WMFA

What kale, checks, and writing have in common.

Queer fiction writer Kristen Arnett wrote her debut novel, the eccentric and darkly hilarious Mostly Dead Things, while working full-time as a librarian. We talk about the framework she developed to keep writing, and why she wanted to write a book that looks at day-to-day queer life.

Why it's helpful to check in with our whys—plus a special request.

Journalist Casey Cep—author of Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee—is on the show discussing the mysteries of Harper Lee, knowing what you need as a writer, and the lines that can be drawn and erased between invention and reality.

When you're showing up but not really showing up.

Tommy Orange—author of last year's fantastic There There—visits WMFA to talk about being a messy writer, creating diverse narratives, and how parenthood made him take writing more seriously.

Welcome to the first listener-request minisode! We’re talking about finding the right agent for you.

The fantastic Karen Russell is on the show discussing her new short story collection, Orange World, and developing an "occult sensibility" for shaping your work.

Slowing down to speed up.

Journalist David K. Randall's new book, Black Death at the Golden Gate, is a gripping work of literary nonfiction about the race to stop the bubonic plague from spreading through San Francisco and beyond in the early 20th century. He and Courtney discuss bring real (dead) people to life, organizing all that research, and why creative constraint can be a good thing.

A mini mini from my artist residency () on expanding our ideas of process. Tell me how you write without writing by tagging @cfbalestier and using the hashtag #wmfawrites.

Susan Choi's explosive and riveting new novel, Trust Exercise, is out now from Henry Holt. She and Courtney discuss the manipulative qualities of storytelling, the slipperiness of memory, and the advice Susan would give to her younger self as a debut novelist.

How do you approach your practice?

Jane Alison's new book about narrative structure, Meander, Spiral, Explode, is out now from Catapult. She and Courtney discuss breaking narrative convention and how the traditional dramatic arc is and isn't like sex.

How do you feel about the way you get writing done?