The Stories Between Us

This week after seeing how a plant-loving friend tried to play down her love for her little green buddies, Maile and I are exploring why we as creative people often try to diminish the creative work we do instead of embracing it.

Russ Ramsey, author of the new book Rembrandt is in the Wind, has had an influence on Shawn's life in two very concrete ways, so it's an honor to have him on the podcast today, where he talks about having urgent heart surgery at the age of 40, why he thinks it's important to compare an artist's early works with their later creation (think suffering), and where he's finding hope in his creative life.

You can find his new book HERE.

Two years living with Stage 4 melanoma. Organizing a conference based around CS Lewis and the Inklings. Now, writing a new book. Today we're talking with Leslie Bustard about the invigorating beauty of life, how cancer has opened her eyes, and what she hopes for her new book, Wild Things and Castles in the Sky: A Guide to Choosing the Best Books for Children.

Check out Leslie's blog HERE.

Order Wild Things and Castles in the Sky HERE.

For more information on their 2023 conference, head HERE.

Well, that was a weekend. Today we're talking about family life, navigating tough conversations with our kids, and...good book endings. Maile just finished reading a great book, so we talk about what makes a good ending.

What makes a good book ending for you?

Today we have the great pleasure of talking Elrena Evans, author, dancer, and creative person extraordinaire. We talk about the road to her most recent book, A Special Grace: Prayers and Reflections for Families with Special Needs, how to write about your own family, and what's bringing her hope in the midst of a book release.

In perhaps our most vulnerable episode ever, we're talking about taking chances, living life in unpredictable (and sometimes inexplicable) ways, and, in the words of Ethan Hawke, "playing the fool." Specifically, we share about our life as two freelancers, finding work, and occasionally (almost) running out of money. This one is real, folks. Proceed with caution.

Today we start off by talking about a book Maile recommended to Shawn, a book he finally started reading this week and is loving. We also talk about how, for the writer, nothing is wasted--no sadness, no hardship, no joy, and no time, even when we're not writing, is wasted. It all becomes part of us, and part of the things we create.

Today we're reflecting on spring, new beginnings, and why it's important to appreciate where we are, today, without looking too far ahead. Also, this present age's gluttonous obsession with approval. And where we're seeing signs of hope in our own creative journeys.

As discussed on this podcast: - Maile's blog! - Shawn's Video of a Novel

Today we talk with talented writer and Nine Month Novel graduate Rachel Vaughn about writing and why she's taken a break from pursuing traditional publication. We also ask why, after already writing eight or nine novels, she decided to join us for our Nine Month Novel Class.

Speaking of which...registration closes on Friday, March 4th! Find out more about the class here: https://www.thestoriesbetweenus.com/the-nine-month-novel

We also talk about some new things we're up to, namely Maile's blog and Shawn's video journal of the novel he's currently writing. Check out the links for those below.

Maile's Blog: https://www.thestoriesbetweenus.com/blog

Shawn's video journal: https://shawnsmucker.substack.com

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi A House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros