Writing in the Dark

In this episode, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker welcome special guest Caroline Manring to help dissect Elizabeth McCracken’s short story “Something Amazing,” from her 2014 story collection Thunderstruck.

Reading: “Something Amazing” by Elizabeth McCracken

Manring applies her poetic training and knowledge to the story, discussing the soundtrack and musicality of McCracken’s prose. She explores how melody, prosody, and other poetic techniques convey the themes of grief, loss, and hope. This conversation pays special attention to how words sound, symmetry and stasis in sentences, and using alliteration and metaphor to convey emotion and enhance meaning. Writers who want their work to sing will enjoy this conversation, including the prompt to find and enhance the poetry in their prose.

Prompt:  Read a sentence or paragraph aloud, thumping the table for each stressed syllable. Notice the rhythm of that beat. Are your sentences flowing in a rhythmic pattern? Or do the stressed syllables come all at once?

Change some of the words and reread the sentence aloud again, noting how the rhythm and tension may have shifted. How does that change the experience and emotion of the writing?

Do you have feedback on this episode or thoughts on the story? We'd love to hear from you! Connect with us on social media or leave a comment.

Caroline will be joining this year’s Journey to Jupiter Writing Retreat as an instructor! Learn more and apply now: 2025 Journey To Jupiter application & info.

Guest Bio:

Caroline Manring is a poet and essayist whose collection Manual for Extinction won the National Poetry Review Book Prize. Her other books include Flesh & Language (forthcoming, Cornerstone 2027) and Ceruleana (NineMile), and her prose and poetry has appeared in Colorado Review, Conduit, Denver Quarterly, Sixth Finch, Seneca Review, Verse Daily, and elsewhere. She writes the humor series Notes from the Dishwasher Cafe on Substack, and lives in Ithaca, New York, where she also raises twins, leads bird walks, and plays fiddle in a family band.

You can find Writing in the Dark on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and subscribing is a great way to support this work. Thanks, as always, for listening.

Listen to previous episodes.

Writing in the Dark is co-hosted by Julia F. Green (Substack, Bluesky, website) and Ralph Walker (Twitter, website) and edited by Aaron Fyler, with cover art by Jarmusch.

In this episode, Julia and Ralph explore Danielle Evans’ short story "Boys Go to Jupiter,” dissecting the complicated protagonist Claire as well as the story’s themes of racism and grief. They discuss how the backstory unfolds, the effect of the pacing, and what questions remain after the gut-punch ending.

Do you have feedback on this episode or thoughts on the story? We'd love to hear from you! Connect with us on social media or leave a comment.

Reading: “Boys Go to Jupiter” by Danielle Evans

Prompt: Write about a character making a poor choice, intentionally or not.

What is the consequence of that choice? What in that character's backstory may have caused them to make that choice?

Join us: 2025 Journey To Jupiter application & info

You can find Writing in the Dark on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and subscribing is a great way to support this work. Thanks, as always, for listening.

Listen to previous episodes.

Writing in the Dark is co-hosted by Julia F. Green (Substack, Bluesky, website) and Ralph Walker (Twitter, website) and edited by Aaron Fyler, with cover art by Jarmusch.

Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker kick off Season 3, which will focus on narrative craft particularly through the lens of shorter works. In this episode, they discuss Kathryn Schultz's 2017 New Yorker piece “Losing Streak.” They explore the personal and academic voices used, how each reveals and deepens the themes of loss and grief, and the structure and specificity choices the author makes.

This episode also includes a writing prompt and information about the 2025 Journey to Jupiter Writing Retreat.

Reading: “Losing Streak” by Kathryn Schulz

Prompt: Write about a thing that you've lost. What was the significance of that thing? How did you feel about losing it?

Now go back and look at your word choices. What is revealed in the specificity of your language choices? Is there a more specific way to describe the same thing?

Join us: 2025 Journey To Jupiter application & info

You can find Writing in the Dark on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and subscribing is a great way to support this work. Thanks, as always, for listening.

Listen to previous episodes.

Writing in the Dark is co-hosted by Julia F. Green (Substack, Bluesky, website) and Ralph Walker (Twitter, website) and edited by Aaron Fyler, with cover art by Jarmusch.

In this episode of Writing in the Dark, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker reflect on a productive and joyful year as they delve into their writing experiences, the importance of creative community, and their annual Journey to Jupiter retreat.

They highlight their achievements, including Julia's new Story Connection series and Ralph's progress with his novel and the 5am Writers Club, and their favorite episodes from this season. They discuss the concept of rigorous creative rest, the value of shared creative spaces, and their plans for the new year.

You can find Writing in the Dark on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and subscribing is a great way to support this work. Thanks, as always, for listening.

Listen to previous episodes.

Writing in the Dark is co-hosted by Julia F. Green (Substack, website) and Ralph Walker (Twitter, website) and edited by Aaron Fyler, with cover art by Jarmusch.

In this emotional episode, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker reconnect with three writers who attended the Journey to Jupiter retreat: historical fiction writer Susan Klobuchar (Instagram, Bluesky, Substack), UCLA student Meredith Parker Fenwick, and YA writer Shawn T. Anderson.

They discuss their transformative experiences at the retreat, the importance of creative community, how their writing progressed at and after the retreat, and how they navigate uncertain and challenging times as artists.

Tune in for a raw and unfiltered dialogue on finding inspiration, fostering community, and burning bright through dark times.

Books discussed:

* Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson

* Crying in the Bathroom by Erika Sánchez

* Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

* Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

You can find Writing in the Dark on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and subscribing is a great way to support this work. Thanks, as always, for listening.

Listen to previous episodes.

Writing in the Dark is co-hosted by Julia F. Green (Substack, website) and Ralph Walker (Twitter, website) and edited by Aaron Fyler, with cover art by Jarmusch.

In this episode of Writing in the Dark, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker dive deep into the revision process. They discuss the joy of making creative messes, the importance of iterative drafts, and the various methods writers can use to refine their stories.

Julia and Ralph draw from their own experiences and share strategies like using the Revision Machete™️ to excise unnecessary text, shape character arcs, improve pacing, and solidify emotional resonance. They encourage writers to find their own unique processes and experiment with different tools to enhance their storytelling and would love to hear from listeners about their process and what works for them.

You can find Writing in the Dark on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and subscribing is a great way to support this work. Thanks, as always, for listening.

Listen to previous episodes.

Writing in the Dark is co-hosted by Julia F. Green (Substack, website) and Ralph Walker (Twitter, website) and edited by Aaron Fyler, with cover art by Jarmusch. 

In this episode, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker delve into the concept of creative rest, exploring how rest is essential to fueling creativity and improving storytelling. They discuss the importance of taking breaks both within and between projects, reconnecting with the joy and wonder that inspires great work, and the crucial role of creative communities.

Listeners are encouraged to embrace rest as a vital part of their creative process and stay open to the richness of the liminal space between finishing one project and starting another.

You can find Writing in the Dark on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and subscribing is a great way to support this work. Thanks, as always, for listening.

Listen to previous episodes.

Writing in the Dark is co-hosted by Julia F. Green (Substack, website) and Ralph Walker (Twitter, website) and edited by Aaron Fyler, with cover art by Jarmusch. 

In this episode of Writing in the Dark, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker dive into the complexities of plotting in both genre and literary fiction. They discuss the layering process of crafting a plot, the significance of both internal and external changes in storytelling, and the unique challenges of writing memoir.

They attempt to define the term “plot” and explore the importance of pivotal moments that instigate change as well as practical tools for plot development. Julia and Ralph also discuss the differences and similarities between genre fiction, literary fiction, and memoir.

Whether you're climbing a mountain of literary exploration or riding the roller coaster of genre storytelling, this episode offers valuable insights and practical advice for writers at any stage of their journey.

Books and authors discussed:

* The Stand, Stephen King

* Harlem Shuffle, Colson Whitehead

* Gone Baby Gone, Dennis Lehane

* Lincoln in the Bardo, George Saunders

* The Martian, Andy Weir

* Verity, Colleen Hoover

* Luster, Raven Leilani

* The Situation and the Story, Vivian Gornick

* I Have Some Questions For You, Rebecca Makkai

* The Fury, Alex Michaelides

You can find Writing in the Dark on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and subscribing is a great way to support this work. Thanks, as always, for listening.

Listen to previous episodes.

Writing in the Dark is co-hosted by Julia F. Green (Substack, website) and Ralph Walker (Twitter, website) and edited by Aaron Fyler, with cover art by Jarmusch. 

In this episode, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker welcome Penny Zang and Caroline Manring to discuss their experiences at the first Journey to Jupiter writing retreat in 2023. Penny and Caroline reflect on their favorite aspects of the experience, what it helped them uncover in their works in progress, and how it affected their approach to the writing process. They touch on the importance of rigor and routine, the challenges of revision, and the inspirations they drew from curated readings.

This conversation also explores the challenges of balancing daily life with creative work, the liberating power of rewriting from scratch, and what’s in store for this year’s Journey to Jupiter retreat. Tune in for a joyful conversation that underlines the magic and power of creative community and how transformative it can be to gather with other writers.

Books and authors discussed:

* Station Eleven (Emily St. John Mandel)

* Razorblade Tears (S.A. Cosby)

* Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube (Blair Braverman)

* Lost & Found (Kathryn Schulz)

About Caroline:

Caroline Manring is the author of the poetry collections Ceruleana (NineMile Books) and Manual for Extinction (winner of the National Poetry Review Prize), and her new short collection, Coil, is forthcoming in fall 2024 from Herring Alley Pamphlets. She holds degrees from Cornell University and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and writes the weekly humor series Notes from the Dishwasher Cafe on Substack. Her essays and poems have appeared in Colorado Review, Conduit, Denver Quarterly, New Ohio Review, Seneca Review, and elsewhere. She lives with her husband and twin children in Ithaca, New York, where she also plays fiddle in a family band.

About Penny:

Penny Zang’s debut novel, Doll Parts, is forthcoming from Sourcebooks in 2025. She is from Maryland and graduated with an MFA in Fiction from West Virginia University. Her work has appeared in the Potomac Review, Louisville Review, and Superstition Review, among others. She lives in South Carolina, where she teaches English at a two-year college. Find her on Twitter, Instagram, and Substack.

A reminder that you can find Writing in the Dark on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and subscribing is a great way to support this work. Thanks, as always, for listening.

Listen to previous episodes.

Writing in the Dark is co-hosted by Julia F. Green (Substack, website) and Ralph Walker (Twitter, website) and edited by Aaron Fyler, with cover art by Jarmusch. 

In this episode, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker discuss the importance of scene development in both literary and genre fiction. They delve into how scenes function as the building blocks of storytelling and the difference between scenes and fragments. Julia and Ralph share their personal approaches to writing scenes, handling authenticity, and the joy of seeing a story come together.

They also touch on the challenges and rewards of creating believable character actions and dialogue. Tune in to hear their insights on navigating the complexities of scene construction and finding the perfect balance between internal and external conflict.

Books and authors discussed:

* Station Eleven (Emily St. John Mandel)

* Razorblade Tears (S.A. Cosby)

* Chain Gang All Stars (Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah)

* The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien

A reminder that you can find Writing in the Dark on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and subscribing is a great way to support this work. Thanks, as always, for listening.

Listen to previous episodes.

Writing in the Dark is co-hosted by Julia F. Green (Substack, website) and Ralph Walker (Twitter, website) and edited by Aaron Fyler, with cover art by Jarmusch.