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Plot Lab, Stephen G. Eoannou steps into the lab with Kristi and Beth for a brainstorming session. First, we play a warm-up game called The Book Imposter, challenging Steve to guess the real novel between two book descriptions. Then, Steve picks a headline from three choices. What starts as one strange image, gradually becomes a story about a life somebody wasn’t ready to let go of, the people who are relieved he’s gone, and the one person who he’d rather stay with. We discuss different elements of craft, like why Steve can’t write a word without a title, how he builds character before plot, how sensory detail can pull a reader into a room, and how a dark premise can still be very funny. Meet Stephen G. Eoannou Stephen G. Eoannou grew up in Buffalo, New York, reading Hardy Boys books and watching old Humphrey Bogart movies on The Late Show. His love of history and writing led him to SUNY Buffalo (BA), Miami University (MA), and Queens University of Charlotte (MFA). He is the author of the short story collection Muscle Cars and the historical novels After Pearl, Yesteryear, and Rook. Eoannou lives in Buffalo, New York. When not writing, he can be found restoring his 1865 Second Empire Victorian home. More information can be found at www.sgeoannou.com. Books Mentioned Stephen G. Eoannou, Rook Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic Stephen G. Eoannou, Yesteryear Tess Gunty, The Rabbit Hutch Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol Kathleen Rooney, Man Overboard! Join the experiment Visit our Prompt Incubator online community. Share your ideas, write, or read what others are creating. Vote for your favorites. Your work could be featured on a future episode of Plot Lab. Where to Find Us Instagram: @plotlabpod Facebook: Plot Lab on Facebook Visit Plot Lab Plot Lab. From Spark to Story.

Plot Lab, Episode 1: Melissa Faliveno and the Midwestern Instinct to Keep Going What happens when you hand an acclaimed author three headlines and ask, What story do YOU think is hiding in there? For our inaugural episode of Plot Lab, Melissa Faliveno, author of the novel Hemlock and the essay collection Tomboyland, steps into the lab with hosts Kristi Leonard and Beth Uznis Johnson for a brainstorming session and discussion. First, we play a warm-up game called One Star Wonder, challenging Melissa to identify a beloved classic novel from one particularly grumpy one-star review. Then, the real experiment begins. We give Melissa three completely unrelated headlines. She chooses the one that sparks her interest and, from there, the three of us start the storytelling process. What Melissa envisions as a dramatic, opening image gradually becomes a story about a lonely man, the life he has lost, his carefully maintained world, and the impending danger that might finally force him to look toward the future. Along the way, we discuss different elements of story, like what makes a character feel real, how grief and loneliness sneak into the smallest details, how a dramatic setting can elevate tension, and how nothing raises the stakes like a ticking clock. Then, we try to answer one of our favorite questions in storytelling: What larger transformation is really taking place for our character? Meet Melissa Faliveno Melissa Faliveno is the author of Hemlock (Little, Brown, 2026) and the essay collection Tomboyland, a Best Book of 2020 pick by NPR, NYPL, Oprah Magazine, and Electric Literature. She teaches creative writing at the UNC and lives in the woods outside Chapel Hill. Melissa’s fascination with the natural world runs deep. A talking deer helped inspire Hemlock, and in this episode she talks about animals behaving badly, tornadoes, the Wisconsin Northwoods, and the strange places where story ideas begin. Find Melissa online at her website Books Mentioned Hemlock Tomboyland F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby Join the Experiment The headlines we bring into the lab don’t just belong to us. They’re writing prompts for you, too. Grab one, let it collide with your imagination, and write your own story. Then share it in our Prompt Incubator community, read what others are creating, and look for your writing on a future episode. Join our community here Insta: @plotlabpod Facebook: Plot Lab on Facebook Website: Visit Plot Lab

Plot Lab takes pop culture headlines, trending topics, and viral moments and turns them into original fiction ideas, with a guest author. Hosts Kristi Leonard and Beth Uznis Johnson bring the prompts and then the brainstorming begins. Part game show, part writers' room, every episode is a front row seat to the messy, surprising, wildly fun process of watching a story take shape. It's story creation as a spectator sport. Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/jonny-easton/aspireLicense code: X5HTMEOYPYKXJ8NW