Writers Talk

Writing can be solitary. Talking about it should not be.

On Writers Talk, I sit down with authors, filmmakers, editors, and other creative people to talk about what happens between an idea and finished work. We discuss books and screenplays, publishing, collaboration, marketing, and the movies we cannot stop thinking about.

These are off-the-cuff conversations. I come with questions, but I leave room for the guest to take us somewhere I did not expect. Some episodes stay close to craft. Others move through career changes, false starts, and the practical business of getting work in front of readers.

The public archive goes back to March 2011 and includes more than 1,000 episodes.

Browse the full archive

Listen to the latest episode

Use the player to hear the newest Writers Talk conversation.

Writers Talk podcast artwork

Player not loading? Listen to Writers Talk on Spreaker.

Start here

With an archive this large, choosing an episode should not feel like work. These three conversations are a good place to begin.

How tropes shape a story

Marsha and romance author Michelle Pennington discuss how familiar tropes set reader expectations, shape story choices, and help writers describe a book clearly.

Listen: How tropes shape a story

Books, movies, and writing across forms

Marsha talks with mystery author Amy Patricia Meade about publishing careers, Hitchcock, audiobooks, short fiction, and the films that influence their work.

Listen: Books, movies, and writing across forms

Writing and publishing for young readers

Marsha talks with children's authors Ellwyn Autumn and Rich Linville about writing for young readers, illustration choices, self-publishing, reviews, and practical marketing.

Listen: Writing and publishing for young readers

More than 1,000 episodes

Writers Talk has been on the air since 2011. The complete public archive lives on Spreaker, where you can browse by date and open any episode in its full player.

Browse every episode on Spreaker

Suggest a guest or topic

Have someone in mind for Writers Talk? Send me a short note through the contact form and choose "Writers Talk guest suggestion." Please include the person or subject you are suggesting, why the conversation would fit the show, and one relevant link.

Suggest a Writers Talk guest