Ep. 266 - Stephen Fishbach on moving from Survivor to Pushcart Prize Winner

Watch this episode as a full video interview on YouTubeStephen Fishbach is a Pushcart Prize-winning writer and former television executive who served as a Vice President at MTV. A graduate of Yale with an MFA from NYU, he is widely recognised as a two-time contestant and runner-up on the reality show Survivor. His diverse writing background includes serving as a speechwriter for Stevie Wonder and hosting the literary podcast Paraphrase. Stephen lives in Washington, DC, with his wife and two daughters, and his debut novel, Escape!, was inspired by his unique insider perspective on reality television.We had a fantastic time chatting with Stephen about how a harrowing monsoon in the Cambodian jungle finally gave him the focus to pursue serious fiction. We delve into his transition from the "clown music" of reality TV to winning the Pushcart Prize, and how he used his writing to reclaim narrative control in his debut novel. We also talk about his love for the social deduction game Blood on the Clocktower and the meticulous research required to capture the "texture" of life of a professional Marilyn Monroe impersonator.Links:Buy Escape! nowVisit Stephen's websiteFollow Stephen on InstagramSupport us on Patreon and get the podcast early and ad-free, along with other great benefits, including a bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/ukpageonePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on ThreadsPage One - The Writer's Podcast is part of STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing and publishing podcast needs! Follow STET Podcasts on Instagram and Bluesky Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.