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.

We’ve hosted 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).

Host: Barbara DeMarco-Barrett
Host: Marrie Stone

Music and sound editing by Travis Barrett

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

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EPISODES

(2001 - present)

Nicole Nelson Nicole Nelson

Mary-Beth Hughes and Lauren Acampora

Mary-Beth Hughes, author of The Loved Ones talks to Nicole Nelson about finding her way into her novel, using sensory detail to further the narrative, and drawing from her earlier career as a modern dancer (with the Merce Cunningham studio in New York) to tell her stories. Then Lauren Acampora, author of The Wonder Garden, talks about how her false start with a novel led to this book of inter-connected short stories that she had a blast writing, how growing up in the suburbs and later choosing to live there as an adult has influenced the tales she is drawn to, and how she finds the humor in reactions from readers who don't read flap copy, thanks to a blog post by Rebecca Makkai about online reader reviews.

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(Broadcast date: June 10, 2015)



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Nicole Nelson Nicole Nelson

Vendela Vida and Samantha Harvey on Writers on Writing



Nicole Nelson talks to Vendela Vida, author of The Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty, about the challenges and fun of writing in the second person singular, why she doesn’t read her reviews, and the value of setting a daily word goal. Then SamanthaHarvey, author of Dear Thief, discusses how setting her novel in the form of a long letter allowed the protagonist to explore a wide territory, how her dissatisfaction with academic philosophy led to a realization that she could best explore philosophical questions through writing fiction, and how having real clarity of purpose when writing a novel, knowing what its “necessity” is, working in tandem with perseverance, is crucial.

Vendela will be at Skylight Books in Los Angeles on June 15, 2015 at 7:30P.M.                                                                                                                                                       

(Broadcast date: June 3, 2015)

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Marrie Marrie

Michael Paterniti and Marian Palaia on Writers on Writing

Essayist Michael Paterniti, author of Love and Other Ways of Dying, joins Marrie Stone to discuss writing tragedy, how he finds doors into human emotion, what makes a compelling essay, and creating the narrative voice in nonfiction.  In the second half, Marian Palaia discusses her novel, The Given World.   She discusses Vietnam, creating fictional characters from real people, the common pitfalls of new writers, and how her MFA transformed her work.

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(Broadcast date: April 29, 2015)
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Barbara DeMarco-Barrett Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

Seth Greenland on Writers on Writing

Seth Greenland, author of I Regret Everything: A Love Story, published by Europa, talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about his new novel, writing in the opposite gender's point of view, living twice (through your characters) and much more.

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 (Broadcast date: May 13, 2015)
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Nicole Nelson Nicole Nelson

Mary Norris and Christie Watson

Mary Norris, author of Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen, talks to Nicole Nelson about how being so focused on the details because of her copy-editing job made her appreciate the work of her editor for this book in helping her craft chapters with a beginning, middle and end; what it's like to be in charge of the "comma shaker" at The New Yorker; and how knowing the grammar behind the use of "me" in some contexts can, between her and us, help writers make the correct choice. Then Christie Watson, author of Where Women are Kingsjoins the show to talk about how she discovered the voice of her main character, Elijah, how the novel changed as she worked through nearly a dozen drafts, and how important it is for writers to silence their inner critic and keep on writing.

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(Broadcast date: May 6, 2015)
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Nicole Nelson Nicole Nelson

Jacob Rubin and Angela Flournoy


Jacob Rubin , author of the novel The Posertalks to Nicole Nelson about the value of re-reading, how his protagonist Giovanni emerged from his work on a short story, and the comfort of rituals when writing (and in life). Then Angela Flournoy, author of The Turner Housediscusses finding the right first chapter, how studying The Brothers Karamazov helped her map the story of her novel, and the importance of submitting to--and not resisting--the revision process.

Angela and Barbara DeMarci-Barrett will be at the LA Times Festival of Books
Angela's panel is Sunday, April 19 at 3:30 (Fiction: The Past in Our Present Hoffman Hall )
Barbara DeMarco-Barrett will moderate Fiction: Perfectly Flawed Sunday, 12:30 p.m., Annenberg Auditorium.

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(Broadcast date: April 15, 2015)
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Barbara DeMarco-Barrett Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

Pulitzer prize winning poet Stephen Dunn

Pulitzer prize winning poet Stephen Dunn, author of Lines of Defense, talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about crafting poems, including writing from your own POV or using a persona, revision, the best training for a poet, and more.

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(Broadcast date: April 8, 2014)
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Marrie Marrie

John Burley and Kelly Link talk with Marrie Stone

Marrie Stone interviews novelist John Burley, author of The Forgetting Place.  Dr. Burley discusses creating an authentic setting, managing suspense, creating compelling characters, and more.  In the second half, Kelly Link discusses her short story collection, Get In Trouble.  She discusses her draw to the fantastical, titling stories, what makes a compelling story, endings, and more.

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(Broadcast date: March 4, 2015)
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Nicole Nelson Nicole Nelson

Jill Alexander Essbaum and Michele Young-Stone on Writers on Writing


Poet and debut novelist Jill Alexander Essbaum, author of Hausfrau, joins co-host Nicole Nelson to talk about the importance of the small Swiss town setting for her story and her protagonist Anna, how the worst times in our lives are probably the most important, and how a love of words unites her work in poetry and fiction. Then author Michele Young-Stone talks about her latest novel, Above Us Only Sky, balancing research when writing a novel, exploring the concept of "home" in her work, and approaching the page with confidence.

Jill will be at the LA Times Festival of Books; her panel is Sunday, April 19 at 12:30 (Conversation 2042).

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(Broadcast date: April 1, 2015)
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Nicole Nelson Nicole Nelson

Matt Sumell and Elisa Albert on Writers on Writing

Matt Sumell, author of Making Nice talks to co-cost Nicole Nelson about leveraging humor as a coping mechanism, trusting his gut, and using what hurts. Then novelist Elisa Albert, author of After Birthabout the usefulness of keeping a notebook, what her revision process looks like, and having faith that the ending will emerge.
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(Broadcast date: March 11, 2015)
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Nicole Nelson Nicole Nelson

Maureen Corrigan and Stewart O'Nan on Writers on Writing



Maureen Corrigan, author and NPR book critic, talks to co-host Nicole Nelson about her latest book, So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came To Be And Why It Endures, as well as what some of Fitzgerald's revisions left behind in earlier drafts of the novel, the importance of water imagery in the book, and her experience retracing some of the author's steps. In the second half, Stewart O'Nan discusses his latest novel West of Sunset, which fictionalizes the last chapter of Fitzgerald's life, the Hollywood years. He talks about coming late to appreciate Fitzgerald himself, what kind of research was required to immerse himself in the world of Hollywood in the late 1930s, and how his experience writing narrative nonfiction helped create a world that served both history and his character.

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(Broadcast date: February 25, 2015)

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Nicole Nelson Nicole Nelson

Tatjana Soli and Erin Harris on Writers on Writing

Tatjana Soli, author of The Last Good Paradisetalks to Nicole Nelson about the importance of setting in developing a novel, the art of revision, and the writing benefits of a good hike. Then Erin Harris, NYC agent with Folio Lit talks about what kind of work she represents, what catches her eye in a query, and what agents want to see in those all-important first pages.

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[Note: In the Harris interview, there are a couple of very brief phone line blips that resolve quickly.]

(Broadcast date: February 11, 2015)
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