Planet Tyrus — "How To Write A Best Selling Book"

Host: Tyrus
Guest: Chris Epting (writing coach, author)
Release Date: November 11, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode centers on Tyrus’s journey from professional wrestling and television to bestselling author, celebrating his soon-to-release book "What It Is: America." He’s joined by his long-time collaborator and writing coach, Chris Epting, for an energetic and candid conversation. Together, they talk about writing memoirs, the challenges and anxieties of public storytelling, vulnerability, and the nuts and bolts of capturing one’s life in book form. Along the way, expect sharp humor, raw honesty, reflections on politics, fatherhood, celebrity culture, and the writing process itself.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Becoming an Author — An Unexpected Road

• Tyrus recounts his disbelief at calling himself an author, revealing initial rejections and how close he came to quitting before his first book, "Just Tyrus," was published.
• On Working with Chris:
  • Tyrus calls Chris “the Alfred to my Batman,” emphasizing the coaching, trust, and unique dynamic they developed.
  • “I had a complete meltdown. What, a week before the book was out?” — Tyrus (04:00)

The Creative and Emotional Journey

• Vulnerability as a Virtue:

  • Epting underscores that real anxiety before publication is a sign of honesty and depth in memoir writing:

    "If you weren’t feeling that, it would mean that we didn’t go far enough. Anybody who writes their story... it should give you anxiety or you haven’t shared enough." — Chris Epting (04:09)

  • Tyrus talks about resisting the urge to frame himself as a hero or victim and instead let the reader decide.

• Book Progression:

  • Tyrus explains how his books evolved from a strict memoir to reflections on mindset, and now, in "What It Is: America," a blend of unfiltered social commentary and personal storytelling.

Favorite Stories & Deeper Themes

• Current Events & Pop Culture:

  • The new book weaves in modern stories and observations, exemplified by the discussion of "The Bad News Bears" and changing coaching philosophies (05:45).

• On Fatherhood & Honest Self-Examination:

  • For the first time, Tyrus writes about being a father, citing a sense of duty to be “brutally honest,” accepting his mistakes, and rejecting a “love-letter to myself” approach.

    “When you’re writing a Dear John letter to yourself, you know, where you’re just telling it like it is...” — Tyrus (07:03)

  • He highlights struggles balancing a high-profile career and family life, and the responsibility to be honest with his children (31:53).

• Loss, Empathy, and Human Connection:

  • Chris brings up a moving episode involving the death of Tyrus’s longtime pet fish as a lens to discuss grief, connection to others, and the importance of integrating personal stories amidst politics (23:19 – 25:29).

On Meeting Presidents and Political Objectivity

• Meeting Donald Trump:

  • Tyrus provides a behind-the-scenes perspective on meeting President Trump, expressing surprise at how genuine he seemed behind and in front of the camera—counter to public narratives (08:43 – 13:33).

    “This doesn’t feel like Hitler, you know, this doesn’t feel like a guy who’s immediately telling his aide to wash his hand because a brother just touched it.” — Tyrus (08:43)

  • He discusses Trump's consistent public/private persona as well as the President volunteering to write the book’s foreword (“The President United States is writing the forward to my book.” — Tyrus, 15:42).

• On Political Tribalism and Respect:

  • Both reflect on the toxicity of grave dancing in modern politics and the loss of basic civility toward opponents and their families, regardless of affiliation (17:18 – 29:24).

    "The addiction of attention is maybe a whole book within itself..." — Tyrus (17:47)

  • Tyrus stresses the difference between being critical and being disrespectful, and the importance of holding public figures accountable while recognizing their humanity.

• A Political Book from “Outside the Bubble”:

  • Chris frames Tyrus’s book as unique among contemporary political books due to its honest, everyman on-the-road, "voice of the people" approach, contrasted to works by media insiders (18:26).

  • Tyrus describes being in towns across America and witnessing a disconnect between media narratives and public sentiment, particularly around the 2024 election (19:29).

  • The book opens with the Trump “belt moment” and ends with a metaphorical meditation on America’s “belts” (Rust Belt, Corn Belt, etc.), symbolizing unity in diversity (21:55).

The State of Celebrity and Pop Culture Influence

• Decline of Celebrity’s Political Power:

  • Tyrus discusses why celebrity endorsements have lost impact, linking the decline to social media and the erosion of mystery and authority around fame (35:55 – 37:55).

  • He observes how overexposure and polarizing political statements alienate audiences, and that the culture of fandom is fractured compared to the heyday of Hollywood legends.

Advice on Writing — Process, Honesty, Coaching

• On Overcoming Writing Anxiety:

  • Chris: “Writing a book is not something that you just start writing chapter one and you kind of go from there...” (44:22)

  • Tyrus recommends writing thoughts as they come, collecting spontaneous ideas, and resisting forcing strict chronology. He advocates for trusted feedback and the value of a writing coach (42:46 – 44:57).

    “Just be in the moment with your pencil… It’s like you’re taking giant pieces of gold and you’re trying to mold [them] into this belt.” — Tyrus (44:22)

• Mental Health and Storytelling:

  • Writing a memoir, regardless of publication, is therapeutic and beneficial for self-understanding and mental health (45:55).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You were writing hate letters to yourself in some cases, putting a self-critical mirror on yourself, which then pushed you to get to the other side.” — Chris Epting (07:30)
• “Breaking bread with the President.” — Tyrus (08:27)
• “The book opens with giving the belt to the president, but it ends with this poetic view of the belts that make up America.” — Chris Epting (21:55)
• “We should all understand [the history of Hitler] to a T to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Not use it because you can’t win an election.” — Tyrus (29:24)
• “I think politics affect more of our life than we probably should let it. But... It’s an identity now. It’s like the playoffs are going on all the time.” — Tyrus (25:29)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:00] – 04:00: Tyrus introduces his books, origin story as an author, partnership with Chris Epting
• [04:00] – 08:00: On vulnerability, pre-publication anxiety, and honest storytelling
• [08:43] – 13:33: Meeting Trump, normalizing meeting a president, dismantling media narratives about him
• [17:18] – 18:01: Civility in politics, grave-dancing, respecting political opponents
• [19:29] – 21:55: On-the-road observations of America vs. media narratives, election insight
• [23:19] – 25:29: Pet grief, blending human stories with bigger themes
• [25:29] – 29:24: Political identity as new normal, litmus tests, social media toxicity
• [31:27] – 35:15: Writing honestly about fatherhood, privacy, duty, and growth
• [35:55] – 38:23: Celebrities, social media, and loss of influence
• [42:46] – 44:57: Advice to aspiring memoirists: process, spontaneity, coaching
• [45:55] – end: Mental health benefits of writing; closing thoughts

Tone & Style

• Tyrus’s signature candor, humor, and high energy flavor the entire episode.
• The conversation is unfiltered, blending seriousness with asides, pop culture references, and relatable, self-effacing remarks.
• Chris offers insightful, warm, and supportive feedback while drawing out Tyrus’s stories and philosophy.

Summary Takeaway

This episode is equal parts masterclass in memoir writing and unvarnished social commentary. Tyrus and Chris Epting detail what it takes to be honest on the page, the discomfort and growth that come with vulnerability, and how writing shapes self-understanding. The preview of "What It Is: America" suggests a book that’s as much about Tyrus’s evolution as a person and public figure as it is about the messy, often contradictory state of American life. The episode encourages aspiring writers—and listeners in general—to get real, write it down, and let go of old scripts, whether in storytelling or in life itself.