New subscribers: Each Monday we hold a Zoom call with a special guest where readers can join the discussion. Up next: Neal Brown - a longtime journalism leader and media executive best known for his work at the Poynter Institute, where he serves as president. You must be a subscriber to receive the Zoom link.
Author Grant Faulkner contends that traditional writing instruction—focused on correcting mistakes—leaves many people feeling incompetent, which fuels insecurity and keeps them from ever claiming “I’m a writer.” They redefine a “real writer” as anyone who sits down and writes, and say the key to finishing (and later publishing, querying, and promoting) is believing your story matters. Many people talk themselves out of writing by comparing rough drafts to polished favorites, dismissing ideas as unoriginal, or avoiding painful material that feels triggering; the speaker reframes first drafts as “discovery drafts” and emphasizes that all drafts start rough.
They explain Memoir Nation’s mission as helping people write for legacy and self-understanding, inspired by the speaker’s regret that their college-educated father died without leaving even 10,000 words of life stories. Memoir Nation offers multiple levels of support centered on community: a free tier plus paid tiers, and a flagship “January Story” challenge to write 500 words a day (15,000 total) to build momentum. Participants get prompts, daily actions, and “pep talks,” plus frequent Zoom write-ins that make writing feel less solitary. The community will also include affinity groups organized around memoir themes (motherhood, addiction, etc.).
Later, Grant shares this path from Oskaloosa to Grinnell, France, Chapel Hill, San Francisco, an MFA at SFSU, and leadership roles in writing organizations (National Writing Project and NaNoWriMo). He describes shifting from novels to flash fiction—especially 100-word stories—because brevity forces attention to every word and eliminates “flab.” They mention a new photo-and-flash “flash novel” set in the Southwest, and encourage writers (especially columnists) to “stretch,” try new genres, and play—writing sometimes “just for the hell of it.”
The discussion broadens to the cultural power of stories as connective tissue (in response to a quote about “human-to-story chains”), arguing stories shape culture, policy, and who gets represented; today’s bookstores reflect a wider range of voices than a century ago. The guest also supports partnerships with libraries and schools, noting memoir/personal writing could reduce students’ incentive to use AI because lived experience is harder to outsource. They highlight Okoboji’s distinctive strength as its intimacy and community—relationships that lead to opportunities—and advise memoir beginners to focus on a shaped experience (not a full life story), brainstorm scenes and persistent “itches,” and “write to the questions, not the answers.”
Finally, Grant outlines two projects: The Art of Brevity (a craft/meditation book with exercises on writing shorter) and a reality TV concept, America’s Next Great Author—pitch events feeding into a writers’ house where contestants draft a novel with challenges, culminating in a publishing contract—now connected to Canopy (the library streaming service) while they continue to pursue sponsorship/funding.
Grant Faulkner will hold book signings tonight and tomorrow
Grant Faulkner will be doing two events for his new book, SOMETHING OUT THERE IN THE DISTANCE, which is a book of linked stories to his friend Gail Butensky’s fabulous road-trippy photos of the Southwest.
Here’s the info for Beaverdale Books—this Friday, 6:30 p.m., with our own Kali White VanBaale as interviewer: https://beaverdalebooks.com/.../meet-the-author-grant...
And then he’ll be in Oskaloosa at the Book Vault on Saturday: https://bookvault.indielite.org/.../oskaloosa-author...
Okoboji
Four things to know about the Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat—and the Okoboji Mastery Circle
Four things to know about the Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat—and the Okoboji Mastery Circle
1. It’s not too late to join the Okoboji Mastery Circle.Our February instructor is the legendary filmmaker Peter Hedges, who wowed participants during his sessions last fall. Peter is an extraordinary teacher because his career spans the full, messy, exhilarating arc of modern storytelling—from page to screen—and he has lived every part of it.
Hedges is the novelist behind What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and the writer/director of films including Ben Is Back, About a Boy, Pieces of April, Dan in Real Life, and The Odd Life of Timothy Green—intimate, character-driven stories that balance humor, grief, and grace. Because he has navigated Hollywood expectations while protecting emotional truth, he teaches with rare practical authority: how to shape story under pressure, collaborate without losing your voice, and revise without losing heart. Just as important, he teaches with empathy. Students don’t just learn craft from Peter—they learn how to sustain a creative life.
2. A new way to grow your audience and stay connected.Have you attended the Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat—or participated in the Mastery Circle? Have you started a Substack column and want to grow your readership?
We’re launching a new collaborative publishing effort within our community, managed by Teresa Albertson, a former Des Moines Register reporter, longtime OWSR attendee and volunteer, and Story Summit participant. To be included, simply send us your name, column title, and web address. Teresa will nudge contributors twice a month to submit work for inclusion.
Teresa is volunteering her expertise for the first six months. If, after that point, you find the collaboration valuable in keeping you focused and growing your audience, we’ll ask that you become a paid subscriber to support the effort.
3. The 2026 retreat is filling earlier than ever.As of January 23, the 2026 Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat is already halfway full—earlier than we’ve ever reached this milestone. Registrations include both first-time attendees and returning alumni, which tells us something important: people come, and they come back.
4. Scholarships are core to who we are.We will always reserve roughly one-third of retreat spots for full and partial scholarships. This commitment enriches the experience for everyone. If you—or someone you know—would benefit from attending, please spread the word. We want this community to reflect a wide range of voices, experiences, and perspectives.
To enroll in both the Okoboji Mastery Circle and the Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat:
