The Best of ‘The Writer’s Brain’ Part Two: Empathy

Welcome back to a special edition of The Writer Files called “The Best of the Writer s Brain,” a series neuroscientist Michael Grybko and I started in 2015 where I enlisted his help to give us a tour of the inner workings of the writer’s process. Q: Have you ever wondered how great writing creates an emotional response in readers? As we take a short Summer hiatus to book new guests for the upcoming season, I thought I d put all of these enlightening episodes in one place … In Part Two of the series I invited my friend, research scientist Michael Grybko — of the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington — back on the show to help me define empathy from a scientific standpoint and shed light on the darker corners of how writers can tap into the hopes, dreams, and fears of readers. If you missed The Best of ‘The Writer s Brain’ Part One: Creativity you can find it on writerfiles.fm, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. In this file Michael Grybko and I discuss: How science is changing our definition of empathy What actors and doctors have in common with writers How to resist the dark side of empathy The difference between good storytelling and great storytelling How marketers tap into well-worn paths in our brains The key to empathizing with your readers Why great content starts with the desire to help people The Show Notes:   The Best of The Writer s Brain Part One: Creativity Mirror Neurons Empathy Maps: A Complete Guide to Crawling Inside Your Customer s Head Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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“Learn how acclaimed writers keep the ink flowing, the cursor moving, and avoid writer’s block.” Each week, host Kelton Reid chats with guests like Nobel Prize winner Abdulrazak Gurnah, on life after becoming a laureate; #1 New York Times bestselling author, Emily Henry on her past life as a YA mid-lister; Celebrated author, Walter Mosley, on his conflicted feelings after winning a National Book Award; NY Times bestselling author, Lisa Scottoline, on what she learned from literary lion Philip Roth; #1 NY Times bestselling author Dennis Lehane on what he borrowed from Clint Eastwood; and bestselling author, Matt Haig, on the process behind his novel, The Midnight Library, and serial guest hosts: neuroscientist Michael Grybko, journalist Adam Skolnick, and short story writer Robert Bruce.