Writing in the Dark

In this episode, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker welcome novelist, professor, and 5am Writers Club stalwart Penny Zang for a heated discussion about Tobias Wolff’s rule-breaking short story, “Bullet in the Brain.” Reading: Bullet in the Brain by Tobias Wolff Their conversation explores the delicate art of an unlikable protagonist, the controversial choice to delay backstory till the end of a piece...

In this episode, Julia and Ralph are joined by award-winning novelist and Army veteran Nancy Stroer to dissect a short story by Benjamin Inks in which Jack Fleming, a fictional character invented as a joke, becomes a larger than life hero who inspires both American soldiers and Afghan citizens. Reading: “Jack Fleming Lives!” by Benjamin Inks They explore how the story’s choices about pacing, world...

Writing in the Dark is back! To kick off Season 4, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker welcome Betsy Ellor to discuss The Daughter Cells, a short story by Daniel M. Lavery from the collection Merry Spinster . Reading: The Daughter Cells They explore how the author turns Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale of self-sacrifice into one of agency, complete with body horror, funny and biting critique of...

Time is fake? Time is a fungus? Time is f——? As the year draws to a close, Ralph and Julia debate the truth of time and its role in the creative process. They discuss how they evaluate progress beyond word count and reflect on what they learned from this season’s guests. They also explore what’s in store for next year and how to keep pursuing creative goals joyfully. Thanks to all our guests and l...

Greetings Space Travelers, Ralph & Julia here from Writing In The Dark. We are thrilled to share a very special episode with you about our most recent Journey To Jupiter. In this episode, we’ll take you on a ride in our spaceship and share some of the experiences of working with a variety of amazing writers as they each explore their own authentic storytelling. We’ll be sharing some of the sounds...

In this episode, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker welcome Heather Sweeney to discuss Casey Mulligan Walsh’s Still, a micro-nonfiction published in Split Lip Magazine. Read: Still by Casey Mulligan Walsh (learn more about the author here ) Nearly all one sentence, this 500-word flash is a breathless rush that captures the unthinkable loss of a child and conveys staggering emotion through the clever...

In this episode, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker welcome Jennifer Savran Kelly to discuss Megan Mayhew Bergman’s short story Housewifely Arts, published in her collection Birds of a Lesser Paradise. Read: Housewifely Arts “I am my own housewife, my own breadwinner.” In this heart-wrenching story, a woman goes on a road trip with her son to find the African gray parrot that can still mimic her dead...

In this episode, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker welcome Steve Weddle to discuss Jordan Harper’s short story My Savage Year, published in the Southwest Review. Together they dig into a well-crafted tale that’s engaging in the most unsettling of ways. Read: My Savage Year In this story, the narrator revisits a crime that occurred when he was in high school and has haunted him for decades. He admits...

In this episode, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker dissect the pilot episode of the television series The Bear, whose protagonist Carmy returns to Chicago to run a restaurant amid grief and strained relationships with family members and kitchen employees. Season 4 starts June 25. Read: The script of Season 1, Episode 1 Watch: On Hulu They unpack the very specific world of this show, examining the ch...

In this episode, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker welcome special guest E. J. Wenstrom to discuss Charles Yu’s short story “Open” from his 2012 story collection Sorry Please Thank You. Reading: Open by Charles Yu E. J., Julia, and Ralph explore this speculative short story and its portal—in this case a literal door that appears in a living room—which may or may not save the main characters’ relatio...

In this episode, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker welcome special guest Caroline Manring to help dissect Elizabeth McCracken’s short story “Something Amazing,” from her 2014 story collection Thunderstruck. Reading: “Something Amazing” by Elizabeth McCracken Manring applies her poetic training and knowledge to the story, discussing the soundtrack and musicality of McCracken’s prose. She explores how...

In this episode, Julia and Ralph explore Danielle Evans’ short story "Boys Go to Jupiter,” dissecting the complicated protagonist Claire as well as the story’s themes of racism and grief. They discuss how the backstory unfolds, the effect of the pacing, and what questions remain after the gut-punch ending. Do you have feedback on this episode or thoughts on the story? We'd love to hear from you! C...

Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker kick off Season 3, which will focus on narrative craft particularly through the lens of shorter works. In this episode, they discuss Kathryn Schultz's 2017 New Yorker piece “Losing Streak.” They explore the personal and academic voices used, how each reveals and deepens the themes of loss and grief, and the structure and specificity choices the author makes. This ep...

In this episode of Writing in the Dark, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker reflect on a productive and joyful year as they delve into their writing experiences, the importance of creative community, and their annual Journey to Jupiter retreat. They highlight their achievements, including Julia's new Story Connection series and Ralph's progress with his novel and the 5am Writers Club, and their favori...

In this emotional episode, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker reconnect with three writers who attended the Journey to Jupiter retreat: historical fiction writer Susan Klobuchar ( Instagram , Bluesky , Substack ), UCLA student Meredith Parker Fenwick, and YA writer Shawn T. Anderson. They discuss their transformative experiences at the retreat, the importance of creative community, how their writing...

In this episode of Writing in the Dark, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker dive deep into the revision process. They discuss the joy of making creative messes, the importance of iterative drafts, and the various methods writers can use to refine their stories. Julia and Ralph draw from their own experiences and share strategies like using the Revision Machete™️ to excise unnecessary text, shape chara...

In this episode, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker delve into the concept of creative rest, exploring how rest is essential to fueling creativity and improving storytelling. They discuss the importance of taking breaks both within and between projects, reconnecting with the joy and wonder that inspires great work, and the crucial role of creative communities. Listeners are encouraged to embrace rest...

In this episode of Writing in the Dark, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker dive into the complexities of plotting in both genre and literary fiction. They discuss the layering process of crafting a plot, the significance of both internal and external changes in storytelling, and the unique challenges of writing memoir. They attempt to define the term “plot” and explore the importance of pivotal momen...

In this episode, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker welcome Penny Zang and Caroline Manring to discuss their experiences at the first Journey to Jupiter writing retreat in 2023. Penny and Caroline reflect on their favorite aspects of the experience, what it helped them uncover in their works in progress, and how it affected their approach to the writing process. They touch on the importance of rigor...

In this episode, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker discuss the importance of scene development in both literary and genre fiction. They delve into how scenes function as the building blocks of storytelling and the difference between scenes and fragments. Julia and Ralph share their personal approaches to writing scenes, handling authenticity, and the joy of seeing a story come together. They also to...

In this episode, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker delve into the nuances of setting and world building, exploring different approaches across literary and genre fiction. Julia comes from the literary side, emphasizing character-driven narratives and sophisticated language, while Ralph champions the creative possibilities within genre fiction. They discuss how setting can serve as a character or con...

Episode 4 is here! A reminder that you can find Writing in the Dark on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and subscribing is a great way to support our work. Thanks, as always, for listening. In this episode, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker dive into the complexities of creating engaging and unforgettable characters. They discuss various techniques and philosophies to help develop rich characters, includi...

Episode 3 is here! A reminder that you can find Writing in the Dark on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and subscribing is a great way to support our work. Thanks, as always, for listening. Show notes In this episode, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker delve into the mess, struggle, and joy of the first draft, sharing their own writing routines and challenges. They discuss different drafting techniques, in...

Episode 2 is here! Thanks, as always, for listening. Show notes: In this episode, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker discuss how they come up with story ideas and populate them with compelling characters. They explore the importance of authenticity and specificity, pushing characters to the brink, and allowing plot to transform characters. They also share their experience of coaching other writers on...

Show notes: In the first episode, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker discuss their differing approaches to setting resolutions and goals, with Ralph touting the beauty of process-oriented goals and Julia admitting her aversion to traditional goal-setting. They explore the importance of rest, reset, and change, and the cultural forces that work for and against us in those realms. The conversation also...