People Who Do Things
John H. Matthews and Laura Buchwald
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43. Motivation and Trilogies
Laura and John talk about staying motivated to write and how to pick up where you left off, as well as completing trilogies and where to go from there.
42. Reading and Writing
Laura and John discuss Laura's newly released novel, The Book of Reservations, the pressures of writing the final book in a trilogy, and how reading helps you write (and admitting Stephen King was…
41. Talking Messy First Drafts with Claudia Zuluaga
John and Laura talk with Claudia Zuluaga—author of Fort Starlight and longtime creative writing teacher at John Jay College—about the art of surviving your messy first draft. Together, they explore…
40. Show Don't Tell
In their 40th episode, Laura and John dive into one of the most essential—and sometimes misunderstood—principles of storytelling: show, don’t tell. They unpack what it really means to let readers…
39. Writing About Place
In this episode, Laura and John dive into the power of place in fiction—how setting does more than anchor a story; it breathes life into it. They explore how writers can craft landscapes that shape…
38. Beyond the First Book: Writing Sequels
In this episode, John and Laura dive into the challenges and rewards of writing sequels and building book series. They discuss how to keep momentum after the first book, balancing character growth…
37. The Coat Check Girl is Out Now!
John talks with Laura about her newly released debut novel, The Coat Check Girl.
36. Inspiration from Steinbeck
Laura and John discuss Laura's upcoming debut novel, The Coat Check Girl, John's new middle grade novel Ace Adler and the Pendulum of Doom, and get inspiration from a quote by John Steinbeck.
35. Traditional and Self Publishing
Laura and John talk about their two paths to publishing: Laura with her traditional contract, and John with his self publishing. Also, tips and tools for getting reviews for your book, whichever way…
34. Photojournalist Richard Drew
Laura and John welcome Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Richard Drew to the podcast. Richard has been an Associated Press photographer for more than fifty years and has been front row to many…
33. The Final Stretch and Next Beginnings
Laura and John catch up after a busy summer and talk about progress and next steps as they are both preparing books for publishing. Laura is in revisions for her publisher, and John is about to…
32. Announcements and More
John welcomes special guest, PWDT's own Laura Buchwald to talk with her about some big announcements in her world. They also discuss progress in their WIPS (works in progress), and more!
31. Self Doubt and Confidence
Laura and John contemplate self doubt in writing, how it ties to ego and confidence. They also go through a few 'best first lines' of book, according to The Guardian.
30. Talking With Barbara Josselsohn
Laura and John welcome author Barbara Josselsohn into the PWDT virtual studio to talk about her book The Lilac House, being a prolific author, managing multiple points-of-view in a book, and her…
29. On Revising and Editing
Laura and John talk about their WIPs (work in progress) and their processes for revising and editing. As usual, they get sidetracked talking about other things, such as Yellowstone, Marc Maron, and…
28. On Getting Motivated to Write
Laura and John distract themselves from writing by talking about what it takes them to get motivated to write.
27. Banter about Characters
Laura and John discuss the importance of creating three-dimensional protagonists and antagonists, and how much detail to give supporting characters.
26. Catching Up With Claudia
Laura and John welcome Claudia Zuluaga back to the podcast. We talk about writing tips and advice for new writers, when you are no longer an aspiring writer, and finding time and 'your place' to…
25. Banter About Process
Laura and John talk about what comes first: plot or character.
24. Season Two Premiere Banter
In what we'll call our Season Two premiere after a summer break, Laura and John catch up on what projects they are working on, the benefits of taking breaks, the excitement of new projects, and prove…
Frequently Asked Questions
People Who Do Things has published 43 episodes since December 2021, covering topics in Arts, Books.
People Who Do Things is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 months. Average episode length is 37m.
