Writers on Writing

Fiction writers Karan Bajaj and Chris LeGras on Writers on Writing

Posted June 17 2016 by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

Karan Bajaj joins Marrie Stone to talk about his latest novel, The Yoga of Max’s Discontent.  Karan discusses the importance of showing character through action instead of reflection, how yoga and meditation have improved his writing, the value of living a bold life, and more.

In the second half, Chris LeGras shares his debut novel in stories, Weather to Fly.  Chris talks about writing the book you want to write, instead of the book you think the world wants.  He argues that living a rich life of varied experiences produces rich books of interest.  Story, he says, is more important than fancy words.   Click below to hear many more words of writerly wisdom.

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(Broadcast date: June 15, 2016)

Fiction Writers Arna Bontemps Hemenway and Patricia Engel on Writers on Writing

Posted May 26 2016 by Nicole Nelson

Arna Bontemps Hemenway, author of the short story collection Elegy on Kinderklavier, joins co-host Nicole Nelson to discuss writing about loss, inhabiting his characters emotionally, overcoming a challenging period in his own writing life post-MFA, and how the most important thing you can make a story isn’t clever or topical, or anything else besides making it meaningful to you.

In the second half, Patricia Engel, author of The Veins of the Ocean, talks about the origins of this novel as a short story, her strategy for handling plot, doing research as needed, using dialogue sparingly, letting her life by the ocean influence the story, and more.

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[Note: Audio begins immediately with the interview with Arna, without a show introduction, due to technical difficulties.]

(Broadcast date: May 18, 2016)

Chitra Divakaruni & Boris Fishman on Writers on Writing

Posted May 19 2016 by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

Bestselling novelist Chitra Divakaruni joins Marrie Stone to talk about her latest novel in stories, Before We Visit the Goddess.   She talks about the importance of writers’ groups, the revision process, the distance necessary to write about place, the immigrant experience, how her characters have grown with her, and what subjects retain her focus and interest.

In the second half, Boris Fishman joins to talk about his novel, Don’t Let My Baby Do Rodeo.  He shares his rules for writing authentic sex scenes, writing from a woman’s point of view, the importance of stepping outside your comfort zone as a writer, how Montana has captured his heart, and more.

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(Broadcast date: April 27, 2016)

Memoirists Wendy Lawless and Rob Roberge on Writers on Writing

Posted May 5 2016 by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett

Wendy Lawless, author of Heart of Glass, and Rob Roberge, author of Liar, join Barbara DeMarco-Barrett to discuss the art and craft of writing memoir. Both will be featured authors, along with Kevin Hazzard, author of A Thousand Naked Strangers, at the Pen on Fire Speaker Series on May 17, 2016. More here.

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 (Broadcast date: May 4, 2016)image1