Still Writing

By Sara Zarr & Corey Ann Haydu

Corey Ann Haydu and Sara Zarr are two mid-career novelists who have lived through industry shifts, burnout, reinvention, and the constant recalibration that comes with staying in a creative career.

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How many episodes does Still Writing have?

The podcast currently has 10 episodes available.

Still Writing episodes:

September 23, 20269. Protecting the Magical Mystery
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This episode was recorded on 8/12/26, when we found a day in the middle of our hiatus to connect, and we thought we'd be posting it sooner but then we didn't.
We talk about if and what we've been writing, check in with what the publishing industry is up to when it come to A.I. (it's not good!) and how that impacts the magic of the process, and have an extended Margin Notes section.
Some of Them Margin Notes:
Obsession, a movie
Valley of the Dolls & Call Me Anna
Rehab: An American Scandal by Shoshana Walter
The Fountain by Casey Scieszka
We Burn Daylight by Bret Anthony Johnston
Maddie's Secret, a movie
Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark
North by Northwest, the play
More about Sara Zarr
More about Corey Ann Haydu
Still Writing is produced by Sara Zarr and Corey Ann Haydu, and edited by Sara Zarr. Find it wherever you get podcasts. If you like it, consider leaving a review and sharing with a friend!
Theme music: Creative Commons Deep Friendship by Lobo Loco is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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1h 9min
July 06, 20268. Mid-Season Finale
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Before the podcast goes on summer hiatus, Corey turns in a book and Sara is overwhelmed and recording at the co-working space with a respectfully low voice. Also: a new secret question.
Some Margin Notes:
Goodbye from Nowhere by Sara
Making Pretty by Corey
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans - book.
Disclosure Day! It's a movie.
The Reservation by Rebecca Kauffman. Another book!
First America with Rebecca Nagle / American Hysteria with Chelseas Weber-Smith - podcasts.
Couples Therapy - TV show!
Stevie Wonder (Songs in the Key of Life on repeat)

More about Sara Zarr
More about Corey Ann Haydu
Still Writing is produced by Sara Zarr and Corey Ann Haydu, and edited by Sara Zarr. Find it wherever you get podcasts. If you like it, consider leaving a review and sharing with a friend!
Theme music: Creative Commons Deep Friendship by Lobo Loco is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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1h 4min
June 22, 20267. Making Meaning, Trusting Timing
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In this episode, a sudden death reminds Sara of the idea of vocation, we discuss if there's a perfect time to send a project to your agent (or trusted reader), and Corey goes to the theater.
Some Margin Notes:
Warren Farha and Eighth Day Books in the NYT
Indian Princesses by Eliana Theologides Rodriguez
The Librarians
Sucker Punch by Scaachi Koul
Partially Devoured by Daniel D. Kraus
The Comeback Season 3 (HBO)
More about Sara Zarr
More about Corey Ann Haydu
Still Writing is produced by Sara Zarr and Corey Ann Haydu, and edited by Sara Zarr. Find it wherever you get podcasts. If you like it, consider leaving a review and sharing with a friend!
Theme music: Creative Commons Deep Friendship by Lobo Loco is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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58min
May 25, 20266. False Dichotomies for Simple Minds
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In this episode: The joys of multiple POVs, Sara asks a secret question, and a robust current events section in which we fail to solve a centuries-old problem in literary discourse.
Some Margin Notes:
The Recovering & Splinters by Leslie Jamison
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Klara & the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams Garcia
Widow's Bay & DTF St. Louis
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
The Most Important Book of Every Year (part I)

More about Sara Zarr
More about Corey Ann Haydu
Still Writing is produced by Sara Zarr and Corey Ann Haydu, and edited by Sara Zarr. Find it wherever you get podcasts. If you like it, consider leaving a review and sharing with a friend!
Theme music: Creative Commons Deep Friendship by Lobo Loco is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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1h 20min
May 04, 20265. A Reader Walks Into a Hair Salon...
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Discussed in this episode: How the answer is in the work, Colson Whitehead, Lena Dunham, and summer camp. Also, we think we've successfully enabled Buzzsprout "fan mail," so if you ever have a response to our questions to the universe and listeners, click that to send us a message!
Errata:
Sara says Altan when she meant Alyan
Not really an error but we talked quiiiite a bit about Famesick and edited some out, but if it's still too long use the Chapters feature to escape! First time doing chapters and I hope it is showing on your podcast app! If not, the Famesick discussion runs from 47:46 - 1:08:34.
Some Margin Notes:
Shout Her Lovely Name by Natalie Serber
Midwives by Chris Bohjalian
Pluribus on Apple TV
I'll Tell You When I'm Home by Hala Alyan
The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson on Netflix
Famesick by Lena Dunham
More about Sara Zarr
More about Corey Ann Haydu
Still Writing is produced by Sara Zarr and Corey Ann Haydu, and edited by Sara Zarr. Find it wherever you get podcasts. If you like it, consider leaving a review and sharing with a friend!
Theme music: Creative Commons Deep Friendship by Lobo Loco is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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1h 14min
April 20, 20264. Does "Feels Bad" = "Is Bad"?
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Don't let the low energy intro fool you--in this one, we have so much to say. Along with our regular writing updates, we have reports from the field: Corey is our Threads correspondent, and Sara brings us the AI discourse. This was recorded several weeks before publishing, when all this was fresh out of the oven! Also: Corey asks her first Secret Question.
Some Margin Notes:
The Outrun (Netflix)
A Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst
Man on the Run (McCartney/Prime)
Heart the Lover by Lily King

More about Sara Zarr
More about Corey Ann Haydu
Still Writing is produced by Sara Zarr and Corey Ann Haydu, and edited by Sara Zarr. Find it wherever you get podcasts. If you like it, consider leaving a review and sharing with a friend!
Theme music: Creative Commons Deep Friendship by Lobo Loco is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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1h 22min
April 06, 2026 3. In Which Corey Sells a Book, or, Story of an Agent
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We go on the journey of how Corey's newest novel, Mothers and Other Strangers, came to be. Also: how and if we share work in progress, and Sara's Song Sung Blue crisis.
Approximate chapters:
0:00 - 29:00: Intro and still writing check-in
29:00 - 45:00: The tale of Corey selling her adult debut and why your agent matters so much. Plus bonus weird instrumental transition!
45:00 - end: Margin Notes
Some of those Margin Notes:
Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults (HBO)
Forever, or a Long, Long Time by Caela Carter
Little One by Olivia Muenter
Focus: Adults in the Room (Slate)
Anastasia Krupnik series, Lois Lowry
More about Sara Zarr
More about Corey Ann Haydu
Still Writing is produced by Sara Zarr and Corey Ann Haydu, and edited by Sara Zarr. Find it wherever you get podcasts. If you like it, consider leaving a review and sharing with a friend!
Theme music: Creative Commons Deep Friendship by Lobo Loco is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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1h 6min
March 23, 20262. The First Secret Question
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We talk about if, how, and what we're still writing, and the inaugural Secret Question is asked. Also, once again we don't stick the landing.
Some Margin Notes:
Being Gordon Ramsay on Netflix
The Hypocrite by Jo Hamya
Linkater's Blue Moon
Welcome to the Moon and Other Plays by John Patrick Shanley
All the President's Men as read by Richard Poe
Hate Radio, Milo Lau
Pre-order Corey's new book, Mothers and Other Strangers
More about Sara Zarr
More about Corey Ann Haydu
Still Writing is produced by Sara Zarr and Corey Ann Haydu, and edited by Sara Zarr. Find it wherever you get podcasts. If you like it, consider leaving a review and sharing with a friend!
Theme music: Creative Commons Deep Friendship by Lobo Loco is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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1h 6min
March 09, 20261. The Pilot
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We record our very first full episode and are bad at ending it! Topics covered: What we've been doing the last 20 years, and what we'll be doing the next 2 weeks.
Some Margin Notes:
Safekeeping: Some True Stories From a Life by Abigail Thomas
Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart (Netflix)
I Love L.A. (HBO)
Secret Mall Apartment (Netflix)
Pre-order Corey's new book, Mothers and Other Strangers
More about Sara Zarr
More about Corey Ann Haydu
Still Writing is produced by Sara Zarr and Corey Ann Haydu, and edited by Sara Zarr. Find it wherever you get podcasts. If you like it, consider leaving a review and sharing with a friend!
Theme music: Creative Commons Deep Friendship by Lobo Loco is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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1h
March 01, 2026 Still Writing Trailer
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We introduce ourselves ever so briefly!
For more about the origins of this podcast, check out This Creative Life, the podcast Sara hosted for a decade, and its version of this trailer.
More about Sara Zarr
More about Corey Ann Haydu
Theme music: Creative Commons Deep Friendship by Lobo Loco is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

More about Sara Zarr
More about Corey Ann Haydu
Still Writing is produced by Sara Zarr and Corey Ann Haydu, and edited by Sara Zarr. Find it wherever you get podcasts. If you like it, consider leaving a review and sharing with a friend!
Theme music: Creative Commons Deep Friendship by Lobo Loco is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
...more
5min

FAQs about Still Writing:

How many episodes does Still Writing have?

The podcast currently has 10 episodes available.