MFA Payday

Andrew Najberg Reads His Lyrical Fiction, Discusses Its Origins

Andrew Najberg returns with a couple of short readings from his forthcoming releases and a discussion of the origins of his novels.  You don't want to miss this!  www.mfapayday.com 

Once Upon a Disney Podcast Co-hosts, Larry Brenner and Andie Redwine

Our guests on this episode are the co-hosts of Once upon a Disney Podcast, Larry Brenner and Andie Redwine.   Check out their Facebook fan page https://www.facebook.com/onceuponadisneypodcast, and listen to their podcast most any place where podcasts can be heard. 

Sweet Tea, Country Music, and Some Southern-Fried Woolf: an Interview with Author Drēma Drudge

Here's an interview with the co-host of MFA Payday, Drēma Drudge.  Her bio:  "Welcome! I’m Drēma Drudge, author. From reading cereal boxes on the breakfast table when I was a wee thing to reading my first chapter book in a mimosa tree which birthed my love for novels and twinned it with my affection for trees, the written word and I have been fast friends forever. I’ve also been writing in one capacity or another since I was about nine, starting with terrible poems and graduating to melodram...

Helen Zuman, Harvard Graduate and Award-Winning Memoirist, Talks about her Half-FA

Recently we had a fascinating conversation with Helen Zuman.  Bio: After graduating from Harvard in 1999, Helen Zuman joined a cult—oops!—stayed for five years, then composted the stinky guck of that experience into fertile soil via Mating in Captivity, her award-winning memoir. Next, she published What Is a Sex Cult? How Cults Reveal Our Culture. As of 2023, she is working on a novel, provisionally titled Common App, in which a college application essay editor compromises the Republicrat ...

MFA PAYDAY MINI: ON THE BEACH WITH BARRY AND DREMA

Just stopping in to say a quick hey from a beach on Lake Michigan and encourage you to find your happy place! 

MFA PAYDAY MINI: ON A BEACHY ARTISTS' DATE WITH BARRY AND DREMA

Just stopping in to say a quick hey from a beach on Lake Michigan and encourage you to find your happy place  and tell you to take a well-deserved artist's date! 

Hearts Forged in Resistance: Chella Courington's Evocative New Poetry Collection

Friend of the podcast, Chella Courington, returns to read from her “Hearts Forged in Resistance.” Chella Courington returns to our podcast to share her latest release, a dynamic volume of poetry called “Hearts Forged in Resistance,” pre-order price guaranteed until September 8, 2023. The book will be released by Finishing Line Press on November 10, 2023.  Listen to us speak with Chella about her hauntingly vivid poems and hear her read on this episode. You don’t want to miss this beautifu...

Journalist-turned-novelist Patricia Hudson discusses Traces, a novel about Rebecca Boone

Patricia Hudson  has been a freelance writer for more than 30 years. She's written for magazines ranging from Country Living to Women's Sports and Fitness, but her favorite assignments focus on historical topics. She was a contributing editor at Americana magazine for more than a decade, writing about historic preservation, folk art, and travel destinations for history lovers. As a frequent contributor to Southern Living magazine, she traveled extensively in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, p...

Anne Armistead: Down the Rabbit Hole with Historical Fiction and More

On this episode we talk with author Anne Armistead. Take a listen!  From Anne:  Welcome to my writing journey! I write love stories, set in the past and present. I earned my English literature degree from the University of Georgia and my MFA in Creative Writing from Spalding University. I am a member of the Atlanta Writers Club, Georgia Romance Writers, and the Historical Novel Society. When I'm not writing, I'm reading, taking nature walks, and watching BBC television. My husband and I ha...

Kate Beer Writing As Eliza MacArthur Shares Best Advice from Grad School: "Everything Is a Love Story"

We recently interviewed the fabulous, talented, and hilarious Kate Beer writing as Eliza MacArthur.  The quote in the title "Everything is a love story" is her sharing the best advice she received in grad school from the amazing Kenny Cook!  Eliza MacArthur is a writer of romance and humor. She lives in the mid-south with her husband, two feral werewolf children, and two doodles who, if she is honest, are more rotisserie chicken than canine. She is fueled by decaf coffee and a good grumpy/...

Keep Writing No Matter Your Age: Interview with Teddy Jones

On today's episode we speak with author Teddy Jones about writing no matter your age. She was a joy to interview, and what a lovely voice she has.  Teddy Jones is the author of five published novels, Halfwide; Jackson’s Pond, Texas; Slanted Light, the second in the Jackson’s Pond, Texas series; Making It Home, the third, and Well Tended; as well as a collection of short stories, Nowhere Near. Her short fiction received the Gold Medal First Prize in the Faulkner-Wisdom competition in 2015....

Each Other's First and Last Editor: Writing Couple Ted Chiles and Chella Courington

On this episode, Barry and I talk with a wonderful writing duo, Ted Chiles and Chella Courington. Chella Courington (she/her) is a writer and teacher whose poetry and fiction appear in numerous anthologies and journals including DMQ Review, The Los Angeles Review, and Anti-Heroin Chic. She was raised in the Appalachian south and now lives in California with another writer and two feline boys. Her recent microchaps of poetry are Good Trouble, Origami Poems Project; Hell Hath, Maverick Duck ...

Goodbye, Gatekeepers: Self-Publishing Advice from Ashley B. Davis, author of The Space Between You and Me

Today, we speak with Ashley B. Davis about self-publishing and more.  Ashley B. Davis writes the ordinary and extraordinary. She has poetry and short work appearing in Trembling With Fear, The Grey Rooms Podcast, Months to Years, Liquid Imagination, Jamais Vu, and Eunoia Review. When she is not living in fictional worlds, she lives with her partner, her seven-year-olds, and two rescue cats in southern California, where she manages rental property. Her debut YA fantasy The Space Between Yo...

Submission Etiquette: Interview with Editor Elizabeth Burton, Round Table Literary Journal

Elizabeth Burton is a working writer whose fiction and non-fiction have appeared in numerous literary journals and anthologies. She holds an MFA from the Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing at Spalding University. She lives and teaches in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, with her husband and a plethora of animals. On this episode, Elizabeth shares with us literary journal submission etiquette, as well as what she's writing, and more. (We can't wait to read her WIP!) 

Science, Puppetry, and Writing: "Think bigger," Melissa Hamilton (interview)

The delightful Melissa Hamilton joins us on this episode to talk about her MFA experience, her work in science, puppetry, and planning unicorn parties! 

Science, Puppetry, and Writing: "Think bigger," Melissa Hamilton (interview)

The delightful Melissa Hamilton joins us on this episode to talk about her MFA experience, her work in science, puppetry, and planning unicorn parties! 

BONUS! The "Pitch Your Pants Off" Challenge

Have you published everything you wanted to in 2022?  Let’s submit everything on your computer BEFORE the end of the year!  We’ve just put the finishing touches on the six-week Pitch Your Pants Off Challenge from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15 which contains the same steps we’ve used to publish nearly everything we’ve written since we graduated with our MFA’s.  This is a complete challenge that gives you everything you need to know to get your writing out into the world.  A FREE “Pitch Your Pants Off...

Publish Frequently by Frequently Being in the State of Writing: An Interview with Andrew Naiberg on MFA Payday

Andrew Najberg is the author of the speculative horror novel Gollitok (Cactus Moon Press, 2023), the collection of poems The Goats Have Taken Over the Barracks (Finishing Line Press, 2021), and the chapbook Easy to Lose (Finishing Line Press 2007). His short fiction has appeared in Prose Online, Psychopomp Review, Bookends Review, Wondrous Real,  Utopia Science Fiction and others.  His poems have appeared in dozens of journals online and in print, including North American Review, Asheville ...

The Writing-Photography Connection: the Matt Berman Interview on MFA Payday

On this, episode one of MFA Payday, we interview Matt Berman who sees himself has half writer, half photographer. We love this deep dive with Matt into how his after-the-MFA journey has developed.  Join us here and over at mfapayday.com. There, you can get your very own "Pitch Your Pants Off" FREE submission tracker when you sign up for our newsletter. 

The Writing-Photography Connection: the Matt Berman Interview on MFA Payday

On this, episode one of MFA Payday, we interview Matt Berman who sees himself has half writer, half photographer. We love this deep dive with Matt into how his after-the-MFA journey has developed.  Join us here and over at mfapayday.com. There, you can get your very own "Pitch Your Pants Off" FREE submission tracker when you sign up for our newsletter. 

Teaser: MFA Payday

You’ve spent countless hours and thousands of dollars earning your MFA in Creative Writing. Now what?   How do you build your writing career with intention?  What are the tools and tricks to keep your creativity alive after you’ve turned in that last assignment?  We’re Drēma Drudge and Barry Drudge. Join us as we explore how to make your MFA pay on our new podcast, MFA Payday! Through interviews with MFA graduates and publishing industry insiders, we will share the most up-to-date inform...

Writing Retreat Podcast Episode

The “Attractive” Writer: Reader Magnets

This episode of Writing All the Things not only explains but also tells you how to go about creating a reader magnet. In a relaxed, folksy manner, the Drudges approach literary fiction as if it's accessible to all -- BECAUSE IT IS!  And that music Barry wrote for the show! Get outta here!  (Go to writingallthethings.com for show notes and links mentioned on the episode.)  Support the show

Goals! We've Got Goals, Baby! (What about you?) Planning for 2021

Barry and Drema announce their plans for 2021, discuss the pros and cons of trad vs indy pubbing, and so much more!  [email protected]  Support the show (https://c6.patreon.com/)

BONUS: HOLIDAY FLASH FICTION READ BY BARRY AND DREMA

BARRY AND DREMA BOTH SHARE THEIR ORIGINAL FLASH FICTION STORIES.  HAPPY HOLIDAYS! WARNING: NSFW.  Support the show (https://c6.patreon.com/)

BONUS EPISODE: Christmas Scenes from Victorine, Read by the Author

Drema Drudge, author of Victorine, reads Christmas scenes from the novel. Learn more about her at dremadrudge.com.  Support the show (https://c6.patreon.com/)

Top 10 Gifts that are not JUST Books for the Readers and Writers in Your Life

In this episode, WATT gives you their favorite gift-giving ideas for the readers and writers in your life. Show notes at: writingallthethings.com.  Contact us at: [email protected].  Support the show (https://c6.patreon.com/)

Songwriting 101 with Barry Drudge

Host Barry Drudge, a writer of all things but especially songs, gives us songwriting basics.  Support the show (https://c6.patreon.com/)

Book Marketing in the Time of Covid

What are authors doing to market their books while the world is closed down? What book trends are happening at this moment?  Guess who is beginning to interview authors for our next episode!  Rate, review, subscribe. Follow us on Twitter and Insta. Subscribe to our newsletter, Writing All the Thing Support the show (https://c6.patreon.com/)

Season 2 Bonus Episode the First: Short Story, Song

Hi All, Here Drema reads a Sandra Cisneros story, Barbie-Q, and Barry explains one of the songs he wrote for Victorine, the album.  Support the show (https://c6.patreon.com/)

An Interview with Drema Drudge, Author of Victorine

Barry Drudge interviews author Drema Drudge about her novel, Victorine. He also shares about the music he created to go with it. If you preorder the novel or order it day of release, send you receipt or a screenshot to: [email protected] and we will send you a link to download the album for FREE! (Limited time offer!)  www.dremadrudge.com Support the show (https://c6.patreon.com/)

What's the Big Idea?

Welcome to Season 2! We'll be alternating reading first pages and interviews this season. If there's someone you'd like us to interview, let us know at: [email protected].  Thanks for listening!  Support the show (https://c6.patreon.com/)

Inspiration Point (Featuring a Special Holiday Edition of the Theme Song!)

We discuss our exciting news for the new year, what inspires us to write, and more on this holiday edition of Writing All the Things!  Support the show (https://c6.patreon.com/)

The Thanksgiving Episode (Turkey Not Included)

Gobble, gobble! Welcome to our Thanksgiving episode. Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!  Support the show (https://c6.patreon.com/)

Reading All the Things

Support the show (https://c6.patreon.com/)

Are You Ready for an Agent?

Welcome! In this episode we talk about whether or not you are ready for an agent -- just some things to think about. We discuss literary news -- from Wild Nights with Emily to the PEN AMERICA Prison Writing Awards.  Poet Ashley Taylor lets us read two of her splendid poems, Jawbox and Untitled? Gushing ensues, because it's awesome.  Inspiration: Remember your writing why. Instruction: Test your manuscript to see if it's agent ready. :-) In Whatcha Readin' we discuss Emma Donnaghue's Aki...

You Just Got a (News) Letter: Platform Building, Part 2

Starting a newsletter and why you should, what we're reading: (Sally Rooney and Lisa Lutz), our reader's first page, and more!  Write us at [email protected] with comments and your first page.  Support the show (https://c6.patreon.com/)

It's Making Me Wait!

Building anticipation in your reader, another first page, what we're reading, and more!  Support the show (https://c6.patreon.com/)

Say What? Clarity for Posterity

Hey there! We've avoided podcast fade by recording our eighth episode!!  This features a reading based on a #Friends# episode, a conversation about clarity, a moment of Brian Wilson adoration, a tribute to Toni Morrison, and a bonus acapella bit of a song B and D wrote years ago about cigarettes after the outro. :-) All of this plus the first page of Nikki Hughey. Support the show (https://c6.patreon.com/)

Write. Revise. Repeat.

Write, revise, and repeat. That's the formula for making your writing the best you can. This episode shares our best tips! Support the show (https://c6.patreon.com/)

How to Build Your Writing Platform So Your Writing Doesn't Have to Walk the Plank!

Cold open:  Hey, I’ve finished my novel. Come and get it world!  (Crickets sound) Hello? Hello? Is anyone out there?    1. This podcast may contain literary language and contagious ideas. Listener discretion is advised.   2. Welcome/Intro  Welcome to WATT, your biweekly home for all things writing instruction, analysis, inspiration, and writing news and trends. Though our podcast is casual by design, we confess to being sometimes pretentious curious.    I’m Drema Drudge, author of th...

Let's Talk about Writer's Block, Baby!

Title: Let’s Talk about Writer’s Block, Baby Episode #5   Note: the preshow music is a sampling of what Barry is writing to accompany Drema’s novel, Victorine.    1. Advisory: This podcast may contain explicit language and contagious ideas. Listener discretion is advised.    2. Welcome/Intro   Welcome to WATT, your biweekly home for all things writing instruction, analysis, inspiration, and writing news and trends. We’re sometimes irreverent, but our material is (we hope) always acc...

Literary Tourism: Follow the Reader

Show Notes Episode 4 Topic: Literary Tourism (inspired by Lyndsie Manusos’ article in the June 3 Book Riot newsletter. 1. Advisory: This podcast may contain explicit language and contagious ideas. Listener discretion is advised.    2. Welcome/Intro   Welcome to WATT, your biweekly home for all things writing instruction, analysis, inspiration, and writing news and trends. We’re sometimes irreverent, but our material is always accessible.   I’m Drema Drudge, author of the forthcoming n...

Livin' La Vida Nonlocal

Show Notes Episode Three: Livin' La Vida Nonlocal: Travel and Writing We discuss how travel can affect and grow your writing. This episode's writing instruction involves an assignment involving travel.  Whatcha Readin'? reveals what books we are reading, have read, or are looking forward to reading. Stephen King, A. Scott Berg, Alexandra Horowitz, and Elena Ferrante make our lists. In News and Trends we discuss the faltering of print literary journals and ask readers to buy and subscribe ...

Literary Funk and Shuffle: Music and Writing

In Episode Two, your hosts, Barry Drudge and Drema Drudge, discuss the intersection of music and writing in literary news..We analyze the luscious first page of E.L. Miller's novel-in-progress. Whatcha Readin'? inspires you to read and write. To wrap the show, a fun sensory challenge provides writing instruction.  <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=20221807" data-patreon-widget-type="become-patron-button">Become a Patron!</a><script async src="https://c6.patreon.com/becomePatronButt...

What the Heck is Literary Fiction? Litfic Demystified

In this, the premiere episode of Writing All the Things your hosts, Barry Drudge and Drema Drudge, define literary fiction and tell you a little something about themselves. We also critique the first page of writer Kyle Kirkley's novel-in-progress. And we discuss what we're reading.  Support the show (https://c6.patreon.com/)