# Ep 126 - Thomas Maltman on Making Stories Real

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/created-creative-podcast-6694810/ep-126-thomas-maltman-on-making-stories-real
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/created-creative-podcast-6694810/ep-126-thomas-maltman-on-making-stories-real.md
Podcast: [Created Creative Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/created-creative-podcast-6694810)
Published: 2026-04-27T09:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://createdcreativepodcast.com
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/5d46fa15-1e00-41c0-9715-229dbba4f916.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/created-creative-podcast-6694810/episodes/ep-126-thomas-maltman-on-making-stories-real
Duration seconds: 2070

## Resource

What do you do when you have no ashes the night before Ash Wednesday? You burn something, of course. And then twenty years later, you write a novel about it. That's exactly what happened to novelist Thomas Maltman, who teaches at Normandale Community College, is married to a Lutheran pastor, and has four novels under his belt, including Ashes to Ashes (currently in Minnesota Book Award contention). The real-life Ash Wednesday mishap became the premise for his latest book: What if the ashes wouldn't wash away? What if this happened in a small town? How would people react? That's how you turn an awkward church moment into compelling fiction. Dawn and Ruth also dive into Thomas's writing process. He shares his morning routine, drafting by hand with full permission to "write badly," then revising through typing, printing, and reading everything aloud. He talks about the value of writing community, headphones, and why you should always start new projects during those long publishing waits. This episode is for writers, obviously, but also for anyone who's ever wondered how real life becomes story. Because sometimes the best fiction starts with the moments that make you think "you can't make this stuff up." LINKS: Join our Creative Community and support this podcast by joining our Patreon: patreon.com/u11072417 00:21 Springtime City Vibes 01:15 Confirmation Walk Treats 02:12 Botanic Garden Learning 02:59 Meet Thomas Maltman 04:56 Ashes to Ashes Origin 09:22 Writing in the Morning 10:23 Publishing Without an Agent 12:09 Writing Anywhere Tools 14:14 Finding Readers Today 17:29 Long Form Comeback 17:52 Start Small Write Rough 18:46 From Journal To Draft 20:39 Living In Story Worlds 23:21 Embodiment And Truth 24:50 Writing For Love Not Money 26:48 Favorite Creators And Community…

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## Transcript

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