writing class radio

Today 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 English. She loves to read novels, memoirs, and biographies. Sharon came to class on a whim (and because Andrea convinced her), having nothing in particular she wanted to write about. The class pulled up the grief and trauma she’d been holding inside. Writing the story of her daughter-in-law helped Sharon release her feelings and clarify her understanding of time (that we have) on this planet.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 we mean the craft of writing. No matter what’s going on in our lives, writing class is where we tell the truth. It’s where we work out our shit, and figure out who we are. There’s no place in the world like writing class and we want to bring you in.Writing Class Radio is hosted by Allison Langer (www.allisonlanger.com) and Andrea Askowitz (www.andreaaskowitz.com). This episode was produced by Virginia Lora, Andrea Askowitz and Allison Langer. Theme music by Justina Shandler. Additional music by Kevin Myles Wilson and Poddington Bear.There’s more writing class on our website (www.writingclassradio.com), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/writingclassradio/), Instagram and Twitter (@wrtgclassradio).If you love the lessons you get on each episode, you can get them ALL in one place--our three-part video series--for $50. Click Video Classes on our website.Writing Class Radio is now open to submissions from our listeners. Go to the submissions page on our website for guidelines. We pay!If you want to be a part of the movement that helps people better understand each other through storytelling, we are now on Patreon. For $10/month you can join Andrea’s submissions conversation. We’ll support each other as we try to get our stories published. For $25/month you can join Allison’s first draft weekly writers class, where you can write and share your work. Go to www.Patreon.com/writingclassradio or click here to support us.If you love this podcast, tell your friends. 

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. 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 these topics) in a new and interesting way. The story you’ll hear is from listener Jackie Ashton. This story was previously published in the March 2019 issue of Real Simple.We also talk about why it’s important to write and read stories about death, because hiding from feelings is never good. This story illustrates what someone who is going through a difficult time might need the most: friends who remind them of joy by experiencing it with them.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 we mean the craft of writing. No matter what’s going on in our lives, writing class is where we tell the truth. It’s where we work out our shit, and figure out who we are. There’s no place in the world like writing class and we want to bring you in.Writing Class Radio is co-hosted by Allison Langer (www.allisonlanger.com) and Andrea Askowitz (www.andreaaskowitz.com). The original episode 79 was produced by Virginia Lora, Andrea Askowitz and Allison Langer. Theme music is by Christine Corey. Additional music is by EMIA, Blue Jay, and Podington Bear. Episode 109 was put together by Matt Cundill and Evan Surminski of the Sound Off Media Company.There’s more writing class on our website (www.writingclassradio.com), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/writingclassradio/), Instagram and Twitter (@wrtgclassradio).If you love the lessons you get on each episode, you can get them ALL in one place--our three-part video series--for $50. Click Video Classes on our website.Writing Class Radio is now open to submissions from our listeners. Go to the submissions page on our website for guidelines. We pay!If you want to be a part of the movement that helps people better understand each other through storytelling, we are now on Patreon. For $10/month you can join Andrea’s submissions conversation. We’ll support each other as we try to get our stories published. For $25/month you can join Allison’s first draft weekly writers class, where you can write and share your work. Go to www.Patreon.com/writingclassradio or click here to support us.We’re pinking out and we want you to pinkout with us by supporting one of our cancer charities: https://www.writingclassradio.com/camo-elephant-project, The Pink Wig Project, or 305 Pink Pack.Thank you for listening. If you love this podcast, tell your friends. 

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 directly to scene without explaining. We wanted to see if show without tell would work. 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 story, give background, and tell what the narrator was thinking and feeling. What we found: It’s impossible to show without telling.You will hear short prompt responses from student Misha Mehrel, who has read many stories on this podcast, Allison Langer, and Andrea Askowitz. Andrea’s piece called Spoiled Mom was developed out of this exercise and published in June 2018 in Mutha Magazine.  Writing Class Radio is a podcast where you’ll hear true personal stories from the students in our class 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 we mean the craft of writing. No matter what’s going on in our lives, writing class is where we tell the truth. It’s where we work out our shit, and figure out who we are. There’s no place in the world like writing class. And we want to bring you in.Writing Class Radio is co-hosted by Allison Langer (www.allisonlanger.com) and Andrea Askowitz (www.andreaaskowitz.com). The original episode 47 was produced by Virginia Lora, Andrea Askowitz and Allison Langer. Theme music by Ari Herstand. Additional music by TJ North, Kevin Miles Wilson, Ari Herstand and Podington Bear. You can find all our music on our website. Episode 108 was put together by Matt Cundill and Evan Surminski of the Sound Off Media Company.Thank you for listening. If you love this podcast, tell your friends. There’s more writing class on our website, Facebook, Instagram and TwitterIf you love the lessons you get on each episode, you can get them ALL in one place--our three-part video series--for $50. Click Video Classes on our website.If you want to be a part of the movement that helps people better understand each other through storytelling, follow us on Patreon. For $10/month Andrea will answer all your publishing questions. For $25/month you can join Allison’s First Draft weekly writers group, where you can write and share your work Tuesdays 12-1 (ET). www.Patreon.com/writingclassradio.

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 May 18, 2017 on episode 30.The format for this episode is a little different. Today we’re bringing you a guest teacher, because we think it’s smart to get different perspectives. Joyce Maynard is one of Andrea’s favorite teachers in the world. Joyce has 17 books and has been writing for 50 years. She started when since she was 13. Andrea asked Joyce to read and deconstruct her essay, Letting it Fly which was originally published in 1997 in the New York Times Lives Column. In the interview, Joyce explains what goes into writing a great story and tells us her secrets to making a good essay great.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 we mean the craft of writing. No matter what’s going on in our lives, writing class is where we tell the truth. It’s where we work out our shit, and figure out who we are. There’s no place in the world like writing class and we want to bring you in.The original episode 30 was produced by Virginia lora, Allison Langer and Andrea Askowitz. Theme music by Daniel Correa. Additional music by Andy G. Cohen and Podington Bear. Episode 108 was put together by Matt Cundill and Evan Surminski of the Sound Off Media Company.Click to order Joyce’s book, The Best of Us. And register for Joyce Maynard’s Guatemala workshop.There’s more writing class on our website (www.writingclassradio.com), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/writingclassradio/), Instagram and Twitter (@wrtgclassradio).If you love the lessons you get on each episode, you can get them ALL in one place--our three-part video series--for $50. Click Video Classes on our website.Writing Class Radio is now open to submissions from our listeners. Go to the submissions page on our website for guidelines. We pay!If you want to be a part of the movement that helps people better understand each other through storytelling, we are now on Patreon. For $10/month you can join Andrea’s submissions conversation. We’ll support each other as we try to get our stories published. For $25/month you can join Allison’s first draft weekly writers class, where you can write and share your work. Go to www.Patreon.com/writingclassradio or click here to support us.We’re pinking out and we want you to pink out with us by supporting one of our cancer charities: https://www.writingclassradio.com/camo-elephant-project, The Pink Wig Project, or 305 Pink Pack.Thank you for listening. If you love this podcast, tell your friends. 

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 Beautiful Things, says writing is equal parts heart and art. Andrea loves the art. Allison loves the heart. That’s what you get on this podcast. Equal parts heart and art.This episode is about connecting through writing. It’s also about the job of storytellers to bring us into their world. Student Nilsa Rivera tells a story about her fear of isolation because she’s hard of hearing. This is especially true and important today, during covid, when people are wearing masks and reading lips is impossible.Andrea relates to Nilsa in a very small way and emails her after class, which she immediately regrets doing. In class, students (and teacher) are only allowed to give feedback on the writing, not someone’s life because whether or not a reader or listener has had the exact same experience is irrelevant. When a story is well-told, anyone can relate to it.  You will hear how Nilsa felt about Andrea’s email and more about what it sounds like to be hard of hearing.Nilsa Rivera writes about gender and diversity issues. She’s the Non-Fiction Editor of Doubleback Review. Her work appears in Huffington Post, 50 GS Magazine, Six Hens Literary Journal, Assay: A Journal of Nonfiction Studies, Selkie Literary Magazine, and Writing Class Radio. Her work has appeared in Turning Dark into Light: A Mental Health Anthology and Home in Florida: Latinx Writers and The Literature of Uprootedness. She's currently an MFA Nonfiction candidate at Vermont College of Fine Art and lives in Riverview, Florida. She can be found at @nilsawrites and Nilsa Rivera on FBThank you for listening. If you love this podcast, tell your friends. The original episode 29 was produced by Virginia lora, Allison Langer and Andrea Askowitz. Theme music by Daniel Correa. Additional music by Ari Herstand. Episode 107 was put together by Matt Cundill and Evan Surminski of the Sound Off Media Company,There’s more writing class on our website, Facebook, Instagram and TwitterIf you love the lessons you get on each episode, you can get them ALL in one place--our three-part video series--for $50. Click Video Classes on our website.If you want to be a part of the movement that helps people better understand each other through storytelling, follow us on Patreon. For $10/month Andrea will answer all your publishing questions. For $25/month you can join Allison’s First Draft weekly writers group, where you can write and share your work Tuesdays 12-1 (ET). www.Patreon.com/writingclassradio.There’s no better way to understand ourselves and each other, than by writing and sharing our stories. Everyone has a story. What’s yours?

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?You’ll hear why a new twist on an overly-written-about subject (like cancer) may help you get published. You’ll also hear one of author Sue Shapiro’s secrets to getting published. This episode of Writing Class Radio is produced by Allison Langer, Andrea Askowitz, and Virgina Lora.Theme music by Justina Shandler. Additional music by The Amadians and Podington Bear.There’s more writing class on our website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.If you love the lessons you get on each episode, you can get them ALL in one place--our three-part video series--for $50. Click Video Classes on our website.If you want to be a part of the movement that helps people better understand each other through storytelling, follow us on Patreon. For $10/month Andrea will answer all your publishing questions. For $25/month you can join Allison’s First Draft weekly writers group, where you can write and share your work Tuesdays 12-1 (ET). www.Patreon.com/writingclassradio.

This episode is about teaching the reader/listener something they don’t know anything about. Teaching can be done in two ways. One, by taking the reader into a world foreign to most people and two, by relaying information that’s rarely discussed and possibly unknown to the average person. In the story we bring you today, listener and student Danielle Huggins does both. Danielle has Bipolar Disorder and takes us inside her mind while she’s depressed. She also teaches us about Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT). She gives us history and explains the medical process and implications. This is not a reported essay, instead, Danielle relays what she learns from her doctor and her experience. Danielle Huggins is a former middle school math teacher with a Masters Degree in Literacy. She is currently a stay-at-home mom, a student of Writing Class Radio and an avid kickboxer. Danielle has a Facebook page called My Life As a Bipolar Mom. She lives in New Jersey with her husband of 15 years, 14 year old daughter and 20 year old stepson. This essay will also be published in the Washington Post, July 20, 2021. Congratulations, Danielle! This episode of Writing Class Radio is produced by Allison Langer, Andrea Askowitz, Matt Cundill and Evan Surminski from the Sound Off Media Company.Theme music by Justina Shandler. Additional music by Megatrax.com.There’s more writing class on our website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.If you love the lessons you get on each episode, you can get them ALL in one place--our three-part video series--for $50. Click Video Classes on our website.If you want to be a part of the movement that helps people better understand each other through storytelling, follow us on Patreon. For $10/month Andrea will answer all your publishing questions. For $25/month you can join Allison’s First Draft weekly writers group, where you can write and share your work Tuesdays 12-1 (ET). www.Patreon.com/writingclassradio.

This episode is about commitment. Not commitment to love, exactly, but commitment to a concept. Listener Lucie Frost writes a satirical essay where sleep is her lover. She never slips from the concept. Humor writing requires committing to an idea and pushing that idea as far as you can go.Lucie Frost is a humor and satire writer in San Antonio, Texas. She recently retired from a lifetime as a human resources/employment lawyer. This story was originally published in Slackjaw. Her work has also been published in Next Tribe, Little Old Lady Comedy, The Haven, Lady Pieces, Points in Case, The Belladonna, and Robot Butt.You can find her on all social media platforms @lucieHfrostThis episode of Writing Class Radio is produced by Allison Langer, Andrea Askowitz and Virginia LoraTheme music by Justina Shandler. Additional music by Amadians, TJ North, Justina Shandler, and Podington Bear.There’s more writing class on our website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.If you love the lessons you get on each episode, you can get them ALL in one place--our three-part video series--for $50. Click Video Classes on our website.If you want to be a part of the movement that helps people better understand each other through storytelling, follow us on Patreon. For $10/month Andrea will answer all your publishing questions. For $25/month you can join Allison’s First Draft weekly writers group, where you can write and share your work Tuesdays 12-1 (ET). www.Patreon.com/writingclassradio.

On this episode, we bring you a story that the narrator has returned to and will probably return to all her life. Everyone has their themes and it’s okay to return to them at different points in our lives. Trigger warning…The story you will hear on this episode documents the loss of a child. If this is a sensitive issue for you, please listen to another episode.Our student and listener Emily Henderson writes a beautiful story about the loss of her son to brain cancer. In this essay, she uses her husband to tell her story from a different angle. Her husband has big enough shoulders to carry the weight of their grief. This story is in honor of all the fathers out there.Emily Henderson is a stay-at-home mom, volunteer, freelance writer, and student at Writing Class Radio. Her essays have appeared in Scary Mommy, The Santa Barbara Independent, and Love What Matters. She is currently attempting to run every single street in Santa Barbara, CA.She writes a blog called  www.myjustrightlife.com You can find her on Instagram @myjustrightlifeThis episode of Writing Class Radio is produced by Allison Langer, Andrea Askowitz and Virginia LoraTheme music by Justina Shandler. Additional music by Podington Bear and Ari Herstand.There’s more writing class on our website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.If you love the lessons you get on each episode, you can get them ALL in one place--our three-part video series--for $50. Click Video Classes on our website.If you want to be a part of the movement that helps people better understand each other through storytelling, follow us on Patreon. For $10/month Andrea will answer all your publishing questions. For $25/month you can join Allison’s First Draft weekly writers group, where you can write and share your work Tuesdays 12-1 (ET). www.Patreon.com/writingclassradio.

On this episode, we bring you a story that is not one you hear too often but addresses a very serious situation: breast cancer in men. Kevin Wood shares his essay, A Boyhood Brush with Breast Cancer. This essay was previously published on The Good Men Project.We sat on this story for a few years not because it wasn’t expertly written, but because it lacked an important detail we felt was left out. You'll hear us discuss what happens when a key element seems to be left out of a story. Kevin Wood (kevinewood.me) is a freelance editor, writer and writing coach based in Barcelona. He serves as a contributing editor for The Good Men Project, with a focus on social justice and queer issues. His writing has appeared in The Washington Post, Witness Magazine, Fast Company, Huffington Post, Litro Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, and Thought Catalog, among others. Twitter (@simplifythenow) + Instagram (@simplify.the.now)This episode of Writing Class Radio is produced by Allison Langer, Andrea Askowitz and Matt Cundill and Evan Surminski of SoundOff Media. Theme music by Justina Shandler. Additional music by Podington Bear.There’s more writing class on our website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.If you love the lessons you get on each episode, you can get them ALL in one place--our three-part video series--for $50. Click Video Classes on our website.If you want to be a part of the movement that helps people better understand each other through storytelling, follow us on Patreon. For $10/month Andrea will answer all your publishing questions. For $25/month you can join Allison’s First Draft weekly writers group, where you can write and share your work Tuesdays 12-1 (ET). www.Patreon.com/writingclassradio.