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In this episode Samantha Browning Shea talks about MARROW and covers:

writing her own book as a literary agent for others

when her first novel didn't find a publisher

writing with small children 

writing characters in the context of their relationships 

worry over whether a book will work 

find out more about Samantha here

pre-order Marrow here

Learn more about the upcoming host of Writing Stories Jessica Kinnison here 

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Lorraine Russell tells the story of Love and Shadows. Along the way she covers: 

Self-publishing on Amazon

Using Fiverr to find cover designers and editors 

Fear of failure 

Getting yourself into a flow state 

Working with a writing coach

Writing as though telling a story around a campfire 

Also in this episode: 

The Long Road to Publishing with Eva Langston 

Our upcoming new Writing Stories host, Jessica Kinnison (!!!) 

Catherine Lacey (Catherine Lacey, if you are out there, we love you!) 

Buy Love and Shadows here 

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Danielle Teller tells the story of Forged and talks about: 

success as a writer 

rule-breaking 

the pitfalls of newspaper articles in novels 

Cassie Chadwick 

All the Ever Afters 

When your agent can't place your manuscript 

How her work as a doctor has informed her writing process 

Learn more about Danielle here 

buy FORGED here 

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Christine tells the story of FLOOD and talks about: 

Westport Writers Workshop 

Christine Pakkala

Copy editing your own work 

Thinking about text structure like architecture 

Agent shenanigans 

Woodhall Press 

Shampoo and sugar as essential writing tools 

Combatting perfectionism

Jaclyn Gilbert and Drift(less) Literary 

Poets and their memoirs 

Learn more about Christine here

Buy FLOOD here 

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Deesha Philyaw tells the story of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies 

Along the way she covers: 

Being in the Norton Anthology of Literature 

Jamaica Kincaid's story Girl 

The ways Church Ladies is proudly Black 

Ways white supremacy shapes the stories we read and tell 

Misconceptions about race in publishing 

Revision for her novel 

Boundaries 

Her brilliant agent and unorthodox publishing moves  

Learn more about Deesha here

Buy Secret Lives of Church Ladies here 

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Sasha Hom tells the story of Sidework. 

Along the way she covers: 

Profluence

Including multiple nows in your writing 

Making appreciation a discipline

Polyphonic nature of restaurants and motherhood (especially when living in a tent!) 

Living life as an artist's residency 

Black Lawrence Press (Immigrant writing series) 

Learn more about Sasha here or here 

Buy Sidework here 

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Jennie Case tells the story of We Are Animals. 

Jennie talks about: 

- control, safety, and risk in the creative process 

- speaking to the current moment 

- how to gesture toward the place beyond concepts in writing 

- agent troubles 

- writing a letter to your book 

- publishing with a university press (Trinity)

Find out more about Jennie here

Buy We Are Animals here

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Rebe talks about: 

querying (and querying again!) 

hiring a publicist

writing about grief 

art vs archiving 

enjoying the ride 

the changing publishing industry 

Monkfish Press 

Find out more about Rebe here

Buy My Mother in Havana here 

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Libby Maxey talks about: 

- using sonnets to put the pandemic in a box 

- writing 'off of' other writers 

- the ancient tradition of starting a book with an author's address to the book 

- poetry land vs. fiction land, and how time doesn't matter

- editing other poets' poems

- giving dignity to small things 

- being 'bad' at 'pub days' 

Learn more about Libby here 

Buy Indwelling here

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Dori Lumpkin talks about: 

Comp titles and queries

Creature Publishing 

Religious tea drinking 

Setting up a book signing

Method writing (like method acting) 

Book tattoos

Learn more about Dori here 

Buy Antenora here