Around the Writer’s Table

In this episode, host Gina Hogan Edwards welcomes Jennifer Schomburg Kanke, a poet and writer whose work beautifully intertwines personal history and storytelling. Jennifer shares insights into her creative process, discussing how her Appalachian roots and family narratives shape her poetry. She reads from her latest collection, "The Swellest Wife Anyone Ever Had," which explores themes of identit...

In this episode we reflect on our creative journeys over 2024, sharing insights and lessons learned (some learned the hard way!). We dive into the importance of community support, discussing how our writing friendships have helped us navigate challenges and maintain momentum. We explore key themes like authenticity and mastery, emphasizing the need to trust our unique creative processes, through t...

In this episode, we delve into a heartfelt conversation about creativity, personal growth, and the importance of rest in the writing process. Melody shares insights from her book, Soul of the Seasons, emphasizing the significance of embracing different life phases. The discussion highlights how pushing through fatigue can diminish the quality of creative work, and the importance of listening to on...

In this episode we dive into the art of worldbuilding, a critical aspect not just for fantasy and sci-fi authors, but for all genres, including historical and contemporary fiction. We explore how worldbuilding is the foundation that brings settings to life, creating believability and plausibility for readers, and discuss the challenges of balancing facts with imagination in historical fiction, usi...

In this episode of Around the Writer's Table, Melody dives into the fascinating world of historical fiction with the talented Trish MacEnulty. Join them as they explore her journey from a casual interest in history to becoming an award-winning author. Trish shares her insights on the importance of research, emphasizing how it enriches her storytelling and connects past events to contemporary issue...

In this episode of Around the Writers Table, we delve into the complex relationship between trauma and writing. Gina, Melody, and KimBoo, share our insights on how trauma influences our storytelling, emphasizing the importance of focusing on recovery rather than the trauma itself. We discuss the nuances of writing about personal experiences, the difference between cathartic writing and memoir, and...

Gina Hogan Edwards interviews Pat Spears, an author of three novels and numerous short stories. Spears is a wonderful storyteller, and discusses her writing journey, influenced by her family's storytelling tradition and her experiences at Florida State University. She shares insights on her new novel, Hotel Impala, which explores themes of mental illness, homelessness, and the lies people tell the...

Explore the power of intuition in this discussion where we examine how intuition blends experience and imagination to fuel the discovery writing process. We share personal stories of characters taking on a life of their own, and learn techniques to quiet the mind and trust the creative flow. Whether you're a plotter or a pantser, intuition can guide your writing. Discover how to hold story ideas g...

Join us as we dive into the writing process and creative journey of author Gina Hogan Edwards. We explore how Gina overcame comparison and imposter syndrome at a transformative writing workshop, and learn about the inspiration and themes behind her historical fiction novel "Dancing at the Orange Peel." Gina shares insights on the challenges of writing authentic voices in historical fiction, as wel...

As writers, your intrepid hosts here at Around the Writer's Table have all grappled with comparison itis throughout our creative journeys. It's a common issue that plagues many writers, stemming from imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and the fear of missing out on the success of others. Listen in as we discuss how we've learned to approach these feelings with mindfulness and actively countering th...

In this episode, we're excited to have Melody interviewing Karla Refojo, a plant spirit medicine colleague and creator of the Tulku Oracle deck! Karla shares the inspiration behind her talismanic jewelry and Oracle deck, which blend elements of Nepali and Tibetan culture with animistic perspectives. She discusses her creative process, including the challenges of writing and the importance of quali...

In this episode, we wrap up our journey through the Creativity Quest, a framework developed by our own Gina Hogan Edwards to help writers navigate their creative journey. We discuss the origins of this 10-stage process and how it can serve as a personal coach for writers. Melody and KimBoo share our experiences with the quest, highlighting stages that resonated with us most. We explore the non-lin...

This week on Around the Writers Table, we dove deep into the concept of yielding to mastery in writing. Gina kicked us off with a reminder of where we left off in the Creativity Quest stages, then explains that mastery is personal and subjective, emphasizing the importance of defining what success means to each individual. Melody connects this stage to the seasons of writing, highlighting how each...

Welcome to episode 42 of the Around the Writer’s Table podcast where we discuss the 10th and final stage of Gina’s Creativity Quest guideposts for writers: Yielding to Mastery. What does mastery look like for writers? It’s not about perfection, or even publication, but about defining success for yourself. We discuss the importance of setting your own goals and defining what mastery means to you. T...

In this episode—the first in our interview series—Gina talks with author Rhett DeVane about the inspiration for her books, writing in multiple genres, and what her writing process is like. We explore the theme of intragenerational relationships and how it shows up in her upcoming novel Ditch Weed, as well as other books she’s written. Rhett also shares the meaning behind the book’s title. You don’...

We had another great discussion around the writers table about trusting the creative process. I shared my own struggles with perfectionism and procrastination, and how learning to trust my process as a pantser has helped me push through to completion. We also talked about the importance of balance between structure and spontaneity. Melody brought up some great points about planning versus pantsing...

On this episode of Around the Writers Table, Melody and I are solo (duo?) while Gina is out on the road. We  dove deep into the always-fascinating topic of character development. From navigating the mindsets of characters from different time periods to having breakthrough conversations with our creations, we explored all aspects of bringing multidimensional personalities to life. We geeked out ove...

In this episode, Gina, Melody, and KimBoo explore a pivotal stage in Gina's "Creativity Quest" approach to writing, focusing on the theme of "Trusting the Process." This stage challenges writers to decide whether to persevere or give up when faced with obstacles. Gina shares the apocryphal story of R.U. Darby and his quest for gold, illustrating the importance of resilience and persistence in crea...

This week on Around the Writers Table, we dove deeper into the topic of integrating creative identity and how it relates to the seasons of writing. We shared personal stories about when others first recognized our creativity and how that shaped our development. I reflected on my mother's support despite differences in taste, and struggles claiming my identity while being told I was creative. Gina...

Hey everyone, we're here with our latest episode of Around the Writers Table! Today we dove into the next phase of Gina's Creativity Quest model: Integrating and Dedicating. This stage is all about bringing your creative identity out into the open and committing fully to your work. Gina led us in a discussion about what this stage demands, including honesty, self-review, and resilience in the face...

This episode delves further into Gina's Creativity Quest stage of verifying and testing. We explored how this process of testing our creative boundaries and sharing our work with others relates to the natural seasons of writing and plant spirit medicine. Melody provided insights on using these paradigms to stay aligned with our creative vision during challenging periods of revision and maturation....

In this episode, we continue their exploration of the Creativity Quest, focusing on "Verifying and Testing." As we delve into this stage of the creative journey, we discuss the challenges and opportunities it presents for creative individuals. Verifying and Testing is a crucial phase where creators begin to test their skills and share their work more openly with the world. It's a time when validat...

This episode focuses on the relationship between authenticity and the seasons of writing! Your lovely hosts Gina, Melody, and KimBoo discuss how inviting authentic existence, one of the guideposts in Gina's Creativity Quest cycle of creativity, applies to all five seasons since authenticity is integral to fully expressing each stage of growth and change. Melody explains how each season influences...

Welcome back, writers! We're here with another episode of Around the Writers' Table. Today, we're picking up where we left off a couple of episodes ago after a side-jaunt where Gina and I talked about subscriptions and serials. But now, let's get back to the heart of the Creativity Quest! In case you missed it, or you're just joining us, we're delving into the Creativity Quest guideposts, a series...

In this episode, Gina and KimBoo discuss the concept of serials and subscriptions for authors. We provide updates on their own writing projects and discuss the differences between serials and serialized novel and explore the history of serials and how the internet and technology have made them more accessible. We emphasize the creative freedom that serials offer to authors and why they should cons...