Smith Henderson, author of Fourth of July Creek, joins co-host Marrie Stone to talk about marrying two separate stories together, the importance of plot, writing across genres, and how being steeped in the mountains of Montana and a dismal life of social work gave rise to a beautiful novel.  In the second half, James Ellroy, author of Perfidia,  talks about the definition of noir, immersing oneself in story and the past, living without technology, and how stories are born in his brain.

It’s KUCI’s semiannual Fund Drive.  For the next week and a half, your donations will support our podcasts, our station, and our show.  If you–or someone you know–has benefited from our show, now is your chance to show your support.  Someone once described “Writers on Writing” as a free and convenient MFA program.  Stellar authors bring their wisdom and advice into your home each week.  We have some awesome premiums, including gift certificates, tickets to Long Beach Confidential: An Evening of Noir, books, t-shirts, CDs, etc., which are all available for your donation.  Call us at (949) 824-5824 or donate online at www.kuci.org, and be sure to mention our show.

Thank you!

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(Broadcast date: October 29, 2014)

Michael Datcher, author of the New York Times bestselling memoir RAISING FENCES, talks with Nicole Nelson about his new novel AMERICUS and discusses writing dialogue, layering conflict, and getting from draft number one to draft number 19. In the second half,  Leni Zumas, author of the story collection FAREWELL NAVIGATOR, and the novel THE LISTENERS, discusses her work and the value of defamiliarization, learning to use autobiographical elements discerningly, and tips on writing past clichés.

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(Broadcast date: October 22, 2014)

T. Jefferson Parker, author of the new mainstream literary novel, Full Measure, talks with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett about his book, writing, the books he re-reads and much more.

Jeff will be the featured author, in conversation with Barbara, at the Pen on Fire Speaker Series in Corona del Mar, CA, on Tuesday night, Oct. 14. If you’d like to attend, click here for more information.

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(Broadcast date: Oct. 8, 2014

Courtney Moreno, author of the debut novel IN CASE OF EMERGENCY talks to guest host Nicole Nelson about incorporating setting in the story, developing her characters, and balancing the daily chaos and trauma that is a part of life for her EMT protagonist with quieter moments on the page. Then Orange County writer Cindy Muchnick, author of WRITING SUCCESSFUL COLLEGE APPLICATIONS, talks about ways in which she enjoys the publicity and marketing side of being an author, her experience collaborating with her teenage son on one of her nine books, and her advice to fellow writers to “just write it.”

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(Broadcast date: October 1, 2014)

Rebecca Makkai, author of The Hundred-Year House, talks with Nicole Nelson about telling a story backwards, writing humor, and the Google problem for fiction. We also talked about her Ploughshares blog, where she covers everything from an alternative MFA program she envisions and why it’s prudent to steer clear of movie quotes and song lyrics in fiction. Stuart Rojstaczer, author of The Mathematician’s Shiva, talks about balancing tragedy with comedy, the similarities between writing an academic paper and writing a novel, and how the third time, novel-writingwise, can be the charm.

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(Broadcast date: September 17, 2014)

Novelist Scott Spencer, author of Endless Love, Willing, Man in the Woods, A Ship Made of Paper, and more, was my guest for the entire hour.  I’ve loved his work for so long so it was a major treat to talk with him.

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 (Broadcast date: Sept. 24, 2014)