Get Writing Podcast

Episode 147: Genre Hopping: On Range, Risk, and the Query Trenches with Matt Witten

14 May 2026

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I've been friends with Matt Witten long enough to know that when he writes a book, I read it — even if the genre is one I'd normally sidestep entirely. 51% is dystopian fiction, which is not my comfort zone. But Matt's range as a writer is genuinely something, and this conversation reminded me exactly why. We talk about his new book, the world he built inside it, what it took to get there, and a few very honest things about the publishing industry that I think every writer needs to hear. In this episode: What 51% is actually about — and why Matt moved the timeline from "30 years from now" to "20 years from now" after January 2025 The income share agreement system at the heart of the book's world, and the real-life conversation that planted the seed for it How he approaches character: from the reluctant Bosch-esque hero to the every-woman who's broke, pregnant, and trying to do the right thing anyway — and an AI that may or may not have feelings The challenge of world building without losing readers in the first 25 pages (a problem he solved in a very specific, smart way) Writing across cozy, thriller, TV, and now dystopia — and why he doesn't use a pen name even when it might be the commercially safer move His recent agent search, what he was actually looking for this time around, and the truly unhinged rejection email he received two months after he'd already signed with someone else What's coming next: The Men's Group, a murder mystery about friendship, sobriety, and the epidemic of loneliness — which his agent calls "cozy adjacent" Links: 51% by Matt Witten Matt's website: mattwittenwriter.com Matt on Instagram: @mattwitten22 Connect with me If this episode inspired you, share it with a writer friend who's ready to stop guessing and start living on purpose. Subscribe to Get Writing wherever you listen, and if you have a minute to leave a review, it helps more writers find us. Ready to go deeper into your own creative life? Come find us at the Creativity Lab at GetWritingWithLiz.com.

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13:00H | 21 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

01 Jan 1970

Fin de Semana

10:00H | 21 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

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12:00H | 20 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

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Fin de Semana

2ª PARTE | 06 ENE 2026 | EL PARTIDAZO DE COPE

01 Jan 1970

El Partidazo de COPE

3ª PARTE | 22 ENE 2026 | EL PARTIDAZO DE COPE

01 Jan 1970

El Partidazo de COPE

3ª PARTE | 04 MAR 2026 | EL PARTIDAZO DE COPE

01 Jan 1970

El Partidazo de COPE

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Get Writing Podcast

Episode 147: Genre Hopping: On Range, Risk, and the Query Trenches with Matt Witten

This episode hasn't been transcribed yet

Other recent transcribed episodes

13:00H | 21 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

10:00H | 21 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

12:00H | 20 DIC 2025 | Fin de Semana

2ª PARTE | 06 ENE 2026 | EL PARTIDAZO DE COPE

3ª PARTE | 22 ENE 2026 | EL PARTIDAZO DE COPE

3ª PARTE | 04 MAR 2026 | EL PARTIDAZO DE COPE

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