How Artist Finds Inspiration to Restore Creative Energy - Tricia Regan

In Chapter 10 of 10 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, director and filmmaker Tricia Regan shares how she finds inspiration from outside sources after experiencing a string of bad luck. Working in television, she finds inspiration from two colleagues who are working on side film projects. She builds upon this inspiration by working through "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron to better connect to her creative voice. Regan is an Emmy-Award winning filmmaker. She directed, produced and shot "Autism: The Musical." When not shooting documentary films, Regan has worked as a director, producer, and writer at ABC, NBC, FOX, and Lifetime. She earned a bachelors from Binghamton University and masters from New York University.

Fabian Pfortmüller on How to Avoid Information Overload and Find Inspiration Online

In Chapter 5 of 19 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview, community builder and entrepreneur Fabian Pfortmüller talks about how he finds inspiration by pursuing information beyond the obvious.  He finds it easy to quickly get overloaded with general information - too many tabs - and too little knowledge gained.  As a result, he pushes himself to go beyond general news and information consumption and find more challenging content and story.  Pfortmüller is co-founder of Sandbox Network (www.sandbox-network.com).  He also co-founded an innovation think tank, Incubaker (www.incubaker.com), and is part of the group's first spin-off, Holstee (www.holstee.com), an apparel brand for people who would like to wear their passion.  Pfortmüller graduated from Columbia University and its School of General Studies. 

Transcript:

Erik Michielsen: What do you mean when you say that your interests lie at anything beyond the obvious?

Fabian Pfortmüller:  I believe we live in a world full of information and you know when I open my computer in the morning and I make up a browser, I suddenly have opened twenty tabs, I’m sure you know what that feeling is and I think the interesting information today, at least for me, are the ones where I learn something, where I kind of get inspired and where it goes a little deeper, it goes beyond the obvious information where you read it and it’s kind of ‘Oh, okay I consumed that information’, but I haven’t taken anything out of it.

And I think the obvious takes the information that far but I feel that the good – the gold nuggets can be found in… especially people who are willing to take some risk when they write stories and are willing to really go deeper and kind of push it a little bit the ball further and that’s what I really love.

Why to Tell Stories People Can Identify as Their Own - Michael Margolis

In Chapter 9 of 13 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with Erik Michielsen, storyteller and entrepreneur Michael Margolis shares why successful stories are sincere and worth telling.  Ultimately, it is about telling a story others can believe in and identify as their own.  Margolis is the founder and president of Get Storied (http://www.getstoried.com), an education and publishing platform dedicated to teaching the world how to think in narrative.  As a consultant, educator and writer he uses storytelling to create more effective branding, innovation and culture change.  Margolis earned a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from Tufts University. 

How to Tell a Better Story - Michael Margolis

In Chapter 8 of 13 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with Erik Michielsen, storyteller and entrepreneur Michael Margolis shares how to tell a better story by focusing on three fundamental story elements. First, it is key to understand the protagonist, the hero, who is sympathetic and relatable. Second, tension is critical. For example, what is the friction or what is the character up against? Third, it is critical to have a clear inciting incident that grabs people's attention and engages an audience. This allows the story to take off. Margolis is the founder and president of Get Storied (http://www.getstoried.com), an education and publishing platform dedicated to teaching the world how to think in narrative. As a consultant, educator and writer he uses storytelling to create more effective branding, innovation and culture change. Margolis earned a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from Tufts University.

How Food Writer Builds Upon Not Eating Out Blog Success - Cathy Erway

In Chapter 17 of 19 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with Erik Michielsen, author, food writer, and rooftop gardener Cathy Erway how she approached starting a second blog, Lunch at Six Point, after the success of her first, Not Eating Out in New York. She takes a different creative direction, focusing on growing food and farming in an urban gardening setting. The new effort gives Erway new ways to connect with readers, including her "Name That Plant" contest. Erway is the author of "The Art of Eating In: How I learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove." She writes two blogs, "Not Eating Out in New York" (http://www.noteatingoutinny.com ) and "Lunch at Six Point" (http://www.lunchatsixpoint.com ). Erway earned her B.A. in Creative Writing from Emerson College.

How Food Author Finds Purpose Beyond the Bestseller List - Cathy Erway

In Chapter 8 of 19 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with Erik Michielsen, author and food writer Cathy Erway shares how she defines and measures success. Cathy acknowledges her first book, "The Art of Eating In", is not going to be a New York Times Bestseller or mainstream hit. Rather, it is a niche book. She feels successful when her book and writing connect deeply with a small number of people, in particular with those who respond to her writing on making positive changes to the food system and how we eat. Erway is the author of "The Art of Eating In: How I learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove." She writes two blogs, "Not Eating Out in New York" (http://www.noteatingoutinny.com ) and "Lunch at Six Point" (http://www.lunchatsixpoint.com ). Erway earned her B.A. in Creative Writing from Emerson College.

How Peer Group Support Network Helps Food Writer Develop - Cathy Erway

In Chapter 7 of 19 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with Erik Michielsen, author and food writer Cathy Erway shares how her food writing peer community provides a collective sense of group unity. This unity allows the group to confide in one another, seek understanding, and develop professionally, including increasing specialization as experience and confidence grow. Erway is the author of "The Art of Eating In: How I learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove." She writes two blogs, "Not Eating Out in New York" (http://www.noteatingoutinny.com ) and "Lunch at Six Point" (http://www.lunchatsixpoint.com ). Erway earned her B.A. in Creative Writing from Emerson College.

How Talk Radio Provides Writer Creative Inspiration - Cathy Erway

In Chapter 6 of 19 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with Erik Michielsen, author and food writer Cathy Erway shares how talk radio shows provide her creative inspiration. As a writer, Erway often works alone. By starting her own talk radio show, "Let's Eat In", hosted by Heritage Radio Networks, Erway gets exposure to a wide range of stories and personalities in an unscripted environment. She compares her experiences to NPR and the wide variation of guests interviewed on the show. Erway is the author of "The Art of Eating In: How I learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove." She writes two blogs, "Not Eating Out in New York" (http://www.noteatingoutinny.com ) and "Lunch at Six Point" (http://www.lunchatsixpoint.com ). Erway earned her B.A. in Creative Writing from Emerson College.

How to Be a Better Writer - Cathy Erway

In Chapter 5 of 19 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with Erik Michielsen, author and food writer Cathy Erway shares her approaches to improving her writing skills. Erway is a big blogging advocate, and finds value learning from readers about what resonates most with her audience. Additionally, she practices writing by doing exercises and assignments, from doodling and poetry to journalism. Erway is the author of "The Art of Eating In: How I learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove." She writes two blogs, "Not Eating Out in New York" (http://www.noteatingoutinny.com ) and "Lunch at Six Point" (http://www.lunchatsixpoint.com ). Erway earned her B.A. in Creative Writing from Emerson College.

How to Market and Promote Yourself on a Budget - Cathy Erway

In Chapter 4 of 19 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with Erik Michielsen, author and food writer Cathy Erway shares what she learned about marketing and promoting herself and her first book, "The Art of Eating In." She learns to couple continuous blogging with participating in events around New York City, including cookoffs and supper clubs. Erway is the author of "The Art of Eating In: How I learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove." She writes two blogs, "Not Eating Out in New York" (http://www.noteatingoutinny.com ) and "Lunch at Six Point" (http://www.lunchatsixpoint.com ). Erway earned her B.A. in Creative Writing from Emerson College.

How to Pitch a Book and Become an Author - Cathy Erway

In Chapter 3 of 19 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with Erik Michielsen, author and food writer Cathy Erway shares advice on pitching a book. She notes alternative publishing platforms, from blogging and self-publishing, are great ways to build momentum and sharpen focus. She shares how her book pitch evolved over the course of one year and how this was received by both her literary agent and publisher. Erway is the author of "The Art of Eating In: How I learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove." She writes two blogs, "Not Eating Out in New York" (http://www.noteatingoutinny.com ) and "Lunch at Six Point" (http://www.lunchatsixpoint.com ). Erway earned her B.A. in Creative Writing from Emerson College.

How to Choose a Storytelling Medium Right For You - Cathy Erway

In Chapter 2 of 19 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with Erik Michielsen, author and food writer Cathy Erway shares her approach to selecting the best medium to tell a story. She sticks to her passion, which happens to be writing, and advises other writers to also stick with their passions. Erway experiments with different mediums, including radio and video, but finds her passion, writing, prevails in how she communicates and shares. Erway is the author of "The Art of Eating In: How I learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove." She writes two blogs, "Not Eating Out in New York" (http://www.noteatingoutinny.com ) and "Lunch at Six Point" (http://www.lunchatsixpoint.com ). Erway earned her B.A. in Creative Writing from Emerson College.

How to Make TV Content Mobile and Social Media Friendly - Mark Graham

In Chapter 19 of 19 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, editor and writer Mark Graham shares how he is finding his digital media experience useful working at the VH1 television network. As content consumption. Learning how television works helps Graham find better ways to improve user experience and content consumption across various platforms, including web, mobile, and social media. Graham is an editor at MTV Networks. Previously he worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English.

How Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber Made Music Videos Popular Again - Mark Graham

In Chapter 18 of 19 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, editor and writer Mark Graham shares how Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga helped the music video entertainment medium regain popularity after a several year downturn. Over that period, consumer appetite for music grew and Bieber and Gaga embraced the opportunity, creating and releasing short, visually engaging music videos across online video platforms including YouTube. Graham is currently a senior editor at MTV Networks. Previously he worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English.

How to Tell Better Entertainment News Stories - Mark Graham

In Chapter 17 of 19 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, editor and writer Mark Graham shares his process for determining the appropriate storytelling medium for online entertainment news and events. When attacking a story, Graham first focuses on the story essence - what is the story, where is it going, where it originates. He then thinks about the readership preferences and the available media options - video, pictures, long-form writing, short-form blogs - he can use. For example, Graham notes how red carpet events are very visual so video and pictures take precedence over writing. Graham is currently a senior editor at MTV Networks. Previously he worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English.

How Red Carpet Celebrity Interviews Make Career More Meaningful - Mark Graham

In Chapter 16 of 19 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, editor and writer Mark Graham shares what he enjoys most about working red carpet events. Shortly after joining VH1, Graham gets his first red carpet experience at the Critics Choice Music Awards helping on-air correspondents cover the event. During the event Graham gets firsthand experience with nearly 25 celebrity interviews. Graham compares this personal connection with his experience interviewing celebrities on the phone over the course of his media career. Graham is currently a senior editor at MTV Networks. Previously he worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English.

How TV Network and Print Magazine Digital Content Roles Differ - Mark Graham

In Chapter 15 of 19 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, editor and writer Mark Graham contrasts working in digital content at a television network with one in print magazine publishing. Graham notes how television industry resourses - producers, editors, camerapeople - allow for original content creation for online platforms. Additionally, Graham finds it easier to generate original TV, web, and mobile content given the increased access to talent. Combined, these options provide Graham resources he and his team uses to create more compelling online content experiences. Graham is currently a senior editor at MTV Networks. Previously he worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English.

How Entertainment Writer Defines and Measures Success - Mark Graham

In Chapter 14 of 19 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, editor and writer Mark Graham shares how he defines success personally and professionally in his pop culture writing for the Internet. Graham notes traditional metrics - unique page views, comment volume, social media sharing - as well as larger, more personal work - are you proud of your work, are other people talking about your work, are you trying something new. He notes this is incredibly important writing for television, as each new season offers new opportunities to try new storytelling and writing angles. Graham is currently a senior editor at MTV Networks. Previously he worked in editing and writing roles at New York Magazine and Gawker Media. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in English.