Podcast
Ledger: A Writing Podcast
Hosted by Austin R Wilson · EN
Ledger is a podcast about the craft of writing, from novels to non-fiction to computer code!
Stories are an essential part of life. We need them so we seek them out in every way possible. Ledger features interviews with writers across formats and genres to focus on the craft itself, the thoughts and actions that led to stories being written.
How do writers deliver the words from their heads and out into the world for others to find? Give the show a listen!
26episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
028: Rana Tahir - Author, Heroes and Monsters: The Stranger Things Choose Your Own Adventure novel
Jul 25, 202400:58:15Tap to summarizeRana Tahir writes poetry, non-fiction, and fiction, and is the author of Heroes and Monsters, the Stranger Things Choose Your Own Adventure novel as well as SPIES: Noor Inayat Khan, a CYOA tale of the eponymous WWII spy. During the interview I reference a chat she had on the Books With a Past show, which you can find here: https://www.youtube.com/live/-0IiY5wkreo?si=JoUvs-FSfzNaqHkl Rana and I discuss how you never know who is seeing your writing and where it will lead you; the program Scrivener; Harry Styles fan-fic; whether Robin from Stranger Things is tall (she’s not); writing in second person; and a special performance of an early poem by Rana Tahir that you won’t want to miss. Thank you so much to Rana for stopping by and to you for listening! -- -- -- -- -- Please rate and review Ledger wherever you can - Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, etc. - and tell people if you think they'd like it. Swing by austinRwilson.com to see my publishing credits, to contact me, or to read free fiction. My website also has links to my newest story, Dynasty of Blood, a serialized story set in a fictional 1980s, but one that deals with the historically factual Satanic Panic and its connection to tabletop roleplaying games. Print copies of Volume 1 are now available! Links to all my work can be found here: https://linktr.ee/austinRwilson Thank you so much!
Transcribe →027: Glenn Stout - Author, The Young Woman and the Sea; Editor, The Best American Sports Writing
Jul 10, 202400:59:51Tap to summarizeGlenn Stout is a writer, editor, consultant, teacher, and more. Perhaps most best known as the series editor of The Best American Sports Writing series, which ran from 1991 to 2020, Glenn has been involved with narrative non-fiction in some form since the late '80s and early '90s. His book The Young Woman and the Sea was recently adapted for Disney, starring Daisy Ridley. It is the tale of Trudy Ederle, the first woman to ever swim the English Channel. On today's show we discuss what style is within the genre of narrative non-fiction, as well as how Glenn may go about teaching style; whether sports is the actual focus of sportswriting at all; knitting; and what it's like to start a project and see where it all ends up. Thank you to Glenn for stopping by! Please visit glennstout.com for more info about his work! -- -- -- -- -- Please rate and review Ledger wherever you can - Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, all of them - and tell people if you think they'd like it. Swing by austinRwilson.com to see my publishing credits, to contact me, or to read free fiction. Head over to DriveThruFiction or Itch.io to read my newest story, Dynasty of Blood, a serialized story set in a fictional 1980s, but one that deals with the historically factual Satanic Panic and its connection to tabletop roleplaying games. Links to all my work can be found here: https://linktr.ee/austinRwilson Thank you so much!
Transcribe →026: Eugenio Volpe - Author; I, Caravaggio
May 9, 202400:45:49Tap to summarizeEugenio Volpe is the author of I, Caravaggio, out now from Clash Books. Go to Clash Books.com or EugenioVolpe.com to grab a copy and find out more about what Eugenio is up to. We cover the warring halves of an artist, Caravaggio's prescient nature as a thinker/creative, Catholicism, and yes also we talk about civets. This one is NSFW in places so heads up! Thank you so much to Eugenio for stopping by and thank you to Clash Books for putting out wild stuff that is different and absolutely worth your time as a reader. -- -- -- -- -- Please rate and review the show wherever you can - Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, all of them - and tell people if you think they'd like it. Swing by austinRwilson.com to see my publishing credits, to contact me, or to read free fiction. Head over to DriveThruFiction or Itch.io to read my newest story, Dynasty of Blood. Volumes 01 & 02 are live now, with more on the way, including some NEW ORIGINAL art. Links to all my work can be found here: https://linktr.ee/austinRwilson Thank you so much!
Transcribe →025: Stephanie Pearre and Vaughn A. Jackson - Writers and Editors, Beyond the Bounds of Infinity
Apr 22, 202400:57:46Tap to summarizeBeyond the Bounds of Infinity is a fiction anthology featuring 20 stories from marginalized voices, all inspired by the works and worlds of H.P. Lovecraft. Stephanie Pearre and Vaughn A. Jackson are the anthology's editors and both joined Ledger to chat about the successful Kickstarter launch in 2023 as well as the book's publication on July 10, 2024. We cover the horrible nature of Lovecraft the person and the ways in which it must be confronted; utilizing Kickstarter for smaller publishers (and managing and/or not managing the stress); maintaining authorial voice while editing; and how to title a story! Thank you so much to Stephanie and Vaughn for the chat and insights into editing an anthology as a whole versus a story by itself, and so much more. Make sure you swing by Raw Dog Screaming Press and buy a copy of Beyond the Bounds of Infinity - https://rawdogscreaming.com/books/beyond-the-bounds-of-infinity/ - and enjoy the weird tales! -- -- -- -- -- Please rate and review the show wherever you can - Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, all of them - and tell people if you think they'd like it. Swing by austinRwilson.com to see my publishing credits, to contact me, or to read free fiction. . Head over to DriveThruFiction or Itch.io to read my newest story, Dynasty of Blood. Volumes 01 & 02 are live now, with more on the way, including some NEW ORIGINAL art. Links to all my work can be found here: https://linktr.ee/austinRwilson Thank you so much!
Transcribe →024: Ken Lowery - Game writer/creator, VOID 1680 AM, No-Tell Motel
Mar 3, 202401:04:37Tap to summarizeKen Lowery is a tabletop roll-playing game (TTRPG) writer most well-known for writing the fantastic game VOID 1680 AM. He stopped by Ledger to discuss his journey in starting Bannerless Games and the process of writing VOID as well as other games like Lighthouse At the End of the World and Hell Grinders. We chat about the community aspect of VOID 1680 AM, including how he actually has his own AM radio broadcaster from which he broadcasts player creations, plus the perceptions (and some hesitations) of playing solo tabletop games. His newest game is No-Tell Motel, a more narrative-focused mystery game that is currently on Crowdfundr - https://crowdfundr.com/notellmotel?ref=ab_75SIUaHJrtV75SIUaHJrtV - so make sure you check it out. Visit Bannerless Games on Itch to find more of what Ken has written - https://bannerlessgames.itch.io/ - and then maybe go play a game tonight! -- -- -- Please rate and review the show wherever you can - Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, all of them - and tell people if you think they'd like it. Swing by austinRwilson.com to see my publishing credits, to contact me, or to read free fiction. You can also check out my work on Medium, including my weird sci-fi publication Shibboleth, which features aliens, government conspiracies, and maybe even sentient fire. Head over to my Itch.io page to read my newest story, Dynasty of Blood. Volume one is live now, with more on the way, including some ORIGINAL NEW art. Thank you so much! https://austinrwilson.itch.io/
Transcribe →023: Brian Allen Carr - Author; Sip; Opioid, Indiana; Bad Foundations
Jan 15, 202401:09:03Tap to summarizeBrian Allen Carr is a novelist originally from Texas, author of the books Sip; Opioid, Indiana, and his newest book, Bad Foundations, which is out via Clash Books as of January 23, 2024. It is a peek into a hidden and ignored world beneath the feet of midwesterners, a world that literally supports their entire lives. The narrator is a man named Cook, someone who will essentially become a coworker to readers as they open this book. Brian chats with Ledger about the importance of setting, how he utilizes and thinks of genre (one of Ledger's favorite topics; but in this case there are sharks leaping out of puddles), and how he is currently working as a foundation inspector like his book’s protagonist. One of the bigger topics in this episode is success and, specifically, what happens when you win a big short story contest? Brian won the inaugural Texas Observer Short Story Contest in 2011, which was judged by Larry McMurtry. Make sure you check out Bad Foundations out from Clash books. Thank you so much to Brian for chatting and thank you for listening! -- -- -- Please rate and review the show wherever you can - Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, all of them - and tell people if you think they'd like it. Swing by AustinRWilson.com to see my publishing credits, to contact me, or to read free fiction. You can also check out my work on Medium, including my weird sci-fi publication Shibboleth, which features aliens, government conspiracies, and maybe even sentient fire.
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