Lifewriting: Write for Your Life!

Updated: 26 Jul 2025 • 162 episodes
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Authors and screenwriters Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due (and guests!) on writing, the writer's life, Hollywood, the work/family balance and relationships - the tools writers need to make themselves the heroes/heroines of their own story. - LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL at https://www.speakpipe.com/LifewritingPodcast (We might play your message!) - Join our MAILING LIST at www.lifewritingweekly.com

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In this first "Lifewriting Live!" with a live audience, Steve and Tananarive talk about overcoming fears and past failures with goals and actions to make the Universe say "Oh, sh*t! She's serious!"  Tananarive also talks about what she learned about outlining versus "pantsing" from George R.R. Martin while she was teac

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Steve and Tananarive are BACK after disappearing into directing their first film! THE KEEPER wrapped last week, and they share their experiences as novelists turned screenwriters turned directors, stories from the set, and how YOU can direct your own film with only an iPhone and a skeleton crew.  LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL a

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In this episode (which originally aired in June of 2024), Tananarive opens up about why it was so difficult for her to write her novel, THE REFORMATORY, and why it was such a thrill to win Best Novel at The Bram Stoker Awards -- the first Black author to win Best Novel!  How she motivated herself to write a difficult n

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In this spoiler-crammed episode, Steve and Tananarive lead a community celebration of SINNERS and break down both the film and Ryan Coogler's Hollywood journey to shaking up Hollywood.  This is the FULL replay of the community Zoom: https://youtu.be/bGFavqpA4Rc And don't delay signing up for our hybrid Screenwriting we

67 min
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In this episode, Steve and Tananarive premiere their "vintage" radio play, THE WALKER, a narrative audio story modeled after classic radio of the 1930s and 1940s - but diverse!  But first, they talk to co-producer J. Michael Hayes (an author, filmmaker and Lifewriting Premium alum) about how they brought the story to l

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In this episode, Steve and Tananarive talk about adapting their horror graphic novel, THE KEEPER (illustrated by Marco Finnegan), as a short film for a major production company.  On how they made the journey from prose writers to screenwriters to having an opportunity to direct a short film with an eye toward directing

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