Write, Publish, and Shine

In episode 118 of Write, Publish, and Shine, I talk with Room Magazine’s managing editor Chimedum Ohaegbu (a three-time Hugo Award–winning editor, as part of the editorial team at Uncanny Magazine) about speculative writing, revision, and what it means to read for chemistry.We talk about what speculative writing can do that realism sometimes can’t, how a story can start with an ordinary fear (like missing your stop on a bus) and then turn strange on purpose, and how emotional truth can find a different kind of realism through transformation.We also get into submissions and editorial discernment, including what “not for us” can mean behind the scenes, and how to hold rejection as information about fit and space, not as a verdict on your work.I hope this episode helps you protect the weirdness in your draft, revise without sanding off what’s alive, and keep sending your work out with self-assurance.Get my Writerly Love Letters, sent Wednesdays and filled with ideas and care for you and your writing: rachelthompson.co/letters---All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/118A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 117 of Write, Publish, and Shine, I talk with writer Tamara Jong, author of Worldly Girls, about the long, real arc of making a book, and the stamina it takes to bring it to the finish line.We talk about the season after a debut, about learning to say no so you can make space for the work, and about the formal decisions that helped Tamara unlock the book, including “containers,” braided structure, and the kind of metaphor that can hold what’s too loaded to say straight out.Tamara also offers a beautiful prompt about family lore and what you might write if no one were reading over your shoulder, and reads a luminous excerpt from her memoir.I hope this episode invites you to stay in the long game and protect what you need in order to tell the truth on the page. Get my Writerly Love Letters, sent Wednesdays and filled with ideas and care for you and your writing: rachelthompson.co/letters---All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/117A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 116 of Write, Publish, and Shine, I talk to the unpublished writer part of you. This may be the part that really wants to send your writing out in the world, but gets a little cagey the moment before you press submit.I move you through what I’ve been calling a soft-steadfast submission practice: a way of staying tender and steady, so submitting doesn’t require you to feel impermeable. I share three anchors I return to when rejection starts to feel like final judgement (rejection as data, “not right for us” as a routing problem, and fit as learnable), plus a simple, repeatable rhythm to help you decide your pace, choose your container, keep your list small, and build in aftercare. All so you (and your nervous system) learn: I can do brave things and stay soft.I hope this episode invites you to choose one brave thing and share your writing with the world.Get my Writerly Love Letters, sent Wednesdays and filled with ideas and care for you and your writing:rachelthompson.co/letters---All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/116A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 115 of Write, Publish, and Shine, I talk with writer and educator Rayya Liebich about what it means to keep making art in a time of unrest. We also talked about how she came to be the commissioned author for Room 48.3: Rest/Unrest, where I was issue editor. Our conversation circled on the idea of radical softness alongside rage as a way of refusing numbness and staying human-hearted. And Rayya shared her thoughts on how grief resists tidy arcs, and how to find structure when you’re working in lyric, collage, braided, or hermit crab forms, with grounded, oh-so-practical approaches and a luminous writing prompt titled “Dear Grief.” I hope this episode invites you to make something and let the making be part of how you keep going. Get my Writerly Love Letters, sent Wednesdays and filled with ideas and care for you and your writing:rachelthompson.co/letters --- All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/115A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a longer pause than I planned, I’m back with a short mini-episode about what changed—and what I’m learning about rest. I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes glimpse from editing Room 48.3: Rest/Unrest, a reframing I keep returning to (rest and unrest are in conversation), and four grounded practices you can try this week to support your writing without burning out.---Get my Writerly Love Letters, sent Wednesdays and filled with ideas and care for you and your writing: rachelthompson.co/letters---Show Notes: rachelthompson.co/114A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome, luminous writers.I'm Rachel Thompson. I'm an author, a literary magazine editor, and an online writing instructor. And this is Write, Publish, and Shine—a podcast for emerging writers who want to publish and shine.After a pause, I'm back with a new season. I'm kicking things off by exploring rest and unrest as collaborators in our writing lives. How they shape our practice. Our energy. Our attention.This theme is one I've been thinking about for a while. It's actually the theme of the most recent issue of Room magazine that I edited with our brilliant team. You can get your copy of 48.3, Rest/Unrest at roommagazine.com. And you'll hear a little behind-the-scenes of producing that issue on the podcast, too.So in this season of Write, Publish, and Shine, we'll talk about how to keep making art when the world needs our resistance. When your energy is stretched. And when you still feel called to the page.You'll hear interviews with writers and editors about sustaining a practice. Craft-focused episodes on tension, revision, voice, and structure. And personal reflections on the realities of writing and creating with care.Every episode offers one or two practical moves you can try. And I hope it's also a reminder that you're not alone in the work of being a luminous writer. A writer who's attentive to seasons, to the world, and to developing both craft and resilience.The new season begins next Tuesday. Subscribe, or resubscribe if you drifted off during the long pause. In all your podcast apps, search Write, Publish, and Shine.Let’s keep finding ways to write, rest, and shine.💌 Get My Writerly Love Letters | ✒️ Learn About My Online Writing CoursesA quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dive deep into the art of revision as I share why revising is where the real magic of writing happens and how to approach it with love and enthusiasm. The episode includes practical strategies from my Revision Love Workbook. Listen for tips and exercises to help you fall in love with the revision process and hone your writing for publication. The Revision Love Workbook is a practical guide offering over 100 pages of strategies, exercises, and advice to help writers revise their work with clarity and confidence. It covers essential elements like structure, character development, pacing, and crafting impactful endings, all designed to help writers see their work with fresh eyes and strengthen their narratives. ORDER YOUR WORKBOOK“I was amazed at how in-depth the revisions were and how supportive the language was. It pushed me (in the best way!) out of my comfort zone.” —Agata Antonow---Get my Writerly Love Letters, sent Wednesdays and filled with ideas and care for you and your writing: rachelthompson.co/letters---Show Notes: rachelthompson.co/113A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm thrilled to share the final episode of our series on getting published in literary magazines! Over the past ten episodes, we've covered everything from finding inspiration in submission calls to handling rejections and staying organized. This journey has been incredibly rewarding, and I hope you've found valuable insights to enhance your writing and submission process. As we wrap up this series, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the listeners who've joined me on this adventure. Your dedication to your craft is inspiring, and I can't wait to hear about your future successes in the literary world. Remember, your words matter, and the perfect home for your work is out there. Keep writing, keep submitting, and keep shining!Get my Writerly Love Letters, sent Wednesdays and filled with ideas and care for you and your writing: rachelthompson.co/letters---All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/112A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Drawing from my experiences as both an editor and a writer, in this episode, I share insights on why giving your work time to breathe can lead to more profound, polished pieces. We'll explore how slowing down can actually accelerate your growth as a writer, and I'll offer practical tips on how to embrace a more patient approach to your craft. Whether you're working on a novel, short story, or personal essay, this episode will encourage you to find value in the journey, not just the destination.Get my Writerly Love Letters, sent Wednesdays and filled with ideas and care for you and your writing: rachelthompson.co/letters---All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/111A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this mini-episode, “Handle Rejections However You Want,” I dive into strategies for dealing with the inevitable rejections we face as writers. Drawing from my 14 years on Room's editorial collective and my work with luminous writers, I offer insights on turning rejection into resilience. You'll learn about creating a 'wins' folder, developing a feedback filter, and even how to gamify the submission process. Remember, there's no “right way” to handle rejections—I'm here to encourage you to find what works best for you. Tune in for practical tips and a boost of confidence in your writing journey!Get my Writerly Love Letters, sent Wednesdays and filled with ideas and care for you and your writing: rachelthompson.co/letters---All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/110A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I share insights on seeking the right kind of feedback for your writing, drawing from my 14 years of experience on Room's editorial collective. Discover how to engage with a supportive writing community, polish your work before submission, and navigate the delicate balance between openness to suggestions and maintaining your creative vision. Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting out, this episode offers valuable tips to help you shine in literary magazines. Join me as we explore the art of giving and receiving feedback that truly elevates your writing.Get my Writerly Love Letters, sent Wednesdays and filled with ideas and care for you and your writing: rachelthompson.co/letters---All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/109A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Write, Publish, and Shine podcast, we’re diving into how genre immersion can elevate your writing for literary magazines. Get ready for practical tips on deeply engaging with your genre—everything from reading widely and analyzing what works for other authors to staying in the loop on the latest trends. We’ll also explore the excitement of experimenting with different forms and pushing boundaries. Listen for some inspiration to read and explore your chosen genre!Get my Writerly Love Letters, sent Wednesdays and filled with ideas and care for you and your writing: rachelthompson.co/letters---All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/108A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dive into the power of writing from your most profound experiences and emotions. In this episode, we explore why writing what haunts you creates more authentic, compelling work. Discover how to identify your haunting themes and embrace your unique voice with real examples from published works in literary magazines. Plus, get a writing prompt to kickstart your next piece! Listen now and unlock the stories only you can tell.Get my Writerly Love Letters, sent Wednesdays and filled with ideas and care for you and your writing: rachelthompson.co/letters---All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/107A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I dive into the art of crafting compelling writing from start to finish. We'll explore why it's crucial to maintain engagement throughout your piece, not just in the opening. I'll share strategies for keeping momentum in the middle of your work, tips for crafting effective endings, and emphasize the importance of revision in creating impactful writing. Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting out, this episode will provide valuable insights to help you elevate your craft and create work that truly resonates with readers. Join me as we uncover the secrets to crafting compelling everything!Get my Writerly Love Letters, sent Wednesdays and filled with ideas and care for you and your writing: rachelthompson.co/letters---All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/106A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to Get Published: Craft a Compelling OpeningYes, your opening matters. A strong start hooks readers and editors alike. Ensure your first few lines grab attention and set the tone for what follows.I’m sharing the third lesson from my 14 years on Room’s editorial collective. We’re diving into one of the most crucial elements of your writing: crafting compelling openings. Learn why a strong start is essential, what common pitfalls to avoid, and how to grab your reader’s attention from the first line. If you want to captivate editors and readers alike, this episode is for you! Tune in for practical tips and inspiring examples.---Get my Writerly Love Letters, sent Wednesdays and filled with ideas and care for you and your writing: rachelthompson.co/letters---All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/105A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Write, Publish, and Shine podcast, I share valuable insights from my 14-year journey at Room Magazine. I emphasize the importance of building relationships with literary magazines and choosing the right publications for your work. I discuss the power of vulnerability in writing, encourage persistence in submissions, and offer tips for connecting with literary communities that resonate with your voice. Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting out, this episode provides essential guidance for navigating the world of literary magazine submissions.---Get my Writerly Love Letters, sent Wednesdays and filled with ideas and care for you and your writing: rachelthompson.co/letters---All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/104A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Themed submission calls can unlock buried stories, while offering a clear focus and deadlines. In this episode, I share tips for embracing themes when submitting to literary magazines and a curated list of upcoming lit mag themes and deadlines to inspire your writing.---Get my Writerly Love Letters, sent Wednesdays and filled with ideas and care for you and your writing: rachelthompson.co/letters---All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/103A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we’re diving into a topic on many writers’ minds: the choice between pursuing a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing and enrolling in online writing courses. Whether you’re just starting your writing journey or looking to take your skills to the next level, this guide will help you understand each path’s key benefits and challenges. We'll explore everything from the structured curriculum of MFA programs to the flexibility of online courses and discuss how each option can impact your writing career. By the end of this episode, you'll have a clearer picture of which path might be the right fit for your unique goals and circumstances.Check out this piece in article form to see the comparison chart and profiles for each writer who spoke with me for this episode. rachelthompson.co/articles---Get my Writerly Love Letters, sent Wednesdays and filled with ideas and care for you and your writing: rachelthompson.co/letters---All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/102A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I delve into the importance and crafting of cover letters for literary magazine submissions. A cover letter is not as crucial as the quality of the writing itself—yet, it does play a significant role in making a solid first impression and demonstrating your professionalism as a writer. In a detailed breakdown of the elements of a cover letter, I outline the importance of brevity, relevance, and personalization. Plus, I dig into the dual audiences and what they need to know about you, dear writer.You can check out the article accompanying this episode here. When you’re there, download my FREE Guide on How to Write a Cover Letter for a Lit Mag---All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/101A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear writers, I'm thrilled to present the 100th episode of the podcast! I have delighted in each of the conversations and episodes I've been able to share with you, and talking to writers and covering topics on how to write, publish, and shine. Thank you to the writers who listen to each episode and especially those who share what they gleaned or the little ways they were encouraged to keep going. This episode is a moment to reflect on where the podcast has been and where it's going and includes listeners sharing their favourite moments on the podcast and how they influenced their writing lives.All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/100—Get my Writerly Love Digest, sent most weeks and filled with ideas and care for you and your writing: rachelthompson.co/lettersA quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Memoirist Yolande House sits down with me for a book club conversation about Kae Tempest’s On Connection. It was a real pleasure to read this book alongside her and compare notes. And I hope those of you reading alongside us in our book club enjoy it.About On Connection: This is a book about connection. About how immersing ourselves in creativity can help us cultivate greater self-awareness and bring us closer to each other.After we discuss the book, stick around as Yolande House also shares highlights from her disability reading list.All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/88—Get my Writerly Love Digest, sent most weeks and filled with ideas and care for you and your writing: rachelthompson.co/lettersA quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Write, Publish, and Shine podcast, hosted by me, author and literary magazine editor Rachel Thompson, celebrates its 99th episode! I reflect on the podcast journey and past episodes, highlighting eleven essential writing tips from literary magazine editors who have been guests on the show.Listen if you need encouragement to write, publish, and shine. Editors share how and why to read deeply, tell your truths, and continue your creative journey with resilience and passion while connecting with the broader social and political contexts that influence your writing.All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/99—Get my Writerly Love Digest, sent most weeks and filled with ideas and care for you and your writing: rachelthompson.co/lettersA quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the conversation with Amy Friend, the artist discusses her creative process, the influence of her personal experiences on her work, and the themes of loss, longing, and home that pervade her art. Her childhood experiences, growing up in a neighbourhood populated by immigrants, and the stories she heard from them deeply influenced her work. She emphasizes the importance of play, openness, and letting go of control in creating art. She also discusses her fascination with old photographs and how she uses them in her work. Friend shares her perspective on artistic community, rejection, and the role of literary magazines in fostering dialogue and inspiration.This episode is part of a deep dive into the creation of Room magazine issue 46.3, where I was the lead editor. (You can check out the full run of episodes, starting with Episode #80.) Amy Friend’s art truly resonates with me on a deep level of nostalgia and grief, and this is also because of the incredible artistry she uses with photographs, turning those difficult experiences into beauty.Even after over a decade of editing for Room, we're vibing in those themes of loss and longing. I spoke with Amy Friend about how she makes her photographs, what draws her to these themes, and how photography as a medium inherently communicates memory, loss, and absence.All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/86—WRITERLY LOVE DIGEST: Sent each week to your inbox. rachelthompson.co/lettersA quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are playing summer reading bingo these next few months, with 24 squares representing categories of books you can read. And you are invited. Grab your card to play along with us, then choose a row, column, or diagonal line, or complete the card.Why are we, a writing community and I, an instructor of writing courses, doing this book bingo? I answer this question in the episode. Listen as I dig into some of our summer book categories, why we chose them, and how reading books in these categories will improve your writing.More episodes to check out if you are looking for a craft book in a genre new to you:Episode 68: Writerly Love Community members Jennifer Robinson and Candace Webb joined me to talk about quite the throw-back book, The Poet’s Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry, by Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux. At the time, Jen and Candace were fairly new to poetry and found that this book helped them journey into a new genre. So, listen here if you’ve been writing short stories and want to try verse.Episode 72: Another community book club chat on Voice First: A Writer’s Manifesto by Sonya Huber. Listen to our book club conversation with Writerly Love Members Louise Julig, Lina Lau, and Wendy Atwell if you need help to shake up conventional wisdom on writing craft.Episode 88: I know I’m not alone in reading and writing for connection. Kae Tempest’s On Connection helped me understand how immersing ourselves in creativity can help us cultivate greater self-awareness and bring us closer to each other. Hear me talk about the book with Yolande House.Episode 78: Author Kavita Das joined us to talk about her amazing book Craft and Conscience, an intentional journey to unpack our motivations for writing about an issue and to understand that “writing, irrespective of genre or outlet, is an act of political writing.” Dig into this vital topic for writers and a great book to read, whether you’re crossing off a bingo square or not. Listen to our conversation with Kavita Das.All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/98—Get my Writerly Love Digest, sent most weeks and filled with ideas and care for you and your writing: rachelthompson.co/lettersA quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Writer and Room contributor ViNa Nguyễn discusses their choice to deliberately write about joy as a writer who writes about grief and nostalgia.We also talked about their experimental writing and, in particular, the brilliant piece, A Nesting of Bracketed Bodies, which I published in Room's “Ghosts” issue; they also read from the work for us, so prepare your earbuds for some delightful fiction writing.All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/85—Get my Writerly Love Digest, sent most weeks and filled with ideas and care for you and your writing: rachelthompson.co/lettersA quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen if you’ve been looking for books to support your writing practice, or maybe a list of books to give another writer in your life, or if you’ve been wanting to read with a community of writers, too, and need some guidance to get started.--Writerly Reading for Your SummerGet your free bingo card and play along with us for Writerly Prizes.rachelthompson.co/bookclubA quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lina Lau, writer, mother, and owner of too many notebooks, has published short memoir in X-R-A-Y, Prairie Fire, Hippocampus (where she is now a reader as well), Carte Blanch, and Little Fiction/Big Truths.We discuss how flash memoir writing captures a moment and the characteristics required of memoirists. Lina also reads a 100-word story, bringing us into the experience of writing and publishing this work on Five Minute Lit.Show notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/89A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to our last instalment of this string of episodes on writing with limitations and disabilities.I’m so happy to end this with the wonderful Cicely Belle Blain, the final member of my writing community who kindly agreed to join us to discuss limitations and disabilities when it comes to writing.Reading from Cicely’s bio: Cicely Belle Blain is a Black/mixed, queer femme activist, equity and inclusion consultant, and writer. Their bestselling poetry collection Burning Sugar was called “an intimately powerful debut” by Quill and Quire. With laughter and fearlessness, they harness a passion for justice, liberation and meaningful change via transformative education.They talk about their consulting work as well as writing and how the fairly recent journey of learning about their ADHD intersects with both of these practices.Cicely also reads work on the theme of grief, aptly bringing to the fore the subtext of what is often the experience of having limitations and disability.Their bio mentions their passion for justice, and so, of course, they shared their sage perspective, which underscored the enormity of this series of themed episodes—not asking for simply understanding of their or others' individual limitations and disabilities but solidarity with those attempting to resist the expectations of writing, the publishing world, social media, social capital, deadlines, and capitalism.All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/97—Sign up for my Writerly Love Digest, which is sent weekly and includes support for your writing practice, prompts, and lit mag publications.A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to our semi-final instalment of this string of episodes on writing with limitations and disabilities.In this episode, writer S.L. Shuter, a member of my Writerly Love Community, talks about embracing an identity related to her diagnosis and the push back she received for this.Set L. Shuter is a writer, filmmaker and storyteller from Toronto. She holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from The University of King's College and is currently querying her horror-comedy medical memoir, Ovaries Gone Wild. Her essays have appeared in The Toronto Star, Chatelaine Magazine, Understorey Magazine, CBC, and Creative Nonfiction Magazine.Set reads from an essay about access to medicine related to her condition published in a special COVID-19 edition of Understorey Magazine.Listen to how she embraces humour related to her limitations but more recently finds more kindness for herself as she writes and makes films about chronic illness.All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/96—Sign up for my Writerly Love Digest, which is sent weekly and includes support for your writing practice, prompts, and lit mag publications.A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the next instalment of this string of episodes on writing with limitations and disabilities.In this episode, Crystal Randall Barnett, a member of my Writerly Love Community, adds to the conversations we’ve been having in this series of episodes on writing slowly and listening to your body.Crystal Randall Barnett is an emerging writer from Ontario. She has been published by The League of Canadian Poets and Blank Spaces and her first-place short story appeared in a 2023 fiction anthology from Chicken House Press. Her writing is physically impacted and creatively influenced by her disability, Persistent Post-Concussion Syndrome.Crystal shares how she adapted her reading habits when her experience of persistent post-concussive symptoms made reading on the page a barrier. She also shares a simple hack to make audiobooks even more accessible—one I’ve implemented for myself.And she reads from a poem I had the pleasure of publishing as an editor with Room.All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/95—Sign up for my Writerly Love Digest, which is sent weekly and includes support for your writing practice, prompts, and lit mag publications.A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the fourth instalment of this string of episodes on the theme of writing with limitations and disabilities.Andrea Martineau is a writer, poet, bibliophile, and phytomaniac (I had to look that one up: a plant lover!) with a penchant for heritage buildings and their paranormal tenants. Her poetry has previously been published and shared in untethered magazine, Blank Spaces, [SPACE], Figroot Press, and The League of Canadian Poets’ Poetry Pause.Andrea is a wonderful part of our membership community, has such clarity around her practice and finds ways to work with her limitations. She calls on us to believe writers with limitations and disabilities when they say what they need or need to pause or bow out from doing something during a flare-up or when it doesn’t work for their health and wellness.All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/94—Sign up for my Writerly Love Digest, which is sent weekly and includes support for your writing practice, prompts, and lit mag publications.A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to my next conversation in this run of episodes on writing with disabilities and limitations.In this episode, I sit down with Amy Yuki Vickers, a new writer in our community and a recent alum of my Lit Mag Love course. Amy is the author of the blog and newsletter The Intentional Hulk, writes short stories and personal essays, and is at work on a memoir.And, as she says in her bio, because she’s autistic, she see-saws between intense occupation and recovery. This is just one subject we discuss in our conversation. She shares her experiences as a writer and how she has set up her writing life to work for her.All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/93—Sign up for my Writerly Love Digest, filled with support for your writing practice, prompts, and lit mag publications sent every week.A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the next episode in this run of episodes on writing with disabilities and limitations.In this episode, a wonderful Writerly Love Community member, Olwen Wilson talks with me about following joy and writing with a chronic condition. We discuss labels and their conflicting appeal/repellent nature. And, what I suspect will be a through line of all these episodes: listening to our bodies and how we’re feeling. Olwen reads a slantly-written short piece then generously gifts us with details on a practice called Rainbow Walks. Listen in to hear from a writer who does things their way, someone I deeply admire for this spirit.Show notes: https://rachelthompson.co/92--Sign up for my Writerly Love Digest, filled with support for your writing practice, prompts, and lit mag publications sent every week.A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the first interview in my series of episodes on writing with disabilities and limitations.I sit down with a wonderful Writerly Love membership community member, Shantell Powell, a two-spirit author, artist, and self-described swamp hag who grew up on the land and off the grid. Her publication credits include Augur, Solarpunk Magazine, MetaStellar, The Deadlands, and honestly keep racking up—we talk about how she does this in the episode, and she has an excellent hack for writers with ADHD to track submissions that I think is brilliant and would be helpful to many writers, myself included.We get into her often very visceral writing; she reads a piece that I would describe that way, visceral, and speculates a little about why that flavour comes out in her work. For this series and focus, we talk about how she works with her various limitations and disabilities, which include neurodivergence and now long COVID-19, among other conditions and limitations. Listen in to hear from a singular writer whose writing practice shows that there is not one way to be a writer.Show notes: https://rachelthompson.co/91--Sign up for my Writerly Love Digest filled with support for your writing practice, prompts, and lit mag publications sent every week. A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Write, Publish, Shine Intensive, which brings together my three courses: Write and Light, a course to get writers generating new, more profound work; Revision Love, my course on learning to self-edit your writing; and Lit Mag Love, my flagship course on getting published in literary journals. All of the resources mentioned in the episode are in the show notes at rachelthompson.co/podcast/79 Learn more and sign up for the Write, Publish, Shine Intensive at rachelthompson.co/intensiveA quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I sit down with our Community Facilitator, Meli Walker, to discuss what we do to make our online course community more accessible to writers with disabilities and limitations.This episode marks the beginning of a run of episodes focusing on writing with limitations/disability. Coming up, you’ll hear me talk with writers with various challenges about what they need to write, how they get their needs met, and what it’s like to write when you have barriers in your own body’s ability and barriers that exist in our writing community.My hope is that this series helps writers find support and ideas to help them engage in writing in a way that works for them. And, for this episode in particular, I hope it gives writers who teach on or offline some ideas for how to make their communities more open to all writers.Because Meli and I are also just two people with our own limitations and neurodivergence, this is not an exhaustive list of what we’re doing and certainly not a complete list of what we COULD be doing.Show notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/90--Get my Writerly Love Letters sent each week to your inbox. rachelthompson.co/lettersA quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Nothing has to happen in the story. There doesn't need to be explosions or big shocking twists. It's just enough to have well-developed characters and a beautiful world.” —Terese Mason Pierre, AugurTerese Mason Pierre is co-Editor-in-Chief of Augur, a Canadian speculative literature journal, and has published work in Hobart, The Puritan, Quill and Quire, and Strange Horizons. Her work has been nominated for the Rhysling Award and Best of the Net.She talks about how Canadian literature in general is just a little bit softer than other kinds of literature, and how she brings forward the care that she received from editors of her work to her editing role at Augur.You can find the show notes for this episode at rachelthompson.co/49Get my Writerly Love Letters, sent each week to your inbox. rachelthompson.co/letters A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lina Lau, writer, mother, and owner of too many notebooks, has published short memoir in X-R-A-Y, Prairie Fire, Hippocampus (where she is now a reader as well), Carte Blanch, and Little Fiction/Big Truths.We talk about how flash memoir writing captures a moment, how Lina reads a 100-word story and brings us into the experience of writing it, and also about the characteristics required of memoirists.Flash memoirA Five-Day Mini Course in Short Creative Nonfiction FREE this month! rachelthompson.co/flashShow notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/89A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All craft is political. It’s how we, as writers, resist injustices and dream up better worlds. So, listen to this conversation with the brilliant Kavita Das, and then take up your pen.Kavita Das really takes us on an intentional journey with her deep knowledge of social justice work. She challenges us to unpack our motivations for writing about an issue and to understand that “writing, irrespective of genre or outlet, is an act of political writing,” regardless of intention. Craft and Conscience: How to Write About Social Issues by Kavita Das, was published by Beacon Press in 2022.You can find the show notes for this episode at rachelthompson.co/78Get my Writerly Love Letters, sent each week to your inbox. rachelthompson.co/lettersA quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the Lit Mag Love course, writers can join Q&A calls with editors. In this replay episode, you will hear one such call with Mark Drew of the Gettysburg Review.Note that this call happened in the first year of the pandemic, so you’ll get an editor’s perspective on the kind of reflection missing from most writing during an intense moment—at least for this journal. You’ll also hear about the kinds of work Gettysburg accepts, the qualities of the work they look for, and the editorial experience you’ll get, should you place work with them.The Lit Mag Love course will help you get a big YES for your writing from a lit mag you love. Learn more and sign up here >>Show notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/59A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, it’s my pleasure to welcome Christina Brobby, a wonderful lyric writer and instructor, to the podcast. We start by getting into what exactly lyric writing is, if you’re wondering, so that will be cleared up right away. Christina also delves into how the “filter is the form” as she wonderfully sums it up.Listen for more of our exploration of empathy for writers. And Christina also kindly and insightfully brings in the necessity of practising empathy with yourself as a writer. And listen for ways she’s used the form to explore the impact our surroundings have on us, to see working in fragments as a feature and not a bug in our memories as creative nonfiction essay writers and to generally get excited about the variety of brilliant voices using lyric essay forms to tell their stories.Sign up for my Writerly Love Letters—they are filled with support for your writing practice and sent every other week. rachelthompson.co/lettersLinks and show notes are up at rachelthompson.co/67A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Memoirist Yolande House sits down with me for a book club conversation about Kae Tempest’s On Connection. It was a real pleasure to read this book alongside her and compare notes. And I hope those of you reading alongside us in our book club enjoy it.About On Connection: This is a book about connection. About how immersing ourselves in creativity can help us cultivate greater self-awareness and bring us closer to each other.After we discuss the book, stick around as Yolande House also shares highlights from her disability reading list.All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/88—OPEN NOW: LIT MAG LOVE! Get a big “YES” for your writing from literary journals you love in this five-week guided course. rachelthompson.co/litmagloveA quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the final episode in my series of special episodes of Write, Publish, and Shine that take a deep dive into the creation of Room magazine issue 46.3, where I was lead editor of the issue.Today it’s my delight to speak to another artist whose work we accepted for inside the issue.Sarah Esmi (she/her) is an Iranian-American mother, writer, collage artist, producer, director and lawyer. She told me about her collage practice and how the artistic interpretation of her visual work differs from her poetry.I loved her art so much, and to learn more about what went into the piece we published called “Insides” plus collage as an art practice.All the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/87—OPEN NOW: LIT MAG LOVE! Get a big “YES” for your writing from literary journals you love in this five-week guided course. rachelthompson.co/litmagloveA quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the seventh, wow!, in my series of special episodes of Write, Publish, and Shine as I take you on a deep dive into the creation of Room magazine issue 46.3, where I was lead editor of the issue. In this issue, I spoke with our cover artist, Amy Friend, who was also the cover artist for the very first issue I edited for Room, called Mythologies of Loss.Amy Friend’s art truly resonates on a deep level of nostalgia and grief with me, and also because of the incredible artistry she does with photographs, turning those difficult experiences into beauty.Clearly, we’re vibing even over a decade of editing for Room, in those themes of loss and longing. I spoke with Amy Friend about how she makes her photographs, what draws to these themes, and how photography as a medium inherently communicates memory, loss, and absence.All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/86—WRITERLY LOVE LETTERS: Sent each week to your inbox. rachelthompson.co/lettersA quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the sixth in my series of special episodes of Write, Publish, and Shine as I take you on a deep dive into the creation of Room magazine issue 46.3, where I was lead editor of the issue. In this issue, I spoke with another incredible writer we published in the issue, ViNa Nguyễn.Our conversation went in many beautiful directions, including their choice to deliberately write about joy as a writer who writes about grief and nostalgia.We talked about ViNa Nguyễn’s experimental writing and, in particular, the brilliant piece, A Nesting of Bracketed Bodies, that we published in the issue, which includes, as advertised, nesting brackets as an element in the work—plus their inspiration on this experiment. And, I’m delighted that they also read from the work for us, so prepare your earbuds for some delightful fiction writing.All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/85—WRITERLY LOVE LETTERS: Sent each week to your inbox. rachelthompson.co/lettersA quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the fifth in my series of special episodes as I take you on a deep dive into the creation of Room magazine issue 46.3, where I was lead editor of the issue. In this episode, a luminous conversation with Room’s Book Reviews editor, Micah Killjoy.We delve into reviewing as a practice for writers to understand craft, what Micah did differently with the reviews for this haunting issue, and how reviewing has changed in the age of BookTok and user-generated reviews.All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/84—WRITERLY LOVE LETTERS: Sent each week to your inbox. rachelthompson.co/lettersA quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this replay episode, Ellen Chang-Richardson and I both speak as editorial collective members at Room, and as editors of the (then) upcoming issue of Room’s Ghosts issue. Ellen and I get a little into how things work behind the scenes at Room, and how we (the collective) are many people, all rolling up our sleeves to create space in literature, art, and feminism.This episode was recorded live on Zoom in front of writers from my writing community, called Writerly Love. So you will hear us answer their questions toward the end of our discussion, too.Get the episode show notes and a full transcript at: https://rachelthompson.co/63-replay.--GET MY WRITERLY LOVE LETTERS: Sent each week to your inbox. rachelthompson.co/lettersA quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fourth in my series of special episodes of Write, Publish, and Shine as I take you on a deep dive into the creation of Room magazine issue 46.3, where I was lead editor of the issue. In this issue, to my delight, I sat down with Room’s publisher, Nara Monteiro. We delve into the role of Publisher and what they do day-to-day at the magazine and get into some Ghosts-issue specifics and a slightly unusual story of reaching out to one potential contributor to the issue, so listen for that story.All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/83—WRITERLY LOVE LETTERS: Sent each week to your inbox. rachelthompson.co/lettersA quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the third in my series of special episodes of Write, Publish, and Shine as I take you on a deep dive into the creation of Room magazine issue 46.3, where I was lead editor of the issue.One of my jobs as editor is to commission one established writer to be featured in the magazine. To do so, I started by searching for writers working in the genre of ghosts and scary stories and was pleased to come across an anthology of Arctic horror stories, *[Taaqtumi](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44222604-taaqtumi)* and thought, oh, yes, when I read Aviaq Johnston’s piece in the anthology. I invited her to be our commissioned writer for Room 46.3 and she said yes.Aviaq Johnston is a young Inuk author from Igloolik, Nunavut. Her debut novel *Those Who Run in the Sky* was released in the spring of 2017 and shortlisted for a Governor General’s award that year. In 2014, she won first place in the Aboriginal Arts and Stories competition for her short story “Tarnikuluk,” which also earned her a Governor General’s History Award.You can pick up your copy of Room 46.3, Ghosts (digital or print) at roommagazine.com.All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/podcast/82—WRITERLY LOVE LETTERS: Sent each week to your inbox. rachelthompson.co/lettersA quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the second Ghost-themed special episodes of Write, Publish, and Shine as I take you on a deep dive into the creation of Room magazine issue 46.3, Ghosts, where I was lead editor of the issue.Why do lit mag editors choose the pieces they do? One answer to this question is “deeply personal”—by which I mean we pick work that resonates because of the deeply personal revelations and subject matter inside. In this episode of Write, Publish, and Shine, hear from two writers working in that deep, personal space in their writing, Reyzl Grace and Annette C. Boehm. You can pick up your copy of Room 46.3, Ghosts (digital or print) at roommagazine.com.All of the notes for this episode are up at rachelthompson.co/podcast/81—LAST DAY TO JOIN (as of this release): Do you crave support and structure so you can write your most luminous work? The Write, Publish, Shine Intensive starts soon. Write, Revise, and Publish Your Luminous Writing with lots of support from me. Learn More + Register at rachelthompson.co/intensive.A quick note for any writer who’s ready for a big “YES” for their writing from lit mags they love.Lit Mag Love is open. Join us in this six-week live course session to get results from your submissions and prepare to publish in journals that align with your writing.Session runs May 13–June 24, 2026. Learn more at rachelthompson.co/courses/litmaglove. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.