Dreams can't be caught unless they are chased, and eccentricity is but a symptom of brilliance.
I interview extraordinary people who forge their own path, make their own rules, and live outside the norms of society. Together, we can learn from each other. Remember, foolish people keep making the same mistakes, smart people learn from their mistakes and successes, and extraordinary people learn from the mistakes and successes of both themselves and of others. That is what Dream Chasers and Eccentrics is all about!
Below, you will find all the episodes and show notes.
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You can also support the show by buying one of my books. Find them all here.
All books recommended on the show, and my own list of recommendations, can be found here.
Ep. 108, Offshore Commercial Diving and Starting a Business in Panama, Tony Stead
Tony Stead was an offshore commercial diver, working on oil rigs in th Gulf of Mexico in the years before and after hurricanes Rita and Katrina. After this episode of his life, he started a scuba diving operation in Bocas del Toro, Panama. I met him surfing here in Bocas. He is one of the friendliest and most generous people I have met and is a good friend. His stories of commercial diving are captivating, and his advice for starting a business in a foreign country is valuable to anyone with that dream.
We talk about becoming an offshore commercial diver, the training and education, the work, the gear, the dangers, the incredible underwater scenery, the partying, blowing money on stupid stuff, the Shell Mars, his first dive, the benz, triggerfish bites, manta rays, how the work changed after hurricanes Rita and Katrina, the BP spill and how it changed the indusrtry, doing cocaine, moving to Panama and starting a dive shop in Bocas del Toro, getting sober, finding out who his real friends were, two big mistakes people make when starting a business in a foreign country, and more.
Ep. 107, Laura Stanfill, Writing and Publishing
Laura Stanfill is the author of two books: "Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary," and "Imagine a Door." She is also the owner of Forest Avenue Press.
We talk about why she started a publishing house, the importance of local bookstores, the joy of publishing and working with authors, Forest Avenue Press, what makes a book great, her book "Singing Lessons for the Stylish Canary," a head injury that changed her look on life, publishing a book and the steps involved, how to tell when a book is finished, choosing an editor, writing a query letter, artificial intelligence and where to draw the line, creativity and how to cultivate it, the importance of play in creativity, wonder, her book "Imagine a Door," advice for writers, and more.
Ep. 106, Author Michael Stockham, Jake Fox: Ties that Blind, Writing Legal Thrillers, and Self-Publishing
Michael Stockham has worked as a big-firm lawyer for over twenty years after receiving his law degree from Cornell Law School. He’s a sought-after litigator and speaker. His award-winning legal thrillers include Confessions of an Accidental Lawyer and the Jake Fox series of legal thrillers, which begins with Jake Fox: Ties that Blind. His books have attracted over 2.5 million page reads, over 100,000 readers, and over 3,000 rave reviews. Confessions of an Accidental Lawyer is Michael Stockham’s first novel, and is inspired by a true story. A life-long lover of books, Michael received two degrees in creative writing: a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New Mexico and a Master of Arts from Texas A&M University. Blessed by two grown daughters who are Clemson University Tigers, Michael lives in Dallas with his wife of twenty-four years, Kiersten, along with three dogs and two potbelly pigs.
We talk about learning to write, reading, lawyers, self-publishing, marketing books, the true story of a bankrobber in solitary confinement that inspired Confessions of an Accidental Lawyer, writing a series, using Scrivner and ProWritingAid, AI and whether or not to use it, AI in law, writing techniques, maximizing productivity and creativity, listening to songs on loops while writing, rituals, writing to an audience, eliciting emotions from readers, tips for aspiring writers, curiosity, and more.
Ep. 105, Author Peter Gooch, "Lips"
Peter Gooch is the author of the new novel "Lips." He was on the show last year for his debut novel "Seren." He is a painter, writer, and former art professor living in New Mexico. His short fiction has appeared in numerous literary magazines and online. Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, he holds an MFA from Western Michigan University. He resides in Corrales with his wife, Dr. Sharon Ransom.
We talk about coming up with the idea for "Lips," developing characters, overcoming fear to write risky material like sex scenes, writing technique and craft, favorite authors and their use of language, writing endings, the difficulty of writing happiness, the importance of having fun in art, finding a good space to write, cultivating the creative writing mindset, his upcoming book "AIX," and more.
Ep. 103, Meteor Shower, a Short Story
Meteor Shower is an original short story by Paul Trammell, narrated by the author. Every month, I post a short story on my substack page. If you sign up, and it's free, you'll get a short story, written by me, in your inbox on the first of every month, as well as occasional poetry, books reviews, and essays. Find this at https://paultrammell.substack.com/
Ep. 102, Ryan and Jonah of Crown Mountain, Writing and Recording Original Music
Ryan and Jonah are two brothers writing and recording original music in the band Crown Mountain.
We talk about writing and recording music, creativity and how to cultivate it, setting aside time to be creative, playing covers, improvisation, playing different instruments, what it takes to make it big, drinking, drugs and writing music, drugs and performing, touring, overproduced music, pitch correction, and more.
Ep. 101, Aurora Winter, Author, Entrepreneur, Chaser of Dreams
Aurora Winter is an author and creative entrepreneur. Her books include "Turn Words into Wealth," "Marketing Fast Track," and the fantasy series "Magic, Mystery, and the Multiverse."
We talk about writing fantasy, getting into a creative frame of mind, freedom of speach, grief, healing from a broken heart, reinventing ourselves, using our story to our advantage, neuroscience of effective communication, the three steps of communication, the value of adding a story to a sale, making $250,000 in 90 days, overcoming grief, a dream visitation from her husband 2 years after his death, the value of being in pursit of something meaningful, having a mission in life, whether or not we all have a time to die, and more!
Ep. 100, Exit Game!
Exit Game! is my latest short story, published June 1 on paultrammell.substack.com
Sign up for the newsletter if you'd like to get a free short story every month, as well as occasional poetry and book reviews (no strings attched).
Ep. 99, Author James Goodhand, Reports of his Death have been Greatly Exaggerated
James Goodhand is the author of the new novel "Reports of His Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated." He was also on the show last year with his novel "The Day Tripper." I love and recommend his books and James is a great speaker and storyteller. He lives in Surry, UK, and repairs cars when not writing novels.
We talk about his new novel, what it's like having a child who will read your books one day, books we love, creativity, how a novel gets its start - where the ideas come from, neuroses, death, routines, various themes from the book, the passage of time, memories, making the years count, his next project, and more. I also read highlights I took from the book and we discuss them.
other books mentioned in the episode:
EP. 98, Bocas del Toro Eco Tour Guide Stacey Hollis
Stacey Hollis (@stacebird) lives in Bocas del Toro, Panama. She has a background in field biology and now takes tourist on various eco-tours like snorkeling and birdwatching. Stacey is from the Washington D.C. area and carries a lifelong, innate passion for birds. This passion only increased as she grew up enough to begin to become aware of the sad fact that birds and ecosystems in general are threatened by human impact. The biodiversity, (specifically that of bird species) of the New World American Tropics is what lured her down into Central America and instantly gave her a clear idea of what she hoped for her future.
We talk about Stacey's journey through field biology to becoming an eco-tour guide, birds, fish, coral, sponges, coral bleaching, the Ngöbe indigenous people and their struggle to survive, the underwater enviroment in Bocas del Toro, coral-reef ecology, symbiosis, mangrove habitats, French angelfish, peregrine falcons, and more.
Ep. 97, Clay Moffat, You Don’t Have Trust Issues—You Have Pattern Recognition Problems
Clay Moffat in an ex-Navy weapons tech turned behavioral coach and author of The Trust Trap. He’s spent 15 years helping high performers break toxic patterns, stop outsourcing their sanity, and take radical responsibility for their lives. Clay teaches the neuroscience of trust, the psychology of betrayal, and why most people keep screwing themselves over. If you’ve ever ignored a red flag, sabotaged your own success, or trusted the wrong person—this episode is your wake-up call.
We talk about his book "The Trust Trap," going blind, memories and how they are stored in our brains, emotions and where they come from, how we are wired to comply with authority, confidence and where it comes from, commitment and how to increase it, radical responsibility, trust and how it becomes an automatic habit that can bite us if we ignore it, altruism, creativity and discipline, how to increase productivity, the value of accountability, and more.
Ep. 96, Big-Wave Surfing, Mavericks, Nathan Visage
Nathan Visage lives in California and is on a mission to surf big waves. We talk about surfing The Wedge, Mavericks, what makes a wave heavy, injuries, safety, paddling out at Mavericks, sharks, training for big-wave surfing, wipeouts, double-wave hold-downs, fear, getting washed into the rocks, big-wave surfboards, tow-surfing and paddle surfing, the community of big-wave surfers, localism, gaining the respect of the pople in the lineup, describing a favorite wave, his bucket-list surf trip, advice to prospective big-wave surfers, and more.
Mavericks, Half Moon Bay, California
The Wedge
Mavericks
Ep. 95, Author Anthony Horowitz, Marble Hall Murders
Anthony Horowitz is a best-selling author of over 50 books, including the recent "Marble Hall Murders," which I read and loved. His teen spy series Alex Rider has sold over 21 million copies. His books have been made into TV and film series, and he's been commissioned to write Sherlock Holmes and James Bond novels. He is one of the UK's most successful and prolific authors, and is a master of writing novels.
We talk about making a films from his books, writing a book within a book, writing a murder mystery, hiding anagrams in books, his writing process and schedule, the disipline to write (or to not write), Dickens' Great Expectations, his school years, learning to write, research for books, creating characters, writing spy novels, technique, cultivating creativity, and much more.