From debut authors to Pulitzer Prize winners, Writers on Writing tackles a little of everything — novels, short stories, memoir, poetry, and more, as well as interviews with agents and publishers.

Unlike other shows dedicated to discussing books, we focus on the art, craft, and business of writing. Writers appreciate the opportunity to talk about the artistic elements of their job — the thousands of decisions that must be made to produce a manuscript. There’s no aspect of craft, creativity, and publishing we don’t explore.

Hosts Barbara DeMarco-Barrett and Marrie Stone have interviewed well over 1,500 authors on the show including Elizabeth Strout, S.A. Cosby, Ann Patchett, Amor Towles, and George Saunders. Expert advice from some of the industry’s top writers allows us to offer a show that’s been called “your own personal MFA program” (with no financial strain).

Music and sound editing are provided by Travis Barrett.

Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.

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EPISODES

(2001 - present)

Nicole Nelson Nicole Nelson

John Brandon and Daniel James Brown on Writers on Writing

Nicole talks to novelist and short story writer John Brandon about his new collection Further Joy, experimenting with form and re-thinking what makes a short story work. Non-fiction author Daniel James Brown discusses how he found his way into the story of The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the value of thorough research and the importance of conflict throughout a narrative. His book is out now in paperback.

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(Broadcast date: June 18, 2014)

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Barbara DeMarco-Barrett Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

Jane Porter and Andrea Portes on Writers on Writing

Romance novelist Jane Porter (with too many novels to mention) and Andrea Portes, author of Bury This, talk about the art and craft--and business--of writing fiction.

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(Broadcast date: March 26, 2014)
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Barbara DeMarco-Barrett Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

Jill Amadio and Sheila Lowe on Writers on Writing

Jill Amadio, author of Digging Too Deep, and Sheila Lowe, handwriting analyst and author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Handwriting Analysis and What She Saw, talk about their novels and nonfiction, writing suspense, and the mystery and suspense genre.

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(Broadcast date: Weds., March 16, 2014)
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Nicole Nelson Nicole Nelson

Stacey D'Erasmo and Jenny Offill on Writers on Writing

Nicole Nelson talks to Stacey D'Erasmo, author of Wonderland, about doing research touring with an indie rock band, writing sex scenes, and the importance of working past perfectionism.

In the second half of the show, Jenny Offill, author of Dept. of Speculation, talks about experimenting with structure, finding authenticity in your storytelling, and why she resists Twitter.

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(Broadcast date: May 28, 2014)
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Marrie Marrie

Alice LaPlante & Zachary Lazar

Marrie Stone chats with Alice LaPlante, author of Circle of Wives, about the power of the unreliable narrator, knowing when to abandon projects that don't work, where story inspirations come from, and much more. 

In the second half, novelist Zachary Lazar talks about his latest novel, I Pity the Poor Immigrant, writing about foreign places and times, and the power of juxtaposing unlikely people and things to create compelling stories, and more. 

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(Broadcast date: May 21, 2014)
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Barbara DeMarco-Barrett Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

Lit agent Colleen Mohyde and novelist Ivy Pachoda on Writers on Writing

Literary agent Colleen Mohyde, with the Doe Coover Agency in Boston, and novelist Ivy Pachoda, author of Visitation Street join Barbara DeMarco-Barrett for a conversation about books, publishing, and more.

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(Broadcast date: May 14, 2014)
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Marrie Marrie

Jim Gavin & Jennifer Gilmore

Marrie Stone chats with short story writer, Jim Gavin, about his debut collection Middlemen.  In the second half hour, Nicole Nelson talks with Jennifer Gilmore, author of The Mothers.

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(Broadcast date: April 2, 2014)
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Marrie Marrie

Francine Prose & A.L. Kennedy on the show

Marrie Stone chats with award-winner author Francine Prose about her latest novel, Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932 and stand-up comic and writer A. L. Kennedy, author of the short story collection All the Rage.

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(Broadcast date: April 30, 2014)
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Nicole Nelson Nicole Nelson

Lydia Denworth and Deena Goldstone



Lydia Denworthjournalist and author of I Can Hear You Whisper: An Intimate Journey through the Science of Sound and Language, and screenwriter Deena Goldstone, author of the short story collection, Tell Me One Thing, talk with guest host Nicole Nelson.

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We are in our semi-anual fund drive until May 2, 2014, and possibly through May 4, depending on how it goes. Every donation helps; please consider contributing: (949) 824-5824, (949) UCI-KUCI or www.kuci.org/donations (please indicate Writers on Writing is what you listen to on KUCI).  Thank you so much for your support.

(Broadcast date: April 23, 2014)



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Marrie Marrie

Wally Lamb & T.C. Boyle

Marrie Stone interviews NYT best-selling author Wally Lamb about his latest novel, We Are Water and short story writer and novelist T.C. Boyle, author of San Miguel and his most recent compilation of short stories, Stories II.

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(Broadcast date: December 4, 2014)
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Barbara DeMarco-Barrett Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

Akhil Sharma, author of Family Life, on Writers on Writing

Akhil Sharma, author of Family Life, talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about the 12-plus years and 7,000 pages he took to write the novel. He also talks about why, when the book is highly autobiographical, he chose to write the story as a novel and not a memoir.

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(Broadcast date: April 9, 2014)

Note: This podcast starts a few minutes into the interview. Akhil is with us for the entire hour with no musical break at half.
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Marrie Marrie

Laura Kasischke & Michael Miller

Marrie Stone interviews poet and novelist Laura Kasischke, discussing her latest novel Mind of Winter and poet Michael Miller about his latest collection, The First Thing Mastered.

April is poetry month, and Michael discusses some of the more accessible poets for those intimidated by poetry.  Tune in to hear his recommendations, and check out these selections from The Huffington Post.



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(Broadcast date: March 19, 2014)
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Nicole Nelson Nicole Nelson

Nicole Mones and Sue William Silverman


Nicole Nelson speaks with Nicole Mones, about her new novel Night in Shanghai, and about research,  incorporating history in fiction, and the importance of living a full life as a writer. During the second half, memoirist Sue William Silverman, discusses her third memoir The Pat Boone Fan Club: My Life as a White Anglo-Saxon Jew, sharing how she, through digging deep, found the metaphor for her identity search.

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(Broadcast date: March 12, 2014)
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Nicole Nelson Nicole Nelson

Molly Antopol and Cindy Chupack


Nicole Nelson speaks with Molly Antopol, named one of 5 under 35 by the National Book Foundation, about her new collection of stories The Unamericans, and about using autobiography as an inspiration for fiction. During the second half, Golden Globe award-winning television writer Cindy Chupack, who wrote for HBO's Sex and the City for five years, discusses the art of essay writing and her new comic memoir, The Longest Date: Life as a Wife.

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(Broadcast date: February 12, 2014)
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Marrie Marrie

Erika Hayasaki and James Scott

Guest host Marrie Stone talks with Erika Hayasaki about narrative nonfiction, reluctant interview subjects and death, inspired by her latest work, The Death Class: A True Story About Life.  Debut novelist James Scott talks about his book The Kept.

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(Broadcast date: February 26, 2014)
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Barbara DeMarco-Barrett Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

New York Times Modern Love editor Daniel Jones

New York Times Modern Love editor Daniel Jones, author of the new book, Love Illuminated, talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about his book and about the column he's been editor of since its inception.

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(Broadcast date: March 5, 2014)
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Nicole Nelson Nicole Nelson

Ruth Ozeki and Gina Frangello on Writers on Writing



In the first half of the show, guest host Nicole Nelson interviews Ruth Ozeki, author of A Tale for the Time Being.

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and Gina Frangello talks to guest host Marrie Stone about her new novel, A Life in Men.

Download audio (Frangello)


(Broadcast date: January 29, 2014)

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Marrie Marrie

Susan Steinberg and Dennis Palumbo

Guest host Marrie Stone talks with Susan Steinberg about experimental short fiction, creative punctuation, and her latest short story collection SpectacleDennis Palumbo joins in the second half to talk about Daniel Rinaldi mystery, Night Terrors

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(Broadcast date: February 5, 2014)
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Nicole Nelson Nicole Nelson

Lara Vapnyar and Kirstin Chen on Writers on Writing


Guest host Nicole Nelson interviews novelists Lara Vapnyar, The Scent of Pine, and Kirstin Chen, Soy Sauce for Beginners.

(Note: The beginning of the Vapnyar interview has some minor bumps due to a technical issue, but the rest is fine.)

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(Broadcast date: January 15, 2014)
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Barbara DeMarco-Barrett Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

Laura Lippman interviewed on Writers on Writing by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

Suspense novelist Laura Lippman talks about And When She Was Good on Writers on Writing with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett.

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(Broadcast date: Sept. 9, 2012)
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