Radio FreeWrite

Welcome to Spooky Season! In our writing craft discussion this week, we focus on first person narration. It can be particularly powerful for horror, but can wear on readers when they have to read "I, I, I" over and over again. So, it must be treated with care! BUT, for those willing to practice with it, it opens plenty of doors. From unreliable narrators to the horrific tension found only inside the head of a madman, we cover it all.

Stories this week begin around the 20:40 mark and include a hallway full of zombies; a cantankerous tattoo artist; true, spine-tingling horror; and a bewitching Belgian tongue.

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Episodes of Radio FreeWrite are protected by a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) license. All Stories remain the property of their respective authors.

This week the Cru studies Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz. We discuss his life, his career, and the styles and themes towards which he gravitated. Place and time were super important to Mahfouz, and Krispy shares what it was like to walk through Cairo following Mahfouz's footsteps. Then we shamelessly steal his style as an author imitation challenge, learning from his style to strengthen our own.

Stories begin at the 23:30 mark and include the life of a jinn, told through her own words; a train ride with two people who differ on how to experience culture; and a meditation on place, time, and acceptance.

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 Instagram (if that's your sort of thing). Please do send us an email with your story if you write along, which we hope you will do.

Episodes of Radio FreeWrite are protected by a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) license. All Stories remain the property of their respective authors.

In this episode, the Cru dives into the world of submissions: the grind of rejection slips; the rare joy of a personal note from the editor; the endless predawn hours of "why did I have to fall in love with writing;" and the importance of READING THE DANG GUIDELINES when sending your work to literary magazines. We swap insights on what editors look for, how to handle feedback, and the value of old-fashioned gumption.

Stories this week begin around the 31:30 mark (yeah, we packing in a LOT of information about submissions) and range from cosmic tragedy to intimate loss: a plane serenaded by the song of regurgitation; a quiet reckoning beneath a sky that fades to black; and a love realized only in retrospect.

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 Instagram (if that's your sort of thing). Please do send us an email with your story if you write along, which we hope you will do.

Episodes of Radio FreeWrite are protected by a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) license. All Stories remain the property of their respective authors.

The Cru returns for Season 5 of Radio FreeWrite! In this episode, we set fresh writing goals, reflect on unions and collective action, and laugh about Monty Python as we take on the Scots phrase ca’ canny: a call to ease up, work slow, and resist.

Stories this week begin at the 16:30 mark and explore resistance in many forms: a poetic plea for freedom from work and a greening earth, a Joycean sketch of paralysis on the farm, a futuristic Uber ride tinged with climate anxiety, a fantasy where unchecked power threatens destruction, and a Labor Day reflection on the risks and strength of workers.

Prompt: Ca’ canny — Scots expression meaning go easy, don’t exert yourself, go slow; also in trade union parlance: work to rule or restrict output so as to exert pressure on employers.

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 Instagram (if that's your sort of thing). Please do send us an email with your story if you write along, which we hope you will do.

Episodes of Radio FreeWrite are protected by a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) license. All Stories remain the property of their respective authors.

In the Season 4 finale, the Radio FreeWrite crew looks back on their writing goals—ranging from dialogue practice to poetic experimentation—and what they’ve learned along the way. Krispy shares how a season of poetry shaped his approach to language, while PC, Spud, and WebEater reflect on growth, discipline, and finding focus as writers.

Then, inspired by the prompt Batrachomyomachia (“the battle of frogs and mice”), they read original first-draft stories: an epic blank-verse poem on anxiety, a dark fantasy battle between spectromancers, and a tender late-night encounter with a mysterious elk.

Perfect for fans of flash fiction, writing craft discussions, and storytelling challenges with a literary twist! Stories start around the 17:45 mark.

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 Instagram (if that's your sort of thing). Please do send us an email with your story if you write along, which we hope you will do.

Episodes of Radio FreeWrite are protected by a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) license. All Stories remain the property of their respective authors.

This week we got deep into writing nerd territory, swapping stories about the books that shape our craft—Slaughterhouse‑Five, Catch‑22, and one Nabokov short story WebEater dissected like he was an eager fifth grader who'd just been handed his first owl pellet. We talked about borrowing and adapting structure from other authors, the little lies we tell ourselves to keep writing, and that weird optimism/pessimism dance that happens whenever Vonnegut comes up. And also, cat anuses *.

Then we read first‑draft stories inspired by Propaganda, featuring a secret East German book smuggler, a fantasy bureaucracy obsessed with sacred flames, and a hilariously depressing mini‑monster‑truck rally.

Happy writing everyone! Stories start around 19 minutes in.

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 Instagram (if that's your sort of thing). Please do send us an email with your story if you write along, which we hope you will do.

Episodes of Radio FreeWrite are protected by a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) license. All Stories remain the property of their respective authors.

Krispy had wedding #2 out of 3 this year (to the same woman) but still pinched out a story. We talked about making dialogue sound natural, how to write characters who don't sound like, well, you talking to yourself, and why highlighting every line in neon colors might help.

Bam! Pow! Then we read stories for the prompt Queensberry Rules (a set of regulations for boxing matches (that introduced the use of padded gloves in boxing as well as the 10-second count)). Stories feature everything from everything from origin stories in PC’s rodent universe to punchy tales about conflict, conversation, and chaos.

We hope you enjoy this episode's stories, and that they inspire you to write your own!

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 Instagram (if that's your sort of thing). Please do send us an email with your story if you write along, which we hope you will do.

Episodes of Radio FreeWrite are protected by a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) license. All Stories remain the property of their respective authors.

We fell straight into the story‑structure void this week—Dan Harmon’s Story Circle (of Community fame, as Murph will be quick to tell you; only casuals know him from Rick and Morty), Joseph Campbell, sitcom plotting, and the eternal “oh god, my draft needs an actual plot” realization. We shared our outlining disasters, surprise rewrites, and that moment when you finally admit the story isn’t done yet.

Afterward, we read stories inspired by U and Non‑U, a very British way of deciding whether you’re classy or common based on whether you say “bike” or “cycle.”

Stories start around 19:05. Happy writing everyone!

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 Instagram (if that's your sort of thing). Please do send us an email with your story if you write along, which we hope you will do.

Episodes of Radio FreeWrite are protected by a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) license. All Stories remain the property of their respective authors.

This episode special guest Matt Weinkam joins us! We talk about Literary Cleveland, a nonprofit organization and creative writing center that empowers people to explore other voices and discover their own; Cleveland's own free literary conference the Inkubator; our creative influences; and the paths that lead people back to writing. Then we reflect on early inspirations, experimenting with style, and how community programs make writing more accessible.

Then, stories inspired by the prompt Ganymede—a name meaning either “to shine joyfully” or "shining testicle," depending on whom you ask—explore beauty, pageantry, and unsettling small‑town traditions.

We hope you enjoy this episode! 

Check out Literary Cleveland here: https://www.litcleveland.org/

Or follow them on Instagram @literarycleveland

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 Instagram (if that's your sort of thing). Please do send us an email with your story if you write along, which we hope you will do.

Episodes of Radio FreeWrite are protected by a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) license. All Stories remain the property of their respective authors.

This episode Calil Cage AKA JUST C.O.S. joins us to talk about writing, life, and The Sparrow's Fortune, a poetry collective working to inspire, educate, and encourage our community through arts, entertainment, and creative writing workshops. We discussed the challenge of learning to accept critique without losing your love for the craft, and the sheer joy of watching other people create. There were birds in the walls, Toni Morrison quotes in the air, and a...spirited... discussion about what counts as “armchair criticism.”

Then we shared first‑draft poems and stories inspired by Ephesian: a jolly companion. How fitting.

Check out The Sparrow's Fortune here: https://www.thesparrowsfortune.com/

Or follow them on Instagram @thesparrowsfortune

Follow @just.c.o.s. on Insta, and if you want to book email [email protected]

Happy writing everyone!

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 Instagram (if that's your sort of thing). Please do send us an email with your story if you write along, which we hope you will do.

Episodes of Radio FreeWrite are protected by a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) license. All Stories remain the property of their respective authors.