The Stories Between Us
Two writers, Shawn Smucker and Maile Silva, married to each other, explore the highs and lows of creativity, publishing, and the writing life.
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 29 minutes
- Episodes
- 185
- Years Active
- 2019 - 2023
065 Matthew Paul Turner and the Joy of Writing
Matthew Paul Turner joins us today to talk about encouraging friendships, Christmas, and the joys of writing for children. He shares his journey to writing kids' books, has a remarkable memory when i…
064 Our Favorite Books of 2020
Maile and Shawn surprise each other and reveal their favorite books of 2020, along with what can only be described as extremely poignant insights into what made each book so special...okay, maybe it'…
063 You're Not an Undiscovered Genius (and This is Good News)
We talk about the myth of the undiscovered genius and why this is a dangerous road for a writer's mind to travel, as well as how knowing the truth (that we're all mortals who simply need to work hard…
062 Childhood Creativity and Maile's Inappropriate Christmas Story
We talk about the benefits of creativity for children and adults. Maile gushed over a new children's Christmas book and shares about an inappropriate Christmas story she wrote when she was in second …
061 Jamie Kocur and the Seeds of Creativity
Jamie Kocur joins us to talk about songwriting, creating in the margins, and her new book, My CCM Soundtracked Life. Shawn is concerned her disillusionment might destroy his childhood memories of Mic…
060 Write What You Know...Or Not
Shawn admits to Maile that, unbeknownst to her, he did apply for their family to move to New Zealand. He gushes about a book he's currently reading (although he's not sure he's allowed to talk about …
059 Susie Finkbeiner: Where I Find My Stories
Susie Finkbeiner joins us to talk about providing her children with an example of an artistic life, what it's like researching historical novels, and how to find time for creativity in a sometimes he…
058 Seven Ways to Maintain Creativity During Turbulent Times
Maile and Shawn talk about how the ongoing societal angst is effecting their creativity, along with seven practices that might help you regain a handle on your creative life. As the episode progresse…
057 Jude Halvorsen (Poetry House) and Overcoming Distractions
Shawn and Maile speak with 17-year-old rap artist Jude Halvorsen from Poetry House about his process, what got him into music, and what it takes to maintain a certain level of creativity with all of …
056 What Sent Our Voice to the Page in the First Place
Maile talks cupcakes. Shawn talks about standing in the sun on James Street. But what we really get into is the question, What brought you to this creative life in the first place, and how can you re…
055 Amena Brown: Trust Your Voice, Live Your Life
Spoken-word poet and author Amena Brown shares her path from introverted poet to performance art. She talks about finding her voice, collaborating with her DJ spouse, and what it's been like to crea…
054 Why We're Celebrating
Today we have a reason to celebrate! So, we talk about that, examine how we got here, and talk about a few dreams we have for the future.
We also take some time to list a few things giving us life t…
053 What's the Big Idea?
Where do ideas come from, and how do you choose which idea to run with? Today we talk about the infamous, brainless sea squirt, how no idea is an original idea, and what our own personal process is i…
052 What Do You Want? (And Thoughts on Delight)
Today we talk about goals--everything from the big hairy dreams you can't quite imagine to the day-to-day expectations you put in place for yourself. What's the difference between the two, and why is…
051 The Divine Partnership
Maile and Shawn talk about the divine partnership that occurs within the creative work. Related to that, they talk about books going out of print and created works that don't accomplish what we would…
050 Some More Thoughts On Hope
Maile and I update you on where we are in our writing lives, what our current goals and dreams are, and talk about the nature, and importance, of hope in the life of the writer. I also offer an apolo…
049 Farewell...For Now
Maile and Shawn wrap up their second season with a conversation about the cycles of writing, a letter from a famous writer about the importance of creativity, and each of them give one last piece of …
048 Marlena Graves: Growing as a Writer During the Quiet Times
Today we speak with author Marlena Graves about the importance of having those periods of time where we're writing for ourselves. Marlena also shares her journey into blogging, writing books, and wha…
047 Self-Care for the Creative During a Pandemic
Shawn and Maile talk about being tired, writing while anxious, and a few small things that help them create well during difficult times.
046 Ruben Degollado: Living and Writing in the In-Between Spaces
Today we have the distinct honor of speaking with Ruben Degollado, author of the award-winning novel Throw. He tells us what it's like to live in a liminal space in the Rio Grande Valley, where even …