– I had a layover in Elmira, New York—six hours long. Warblers, whistlers, and trillers sang. Joe and Maybe Dave knew when not to talk, too, when beauty itself was the conversation. Maureen Ryan Griffin has loved words and stories since her “Cat in the Hat” days and leads writing workshops and retreats ( www.WordPlayNow.com ). She’s published in numerous literary journals and will soon appear in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miracles, Angels and Messages from Heaven. Her books include Ten Thousand ...
Mar 08, 2025•8 min•Ep 49•Transcript available on Metacast — You durn fool Waves of hot lava washed down my throat, past my lungs, and hit my stomach like an acid avalanche. By day, Nick Sipe works as a mild-mannered IT manager for a Fortune 150 company. By night, he mostly recovers from the workday, but occasionally finds time to write. He enjoys writing Twilight Zone-style short stories, mostly horror and light sci-fi. Nick is currently shopping his debut novel, “Midnight Springs,” to literary agents. “Midnight Springs” is the first in a planne...
Mar 02, 2025•8 min•Ep 48•Transcript available on Metacast – “Quick! Let's get the oars!” . Traveling fast, the tanker’s bow tossed large white-capped waves. Edward von Koenigseck, relocated from Florida, resides in Ticonderoga NY. Having a 40-year career in Technical Publications, he also published two books ( Technical Writing for Private Industry and Island Park, a Memoir, and four short stories. He created 92 one-hour lectures on biblical history for presentation to elders, sponsored by the non-profit Florida-based Shepherd Centers organizati...
Feb 26, 2025•8 min•Ep 47•Transcript available on Metacast – “Do not let it get to the pond. It will eat our fish!” My Ninja Turtle dance began in the pouring rain, my umbrella in one hand and the shovel in the other. Sondra Edwards, wife, mother of two, grandmother of five, children's minister, and music educator, lives in the mountains of Boone, North Carolina. Now retired, she dabbles in visual arts and creative writing. For the past four years, she has participated in the writing group of Sue Spirit. More recently, she joined a community writing gro...
Feb 22, 2025•7 min•Ep 46•Transcript available on Metacast – He called me scaredy pants. Move, stop, and swing. Over and over. David Inserra lives on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina with his wife Ellen Titus and their dog, Mindy. David’s most recent work appears in the PSPP release, Now or Never . He is a member of the Island Writers Network and works at the local Unitarian Church. David’s first novel, a speculative thriller titled “In Your Own Backyard,” is currently being queried to agents. He is also a musician who has written over 400 songs...
Feb 19, 2025•7 min•Ep 45•Transcript available on Metacast — As I hit the water, I glanced back over my shoulder. Instead, they chose to wade through the calf-deep mud of a marsh toward Parkersburg. After a career teaching mathematics in Iowa, Jim retired to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, where he loves exploring the beach and writing stories, both fiction and nonfiction. His first novel, Freedom Run drew rave reviews. He is presently working with other members of the Island Writers Network to tune up several others for publication, including...
Feb 16, 2025•7 min•Ep 44•Transcript available on Metacast – “Don’t mind him. He’s just crotchety like that.” You get to have sway in the classroom and fix your students with a beetle-browed visage. Award-winning author Bob Amason is a retired US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and college professor. A Florida Writer’s Association member, Bob writes under his pen name, Frank A. Mason. His Journeyman Chronicles series of American Revolutionary War novels are Amazon.com bestsellers. Journeyman: Heart of Tempered Steel won the 2023 Florida Writer’s Asso...
Feb 12, 2025•8 min•Ep 43•Transcript available on Metacast – “How long have you been rock climbing?” The professor praised my speech and raved about my clever visual aid. Alison Rice Bruster comes from a long line of women who love the written word. The granddaughter of a librarian, daughter of an English teacher, and sister of a novelist, she was destined to be an avid reader and writer. After a career spent finding the voices of senior business executives, she is writing a new chapter. She holds a BA in English Literature from Queens University ...
Feb 09, 2025•8 min•Ep 42•Transcript available on Metacast – He drove and hollered, and I cowered. He was a thick slab of a man who could freeze an entire restaurant mid-rush with a giant explosive sneeze. Peter Holsapple grew up in Winston-Salem and now lives in Durham, North Carolina. Most of his life, Peter has spent time in the public eye as a songwriter and musician; but since his teenage years, he has toyed with the idea of writing prose. He is grateful to the PSPP for helping him to realize it is actually something he can do....
Feb 05, 2025•7 min•Ep 41•Transcript available on Metacast – It looked like a go-kart with wings and a parachute. Still flying, but with one wing pointing at the sky and the other within 18 inches of the sunflower field that lined the airstrip. S. G. (Sandy) Benson lives in Warne, North Carolina, where she is a member of the North Carolina Writers Network-West. Her work has appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers, and she received awards from the Nebraska Press Women. She published her first book in 2021, My Mother’s Keeper: One Family’s Jou...
Feb 01, 2025•8 min•Ep 40•Transcript available on Metacast – “Oh, I never leave home without it. There’s danger out there.” A whoosh of cigarette smoke and sour beer odor hit us in the face. Robin Russell Gaiser holds degrees in English literature and psychology and a certificate in therapeutic music. An experienced multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Robin gave guitar and dulcimer lessons and performed with The Mill Run Dulcimer Band while she lived in northern Virginia. Memories of students and Band fans offer rich ideas for stories, like “Partn...
Jan 29, 2025•8 min•Ep 39•Transcript available on Metacast – Lives are lost on the river. The thrill and challenge of charging down that churning river, paddling left and right to skirt dangers and eddies, whetted my appetite for more. Jane Satchell McAllister's writings draw inspiration from the wide variety of people and places she encounters, from her home base in Davie County, North Carolina, to rich adventures across our country and abroad. She has co-authored two Images of America books through Arcadia Publishing and served for nine years as...
Jan 25, 2025•7 min•Ep 38•Transcript available on Metacast – I was taking on challenges, all for my one secret event. I wanted to do something unique before I was too old. Frances Rinaldi lives in Melbourne, Florida, where she has been sharing stories from history, about nature, and personal experiences in schools, organizations, and theater for thirty years. She belonged to Terra Sancta Press editing group and Brevard Theatrical Ensemble for over twenty years. She has published seven books. Two children's, one environmental, and one travel book ...
Jan 22, 2025•8 min•Ep 37•Transcript available on Metacast – What could possibly go wrong? Surely guardian angels protected them from their foolish ventures. Barbara Houston lives in Matthews, North Carolina. A member of Scribblers, a memoir writing group, she writes stories about her life and family to pass on to her children and grandson. “In Bear Country,” “Music Box Memories,” “Dark Water,” and “Elephant Encounters” were published in previous anthologies through the Personal Stories Publishing Project. In addition to writing, Barbara enjo...
Jan 19, 2025•7 min•Ep 36•Transcript available on Metacast – The location and land were doable. I barely looked at the house. With each project, we discovered what we had missed in that quick, one-visit walk-through. Janet K. Baxter lives in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, and is a member of the Charlotte Writer’s Club and Scribblers, a memoir critique group. Her stories, “Horse Whispering for the Average Woman,” “Southern Blues,” “A Frank Lesson,” “Cappie, The Boomerang Horse,” “An Angel’s Smile,” “Morgan: Our Escape Artist,” “One Soul Alone,” “F...
Jan 15, 2025•8 min•Ep 35•Transcript available on Metacast – “Mama, I don’t want to die down here.” It’s forbidden to touch any bones or skulls lining the walls to balance you. Erika Hoffman is a happy and longtime resident of beautiful North Carolina. She’s a member of three writing clans: North Carolina Writers Network; The Triangle Area Freelancers; and Carteret Writers. During the past 14 years while pursuing “her scrivener dream,” she has succeeded in getting published 460 times. Yet, Erika deems her best achievement— besides being marr...
Jan 11, 2025•8 min•Ep 34•Transcript available on Metacast – Could they have once been scamps? After coffee and cannoli, we part, always promising to get together again soon. Janice Luckey, who lives in Mooresville, North Carolina, remembers when writing became a rhythm of her life. She scribbled a romance novel in a 3-ring binder in junior high school sparking a life-long love of all things writerly—writing, reading, journaling and hoarding office supplies. Janice is fueled by the love and support of her family and most anything chocolate. When ...
Jan 08, 2025•8 min•Ep 33•Transcript available on Metacast – You can’t imagine! After two quick drinks he turned into one of my fifth-grade students. After teaching 34 years, Phyliss Grady Adcock retired in Morehead City, North Carolina. She was recognized as the first Raychem Educator of the Year and is listed in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers for 1996 and 2000. Her writing has appeared in Mailbox Magazine , Teacher’s Helper , and five previous PSPP anthologies. Beginning 13 years ago, she created Senior Stretch, a program for Senior Citizens...
Jan 04, 2025•7 min•Ep 32•Transcript available on Metacast - Pleased to meet you, sir. If you’re lucky, you get to meet some special people in your life, including a President or two. Randell Jones is the editor and publisher of the Personal Story Publishing Project and producer/host of “6-minute Stories” podcast. He writes and speaks as Daniel Boone Footsteps. also RandellJones.com...
Jan 01, 2025•8 min•Ep 31•Transcript available on Metacast – I was taken aback, dumbstruck. As we rolled through the desolate neighborhoods of Los Angeles, the steward walked by and handed me a ticket with the letter “F” on it. During his career as an industrial engineer, John Rumbold, wrote several technical papers for presentation at conferences. Since retiring, he has spent ten years working on a creative non-fiction account of his mother’s experiences during the 1930s living on a rubber plantation in Sumatra, a story she only shared with him i...
Dec 28, 2024•8 min•Ep 30•Transcript available on Metacast This reprise of a story from “Trouble” is not exactly a Hanukkah story, but it is Hanukkah-”adjacent” (to borrow a wonderful phrase from Nick Sipe in his story in “Foolhardy”). It is a story about family and memories and candles, essential elements of that cultural celebration and observance. It is a story about empathy, something we can all use more of and offer more often when we can. —Happy Holidays from “6-minute Stories” podcast and the Personal Story Publishing Project. “Thirteen Candles i...
Dec 25, 2024•8 min•Ep 29•Transcript available on Metacast This reprise of a story from “Twists and Turns” is not exactly a spirited Christmas story, but it is holiday-”adjacent” (to borrow a wonderful phrase from Nick Sipe in his story in “Foolhardy”). It is a story about good intentions and learning about the lives of others, which is the essence of empathy, we suppose, something we can all use more of and offer more often when we can. —Happy Holidays from “6-minute Stories” podcast and the Personal Story Publishing Project. “The Bus Children” – She l...
Dec 25, 2024•8 min•Ep 28•Transcript available on Metacast – The car stopped; my heart pounded. I relaxed my body slightly but kept my hand on the inside door handle. Susan W. Harris lives in Hilton Head, South Carolina, where she is a member of the Island Writers Network, (IWN). Her mother, a writer, encouraged her to write. Professionally she wrote grants and proposals for nonprofits. Poems and stories were published in the IWN anthology’s recent two books. Currently, she is writing a novel inspired by the life of her grandmother and mother....
Dec 21, 2024•8 min•Ep 27•Transcript available on Metacast – I was now going somewhere; out of there, for sure. I must have forgotten that gravity is a thing. Jeanne VanBuren lives in Winston Salem, North Carolina--by way of Chesapeake, Pittsburgh, Santa Cruz, and Austin—where she is a local crafter and storyteller. As a member of North Carolina Writers Network, this story is a spark towards more memories being written and edited as “Boy Mom of Five,” “Dating Escapades” over 38 years, and “Growing up in a Crowd” of 12 siblings. Her annual Christmas writ...
Dec 18, 2024•8 min•Ep 26•Transcript available on Metacast – Why not? I thought. The word experienced frightened me, but I trashed these fears. Evelyn Eickmeyer-Quinones is a caregiver, wife, writer, poet, photographer, and former educator. Her writings can be found in Newsday , The Petigru Review, and Next Avenue . Her award-winning photographs have been published in the Kakalak Poetry Anthology and Moonshine Review . Evelyn lives in Rock Hill, South Carolina....
Dec 14, 2024•8 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast – “Did you get one?” I quickly put the bead on the target and pulled the trigger. Joe Brown is a retired building contractor. He lives on a small family farm in the Bethania area of Winston Salem NC. He now has time to do all those projects that a busy work schedule didn't allow. He enjoys his grandchildren and great grandchildren and as time allows likes to reflect on his life and write stories about his adventures. Several of those stories have been shared through The Personal Publi...
Dec 11, 2024•8 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast – “ All clear! Time for math. ” We scrunch into balls like armadillos with our fingers clasped over the back of our necks. Suzanne Cottrell, a member of the Taste Life Twice Writers and NC Writers’ Network, lives with her husband in rural Granville County, NC. An outdoor enthusiast and retired teacher, she enjoys reading, writing, knitting, hiking, Pilates, and belly dancing. Her prose has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, including the Personal Story Publishing Project, Inwoo...
Dec 07, 2024•8 min•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast – The siren song of the unknown called. “On the seventh of March 1833 I left my native town with a heart rejoicing.” Growing up in the South means hearing and sharing stories. Ginny Foard learned a lot that way and keeps on trying to find out more about it all. The air is thick with good stories. She lives in a little post office box on Sullivans Island, South Carolina.
Dec 04, 2024•8 min•Ep 22•Transcript available on Metacast – “I know what is coming.” The dying process is a crucible of tension. Thomas Gery, a common man with uncommon experiences lives in Berks County, Pennsylvania. He served in the U.S. Army with duty in Vietnam. As a social worker he helped children, youth, and adults in a variety of practice venues and situations throughout a work life of 40 years. Married with two adult children and two grandchildren, he is currently writing his life’s story to provide answers to questions his kids will ne...
Nov 30, 2024•9 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast – Forty miles to spare We followed our well-worn route, enjoying the new car smell, feeling like The Jetsons. Lisa Williams Kline is the author of two award-winning novels for adults, Between the Sky and the Sea and Ladies’ Day, as well as an essay collection entitled The Ruby Mirror and a short story collection entitled Take Me . She lives in Davidson with her veterinarian husband, a cat who can open doors, and a sweet chihuahua who has played Bru...
Nov 27, 2024•8 min•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast 
