No Extra Words: One Person's Search For Story

Happy holidays! Today we start a 3-part series where we revisit favorite moments from the show's history. Our first repeat is Episode 6: The Microfiction Triumvirate. This episode, the shortest in the show's history, contains only stories less than 400 words long. In “On/Off” by Taylor Eaton, a small boy uses a magical power no one else can see. Copyright 2015 by Taylor Eaton, used with permission. Read Taylor's bio. In “Selkie” by Lisa Falzon, a mythical creature does not do what the myth says she will do. Copyright 2014 by Lisa Falzon, used with permission. Read Lisa's bio. In “Requiem: for piano” by Nancy Stohlman a man’s true love is becoming something he loves, but her transition will come between them. Previously published in “Literary Oprhans,” copyright 2012 by Nancy Stohlman, used with permission. Read Nancy's bio. The story featured in the commentary is "Semicolon," by Kris Baker Dersch, copyright 2015. You'll hear the episode in its entirety with all-new commentary by the producer/editor. Stay tune

Timing is everything. The "Laundromat" is not what you expected. By Paul Rousseau, copyright 2016, used with permission. Read Paul's bio. Things look different from the "Beyond." By Francis DiClemente, copyright 2015, used with permission. Originally published in The Siren's Call, issue #24, December 2015. Visit Francis's website. The third part of our three-part NaNoWriMo segment. Are you writing? How? Be my buddy! is there just one story of how "He Died?" By A. Elizabeth Herting, copyright 2017, used with permission. Originally published in Literally Stories in June 2017. Visit A. Elizabeth's website.

Happy Halloween, No Extra Words style! Caught by cops will never feel the same after you've had a little "Night Vision." By Michael Anthony, copyright 2017, used with permission. Read Michael's bio. For our segment today, Part 2 of my NaNoWriMo prep journey. Click here to see the spreadsheet I've created to help me track my word goals. You probably wouldn't want your significant other to try "The Experiment" on you. By T.E. Cowell, copyright 2015, used with permission. Previously published in Eunoia Review, 2015. Read T.E.'s bio.

We're showing where all the broken pieces are. Carefully prepping which face we show the world in "Kintsugi." By Jaclyn Tan, copyright 2017, used with permission. Visit Jaclyn's website. New segment! I talk all about my NaNoWriMo prep. Learn all about NaNoWriMo and be my writing buddy. With love sent to our friends in Vegas, we survive a long night "All the Hard Ways." By Dan Hernandez, copyright 2015, used with permission. Visit Dan's website.

Clarissa's meticulously organized life wanders off track in "The Planner." By Catherine Moscatt, copyright 2017, used with permission. Read Catherine's bio. Tears are the weapon in "Reading a Letter." By J. Franklin, copyright 2017, used with permission. Read her bio. Nonfiction break: "Death of a Luna Moth." By Paul Rousseau, copyright 2017, used with permission. Read Paul's bio. Click here and here to see photos of the luna moth taken by Paul.  We are all made of stardust and there are "No Failed Stars." By A.E. Harrison, copyright 2016, used with permission. Read A.E.'s bio. One day is "How it All Starts." By T.E. Cowell, copyright 2016, used with permission. Originally published in Across the Margin. Read T.E.'s bio.  

Good and bad are closer together than you think. She didn't know what "The Law of Buoyancy" would come to mean in her family. By Brittni MacKenzie Dale, copyright 2016, used with permission. Read Brittni's bio. He's lost "26" but won't lose anymore. Buy Guy Wilkinson, copyright 2016, used with permission. Read Guy's bio.  

The back to school episode is so much more than that. It's the lesson that's not in the curriculum but one we all remember learning in "Read Across America." By Jeff Bakkensen, copyright 2010, used with permission. Read Jeff's bio. Today's commentary was inspired by Robert Fulgham's All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. Read an excerpt here. The podcast mentioned is The Stoop Podcast. Today's writing spaces segment features Audra Kerr Brown, who first appeared on Episode 47. Click here to see her writing space. Also featured is M. Pepper Langlinais, who was first featured on Episode 34. Click here to see her writing space. We end this episode with the childhood joy of the "Uncovered Track." By Matt Page, copyright 2016, used with permission. Visit Matt's website.  

What do you see when you look into the eye of humanity? A chance encounter with a stranger on a train makes a woman wonder who is friend and who is stranger in "The Good Samaritan." By Mary J. Breen, copyright 2011, used with permission. Read Mary's bio. First round of a new segment! "I'm a Meme Writer" features "After I Finished my Salad..." by Kris Baker Dersch, copyright 2017. Rental of a place sight unseen leads to "The Lonely Key." By Joan MacIntosh, copyright 2016, used with permission. Read Joan's bio.

I'm here on a special episode to ask women writers to share stories about an issue important to all of us. Literature is a powerful thing and in 2018 we are going to be brave and tackle big truths head-on.

The world is always on the verge of exploding and reinventing itself. "A Town Built on Salt" is on a shaky foundation indeed. By Windy Lynn Harris, copyright 2014, used with permission. This piece was originally published in Crack the Spine in April 2015, issue 147. Visit Windy's website. Hanako's world is very small and carefully observed, but observers miss things in "Hanako Learns to Count." By Sean Patrick Whiteley, copyright 2016, used with permission. Read Sean's bio. Today's Writing Spaces features longtime friend of the show and repeat contributor Dr. Jeffrey Toney. He was originally featured on Episode 49 and was part of Episode 82's drabble spectacular. Click here to see his writing space. There are the things you see about a person, and things you don't, especially when that person is "Watermelon." By Lisa Ko, copyright 2015, used with permission. Read Lisa's bio.

There are the ties that bind and those we run from. Jim Szabo's six word story is the beginning of (a beautiful?) marriage. Copyright 2014, used with permission. Read Jim's bio or find him on the Second Hand Stories Podcast. Five-time No Extra Words contributor Tina Tocco ponders whether you really can go home in "That Boy's a Catch." Copyright 2016, used with permission. Read Tina's bio. Writing Spaces for Episode 86 features Dallas Woodburn, who first appeared with us back on Episode 28. Click here to see her writing space. We are also featuring Sheila Good, whose story was featured on Episode 35. Click here to see her writing space. Sometimes escape takes you away from something. Sometimes it takes you towards something. "Moira Actually" is by Adam Kluger and voiced by Bill Tush. Copyright 2016, used with permission. People aren't perfect, but there's perfection in the imperfection, like when your girlfriend gets "Sweaty." By T.E. Cowell, copyright 2017, used with permission. Read T.E.'s bio.

Today's drabble writer is my buddy and fellow podcaster Kelly J. Covert, and she pays tribute to something sacred to us all. Find Kelly on Instagram or head over to her website to check out her amazing podcast.

What do you do when time away is simultaneously long enough to sink your teeth into and yet not nearly long enough? "Walk a Pavement Once." By Eivend Nerberg, copyright 2007, used with permission. Originally published in 2008 in the anthology Nano2ales, edited by Ziv Navoth (Franc Roddam's Ziji Publishing, UK.) Read Eivend's bio. It's funny how every familiar place eventually becomes a "Ghost Town." By Jessica Psenski, copyright 2017, used with permission. Originally published over on her lovely blog. Read Jessica's bio. For today's segment, a grand experiment: Found Literature. This is an anonymous piece and there is no good way to locate its author so as I said on the show it lives in a murky area of U.S. copyright law. I am choosing to take the risk and bring it to you, trying to operate on good faith. Story really is everywhere, and if anyone knows where the author(s) of this piece might be, I hope you'll reach out. As a Pacific Northwest native, I am a sucker for excellent visual descriptions of this ama

I loved my chat with Jim Szabo, host of the Second Hand Stories podcast. We chatted about the inspiration for our shows, how we deal with submissions and what our pet peeves are, how much we love our writers, our recording spaces, and so much more. Here's some links to the things we talked about. Camp Nanowrimo The Ira Glass video on taste and creativity The silly podcast Kris used to be obsessed with is TBTL. (Haven't listened in years, no idea if it's any good anymore.) Dan Carlin is an indie podcasting legend Jim recommends Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People If you haven't listened to S-Town, it is great as literature Kris loves the How to Be a Girl podcast Here's the article on podcasting as literary nonfiction Jim talked about being featured on Bookstr No Extra Words submission guidelines [READ THEM] Second Hand Stories submission guidelines [READ THEM, TOO] The Twitter account @AdviceToWriters And the two recommendations Kris gives to podcaster wannabes are: Helen Zaltzman blog posts on podcasti

Not what you think. This is what happens to the living that the dead don't have to deal with. "The Adequate News Report" gives us just the facts, and just the end. As in all good microfiction, you get to come up with the beginning. By Dan Seiters, copyright 2016, used with permission. Read Dan's bio. Paul and Emma have had "A Death in the Family," and someone has to decide how they tell. By Amanda Staples, copyright 2017, used with permission. Read Amanda's bio. No new announcements on today's episode, but definitely think about contributing your 100 word story to our Instagram challenge and check out how you can support the show. Supporters also get a behind the scenes look at how I used Google to create poems like the one featured on today's episode "What Happens After Death?" Dealing with Grandma's death is one thing. Getting Grandma to her final resting place is something different in "The Ministry." By Niles M. Reddick, copyright 2014, used with permission. Visit Niles's website.

One minute, one hundred words, one story. Click here to see the photo that inspired this story and here to learn how to submit your own work via Instagram.

Up late wondering if they know what they are doing to memories of "My Last Husband." By Mary J. Breen, copyright 2013, used with permission. "My Last Husband" first appeared in The Waterhouse Review in January 2013. Read Mary's bio. Today's episode features a silly campfire story by Kris Baker Dersch. The three guardians of this podcast are Submissions, Promotion, who would like to introduce you to the wilds of Instagram and YouTube, and Support. Writing spaces for Episode 83 features Steven Mayoff, who was previously with us on Episode 47 and Episode 56. Click here to see his writing space. Our second Writing Spaces contributor is Rachel Lyon, whose work can be heard on Episode 46. Click here to see her writing space. You can also see detailed photos of the balloon, the lion, the angel, and the novel-in-progress featured in her piece. It's always hard to explain a dream. "I Had Children in a Dream" is by Stacy Stepanovich, copyright 2016, used with permission. Read Stacy's bio. The Google poem featured in th

This mini-episode launches our Instagram challenge! Click here to see the photo of the found poem that inspired the story. To participate in the Instagram challenge, find us on Instagram @noextrawords Be sure to follow #drabbleoninstagram and on Fridays look for our #foundpoetry

It's our two year podcastiversary! This jam-packed episode honors the short form of the drabble, a story of exactly 100 words. All 12 of today's stories were part of the Apples to Apples Drabble contest put on by Katharine Grubb at the 10 Minute Novelists blog. Katharine herself stops by on this episode to talk writing, the contest, and the 10 Minute Novelists facebook group. We are grateful to Katharine and the 10 Minute Novelists for being part of this special episode. Read Katharine's bio. Read the bios of today's contributors here, here, and here. All of the stories featured on this episode are copyright 2017. All are used with permission and remain the intellectual property of their creators. The blog post I spoke about in my interview with Katharine is on the Blonde Write More blog.

A little history of the No Extra Words podcast and a story I really want to share with all of you. "Mother's Day in the NICU," by Kris Baker Dersch, is copyright 2015. I shared the true story from this time in my own life on the New Parent podcast back in April. This is the fictionalized version.