Uncorking a Story Podcast

12/28/2025

Some stories don’t come from imagination alone — they come from inheritance.

In my conversation with Leslie Schover, we talk about how her parents’ real-life involvement in the Manhattan Project became the emotional and historical fuel for her novel Fission — and why truth alone isn’t enough to carry a story.

Leslie shares a crucial lesson for writers: experience gives you raw material, but drama and tension give it life. At one point, an editor challenged her with a question every memoirist eventually faces: Are you writing memory… or story? That distinction pushed her to lean into conflict, emotional stakes, and imagined moments that reveal deeper truth — not just record events.

It’s a powerful reminder that memoir (and fiction rooted in life) isn’t about reporting what happened. It’s about shaping meaning, pressure, and consequence on the page.

If you’re an aspiring writer sitting on a lifetime of lived experience and wondering how to turn it into a compelling memoir, this conversation will resonate — and it’s exactly the kind of work I now support through my new author coaching service, where I help writers transform real life into narrative that moves readers.

Listen to the full interview on Uncorking a Story and if you’re ready to write your memoir with intention, tension, and heart — let’s talk. https://mikecarlon.com/author-coaching/

12/16/2025

I was asked a question during an interview about The Waiting Room that I ask every guest on my podcast:

If you could go back and give your younger self some advice, what would you say?

I didn’t have some big, dramatic answer.

The truth is, I wouldn’t tell my younger self to do anything differently. All of it—the good decisions, the bad ones, the mistakes, the detours—made me who I am. And it took a while, but I like who I turned out to be.

If I were going to whisper anything at all, it would be simple:

Spend time with the people you love.
They won’t always be there.

That’s something I understand differently now—after losing my brother and my mother, and after writing The Waiting Room. Time feels more fragile. Moments feel louder. The small things matter more than I ever realized they would.

This conversation isn’t really about writing a book. It’s about paying attention while you still can.

If any of that resonates, I think you’ll connect with this episode.

12/09/2025

Before he became a global phenomenon with 42 books and over 400 million copies sold, Robin Cook's very first novel… flopped. Hard.

Instead of letting that failure define him, Robin Cook went back to the drawing board and asked himself one simple question:

“What would I want to read?”

The answer became Coma—a runaway bestseller that changed his career and helped create an entirely new genre: the medical thriller.

There’s a lesson in this for every writer:
Failure isn’t the end. It’s a teacher.

So keep learning. Keep rewriting.
Most importantly—keep writing.

12/02/2025

“Technology isn’t good or bad. It just is.” —Robbie Bach former Xbox leader turned bestselling novelist.

But what we do with it?
That’s the real story.

In our conversation, Robbie shares why technology is only ever a tool—and how his thrillers are inspired by that idea.

Listen here → https://ow.ly/hEP150XAnJ7

11/25/2025

The holidays can be hard.

Sometimes they bring up old hurts, old habits, and feelings we thought we’d outgrown.

Jane McGuinness shares how she healed from trauma and emotional eating—and one thing she said really stuck with me:

“You’re loved. And it’s all going to be okay. If it’s not okay yet… it’s not the end.”

Imagine hearing that from a future version of yourself.
How would you treat yourself today if you really believed everything was going to work out?

If you’re struggling right now, please know this:
You’re not alone.
You’re going to get through this.
And good days are ahead.

🎧 Listen to my conversation with Jane here: https://ow.ly/PBwI50XxsGj

11/22/2025

“I don’t think I could get published today.”

That’s what bestselling author Karen White—37 novels, multiple trips to the New York Times list—told me during our conversation. And honestly? Her point hit hard.

Karen came up in a publishing world where story was the only platform you needed. Where you could break in with a manuscript, a stamp, and a dream.

But as she put it, the industry has been “turned inside out and upside down.”

Today? You need a platform.
You need followers.
You need a podcast, a TikTok presence, a “brand.”
You need to shake your moneymaker on TikTok, as she joked.

Karen—who’s built a decades-long career simply by writing beautifully crafted books—said she feels there’s no way she could debut today under the current rules. And she’s not alone. So many talented authors feel drowned out by algorithms, virality, and the prioritization of celebrity deals over craft.

But here’s the truth beneath her words:

Writers didn’t sign up to be influencers. They signed up to tell stories.
And great stories still matter—even if the industry makes it harder to get them noticed.

Karen’s honesty is a reminder that the publishing landscape may shift, but the heart of writing hasn’t. If you’re writing right now—slowly, quietly, without a giant following—you’re not “behind.” You’re doing the work.

And the work still matters.

11/19/2025

In this episode of Uncorking a Story, Wendy Correa shares how confronting pain—not avoiding it—is the key to transformation. Her journey through trauma, sobriety, and self-discovery is a powerful reminder that the only way out is through.
Listen now: https://mikecarlon.com/wendy-correa/

11/18/2025

Uncorking My Story: Join Me Live at The Ferguson Library -

Every week on Uncorking a Story, I have the privilege of opening a bottle (literally or figuratively), sitting across from fascinating people, and digging into the stories that shape who they are.

11/14/2025

From Trauma to Triumph!

After surviving a traumatic marriage and walking away to save herself, embarked on a solo road trip that sparked a seven-year healing journey. Through nature, yoga, plant medicine, and deep introspection, she found strength, forgiveness, and a new sense of self. Her memoir She Journeys is a raw, honest testament to the power of rebuilding from the inside out.

You can begin again. And sometimes, what you build is even more beautiful than what was lost.

11/11/2025

In her moving memoir Lightkeeper, author and photographer Stacy Bass shares how writing became a way to process the sudden loss of her father and cousins in a plane crash.

Her reflections remind us that grief isn’t something to “get over”—it’s something we carry, and it can coexist with joy, love, and purpose. Through storytelling and photography, Stacy keeps the light of her loved ones alive, offering comfort and connection to others navigating loss.

11/07/2025

In this clip from Uncorking a Story, innovation strategist Brianna Sylver shares how letting go of perfectionism unlocked her creativity, helped her write her book, and led her to embrace uncertainty with trust.

Whether you're leading change or chasing a personal goal, don't wait for perfect—start with good and grow from there.

Listen to how Sylver Consulting turned turbulence into transformation.