The Writerly Bites Podcast: Recent Episodes
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This week, turn your narrator's eye outward and see the world around them.
Reading recommendation: THE ROSE FIELD, by Philip Pullman.
This week, cut out the weakest part of every paragraph, and your story or novel will sing.
Book recommendation: HEARTWOOD, by Amity Gaige.
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This week, revive an old project and remember what made it shine for you.
Book recommendation: THE SAFEKEEP, Yael Van der Wouden.
This week, remember how compassion can deepen your understanding of your characters.
Book recommendation: SWEET FURY, by Sash Bischoff.
Just when you thought it was safe — make the bad guys come back in your story this week.
Book recommendation: LITTLE HOUSE IN THE BIG WOODS, Laura Ingalls Wilder.
We're back, listeners! And we're talking about how to re-connect with your writing when time and life challenges have separated you from your work.
This week, stuff was going on at your school that you didn't know about at the time. Write your way back into the memories and the discoveries.
Reading recommendation: ORBITAL, by Samantha Harvey.
This week, you've got to write about what wakes you in the night, even if it's difficult.
Reading recommendation: BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES 2024.
This week, a way to re-discover your novel, and plan for the future of completing it.
Reading recommendation: THE HEAVEN AND EARTH GROCERY STORE, by James McBride.
This week, don't delay any longer. Send your friend a draft and get some feedback.
Reading recommendation: ELEVEN HUSKIES by Philip Schott.
This week, make a plan for some special writing time. Tips and thoughts about building your own writing retreat.
Reading recommendation: THE COMEDIANS, by Graham Greene.
This week, get your character to tell a story about themselves, and discover what's truly on their mind.
Reading recommendation: REAL AMERICANS by Rachel Khong.
This week, find the person who is going to keep you to your writing and help you accomplish your goals. They're out there!
Reading recommendation: WANDERING STARS by Tommy Orange.
This week, I catch up on my reading and pick my favorite reads of 2024.
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This week, don't let the holiday season interfere with your most fundamental creative task.
Reading recommendation: THE HUNTER, by Tana French.
Get back to the joy this week with your writing.
Book recommendation: BEAR, by Julia Phillips
This week, find the threads of your story, pick them all up and weave them together.
Book recommendation: NORTH WOODS, by Daniel Mason.
I'm back, writers! The Writerly Bites Podcast is resuming its weekly tips for making your writing life better, and I'm starting with the power of beginning again.
Reading recommendation: THE GOD OF THE WOODS, Liz Moore.
Use an old riddle to ratchet up the conflict in your story this week.
Book Recommendation: THE GUEST, Emma Cline.
This week, I'm talking about the wonderful, weird, magical re-boot that second person perspective can offer a story.
This week, the perils of third person. Every tool that gives you power and control is suspect.
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This week, the power, beauty, and control of writing in the third person.
Book recommendation: Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain.
Part of a mini-series about the joys and pitfalls of point of view. I'm talking about the dangers of first person perspective today.
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In this week's episode, I'm beginning a short series on choosing the right point of view for your story.
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Writerly Bites is back and I'm thrilled to post this interview with novelist Rachel Cantor!
Rachel Cantor is the author of the novels Half-Life of a Stolen Sister (Soho Press 2023), Good on Paper(Melville House 2016), and A Highly Unlikely Scenario (Melville House 2014). Two dozen of her stories have been published in the Paris Review, One Story, Ninth Letter, Kenyon Review, New England Review, and elsewhere. She has written about fiction for National Public Radio, the Guardian, Publishers Weekly, and other publications. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, where she is writing a series of middle grade and young adult books set in Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
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I read the first page from the novel, and leave you with a writing tip for the week. Tune in for the regular return of the podcast in weeks to come.
For the last podcast episode of 2022, my favorite reads of the year. Happy holidays and see you in the new year, listeners!
Back after a hiatus, and I'm talking about the magic of showing up for yourself and your writing.
Book recommendation: BLISS MONTAGE by Ling Ma.
This week, write about home: all the fraught feelings and complex associations of home.
Book recommendation: CITY OF INCURABLE WOMEN, by Maud Casey.
Getting into the mood for halloween this week with tips for what makes ghost stories great — and why non-ghost stories can benefit from them.
Book recommendation: THE LITTLE STRANGER by Sarah Waters.
Even stories that start with "Once Upon a Time" are playing with time in bold ways. Try some new ways to shake up time this week.
Book recommendation: VERY COLD PEOPLE, by Sarah Manguso.
Try breaking all the rules of form and function in your story this week.
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This week, make a surprising odd couple with your words.
Book recommendation: INTIMACIES, by Katie Kitamura.
Put two things together that have never been smashed together before this week.
Book recommendation: INTIMACIES, by Katie Kitamura.
We're back for the fall with new weekly tips, interviews, book recommendations, and thoughts about what you can do today for your writing. This week, consider an alternative story structure.
Book recommendation: DISORIENTATION, by Elaine Hsieh Chou.
Pay attention to the physical in your writing this week.
Book recommendation: The Name of the Rose, Umberto Eco
Write a draft this week that's all about discovering what you want to write about.
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This week I'm interviewing author Valerie Lute for her favorite writing tips.
Valerie Lute is a writer whose short stories have appeared in Arts & Letters, Literary Orphans and Contrary Magazine, among others. You can find her kayaking on the Charles River, attending Shakespeare productions in Greater Boston, or online at valerielute.com.
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In part II of this two-part episode, I talk about finding just the right ending for your story.
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In this two-part episode, I'm talking about finding the ending for your story.
Book recommendation: SEA OF TRANQUILITY by Emily St. John Mandel.
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This week, on comic book hero storylines and the problems of the origin story.
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I'm highlighting two of my favorite episodes from last summer this week. Enjoy the summer season, writers, and see you back here in a couple of weeks!
I'm talking about the radical possibilities of revision this week.
Book recommendation: Exhalation, by Ted Chiang
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This week, we're searching for the dark dark room in the center of our story.
Book recommendation: ALL'S WELL by Mona Awad.
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This week, talking about why a good story is like a dress on a dress form.
Book recommendation: A GHOST IN THE THROAT by Doireann Ni Ghriofa.
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This week's episode is for the hand-writers out there, but it also has tips for if you write on the computer.
Recommendation: HOUSEKEEPING, by Marilynne Robinson.
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We're talking about the difference between a great concept and a great story this week.
Recommendation: Atlanta (TV series)
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This week, on casting a spell, building your story's vibe, and understanding the limits of atmosphere.
Book recommendation: THE SWIMMERS by Julie Otsuka.
Stuck in a writing rut, or traveling in loops? This week, tips for breaking out of it.
Book recommendation: TOKYO UENO STATION, by Yu Miri.
I had the pleasure of speaking with author Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan for this week's episode. Cheryl is the author of several books; most recently, she is the co-editor and contributor of ANONYMOUS SEX. Learn more at http://cheryllulientan.com.
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This week, get out your red pen and try some concrete exercises to make five pages of your story better.
Book recommendation: ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL, by James Herriot
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Hillary Jordan is the author of the novels Mudboundand When She Woke as well as the digital short "Aftermirth," all published by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. She also co-created and co-edited, with Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, the groundbreaking erotica anthology Anonymous Sex, forthcoming from Scribner on February 1, 2022. Hillary’s stories have been translated into 15 languages.
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In honor of Valentine's Day, I'm thinking about showing the big loves and little loves of your character in your fiction.
Book recommendation: LOOKER by Laura Sims.
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This week, I'm admitting the best kept secret of many writers.
Book recommendation: MIDDLEMARCH, by George Eliot. Join me in reading Middlemarch in 2022!
This week, take a small step in the other direction and look around you.
Book recommendation: FIGHT NIGHT, by Miriam Toews.
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Today's tip: you don't have to be every kind of writer.
Book recommendation: MILK BLOOD HEAT by Dantiel Moniz.
This week, let's talk about all the horses you in the dialogue horse race.
Book recommendation: BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES 2021
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Take your story in an unexpected direction this week.
Book recommendation: THE BOOK OF FORM AND EMPTINESS, by Ruth Ozeki.
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This week, I'm offering tips for making a writing plan for 2022 that you'll actually stick to.
Book recommendation: BOOK OF THE LITTLE AXE, by Lauren Francis-Sharma.
This week, I'm including two of my past favorite episodes from the year, and wishing you all a happy new year! I'll be back in 2022 with more tips, interviews, and ways to get you writing better.
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This week, I'm here for you and your writing! Let's make a writing plan that makes it through the holidays.
Book recommendation: I'M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS, by Iain Reid.
This week, write the scene you've been saving because you doubted your ability to write it.
Book recommendation: FALLING IN LOVE WITH HOMINIDS, by Nalo Hopkinson.
This week, I talk with author Thea Lim about using genre to break open the possibilities of story.
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Think about what you're choosing to say and what you're choosing not to say in your work this week.
Book recommendation: MATRIX, by Lauren Groff.
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This week, give the least-loved portion of your story some much-needed attention.
Book recommendation: FIRST BUDDHIST WOMEN, collected by Susan Murcott.
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This week, book a date with your writing, and don't let anything else get in the way.
Book recommendation: A TALE FOR THE TIME BEING, by Ruth Ozeki
This week, we dive into the language of the writing workshop. Have you earned that ending?
Book recommendation: OUR MAN IN HAVANA, Graham Greene
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It's the 50th episode and I'm doing something different to celebrate. This week, a rundown of some of the bad advice I've gotten.
Book recommendation: THE ASH FAMILY, by Molly Dektar.
This week I'm offering a working definition of creativity: putting two things together that haven't been together before.
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This week, I'm talking about getting back to the joy of reading and writing.
Book recommendation: HARLEM SHUFFLE, by Colson Whitehead.
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This week, I'm talking about drawing from another source text to enrich your story.
Book recommendation: A SEPARATION, by Katie Kitamura.
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This week, add something sweet to your most bitter story moments, and add something bitter to the most sweet.
Book recommendation: PEACES, by Helen Oyeyemi.
This week, I'm talking about the value of nothing for creating something.
Book recommendation: TO BE A MAN, Nicole Krauss.
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This week, I'm asking a crucial bubble-bursting question of my writing: really?
Book recommendation: THE THIRD RAINBOW GIRL, by Emma Copley Eisenberg.
This week, I'm talking about using music not just to set the mood in your writing, but to build worlds and atmospheres.
Book recommendation: the television show "Detectorists."
This week, I'm talking about finding the missing strange spice in your almost-finished story.
Book recommendation: SEVERANCE, by Ling Ma.
Getting into the nitty-gritty of revision this week, I'm talking about removing an awkward construction from your writing.
Book recommendation: THE SEARCHER, by Tana French.
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It's the 40th episode! And I'm talking about gathering your courage to try again in your writing.
Book recommendation: THE FIVE WOUNDS, by Kirstin Valdez Quade.
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This week, we're starting a mini series on revision. I'm talking about making a game out of the process of destroying your weakest sentences.
Book recommendation: Trust Exercise, by Susan Choi.
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This week, I'm talking about finding the "beats" of your story -- those moments of crucial emotional change.
Book recommendation: MOUTHFUL OF BIRDS by Samanta Schweblin.
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I'm talking about valuing your writing work this week - and that means keeping it organized so you can make the most of your writing time.
Book recommendation: ALL MY PUNY SORROWS, Miriam Toews.
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This week, think about getting your character to betray someone in your story. Book recommendation is Jack Kerouac's BIG SUR.
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This week, I talk with novelist Arif Anwar, whose debut novel THE STORM was published in 2018.
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This week, find the exposition and talky introspection in your story, and turn it into a scene for huge improvements.
Book recommendation: The Sisters Brothers, by Patrick DeWitt.
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This week, I'm talking about getting closer to your character's experience, instead of thinking about them from the outside.
Book recommendation: THE MERCIES, by Kiran Millwood Hargrave.
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This week, I'm encouraging a little plagiarism. Just kidding! But the act of copying the sentences you love can be a great way of getting in the right rhythm for your own writing.
Book recommendation: REAL LIFE, by Brandon Taylor.
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This week, take a step into the darkness and let your story's possibilities unfold.
Book recommendation: I'M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS, by Iain Reid.
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This week, I chat with Laura Hankin about her favorite tips for building characters. Laura's second novel, A SPECIAL PLACE FOR WOMEN, is now available! Learn more at https://www.laurahankin.com.
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Email me at writerlybitespodcast[at]gmail.com with your writing questions and your favorite writing tips, which I'd love to address in future episodes.
This week, consider what narrative voice will serve your story best, and try something new.
Book recommendation: ANNIHILATION, by Jeff Vandermeer.
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Email me at writerlybitespodcast@gmail.com with your writing questions and your favorite writing tips, which I'd love to address in future episodes.
This week, let go of the things getting in the way of your writing.
Book recommendation: A CHILDREN'S BIBLE, by Lydia Millet.
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This week, open up your story to playful discovery.
Book recommendation: HOW MUCH OF THESE HILLS IS GOLD, by C Pam Zhang.
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This week, think about what seeds to drop in your story, and how to let them flower.
Book recommendation: DANGEROUS LAUGHTER, by Steven Milhauser.
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This week, writer Ann Yu-Kyung Choi talks about a fascinating technique for inhabiting your characters.
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Try stepping away from the computer this week and discover the ancient magic of writing by hand.
Book recommendation: The Upstairs House, Julia Fine.
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This week, try stretching your verbs and banning "to be" from your vocabulary.
Book recommendation: The Lost Book of Adana Moreau, Michael Zapata
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This week, make sure your story fulfills its promises and gets to the fireworks factory.
Book recommendation: LONG BRIGHT RIVER, Liz Moore
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This week, explore what is fragile in your character's life.
Book recommendation: Before and After the Book Deal, by Courtney Maum
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This week, I chat with novelist Kirstin Allio about using a musical technique to improve your revision.
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This week, try using a classic five-act structure to give your story some shape.
Book recommendation: Leave the World Behind, by Rumaan Alam
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This week, I'm talking about switching up your point of view.
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This week, I'm offering some tough love to writers and talking about how self-doubt doesn't get things written.
Book recommendation: the Best American Short Stories Series
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This week, take some advice from comedians and don't punch down.
Book recommendation: CHEMISTRY, by Weike Wang.
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This week, I talk with Iva, a vocalist, songwriter, and composer. You can learn more about Iva's music at ivavoice.com.
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This week, think about sketching the lean layer of your story.
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This week, I'm talking about giving a gift that no one wants to your characters.
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This week, we're finding the strangest sentence in your writing and using it as a launching pad for more powerful, unusual writing.
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This week, consider roads not taken in your narrative.
Book recommendation: Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller.
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This week, I chat with writer Rachel Lyon and get her tip for finding the body in your fiction.
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This week, make a plan for what scenes you'll write in your story.
Book recommendation: FAREWELL, MY LOVELY by Raymond Chandler.
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This week, sink into the details of your story and its world.
Book recommendation: HOUSE OF MIRTH by Edith Wharton.
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