Writing Stories
Each episode of Writing Stories features an interview with a contemporary author about how her book went from an idea in her head to an object on a shelf. Join us on Writing Stories for honesty, struggle, and triumph, for writing community, publishing insight, and inspiration to persist in whatever difficult but meaningful journey you've chosen for yourself.
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 30 minutes
- Episodes
- 78
- Years Active
- 2023 - 2025
Moving from Doubt to Self-Belief — Kate Weinberg tells the story of There's Nothing Wrong With Her
In this episode, Kate Weinberg tells the story of There's Nothing Wrong With Her.
Along the way she covers:
why it is hard to live with a writer
Stamina and persistence
Having your book …
Memoir as an Exercise in Perspective — Cheryl Klein Tells the Story of Crybaby
In this episode Cheryl Klein tells the story of Crybaby. Along the way she covers:
- Big Feelings and sexism in our beliefs about what is worthy of big feelings
- Memoir as coping mechanism
- …
The Power of Lemon Cake — Marie Mutsuki Mockett tells the story of The Tree Doctor
In this episode Marie Mutsuki Mockett tells the story of The Tree Doctor. Along the way she covers:
- The ways women are and are not allowed to write about sex
- The depression that can foll…
"Writing is a place I love to come back to" — Rebecca J. Sanford tells the story of The Disappeared
Rebecca J. Sanford tells the story of The Disappeared. Along the way she covers:
The Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo in Argentina
A new querying technique
Being on submission for a year
F…
I'm Choosing This — Elle Everhart tells the story of Hot Summer
Elle Everhart tells the story of Hot Summer. Along the way, Elle covers:
Hinge
A particular kind of single parenting experience
The most dangerous writing app
Writing as a way to try on a…
People Think That When You're Not Published, You're Not Working
Aida Zilelian tells the story of All the Ways We Lied. Along the way she discusses:
- writer's block
- the value of touchstone texts and poetry
- agents (the good, the bad, and the why)
…
I Had to Do Whatever Was Necessary to Communicate — Elizabeth Hilborn tells the story of Restoring Eden
Elizabeth Hilborn tells the story of her memoir Restoring Eden. Along the way she covers:
Moving from scientific writing to memoir
Notes and research for nonfiction
Honey bees, pesticide…
I was having so much fun, I wasn't concerned about what would happen — Ananda Lima tells the story of CRAFT
Ananda Lima tells the story of CRAFT: Stories I Wrote for the Devil. Along the way she covers:
The importance of giving yourself permission to play
Craft talk (and the implicit values t…
"When I was writing it, I was writing it TO her" — Barrie Miskin tells the story of Hellgate Bridge
In this episode Barrie Miskin tells the story of her memoir Hellgate Bridge.
Along the way she covers:
Sarah Perry
Writing about mental illness
Writing about mot…
"A Place I Had Never Thought Possible" — Shze-Hui Tjoa talks about The Story Game
In this episode, Shze-Hui talks about The Story Game. Along the way, she covers:
Evaluating agent responses to your manuscript
Women and anger
How to know when a book is done
Recognizin…
Welcoming to Evolution or Change or Rupture — Lucas Mann tells the story of Attachments
Lucas Mann tells the story of Attachments: Essays on fatherhood and other performances. Along the way he covers:
Writing when you have a newborn
Trying for a balance between personal ess…
The Fight to Retain the Weird and the Feral — Michelle Tea tells the story of SLUTS
In this episode, Michelle Tea tells the story of SLUTS, from Dopamine Press. Along the way, she covers:
Starting Dopamine Press
Anthologies as fundraisers
Starting and ending anthologies
P…
"It's Never Gonna Happen For Me" — Hannah Sward tells the story of Strip
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
- Th…
What Will and Will Not Be Translated — Crystal Hana Kim tells the story of The Stone Home
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 explor…
Nothing is Whole Until It's In Words — Stephanie Clare Smith tells the story of Everywhere the Undrowned
In this episode, Stephanie Clare Smith tells the story of Everywhere the Undrowned.
Along the way, she covers:
Great Circle Books (whose series editor Marie…
There's Nothing I Regret — Estelle Erasmus tells the story of Writing That Gets Noticed
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 o…
"Write or Die" — Annell López tells the story of I'll Give You A Reason
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 MFA
Affordances of short story collectio…
"What is the book that can only be yours?"— Clare Beams tells the story of The Garden
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
Letti…
What If Nobody Likes it? Nicole Haroutunian Tells the Story of Choose This Now
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…
"If You Don't Like An Edit, Just Don't Do It" — Sarah Rose Etter tells the story of RIPE
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 month
The importance of having a good team behind you
…