulmes, and many more!
Listen on YouTube Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts Google PodcastsSeptember 21, 2021
Page Break Episode 14: Aprilynne Pike
The fourteenth episode of my new podcast Page Break is now out! In this episode, my guest is YA author Aprilynne Pike.
Aprilynne burst onto the scene with her debut novel Wings, which hit #1 on the New York Times bestseller list on its second week of release back in 2009. She’s also written the Earthbound series, the Charlotte Westing Chronicles, and the Kingdom of Versailles.
I chat with Aprilynne about being a parent as a professional creative; our childhood fears; and where your career goes after you start off at the top.
Listen NowPage Break with Brian McClellan is a collection of casual conversations between me and fellow creative professionals—like two friends sitting down over lunch to discuss career, craft, family, and hobbies.
Authorhood is a quiet sort of minor fame where the person behind the words is often obscured by the works they’ve created. I aim to use this podcast to find out more about my friends and colleagues.
Look forward to weekly conversations with creators like TV writer/producer Joseph Mallozzi, epic fantasy author Robin Hobb, science fiction author Pierce Brown, Twitch streamer Mark Hulmes, and many more!
Listen on YouTube Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts Google PodcastsSeptember 14, 2021
Page Break Episode 13: Robert Brockway
The thirteenth episode of my new podcast Page Break is now out! In this episode, my guest is novelist and comedy writer Robert Brockway.
Robert got his start during what many listeners will think of as the golden age of Cracked.com, editing and writing funny articles that were read by hundreds of thousands of people every week. Robert’s comedy chops have since moved on to co-found 1900HotDog.com. Robert is also the author of the post-apocalyptic horror novel Carrier Wave and the Vicious Circuit, an urban fantasy series from Tor Books.
Robert discussed his early days at Cracked.com; the responsibility of making people laugh; the difficulty of managing mental and physical health while creating, and the horrors of being thrown into the deep end of public speaking as a new author.
Listen NowPage Break with Brian McClellan is a collection of casual conversations between me and fellow creative professionals—like two friends sitting down over lunch to discuss career, craft, family, and hobbies.
Authorhood is a quiet sort of minor fame where the person behind the words is often obscured by the works they’ve created. I aim to use this podcast to find out more about my friends and colleagues.
Look forward to weekly conversations with creators like TV writer/producer Joseph Mallozzi, epic fantasy author Robin Hobb, science fiction author Pierce Brown, Twitch streamer Mark Hulmes, and many more!
Listen on YouTube Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts Google PodcastsSeptember 7, 2021
Page Break Episode 12: Pierce Brown
The eleventh episode of my new podcast Page Break is now out! In this episode, my guest is bestselling novelist and screenwriter Pierce Brown.
Pierce is known for his excellent Red Rising space opera. During our chat, Pierce dissects my childhood and we philosophize about the headspace of writing as well as our mutual love of video games. We talk about screenwriting, and Pierce even gives a bit of an update on the much-anticipated book six of the Red Rising series and his thoughts on the TV show.
Listen NowPage Break with Brian McClellan is a collection of casual conversations between me and fellow creative professionals—like two friends sitting down over lunch to discuss career, craft, family, and hobbies.
Authorhood is a quiet sort of minor fame where the person behind the words is often obscured by the works they’ve created. I aim to use this podcast to find out more about my friends and colleagues.
Look forward to weekly conversations with creators like TV writer/producer Joseph Mallozzi, epic fantasy author Robin Hobb, science fiction author Pierce Brown, Twitch streamer Mark Hulmes, and many more!
Listen on YouTube Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts Google PodcastsAugust 31, 2021
Page Break Episode 11: Dan Wells
The eleventh episode of my new podcast Page Break is now out! In this episode, my guest is horror and science fiction author Dan Wells.
Dan is the author of the best-selling and critically-acclaimed I am Not a Serial Killer, which was turned into a major motion picture in 2016. He’s also written the Partials Sequence, the Mirador series, the Audible Original Zero G, and a number of other novellas, short stories, and stand-alone novels.
I talk with Dan about authorial branding; supporting his family during the pandemic as a professional game master; some of the ins and outs of their business, and about Dan's current collaboration with our mutual friend Brandon Sanderson.
Listen NowPage Break with Brian McClellan is a collection of casual conversations between me and fellow creative professionals—like two friends sitting down over lunch to discuss career, craft, family, and hobbies.
Authorhood is a quiet sort of minor fame where the person behind the words is often obscured by the works they’ve created. I aim to use this podcast to find out more about my friends and colleagues.
Look forward to weekly conversations with creators like TV writer/producer Joseph Mallozzi, epic fantasy author Robin Hobb, science fiction author Pierce Brown, Twitch streamer Mark Hulmes, and many more!
Listen on YouTube Spotify Podcasts Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts
