The Write Mind

Madeline Vosch

Toño Ramirez — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 01:52:00 +0000

In this episode of The Write Mind, Eli Ryder talks with writer Madeline Vosch about her writing education and the experiences that have shaped her work. Their conversation explores her memoir Undead, about surviving a suicide attempt, as well as the influence of Dorothy Allison, writing about poverty and difficult experiences, and the challenges of transforming deeply personal material into creative work.

Content Disclosures: Self Harm, Poverty, and Medical/Mental Health Trauma

Chapters

(00:00:04) - Introduction and Content Warning
(00:02:15) - Writing Background and Early Fan Fiction
(00:03:45) - Studying Russian and Religion in Azerbaijan
(00:05:28) - From Religious Studies to Creative Writing
(00:06:32) - From Narrative Poem to Memoir
(00:08:25) - Writing Practice and Nonlinear Process
(00:10:44) - Chaos, Craft, and Finding What Works
(00:12:51) - Morning Pages and Trial and Error
(00:14:21) - Current Teaching and Professional Work
(00:15:16) - The Sophomore Slump and Balancing Jobs
(00:17:16) - Inspiration Across Departments
(00:19:34) - Working Through the Novel's Stuck Points
(00:20:42) - Writing Undead: Structure and Timeline
(00:22:50) - The Long Road to Publishing
(00:25:05) - Rewriting and Trusting the Process
(00:26:17) - What's Next for Undead and the Novel
(00:28:05) - Best Writing Advice: Dorothy Allison
(00:30:48) - Advice for New Writers
(00:32:38) - Q&A: First Book and Project Worth
(00:35:18) - Q&A: Short Stories vs Novels
(00:36:37) - Q&A: Books That Affect Us
(00:38:31) - Q&A: Poetry, Community, and Closing Thoughts

Asha Thanki

Toño Ramirez — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 01:54:00 +0000

In this episode of The Write Mind, Professor Eli Ryder talks with fiction writer and essayist Asha Thanki, author of A Thousand Times Before, about the writing life. Their conversation explores Thanki’s path to becoming a writer, balancing creative work with a day job, developing a sustainable writing practice, the role of speculative fiction in her work, and the importance of artistic community. Thanki also reflects on revision, publishing, creative growth, and why there is no single “right” way to build a life as a writer.

Chapters

(00:00:04) - Introduction and Welcome
(00:01:54) - Superpower Icebreaker Question
(00:04:16) - Discovering the Desire to Write
(00:07:02) - Mentors and Finding a Path Back to Writing
(00:10:05) - Balancing a Day Job and Creative Writing
(00:13:05) - Writing Software and Tools (Scrivener)
(00:14:24) - Daily Writing Practice and Routines
(00:16:50) - Music and Getting Into the Writing Headspace
(00:18:37) - What Inspires and Excites the Writing Process
(00:21:12) - Speculative Elements and Human Nature
(00:24:20) - Writing Community and Creative Friendships
(00:29:17) - Current Reading List
(00:30:52) - Wishes About the Publishing Industry
(00:33:45) - Advice for New Writers
(00:36:47) - Audience Q&A: Unconventional Writing Practices
(00:40:08) - Audience Q&A: Writer's Block
(00:42:53) - Audience Q&A: Day Job's Effect on Writing
(00:46:14) - Audience Q&A: Voice and Change Over Time
(00:48:54) - Audience Q&A: Current Events and Voice
(00:50:24) - Surprise Appearance and Diagramming Process
(00:54:47) - Audience Q&A: Autofiction and Personal Life in Fiction
(01:00:58) - Closing and Thanks

Mag Gabbert

Toño Ramirez — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 01:57:00 +0000

In this episode of The Write Mind, Professor Eli Ryder talks with poet and former Dallas Poet Laureate Mag Gabbert, author of Sex Depression Animals, about her path from music to poetry and the experiences that shaped her life as a writer. Their conversation explores mentorship and writing community, graduate study, revision, developing an individual voice through reading and imitation, and poetry as a practice of inquiry and discovery. Gabbert also discusses her writing process, making time for creative work, taking artistic risks, and the importance of continually pushing beyond the habits and techniques that have worked before.

Chapters

(00:00:04) - Introduction and Guest Bio
(00:02:13) - Icebreaker: Oreos and Snacks
(00:07:14) - Karaoke and Music Fandom Tangent
(00:11:33) - Discovering Poetry and Changing Majors
(00:13:18) - Early Feedback and Learning to Revise
(00:17:58) - Choosing an MFA Program
(00:21:53) - From MFA to PhD Decision
(00:25:39) - Community and Connection in Grad Programs
(00:31:35) - Shaping an Approach to Craft
(00:34:24) - Emulating Other Writers to Find Your Voice
(00:38:47) - Best Writing Advice Received
(00:44:09) - Finding Inspiration and Writing Process
(00:47:08) - Poems Teaching Their Own Process
(00:49:29) - Making Time to Write and Sacrifice
(00:54:06) - Helping Students Understand Poetry
(00:59:02) - Closing Remarks

Erika Krouse

Toño Ramirez — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 03:49:56 +0000

In today’s episode, Professor Joe O’Connel speaks with Author Erika Krouse about obsessions, writing, and living a creative life.

Erika Krouse is the author of four books of fiction and nonfiction, including her new collection of short stories, Save Me, Stranger, which won the 2006 Joyce Carol Oates Prize, awarded by New Literary Project, and was longlisted for The Story Prize. Erika is a two-time winner of the Edgar Award, and her memoir, Tell Me Everything: The Story of a Private Investigation, was also a New York Times Editors’ Choice. She is also a winner of the Colorado Book Award, the Housatonic Book Award, and the Paterson Fiction Prize. Erika’s short fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Esquire.com, Best Mystery Stories of the Year, and The Best American Mystery and Suspense. Erika mentors for the Book Project and the Portfolio Year at Lighthouse Writers Workshop, where she won the Beacon Award for Teaching Excellence.

Chapters

(00:00:04) - The Right Mind
(00:02:53) - "To Not Have a Normal Life"
(00:05:05) - What Are Your Obsessions as a Writer?
(00:08:34) - Seasons of Mercy: Save Me, Stranger
(00:11:54) - Tell Me Everything About My Short Story Collection
(00:15:07) - The Dark Side of Amy Poehler's Work
(00:19:36) - Questions for the Experts
(00:19:51) - How To Write a Novel With Research
(00:24:50) - Transliterations from the Book
(00:25:19) - Pole of Cold
(00:30:41) - Short Story, Structure
(00:34:40) - How To Write Dialogue With Character Voice
(00:39:00) - Eat My Moose: Magical Realism and Realism
(00:43:07) - You Talk About Publishing Your Work
(00:47:27) - Kate on Writing
(00:49:26) - How To Write a Bomb Novel
(00:55:28) - How Much Revision Do You Do In Your Writing?
(00:59:17) - Bookmark: The MFA

Balcones Prize Winner: Ben Miller

Toño Ramirez — Fri, 01 May 2026 19:41:30 +0000

For this episode, 2025 Balcones Prize in Nonfiction Winner Ben Miller joins ACC Creative Writing Professor Ysella Fulton-Slavin for a conversation about the winning book, the importance of spaces like ACC that protect creative energy, writing as possibility, and writing when nothing else feels useful.

Chapters

(00:00:04) - The Right Mind
(00:01:52) - Ben Miller at Creative Writing Class
(00:08:27) - The Pratt University campus
(00:14:31) - Writing for Pleasure
(00:19:52) - How to Get Your Book Published
(00:25:11) - Writing on the Marathon
(00:26:12) - Talking About The Pandemonium
(00:29:23) - The Infection Pandemic
(00:36:29) - How to Write About the AIDS Crisis
(00:42:56) - Pillville: The Weird Jobs
(00:44:17) - In the Book: White Space and Hybrid Work
(00:46:34) - ""
(00:49:44) - A Reading with a Challenge
(00:50:03) - 5 Things I Learned From Working As a Clerk

Andrew Bujalski

Toño Ramirez — Fri, 01 May 2026 19:38:20 +0000

For this episode, Screenwriting Professor Luke Garza welcomes filmmaker Andrew Bujalski to an in-class conversation. Andrew Bujalksi has written and directed seven feature films. He types 89 words per minute. His brief bio doesn't begin to cover the breadth of his experience. Andrew talks about a little known film program at Harvard, being the Godfather of Mumblecore, screenwriting structure, and the monster we feed. we hope you enjoy the conversation!

Chapters

(00:00:04) - The Right Mind
(00:01:51) - Andrew Forsyth's Introduction
(00:03:29) - Andrew Spielberg's Directing
(00:04:11) - Andrew's Computer Chess Clip
(00:06:42) - Andrew Bujalski
(00:09:28) - As a teenager, you were writing fiction
(00:10:53) - Was Your Family Supportive of Your Film Projects?
(00:11:37) - Getting In at Harvard Film School
(00:14:05) - Andrew Bird on Mumblecore
(00:20:04) - How I Met The Hatcher Sisters
(00:25:26) - In the Elevator With Computer Chess
(00:30:08) - Return to Sequel
(00:32:32) - Have budgets and keeping things contained affected your film choices?
(00:33:50) - The Structure of Your Work
(00:39:48) - Andrew Doesn't 'Mumble Core'
(00:42:30) - What Improvisation Techniques Did You Use On 'Bulletproof
(00:45:43) - Cinema Chat: Time in the Film
(00:47:21) - Yen on Working As a Director and an Editor
(00:52:10) - The Film Industry's Latest Trends
(00:54:29) - Tom Clancy on Character Archetypes
(00:58:10) - What's Fueling Your Creative Fire?
(01:00:07) - George Clooney on Writing Outside The Drama/Comedy Genre
(01:02:37) - In the Elevator With Steven Spielberg
(01:04:22) - How To Write a Movie. Andrew Bulski

Lauren D. Woods

Toño Ramirez — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 17:21:14 +0000

For this episode we were joined in class and online by Lauren D. Woods, a writer whose collection The Great Grown-up Game of Make Believe is tearing up the awards circuit. We were very fortunate to have her. Lauren talks to us about evolving definitions of success, writing groups and community, her own writing habits and rituals, and how to talk about the hard things through fiction. Please enjoy this episode with Lauren D. Woods.

Chapters

(00:00:04) - The Right Mind
(00:02:07) - What Draws You to Writing?
(00:05:00) - The Need for Literary Community
(00:06:37) - How to Get Out of Trap of Success
(00:08:56) - Rituals for Writing
(00:13:22) - How to Write a Short Story
(00:15:41) - How To Write and Get Published
(00:18:43) - The Search for the Home for ""
(00:21:48) - How To Write a Collection of Stories
(00:24:55) - Best and Worst Writing Advice
(00:27:00) - What Do You Wish You Knew Before Starting Your Career?
(00:28:25) - What should early-career and early-education writers know
(00:29:19) - Questions for the Q&A
(00:29:30) - Writing on a Full Time Job
(00:31:42) - WSJD Live: Indie and Traditional Publishing
(00:33:29) - How To Get Out Of Negative Feedback
(00:35:25) - Literary Fiction
(00:37:12) - MFA Programs or Just Grad School?
(00:38:43) - Talking About Writing With a Short Story
(00:39:43) - Short Story Review: The Slow Burn

Voices in Horror: Stephen Graham Jones and Paul Tremblay

Toño Ramirez — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 20:44:16 +0000

We are joined by Stephen Graham Jones and Paul Tremblay, two top-tier voices in horror. We discuss the ways horror transforms characters and readers, how horror sits in literary conversations, balancing writing with the obligations of our lives, and early-career writing advice

Chapters

(00:00:04) - The Right Mind
(00:03:30) - Stephen King on His Horror Films
(00:07:50) - Where Does Identity Come From in Horror?
(00:08:58) - The Separation Between Horror and Literary Writing
(00:14:10) - Stephen King on Trying to Explain the Science of Horror
(00:19:15) - In the Elevation of Literary Fiction
(00:21:25) - How to Make Time for Writing
(00:26:42) - Stephen King on Writing While Busy
(00:28:21) - What's a Writing Ritual?
(00:31:12) - "Writing To Music"
(00:31:52) - Stephen King on Starting a Novel
(00:34:23) - Pushing the Writing Flowchart
(00:36:54) - How to Get Your Book Published
(00:41:29) - Stephen King on The Long Halloween
(00:42:54) - Writing Prompts
(00:44:02) - Stephen on Drinking Coffee To Have A Vomit
(00:45:17) - How Do You Turn An Idea Into a Story?
(00:47:51) - What Are Your Favorite Character Names?
(00:49:12) - Stephen King on The Buffalo Hunter
(00:50:04) - How to Write With a Long Attention Span
(00:51:41) - Nikki and Imogen on Writing
(00:52:17) - Top 3 Literary Influences of All Time
(00:54:45) - Paul on Criticism of Horror
(00:57:58) - Gloomy Sunday in Head Full of Ghosts
(00:58:56) - Steven Talk: Writing Stupid Stories
(01:01:17) - Stephen King on His First Book
(01:04:22) - Cabin at the End of the World or Knock at the Cabin
(01:05:22) - Stephen and Paul On Imposter Syndrome
(01:07:54) - Right Mind