Unfortunately...

Mona West and Courtney Floyd
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Unfortunately... is a podcast about fiction, failure, and moving forward. Like nearly all creatives, we’ve experienced our share of rejection, disappointment, jealousy, and frustration. We’ve wallowed in the lonely darkness wrought by that simple phrase, “unfortunately, this story didn’t quite work for us…” With this podcast, we hope to shed light on that darkness. To create a safe space to discuss the harder parts of the craft, to reassure one another that we’re not alone, and to learn together how to keep going and keep writing. Co-hosted by speculative fiction authors Mona West and Courtney Floyd, new episodes release on the 1st and 3rd Friday of every month.

  1. JAN 12

    It's Like Throwing a Pebble into Space

    In the final episode of season one, Mona and Courtney chat about their top failures of 2025, self-forgiveness in writing, season one's highs and lows, and what we're thinking about for season two. Courtney decides to host a writing challenge -- it starts today, join here! We'll send you Unfortunately swag if you hit your goal. Transcripts here! Learn more about Unfortunately... at unfortunatelypod.com and follow us on Bluesky @unfortunatelypod. We mentioned "Writing Begins with Forgiveness" by Daniel José Older. Check out Mona's work! And if you're interested, subscribe to Courtney's newsletter, Wallowing in Ink. Support Unfortunately... by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unfortunately

    54 min

  2. 12/19/2025

    It's Never Gonna Be Perfect

    Courtney and Mona chat with author Jennifer Hudak about navigating major career shifts, the necessity of fallow periods, negotiating identity as a writer, and finding ways to build resilience. Transcripts here! Find Jennifer online at jenniferhudakwrites.com and on Bluesky. And check out Jennifer's story, "The Colonists" in Eco24! Learn more about Unfortunately... at unfortunatelypod.com and follow us on Bluesky @unfortunatelypod. Support Unfortunately... by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unfortunately

    59 min

  3. 10/17/2025

    The Book of Your Heart is Not on Trend

    Courtney and Mona chat with debut novelist Emily Zipps about going on sub when the world is on fire, silence around the novel submission process, the debut learning curve (options and deadline juggling oh, my!) and selling sapphic romcoms. Transcripts here! Find Zipps online at emilyzipps.com and on Bluesky, Instagram, and Tiktok as @emilyzipps. And preorder Alice Rue Evades the Truth or request it at your local library! Learn more about Unfortunately... at unfortunatelypod.com and follow us on Bluesky @unfortunatelypod. Support Unfortunately... by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unfortunately

    1h 3m

  4. 10/03/2025

    If You Force the Zipper, It Won't Budge

    Courtney and Mona chat with debut author, Piper L. White, about the debut learning curve, how other types of writing and art inform and interconnect with our fiction, and writing genre in a BFA program. Courtney infodumps about nineteenth-century genre formation. Transcripts here! Find Piper online at piperwhitewrites.com, on Instagram, Bluesky, and Twitter as @piperlwhite and on TikTok as @piperwhitewrites. And check out All (Dead) Girls Lie! Learn more about Unfortunately... at unfortunatelypod.com and follow us on Bluesky @unfortunatelypod. Support Unfortunately... by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unfortunately

    53 min

  5. 09/19/2025

    It's an Economy of Favors

    Courtney and Mona chat publishing, precarity, and privilege with debut author Lacey Dunham. Transcripts here! Find Lacey online at www.laceyndunham.com., on Bluesky and on Instagram. And check out The Belles, which is out now! Learn more about Unfortunately... at unfortunatelypod.com and follow us on Bluesky @unfortunatelypod. Support Unfortunately... by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unfortunately

    1h 3m

  6. 09/06/2025

    It's Like Army Crawling Through 30 Inches of Snow

    Mona and Courtney chat with debut novelist Rebecca Danzenbaker about the power of persevering, finding what works for you in the publishing process, and using privilege to lift underrecognized authors up. Transcripts here! Find Rebecca online at rebeccadanzenbakerbooks.com, and on Instagram, Threads, and TikTok as @rebeccadanzenbaker. And check out her debut YA, Soulmatch! Learn more about Unfortunately... at unfortunatelypod.com and follow us on Bluesky @unfortunatelypod. Support Unfortunately... by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unfortunately

    1h 8m

  7. 08/15/2025

    You Need a Suitcase Full of Skills

    Mona and Courtney chat with author Lisa Tirreno about shifting from journalism to novel writing, celebrating rejections, gamifying the writing process, motivation, and working out what works for you as a writer. Transcripts here! Find [author] online at lisatirreno.com, on Bluesky and Instagram and Threads. And check out Prince of Fortune! Learn more about Unfortunately... at unfortunatelypod.com and follow us on Bluesky @unfortunatelypod. Support Unfortunately... by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unfortunately

    54 min

  8. 08/01/2025

    You Need Work-Life Balance for Writing, Too

    Courtney and Mona debut novelist Alysha Rameera about the skills you need to learn on the fly in debut year, the feeling of not being enough to write your culture, how vital work-life balance can be in writing, and our strategies for managing publishing anxiety. Transcripts here! Find Alysha online at alysharameera.com and on Instagram. And check out Her Soul for a Crown which is out August 12th! Learn more about Unfortunately... at unfortunatelypod.com and follow us on Bluesky @unfortunatelypod. Support Unfortunately... by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unfortunately

    1h 2m
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About

Unfortunately... is a podcast about fiction, failure, and moving forward. Like nearly all creatives, we’ve experienced our share of rejection, disappointment, jealousy, and frustration. We’ve wallowed in the lonely darkness wrought by that simple phrase, “unfortunately, this story didn’t quite work for us…” With this podcast, we hope to shed light on that darkness. To create a safe space to discuss the harder parts of the craft, to reassure one another that we’re not alone, and to learn together how to keep going and keep writing. Co-hosted by speculative fiction authors Mona West and Courtney Floyd, new episodes release on the 1st and 3rd Friday of every month.

Information

  • Creator
    Mona West and Courtney Floyd
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Mona West and Courtney Floyd
  • Show Website
    Unfortunately...