Shawn Smucker
The Stories Between UsEpisodes
Episodes of The Stories Between Us
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Today, Maile and Shawn talk about entering a new stage of life and how it's led them into a season of paring back on various things...including the podcast. Also, if you're a writer, do you ever have permission to simply quit writing? We love y
Today we talk with Kate Motaung about the emotional investment of writing a memoir, why she's chosen to self-publish a few of her books, and red flags that might lead her to encourage someone not to self-publish...at least not yet. Kate really
Today we're talking with Jennifer Grant, author of the best-selling children's book, Maybe God is Like That Too and Finding Calm in Nature. She talks about all the anxiety kids live with these days--division, sorrow, and loss--and the healing a
"If I'm not able to make a living by writing...do I quit writing?" Today, in the second part of our conversation with Douglas McKelvey, we explore the idea of writing only for the money . . . and how that can quickly go sideways. We also talk a
In honor of the passing of our dear friend Leslie Bustard, whose memorial service is this coming weekend, we having compiled all three of the podcast episodes we recorded with her over the years. The first was recorded in February of 2021, the
Do the things I believe hold up even in the worst circumstances? Today, we speak with author and song-writer Douglas McKelvey about some of our favorite authors, including Cormac McCarthy and William Gay, and whether or not the violence and dar
Three weeks ago, Maile gave up eating sugar, and it's had a profound impact on her creativity. Which leads us to consider how addictions in general impact our ability to write, and the various ways we can get unstuck when our writing feels like
Today Maile and I talk about our freelance life, the benefits and drawbacks of such a life, and why we keep trying to cobble together a life doing the thing that we love: telling stories. Also, how do you know when to abandon a difficult proje
Today we talk with author Erin Bartels about why she waited seven years for a traditional publishing contract instead of self-publishing, how working for a publisher shaped her writing journey, and where she finds the time to do everything (hin
What happens when a writer makes it into the publishing world...and then decides that kind of writing life isn't for them? Today we're talking with author Michelle Derusha about her journey through publishing, the highs of signing contracts for
Why do I keep writing? When all of my greatest writing dreams and goals remain unfulfilled, why not call it a day and spend my time on something else...like curling, perhaps? Today Maile and I talk about a weekend spent with some of our favorit
How does a poet become a poet? Here is one of the many roads available, and it's shared by extraordinary poet Malcolm Guite: deciding to be a poet as a young man, then becoming a teacher, then a priest, where for seven years he didn't write poe
Today we talk with Jen Pollock Michel about our experience of time: the anxieties, the passing of it, the keeping of it, and so much more. In a world and a life where time feels like a scarce resource, how can we find peace in the time we're gi
Why do we stop asking questions? What's the relationship between curiosity and silence? Lore Wilbert is one of the most thoughtful writers I know. Today, she talks about the importance of asking (and receiving) honest questions, her relationsh
Recently, when Shawn shared his concerns with Maile, that he would never be able to write the book he wanted to write, that it was beginning to feel like all of life was just him practicing writing...she got really honest and told him what she
Today we talk with editor Stephanie Smith about what it means to "tell it slant" and why the strategy is so important for creative folks as we go about making our stuff. We also talk about her experience of having a pandemic baby and how mother
Today Lisa-Jo talks about the complexity of writing memoir when the story centers around the people who we love. We find it remarkable, how our parents resurface in us, the lives we live, and the ways we are. Finally, we work through six of Lis
After a series of heartbreaking losses, Amanda Held Opelt set aside the book she was working on and instead delved into the world of grief. She had been to war zones, Ebola hotspots, and the aftermath of significant tragedies . . . but with her
Do you know the #1 Christmas movie according to Rotten Tomatoes? Today we're talking about the wildly varying tastes found in the world, how this fact should be encouraging to us as creatives, and how the difference between faithful lives and d
If you need a jolt of encouragement, this podcast is for you. Today we're talking with author Mitali Perkins about empty-nesting, the grief and opportunity that comes with change, and a few of the practices that contribute to her creativity. Wh
Today we have a great conversation with Bryan Allain about the publication of his middle grade book, Lake Mason and the Super Q Trials. He tells about this journey to book two in the series, why he writes, and what happened when a few relatives
Maile and Shawn decide on their three favorite books of 2022. Shawn's favorite is no surprise to those of you who have been listening to the podcast. Maile's favorite has, dare she say, changed her life. Shawn also throws in a few honorable men
Today, Martha shares the story of her long and winding journey to publication, releasing her debut novel at the age of 65. There are valuable lessons that come with that kind of perseverance. What if we as writers can begin to see rejection as
Hannah Anderson came to writing through desperation. Her husband Nathan grew up in a home full of creative people and loved to draw. Today we're talking about how they collaborate (while raising children together), engage in the practice of wai
We couldn't wait to talk with Sean Dietrich about his new book, You Are My Sunshine, but let's be honest, what we really couldn't wait for was having his wife Jamie on the podcast. She claims she's never been on a podcast with Sean before, so I
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