First Person Present

Two writers. A home studio. Questions from people who are stuck, spiraling, or just trying to finish the damn thing.Josh Boardman and Dasha Sikmashvili answer real questions about craft, revision, and the writing life. From seventh-draft despair to penny-a-word markets, these conversations feel less like a workshop and more like eavesdropping on two friends who know their way around a manuscript. Expect literary references, puppy videos, and tangents about furniture shopping. Because that's how writers actually talk about writing.Submit your questions: podcast@heweshouse.com

First Person Present is a arts podcast hosted by Hewes House, with 15 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Hewes House hosts First Person Present, a arts show with 15 episodes published.

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  Episode #11

  Clown School for Writers: AI and Creative Writing, How to Outline a Novel, and the Snowflake Method

  Sep 8, 202637 minS2

  A stolen Margaritaville notepad, a semester spent teaching "Writing After AI" at the oldest writers' conference in the country, and the eternal question of whether you're supposed to outline your novel or just vibe your way through it. Josh and Dasha dig into what a stack of AI-generated writing controversies reveals about the culture wars, then take on a listener's plea for outlining advice (snowflake method, reverse outlining, and Freytag's Pyramid included) with a pit stop at clown school along the way. Call in with questions Visit our site for full show notes Links: "Clown for Writers," Substack post by Rebecca Van Laer "Shy Girl" AI authorship controversy, reported by the Irish Times "The Serpent in the Grove" Granta/Commonwealth Prize controversy, reported by Literary Hub Harper's Bazaar UK's 2026 Short Story Competition winner, "Back and Forth" Irish Times AI-generated op-ed controversy, reported by the Irish News Save the Cat (screenwriting method) Lost Highway, dir. David Lynch Deb Olin Unferth Gustav Freytag's Pyramid Theme music: "1982" by See Jazz

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  Episode #10

  Peace Gurl Heels: Developing Your Writing Voice, Imitating Other Writers, and Why Your Style Is Already Yours

  Jun 16, 202646 minS2

  <p>Sparkling wine, the New York Knicks, and a pair of heels you absolutely cannot walk in. In this episode, Josh and Dasha get deep into the undefined territory of writer's voice—what's the actual definition, whether you can find it or whether it's already found you, and why trying to write like the writers you love might be the most seductive trap in the craft. Plus, a Reddit post from a self-described edgelord who writes Omegaverse fanfic and can't stop adding flowery language—and why their "problem" might not be a problem at all.</p><p>Call in with ques...

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  Episode #10

  Peace Gurl Heels: Developing Your Writing Voice, Imitating Other Writers, and Why Your Style Is Already Yours

  Jun 16, 202646 minS2

  Sparkling wine, the New York Knicks, and a pair of heels you absolutely cannot walk in. In this episode, Josh and Dasha get deep into the undefined territory of writer's voice—what's the actual definition, whether you can find it or whether it's already found you, and why trying to write like the writers you love might be the most seductive trap in the craft. Plus, a Reddit post from a self-described edgelord who writes Omegaverse fanfic and can't stop adding flowery language—and why their "problem" might not be a problem at all. Call in with questions Visit our site for full show notes Links: Room to Dream by David Lynch Fragmented narratives are broken, independent, and honest — Lit Hub Omegaverse — Wikipedia "Love Is a Piano Dropped from a Fourth-Story Window" by Dasha Sikmashvili Plantain by Josh Boardman Where I'm Calling From — Dasha's Substack post featuring Baby Bo's Cantina Baby Bo's Cantina on Instagram (RIP) Why Did I Ever by Mary Robison Speedboat by Renata Adler Pastoralia by George Saunders Vices by Giancarlo DiTrapano On the Joyce quote: "A man of genius makes no mistakes" — Oxford University Press Blog Theme music: "1982" by See Jazz

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  Episode #9

  I Don't Want to Talk About My Poems: Finding Your Writing Voice, Novel Length, and How to Revise a Poem

  May 12, 202637 minS2

  <p>A bottle of heretical French wine, a five-year taste arc, and a 1,000-page German novel put down out of sheer pettiness. In this episode, Josh and Dasha trace the evolution of a writing sensibility: from angular Hemingway sentences to something velvety and unnecessary, like a Californian Pinot Noir. Then: an anonymous listener asks how you know when a poem is done, and whether every word has to hit.</p><p>Call in with questions </p><p>Visit our site for full show notes</p><p><br></p><p>Links: </p><p>Les Hérétiques wine</p><p>Spencer Wine...

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  Episode #8

  Just Buy the Dress: Research Trips, Writing Residencies, and Why You're Always Going to Be Tired

  Apr 13, 202638 minS2

  <p>Banana pudding guilt, a stalker, and a trip back to Michigan that refused to cooperate. In this episode, Josh and Dasha wade into the murky gap between a research trip and a writing residency—and why confusing the two might be the cruelest thing you can do to yourself. Then, the triumphant return of Reddit dot com, where writers explain “why they stop writing (only the truth).”</p><p><br></p><p>Call in with questions</p><p>Visit our site for full show notes</p><p><br></p><p>Links:</p><p>The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge by Rai...

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