In this episode Barrie Miskin tells the story of her memoir Hellgate Bridge. Along the way she covers: Sarah PerryInferno by Catherine Cho Writing about mental illnessWriting about motherhoodHelpful writing coach moves (including the 'mmmm, I

"A Place I Had Never Thought Possible" — Shze-Hui Tjoa talks about The Story Game

16 days ago 30m 54s

In this episode, Shze-Hui talks about The Story Game. Along the way, she covers: Evaluating agent responses to your manuscriptWomen and anger How to know when a book is done Recognizing the limits of our knowledge The generative power of getti

Welcoming to Evolution or Change or Rupture — Lucas Mann tells the story of Attachments

29 days ago 33m 20s

Lucas Mann tells the story of Attachments: Essays on fatherhood and other performances. Along the way he covers: Writing when you have a newbornTrying for a balance between personal essay and cultural criticismFalse dichotomy of smart writing a

The Fight to Retain the Weird and the Feral — Michelle Tea tells the story of SLUTS

May 7th, 2024 33m 40s

In this episode, Michelle Tea tells the story of SLUTS, from Dopamine Press. Along the way, she covers: Starting Dopamine PressAnthologies as fundraisersStarting and ending anthologiesPerceptions of 'sluttery' and our culture's relationship to

"It's Never Gonna Happen For Me" — Hannah Sward tells the story of Strip

Apr 28th, 2024 35m 8s

Hannah Sward tells the story of Strip. Along the way, she covers: - A publishing journey full of false summits- Publishing without an agent- Querying agents- Why not to be a writer - That you should not be afraid to write the shittiest shit - N

What Will and Will Not Be Translated — Crystal Hana Kim tells the story of The Stone Home

Apr 28th, 2024 30m 8s

Crystal Hana Kim tells the story of The Stone Home. Along the way she covers: - Focus when drafting - When she shares her work with her agent- What questions she is interested in exploring in her work - The best book publication/baby making tim

Nothing is Whole Until It's In Words — Stephanie Clare Smith tells the story of Everywhere the Undrowned

Apr 21st, 2024 31m 52s

In this episode, Stephanie Clare Smith tells the story of Everywhere the Undrowned. Along the way, she covers: Bellevue's Nonfiction ContestGreat Circle Books (whose series editor Marie Mutsuki Mockett is the author of The Tree Doctor and an up

There's Nothing I Regret — Estelle Erasmus tells the story of Writing That Gets Noticed

Apr 17th, 2024 31m 20s

In this episode, Estelle talks about her book, Writing That Gets Noticed. Along the way she covers: Beauty editor road trips Selling a book with an 'exclusive' A ballsy move to try if one editor accepts your pitch for a short piece and another

"Write or Die" — Annell López tells the story of I'll Give You A Reason

Apr 14th, 2024 24m 6s

In this episode, Annell López tells the story of I'll Give You A Reason. Along the way, she covers:Full-time high school teaching while full-time MFAAffordances of short story collectionsGenerating ideas by asking what if the opposite happens

"What is the book that can only be yours?"— Clare Beams tells the story of The Garden

Apr 11th, 2024 30m 22s

In this episode, Clare Beams tells the story of The Garden. Along the way we cover: Managing the 'type A' part of your brain Selling a partial Doing what you don't know you can do Letting go of a manuscript that didn't sell (that you worked on

What If Nobody Likes it? Nicole Haroutunian Tells the Story of Choose This Now

Apr 7th, 2024 30m 24s

Nicole Haroutunian tells the story of Choose This Now. Along the way, we cover...- Her first book Speed Dreaming- Agent troubles- Rewriting a novella as a chapter- Creating a novel from stories- Having a book die on submission- When you lose yo

"If You Don't Like An Edit, Just Don't Do It" — Sarah Rose Etter tells the story of RIPE

Mar 31st, 2024 30m 41s

In this episode, Sarah Rose Etter tells the story of RIPE, Along the way we cover: Writing around a full-time job 75,000 words in a monthThe importance of having a good team behind you Difficulties and benefits of being editedThe horrors of bei

Trailer

Writing Stories 'Artist Statement'

Mar 31st, 2024 5m 57s

What Writing Stories is and is not. (A good listen if you are considering being a guest on the show.)

Trailer

Season 2 Trailer!

Mar 29th, 2024 5m 14s

Listen for all the goodies coming up in Season 2 of Writing Stories!! (And subscribe so you don't miss them!)

A Bold Fearlessness — Deborah Jackson Taffa Tells the Story of Whiskey Tender

Mar 19th, 2024 25m 7s

In this episode, Deborah Jackson Taffa talks about her debut memoir Whiskey Tender. Also discussed: Weaving historical research into memoir Turning an essay collection into a memoirTurning down an offer to publish after working on manuscript fo

"Stay in the Game...Sooner or Later Something Will Crack" — Chin-Sun Lee Tells the Story of Upcountry

Mar 17th, 2024 34m 46s

In this episode, Chin-Sun Lee tells the story of Upcountry. We cover: Writing from an image you can't shake Being 'on submission' (your agent is submitting your manuscript to editors) for yearsUnnamed Press Having your book go to auction betwee

Could My Story Be of Use? —Mary Beth O'Connor Tells the Story of Junkie to Judge

Mar 4th, 2024 26m 49s

In this episode, Mary Beth O'Connor tells the story of From Junkie to Judge: One Woman's Triumph Over Trauma and AddictionWe cover: How to protect yourself when writing traumatic memories Choosing and hiring a developmental editor Publishing od

"I Thought It Was Very Mainstream, But..." — Cassie Premo Steele Tells the Story of Beaver Girl

Mar 4th, 2024 34m 17s

In this episode, Cassie Premo Steele tells the story of Beaver Girl. We cover: - Asking for help - Characterization - Snowflake method- Querying hundreds of agents - Long COVID- Dirty realism - Writing animal characters with the first person in

Four Agents, Three Books, Two Publishers — Jacinda Townsend talks about Saint Monkey and Mother Country

Feb 26th, 2024 25m 54s

In this episode, Jacinda Townsend talks about her award-winning books Saint Monkey and Mother Country. Along the way we cover: Fiction writing as coping mechanism Being the only Black kid at a fundamentalist Christian school in rural KentuckyAg

Fun, Ridiculous, and Thrumming with Truth - Rachel Yoder Tells the Story of Nightbitch

Feb 18th, 2024 34m 33s

In this episode, I talk with Rachel Yoder about her debut novel Nightbitch. Along the way we cover:Fun, art, pushing the boundaries of story, and permission to find your own work What it's like when your publisher folds before you publish your

Plumbers Don't Get Plumbers Block — Talking with Sue Shapiro about American Shield and Barbie

Feb 13th, 2024 31m 59s

In this episode, I talk with Sue Shapiro about American Shield, Barbie, and her broader publishing journey. We cover: Co-authoring and Jungian astrologists How "every book breaks your heart in a different way"Erika Jong and Howard Fast (and th

There's Life in the Messiness - Yael Golstein-Love Tells the Story of The Possibilities

Feb 7th, 2024 31m

In this episode, Yael Goldstein-Love talks about The Possibilities. We cover: Heretic barbiesPutting away ten years of work on a manuscript (possibly the best thing you've ever written) 'A genteel form of homeless'Genre and its discontents Feed

It's a linear narrative... but a trail is a line — Andrea Lani tells the story of Uphill Both Ways: Hiking Toward Happiness on the Colorado Trail

Feb 5th, 2024 31m 57s

In this episode, Andrea talks about her hybrid memoir Uphill Both Ways: Hiking Toward Happiness on the Colorado Trail. We cover: Scooby Doo writing Making sure research doesn't become a speed bump in the narrativeOrphan lines and tightening pro

The whole idea of ‘SERIOUS’ writing is a lot of toxic trash — Alyssa Songsiridej tells the story of Little Rabbit

Jan 28th, 2024 28m 31s

In this episode, Alyssa Songsiridej talks about: Combatting imposter syndromeFemale friendshipsLetting yourself be surprised, braving uncertainty, and bodily surrender in art making Dance and writing and the willingness to fallCreating a charac

You Have to Do This - Shannon Sanders tells the story of Company

Jan 22nd, 2024 30m 14s

In this episode, I talk to Shannon Sanders about her linked short story collection, Company. We talk about: - writing your own murder mystery parties - writing through your feelings about others' offhand comments - signing with an agent a week