Radio FreeWrite

The Cru welcome writer J.W. Surface to the WriteLab Studios for this episode.  Stories feature a classic fantasy; a classic fairy tale; an imagined mythology; a true crime tale; and some limericks.  I guess it's a genre fiction evening?  Oh, and there are apples. So many apples. From The Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend , 1949 ed. Lir, King. The earliest known original o...

The Cru welcome Spud, yet another veteran of the Story Wars (P, the wife of one of the Story Wars generals, recently said she "loves the symbiotic relationship between Story Wars and the podcast." We agree.). Stories this week include a quest for jinn; a girl mesmerized by gemstones; a ring and its finder; and a poem about emerald mountains. From The Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Myth...

The Cru pay homage to one of WebEater's favorite authors in this week's episode: Flannery O'Connor.  We write stories of which we hope she would approve, and speak in southern accents of which she would not. Stories feature a woman who wanted to be eye candy; a tale from the candy's perspective; a man questing after a Jaguar; and a man trying to take advantage of someone at a b...

Murph, Krispy, and WebEater get together to share the Rumpelstiltskin stories denied to us on last week's episode due to technical glitching. WebEater also reads from a personal project. Like this weeks episode and wish you could read as well as listen? Subscribe to our Substack for a summary of our opening discussion, a story from the episode, and a writing prompt!   Be sure to follow us on...

Whelp, even an auspicious volume such as  Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable is bound to make a mistake sooner or later.  Research conducted after this episode was recorded revealed that 'Rumpelstiltskin' does not, in fact, mean 'wrinkled foreskin.'  We did not know that when we wrote our stories. You've been warned.  From  Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and...

The Cru welcome YYC Typewriter, who hails from the frozen north and comes prepared with tales of anarchy and France! Other stories feature first experiences of the world; veterans meeting after a war; laying out a printing press and loving its imperfections; and a life spent becoming . From Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable : Galley proof. An initial printed proof of a piece of text, on...

Satan getting scammed? The newest twist on a new classic? Pandas, striking at midnight? We've got it all, folks.  The G from Story Wars Cle returns, and we deliver. From Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable :  Pandemonium  (Greek, 'all the demons'). A wild, unrestrained uproar, a tumultuous assembly.  The word, formed on the analogy of PANTHEON, was first used by Milton as t...

What a mouthful. The Cru discuss the value of giving your writing up to the universe... by burning it. Stories this evening feature a priceless heirloom;  a cat who loves miso soup; and a journalist who has finally found a worthy story. From the Dictionary of  Americanisms (1848) by John Russell Bartlett: CATAWAMPTIOUSLY CHAWED UP. Completely demolished, utterly defeated. One of the ludicrous mons...

The Cru do their best attempt to imitate the American author Toni Morrison, discussing her work before reading our stories written in her style.  We also launch a new segment for you whisky lovers: The Writer's Dram.  We are drinking Glenmorangie's "The Nectar D'or," and it is quite delicious.  Stories this evening feature a visit paid to a maid ( head over to the website...

A light Cru tackles this week's prompt, churning out stories that include a scientist, his subjects, and their parents; a girl in a new school; a new lady at the local watering hole; and a Chuck Norris-type turned senator a la Jar Jar Binks. We are sponsored this evening by Speakeasy Leather , one of the finest leatherworkers in our native CleveLand. Please do check out their wares. From Brew...

Yep, The Cru went Welsh, mostly to force Krispy to pronounce the language. This is definitely an odd episode: we discuss why we  hate writing, really living out the immortal words of Catullus:  odi et amo .  Surely you have felt it too: the frustration; the struggle to get words on the page; the "why oh why do I have to love  this? "  And yet here we are, writing away. Except for Murph. ...

Who are the ancillary-- but unnoticed-- characters of our own lives? The Cru provide their answers in fictional form on this week's episode.  Stories begin around the 12:45 mark and include a childhood memory; a quest for pure beauty; a day in a gas station; and a psychedelic trip that gets less trippy as the protagonist imbibes in more drugs.  From  Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fab...

The Cru tackle two new challenges in this episode: writing with music as the prompt and writing alongside an Artificial Intelligence.  The prompt this week is the song Midnight Lorry by Dispatch , one of WebEater's favorite tunes. We don't play the song in the episode--Dispatch's lawyers could probably run circles around ours, if they could find them-- so be sure to follow the link...

This week the Cru welcome the Bartender, a Cleveland local connection made via the community-building crew over at StoryWars CLE .  Stories tonight feature a new twist on a classic bromance; an ode to a cat; a life, simply put; a tale of a monster; and a love song to a dog. From Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable : Achates (3 syl.) A faithful companion, a bosom friend, Achates in Virgil&...

We are taking a holiday break from our regular programming, sharing instead from recent projects. We welcome Mint, WebEater's wife and the pod's Fifth Beatle, for her broadcast debut. PC returns with an update on his novel, Mummified Moon ,  available NOW wherever you find your finest reading materials! Be sure to check out his site for the freshest details.  Happy holidays, everyone! Li...

The Cru gather for their winter writer's retreat in Cleveland's very own Christmas Cabin, owned by friend of the pod Spliff over at Purple Goat Gardens .  Words cannot adequately convey the cozy merriness of this place, which led to far more (severely needed) relaxation and thus a late-night recording session. The prompt this evening (from  Brewer's ) is  Lucy , be she a saint with...

The Cru aspire to write like Winston Churchill, former prime minister and pulp adventure author.  Stories this evening include a tale of a young Churchill, lightly fictionalized; a highschool romance gone awry (as they do); and an absent father.  From  Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable :  The irony of fate. A Strange fatality which has brought about something quite the reverse of what m...

The Cru discuss fate, horoscopes, astrology, and much more. Stories begin around the 16 minute mark and feature twins born under Mercury; a twist of fate; sibling bonding time; and a voyage to the moon. From The Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend , 1949 ed. Born under a lucky or unlucky planet, To be. According to ASTROLOGY some planet, at the birth of every individual, preside...

Did you know two of the Cru have matching tattoos? In this episode they draw inspiration from Cleveland-area tattoo artist Ryan Fishley , using three illustrations he created and published as part of a collection created during the Covid-19 lockdowns of 2020.  All images have been published (with his permission- thank you, Ryan!) on our Instagram and Website; check them out, then listen to hear ho...

The Cru take the week off to spend time with their families... and of course, wind up getting together to write anyway.  This is a non-standard episode; instead of providing a prompt, we just read from our other works-in-progress.   Fair warning, much scotch was consumed. Like this weeks episode and wish you could read as well as listen? Subscribe to our Substack for a summary of our opening discu...

Keeping with their folk tale theme, The Cru dive into tales of the false bride. Stories feature the joys of child...birth?; the adventures of the "Blue Bullet" and her actress; a medieval wedding; and a story that melds the themes of the prompt with "Young Bride" by Midlake. (Definitely give this song a listen!) From The Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend ,...

The Cru are joined this week by typewriter insurgent Richard Polt, author of The Typewriter Revolution and one of the editors of the Loose Dog Press series of anthologies.   Discussion revolves around typewriters (Editor's Note: the superior prose producers) and the influence of analogue technology on the creative process.  Stories feature a cornucopia of Grateful Dead references; an O'C...

The Cru take a poetical turn while imitating the style and substance of author Ellen Hopkins, most notable for her Crank trilogy about the trauma of addiction. Stories feature a disaffected youth; a mysterious eavesdropper in the park; a lonely soul looking for a home; and a misunderstood adolescent. From Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable: Eavesdropper .  One  who  listens  stealthily ...

Thoughts and memories abound as ravens follow a lad to high school; woodland critters come across a secret village; we take a peaceful pause from our stressful lives; a character has the best day of his life, again; and two brothers go on a quest for freedom. From symbolsage.com- Huginn and Muninn are the two black ravens most commonly associated with the wise but also war-frenzied god Odin. Their...

Murph stumps WebEater's collection of arcane reference books with this prompt, a half-man half-scorpion centaur-like monstrosity.  Stories include piano-keys of death; messengers on a mission; the adventures of Blue and Blue Jr.; and a journey to the stars. From Warriors Of Myth Wiki :  The Aqrabuamelu is a creature with origins in Mesopotamian mythology, legend and folklore. In particular, a...