Write, Publish, and Shine

#120 The Garden Draft: A Guided Writing Practice for Unfinished Work

17 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, I’m sharing one of my Draft & Redraft sessions, The Garden Draft, recorded from a place of overflow. This is your permission to...

#119 Short Forms for Summer

02 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this solo episode, I’m talking about short forms (flash memoir, prose poetry, and other tiny pieces) as the most genuinely doable way back to the...

#118 Chemistry Reading for Writers with Chimedum Ohaegbu

12 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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,...

#117 The Long Game of Telling the Truth with Author Tamara Jong

28 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

#116 How to Build a Soft-Steadfast Submission Practice

14 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In episode 116 of Write, Publish, and Shine, I talk to the unpublished writer part of you.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...

#115 Radical Softness and Rage with author Rayya Liebich

31 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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....

#114 Thank You, Rest!

17 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 beh...

Returning soon: The Write, Publish, and Shine Podcast

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 Writ...

#113 Revising With Love

23 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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....

#112 How to Get Published: Stay Organized

13 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

#111 How to Get Published: Don’t Rush

10 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

#110 How to Get Published: Handle Rejections However You Want

09 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this mini-episode, “Handle Rejections However You Want,” I dive into strategies for dealing with the inevitable rejections we face as writers. ...

#109 How to Get Published: Seek (The Right Kind of) Feedback

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 c...

#108 How to Get Published: Immerse Yourself in Your Genre

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

#107 How to Get Published: Write What Haunts You

06 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

#106 How to Get Published: Craft Compelling Everything

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 throug...

#105 How to Get Published: Craft a Compelling Opening

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How to Get Published: Craft a Compelling OpeningYes, your opening matters. A strong start hooks readers and editors alike. Ensure your first few lines...

#104 How to Get Published: Build Relationships with Lit Mags

27 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 importan...

#103 How to Get Published: Find Your Spark in Lit Mag Submission Calls

25 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Themed submission calls can unlock buried stories, while offering a clear focus and deadlines. In this episode, I share tips for embracing themes when...

#102 MFAs vs Online Courses

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

#101 Crafting Cover Letters that Work

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

#100 Episode 100!

13 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 s...

#88 Writerly Book Club: All About “On Connection” by Kae Tempest [Replay]

05 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 a...

#99 Eleven Essential Writing Tips From Lit Mag Editors After 99 episodes

30 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Write, Publish, and Shine podcast, hosted by me, author and literary magazine editor Rachel Thompson, celebrates its 99th episode! I reflect on th...

#86 Letting Your Work Fall Apart with Artist Amy Friend [Replay]

22 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the conversation with Amy Friend, the artist discusses her creative process, the influence of her personal experiences on her work, and the themes ...

#98 Summer Reading for Writers

16 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 yo...

#85 Expanding on Your Vision with ViNa Nguyễn [Replay]

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Writer and Room contributor ViNa Nguyễn discusses their choice to deliberately write about joy as a writer who writes about grief and nostalgia.We a...

#62 Seventeen “Craft” Books & Lessons Learned in Our Writerly Book Club [Replay]

02 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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’...

#89 Start With a Meaningful Moment—Flash Memoir with Writer Lina Lau [Replay]

24 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

#97 Resist Expectations with Author Cicely Belle Blain

03 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 C...

#96 Set L. Shuter on Using Humour and Being Kind to Herself as a Chronically Ill Writer

20 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 me...

#95 Crystal Randall Barnett on Writing, Disability & Intuition

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the next instalment of this string of episodes on writing with limitations and disabilities.In this episode, Crystal Randall Barnett, a mem...

#94 Andrea Martineau: Believe Writers About Limitations and Disabilities

07 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the fourth instalment of this string of episodes on the theme of writing with limitations and disabilities.Andrea Martineau is a writer, po...

#93 Amy Vickers, An Autistic Writer on Beautiful Flaws

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

#92 Olwen Wilson on Following Joy While Writing with a Chronic Condition

21 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the next episode in this run of episodes on writing with disabilities and limitations.In this episode, a wonderful Writerly Love Community ...

#91 Shantell Powell on Visceral Writing and Writing with ADHD

14 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the first interview in my series of episodes on writing with disabilities and limitations.I sit down with a wonderful Writerly Love members...

#79 [Replay] Three Lessons on Writing, Revising, and Publishing Your Writing

14 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Write, Publish, Shine Intensive, which brings together my three courses: Write and Light, a course to get writers generating new, more profound wo...

#90 Accessibility for Writers with Disabilities and Limitations

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

#49 [Replay] Augur Magazine co-Editor-in-Chief Terese Mason Pierre—Nothing Has to Happen

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

“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 ...

#89 Start With a Meaningful Moment—Flash Memoir with Writer Lina Lau

17 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

#78 [Replay] Writing About Social Issues with Author Kavita Das

10 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 Ka...

#59 [Replay] The Gettysburg Review with Mark Drew on Reflecting on the Time You're In

20 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

#67 [Replay] Empathy for You and Your Reader with Lyric Writer, Christina Brobby

13 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 wha...

#88 Writerly Book Club: All About “On Connection” by Kae Tempest

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 a...

#87 Grief is a Ghost with Poet and Artist Sarah Esmi (Ghosts #8)

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

#86 Letting Your Work Fall Apart with Artist Amy Friend (Ghosts #7)

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 magazi...

#85 Expanding on Your Vision with ViNa Nguyễn (Ghosts #6)

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

#84 Reviews Editor Micah Killjoy on learning craft from books (Ghosts #5)

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

#63 [Replay] Ghosts and Haunting with Room Editor Ellen Chang-Richardson

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 o...

#83 Our Ghostly Interactions Creating a Lit Mag with Publisher Nara Monteiro

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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, w...

#82 Talking to Spirits and Handling Success with Aviaq Johnston (Ghosts #3)

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 iss...

#81 Make It Personal with Room Writers Reyzl Grace & Annette C. Boehm (Ghosts #2)

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

#80 Ghosts (#1)

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the first in a series of special episodes of Write, Publish, and Shine as I take you on a deep dive into the creation of Room magazine issu...

#61 Staying True to You as You Publish with Laurel Parry, Lyndall Cain, and Tamara Jong [Replay]

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It felt like the right time—in this season when people join writing programs and restart sending out submissions to lit mags—to replay this episod...

#79 Three lessons on writing, revising, and publishing your writing

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We talk all about the Write, Publish, Shine Intensive, which brings together my three courses, Write and Light, a course to get writers generating new...

#78 Writing About Social Issues with Author Kavita Das

14 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kavita Das really takes us on an intentional journey with her deep knowledge of social justice work and challenges us to unpack our motivations for wr...

Five Things Writers Can Stop Doing

08 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you’re just tuning into my podcast, welcome. I’m on a break, but I will be back in late August. Pick up a copy of our book club read, Craft and...

#77 Come From a Place of Passion and Honesty in Your Writing Life

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Megan Beadle ran her own literary agency for several years. So, if you’ve been listening to the last run of episodes, that word, agent, rings a bell...

#76 Make Your Own Map with Wendy Atwell

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is the continuation of our agency theme on the podcast...I interview another luminous Writerly Love community member, Wendy Atwell, who is earlie...

#75 Literary Agency with Room Editor and Multi-Hyphenate Geffen Semach

09 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As this is the third episode in the mini-series of episodes on the theme of agency and finding agency with your writing, we spend the most time talkin...

#74 Anchoring into Your Why with Memoirist Jessica Waite

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The second in our series exploring the theme of agency for writers, our double-entendre theme of both intentionality and finding an agent. Jessica Wai...

#73 Agency: Finding an Agent with Lacey Yong

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The first in our series on the theme of agency—a term both literal (i.e. about finding an agent) and abstract, in that we talk about pursuing your w...

#72 Book Club: Voice First by Sonya Huber

18 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode it is our Book Club Conversation and we talk about Voice First: A Writer’s Manifesto by Sonya Huber, sharing who we think the book i...

Cool Loneliness [Replay]

11 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Reflections on cool loneliness: When I’m not writing enough, I lose track of what I believe, who I am, and who I truly want to be. Also, Book Club C...

#71 Touch, Sight, and the Sixth Sense in Your Writing

04 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, it’s part two of our most recent six senses showcase.The writers you will hear all participated in the workshop series I offered la...

#70 Special Episode: State of the Community

28 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, it’s a little peak behind the podcast. I have some real hashtag transparency moments around what I’m working on and what I have h...

#69 Sound, Smell, and Taste in Your Writing

21 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we come to our senses again. We had another LIVE showcase of writers in the Writerly Love community. The writers you will hear all pa...

#68 Craft Book Club Conversation—The Poet's Companion by Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux

14 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode it is my pleasure to introduce you to two members of our Writerly Love Community and bring you in to our book club conversation. We’...

Wrap-Up: Empathy for Writers

07 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Wrap-Up: Empathy for Writers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#67 Empathy for You and Your Reader with Lyric Writer, Christina Brobby

28 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you’re listening right when this episode comes out, it's not too late to join Christina Brobby in the workshop we're offering today. You can lear...

#66 Empathy for Objects in Your Writing with Lyndall Cain

21 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is the second in our mini-series of three episodes on the theme of empathy for writers and a really interesting and unique take on empath...

#65 Empathy & POV with Naomi J. Williams

14 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Naomi J. Williams is the author of Landfalls (FSG 2015), long-listed for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and the National Book Critics Circle...

#64 Using the Six Senses in Your Writing—a Showcase PLUS Prompts for Each Sense

07 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Rachel talks with six writers from her Writerly Love membership community about writing through the senses.In this showcase, you’ll...

#63 Ghosts and Haunting with Room Editor Ellen Chang-Richardson

14 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ellen Chang-Richardson and Rachel Thompson on what they are looking for in submissions to the upcoming issue of Room’s Ghosts issue. Hosted on Acast...

#62 Seventeen “Craft” Books & Lessons Learned in Our Writerly Book Club

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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’...

#61 Staying True to You as You Publish with Laurel Parry, Lyndall Cain, and Tamara Jong

19 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Maybe you have found yourself feeling compromised by the publication process. Maybe even by just anticipating the publication process you have bent yo...

#60 Chill Subs' Karina Kupp on Keeping Your Chill as You Submit

28 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Chill Subs is making the submissions process much easier and less stressful. That’s the mission statement on this database of places to send your wr...

#59 The Gettysburg Review with Mark Drew on Reflecting on the Time You're In

21 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

You’ll hear Mark Drew of the Gettysburg Review in this episode answering questions from the live cohort who came to our call attended by writers in ...

Five Steps to Publishing Your Writing in Literary Journals #LitMagLove

07 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Here are five things editors want in your writing submissions to journals. This is all based on my experience reading submissions, publishing work in ...

#18 [Replay] Know You're in a Conversation with Lilly Dancyger of Narratively

23 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Rachel Thompson talks with Lilly Dancyger of Narratively, about the responsibility of editors to elevate voices left out the conversa...

#12 Humber Literary Review’s Eufemia Fantetti —Write Rhymes with Fight [Replay]

10 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

“Write rhymes with fight for a reason. We’re not all meant to be at the front line. I’m way more comfortable sitting down and trying to figure o...

#58 Room Magazine’s Lue Palmer on Who Tells Your Story, Why, and to Whom?

23 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Listen to hear about Lue’s Afrofuturistic writing and for insight into how things work at Room magazine where we are both collective members. Hosted...

#57 On Writing and “Cool Loneliness”

09 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As in the midst of this vaccinated pandemic life, I have had many awkward social moments and truly stressful interactions where I don't feel connected...

#56 Holding Each Other Up in Our Writing Community with Writer and Cartoonist Tamara Jong

26 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, I talk to Tamara Jong about celebrating writers’ publication wins.Tamara Jong (she/her) is a Montreal-born mixed-race writer/cartoo...

#32 Atticus Review's Former Editor Dorothy Bendel on Erasing Shame [Replay]

24 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I'm reissuing this interview as a companion to a piece that was just posted on my website, written by Lucy Wilde, a writer in my course and membershi...

#15 The Threepenny Review’s Wendy Lesser on Picking Pleasure Over Ambition [Replay]

09 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“I think there is too much pushing forward in a way that is not motivated by pleasure, that is motivated by shaped ambition or greed or some sense t...

#55 Handling Rejection of Your Writing and Finding Strength in Community

26 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You probably already know, or have heard, that rejection is a *big* part of writing to be read and submitting your work to lit mags. You probably also...

#54 Four Writers on Finding Their “Lanes” and Publishing in Literary Magazines

12 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ellen Chang-Richardson is a poet, writer and editor of Taiwanese and Cambodian Chinese (or Chinese Cambodian) descent, whose writing has appeared in T...

#53 Writing About Grief with Meli Walker of the Writing Grief Podcast

28 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Really, the thing that keeps me writing is knowing that at some point I will have some kind of shared connection with readers." —Meli WalkerIn this...

#52 How to Reach Out to the World with Your Writing

15 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Host Rachel Thompson explores going from the intimate to the broad, the personal to the political, and how to reach out to the world with your writing...

#01 [Replay] EVENT's Shashi Bhat, No Subject is Off Limits

01 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“I think anything that’s written about well can be interesting.”—Shashi Bhat, *EVENT*Host Rachel Thompson speaks with EVENT Editor, Shashi Bha...

#35 Massachusetts Review Editor Emily Wojcik on Trusting Your Writing

17 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“Trust that the reader came with you, trust that you did a good job and that you brought us there.” —Emily WojcikHost Rachel Thompson speaks wit...

#20 Plenitude’s Rebecca Salazar on Writing with Flash AND Fire

03 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Poems, no matter what they are about or how they approach the world, have to need to happen." —Rebecca Salazar of *Plenitude*.Host Rachel Thompson ...

#51 The /tƐmz/ Review Amy Mitchell and Aaron Schneider on Good Ugliness

20 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“We both really like having, essentially, the guts to look at not just issues in their full complexity, but also not to try to gloss over the ugline...

#50 Answers to Listener Questions About Publishing in Lit Mags for this 50th Episode!

06 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

50th Episode!This special episode is all about you, the listeners. Rachel answers your questions, mostly about submitting and publishing in lit mags. ...

#14 Amanda Leduc from the Festival of Literary Diversity—Keep Going

22 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“Don’t give up and recognize that the writing is a thing in and of itself as well. You need to be able to love doing the writing and just love bei...

#49 Augur co-Editor-in-Chief Terese Pierre—Nothing Has to Happen

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“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 ...

#48 CRAFT Editor-in-Chief Katelyn Keating—Leave Us Heartbroken, Amazed, or Excited

25 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“We’re excited if the forms that come in are not an arc. We’re not just looking for one direction of the piece, it doesn’t have to use linear ...

#08 Entropy Executive Editor Janice Lee on Writing When Language Fails You

04 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“I’m interested in asking different questions and in the vulnerability of language that allows for an honest attempt at expression and a way to in...

#47 Black Warrior Review Editor Josh Brandon on Taking Necessary Breaks

15 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“You’re kinda playing with fire when you delve into trauma writing. It’s possible to push yourself past your own limits and touch on things that...