Shows
writing class radioHow Are Jumping Rope and Tornadoes Related? A Braided EssayToday on our show, we bring you a story by Andrea Askowitz called A Numbers Game. This story was previously published in Memoirland, a curated compilation of the week’s best personal essays on the internet. It was also read live on stage at the Flagstaff Festival of Science in 2024. A Numbers Game is a braided essay. So, In this episode, we will discuss the braided essay and how Andrea’s came to be. Just a hint: Nicole Walker had something to do with it!More about how we became associated with the Flagstaff Festival of Science…Three...2025-05-0721 min
writing class radioIf You Don’t Want to Know, Don’t Snoop on Your Daughter’s Instagram AccountThis episode focuses on how to tell a story out loud. In May 2024, our own Andrea Askowitz made her way to a Moth storytelling competition and for the 15th time (over nine years), dropped her name in the bag. The prompt was snooping. Before she left home, her wife told her to look at this evening, if chosen, as practice instead of assuming this would be her Moth. So, when her name was chosen, Andrea had not memorized a story but instead decided to have fun telling the audience about the time she snooped on her daughter’s Insta ac...2024-06-1223 min
writing class radioHere's Why I Resolve to Fail MoreToday on our show we’re talking about the writing process and how getting rejected is just part of the fun. After our own Andrea Askowitz takes a class on rejection taught by Elissa Bassist, she develops a new way of thinking about failure. If you are not getting rejected, you’re not in the game. You will hear the story Andrea wrote after her 643rd rejection. Andrea’s story is called, “I’ve Been Rejected 643 Times. Here’s Why I Resolve to Fail More."Writing Class Radio is hosted by Allison Langer and Andrea Askowitz. Audio production b...2023-12-2719 min
writing class radioDo As I Say Not As I DoOn this episode, you’ll hear a story by our own Allison Langer. You may have read her story in HuffPost, where she was published on Jan 16, 2023. The story ran with this title: People Say I'm A Grief Expert, But When My Friend's Husband Died, I Did Something I Deeply Regret.If you are wondering how to help a friend who is grieving or have ever felt like you don't know what to say or do when someone dies, this episode will help.After you hear the story, we’ll discuss one of our biggest writ...2023-09-0618 min
writing class radioYou Look Great BECAUSE You’ve AgedOn this episode, we bring you a story by our own Andrea Askowitz. A version of this essay was published April 2023 on CNN and titled What Justine Bateman Gets Exactly Right About Beauty. You’ll hear tips on how to bring in outside evidence for a more effective opinion piece and how to use the news stories, popular in the media, to create a personal essay.Andrea Askowitz has been published in The New York Times, Salon, The Rumpus, Huffington Post, Glamour, AEON, The Writer, Manifest-Station, Mutha, Washington Post, CNN, NPR, PBS, and the anthologies, Looking Queer, Al...2023-08-2319 min
writing class radioTrichotillomania Became My Constant CompanionThis is the first essay in our college essay series. Last August 2022, Andrea and Allison hosted a teen writing and service retreat in Guatemala. We took eight rising seniors and two rising juniors a gazillion miles away from their homes and busted their hearts wide open. Each student left the United States with ZERO words and returned with a perfect 650-word common app essay. Before we left, each student recorded their final draft. On this episode, Emily Olster shares her college essay called Letting My Hair Fly. On day one of the essay boot camp, Andrea and A...2023-04-1919 min
writing class radioHow to Fight with Your Co-Host and Win a Writing ContestToday on our show we share a story by our own Allison Langer. Her essay is called Writing Class Helped Me Break Down My Facade. You will hear about the fight hosts Allison and Andrea had that prompted this episode. We’ll talk about trying to make money as a writer, revisiting the same theme, and how to win a writing contest. If you think you are the only one writing about the same thing over and over, this episode is for you. See how themes can change over time and how you can win a contest whe...2022-09-0725 min
writing class radioWhat Makes You Weird in the World?Today on our show, author and overall cool woman, Allison Landa reads an excerpt from her new memoir coming out October 4, 2022 called Bearded Lady (Woodhall Press). Pre-order today from our favorite Indie, Books & Books, or wherever you get books. Andrea read an advance copy and this story–this book–is one of Andrea’s all time favorites.This essay, the whole memoir, is a lesson in guts out vulnerability. Andrea believes Allison Landa is the next Joan Didion.The part we bring you is a perfect example of the use of a container and it’s also a...2022-08-2438 min
writing class radioHere’s My Abortion Story. Men, Tell Us Yours.On June 24, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Today we bring you a personal essay that includes an abortion story, in hopes that it will prompt men to tell their abortion stories. The story was co-written by Andrea Askowitz and Ida Dupont. Ida and Andrea have been in the abortion fight for thirty years. They realize reproductive justice advocates (them included) made a mistake in couching abortion as solely a women’s issue. Men benefit from abortions just as much as women. Men need to tell their stories because stories change minds and laws. Writing Class Rad...2022-06-2928 min
writing class radioHow to Write About Something You Can’t RememberToday on our show we share a story by Andrea Askowitz. Andrea’s story was written as speculative memoir during our writing retreat in Guatemala. And if you are like most people, you have never heard of speculative memoir. After you hear this episode, you will be dying to give it a try. But why did she use speculative memoir?According to author Laraine Herring, who wrote in the Rumpus, speculative memoir explores the truth through the figurative over the literal. She questions why we say “just” before imagination, because isn’t imagination the foundation of everything? Go to th...2022-06-1533 min
writing class radioThe Hate Hate CreatesThis is the final episode in a 10-part series inspired by the men Allison Langer taught memoir writing, in a men’s prison. This series shared stories written by Allison’s former memoir students as well as formerly incarcerated and currently incarcerated people from around the United States. Their experiences and voices, like those of many incarcerated people, are often marginalized and unheard.On today’s episode, you will hear a story by Richardson Francois aka Swa, who Allison confesses was one of her favorite students. Swa will read his story, The Hate Hate Creates. Hate, Swa argues...2022-03-0955 min
writing class radioHow Do You Fulfill a Promise When You’re Stuck in Prison?This is the second episode in a 10-part series inspired by the people Allison Langer taught memoir writing, in a men’s prison. You will hear stories her former students wrote after taking her class and stories from other incarcerated or formerly incarcerated people around the world.To help us get this right, Xaire has agreed to co-host the series with us. Xaire is a poet, singer-songwriter, actor, and teacher who teaches writing and poetry to kids in the foster care system and kids caught up in a detention center. THIS MUST BE SAID: We don...2021-11-1734 min
writing class radioWhat I Learned from Men in PrisonWelcome to Season 12. Today, we’re starting a 10-part series inspired by the people Allison Langer taught memoir writing, in a men’s prison. We put a call out for stories, so you will hear stories her students have written recently and stories from other incarcerated or formerly incarcerated people around the world.To help us get this right, we asked Xaire, who is a poet, singer-songwriter, actor, and teacher to co-host with us. Xaire teaches writing and poetry to kids in the foster care system. THIS MUST BE SAID: We don’t mean to sensati...2021-11-0332 min
writing class radioIt’s a Matter of TimeToday on our show, we are featuring an essay by former student Sharon Rothberg. Sharon uses a philosophical concept to work out her feelings about the death of her daughter-in-law. Sharon's use of time and all lingo related to time is masterful. The story structure is also exceptional as is the balanced use of humor and vulnerability.This story really shows how writing helps people figure out things we can’t really understand. Sharon Rothberg lives in Miami, Florida with her husband of 57 years. She was an English major at Tulane University and taught seventh grade...2021-09-0821 min
writing class radioHow to Write About Death: Use an Obsession.For the month of August, 2021, we’re bringing back four of our listeners’ favorite episodes. Writing Class Radio brings you personal stories and tips on how to write your own stories. This episode originally aired March 3, 2020 on episode 79.Today on our show, we take a look at bringing an obsession into a story. It’s possible to go deep into an obsession that has almost nothing to do with the story you are trying to tell without being distracting. That obsession can deepen the meaning of the story by giving us a peek into you, the narrator. Edi...2021-08-2524 min
writing class radioShow and Tell.For the month of August, 2021, we’re bringing back four of our listeners’ favorite episodes. Writing Class Radio brings you personal stories and tips on how to write your own stories. This episode originally aired July 31, 2018 on episode 47.In this episode, we examine the popular writing tenet, show DON’T tell. We believe just showing is not only impossible, but detrimental to your story. Telling gives insight into what the narrator is thinking and feeling.To test this theory, we asked our students to just SHOW. We gave the prompt: A fight and instructed them to go d...2021-08-1826 min
writing class radioCan You Hear Me if I Can’t Hear You?For the month of August, 2021, we’re bringing back four of our listeners’ favorite episodes. Writing Class Radio brings you personal stories and tips on how to write your own stories. This episode originally aired April 20, 2017 on episode 29.Allison Langer loves the process of working out her shit and reading it out loud. In class, she can’t hide behind a facade. Andrea Askowitz loves thinking about writing and ways to make stories stronger. She breaks down every sentence and takes out needless words. Andrea loves the craft.Cheryl Strayed, Author of Wild and Tiny Beautif...2021-08-0426 min
writing class radioHow Do You Know if Your Story Sucks?On episode 106, host Allison Langer tells a story about her post cancer hair. Allison’s story was rejected by The Washington Post. Should Allison give up and write something new? Or should she continue to send her story to other publications? Most often, even expertly-written stories get rejected because they’re just not a perfect fit for a particular publication at a particular time. But, how do you know if your story just sucks?Had Allison listened to Andrea’s edits, would she have gotten published? Or is it the topic of cancer that did her in?Y...2021-07-2825 min
writing class radioWhat I Learned from Men in PrisonThis episode is the first in a 10-part series where we will bring you stories from men in prison. Host Allison Langer facilitates memoir writing classes through Exchange for Change, a group that brings writing classes into prison. The experiences and voices of Allison’s students at Dade Correctional Institution, like those of many incarcerated people, are often marginalized and unheard. Our goal is to bring these voices to light.To help get this right, we have poet, musician, and activist Marnino Toussaint, who also facilitates classes with Exchange for Change. Marnino will be reading the stories, si...2021-03-1740 min
writing class radioHow to Hit Your Editors in the HeartThis episode is about secrets, a mom/daughter relationship, and donor-conception, a subject that hit both Andrea and Allison in the heart. When Amanda Serenyi’s friend gets pregnant using donor sperm, Amanda freaks out because she herself was donor-conceived and her mother kept this a secret until she was 33. When Amanda first submitted this essay, Allison loved it and Andrea was reluctant to publish it. You will hear why despite great writing and an interesting story, this story was almost rejected.Writing Class Radio is co-hosted by Allison Langer (www.allisonlanger.com) and Andrea Ask...2021-03-0337 min
writing class radioWhat Did it Take to Finally Get Published?Are you writing like crazy but just can’t seem to push the send button on your submissions? Today on our show, Writing Class Radio student Margery Berger tells us what’s been holding her back.Margery Berger has told a story on this podcast before. On Episode 46: An Object is Not Just an Object she told a stunner about her obsession with her scale. Margery has been in class with us for 3, maybe 4, years. She has every ingredient to be a published writer, except one. She is perfectly self-conscious. She knows herself. She’s...2021-02-1732 min
writing class radioCrafting a Story is Like Solving a PuzzleToday’s episode is about two things. 1. A great way to tell a relationship story is to choose a subject or activity that’s dear to the person you’re writing about. Then, describe that activity. 2. Stories are puzzles. There’s a false binary idea that writers are creative and therefore not good at math. We disagree. You have to tap into both sides of the brain to create good stories because there’s a mathematical equation in stories.Writing about a subject or activity or in today’s case, a puzzle, is also a great way to get publi...2021-02-0314 min
writing class radioBrave Listener Gets Hard EditsWe asked you, our listeners, to send in your unfinished essays. We didn’t mean first drafts. We meant those essays you’ve been working on forever that you can’t get to the bottom of. Today on our show, we bring you an unfinished essay by listener Julie Schoelzel, a writer from Keene, New Hampshire. We hope to offer Julie insights into figuring out what she’s come to say and how to finish her essay. In every class, of every essay, we ask: What is the story about? After several drafts, we hope the narrator can answe...2021-01-2021 min
writing class radioTaking the Long Road, Writing About TransformationToday’s show is about transformation. How does the narrator change? How does the narrator grow? You’ll hear a story by Autumn Hudson, an elite body tattoo artist, who went from dropping out of school, to drug addiction, to fulfilling her dream of becoming a tattoo artist. Autumn’s story exemplifies a narrator’s transformation.Writing Class Radio is co-hosted by Allison Langer (www.allisonlanger.com) and Andrea Askowitz (www.andreaaskowitz.com). This episode of Writing Class Radio is produced by Matt Cundill of Sound Off Media, Andrea Askowitz and Allison Langer. Mia Pennekamp is our media sp...2021-01-0628 min
writing class radioBye Bye 2020On today’s episode hosts Andrea and Allison say goodbye to a shit year. They each took the prompt: Bye Bye 2020. Andrea got nothing and explains that the story she kept coming to--about her daughter having a rough time--is a story she’s not yet prepared to tell. Nothing else felt honest. Allison writes about her last chemo treatment on January 9, 2020. She was ready to move on from cancer forever, when six months later her dad sat down in her office midday and gave her the news: he had cancer. Her story is about the lessons she needs...2020-12-2327 min
writing class radioThe Upside to a DownsideOn today’s episode you’ll hear a story that takes a bad situation and finds the good. We don’t love sappy happy endings, but honest happy endings are the best, especially when they bring joy to the world. Jamie Katz got married on her balcony during lockdown and was greeted with some pleasant surprises. Her story also shows how much can be told with very few words. Writing Class Radio is co-hosted by Allison Langer (www.allisonlanger.com) and Andrea Askowitz (www.andreaaskowitz.com). This episode of Writing Class Radio is produced by Matt Cundill of Soun...2020-12-0217 min
writing class radioHow Does a Man Get Away with Calling Women Bitches and Hoes in a Story?Today’s episode is the last in a series called Home. Writing Class Radio helped produce a documentary with Chapman Partnership, a homeless center in South Florida, exploring the meaning of home. Our documentary will air on PBS, date (tba).On this episode, you will hear a story by Marvin Jenkins, a past student, poet, Boeing employee, and dad. Marvin lost his home after he wrote an explicit text message to his girlfriend’s best friend and she kicked him out. Marvin has always been in love with Serena, but drugs got the best of him. Mar...2020-11-1817 min
writing class radioShould I Stay or Should I Leave This Country?Today’s episode is part of a series called Home. Writing Class Radio helped produce a documentary to help end homelessness for Chapman Partnership, a homeless center in South Florida.On this episode, you will hear a story by writer Tiffanie Drayton who takes an idea that most Americans hold about our country and turns it on its head. Typically, people come to America to seek asylum. But, Tiffanie left America to seek asylum. She left because she didn’t feel safe here as a Black American. Tiffany’s essay was published in the New York Ti...2020-11-0934 min
writing class radioAt Home in My SkinToday’s show is part of a series called Home. Writing Class Radio helped produce a documentary to help end homelessness for Chapman Partnership, a homeless center in South Florida. We put out a public call for submissions for stories about home. The call brought so many different and fascinating takes. Thank you to all the people who submitted stories. In our series, you’ll hear a story about a woman who is torn between two homes, a man who finds home through love with a woman while he’s dealing with addiction, and a woman who finds h...2020-10-2118 min
writing class radioTorn Between Two Houses Feeling Like a FoolToday’s show is the first in a four-part miniseries called Home. Writing Class Radio helped produce a documentary to help end homelessness for Chapman Partnership, a homeless center in South Florida. We put out a public call for submissions for stories about home. The call brought so many different and fascinating takes on home. Thank you to all the people who submitted stories. In our series, you’ll hear a story about a woman finally feeling at home in her body, a man who finds home through love with a woman while he’s dealing w...2020-10-0720 min
writing class radioWhat Does Your TV Habit Say About You?This episode is about story structure and all things done well in an essay. LiAnne Yu tells a story about watching TV with her Chinese immigrant parents. As a narrator she brings us into her world--dinners in front of the TV with her parents. She uses detail to reveal character--Mork & Mindy, Sex and the City, and Fox News. She follows the five Cs of story structure: context, circumstance, complication, change, consequence.LiAnne Yu is an anthropologist and writer based in San Francisco and Kailua Kona, Hawaii. Her story was originally published in The New York Times, July 17, 2020.2020-09-0220 min
writing class radioWho's Your Voice of Reason?This episode is about using a character to express the voice of reason. So often in a story, the narrator is in a bind and can’t see clearly. In the story we bring you today, the narrator’s wife says something that opens the narrator’s mind to a different point of view. The narrator went years believing something that might not be true. In this story, he artfully showed us the moment the story he told himself was called into question. Today’s story is by listener Nicholas Garnett, an adjunct professor of creative writing at Florid...2020-08-0518 min
writing class radioEvery Word MattersToday on our show, we’re talking about how every word in a story matters. We have a story to share that illustrates this point so well. Essayist, teacher, and Writing Class Radio listener Amy Paturel submitted her story called “The Other Love of His Life,” which was originally published in Newsweek, April 2009. Amy’s story is a great example of how every word must lead to the final conclusion. Every scene, detail, and description should move the story forward. If not...cut. This got us thinking about how our words matter, not just to move a sto...2020-07-0122 minwriting class radioA Poet's Response to Senseless MurdersThis episode of Writing Class Radio is dedicated to George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and all those who have lost their lives in a senseless murder.The story we share with you on this episode is by student and poet Zorina Frey. Last Saturday, May 30, 2020, Andrea gave students a writing prompt and 14 minutes to write about whatever came to mind. Zorina’s response is helping us sit with the sadness, anger, and grief. It is a story that’s helping us reflect and process everything that’s going on. The prompt was Religion. Wri...2020-06-0306 min
writing class radioAn Insider Conversation with a Literary AgentToday on our show, we share a New York Times Modern Love essay we love by Jessica Strawser, editor-at-large at Writer’s Digest. Her essay caught the attention of literary agent Barbara Poelle, an agent with the Irene Goodman Literary Agency and the author of Funny You Should Ask: Mostly Serious Answers to Mostly Serious Questions About the Publishing Industry. Her book is based on her Writer's Digest column of the same name. On today’s show, we share our conversation with Barbara about how to get an agent.We asked Barbara all kinds of questions: Is now...2020-05-0637 min
writing class radioHow to Write About Death: Use an ObsessionToday on our show, we take a look at bringing an obsession into a story. It’s possible to go deep into an obsession that has almost nothing to do with the story you are trying to tell without being distracting. That obsession can deepen the meaning of the story by giving us a peek into you, the narrator. Editors get a lot of stories about cancer, dead dogs, aging parents, etc. We’re not saying, stay away from these topics. We’re saying, writing about an obsession is a way to write about death (or any of thes...2020-03-0423 min
writing class radioWriting Helps You Figure Out How You ThinkToday on our show, we’re talking about how writing helps you figure out how you think. And helps you see yourself, specifically your failures more clearly because it’s hard to ignore a pattern when you see it in writing.We share an essay by listener, Karen Debonis who’s story, “Even the Weak Can Weather the Storm” is about what it ultimately took to make her change from being overly agreeable to a fierce badass defender of her child. It wasn’t his illness that was the catalyst, but reading back on what she’d written about...2020-02-0515 min
writing class radioGotta Be a Good Literary Citizen if You Wanna Get PublishedToday on our show, we’re talking to Susan Shapiro about literary citizenship. A literary citizen is someone who does good things for other literary people like re-tweet their published essays, share insider dos and don’ts, and hook people up with editors. Being a good literary citizen will help you get published because it shows that you know what’s going on in the literary world, helps build your platform, and it probably brings you some good karma. Susan Shapiro has made a career out of doing all these things and more. She’s written 12 books and thous...2020-01-0835 min
writing class radioAbortion Stories MatterOn this episode, you’ll hear two stories about abortion, because we believe abortion stories must be told to keep abortions safe, legal, and accessible. If all women who had abortions told their stories, abortion would not be stigmatized, public perception would change, and laws would change. We put a call out for abortion stories. We received several, all from women who did not regret their abortions. According to The Guardian, 95% of all women who have abortions don’t regret them. So this is the story we’re telling on this episode. The two stories are told...2019-12-0435 min
writing class radioHow to Go From Idea to Published Essay to Book DealToday on our show, we’re talking to Lilly Dancyger, an editor at Catapult, among many things. She’s also a freelance editor at Narratively and Barrelhouse Books, a memoir writing teacher, writer, curator of Memoir Monday, and the editor of the just-released anthology called Burn It Down. We talked to her about what she’s looking for in an essay, and how to successfully pitch to Narratively and Catapult. Read this before you submit to Lilly or anywhere. Ariel Henley reads her essay called There’s a Mathematical Equation that Proves I’m Ugly--Or So I Learned in...2019-11-0640 min
writing class radioThink Like a Writer with Dani ShapiroWe recorded this show from Miami and Madrid. If you are new to Writing Class Radio, welcome. Today on our show, we have the brilliant and generous Dani Shapiro, author of five novels and five memoirs, plus thousands of essays and a podcast called Family Secrets. A few years ago, Andrea sat down with Dani and talked about thinking like a writer, repeating themes in writing, figuring out what a story is about, and the conflicts all writers face, especially mothers, in revealing other people’s stories. Dani Shapiro also reads a story published in the...2019-10-0237 min
writing class radioHow to Write When Shit Gets RealToday our show is going to be a little different because shit just got really real. Three weeks ago, Allison was diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer. In this episode, we share the stories we wrote about this situation. We are treating this episode as if we’re in writing class by sharing our own writing and critiquing it, because writing and sharing and then getting and giving feedback is how we deal with whatever's going on in our lives. We thought writing and critiquing would help us process what’s going on. We hope that hearing our stori...2019-08-2830 min
writing class radioCreate Scenes So People RememberToday on our show, we’re talking about how to create a scene and why scenes matter. We often bring up the writing tip show AND tell. The scene is the show. It’s the action. It’s where we put dialogue and show character. Scenes are the moments we remember.For more on show and tell, listen to Episode 47: Show and Tell. You’ll hear one of Andrea Askowitz’s stories, where she fights with her son about homework. And you’ll hear stories by Allison Langer and Misha Mehrel where they show and tell effectively.Listene...2019-08-1413 min
writing class radioWhat’s Inside Your Container?This episode contains content about a suicide attempt.Today on our show, we’re talking about a container, which is a cool way to structure a story. It’s a method to tell your entire story while you are contained in a place or period of time. For example, on a plane, in a meeting, or an afternoon at a hair appointment. The goal is for the narrator to take the reader or listener along in the moment while stepping out of the container to tell a much bigger story. Lorinne Griswold, a listener from San Fr...2019-07-3119 min
writing class radioHow to Write About the UnbelievableToday on our show, we’re talking about how to write about the unbelievable. Things like UFOs, mediums, and talking to the dead. In the story you’ll hear, our narrator hears a voice from beyond.In this episode, like many past episodes, we also get into the concept of likeable narrator. If you want more on likeable narrator, listen to these episodes: Likeable Narrator--Be the Biggest Asshole in the Story; A Time I Fucked Up part 1 and part 2.We bring up likeable narrator, because we feel like the most effective way to write about the...2019-07-1716 min
writing class radioHow to Write Your Story While You're Still Living ItToday on our show, we’re talking about how to end a story when the situation is ongoing. You’ll hear an essay by the Brazilian born Miami writer, Camile Flosi Araujo. Camile brings us into her world, which changed dramatically for her when she got into a car accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down. She made a startling discovery, not that she’s pissed about the accident, although she is, but that she’s pissed at herself for how she lived before the accident. Listen to hear how she expertly ends the story that she’s still li...2019-07-0323 min
writing class radioWhat's a Meta Phor?Today on our show, we’re talking about metaphors and how they work in a story. We share a story by Elizabeth Newdom whose story is shaped around a metaphor. Elizabeth’s essay first appeared in Motherwell, an online magazine that tells all sides of the parenting story. We called the editors of Motherwell, Randi Olin and Lauren Apfel, a badass editing duo and talked to them about their tag team approach to editing, what grabbed them about Elizabeth’s story, and the use of metaphors.We’ll take you behind the scenes, so you can learn...2019-06-1925 min
writing class radioReady, Set, Go Get Into CollegeToday on our show we’re talking about perseverance, a quality important if you want to be a writer, a runner, or someone successful at crafting the dreaded college essay. What makes your essay stand out to publishers and to college admissions directors is the situation and the story. They want to see the loss or the win, because that’s what allows others to connect with your story. They also want to know what you learned from the experience and how that experience informed your character. Allison Langer has been working with high scho...2019-06-0511 min
writing class radioHow to Brag and Pull it Off.Today on our show we’re talking about bragging, specifically on the dreaded college essay. How do you brag yourself up without sounding like a total $#&%$#? (We’re PG for the high schoolers...as if). The answer is, you have to be willing to get vulnerable and reveal your ugly side, then you can brag all you want.Allison has been working with high school students all over the country on their college admissions essays. This is the first episode in a two-part series where we bring you common app essays.Palmer Trinity high school seni...2019-05-2211 min
writing class radioSlow Down. You Don’t Want to Miss this Moment.Do you know how sometimes when you’re reading a story you feel like the story slows down in a critical moment? Maybe the narrator describes the people in a room or the birds on a tree nearby. Maybe there’s a flashback to a memory. In that moment, the reader becomes hyper aware and hopefully totally drawn in.Today on our show we’re talking about slowing down and expanding a moment. A moment in a story that says to the reader, “Hey, pay attention. I’m about to give you some details that are i...2019-05-0823 min
writing class radioInspiration Sometimes Comes in the Form of a DressIn class, sometimes we ask people to close their eyes and smell sunblock, or freshly baked bread. Sometimes we play a Beatles song or have students squeeze Play-Doh. Sometimes we throw out a word like pussy. Then, we ask students to write about the first thing that comes to mind. All of these prompts inspire stories.Today on our show we’re talking about how inspiration for stories can come in a word, a song, a scent, or an object like a dress.You will hear a story by Nancy Brier, a listener from Palm De...2019-04-2414 min
writing class radioFrom Pitch to PublicationsToday on our show we’re talking about pitching to publications, what to include in a query letter and all the homework you need to do before you pitch to an editor. Writer Baylea Jones shares her pitch and her story.We speak with Ravishly editor Erin Khar about what it was like to receive Baylea’s pitch, as well as why she chose Baylea’s story. Erin will also discuss the basic how-to’s for submitting stories for Ravishly and elsewhere.Writing Class Radio is a podcast where you’ll hear true personal stories and learn...2019-04-1026 min
writing class radioThe Devil's in the DetailsDetails matter. Details bring the reader/listener into a world they may know nothing about. They help us trust the narrator. The more specific the details; the more universal the story. In this episode we bring you a story by Inessa Freylekhman. She’s a Feng Shui expert, speaker, spiritual counselor and author. Inessa uses details well throughout her story, but there is one specific detail that exemplifies the type of detail we’re always looking for. Listen for it. To help you get specific in your own stories, ask yourself: Like what?Writing Class Radio is a po...2019-03-2720 min
writing class radioHow to Stop Procrastinating and Write Your StoryOn this episode, we talk about procrastination. We also talk about speaking directly to the reader from a place of experience. And giving advice, which is really hard in a story and in life. If you're willing to be vulnerable, you can do it. We’re starting with a story by Jenni Berrett called You Aren’t Lazy--You’re Just Terrified: On Paralysis and Perfectionism. Jenni is a columnist at Ravishly, an online magazine that celebrates the mess of being human. Her story is relevant to all of us messy humans, especially the messy writers among us. W...2019-03-1316 min
writing class radioIf You Want to Write About Death and Get Published, Write the TruthIn this episode we’re talking about writing about death. We have a story by Leslie Gray Streeter, a columnist for the Palm Beach Post who also contributes to Modern Loss, the online magazine dedicated to normalizing the way we talk about loss. Leslie’s story is called, What I did with My Husband’s Life Insurance Money. Leslie uses humor and a conversational style when writing about the death of her husband, the same humor and voice she’d use to write about anything. We also speak with Gabrielle Birkner, the editor and co-founder of Modern Loss and ed...2019-02-2723 min
writing class radioA Time I Had an Unpopular OpinionIn this episode we air the winner of our fall writing contest--Jen Antill. The prompt: A Time I Had an Unpopular Opinion reaped a story about a woman who is pregnant at 24, but doesn’t want to be. It turns out, she never wanted to be a mother. Starting with a prompt like a time you had an unpopular opinion can lead to a story with tension, conflict, and high stakes, all of which make for a great story. Writing Class Radio is a podcast where you’ll hear true personal stories from the students in our class...2019-01-3011 minwriting class radioEveryone Needs an Editor/FriendThis is the final episode of the Andrea Show. For the last seven weeks, we brought you a story written and read by Writing Class Radio co-host, Andrea Askowitz, with commentary by her editor, co-host, Allison Langer. Andrea took a weekly essay challenge on her 50th birthday in May 2018, which was inspired by a quote by the author of Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury. He said, “Write a short story every week. It’s not possible to write 52 bad stories in a row.” This week Andrea’s story conflates editors and friends, because in her mind, they both keep you from embarras...2019-01-2318 minwriting class radioWhat's Your Achilles Heel?For the next two weeks, we will bring you a story written and read by Writing Class Radio co-host, Andrea Askowitz, with commentary by her editor, co-host, Allison Langer. Andrea took a weekly essay challenge, which was inspired by a quote by the author of Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury. He said, “Write a short story every week. It’s not possible to write 52 bad stories in a row.” This week Andrea takes us on a 12-mile run through Miami, where she snaps something in her leg. She uses the experience to discover her real Achilles heel, which is her fear of get...2019-01-1613 minwriting class radioWrite About Me!For the next three weeks, we will bring you a story written and read by Writing Class Radio co-host, Andrea Askowitz, with commentary by her editor, co-host, Allison Langer. Andrea took a weekly essay challenge, which was inspired by a quote by the author of Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury. He said, “Write a short story every week. It’s not possible to write 52 bad stories in a row.” On this episode, Allison and Andrea talk about a subject that comes up in every writing class: What do you do about writing about other people? Andrea tells a funny story about how ev...2019-01-0912 minwriting class radioThe Mean Letter You Always Wanted to WriteThis week, Andrea uses the epistolary form--story written as a letter--to get her point across. The letter form is very intimate because the narrator is speaking directing to you. We hope this process will help writers get published or at least get inspire to write. For the next four weeks, we will bring you a story written and read by Writing Class Radio co-host, Andrea Askowitz, with commentary by her editor, co-host, Allison Langer. Andrea took a weekly essay challenge, which was inspired by a quote by the author of Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury. He said, “Write a short story ev...2019-01-0110 minwriting class radioFrom Writing Prompt to Published StoryFor the next five weeks, we'll bring you a story written and read by Writing Class Radio co-host, Andrea Askowitz, with commentary by her editor, co-host, Allison Langer. Andrea took a weekly essay challenge, which was inspired by a quote by the author of Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury. He said, “Write a short story every week. It’s not possible to write 52 bad stories in a row.” This week, something cool happened. Andrea didn’t know what to write about, so she called Allison and they both set timers for 15 minutes and wrote to the prompt: Christmas. On thi...2018-12-2623 minwriting class radioShould I Edit Out the Dick Pics?This is week three of an eight-week experiment. We’re bringing you a story a week by Writing Class Radio co-host, Andrea Askowitz, with commentary by her editor, co-host, Allison Langer. Andrea took a weekly essay challenge, which was inspired by a quote by the author of Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury. He said, “Write a short story every week. It’s not possible to write 52 bad stories in a row.” On this episode, Andrea tells a story about what girls have to endure in our modern world. She was inspired by Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony and wrote about an incident t...2018-12-1915 minwriting class radioFunny Story...My Brother Has CancerFor the next seven weeks, we will bring you a story written and read by Writing Class Radio co-host, Andrea Askowitz, with commentary by her editor, co-host, Allison Langer. Andrea took a weekly essay challenge, which was inspired by a quote by the author of Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury. He said, “Write a short story every week. It’s not possible to write 52 bad stories in a row.” This week, Andrea tells a funny story about a not funny at all topic--her brother’s cancer diagnosis. After the story is read, Allison and Andrea discuss how Andrea uses humor to deal wit...2018-12-1214 minwriting class radioIt's Not Possible to Write 52 Bad Stories in a RowWelcome to Season 6. For the next eight weeks, we will bring you a story a week written and read by co-host, Andrea Askowitz, with commentary by her editor, co-host, Allison Langer. This week, Andrea tells us why she took a weekly essay challenge, which was inspired by a quote by the author of Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury. He said, “Write a short story every week. It’s not possible to write 52 bad stories in a row.” After the story is read, Allison and Andrea discuss the piece, what it took to get to the why in the story and what edits...2018-12-0514 minwriting class radioWe Don't Care About Your Life if it Doesn't Serve this StoryThis is our 50th episode and our last episode of Season 5. Today we’re talking about omitting needless words because who has time for excessive blah, blah, blah. You will hear a great example of a story that got chopped in half. Allison Langer’s story called Why I decided to ignore the judgy snobs (like me) and have my babies on my own was published in the Washington Post, August 31, 2018. After Allison tells her story, we talk about how the story lost 1,500 words. This episode is also about working out your shit by writing every last detail then omit...2018-11-0729 minwriting class radioShow and TellIn this episode, we examine the popular writing tenet, show DON’T tell. We believe just showing is not only impossible, but detrimental to your story. Telling gives insight into what the narrator is thinking and feeling. To test this theory, we asked our students to just SHOW. We gave the prompt: A Fight and instructed them to go directly to scene without explaining. After ten minutes, the students were asked to continue where they left off but to move from the scene into exposition, to just TELL. They were instructed to explain what was going on in the st...2018-08-0128 minwriting class radioLikable Narrator: Be the Biggest Asshole in the StoryOn this episode, we’re talking about creating a likable narrator. The narrator is the I in the story. It’s YOU. We see this a lot with beginner writers and we probably did this too, and that is tell a story about a time we were the hero. Sad truth: no one wants to hear how great you are. This is true in life too. What people connect to in stories and in life are times when you’re vulnerable. This is counterintuitive because everyone wants to show a good face, but we connect to a narrator who’s willin...2018-01-0921 minwriting class radioWrite Better by Mimicking the MastersOn today’s episode we’re talking about mimicking the masters the way you’d imagine a painting class in Paris that goes to the Louvre to practice painting like Leonardo de Vinci. We think it’s worth copying a method that works because we know it worked in the past. Learn the rules before breaking the rules. In this episode, you'll hear stories that mimic the style of Boys, a story by Rick Moody. Andrea took a class at the Miami Writers Institute with Brian Turner, author of the memoir, My Life as a Foreign Country. In an excerpt...2017-11-2119 minwriting class radioHurricanes and Stories Define Us, Since the Beginning of TimeOn this episode of Writing Class Radio we ask for your support, because producing ain’t free. Please go to writingclassradio.com and hit the donate button. This podcast is equal parts heart (the truth) and art (the craft). This episode was conceived after Hurricane Irma blew through South Florida. The entire state seemed to be preoccupied if not scared to death, leading up to the moment Irma made landfall on September 10, 2017. Afterward, Andrea couldn’t wait to get back to class to write and share hurricane stories. But University of Miami was closed for repair, so she...2017-10-1735 minwriting class radioLet's Ignore Writing Class Protocol and Talk About Our LivesIn this episode, we go off the rails...a little. We invited our class into Allison’s living room where in addition to writing advice, we gave life advice. Allison believes that the better we know ourselves, the better our writing will be. Andrea was scared shitless. She thought the class would be more like a therapy session. Andrea likes the boundary set up in class. She thinks not being allowed to talk about someone’s life allows everyone to write more freely. She doesn’t want to be judged on her life, only on her writing. Since Allison was ma...2017-08-1924 minwriting class radioGreat Writing Starts With a Question. What Don’t You Understand?In this episode, you will meet the winner of Writing Class Radio’s spring writing contest. The prompt: Write about something you don’t understand. Andrea suggests that great writing starts with a question. Writing is about figuring out what you don’t understand. It’s a discovery process.Contest winner, Jeana Fleming’s reads her story. After, Andrea and Allison weigh in on why they chose her story and what makes the writing so great. Allison talks about Exchange for Change, an organization based in Miami, Florida that offers writing classes to incarcerated men and women. Allison sp...2017-08-0117 minwriting class radioTake Me Into Your WorldIn this episode, Allison and Andrea are talking about worlds again because Andrea got so excited by Nilsa’s story in the episode Can You Hear Me if I Can't Hear You? where she brought us into the world of the hearing impaired.In class Andrea had us make a list of the worlds we live in. Then she said, “Pick one and take us into that world.” Allison wrote: single mom, tennis player, online dater, windsurfer, gym rat, health nut, tighty-whitey. Andrea wrote: mom, daughter, younger sibling, gemini, Miamian, bike rider, curly haired person, lesbian, softball lesbia...2017-06-1925 minwriting class radioWho Has Time?Get ready folks, Allison and Andrea are hosting this episode together: an episode about time. Student Allison Langer is obsessed with the lack of time she has lately. So, in class teacher, Andrea Askowitz, gave this prompt: I wish I had more time to_______. Andrea reads her story from class about wanting more time to work. Allison reads a story she brought into class about wanting more time PERIOD. You will also hear responses from students Diego Saldana-Rojas, Lis Mesa, Claudia Franklin and Viccy Simon. Allison and Andrea discuss the stories and try to figure out why...2017-03-2329 minwriting class radioWhen Is It Okay to Bullshit?Lies seem to be the new norm in our world. There’s probably a bumper sticker that says Lies Are the New Truth. Great bumper sticker, but it has Andrea Askowitz totally freaked out. Andrea is the teacher of the class and the host for this episode, which is about lies in stories and lies in the world. We start with a story by a new student, Claudia Franklin, that got us thinking about truth and lies in memoir and when, if ever, is lying fair game. Claudia’s story takes a surprising turn as she imagines what...2017-03-0324 minwriting class radioA Time I FUCKED UpThis is the prompt we threw out to listeners for our first annual writing contest. Listeners wrote in with lots of crazy and sad and funny stories. One of our winners was Melissa Vincel, who wrote an essay that stood out for its simplicity, clarity, and subject matter. Instead of the all-too-common story about the jilted lover, Melissa was the jilter. Plus, she answered our teacher, Andrea Askowitz’s, three most important questions. What has the author come to say? Why is she writing this now? And how has she changed? In this episode, Melissa reads her essay then sp...2017-01-1120 minwriting class radioI Fart, You Fart, We All Fart and Most of Us Deny It.Allison Langer is a student in the class and the host on this episode of Writing Class Radio. She shares all the reasons why writing class is so much fun. FUN-- a theme chosen because life has gotten too busy, too scheduled and way too serious. In writing class, we laugh. We disconnect from social media and from judgement. We share our most intimate and peculiar “things” and then cry or crack up, whatever the context requires. Instead of judgement, there’s compassion, requests for more details, suggestions to make the second draft better. In writing class, we bond throug...2016-12-1424 minwriting class radioWalking in Someone Else’s Shoes Feels Impossible Right NowAndrea Askowitz is the host of this episode. She talks about how writing a good story and understanding the results of this presidential election require a mammoth effort in understanding someone else’s point of view, an effort she is failing at right now. She interviews Stephen Elliott, who is the author of seven books and two movies and the founder and senior editor at The Rumpus, about the job of a memoir writer. Stephen says that in literature, memoir and in life there are no bad guys. “Everybody is part hero and part villain. Most people know...2016-11-2330 minwriting class radioHow To Tell Your Inappropriate Story: Live Show with Ann RandolphWriting Class Radio goes live to the stage. This episode is part live show, part interview with star of our show, the award-winning, solo-performer, Ann Randolph. Allison Langer is our host. This episode is about the importance of telling stories--not fairy tales, but the real scary, true stories we like to hide. Allison got into writing after the death of her young daughter. Writing about the situation helped her deal with the pain and get back to the job of mothering her other children. Telling that story also helped her let go of the label she cast...2016-10-281h 14writing class radioWhere Do I Go From Here?This episode is about those moments in life when you have no idea how you got here, whether to stay or go, or where to go next. Allison Langer, student in the class and host for this episode, asks the questions most of us struggle with. Did you land that dream job that turned out to be not so dreamy? Do you wish you lived somewhere else but can’t afford to move? Do you wonder what life would be like if you could just finish school already? Have you ever reached that point when you’re not...2016-09-0932 minwriting class radioI'm Obsessed with Tony Robbins, Tim Ferriss, Steve Almond, and my Spin InstructorThis episode is about obsessions. Andrea Askowitz, the teacher of the class speaks to Allison Langer, co-producer and student in the class. They discuss what she learned from the Tim Ferriss podcast when he interviewed Tony Robbins. Allison heard Robbins say, “Rejection breeds obsession.” And, ”The parent whose attention you were trying to get is the person who shaped you.” Andrea talks about how at the dinner table growing up, her dad would tell her to cut to the chase. That led to her obsession with getting her dad’s attention and everyone else’s. Basically old rejection-wo...2016-08-2426 minwriting class radioWho is Jahn Dope? From H.S. Football Star to Homeless Man to the Great Philip SylverinThis episode is about self destruction. Jahn Dope, one of the students in our class, reads his story, Dark Matter. Jahn’s story begins after he overdoses on LSD after a crazy night of drinking and drugs, then backtracks to childhood. After Jahn’s story ends, the class was left with questions. So, producers Diego and Misha met Jahn at work to get the whole story. Listeners will hear why Jahn dropped out of college and what happened next.Jahn tells us how he got deeper and deeper into drugs and eventually ended up homeless. For...2016-08-0330 minwriting class radioCircuit Boys, Gym Rats, Papi Chulos, Fashion Queens, Bears...Which One Are You?This episode explores perspective, how sometimes it takes years to figure out that something you did or thought was totally fucked up. Bo tells his story about getting blocked from a 1-900 gay hotline. But the story is really about how it took him years to become comfortable enough with himself to stop judging the free expression he witnessed among the gay people he first encountered on Miami Beach 24 years ago. Bo came from the deep South in search of freedom from oppression. He wanted gay book clubs and stimulating political conversations with other like-minded gay men...2016-07-1919 minwriting class radioStep Out of Your Comfort Zone...Where the Magic Happens.This episode explores the different zones we live in: comfort zone, stretch zone and panic zone. Allison talks about her experience at dinner with new friends and how she complained the entire night. She realizes she ventured too far into her stretch zone and panicked. Misha Mehrel tells his story on the stage at Lip Service, a live storytelling event in Miami. The story is about his hairy ass. The story was written in his very first writing class in response to a prompt. Misha worked on the story for the stage. Misha knew he had to reveal something...2016-06-3029 minwriting class radioDear ListenerThis episode explores the epistolary form, which is just a snobby way to say stories written in the form of a letter. Andrea Askowitz starts with a letter written to her from her best friend in high school. Robin and Andrea wrote hundreds of letters back and forth to each other throughout their friendship.The letters in this episode were written 30 years ago, when Andrea spent a summer at camp away from Robin. She also has the letters she wrote to Robin, because Robin died when they were both 33. Robin’s mom gave Andrea the letters. In a...2016-06-1422 minwriting class radioTaboo: Fat, Fuck, MasturbationIn this episode, we discuss what is taboo. Is it a word, a topic? Is it the same for everyone? We learn why we need to talk about things considered taboo, and when to actually write taboo words instead of referring to them. You’ll hear from Inessa Freylekhman who’s mom tells her what not to say on a date. You’ll also hear from Nicki Post, who feels that abortion is more taboo in the United States than in Korea. We’ll also take you into our community workshop where several new students write after given th...2016-05-2922 minwriting class radioRejection Sucks. Why Do We Put Ourselves Out There?In this episode, student and co-producer Allison Langer puts herself out there in writing and in love. The first story she tells was submitted to Modern Love, a column in the New York Times. Allison’s story got rejected, which is the subject of the second story she tells. Also in the second story, Allison compares the Modern Love rejection to rejection in love. Allison shares her motto for dealing with rejection. A motto she borrowed from author Cheryl Strayed. You’ll also hear Andrea discuss her current rejection and why she puts herself out there. Like most...2016-05-1726 minwriting class radioEmotional Hangover. Those Times When You Feel You Told too Much.Have you ever told a story or shared a secret and regretted it? Like you wake up the next morning and you’re like ew, why’d I say that? And then you want to vomit? Today we’re talking about telling stories that give us emotional hangovers. Those times when you feel you told too much. In this episode, Nicki Post tells her story about the time she was raped. Andrea discusses the class rules after someone tells a story. We pretend the person who just told the story isn’t in the room. We address that person as the n...2016-05-0118 minwriting class radioWords Matter: Student Missy Shares Words with her Hero Elizabeth GilbertThe words we say to each other and ourselves shape our lives. One of Andrea’s favorite writing tenets is: Make every word count. In today’s episode we learn that every word counts in life also. This is the first episode of our second semester and we have some new students. You’ll hear Missy Hernandez tell her story called Words. Her story is about sharing words with her hero Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat Pray Love. Missy ended up on Gilbert’s Podcast, Magic Lessons. Hear how Lizzy’s words brought Missy back to life. Misha Mehrel, also a new stud...2016-04-2526 minwriting class radioHow to Write a Story Meant to be Told Out LoudToday, we’re talking about writing stories meant to be told out loud. Jahn Dope tells his story, Tackled, about the time he was raped. Andrea Askowitz tells her story Thank You For Listening, about the time she went 24 hours without talking about herself. Both stories were told on stage at Lip Service in front of 600 people. You’ll hear how a performance can change the gravity of a subject. Allison Langer is the host and substitute teacher for this episode. Andrea, our regular host and teacher is taking a personal day, but she does show up at t...2016-02-2534 minwriting class radioWill You Love Me Forever or Just on Valentine's Day?Today, we are stepping out of order because it’s February and we’re in the U.S. and we can’t avoid thinking about love. So, we’re bringing you a Valentine’s Day episode. This episode is a little different. Slightly less teachy, thought not without this lesson: A good way to approach a story is to ask a question and then to try to answer it. You’ll meet students from season two and you’ll hear from some of regulars that you already know. You’ll hear their questions about love. Miriam Herman, a new student, w...2016-02-1122 minwriting class radioWho Cares About Your Story? What Are the Stakes?We’re talking about stakes. And we don’t mean those slabs of meat you eat if you’re not a vegetarian, but what makes a listener or a reader care about a story. And we’re talking about what we have to lose as storytellers when we tell our stories. One thing we know about memoir writing is that the narrator lived to tell the tale. So if we know the narrator lived, why do we care? The job of storytellers is to make us care. Andrea talks about a writing webinar with Lea Thau, host and prod...2016-02-0128 minwriting class radioYou Don't Have to be a Clown to Write FunnyThis episode is about writing humor. Andrea tells a joke only she thinks is funny, then calls our humor expert, Jay Wexler, who confirms just how funny her joke is. Jay is an attorney and the author of five books.Later in the show, Jay shares his ten suggestions for writing humor. Andrea adds four. Together, they have 14 suggestions for writing humor.Terry DeMeo introduces herself before telling a story in front of a live audience, at Lip Service. In her own words, Terry wonders about who she is. She’s a former lawyer and cu...2016-01-1535 minwriting class radioTrue Story: Nobody Likes New Year's Eve.We’re interrupting our first semester to give you a taste of who’s to come in our second semester. You’ll meet Frenchy, who took Andrea’s writing class years ago and is now back. Does she get a kiss on New Year’s Eve? You’ll also meet Tobi Ash and hear why she’s been avoiding New Year’s celebrations for 30 years. Cynthia Castillo who wished for a tragic life to write about until tragedy hit. Nicki Post takes us on a trip to Korea, one of her many adventures out of the country. You’ll hear from Season O...2015-12-3020 minwriting class radioStory Structure Is SexyHow should a story be structured? Start from the very beginning by using the concept of story spine. Story spine, a technique articulated by the playwright Ken Adams, is the backbone of every traditional story. In this episode, Allison uses the story spine to write about her return to dating after having children on her own. Inessa writes about a date that goes wrong and Jahn uses this structure to tell stories about the first time he got a boner. In each story, the story spine structure brings clarity to the writer and makes the story easy...2015-12-1417 minwriting class radioWendi Tells the Story of her Ex-husband’s Murder. Writing Is an Exercise in Trust.Today we give you Wendi Adelson the way she revealed herself in the first semester. Andrea talks about hot topic, cold prose, a writing technique where the narrator pares down the writing in a difficult moment. The story is told without sentiment. It’s just reported. Two weeks into the semester, Wendi came back with some of the answers to students’ questions. In her first story she hinted at not feeling like she can publicly express how she really feels, a theme she repeated in the next story. In her writing though, she seems to express how she really feel...2015-12-0321 minwriting class radioThe Lies We TellDanny and Bo reveal the lies they've told, especially to themselves. And then the fallout. Danny falls in love with two women but neither knows about the other. Everyone is happy, until he hears a knock at the door. Bo admits to his many sexual encounters with women, sometimes in the same day; all an attempt to cure himself from being gay. Andrea talks about the importance of feedback and encourages the listener to find a writing group. She says feedback can be delicate, especially with any new writing and reveals her own difficulty receiving feedback, especially...2015-11-1123 minwriting class radioField Trip to the Fertility Clinic. Freezing Eggs at 6 a.m.Andrea follows Inessa to the fertility clinic early one morning as she goes through the process of harvesting her eggs, an undertaking not entirely of her doing. We heard in the second episode that Mama put down $10,000 toward the procedure. Inessa paid the remaining $2,000. Turns out Inessa is not the only one in class who has or is currently going about having children without getting knocked up.Writing Class Radio is a podcast where you’ll hear true personal stories and learn a little about how to write your own stories. Writing Class Radio is equal parts hea...2015-10-1308 minwriting class radioWhat Is the Story You Tell about Your Relationship with Your Mother?Hear what Inessa, Danny, Bo, Jahn, Allison and Andrea confess about their relationships with their moms and how those relationships have shaped their lives. We all tell stories, including to ourselves. The truth is, you never know how the people you love will respond to what you write about them. You may be surprised.Writing Class Radio is a podcast where you’ll hear true personal stories and learn a little about how to write your own stories. Writing Class Radio is equal parts heart and art. By heart we mean the truth in a story. By art...2015-10-1116 min
writing class radioHow Are You? Really?In our first class of the semester, we got the writing prompt, "How are you? Really?" Danny and Inessa are two students in the class who share exactly how they are. Danny's story involves underwear. Inessa's involves stabbing hormones into her belly to create eggs that may become her future children. Both stories are about how they are influenced by their parents. Aren't we all?Writing Class Radio is a podcast where you’ll hear true personal stories and learn a little about how to write your own stories. Writing Class Radio is equal parts heart and art...2015-10-1015 min
writing class radioThe Pilot: The Hardest Thing To Write AboutAllison Langer and Andrea Askowitz created a podcast of their writing class. On this episode you'll hear what qualifies Andrea to be the teacher. And why Allison insisted the world needs this podcast. We believe that once you write about the thing you don't want to write about, that thing has less emotional power over you. Allison reveals the hardest thing in the world to write about. Content warning: this episode contains a story about the loss of a child.Writing Class Radio is a podcast where you’ll hear true personal stories and learn a little abo...2015-10-0926 min