Write Your Heart Out
Episodes
Season 1 Wrapped!
05 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks for everything, Hearties. We hope each of you has a wonderful summer.We'll be back in the fall, but In the mean time, send us your short s...
How to Critique Creative Writing | Writers Groups, Workshops & Feedback
20 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What makes a good critique in a writers group? How do you workshop fiction without destroying a writer’s confidence? In this episode of Write Your H...
Storytime 8: Janine Inez’s “The Sacred Cow,” Dan Surber's horror “Viral,” and Justin Webb’s haunting descent in “Slam Shatter Scream”
06 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Write Your Heart Out, Kayla and Rachel dive into a packed Storytime episode featuring three wildly different works of fiction: a lyrical ...
Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash - Does it Live Up to the Hype?
22 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Write Your Heart Out, Kayla Ogden and Rachel Cyr dive into a lively, spoiler-light discussion of Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash—a sh...
Storytime 8: Viral by Dan Surbur and Slam, Shatter, Scream by Justin Webb. Horror stories for scary days.
08 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this heavy yet gripping episode, Kayla and Rachel record from the closet amidst a backdrop of global tension and personal transitions. The duo navi...
Unpacking Kayla's $1000+ Developmental Edit Letter
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Kayla returns from the San Francisco Writers Conference with a lot more than just a fancy hotel receipt. While the "volunteer-to...
What does voice mean in creative writing? WTF is it? We experiment.
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when the thrill of drafting collides with the slog of revision? We open the door on a month of messy pages, tempting new ideas, and the u...
Storytime 7: Prink Rotary Telephone horror story by Barry Malone, Debtor's Prison and Juliet by Chris Ritchie.
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this STORYTIME episode of Write Your Heart Out, Kayla and Rachel dive into the mailbag to read and critique work from two listeners they’ve never...
Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy: Is It Well-Written?
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We are officially relevant.In this episode of Write Your Heart Out, Kayla and Rachel dive into Jeanette McCurdy’s debut novel Half His Age, the much...
Writing Voice
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this craft-focused episode of Write Your Heart Out, hosts Kayla Ogden and Rachel Cyr tackle one of the biggest questions in creative writing: what ...
Storytime 6: Our first Fanfiction! Where Lilies Bloom by Nova
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this first episode of 2026, Kayla and Rachel reflect on how their definition of “success” has shifted—from big, flashy milestones to the smal...
Movies Are Not Books
31 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In our final episode of the year, we reflect on how Write Your Heart Out began (yes, including the lucky underwear lore) before diving into a sharp cr...
Hot Takes on Louis C.K.'s Debut "Literary" Novel, Ingram
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this wide-ranging, candid episode of Write Your Heart Out, Kayla and Rachel talk about creative resistance, privilege in publishing, and what it re...
Storytime 5: A Fair Trade by Rachel Cyr, The Beholden by Jessie Wingate, and Kayla Ogden's #VanLife
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ever cried reading your own poem on mic? Rachel did. And Kayla cried too, because friendship.And then Jessie Wingate blew our minds with The Beholden....
Begonia (2025) with Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons: Does It Follow Save the Cat?
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On a rainy night Kayla and Rachel brought clipboard to the movie theater to watch Begonia (2025).Now they’re breaking down this absurdist black-come...
Developmental Editing
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re back—and now bi-weekly! Kayla and Rachel dive into the messy middle of revisions: what developmental editing actually looks like, why you sh...
Enneagram for Writing Characters
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a craft special! We kick off with Elizabeth Gilbert’s latest (yes, the hairdresser, the church, the drugs—what is even happening), then div...
Taylor Swift vs. Charli XCX: When “Actually Romantic” Met “Sympathy Is a Knife”
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this solo mini-episode of Write Your Heart Out, host Kayla Ogden dives headfirst into the lyrical feud—or maybe flirtation?—between pop titans ...
Storytime 4: Blair Visscher reads “Easy Dark,” plus Dave Richanbach’s Poe-esque prose and MJ’s “Strangers”
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kayla and Rachel host a reader-submitted showcase featuring three luminous poems by Blair Vischer—“Easy Dark,” “Halfway Heroes,” and “Salt...
"Show Don’t Tell" debunked
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we go full craft-nerd. Kayla shares how adding interiority (yes, telling!) is transforming Pillow Forts Down, and we break down the long-mis...
Storytime 3: Scott Gibson reads "Fairytale of Bangkok", and we finally get MJ's "Elon"
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week we’re back with a Storytime episode! Kayla shares a whirlwind night at a Mountain View writers group (hello, kindred spirits), then we div...
Make the Art, Ignore the Market (aka “Are We the Sausage in This Metaphor?”)
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A Challenge to Listeners!We're going to spend two hours or less drafting something new. We want you to do it too! Send us your fast writing at Co...
Should Writers Use AI? Our Honest Debate
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As promised, we take out our hoops and smear vaseline on our cheeks to battle. Kayla is pro ChatGPT in helping her. Rachel thinks it's cheating. ...
Cry Triggers
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After a summer hiatus, Kayla and Rachel are back—and ready to get into a new writing flow. Rachel shares her progress on Dinner for Eight, including...
Save the Cat!
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After a little summer hiatus (camping, in-laws, a spiral-bound manuscript from FedEx…), Kayla and Rachel are back in the podcast saddle and diving d...
Hot Takes on the Writers' Luncheon
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we attend a virtual "lunch and learn" hosted by the Women’s National Book Association and featuring legendary San Francisco lit...
Brandon Sanderson Mansplaining, The Next Big Story, The Bonnie Blue of Agents, and Rachel's Muse is Murderous
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kayla and Rachel share juicy updates on their newest writing projects—Rachel’s twisty, spicy dinner party murder mystery (with a murder mystery ga...
Storytime 2 - Stories that were too good for Reedsy. MJ’s “Clouds,” The Flamingo Poem and love for Chuck Palahniuk
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 7: Storytime – The Ones We Never Submitted This week on Write Your Heart Out, Kayla and Rachel read the stories they didn’t submit to the ...
Did we just get rejected?
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rejection Letters, Contest Drama, and the Return of the MuseIn this episode of Write Your Heart Out, Kayla Ogden and Rachel Cyr unpack their experienc...
Storytime - Larry is Not Well
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 5: Story Time — 17 Cats, 2 Writers, and One Very Unwell ManIn our first official Story Time episode, we (Kayla Ogden and Rachel Cyr) read al...
Challenge Accepted
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Write Your Heart Out, Kayla and Rachel dig into the very beginning of storytelling—literally. They each bring the opening lines of two ...
How do we write sex scenes without cringe? Plus ACOTAR Hot Takes.
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Louis CK & Mr. Beast are authors now? Posers...Episode 3 – Thoughts on ACOTAR, Sex Scenes, Ghost Stories, and Cancelled Comedians: Writing What ...
Did we just join a cult?
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Write Your Heart Out, Kayla and Rachel dive into the awkward, exhilarating world of submitting your writing for publication. Rachel...
Are we writers yet?
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this debut episode of Write Your Heart Out, co-hosts Kayla Ogden and Rachel Cyr open up about their writing journeys, imposter syndrome, and the ma...
Write Your Heart Out - Coming Wednesday, June 11!
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
🎙️ Write Your Heart Out is the podcast for writers who crave real conversations about the writing life. Hosted by Bay Area emerging writers Kayla...