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What happens after you finally admit the grind stopped working? That is where part two of this conversation with journalist Lindsay Crouse picks up.Lindsay and JP dig into the physical cost of never backing off, talk through Simone Biles' 2021 Olympic decision, and unpack the "never enough" trap that keeps high achievers chasing a finish line that keeps moving. Lindsay also shares why she left a stable job for an uncertain one at The New York Times, and why she believes quitting is a muscle you build through practice, not a moment you arrive at with total certainty.If part one left you rethinking what perseverance actually costs, this episode gives you a way to start putting it into practice.Chapters(00:00) The Michael Phelps Burnout Pattern(01:22) Jesse Diggins and Knowing the Limit(02:48) Rest Was the Same as Decline(03:40) Getting Athletes to Trust the Data(04:51) The Batman Scar: Icing an Injury(09:08) Simone Biles and the Real Spotlight(13:29) The Never-Enough Trap(17:00) Wants vs Needs(19:30) Why She Left a Stable Job at the Times(23:00) Building the Muscle to QuitTOC 3-2-13 Quotes | 2 Questions | 1 ResourceYour fast-track to the episode's most actionable ideas."Our culture teaches us that quitting is a failure, that we didn't try hard enough. But quitting can be the first step to something better."Lindsay Crouse"I think about some of the people I respect a lot. They've quit things, and I've really respected them for how they quit and the reasons why they quit."JP Nerbun"You just have to build this muscle around quitting. That's really the only way that we can grow."Lindsay Crouse2 Questions for Your TeamQ1: What's one situation where you're pushing an athlete, or yourself, toward more, when the data or the body is already telling you it's time to pull back?Q2: If quitting is a muscle, when's the last time you actually practiced it, on purpose, in something small?1 Resource to Go DeeperThe Case for Quitting by Lindsay CrouseA 15 year New York Times veteran makes the research-backed case that stepping back is often the braver, smarter choice than pushing through.Find the book hereKey TakeawaysYour Mind Lies About Your Limits, Your Body Doesn'tSimone Biles Didn't Quit, She Read the InformationDefine "Enough" Before the Season Starts, Not During ItSeparate What You Want From What You NeedQuitting Gets Easier With Practice, Not CertaintyThe Traits That Made You Good Don't Disappear When You Walk AwayGet the notes and tools:tocculture.comJoin TOC Coach, community, courses, and live coaching:tocculture.comBetter Coaches. Better Leaders. Better Culture.
Bestselling crime author JP Pomare joins us to discuss his latest novel The Gambler, and reflects on how his writing process has changed since his debut in 2018. He discusses his start as a sandwich artist, his impulse to write away from cliche, and his advice for aspiring authors. JP Pomare is an award-winning author whose debut novel, Call Me Evie, won the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best First Novel. In the Clearing was made into a Disney+ Original Series, The Clearing, while Tell Me Lies was shortlisted for the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel and the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction. The Last Guests was made into a Stan Original TV series, Watching You. Seventeen Years Later was shortlisted for both the 2025 Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction and the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel, and is currently being adapted for the screen. The Gambler is his eighth novel. Find The Gambler through Booktopia or from your local bookshop or library. Books & authors discussed in this episode On Writing by Stephen King Karl Ove Knausgaard Tierney Page Sally Hepworth He Read, She Read podcast with author Sarah Bailey The Genetic Book of the Dead by Richard Dawkins Land by Maggie O'Farrell The Correspondent by Virginia Evans In the Woods by Tana French Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman Dune by Frank Herbert (aka 'June') Vigil by George Saunders Departure(s) by Julian Barnes The Bee Sting by Paul Murray Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung The Midnight Timetable by Bora Chung The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton Upcoming events Darwin – join Ashley for her first-ever Darwin event, part of NT Writers Festival, Sunday 31 May, 10.15am Darwin – join Ashley in conversation for a Book Besties Darwin special event, Monday 1 June, 6pm Sydney – join James for the launch of Touch Grass by Mary Colusi, Tuesday 2 June, 6.30 pm Sydney – join Ashley and Petronella McGovern at Balmain Library, Thursday 4 June, 6.30pm Sydney – join Ashley for a **free** workshop, Connecting with Your Creative Practice, Friday 19 June, 10am-2pm Adelaide – Ashley is teaching Crafting Narrative Drive for Writers SA, Saturday 27 June 10.30am Winter Writing Retreat – join Ashley for a multi-day writing retreat from Writers at the Woolshed, 12-17 July in the Southern Highlands Geelong – join Ashley for her first-ever Geelong event with Dymocks Books in Bars, Wednesday 22 July, 6.30pm Central Coast – join Ashley for an in-conversation at Umina Book Nook on Friday 21 August, 6pm Learn more about Ashley's thrillers, Dark Mode, Cold Truth, and Like, Follow, Die and get your copies from your local bookshop or library. Learn more about James's award-winning novel Denizen and get your copy from your local bookshop or library. Get in touch! ashleykalagianblunt.com jamesmckenziewatson.com Instagram: @akalagianblunt + @jamesmcwatson
Alli Hoff Kosik is a full-time freelance writer and editor based in Brooklyn, NY. We talk about her love for writing, her transition from book publishing to the freelance life, the projects she's currently working on, and more! (Oh, and her dog Irv, too. Duh!)Alli is the host of the SSR Pod, which stands for Sh•t She Read. On this awesome pod, Alli and her guest revisit and dig into a beloved children's book. You can subscribe to SSR here and find the episode I was a guest on here.Find some of Alli's writing on The Kitchn, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Hello Giggles, Refinery29, Medium, Real Simple.Specifically, check out her article *What I learned about marriage when I quit my job two months after my wedding* , the article I wanted to chat about on the ep but didn't get a chance to! Because, well, I'm new at this.
Chelsey and Curtis are childhood sweethearts looking to connect over a good book… and possibly, across an ocean. But their reading taste might not be as compatible as their personalities. Today they get brutally honest about their least-favorite books (Chelsey’s may shock you), Curtis gives a peek at his favorites from the Army’s required reading list, and Anne pushes them both out of their comfort zone with her recommendations.Click over to the podcast website for a list of books mentioned in this episode, and tell us in the comments what book YOU think Chelsey and Curtis should read next: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/164Listen to Chelsey and Curtis' podcast He Read, She Read on iTunes or your favorite podcast app!iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/he-read-she-read/id1436207095?mt=2 Apply to be a guest on WSIRN: http://whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com/guest
Today’s guest is Alli the podcaster behind SSR Podcast or Sh*t She Read podcast which is one of my go to book podcasts to listen every week. In this episode, we talk all things podcasting, great literary fiction reads that you should pick up next. Alli's go to book are character driven novels which is my exact opposite when it comes to my reading taste.
Hey there word nerds! Today I have the pleasure of hosting author Kathleen Hill on the show! Kathleen teaches in the MFA program at Sarah Lawrence College, and has also taught and lived in the country of Niger which is also where her debut novel Still Waters in Niger is set. Her debut received many accolades including being named a notable book by the New York and Los Angeles Times. Kathleen is also the author of the novel Who Occupies This House, and now of the memoir She Read to us in the Late Afternoons: A Life in Novels. Listen in as we discuss Kathleen’s latest book and how to make the shift from fiction to memoir. In this episode Kathleen and I discuss: Writing literal truth versus emotional truth and when to use both. How to work around constraints of reality in fiction vs. memoir. Ways to tackle “blind spots” of your characters when using an “I” narrator. How to use certain language to make your memoir feel like a novel. Tips on finding your memoir’s hook, and weaving a narrative through your life. Plus, Kathleen’s #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/172
Kathleen Hill, author of the recently published memoir She Read to Us in the Late Afternoons: A Life in Novels, talks to Daniel Ford about how stories she heard in her youth led her to becoming a writer, why she decided to write a memoir, and why writers need to make room within themselves for their impressions. To learn more about Kathleen Hill, visit her official website. This Friday Morning Coffee episode is sponsored by OneRoom.
I ran up the steps and opened the door. The delicious scents of freshly baked bread, warm pastry, ginger, and cinnamon washed over me. I took a deep breath. Heaven, I sometimes thought, must smell like Vicky's bakery... -- Vicki Delany, We Wish You a Murderous Christmas Vicki Delany blogs as the One Woman Crime Wave -- and boy, is she ever. She writes historicals, stand alones, a police procedural series, and several cozy series. Her latest book, We Wish You a Murderous Christmas, launches today, November 1st, as this interview goes live. Can't get enough of Vicki? Me either. Check out her website, her blog, her Facebook page, and, on Twitter, @vickidelany. In the interview, we talk about her Constable Molly Smith series, her cozy series, and her upcoming -- March '17 -- Elementary, She Read, the start of a new Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series. One of Vicki's great talents is the ability to shift genres; her cozies perfectly capture the form, while her stand-alones are the top of suspense and her procedurals envelope you in the investigation. Vicki also writes mysteries for reluctant adult readers, called Rapid Reads. I think this is a brilliant concept -- short, easy-to-read and compelling stories for adults who, for whatever reason, struggle with reading. You can check out the latest, Haitian Graves, and find out more about the Rapid Reads series from the publisher. Enjoy! Transcript of Interview with Vicki Delany Laura Brennan: My guest today has been called “one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers.” Canada nothing, Vicki Delany is one of the world’s most prolific and varied writers, with multiple series and stand-alones in a variety of genres, from cozies to historicals to police procedurals and thrillers. Vicki, thank you for joining me. Vicki Delany: Thank you very much, Laura, for talking to me. LB: There is so much to talk about, but let me start by saying how impressive your output is, not just because you can write across genres, but also because you started writing while a single parent holding a full-time job. VD: That's right. LB: Tell me a little bit about those Sunday writing sessions. VD: Well, the Sunday writing sessions is a long way to go about producing a book. I mean, my first book took me four years. But my children were still living at home and they were still kids and, as you said, I had a full-time job. So I started out, a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon was about the only time I could go to my writing. I also should mention that I took several writing classes which I think is a great way for a beginning writer to get started, not only because you're being taught the tricks and the craft of the trade so to speak, but it requires you to do some work, particularly if there's some expectation you'll come to class next week with output. So anyway, I took some classes and I plugged along and it took me four years to write my first book and then my children grew up and I retired from my job at the bank and on it went. LB: I take so much dedication to write a book over the course of four years. Why were you driven to write a mystery? VD: I don't know if driven is even so much the word. In my case, it was a little bit of the cart coming before the horse. Because my first idea was that I thought I might like writing for children, because I have three daughters. And one year at Christmas I wrote them a special story as the Christmas present, just a children's story and it had their names as one of the characters and I printed it out and tied a pretty red ribbon around it. And I liked that, so I took a creative writing course at my local community college. And fairly quickly I decided that I didn't want to write for children, but I was really enjoying the class. So I thought, gee, I wonder what I should write now? Well, I read mystery novels, so maybe I'll try my hand at that. So actually,