Mysterious Goings On with Alex Greenwood cover art

Mysterious Goings On with Alex Greenwood

Mysterious Goings On with Alex Greenwood

By: J. Alexander Greenwood
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About this listen

 Explore the world of creativity and writing with Mysterious Goings On with J. Alexander Greenwood. Named a 2022 Top 5 Literature Podcast by CrowdUltra and a "New & Noteworthy" show by Apple Podcasts in 2016, this show is a magnet for top-selling authors and creative minds. Subscribe to embark on an enthralling journey through the world of creativity and literature. Website: https://mgopod.com/ Become a Paid Subscriber: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/j-alexander-greenwood/subscribeJ. Alexander Greenwood Art Literary History & Criticism
Episodes
  • Stop Pretending You're Powerless

    Stop Pretending You're Powerless
    Mar 8 2026
    Cross-posted from All the Fits That's News. In this episode:When Friendships End (And Nothing Went Wrong) - Most friendships don’t explode. They run out of gas. Why the seasonality of relationships isn’t failure, it’s just life doing what it does.Being Right Isn’t Enough. Being Effective Matters - Outrage doesn’t change behavior. Money does. Why closing your wallet might be the most honest response to a system built on making you feel powerless.Both pieces ask the same question: what happens when we stop pretending we can’t choose?Check out ResistandUnsubscribe.com for easy ways to take action.Alex will be LIVE at True Crime GenreCon in Kansas City! Click here for details.Book J. Alexander Greenwood for keynotes, panels, podcasts, and live conversations!J. Alexander Greenwood speaks on work, writing, media, and the systems people have to navigate every day, drawing from real-world experience as a writer, communicator, and podcaster.He appears at conferences, universities, book clubs, professional associations, and with organizations looking for something more grounded than a generic motivational talk. Formats include keynotes, panels, workshops, classroom conversations, and podcast or interview appearances. Engagements can be virtual or in person.Common topics include ⁠Radical Competency ⁠and workplace dynamics, independent publishing and author entrepreneurship, podcasting and storytelling, public relations and crisis communication, writing craft and the creative process, building a sustainable creative career, and true crime and the ethics of storytelling. Talks are tailored to fit the audience and the moment.For most speaking engagements, Greenwood charges a nominal speaking fee. Events requiring travel should also cover related expenses. Media interviews and podcast appearances are typically handled separately.If you’re interested, you’ll find everything you need here⁠: jalexandergreenwood.com.⁠ ---Celebrating 10 Years and hundreds of episodes! Alex needs a coffee. Or ten: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Become a paid subscriber!⁠⁠⁠If you’ve enjoyed the essays and want to see more of them, here are two simple ways you can help:Become a paid subscriber. Paid support keeps this work sustainable and helps me devote the time and energy it deserves. If you’ve subscribed before, please consider re-subscribing under the new system and ⁠⁠⁠take advantage of this ⁠25% offer.⁠⁠⁠⁠Spread the word. If a paid subscription isn’t right for you right now, you can still make a big difference by sharing posts with friends, on social media, or anywhere you think they’ll resonate.⁠⁠👉 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join today and lock in 25% off your first year.⁠⁠Your support—financial or otherwise—is what keeps this going. The best work is still ahead, and I’d love for you to be part of it. —AlexCONNECT:​⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠All the Fits That's News on Substack (Free or Paid)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠​⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alex's Author Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy a Book!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Going to Killing City...Alex's True Crime Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Announcer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mary McKenna⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Original theme music "Mysterious Goings On" by Jamie Green. Want your own cool score for your podcast or website? Contact Jamie at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Greenhouse Consulting.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out Jamie's interview on the show ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Intro music: "Half Mystery" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This Mysterious Goings On Podcast episode was recorded and mixed at Green Shebeen Studios in beautiful Kansas City, Missouri. Copyright 2026 all rights reserved. No reproduction, excerpting, or other use without written permission.
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    15 mins
  • Lynette M. Burrows on Dystopia, Defiance, and the Stories We Need

    Lynette M. Burrows on Dystopia, Defiance, and the Stories We Need
    Feb 15 2026
    What do you get when a writer builds a dystopian world that feels uncomfortably close to the one we already live in? A trilogy worth paying attention to. Alex sits down with Lynette M. Burrows author of the Fellowship Dystopia series, for a conversation that covers a lot of ground; from the moral weight of violence in fiction to the long, sometimes painful arc of developing a protagonist worth following across multiple books.Lynette talks about Miranda, the heart of her series, and how that character evolved in ways that surprised even her creator. They get into what it means to write about agency and justice when the world you're depicting keeps rhyming with current events — and why that's not always intentional, and not always comfortable.The conversation also touches on Robert McKee's storytelling techniques and their influence on storytelling craft, the way real grief finds its way onto the page whether you invite it or not, and why the physical design of a book still matters in an era when everyone claims print is dying. Good dystopia holds a mirror up. This conversation is about what happens when the reflection stares back.ConnectListen to Lynette's first appearance on the show here.Listen to her second appearance here.Visit her website here.Buy the books here!Celebrating 10 Years and hundreds of episodes! Alex needs a coffee. Or ten: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Become a paid subscriber!⁠⁠⁠ If you’ve enjoyed the audio essays and want to her (and see!) more of them, there are two simple ways you can help:Become a paid subscriber. Paid support keeps this work sustainable and helps me devote the time and energy it deserves. If you’ve subscribed before, please consider re-subscribing under the new system and ⁠⁠⁠take advantage of this ⁠25% offer.⁠⁠⁠⁠Spread the word. If a paid subscription isn’t right for you right now, you can still make a big difference by sharing posts with friends, on social media, or anywhere you think they’ll resonate.​⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠All the Fits That's News on Substack (Free or Paid)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠​⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alex's Author Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy a Book!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Going to Killing City...Alex's True Crime Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠👉 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join today and lock in 25% off your first year.⁠⁠Your support—financial or otherwise—is what keeps this going. The best work is still ahead, and I’d love for you to be part of it. —AlexAnnouncer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mary McKenna⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Original theme music "Mysterious Goings On" by Jamie Green. Want your own cool score for your podcast or website? Contact Jamie at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Greenhouse Consulting.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out Jamie's interview on the show ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Intro music: "Half Mystery" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This Mysterious Goings On Podcast episode was recorded and mixed at Green Shebeen Studios in beautiful Kansas City, Missouri. Copyright 2026 all rights reserved. No reproduction, excerpting, or other use without written permission.
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    44 mins
  • The Business of Selling Motion Instead of Momentum

    The Business of Selling Motion Instead of Momentum
    Jan 24 2026
    Alex explores the complexities of navigating a creative career, particularly in writing and podcasting. He discusses the pervasive influence of the Author Services Industrial Complex, which capitalizes on authors' anxieties rather than genuinely helping them succeed. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the local nuances of podcasting and marketing, warning against the pitfalls of outsourcing these tasks to firms that lack a deep understanding of the creator's unique voice and audience. ---Book J. Alexander Greenwood for keynotes, panels, podcasts, and live conversations!J. Alexander Greenwood speaks on work, writing, media, and the systems people have to navigate every day, drawing from real-world experience as a writer, communicator, and podcaster.He appears at conferences, universities, book clubs, professional associations, and with organizations looking for something more grounded than a generic motivational talk. Formats include keynotes, panels, workshops, classroom conversations, and podcast or interview appearances. Engagements can be virtual or in person.Common topics include Radical Competency and workplace dynamics, independent publishing and author entrepreneurship, podcasting and storytelling, public relations and crisis communication, writing craft and the creative process, building a sustainable creative career, and true crime and the ethics of storytelling. Talks are tailored to fit the audience and the moment.For most speaking engagements, Greenwood charges a nominal speaking fee. Events requiring travel should also cover related expenses. Media interviews and podcast appearances are typically handled separately.If you’re interested, you’ll find everything you need here: jalexandergreenwood.com. ---Celebrating 10 Years and hundreds of episodes! Alex needs a coffee. Or ten: ⁠⁠⁠Become a paid subscriber!⁠⁠If you’ve enjoyed the essays and want to see more of them, here are two simple ways you can help:Become a paid subscriber. Paid support keeps this work sustainable and helps me devote the time and energy it deserves. If you’ve subscribed before, please consider re-subscribing under the new system and ⁠⁠take advantage of this ⁠25% offer.⁠⁠⁠Spread the word. If a paid subscription isn’t right for you right now, you can still make a big difference by sharing posts with friends, on social media, or anywhere you think they’ll resonate.⁠👉 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join today and lock in 25% off your first year.⁠Your support—financial or otherwise—is what keeps this going. The best work is still ahead, and I’d love for you to be part of it. —AlexCONNECT:​⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠All the Fits That's News on Substack (Free or Paid)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠​⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alex's Author Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy a Book!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Going to Killing City...Alex's True Crime Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Enjoy this episode? Please leave us a review on your podcast platform of choice, and don't forget to subscribe for more literary journeys! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LEAVE A REVIEW ON APPLE PODCASTS⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Announcer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mary McKenna⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Original theme music "Mysterious Goings On" by Jamie Green. Want your own cool score for your podcast or website? Contact Jamie at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Greenhouse Consulting.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out Jamie's interview on the show ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Intro music: "Half Mystery" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This Mysterious Goings On Podcast episode was recorded and mixed at Green Shebeen Studios in beautiful Kansas City, Missouri. Copyright 2026 all rights reserved. No reproduction, excerpting, or other use without written permission.
    Show More Show Less
    10 mins
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