Carter Wilson's Making It Up
Making It Up is an unscripted conversation series about the messy reality of being a writer.
Each episode is a deep, unplanned conversation with writers at every stage of the journey. New York Times bestselling authors. Award winners. Debut novelists just getting started. No prepared questions. No talking points. Just two people following the conversation wherever it leads.
We talk about where stories really come from. Childhood influences. Fear. Luck. Loss. Discipline. Doubt. The highs, the lows, and the long stretches in between that rarely get talked about.
At the end of every episode, we put the philosophy into practice. We choose a random sentence from a random book and use it to create an impromptu short story. No prep. No outline. Just making something out of nothing.
Because that is the job.
And that is the point.
Visit Carter at www.carterwilson.com.
Episodes
234 episodes
Making it Up with Daniel G. Miller, author of The Orphanage By The Lake
“Almost anytime somebody gives you a generalization, there's about 17 other examples that break that rule. Some of the greatest books of all time break those rules.” — Dan Miller Daniel G. Miller is the USA Today bestselli...
Making it Up with Marlee Bush, author of Whispers of Dead Girls
“I think that when you don't have an abundance of time, you cherish the time you have more. So that goes for my kids and for writing. I take it very seriously and I do cherish it. It doesn't feel like a job. It doesn't feel like work… But th...
Making It Up with Lisa Unger, author of Served Him Right
“I think people think that the first publishing contract is a windfall... But for most of us, it's the beginning of the story. All it is, is an open door to the writing life. And if you want to succeed... you're going to roll up your sleeves...
Making It Up with Michael Kardos, author of Quick Change
“What I noticed was that I started writing stories and just doing things like, ‘oh, wait, when I write, I don't need other guys. And I don't need a sound man. And I don't need a stage. And I don't need gear.’ It was so nice to be able to mak...
Making It Up with Amy Meyerson, author of The Water Lies
“What I’ve always been really focused on is trying to figure out what is it in any book—and it's different in different genres—that makes you keep turning the page. That's always been my goal: to get people to keep turning.” — Amy Meyerson&n...
Making It Up with Ryan Steck and Simon Gervais, authors of The Second Son
“The biggest thing you have to be able to do with someone is step back, leave your ego at the door and just really both have the same mindset of like, 'Hey, we're in business together... every decision we make has got to be for the readers.”...
Making It Up with Jen J. Danna/Sara Driscoll, author of the FBI K-9s thriller series
“From the time that I started publishing, my goal was to be able to do it full-time... it took 10 years to get there, but you know, slow and steady wins the race.”— Jen J. Danna After over thirty years in infectious diseas...
Making It Up with Clémence Michallon, author of The Quiet Tenant
“I figured out at some point along the way that I was happier trying and failing than I was not trying at all.” — Clémence Michallon Clémence Michallon is an author and a journalist. Her debut thriller The Quiet Tenant was...
Making It Up with Joseph Finder, author of The Oligarch's Daughter
“You want to bond with the reader, you know? And you want to take the reader and basically say to the reader, I'm about to tell you a story now. You're not gonna believe this, but bear with me, okay? And once you've established trust with th...
Making It Up with Gregg Hurwitz, author of the Orphan X series
“I've loved the actual act of writing. You know, I meet a lot of people who wanna be writers. I meet very few who wanna write. I always wanted to write.” — Gregg Hurwitz Gregg Hurwitz is the New York Times #1 internationally bestse...
Making It Up with Wendy Walker, author of Blade
Episode 212 of Making It Up is out and features Wendy Walker, the bestselling author of psychological thrillers including Don’t Look for Me, The Night Before, and All Is Not Forgotten, as well as multiple Audible Originals. Her latest book, Bla...
Making It Up with Matthew Sullivan, author of Midnight in Soap Lake
“If you're not exploring, if you're not really kind of pushing limits, then you really have to ask yourself, well, what am I doing here? Like, this isn't accounting, you know what I mean? It's creative writing.” —Matthew Sullivan M...
Making It Up with Tod Goldberg, author of Only Way Out
“Writer’s block is a myth. It’s your brain lying to you. Chefs don’t have chef’s block.” —Tod Goldberg Tod Goldberg is a New York Times bestselling author of sixteen books, including the Gangsterland quartet, which have won/been a ...
Making It Up with Jennifer Fawcett, author of Keep This for Me
“I’ve just always been drawn to dark stuff. I’m really fascinated by why people do the things that they do—particularly bad things.” —Jennifer Fawcett Jennifer Fawcett is an author, actor, and playwright. She grew up in Canada a...
Making It Up with Danielle Girard, author of Pinky Swear
“The idea that you could be at the whim of something as mercurial as a muse doesn’t work if you also have to show up for a job and a family and kids.” —Danielle Girard Danielle Girard is the USA Today
Making It Up with Courtney Psak, author of The Hostess
“You're really investing in yourself. And when I actually do get a check, I'm like—wait, I got paid for this one?” —Courtney Psak Courtney Psak is the author of two novels, and her third, The Hostess, is being released in April 202...
Making It Up with Chris Pavone, author of The Doorman
“Don’t wait for chapter five to be good. Be good immediately.” —Chris Pavone Chris Pavone is an international thriller author whose novels include THE EXPATS, winner of both the Edgar and Anthony Awards; the instant bestseller TWO ...
Making It Up with I.S. Berry, author of The Peacock and the Sparrow
“(The CIA) redacted my height and weight. I kid you not—they redacted the color of the sky.” —I.S. Berry I.S. Berry spent six years as an operations officer for the CIA, serving in wartime Baghdad and elsewhere. She has li...
Making It Up with Kika Dorsey, author of As Joan Approaches Infinity
“He’s psychotic, you know. That really messed me up… but I think it was good to do—to delve into what is the point of view of someone who’s psychotic.” – Kika Dorsey Kika Dorsey is an author and an English lecturer at the ...
Making It Up with Casey Sherman, author of Blood in the Water
“I wrote the first book to try and give my mother comfort and closure. But halfway through, I realized—I wasn't just telling her story anymore. I was telling mine.” – Casey Sherman Casey Sherman is a New York Times Bestsel...
Making It Up with Alma Katsu, author of Fiend
“Is it a good idea that I write in both horror and spy thrillers? No. I think it’s a crap idea. But Hollywood really loves the spy stories.” —Alma Katsu Alma Katsu is a NYT bestselling author whose books have been nominate...
Making It Up with Andrew Bourelle, author of Shot Clock
“You’re trying to beat on these doors in the publishing world… and suddenly this door you didn’t even know was there opens up and says, ‘Hey, come in.’” —Andrew Bourelle Andrew Bourelle is the critically-acclaimed author o...
Making It Up with Christina Baker Kline and Anne Burt, author of Please Don't Lie
“The whole concept of working together started when we were in a writer's room—a Hollywood production company writer's room—and we learned how to create cliffhangers.” – Christina Baker Kline Christina Baker Kline is...
Making It Up with Cynthia Swanson, author of Anyone But Her
“Readers are giving you such a huge gift—and the gift is their time. So I always feel like to be respectful of that time, I have to be providing them with the best quality book I can.” —Cynthia Swanson Cynthia Swanson is t...
Making It Up with Elena Taylor, author of The Haunting of Emily Grace
“I got one life. What do I want to leave behind? And I decided a failed writer was better than a successful attorney.” —Elena Taylor Elena Taylor spent several years working in theater as a playwright, director, designer, ...