Permission to Write Podcast

Permission to Write

Permission to Write

5.0 (4)
Books
Updated Biweekly

Permission to Write is a community for Black writers. This podcast invites writers to talk about publishing, craft, life and culture. permissiontowrite.substack.com

5d ago

Ep. 45 | Writing Your Truth

Ashley M. Coleman opens with a publishing roundup before moving into a wider conversation about what it means to tell the truth on the page when the internet is ready to react in real time. She reflects on the Nicole Hannah-Jones essay about public schooling, the responses it triggered, and the risks writers face when personal writing becomes public discourse. Key topics * Ashley Coleman discusses a New York Times opinion piece about awards, DEI, and the backlash around literary recognition. * She highlights Kennedy Ryan’s expanding success, including her Hoops romance series being optioned by Netflix after news about her Skyland series. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv/articles/kennedy-ryan-having-hollywood-moment-222909182.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall * She discusses Nicole Hannah-Jones’ New York Times Magazine essay about choosing public school for her child in New York City. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/20/magazine/ny-public-schools-black-students-segregation.html * Ashley reflects on the tension between individual parenting choices and collective responsibility, especially for Black families navigating unequal school systems. * She shares how the essay prompted her to think about her own public-school experience in Philadelphia and the sacrifices her parents made. * She questions whether readers are willing to extend grace to Black women writers when their work is vulnerable but not universally popular. * She considers the consequences of writing truthfully, especially when personal essays become internet discourse. * Ashley connects the conversation to a broader tradition of Black writers, including Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, and Nikki Giovanni, who wrote boldly about injustice. * She ends by asking listeners what it means to write vulnerably and whether writers are ready for the attention their work can bring. Edited by @officialdilemma Get full access to Permission to Write at permissiontowrite.substack.com/subscribe
Sep 15

Episode 44: Writing with a 9 to 5

Ashley M. Coleman opens with a quick publishing roundup, including Kennedy Ryan’s Before I Let Go series being greenlit at Peacock, and then shifts into the main salon topic: what it really looks like to write while holding down a full-time job. This episode pushes back on the romanticized myth of the full-time author lifestyle and makes the case that a day job can actually protect creativity, discipline, and lived experience. This Week in Publishing Romance powerhouse Kennedy Ryan announced that the series based on her book Before I Let Go has been greenlit at Peacock with an all-star team at the helm. Attica and Tembe Locke are the showrunners, and Malcolm D. Lee will be directing alongside the acclaimed author. The best-selling Before I Let Go is the first novel in Ryan’s three-book Skyland series. It centers on a divorced couple, Yasmen and Josiah Wade, who are still drawn to each other. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/kennedy-ryan-before-i-let-go-series-peacock-1236696830/ Ryan has the first, first look deal of its kind as an author and will be able to not only support her own books, but she will be able to champion others as well. Ashley M. Coleman will be moderating a conversation with Dr. Latorial Faison and Deesha Philyaw on Oct. 13th as they discuss Writing the Women of the Black Church on Oct. 13th. This free event is a collaboration between the Wintergreen Women’s Writers Collective and Torch Literary Arts. We hope to see you there for a great discussion. https://wintergreenwomenwriterscollective.com/news/welcome-table-talk-6. Here at PTW, we just wrapped up our Read Like a Writer series in partnership with Rep Club here in LA, and what phenomenal conversations we had with authors Angela Nissel and Rasheed Newson. If you missed it somehow, you can head over to our YouTube channel to view the recordings. Salon Topic The advantages of writing with a 9 to 5: * Takes the pressure off the art. * Can help you take your writing time more seriously. * Gives you experiences that you can take into your work. Edited by @officialdilemma Get full access to Permission to Write at permissiontowrite.substack.com/subscribe
Aug 25

Ep. 43 | We're Back!

Okay, life starts happening and the first thing to go is often projects we love the most. But we’re back. This podcast has been such a labor of love, and we need more spaces to talk about Black books. But this podcast is much more than books. We talk about publishing news, our read like a writer concept, craft and much more. If you’re looking for something literary, but where we can laugh, incorporate pop culture, and deep dive business and books, you’re in the right place! This week in publishing: We discuss Tomi Adeyemi and adaptions and hiring outside editors. Our Salon Topic: Working towards a sophomore book release. Edited by: officialdilemma Get full access to Permission to Write at permissiontowrite.substack.com/subscribe
10/13/2025

Ep. 42 | Writing Expansive Romance Stories with Myah Ariel

Listen to a live recording of our Craft Talk & Co-Work series in residence at Sip & Sonder in Inglewood. We caught up with author of No Ordinary Love, Myah Ariel to discuss her writing journey, perseverance in creative industries and the editing process and much more. Grab a copy of her book --> https://bookshop.org/a/8081/9780593640616 Get full access to Permission to Write at permissiontowrite.substack.com/subscribe
07/23/2025

Ep. 41 | Writing Voice with Angela Shante

Listen to a live recording of our Craft Talk & Co-Work series in residence at Sip & Sonder in Inglewood. We caught up with author of The Unboxing of a Black Girl, Angela Shante to discuss writing voice before diving into a co-working session. Grab a copy of her book --> https://bookshop.org/a/8081/9798890039538 Get full access to Permission to Write at permissiontowrite.substack.com/subscribe
07/23/2024

Ep. 40 | Working With an Editor for Your Debut Novel

In this week's episode, Ashley is walking through the process of receiving her first edit letter, how she developed her own revision process, and the collaborative work of creating a book. This week in Publishing: Publisher’s Weekly says book sales were up in May! Which is always positive news. https://t.co/GxRrB0iGIw NY Writers Coalition is closing its doors after 22 years of providing free workshops citing years of struggling to pay bills. https://gothamist.com/news/new-york-writers-coalition-decades-old-creative-writing-hub-to-close-its-doors Author of the Bridgerton Series discusses the change in story for Franchesa Bridgerton. Brings up an interesting thought about adaptations and how closely they should or shouldn’t follow the book. https://www.buzzfeed.com/noradominick/bridgerton-julia-quinn-michael-michaela-backlash Given the Option: You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty Shop the title: http://ptwbooks.com Get full access to Permission to Write at permissiontowrite.substack.com/subscribe
07/02/2024

Ep. 39 | Writing Sex with Laura Warrell and Rasheed Newson

In this week's episode, we're joined by authors Laura Warrell (Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm) and Rasheed Newson (My Government Means to Kill Me) to talk about writing sex, whether there is a right or wrong way, their approaches to writing intimate scenes, and more. A great discussion for Adults Only! Be sure to support their work: Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm: https://bookshop.org/a/8081/9780593466537 My Government Means to Kill Me: https://bookshop.org/a/8081/9781250833549 Get full access to Permission to Write at permissiontowrite.substack.com/subscribe
06/20/2024

Ep. 38 | The Stigma of Romance with Bella Jay and Shameka Erby

In Episode 38, Ashley is joined by authors Bella Jay and Shameka S. Erby to discuss the “stigma” around romance books, the indie romance writing community, representation within the genre and much more. It was a ki-ki you'll be sure to enjoy! Be sure to check out and support their work! https://shamekathewriter.com/ https://shop.authorbellajay.com/ Get full access to Permission to Write at permissiontowrite.substack.com/subscribe

5

out of 5

4 Ratings

Permission to Write is a community for Black writers. This podcast invites writers to talk about publishing, craft, life and culture. permissiontowrite.substack.com

Channel

Permission to Write
Creator

Permission to Write
Years Active

2023 - 2026
Episodes

45
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© Permission to Write
Show Website

Permission to Write Podcast

Comedy

Comedy

Updated Weekly