Author commentary on stories featured on my Freely Written podcast in August 2024: Condesplaining and Migraine.
At the end of each month, I’ll shed some light on my writing adventures.
If you’re new to Freely Written, this podcast offers very short stories written from a chosen prompt with no planning and very little editing. These stories are an exercise in letting go of perfection and embracing spontaneous creativity. You may even be inspired to write a story of your own!
Episodes are released every other Tuesday and are around 10 minutes long. Listen with your favorite podcast app or from the links below!
Ep. 121 – Condesplaining – August 7, 2024
Listen first to avoid spoilers! Find the story here: Condesplaining
My writing prompts for this podcast are usually real words or familiar phrases. It’s rare to use a made-up word, but that’s what I did for this story. I’d like to say I coined ‘condesplaining‘ as a gender neutral term for ‘mansplaining,’ since I did come up with the word on my own. Yet, when I Googled ‘condesplaining’ I found a few scattered cases of other people using the same word in the same way. Great minds (shrug).
I like the word and think it’s a better fit than mansplaining because (regardless of arguable frequency) people of any gender have been known to talk down to someone without regard to their expertise. It’s insulting behavior and I do my best to avoid it. Though liking the term and using it effectively in a story are two different things.
The free-written, no-planning approach of this podcast sometimes gets in the way of an idea and this was one of those times. Basically, I sat down with the vague idea of ‘condesplaining’ and didn’t see a way forward, except for someone being accused of this social misstep. The thought of a misstep morphed into an idea of breaking a law, which mingled with my current Gilmore Girls rewatch, leading to a quirky town council meeting with a newcomer who wasn’t versed in the town’s ways.
The notion jumbled together in the seconds before I began to type and I jumped in without further consideration. Which is the point. I think my imagination tried to create too much backstory on this one, making the build-up heavy and the ending rushed. Oh well. Not every free-written story flows easily. With some planning and editing, this may have been a better story, but that wouldn’t be in the spirit of Freely Written.
Ep. 122 – Migraine – August 21, 2024
Listen first to avoid spoilers! Find the story here: Migraine
Having a migraine sucks. This story about having a migraine is not fun. Fortunately, my migraines are not as frequent as they have been in the past (thanks to daily magnesium and B2!). When they do hit, they are absolutely debilitating. Migraine is so much more than a “bad headache.” Migraine affects my entire body. It’s impossible to adequately describe the pain and helplessness of being knocked down so effectively.
This story was a shot at capturing a physical and emotional response to migraine. More of a diary entry than a short story. Maybe it’s what some other migraine survivors need to hear. Maybe it will resonate. Or maybe it won’t. Migraine can come in many forms and with a wide variety of symptoms. If you or a loved one suffer with migraines, be sure to get the support you need both mentally and physically. Migraine can trigger a host of negative emotions including depression, anger, and despair. Yet you are not alone. Connecting with others can help.
In writing this summary, it seems like August was not my best short story month. Here’s hoping you still found some enjoyment (or connection) in listening to these stories and that September will hit a cheerier stride.
Have a suggestion for a future writing prompt? Let me know! If your prompt is chosen, I will give you credit in the episode.