Radio FreeWrite
A podcast for lovers of stories- reading them, hearing them, and writing them. We provide a new prompt every week, then share the stories we have created from that prompt. We discuss the stories and the art of storytelling while encouraging listeners to create their own stories along with us.
Episodes
186 episodes
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Part 1: Listener Submitted Stories of the Apocalypse
This episode is all about community submissions! We’re showcasing the creative work of emerging writers, first-time authors, and grizzled veterans of the trade, all responding to the same epic prompt: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse....
Oxymoron: Using Fiction to Process Real Life
In this episode of Radio FreeWrite, The Cru explores how writing fiction can reveal something real. From writing through family conflict to channeling rage, grief, and even imagined fears, this conversation dives into how fict...
Ginnungagap: Norse Mythology & The Creative Void
This week, the Cru dives into a strange and powerful prompt pulled from Norse mythology: Ginnungagap, the vast, primordial void of fog (that's fog, not frogs, WebEater!) that exists between worlds.From that idea, t...
Gilbertian: Absurdist Flash Fiction & Why Writers Need Creative Partners
In this episode of Radio FreeWrite, The Cru explores the absurd, satirical style of Gilbert and Sullivan and explores how far you can push an idea once you follow it to its most ridiculous logical conclusion.But it goes deeper than just ...
Acheri: What Writers Should Read (Or Listen To), From Frankenstein to Beowulf
This week on Radio FreeWrite, The Cru takes a step back from writing to talk about... reading.What should writers be reading? Does it matter if it’s fiction, nonfiction, or even audiobooks? And do audiobooks actually count as re...
Bowels of Mercy: The Cru Write Horror à la Shirley Jackson
In our 151st episode, The Cru dives into the unsettling world of Shirley Jackson, author of the infamous short story The Lottery.We explore what makes Jackson’s writing so enduringly disturbing, from her use of the uncanny and t...
150th Episode Celebration: Mouthbreather
We gathered on a cold, snowy, generally Clevelandwintery evening in January to celebrate our 150th episode at Forest City Brewery! Joined by a few friends and a lot of Spud's extended family, we recorded an intimate live episode. Enjoy!
149: Craft Workshop: How Writers Edit Drafts (Their Own and Each Other’s)
This week on Radio FreeWrite, we do something a little different. Instead of writing to a new prompt, we bring in a finished draft and talk through what happens after the writing part is over. We listen to a complete short story together, then ...
148: Fanfaron: Writing the Pluperfect Tense Without Sounding Forced
The Cru dives deep into one deceptively small word with outsized consequences: had.Before writing from the prompt fanfaron—a swaggering bully or cowardly boaster—we get into a lively craft discussion about the p...
147: La La Land: A Conversation With The Whisky Type
The Cru is joined by Carolyn, aka The Whisky Type, to chat all things writing, typewriter, and whisky related. We had a great conversation about the importance of sharing your work, and the...
146: Hygge: Tips and Tricks for Writing a Vibe
In our 146th episode, the Cru gather for their annual yuletide retreat to Spliff's Christmas Cabin. There, we discuss hygge: the nordic word for coziness, conviviality, and joy. When a writer attempts to give their piece a vibe---a genera...
145: To Take An Ell: Our Writers Hate Marketing (Yet Ironically Announce a Live Ep)
In this episode, The Cru chat about the frustrating demands of writing in the social media age. Modern authors are increasingly expected to build their own followings and endlessly promote themselves online—and that… just ain’t us. At the same ...
144: Nemo me impune lacessit: POV experiments
What does first person pov sound like with minimal use of "I" and "my?" The Cru conclude their series on points of view in fiction with a series of experimental pieces that push the common boundaries around points of view. This was our annual "...
143: Neolithic Age: Third-Person Omniscient, Explained
In our penultimate episode on point of view in fiction, we load you up with omniscient narrator tips. We discuss everything from the Quran to Tolkien as we tackle third person omniscient in our craft discussion. When do you limit, a...
142: Rabelasian with Johna from Booking It!
Poet and podcaster Johna joins us to chat about writing, reading, and buying too many books. On her program, Booking It! With Johna, she interviews indie authors about the hustle and hur...
141: Gardy Loo – The One In Which Krispy Got (Sort Of) Married
Ok, he didn't get (sort of) married on the episode, but he's had three weddings to plan so far this year and has been absent for some time, and we were so thrilled upon his return that we promptly forgot about third person omnisci...
140: Flivver: Staying Motivated and Avoiding Creative Burnout When Confronting Writer's Block
This week the Cru swap tales and writing tips for overcoming every writer's stalking shadow: writer's block. PC focuses on writing to a deadline; WebEater lauds the primacy of the editing process (you can't, after all, edit a blank page!), and ...
139: White Flag: Author Olivia Snow on Writing, Outlining, and the (he)Art of War
This week author Olivia Snow joins the Cru to talk regency romance writing, writing while parenting, and the mutual suffering all writers share. We talk shop along the way, from character creation to outlining to marketing, and take a good long...
138: Nursery: The Sweet Spot of Third Person Limited
We continue our series on POV narration this week with a discussion on Third Person Limited. The Cru agrees this is a sweet spot between first person and third person omniscient, offering a balance between the closeness to the...
137: Amulet of the Ages: Board Game Storytelling with Bruce Glassco
The Cru sit down with board game designer Bruce Glassco, author of Betrayal at House on the Hill, to chat about na...
136: Creaky Hallway: Second Person POV (and some "Choose Your Own Adventure")
This week you will hear all about second person point of view. You'll enjoy a few choose your own adventure-style (NB- they can't be actual Choose Your Own Adventure stories, as that's trademarked) stories, and you'll hopefully share in the nos...
135: Dark Dice: The Power (and Pitfalls) of First Person Narration
Welcome to Spooky Season! In our writing craft discussion this week, we focus on first person narration. It can be particularly powerful for horror, but can wear on readers when they have to read "I, I, I" over and over again. So, it must be tr...
134: Jinn: The Cru Write Mahfouz
This week the Cru studies Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz. We discuss his life, his career, and the styles and themes towards which he gravitated. Place and time were super important to Mahfouz, and Krispy shares what it was like to walk through ...
133: Mountains of the Moon – Submissions, Rejections, and Writing to the Guidelines
In this episode, the Cru dives into the world of submissions: the grind of rejection slips; the rare joy of a personal note from the editor; the endless predawn hours of "why did I have to fall in love with writing;" and the importance...
132: Ca’ canny – Setting and Achieving Your Writing Goals
The Cru returns for Season 5 of Radio FreeWrite! In this episode, we set fresh writing goals, reflect on unions and collective action, and laugh about Monty Python as we take on the Scots phrase ca’ canny: a call to ease up, wor...