The Women Are Plotting

Jane Gari, Etienne Rose Olivier, Heidi Willis
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Do you know how to use a rotary phone? Worry about how much Aquanet you inhaled as a teen? Wonder about the creative worlds of writers? Believe belly laughs make the best ab workouts? Seek answers to the mysteries of menopause?    Then welcome to The Women Are Plotting -- a new podcast that allows a peek into the unfiltered minds of three Gen X writers. Give us a listen. And if you like what you hear, tell your friends.   If you have a story or an idea you'd like to share, we'd love to hear from you! Email us at info@thewomenareplotting.com 

  1. 11H AGO

    What Fictional World Would You Call Home?

    What if the fictional worlds that raised us were more than escapes—what if they were blueprints? We trade closets for cosmos and follow the thread from Narnia’s lamp-lit snow to Starfleet’s hopeful future, from campus rooms that spark courage to city streets where magic hides in plain sight. Along the way we test our cravings: a society without want, a classroom that opens a life, a love story that knows its limits. We start with wonder. Childhood awe lives in The Chronicles of Narnia and in a real-life classroom modeled after Dead Poets Society, where literature isn’t just homework, it’s a rehearsal for bravery. Then we move to science fiction, where Star Trek models a peaceful Earth and Star Wars adds a mythic scale that makes us itch to belong to a bigger story. We interrogate power, consent, and seductive bad-boy archetypes from Twilight to Fifty Shades of Grey. From there the conversation tilts darker and sharper. A Discovery of Witches reframes magic as scholarship and intimacy. And, Anne Rice threads immortality through history and faith, showing how adaptations can miss the point when filmmakers ignore a story’s moral spine. We unpack the film Passengers and why a romantic setup turns ethically thorny under pressure, then hold dystopias to the light: Brave New World’s pleasant control versus The Stand’s reset, where community and books rebuild meaning after the noise of a crowded humanity has settled. Through it all we keep returning to one simple act: reading. Not as escape, but as calibration. Stories teach us what to want—and what to refuse. They sketch better classrooms, saner technologies, and kinder politics. Press play for a lively, candid tour of the universes we’d actually live in, why they matter now, and how to carry their best parts back home. If this sparks your own shortlist of dream worlds, share it with us, subscribe, and leave a review so more curious listeners can find the show. Send us a text Email us at info@thewomenareplotting.com, and find us on all the socials. Be safe and be excellent to each other.

    53 min

  2. DEC 18

    From Misdiagnosis To Hysterectomy: An Endometriosis Journey Part 2

    Part 2 of Martha’s long road through endometriosis continues. In this episode, we discuss more complications she experienced post-hysterectomy, including sudden menopause and the hormone therapy that finally restored her life. We focus on advocacy, access, and the value of specialists who treat endo beyond “bad cramps.” Yale article mentioned in part 1 & 2:  https://medicine.yale.edu/news/yale-medicine-magazine/article/endometriosis/ Martha's doctors & surgeons mentioned in this episode:  Dr. Rachel Cowherd https://www.getcare.muschealth.org/providers/rachael-cowherd-1043604374 Dr. Thomas Curran https://www.getcare.muschealth.org/providers/thomas-curran-1205147022 Dr. Cristian M. Thomae https://www.getcare.muschealth.org/providers/cristian-thomae-1306934658 Heidi's surgeon in Bonita Springs, Florida: https://providers.sharecare.com/doctor/dr-jorge-a-valle Email us at info@thewomenareplotting.com and find us on all the socials Send us a text Email us at info@thewomenareplotting.com, and find us on all the socials. Be safe and be excellent to each other.

    53 min

  3. DEC 11

    From Misdiagnosis To Hysterectomy: An Endometriosis Journey

    Pain that steals whole years shouldn’t be shrugged off as “just a bad period.” We sit down with Martha, a nurse who spent years begging to be believed, and trace the arc from precocious puberty and crippling cramps to an overdue MRI that finally revealed advanced endometriosis. Her story cuts through myths and minimization to show exactly how endo can derail work, intimacy, and mental health—and what it takes to get real answers. This conversation is for anyone navigating pelvic pain, irregular bleeding, or cyclical GI symptoms that don’t add up—and for the clinicians who want to do better. We unpack why endometriosis staging doesn’t predict suffering, how an MRI can be decisive when red flags stack up, and where to find the right specialists for endometriosis surgery. We also talk about the emotional weight of seeking gynecologic care in spaces geared toward pregnancy, and why validation is as healing as any prescription. If you or someone you love is fighting to be heard, you’ll leave with language, next steps, and the confidence to ask for what you need. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs validation, and leave a review to help more people find these stories. Your voice helps others get the care they deserve. Yale article referenced in this episode: https://medicine.yale.edu/news/yale-medicine-magazine/article/endometriosis/ Martha's doctors/surgeons:  Dr. Thomas Curran (https://www.getcare.muschealth.org/providers/thomas-curran-1205147022) Dr. Cristian M. Thomae (https://www.getcare.muschealth.org/providers/cristian-thomae-1306934658) Send us a text Email us at info@thewomenareplotting.com, and find us on all the socials. Be safe and be excellent to each other.

    1 hr

  4. DEC 4

    From Runner-Chaser Chaos To Real Love: How To Tell Twin Flames From Soulmates

    What if the signs weren’t pointing to “the one,” but to the work? We pull apart the magnetic chaos of twin flames and the steady, grounded ease of soulmates, sharing real stories of closure, synchronicities, and the kind of love that doesn’t ask you to shrink. We discuss why runner-chaser dynamics feel addictive, how telepathy-like moments and “meant to be” coincidences can mask unhealed wounds, and the simple tells that cut through noise: equal effort, emotional availability, and laughter that lands in the same place for both of you. Along the way, we share the metrics that matter. Humor as a shared language and nervous system regulator. Attention as love in practice, from small rituals to memory-rich gifts. Safety as a daily experience, not a promise. You’ll hear how one of us mistook an intense, supernatural-feeling bond for fate—and found freedom in closure. You’ll also hear a love story that still sparkles decades later, proof that romance can be tender and intentional without the volatility. The big insight: healthy partnership makes you more you and inspires growth without drama. We also zoom out to the cultural scripts that train us to chase intensity: princess narratives, quick fixes, and the myth that pain equals depth. Then we zoom back in to practical advice you can use today—treat intrusive thoughts of an ex as an inner alarm, not a cosmic tug; set non-negotiables around humor, reciprocity, and curiosity; and hold out for a relationship that feels like home. If you’ve ever wondered whether your “twin flame” is a teacher and your soulmate is still ahead, this conversation gives language, clarity, and a gentler way forward. If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs the reminder not to settle, and leave a review so more people can find us. Send us a text Email us at info@thewomenareplotting.com, and find us on all the socials. Be safe and be excellent to each other.

    1h 8m

  5. NOV 27

    Female Friendships: Making New Friends, Maintaining Boundaries, And The Work Of Staying Close

    A good friendship rarely “just happens” after 30. Between work, caretaking, and the aftershocks of a pandemic, the casual paths that used to pull us together have narrowed—and the loneliness stats prove it. We’re diving into what it really takes to build and keep female friendships in midlife, from turning neighborly small talk into real support to setting boundaries when values clash. We compare the myth and mess of famous friendships with our own stories: friend breakups sparked by triangulation, political divides that felt impossible, and the moments that changed everything—like a quiet ride home from a medical procedure or a last-minute moving day rescue. We explore research on how long closeness actually takes, why most people meet their best friend around 21, and the practical steps to create new bonds when time is tight. And yes, we talk about gossip: when it helps you process and repair versus when it corrodes trust. Along the way, you’ll pick up simple tools you can use today. We share our “bananas” SOS code that turns need into action without guilt. We show how dogs, gardens, yoga classes, and Meetup groups act as catalysts to find friends in real life. We discuss having the hard conversations that nurture real friends or end friendships with people we didn't need in our lives. And we make a case for planning time with friends with the same energy you plan work—calendars, rituals, trips, and a pipeline of things to look forward to. If you’ve felt the ache of drifting apart or the risk of reaching out, this conversation will give you language, structure, and courage. Listen, then text a friend to take a walk, have a coffee, or swap books this week—and try a shared code word for those “please call me now” moments. If this episode resonates with you, please follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so more people can find their people. Send us a text Email us at info@thewomenareplotting.com, and find us on all the socials. Be safe and be excellent to each other.

    59 min

  6. NOV 20

    Mind The Orgasm Gap

    What if sex isn’t something we do, but a place we go together? We take that idea seriously and use it to reexamine the stubborn orgasm gap—how men climax more often in partnered sex, and what it actually takes for women to feel safe, aroused, and heard. From the lens of intimate justice to the very real numbers behind the disparity, we lay out how culture, porn scripts, and silence combine to make pleasure lopsided—and how education, trust, and honest language may flip the script. We share candid stories of first orgasms, the role of headspace, and how tools like vibrators and specific media may help people learn their arousal patterns. But the heart of the conversation is relational: safety before strategy, curiosity before choreography. When partners ask specific questions—Where should I touch? Slower or firmer? Stay there?—and prioritize stimulation, pacing, and warm-up, the likelihood of mutual pleasure rises fast. We talk about why some women fake it, how to stay safe while advocating for yourself, and how women should consider debriefing so the next encounter gets better. If you’ve ever wondered how to close the pleasure gap without turning intimacy into a checklist, this is your map. We offer sequencing tips like “ladies first” and a reminder that pleasure is learned, not luck. Join us as we challenge stale norms, trade performance for presence, and strive to design sex that’s generous, communicative, and genuinely shared. If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review telling us one rule you’re making non-negotiable. Send us a text Email us at info@thewomenareplotting.com, and find us on all the socials. Be safe and be excellent to each other.

    43 min

  7. NOV 13

    Out-of-Body Journeys, Past Lives, And The Science-Adjacent Search For Meaning

    What if consciousness can wander—during sleep, during sex, or in the quiet of a deep meditation—and return with a story that won’t fit inside ordinary life? We open that door with firsthand accounts of floating above a childhood bedroom, being “seen” across continents while asleep elsewhere, and a night vision of a house fire that matched the morning’s grim news. The conversation moves from goosebumps to ground rules: questioning the difference between astral projection and remote viewing, what NDEs share with OBEs, and why so many people report lasting shifts toward empathy and meaning after stepping beyond the body. We lean into practice, not dogma. From pre-dawn meditations tuned for theta states to body scanning that eases awareness into “nothingness,” we share the simple techniques that made the biggest difference. Group coherence becomes its own teacher: rooms feel different after a hundred quiet minds settle there, and that collective energy can be measured in subtle ways. We also explore ecstatic states that medicine might label dissociation, asking whether language obscures the lived reality when bliss, presence, and clarity expand far past the edges of skin. Past lives enter with surprising specificity. One regression delivers a nameable face from Napoleonic-era France—later found in an actual portrait—and another unpacks patterns that echo into this lifetime: the compulsion to write, the fear of thirst, the pull to champion stories erased by history. Children add their own puzzle pieces, recognizing an old song at first note, recalling bridges and “last time,” and describing indoor “fog” that feels like company rather than fear. Whether you call it God, source, spirit, or simply the energy we share, the takeaway is practical: kindness multiplies, community matters, and ten minutes of daily meditation can change everything. Press play to explore astral projection, near-death parallels, regressions, and the everyday practices that bring awe within reach. If a story sparks your own, we want to hear it—subscribe, share with a friend who loves a good mystery, and leave a review with your biggest question or experience. Send us a text Email us at info@thewomenareplotting.com, and find us on all the socials. Be safe and be excellent to each other.

    59 min

  8. NOV 6

    Shiterature: Hilarious Stories of Bodily Malfunctions

    A lot of us carry a bathroom story like a secret scar. We decided to tell ours out loud. We open with clear, useful GI truths, then tumble headlong into the messy middle where science meets life: nurses dodging diarrhea, a patient seemingly “birthing” something awful, and an outrageous septic tank failure that no one was prepared for. It’s raw, ridiculous, and surprisingly reassuring. We step back in time to toilet history and the pungent realities of pre-plumbing cities, where waste fell from windows and tapestries hid more than art. That context reframes modern embarrassment and reminds us how far we’ve come. Along the way we decode poop & pee color changes, and share the practical tricks you’ll be glad to know before your next meal or medicine. Travel adds stakes: food poisoning at 35,000 feet, flight attendants quietly setting aside a lavatory, and the small mercies that make survival possible. Threaded through is a creative arc: years ago Jane & Heidi wrote Shiterature, a humor collection of true bodily malfunctions, but the market wasn’t ready. Now it is. They're dusting it off, aiming for print, and opening the doors to your stories so it reflects more than their own. If you’ve ever laughed until you peed, sprinted for a bathroom, or survived a plumbing apocalypse, you’re among friends here. Hit play for equal parts anatomy, history, catastrophe, and catharsis—and if it makes you feel less alone, that’s the win. Subscribe, share with the brave souls in your group chat, and email us your story at info@thewomenareplotting.com. We can’t wait to read it! Send us a text Email us at info@thewomenareplotting.com, and find us on all the socials. Be safe and be excellent to each other.

    59 min
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About

Do you know how to use a rotary phone? Worry about how much Aquanet you inhaled as a teen? Wonder about the creative worlds of writers? Believe belly laughs make the best ab workouts? Seek answers to the mysteries of menopause?    Then welcome to The Women Are Plotting -- a new podcast that allows a peek into the unfiltered minds of three Gen X writers. Give us a listen. And if you like what you hear, tell your friends.   If you have a story or an idea you'd like to share, we'd love to hear from you! Email us at info@thewomenareplotting.com 

Information

  • Creator
    Jane Gari, Etienne Rose Olivier, Heidi Willis
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 The Women Are Plotting
  • Show Website
    The Women Are Plotting