Episode 7: Storytime – The Ones We Never Submitted
This week on Write Your Heart Out, Kayla and Rachel read the stories they didn’t submit to the Reedsy contest—and wow, you’re in for a ride. Kayla's story, “The Muse,” features a moody writer, a mysterious muse, and an ex-fan with unsettling cinnamon energy. Rachel shares “An Extra Scoop of Revenge,” a tale of friendship and arson.

Also in this jam-packed Storytime episode:
– Our first-ever listener-submitted poem (thank you MJ!)
– Rachel debuts a flamingo poem that starts in a zoo and ends in full mama bear mode
– A new writing assignment inspired by Chuck Palahniuk: write a secret you’ll never confirm or deny.

If you like literary chaos, mermaids, twisted sisterhoods, and hot pink vengeance—this one’s for you.

Call us! Submit a story or poem to read on the pod: 650-260-4885 or email contact@writeyourheartoutpod.com
New episodes every other Wednesday

Please subscribe, rate and review!

New episodes every Wednesday.

E-mail us your short story at contact@writeyourheartoutpod.com

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Leave us a message at 650-260-4885

Rejection Letters, Contest Drama, and the Return of the Muse

In this episode of Write Your Heart Out, Kayla Ogden and Rachel Cyr unpack their experiences with the Reedsy Prompts Competition. Spoiler alert: neither of them submitted their stories to it! Why? Word count woes, shady contest terms, and a deeper conversation about protecting your creative work.

They also talk through their first rejection letters—Rachel gets ghosted and rejected (double sting), while Kayla shares some querying wins and woes, including a personalized pass and a surprise full manuscript request from a Canadian agent (aka her “shooting star”).

Other highlights:

• A spicy new short story idea from Rachel that’s turning up the heat (and maybe leading to her “sex muse” moment)
• Kayla’s late-night muse visits and her next novel idea
• The ethics of contests like Reedsy and why writers should read the terms of service before submitting (lesson learned!)
• How Elizabeth Gilbert, Ruth Stone, and Alan Watts factor into Kayla’s creative process
• Sharks, weddings, and the unexpected writing lessons of Shark Heart

It's a chaotic, heartfelt, and hilariously honest conversation about rejection, inspiration, and what it means to take your writing seriously—even when nobody else has yet.

Please subscribe, rate and review!

New episodes every Wednesday.

E-mail us your short story at contact@writeyourheartoutpod.com

Follow us on instagram @writeyourheartoutpod

Leave us a message at 650-260-4885

Episode 5: Story Time — 17 Cats, 2 Writers, and One Very Unwell Man

In our first official Story Time episode, we (Kayla Ogden and Rachel Cyr) read aloud the short stories we wrote based on prompts from The Writer’s Toolbox—including the eerie first line “There were 17 cats living in Larry’s basement.” What follows is a shared descent into feline chaos, lonely hearts, and the kind of dark humor that sneaks up on you.

We talk through the weirdly specific details we both managed to include, and the experience of writing from unusual points of view.

Plus: we challenge ourselves to enter a short story contest with a 4-day deadline, chat about storytelling chemistry, and unpack what it means to “talk in stories.” If you like fiction, prompts, or listening to two writers try to out-weird each other, this one’s for you.

Please subscribe, rate and review!

New episodes every other Wednesday.

E-mail us your short story at contact@writeyourheartoutpod.com

Follow us on instagram @writeyourheartoutpod

Leave us a message at 650-260-4885