Best Page and Screen Creative Podcasts (2025)

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Imagination, Inspiration, and Creative Resilience with Lizzie Hopley 1:09:19

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6h ago1:09:19

1:09:19

Actress and writer Lizzie Hopley was born in Liverpool and trained at RADA. As an actress, she has worked for the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Globe Theatre and recent screen work includes Black Doves and upcoming feature film Fackham Hall. As a writer, her radio sitcom Green won Pozzitive TV’s Funny Dot Comp 2021 and TV series Bloody Betty is…

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Ep. 019 -"The Women" by Kristin Hannah 19:13

5d ago19:13

19:13

Welcome to episode 19 of Cliffhangers & Page Turners with Paige and Cliff. Today we are discussing "The Women" by Kristin Hannah. This episode does contain spoilers so if you'd like to read the book first, turn back now. Let us know in the comments what you thought of the book or suggest what book we should read next! Join us next week for "Breakfa…

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CPT #108: Fake It Till You Make It 4:01

7d ago4:01

4:01

You've almost certainly heard the advice to "Fake it till you make it." It's good advice—some of the time. We don't talk about when it's best to avoid it, and that's what I'm talking about in this very short episode. I teach women how to reignite their lost creative spark. If you’ve been tearing up when you encounter other people’s art because you’…

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Ep 485: A midyear reading check-in 1:00:52

8d ago1:00:52

1:00:52

A midyear reading check-in has become a small tradition around here, and today Anne is welcoming team member Shannan Malone back to the podcast. Today, you'll hear Anne and Shannan dive into the history of this practice before exploring how this year’s been going so far, what they're each excited about, and what’s working (and not working) in each …

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Ep. 018 -"The Bear and the Nightingale" by Katherine Arden 26:48

12d ago26:48

26:48

Welcome to episode 18 of Cliffhangers & Page Turners with Paige and Cliff. Today we are discussing "The Bear and the Nightingale" by Katherine Arden. This episode does contain spoilers so if you'd like to read the book first, turn back now. Let us know in the comments what you thought of the book or suggest what book we should read next! Join us ne…

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Don't Dream It—Be It with Barbara Hambly 56:43

14d ago56:43

56:43

Since her first published novel, Time of the Dark, in 1982, Barbara Hambly has touched most of the bases in genre fiction, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, media tie-ins, graphic novels, screenplays, murder mysteries, and Saturday morning cartoons. Her work has been nominated for numerous Locus Awards, and her novel Those Who Hunt the Ni…

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Ep 484: A summer to slow down and sink into what you love 49:11

15d ago49:11

49:11

Today's guest is looking for ways to slow down and sink into what she loves most as she plans her summer of reading. Chelsea Siler is an early childhood special education teacher in Tacoma, Washington. She's often found reading to be a source of joy, escape, and growth, and she'd like these positive experiences to be reflected in her reading select…

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Ep. 017 - "The Secret Life of Sunflowers" by Marta Molnar 14:53

19d ago14:53

14:53

Welcome to episode 17 of Cliffhangers & Page Turners with Paige and Cliff. Today we are discussing "The Secret Life of Sunflowers" by Marta Molnar. This episode does contain spoilers so if you'd like to read the book first, turn back now. Let us know in the comments what you thought of the book or suggest what book we should read next! Join us next…

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CPT #107: Rethinking "Hard" 5:26

21d ago5:26

5:26

What do you tell yourself when things get hard? Here's a short take on a different perspective to help keep you on track. I teach women how to reignite their lost creative spark. If you’ve been tearing up when you encounter other people’s art because you’ve lost touch with your own, let's talk. Want more tips? Check out all my previous Creative Pep…

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Ep 483: Help me find my new go-to summer author! 1:05:42

22d ago1:05:42

1:05:42

We often discuss auto-buy authors and completist authors around here, and today's guest is a completist on a mission to discover her new favorite summer author. Stephanie Edwards-Gass is a seventh-grade English teacher and an Elin Hilderbrand completist. For years, she's turned to Hilderbrand's novels for summer reading satisfaction. She's read (an…

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Ep. 016 - "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald 17:02

26d ago17:02

17:02

Welcome to episode 16 of Cliffhangers & Page Turners with Paige and Cliff. Today we are discussing "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This episode does contain spoilers so if you'd like to read the book first, turn back now. Let us know in the comments what you thought of the book or suggest what book we should read next! Join us next week …

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Ep 482: Diving into evocative ocean reads 47:25

29d ago47:25

47:25

We always love reading on a theme, and today's guest would love to see her real-life love of the ocean mirrored in the pages of her books. Noelle Leong is a science and medicine-focused librarian at a small liberal arts college. She especially loves her work for the opportunities it provides her to join the students on trails and visiting tidepools…

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How Curiosity Fuels Your Creative Power with Terise Lang 1:10:51

1M ago1:10:51

1:10:51

Terise Lang is a certified life, health, and wellness coach with a lifelong interest in and love of all things creative. She joins me today for a wide-ranging discussion of the power of creativity, including the way she uses creativity in her work, how our creativity is so often socialized out of us in the name of more conformity, our tendency to d…

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Ep. 015 - "Never Flinch" by Stephen King 13:00

1M ago13:00

13:00

Welcome to episode 15 of Cliffhangers & Page Turners with Paige and Cliff. Today we are discussing "Never Flinch" by Stephen King. This episode does contain spoilers so if you'd like to read the book first, turn back now. Let us know in the comments what you thought of the book or suggest what book we should read next! Join us next week for "The Gr…

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CPT #106: You Really Do Know 7:02

1M ago7:02

7:02

Over the years, I've come to the often frustrating conclusion that we know more than we think we do. I tell you why in this short episode. I teach women how to reignite their lost creative spark. If you’ve been tearing up when you encounter other people’s art because you’ve lost touch with your own, we should talk. Want more tips? Check out all my …

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Ep 481: A reading life that comes in waves 51:26

1M ago51:26

51:26

Nonfiction books often change the way that readers see the world, and today's guest Evan Carlson is on the hunt for fiction that packs the same punch as the nonfiction works he loves. Evan's joining Anne from Chicago, where he lives and works as an actor and poet. He's found that reading poetry and nonfiction helps him challenge his ways of thinkin…

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Ep. 014 - "Terminal Lucidity" by Jo Loveday 15:43

1M ago15:43

15:43

Welcome to episode 13 of Cliffhangers & Page Turners with Paige and Cliff. Today we are discussing "Terminal Lucidity" by Jo Loveday. This episode does contain spoilers so if you'd like to read the book first, turn back now. Let us know in the comments what you thought of the book or suggest what book we should read next! Join us next week for "Nev…

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Teaching, Empathy, and Living Abroad with Alex Poppe 1:08:14

1M ago1:08:14

1:08:14

Writer, teacher, and humanitarian aid worker Alex Poppe joined me last year to talk about her journey from acting to teaching to writing, and how her experiences abroad influenced her journey. She returns to the show today to talk about her new memoir, Breakfast Wine, which chronicles her time teaching in Iraq. We also talk about what we each learn…

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Ep 480: Branching out with escapist, emotionally resonant novels 58:23

1M ago58:23

58:23

Feeling more confident about finding the right reads is a common bookish goal. In today's conversation, Anne welcomes Tynisha Coleman to the show to talk about her current reading goals. Tynisha is a leadership development coach, university lecturer, and sci-fi and fantasy lover from New Jersey. She doesn't shy away from books that tackle tough plo…

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Ep. 013 - "To the End of the Line" by Sage Greer 16:49

1M ago16:49

16:49

Welcome to episode 13 of Cliffhangers & Page Turners with Paige and Cliff. Today we are discussing "To the End of the Line" by Sage Greer. This episode does contain spoilers so if you'd like to read the book first, turn back now. Let us know in the comments what you thought of the book or suggest what book we should read next! Join us next week for…

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CPT #105: 16 and Faking It 4:48

2M ago4:48

4:48

Here's a super-short story: something a friend said to me once that's stuck with me, and why I think it might help you keep some needed perspective on yourself and your creative efforts. I teach women how to reignite their lost creative spark. If you’ve been tearing up when you encounter other people’s art because you’ve lost touch with your own, w…

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Ep 479: Balancing backlist with shiny new releases 1:12:38

2M ago1:12:38

1:12:38

Every year we get some variation of this question: how can a reader like today’s guest, Elise Brancheau, balance all the shiny new books of summer with the backlist titles that are already patiently waiting on her to-be-read list? Elise is a New Jersey-based professional classical singer who describes herself as a huge reading-planning nerd. We kno…

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Ep. 012 - "The Cavern" by Kelly Keevins 15:41

2M ago15:41

15:41

Welcome to episode 12 of Cliffhangers & Page Turners with Paige and Cliff. Today we are discussing"The Cavern" by Kelly Keevins. This episode does contain spoilers so if you'd like to read the book first, turn back now. Let us know in the comments what you thought of the book or suggest what book we should read next! Join us next week for "To the E…

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Harnessing Nature's Wisdom with Jocelyn Hastie 1:02:34

2M ago1:02:34

1:02:34

Jocelyn Hastie spent 30 years as an accountant before the combination of a stage 4 cancer diagnosis and a sudden job loss forced a radical turn, leading her to work full-time with horses as a way to foster leadership skills and personal growth. She joins me to talk about why it’s not fair to judge accountancy as boring, how bad management and leade…

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Ep 478: A snippet from the 2025 Summer Reading Guide 10:33

2M ago10:33

10:33

We're taking you behind the scenes of our 2025 Summer Reading Guide and sharing an excerpt from our live Unboxing party. Our 2025 Guide includes 35 books across a range of genres which we've grouped into six categories. Today you'll hear Anne's commentary of three books from the first category, Family Sagas. Our Summer Reading Guide and Unboxing ar…

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Ep. 011 - "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain 14:13

2M ago14:13

14:13

Welcome to episode 11 of Cliffhangers & Page Turners with Paige and Cliff. Today we are discussing "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain. This episode does contain spoilers so if you'd like to read the book first, turn back now. Let us know in the comments what you thought of the book or suggest what book we should read next! Join us n…

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CPT #104: Limitations 4:28

2M ago4:28

4:28

It's counterintuitive, but sometimes limitations are your best friend, especially when you're doing something creative. I explain why in this super-short episode. Listen to my conversation with Nick Morrison here. I teach women how to reignite their lost creative spark. If you’ve been tearing up when you encounter other people’s art because you’ve …

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Ep 477: A summer reading road trip 59:40

2M ago59:40

59:40

We're kicking off Summer Reading Season with our fourteenth annual Summer Reading Guide, coming this Thursday! Today on the podcast Anne is joined by a special guest who is particularly well qualified to go behind the scenes of our 2025 Summer Reading Guide with her: Will Bogel! Many of you consider Anne's husband Will to be your book twin, and tod…

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Ep. 010 - "A New America" by Aaron Morell 14:01

2M ago14:01

14:01

Welcome to episode 10 of Cliffhangers & Page Turners with Paige and Cliff. Today we are discussing "A New America" by Aaron Morell. This episode does contain spoilers so if you'd like to read the book first, turn back now. Let us know in the comments what you thought of the book or suggest what book we should read next! Join us next week for the li…

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Building Worlds on Page and Screen with Josh Mendoza 57:15

2M ago57:15

57:15

My guest today is Josh Mendoza, an award-winning filmmaker known for his post-apocalyptic feature film, What Still Remains. His debut novel, Shadow of the Eternal Watcher, which combines sci-if and film noir, was released in January. Josh joins me to talk about his start in creative writing and his move into film, the similarities and differences i…

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Ep 476: Offbeat, intricately plotted books for an ambitious reading project 1:13:42

2M ago1:13:42

1:13:42

Reading projects take all shapes and sizes, and today's guest has set a goal to read all the Women's Prize for Fiction shortlists and winners. Today, Anne is talking books with Kathryn, who lives on the island of Okinawa, Japan, with her military husband and energetic golden retriever. Kathryn works for a nonprofit and spends her leisure time readi…

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Ep. 009 - "Toothsucker" by Kaden Love 13:29

3M ago13:29

13:29

Welcome to episode 9 of Cliffhangers & Page Turners with Paige and Cliff. Today we are discussing "Toothsucker" by Kaden Love. This episode does contain spoilers so if you'd like to read the book first, turn back now. Let us know in the comments what you thought of the book or suggest what book we should read next! Join us next week for "A New Amer…

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CPT #103: Celebrate Your Wins 4:57

3M ago4:57

4:57

Building on my conversation with Amber Petty last week: I look at how and why you should celebrate your accomplishments in this short episode. I teach women how to reignite their lost creative spark. If you’ve been tearing up when you encounter other people’s art because you’ve lost touch with your own, we should talk. Want more tips? Check out all…

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Ep 475: Help for a fiction lover who wants to read more nonfiction 48:59

3M ago48:59

48:59

Today's guest is an avid reader, retired social worker, and What Should I Read Next? completist who lives in New Jersey. Jill Jaclin has a reading conundrum: she really wants to read more nonfiction, but she's struggled to find a way to incorporate it into her reading life. As she told Anne, she also knows that there are nonfiction books out there …

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Ep. 008 - "Sunrise on the Reaping" by Suzanne Collins 11:18

3M ago11:18

11:18

Welcome to episode 8 of Cliffhangers & Page Turners with Paige and Cliff. Today we are discussing "Sunrise on the Reaping" by Suzanne Collins. This episode does contain spoilers so if you'd like to read the book first, turn back now. Let us know in the comments what you thought of the book or suggest what book we should read next! Join us next week…

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Navigating Feedback and Building Creative Confidence with Amber Petty 1:01:58

3M ago1:01:58

1:01:58

Amber Petty helps creatives get bylines and build audiences. She's written for the New York Times, Parade, Bustle, and others, and her clients have been published in outlets like the New Yorker, Washington Post, New York Times and many more. Amber talks with me about how she moved from teaching singing to teaching freelancing, how easy it is to dow…

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Ep 474: Burnout and the reading life 51:22

3M ago51:22

51:22

Readers, if you are feeling burned out right now, you are not alone. In our team meeting last week, we talked about the fact that things are hard right now. That's why this feels like a great time to revisit a favorite past episode from another time not so long ago when we were also feeling burned out. Today we're sharing Anne's May 2021 conversati…

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CPT #102: Write It Down 4:15

3M ago4:15

4:15

This might be the most functionally important pep talk ever—and you may even know it already! It bears repeating, though, and I tell you why in this super-short episode. I teach women how to reignite their lost creative spark. If you’ve been tearing up when you encounter other people’s art because you’ve lost touch with your own, let's talk. Want m…

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Ep 473: Refining an out-of-date TBR system 1:00:46

3M ago1:00:46

1:00:46

When the world feels heavy, many of us look to books for distraction, inspiration, or reassurance. Today's guest has a unique spin on what she's seeking and would love Anne's help in figuring out how the types of reads she wants right now fit into her existing to-be-read (TBR) system. Émilie Weidl lives in Wales, where she's taken a year off before…

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Preserving Memories with Andrew Darlow 58:34

3M ago58:34

58:34

Andrew Darlow is a New Jersey-based photographer, inventor, author, and digital workflow coach. For over 25 years he has helped people preserve, protect and back up their irreplaceable photos, videos and other digital files. His photography, tips and reviews have appeared in many publications and media outlets, including: People magazine, Animal Pl…

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CPT #101: What's Your Truth? 7:50

4M ago7:50

7:50

What's your truth? Do you know? You might not—we're often not taught how to tell what's true for us, and instead, we're told what should be true for us. So why should we care, and how do we find out? I'll give you some suggestions in this short episode. I teach women how to reignite their lost creative spark. If you’ve been tearing up when you enco…

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Ep 472: Literary + Genre = match made in heaven 56:55

4M ago56:55

56:55

Finding highly discussable books for book clubs often feels like a full-time job, especially if you're a member of multiple long-standing book clubs like today's guest, Lara. Today, Lara joins Anne to talk about her constant search for fiction that explores the human condition in all its messy glory. She loves these sorts of books because they give…

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Wrangling the Doubt Monster with Amy L. Bernstein 57:52

4M ago57:52

57:52

Amy L. Bernstein is a multi-genre novelist, award-winning journalist, speechwriter, playwright, poet, and nonfiction book coach. Her new book is Wrangling the Doubt Monster: Fighting Fears, Finding Inspiration. Amy teaches a variety of writing workshops and is a frequent guest on podcasts to discuss writing, publishing, and creativity. Amy joins me…

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Ep 471: Don't let perfectionism ruin your reading life 1:07:42

4M ago1:07:42

1:07:42

Over the past few years, today's guest has been on a journey of self-discovery. Florida reader Casey has been working on coming to terms with her perfectionism and along the way, she's been noticing what it means for her reading life. Casey's noticed she tends to save highly anticipated books for later: some uncertain time down the road when circum…

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CPT #100: Take a Chance 5:49

4M ago5:49

5:49

Sometimes we don't act on ideas because we're convinced we can't sustain them long-term. Here's why you should take a chance—and how taking the leap on creative pep talks worked out for me. 🎉 Spoiler: This is pep talk ONE HUNDRED!!! 🎉 I teach women how to reignite their lost creative spark. If you’ve been tearing up when you encounter other people’…

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Ep 470: Revisiting childhood favorites for a nostalgic reading project 57:30

4M ago57:30

57:30

Re-reading is a practice fits into every reader's life in a different way, and today's guest has embarked on a unique reading challenge that brings a fresh perspective to her re-reading. Sarah Swarbrick joins Anne today from the outskirts of Sydney, Australia, to talk about the special project she's crafted in advance of her 53rd birthday. With her…

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Changing Lives with Wendi Gordon 1:04:05

4M ago1:04:05

1:04:05

My guest today is Wendi Gordon, a mental and spiritual health writer, speaker, and coach. Wendi writes for various digital media outlets, including her own “Changing Lives” newsletter, where she shares her mental and spiritual health struggles and the resources and practices that have helped her change her life to help others change theirs. Wendi t…

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Ep 469: Book Club is for discussing, discovering, and dissenting 1:08:29

4M ago1:08:29

1:08:29

Readers, we often receive questions from you about our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club and what actually goes on in our online reading community, and today's guest is here to help Anne take you behind the scenes! You may already know Ginger Horton, our MMD Book Club Community Manager, from her prior appearances here on the podcast or because you interac…

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CPT #99: Trust Yourself 4:44

4M ago4:44

4:44

Why should you start trusting yourself, and how do you start doing it more? I answer these questions in this super short episode. Want more tips? Check out this playlist with all my previous Creative Pep Talks! Could you leave a review? It's really easy, and it helps SO much. Thanks! If you'd like to stay up to date on things like my courses and al…

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Ep 468: Books for an adventure out West 1:00:54

4M ago1:00:54

1:00:54

Today's guest is a mood reader who often finds herself falling down a reading rabbit hole. Madelyn Kresinske is an elementary school librarian, wife, and mom who reads widely from middle-grade and picture books to romance, family dramas, and more. Madelyn doesn't hate her pattern of falling into sometimes a rut, sometimes she actually quite enjoys …

Page And Screen Creative Podcasts