The Writer's Story

Meredith and Kristin talk about reviving projects, when, and how to decide which to tackle, before talking issues, environment, animals and more with writer and publisher, John Yunker co-founder with writer Midge Raymond of Ashland Creek Press and EcoLit Books blog. He's the author of plays, essays, and the novels The Tourist Trail and Where Oceans Hide Their Dead.

Co-host Kristin Swenson 's got a new book out! And Meredith's on the spot with questions and thoughts of her own in this lively discussion between the two of them. They catch up on novels-in-progress and talk about how it's been releasing A Most Peculiar Book: The Inherent Strangeness of the Bible (Oxford UP) .

Kristin and Meredith start off the new year talking about writing residencies, Kristin's new book and interview YA and literary fiction author Kristen-Paige Madonia . Kristen-Paige is the author of Invisible Fault Lines and Fingerprints of You.

Meredith and Kristin talk manuscript evolution, first draft and beyond. Robin Farmer relates her writer's journey through journalism, screenwriting, and writing residencies, and discusses her (whoohoo!) debut novel MALCOLM AND ME, staring down the "woke police," and telling it true.

Kristin shares exciting writing news, and we talk to E.A. Aymar about his new thriller, They're Gone , coming out in November under the name E.A. Barres. Meredith met E.A. at the first DC Noir at the Bar (which he organizes). They discuss thrillers, writing from a multicultural perspective, pseudonyms, and the benefits of writing short fiction and articles in between publishing books.

Meredith and Kristin visit with Newbery Medal winner Meg Medina about the racy tales of Meg's abuela, "the queen" of her family's unofficial historistas (storytellers), Meg's personal road to becoming an award-winning author, and the incalculable resource of a good librarian. A couple lucky listener/subscribers will receive free copies of the fresh-off-the-press anthology The Talk: Conversations a...

Kristin and Meredith talk about how torturing your characters is a must if you want to write a compelling novel. They also chat with Kellye Garrett , who shares her early love of cozies (and why representation matters), gives the origin story for Crime Writers of Color , and talks about how #pitchwars helped launch her career (and the careers of many other writers). Plus, she talks about her newes...

Kristin and Meredith talk about writing in the middle of political unrest and tragedy, and talk to Sharon Harrigan . Sharon's debut novel HALF comes out June 9. She talks about writing poetry, memoir and now fiction, her path to becoming a writer, and what it was like write from the point of view of a first-person plural narrator.

Kristin and Meredith talk with Lulu Miller about her new non-fiction book WHY FISH DON'T EXIST, about the power (and limits) of words, and how her work in radio (Radiolab and Invisibilia) influenced her project.

Kristin and Meredith talk about writing during a pandemic on this episode, and whether anyone is able to concentrate on their creative endeavors these dark days. They discuss tricks they use to jumpstart their rewrites, whether or not anyone will want to read a COVID-19 novel someday, and how important art is for all those quarantined inside their homes.

Meredith Cole interviews Clifford Garstang and Michael Zapata for a virtual version of their scheduled book panel at the Virginia Festival of the Book (canceled for coronavirus): Stories of Displacement: Fiction, Far from Home. They discuss their newest books and how their stories are about displacement, immigration and loss.

The Virginia Festival of the Book was canceled this year due to the coronavirus, so the Moseley critique group decided to make their publishing day panel "The Write Start" virtual! In this podcast, Deborah M. Prum, Jody Hobbs Hesler, BettyJoyce Nash and Meredith Cole critique the first 100 words of the 14 anonymous entries they received for the festival. They give the authors feedback on tone, gen...

Meredith and Kristin talk good writerly boosts from both accountability (feet to the fire) and vacation (feet in the ocean). Katrin Schumann joins them to discuss her novel, This Terrible Beauty, love in the midst of war, and how decent people can unintentionally wind up building an authoritarian state. 

Kristin and Meredith talk about New Year’s resolutions (pro and con) and rituals to start the writing year off right. Irène Mathieu , author and pediatrician, joins them to talk about poetry versus prose, having two demanding careers, and using sensitivity readers when writing about cultures and experiences not your own.

Kristin and Meredith talk about revising and first drafts, as well as the challenges of integrating political issues into their fiction. Their guest is Padma Venkatraman , award-winning author of The Bridge Home, a 2019 Global Read Aloud book, A Time to Dance, and Climbing the Stairs.

Kristin and Meredith talk about collaboration, and word count and rules for various genres. They interview the writing and podcasting duo Phillipa "Pip" Ballantine and Tee Morris about their writing journeys, steam punk, non-traditional publishing, and their writing partnership on various projects, including The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences .

  Kristin and Meredith talk about how fall has inspired them to be productive on their writing projects, and chat with Tara Laskowski , award-winning author of short stories and the novel One Night Gone.

Kristin and Meredith talk about writing and keeping a journal, and chat with J. Dana Trent , author of Dessert First and other non-fiction books on Christian meditation, Sabbath practice, and interfaith marriage.

Kristin and Meredith discuss writing groups and finding a writing community with guest Deborah Prum, author of humorous short fiction, award-winning short stories and historical non-fiction. With years of experience in writing groups, Deb gives tips on how to start and facilitate an effective writing group for all genres.

Kristin and Meredith discuss writing "the shadow" and going places in their writing that's uncomfortable. Guest Clifford Garstang joins to discuss his new book "The Shaman of Turtle Valley" and shares his writing journey.

Meredith and Kristin discuss unlikable protagonists (pros and cons), and talk with author Rachel Howzell Hall about her book They All Fall Down and her mystery series set in Los Angeles.

Meredith and Kristin talk about creating the perfect writing schedule, and talk with author Belle Boggs about her novel The Gulf, her non-fiction essays and about teaching writing.

Meredith and Kristin talk about life colliding with writing schedules, and welcome guest Patricia A. Smith, author of The Year of Needy Girls, to discuss literature for and out of the LGBTQ experience.

Author hosts Meredith Cole and Kristin Swenson discuss feedback (giving and receiving) and how it's particularly important to them both at this stage of their writing. They're joined by novelist and children's book author Kathryn Erskine, who won the 2010 National Book Award for Young People's Literature for her novel, Mockingbird.

Author hosts Meredith Cole and Kristin Swenson share their stories, and tell how they each came to become writers. They discuss craft and the three-act structure, outlining (yay or nay), the quest, and more.