The Show
Writing can be lonely work; WMFA counters that with conversation. It’s a show about creativity and craft, where writer and host Courtney Balestier talks shop with some of today’s best writers and examines the issues we face when we do creative work. The mission of WMFA is to explore why we writers do what we do, so that we can do it with more intention, and how we do what we do, so that we can do it better.
New episodes air every Wednesday and alternate between full-length conversations and minisodes, short explorations of creative issues. WMFA is part of the LitHub Radio Network.
Oh, and I’m often asked what WMFA stands for. The answer is: Nothing. It’s a play on radio call letters. (Remember radio?)
Download the WMFA press kit here.
The Mission
I created WMFA to build creative community through podcasting, digital relationships, and IRL connection with writers and artists. We talk about how we do what we do, so that we can do it better, and why we do what we do, so that we can do it with more intention.
This is what I believe about making that happen:
AUTHENTICITY IS EVERYTHING. Our sensitivities are our greatest artistic strengths. Showing up as our messy, imperfect whole human selves is the first step toward owning our creative processes.
TO SEE, WE NEED TO BE SEEN. Making art takes a tremendous amount of vulnerability. WMFA facilitates open conversations about our work, always.
CONNECTION IS CRUCIAL. Writing is a solitary act, but that doesn’t mean you’re alone in your creative fears, doubts, and challenges. WMFA uses conversation to build community and fight isolation, helping artists recognize themselves in each other’s experiences and learn more about themselves in the process.
YOU HAVE ALL THE PERMISSION YOU NEED. I’ve spent years invalidating my art with self-talk that is—surprise!—all bogus. If you feel called to be a writer (or any kind of artist), then the only wrong way to make your work is not to. But when you need a reminder, we’re here.
CREATIVITY IS A LOT OF HARD WORK (AND A LITTLE MAGIC). Writing is discipline and dedication to craft. It’s also intuition and inspiration. We talk about it all.
The Host
Courtney Balestier is a writer whose work focuses on the intersection of place and identity, particularly in her native Appalachia. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker online, Lucky Peach, Oxford American, and elsewhere. Her writing has been nominated for a James Beard Foundation Journalism Award and a Pushcart Prize. She is at work on her debut novel. Read her here.
