write stories on episode

Episode Interactive

What is Episode?

The Episode app is a mobile storytelling network and platform. Episode features interactive Hollywood-caliber stories built from the ground up for mobile, not the passive entertainment of TV and movies. In Episode, your choices decide the path of your story. There have been 10+ billion episodes viewed on Episode so far. We’ve also opened up our storytelling platform and have the world’s largest community of interactive stories and storytellers, with 150,000+ stories and 25+ million registered creator accounts. Episode can also be read in 6 languages with more to come.

At 10+ billion episodes viewed across 150,000+ stories, Episode has the largest selection of stories on mobile. From romance to comedy to suspense to mystery, Episode has something for everyone.

You could create the next great Episode story. Make your story on the Episode website and share it with millions of viewers on Episode.

Episode puts YOU in the center of the story. Find love, hang out with celebrities and make choices that shape your story!

Featured Stories

Love On Fire

OMG! Love on Fire is just getting started… Ready to HEAT things up on your first official date?! Show us you can strut your stuff, babe! #flauntit #firstdate #loveonfire 

Rule Breaker

You quickly realize that Russ isn't the one for you, and you dump him. Too bad he's out for revenge, and your new hot room mate gets caught in the middle.

My Brother's Hot Friend

It's not easy being the new girl. Especially when [CALEB:Caleb:Kayla] is making sure all the guys stay away from you. 

Ready to heat up your love life? Flirt, scheme, and party your way to true love in this sizzling romance where YOU call all the shots--and make all your dreams come true.

The K*ss List

Kentwood Academy is ripe for taking over. Continue your perfect streak of ruling schools by kissing 10 of Kentwood's hottest singles!

Catching Feelings

Last night with Shay isn’t the only thing on your mind after you learn you’re the subject of a crazy rumor in school…

It'll Be Our Secret

Will you and Frank be able to have a baby? And perhaps a better question… what’s up with this cute neighbor of yours??

Bad Meets Bad

First day at your new school! And it looks like your neighbor already has some thoughts about you... wanna find out what they are?

Girl In A Boyband

You go out for drinks with the band, and after a few drinks you end up in Asher's bed!  

Coming For The Crown

You arrive to the Castle and learn that the rules here are way stricter than they were in your village.

Aligning The Stars

When your hot, mysterious celebrity invites you to a charity gala, you are determined to be reunited. Will the stars align for you to find each other?

When a vampire comes to your window, will you invite them in, or leave them out in the cold?

Crossing the Line

Time to learn about the mysterious Bentley Banks! And what better way than over an intimate beach bonfire party?

Me & 2 Bad Boys

Meet Rayden, the baddest of the bad boys! Is he really as dangerous as he seems, or is there more beneath that dangerous attitude?

Pretty Little Liars

One year later, Ali's still missing. You and the girls are closer than ever, but emerging secrets and the return of a past love threaten to tear your new life apart.

Interested in creating a story ?

Join the largest community of interactive storytellers in the world. Sign up today to create your story and share it with millions of readers on the Episode app!

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How to Write a Story on Episode: Choose Your Story App on iPhone or iPad

Last Updated: June 24, 2020 References

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA . Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. This article has been viewed 59,444 times. Learn more...

This wikiHow teaches you how to use Episode’s mobile editing app to create your first story on an iPhone or iPad.

Creating a New Story

• The mobile app is for creating stories that you can save or share with friends. If you want to create and publish a series of many episodes, you’ll need to use the Episode Writer’s Portal on a computer. [2] X Research source

• Stories are broken into scenes, which are parts of the story that occur in a single location (against a single background). Scenes are broken into ″beats,″ which are each action and/or dialog bit that occurs in the scene. [3] X Research source
• To create the first scene, you’ll select a background. Each thing that happens in the first scene will be added to its own beat, which will have the same background.

• Now that you’ve created a background, you’ll see that there’s a green circle near the bottom-left corner of the screen (right of play button). This circle represents the first beat. Each beat will eventually have its own circle.

Creating Characters

• Swipe left or right to see a preview of your character in the selected tone.
• To see all skin tones at once, tap the upward-pointing arrow at the bottom-left corner of the screen to open all options in one window.

• The options at the bottom of the screen are different outfit categories. Tap each category to explore its options.

• Repeat these steps to create additional characters.

Creating the First Beat

• Tap Characters at the bottom of the screen. Your new character(s) show up in the list.
• Tap a character to insert it.

• Tap the pencil icon beside the character's head to open the menu, then tap the icon at the bottom of the list (a vertical line with a curved arrow) to cycle through different standing positions.
• When the character’s position is right, tap the pencil icon to close the positioning screen.

• Tap the character (if they are not still selected).
• Tap Emotions at the bottom of the screen.
• Tap the emotion that fits the character who’s speaking.
• Tap Emotions again to exit the selector.

Adding More Beats

• Not all beats require speech.

Adding Another Scene

Sharing Your Story

• You can use your real name or a pen name if you wish.
• Tap the Genre menu to view a list of story genres, then tap your selection.

• To save the story to your phone, tablet, or iCloud drive, select Save to Files , then follow the on-screen instructions to save it.

Community Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://episodesupport.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115004083514-What-is-Mobile-Creator-
• ↑ https://episodesupport.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115004083494-What-can-I-do-in-Mobile-Creator-
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPsWlD_oE3Q&feature=youtu.be
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxFP8zZvQeA
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sukk1X-bi98

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I Explode Things.

How to Write Episodic Fiction (pt.2): Shaping Episode Arc

Wikipedia defines an episode thusly: An episode is a coherent narrative unit within a larger dramatic work such as a film or television series . An episode is to a sequence as a chapter is to a book.

In its Most Basic Form, an Episode is an Event

So, a serial (or sequence) is a bunch of related episodes published consecutively, while an episode is a "coherent narrative unit" describing an event. Episodes have to be:

• Related to each other: A book of short stories or an anthology doesn't count. On the other hand, episodes don't have to be chronological or sequential. They don't have to be about the same characters.
• A coherent narrative unit: This is the biggie. Episodes tell stories. Episodes have an arc with a beginning, middle and end.

Us writers are typically taught to write stories using things like scenes and bridges, ups and down, etc. Anymore, most ebook chapters are typically one to two scenes cleverly ended moments before the actual end or resolution of the scene (so the reader has to start the next chapter to figure out how the scene ends). Because of this, a single chapter is almost never an episode.

Chapters are NOT Episodes

My early experimentation (almost four years ago) with episodes started as a means of developing the backstory of my main characters before writing a novel. Because of this, I typically chose a traumatic event from the character's past, inserted a story arc, and wrote a short story. They involved a moral of some sort (to describe the impact on the main character). They contained short term resolution while opening up longer term questions about the character's future.

I wanted readers to get to know my main characters as masters of their own worlds, and then be curious enough to read a longer story about those worlds colliding.

I didn't realize it at the time, but I was creating episodic fiction with each episode (typically around 30 to 50 pages in length). After creating seven shorter episodes and three longer novels in the same series, I realized I enjoyed creating the shorter episodes more.

Episodes are Lightning in a Bottle

Dense, compact, efficient little pops, episodes are like punches from Bruce Lee in comparison to books being like wild haymakers from a drunken Lee Marvin. Episodes have no time for wasted words. Unlike short stories, episodes aren't irrelevant one-offs reserved for snooty and wanna-be-snooty readers alike. (Oh yes I did!)

When strung together, episodes provide genre readers with the kind of content they can't wait to snort on the way to work or during a break or right before bed. Episodes have everything novels have, without the water. When done right, episodes have the ability to become the fodder—the hard stuff—of true fiction addicts. And aren't these the people most indie authors want to write for? (No offense to those of us who have nobler ambitions. Personally, my goals revolve around genre fiction and earning a living.)

Focus on the Arc(s)

When done wrong, episodes become either incomplete (ie. chapters), or they suffer from amnesia/redundancy—starting over too much or too little. The trick to writing punchy episodes that contain the right amount of plot complexity is to remember all of your arcs.

• EndGame: the overarching big picture goal
• Mini-series: for added thrills, bridge a small number (2-6) of episodes together with an intermediary goal.
• Single Episode: every single episode must resolve a problem of its own (with the exception of the cliffhanger two-part episode).

Crafting a Single Episode Arc

A single episode arc should start with the introduction of a new problem/event (or possibly pick up from where the end of the previous episode introduced the new problem). The middle of the episode describes the efforts to come to grips with the problem/event. The middle should include ratcheting tension and stakes. The end describes an either successful or unsuccessful attempt to resolve the problem/event. Commonly, the end will provide resolution of one problem/event just to introduce the next.

There are three common methods for developing single episode arcs:

• linear or chronological
• character-based

While it is possible to mix and match these forms in a single series, it is not commonly done. Most episodic series will choose one or the other and stick with it throughout. Once again, television provides the most accessible examples for each of these methods for telling episodic fiction.

Crime procedural such as CSI are a popular example of formulaic episodic story arc. Each episode follows a pretty strict formula starting with a crime scene and ending with some form of justice for the victim(s). Of course these formulaic serials also include mini-series arcs that will often times revolve around the central characters (inter-relational arcs or skeletons in the closet are the most common forms of mini-series arcs). While the best of these formulaic episodic series also include a large, endgame arc, this type of episodic story telling is the most common to skimp on the endgame. This is also why so many of these series fade out with a whimper after lasting far too long.

A popular example of character-based episodic fiction is a show like Firefly . (It was popular in my circles!) If you prefer, you can think of a show like Friends as well. While Malcolm Reynolds remained a central character in most of the episodes, most of the supporting cast were capable of driving one or more episodes on their own. In Jaynestown , Jayne takes center stage. In Heart of Gold , Inara becomes the driving character. Objects in Space revolves around River Tam and her past. This type of episodic series is fun when the characters are engaging and their relationships provocative. There is always more backstory to weave into the present storyline, and each encounter makes the whole of the story richer because the relationships become richer.

Last but certainly not least, the linear episodic arc structure is the most common these days. Series such as Breaking Bad, Lost, House of Cards, etc. are all based on this episodic method. While each and every episode does not have to fall into a perfect, chronological order, this form of episodic storytelling is foundationally driven by the unfolding of a central, linear story. This form of episodic storytelling is most likely to have a strong endgame at the sacrifice of individual episode arcs. Many of the episodes might involve cliff-hanger endings or evolve into two-parts. Linear episodic storytelling is driven first and foremost by the urgency of the narrative and the unfolding plot. The television show, Twenty-four, was an extreme example of this form of storytelling.

Bottom Line:

Stick to one of these forms of episodic storytelling, remember to reference the mini-series arc, always point back to the endgame arc, and constantly spice up your character dynamics with either a death or a resurrection and you're golden. But, we'll have to wait for the next posts to get into the details on these! Next up, we'll focus on episode transitions and incorporating mini-series arcs.

Sound off in the comments if you disagree or have anything to add. I'm by no means the Jedi Master of this stuff (although I have reached advanced Padawan levels).

3 thoughts on “How to Write Episodic Fiction (pt.2): Shaping Episode Arc”

I agree with this description. Thanks! I am the writer of a modern day mafia dram series titled “Kill Em All Kansas City.” I would love to get some feedback on my writing and arching per episodic format. You can view at the following YouTube link… https://youtu.be/98OY0R8iWHE

Hello I’m starting an epesodic series but what I’m wondering is do you write it chapter to chapter or do you leave out the chapter and just write the story

Casey, I’m assuming you are asking whether or not I still include breaks in the story. The answer is YES! If I’m writing an episode that is around 10,000 words then I’ll typically break that episode up into scenes. Most of scenes are between 600 and 1500 words each. So I usually end up with around 10 to 12 scenes per episode.

It depends on the pacing of your story and what your readers are looking for, but most readers these days will enjoy having breaks more often than even 20 years ago. Reading digital content on devices lends itself to smaller chunks of content in my opinion. And there has been some research to prove as much.

Good luck and happy writing! Go check out http://www.fictionvortex.com and see what you think. That is my speculative, serial, episodic fiction publisher website. We currently have over 12 authors creating some great episodic content.

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Writing an Episode story 101 - The key to success

Great tutorial on how to plan your stories: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k21ocq1vCu8&t=493s

Catch’em readers! - Things that draw you potential readers’ attention:

Cover - Make it eye-catching. Don’t publish your story with the default cover ever - it looks very plain and won’t interest your readers. Try to avoid messy looking covers as well. Don’t steal other people’s art or images from the internet you’re not sure are free! Ask around the forums, there are plenty of artisit and editors that do free story covers.

Title - Take time to come up with something good and catchy. New authors tend to name their stories something very plain and cliché (most seen example: “Falling for [insert any cliché word]”)

Tip: Make your title have a ‘pun-like’ meaning for the plot. Word plays are catchy!

If you’re uncreative when it comes to story titles or can’t seem to find a fiting one - feel free to visit my Story Title Shop

Story description: This is what most probably will make a reader decide wether or not they’ll start your story. Try to summarize what’s your story about without revealing too much, make people want to find out themselves.

Promote your story!

Forums: There are a lot of story promoting threads here on the forums. You can also create one yourself and ask people to read your story.

Social media: Use lots of hashtags, post a lot of teasers/trailers and sneak peeks. Ask fellow authors for story shoutouts or check out some episode helping pages on instagram. (example: @episodeaxiom , @episode.advocates , @episode.luxe )

Get a second opinion - don’t rely on yourself (sorry). This is important! You as the author may see your story as the best and most interesting out there. But from a reader’s perspective it can be quite the opposite. Ask around for a story review (there are many threads here on the forums as well as on Instagram) or a “read for read”. Take some criticism! Don’t get offended when someone dislikes something about your story - instead ask yourself how you can make it better.

Update your story frequently - people tend to lose interest quickly, if you take forever to update. (I know everyone has a life outside episode, but I still think it’s possible to write one episode every 1-2 weeks).

Have your story proofread and beta tested before publishing.

Proofreading: have your story checked for grammar mistakes. I, as a reader tend to stop reading a story when the author doesn’t use commas and periods. Even though many readers are not native English speakers - good grammar and punctuation are pleasant for the eye and make your story more proffesional. There are many authors and pages that provide proofreading services here on the forums and social media as well. Use the opportunity!

Beta testing: even if you haven’t published your story yet - you can still have it read and tested by your friends and/or fellow authors. Send them your story link (not the URL at the top of the page), you can find it at the bottom of your story creation page on the writer’s portal. This is especially important when you’re using a lot of branches, mini games etc. It’s easy to make mistakes in advanced directing.

Give them a background story! Write it down, even though you might never really use it, but this is what you’ll be referring to when writing their persona. See it as a sort of template on how your character would act in specific situations or how they treat other people etc. It’ll be very helpful in planning out the character development.

Help questions: What was their life before the happenings in the story? What was their childhood like? What is their goal in life?

Make the characters realistic yet unique in their own way - nobody’s perfect!

Give them flaws that affect their behavior. (Examples: perfectionism, workaholic etc.).

Think of them as real people: do the have any habits, addictions? What are their favorite things (color, food)?

Own style - it reflects their personality. (clothing, music etc.)

Do they have any health/mental healt issues? (Asthma, OCD etc.) Complexes about themselves? (Example: Body image)

!!! If you want to include one of those things in your story, make sure to do enough research first. You don’t want to offend anybody who’s struggling with this in real life!

Tip: Instead of thinking what they are like, ask yourself the opposite: what are they not like? What’s their pet peeve? What is the one thing they’d never wear? etc.

Secondary characters - make them be the other aspect the readers to want read more - aside from the main plot. They can really make your story unique and provide additional entertainment. However, make sure they’re not random or just there to expand the story line. Give them background stories, an own life and an own purpose in the story.

!!! Please avoid the ‘best friend syndrome’, especially if the character is black, gay etc. Best friend syndrome means that a character’s ‘only’ role in the story is to support the MC with their decisions and problems while not having a life or purpose of their own.

Think of a unique plot. Have your story have a ‘goal’ - something where it’s heading towards to. (Example: A great war in a fantasy story, a solution of a murder mystery) Also: clichés are not a bad thing. People love them, that’s why they’re clichés. But don’t ‘copy’ things from other stories - instead add your own twist to the main idea.

Help questions: What hasn’t been written yet? What haven’t you seen in a story before? If you were to explain what your story is about to one of your friends or family members, what would you tell them? Is it really worth reading?

Drama! but not random, pls Add some drama that has a meaning for the plotline. Don’t add unnecessary content just to ‘make your story more interesting’ - it’s obvious and the story will seem unorganized… Examples:

• Plot twists You thought your LI had a girlfriend - surprise! it’s only his sister, you can have him!
• Something from a character’s past - preferably something dark/mysterious, like an old lover/stalker, a sibling they told noone about etc.

Everyday life - show some aspects of the characters’ everyday life, aside from the main story line but nothing unnecessary. This is to help the readers understand a character more, connect with them and also ‘take a break’ from the main plot. Examples:

• Hobbies - sports, hiking, playing an instrument
• Family life - meeting, talking on the phone with their parents/siblings
• ‘Adulting life’ - appointments, problems at work/home

Mini games - those are not only fun for the reader but also for you! I personally love to direct mini games and see my idea come to life that way. This will engage and entertain your readers and make your story stand out even more. A mini game doesn’t have to be something complicated, it can be as simple as a “guessing game”. You can come up with your own mini game or get inspired by other authors. Don’t copy other people’s ideas!

Tip: Think of “real life” games and try to code them, examples: ‘Tic-tac-toe’, puzzle.

Music & sounds - it helps to set the mood throughout a scene and makes your story come to live more. A lot of people love it and for those who don’t, they can turn off the sound.

Tip: Play around with the volume.

Make the characters diverse but not just to make your story ‘inclusive’, it’s wrong especially when it doesn’t make sense. (Note: diversity is not only about different race or sexual orientation…) Examples of diversities: ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation/gender identity, age, styles (emo, grunge), proffesion, size (height or body).

!!! Before you decide to include a specific type of diversity in your story (especially ethnicity, religion and LGBTQ+ related aspects), make as much research as you can! It will not only make your story more realistic but you’ll avoid hurting/offending people from those backgrounds by misrepresenting them.

Story happenings - When and where does your story take place? Make it something unique! Why does every Episode story has to be placed in New York City? When? 90s, 80s or maybe in the future?

Aesthetics/Visuals

Directing - you don’t have to use advanced directing to make your story look appealing! Just make sure it’s smooth and error-free. ( & > @ ) Examples of not-smooth directing: characters awkwardly poping into the scene, zooms/pans that take longer that 1-2 secs, transitions that come shortly after the scene.

Tip: Timing is everything!

Backgrounds & overlays - using your own backgrounds and overlays will make your story definitely stand out. There are a lot of creators that happily share their backgrounds and overlays if you don’t have experience in making your own. Make sure the image you use is free! Also always credit the original owner of the image. Avoid using poor quality images - it’ll make your story look messy.

Zooms - show the important stuff. It’s okay to show the whole scene for a short moment but then cut to where the action is actually happening, for example: close-up to the currently talking character. If you have trouble on how to use zooms, think of it as a movie/tv-show. You don’t see the whole scenery within one scene, it’s shown for a couple of seconds to give people the feeling of where it’s happening and then it’s usually cut to the characters. Avoid using non-instant zooms (longer than 0 seconds) unless it’s necessary for the scene, like showing the landscape or for a dramatic purpose.

Background characters - use them! How unrealistic is a city street scene with only two people? I know it sometimes takes some time but it’ll make a scene look more alive and realistic. When creating them, don’t rely on the ‘Randomizer’-tool - make sure to check your characters and edit them before continuing. The randomizer often creates old people with colorful hair, dark-skinned people with light lips and vice-versa etc. Avoid using the same background characters in every scene.

Placing characters - use spot directing! It will make your story look a lot better than when using scene positions. Even though it takes more time - it’s worth it! Make sure to keep it realistic. Characters that stand farther away are smaller etc.

Characters’ appearance - not every girl has big, pouty lips and every guy a toned body… make them look unique yet realistic. Also pls stop making the several love interests look so alike… (unless they’re related)

Tip: use every character feature at least once throghout your character’s list

Speechbubbles - always place them, don’t rely on the script. Text effects - play around with the different text effect, they really can help express the feelings in a conversation.

Tips: Italic - for memories and narration Blink - for shouting and screaming Shake - for sound words like boom, ring, bang, thud etc. Bold - for pressuring a word Colors - for different feelings, for example: pink for love, grey for fear, red for anger etc.

Seasons - there are 4! It’s not really realistic in a story that takes place throughout several months, that the characters walk around wearing shorts and dresses all the time. Let it snow! And with that come seasonal holidays - New Year’s Eve, Christmas, Halloween etc. which will make your story even more realistic and entertaining, besides - those are super fun to write too!

Filters (!) - While many people may find them unnecessary, I think they can actually make a difference. They can help to set the feeling in a specific scene and also make it look more realistic when it’s happening at a certain time of the day (for example: a sunny day outside, night, sunset).

It’s a hobby, not a job or a resposibility you have to do. If you don’t feel like writing or experience writer’s block, don’t stress about it! Readers prefer stories that are written with heart and soul. Take your time!

Visit my other threads:

• Story Title Shop!
• How to: cool night to day scene
• How to: G i f s
• How to: cute falling leaf/feather animation
• Overlay&Background edit shop (read description)
• New authors: Story check!

If you’re interested, check out my stories on Episode:

BUMP! Thankyou for this

bump Great tips!

Wow thank you very much this is going to help me a lot!

Matthew Perry couldn't go through with Friends scene in which Chandler cheated on Monica, actress says

The actor apparently went to writers the day before shooting and persuaded them to ditch the scene.

Wednesday 8 November 2023 16:13, UK

Friends star Matthew Perry could not go through with a scene in which Chandler cheated on Monica, according to an actress on the episode.

Lisa Cash, who was due to play the part, said Perry was worried viewers would "never forgive" his character for sleeping with another woman.

She said she rehearsed for two days to play a Las Vegas hotel worker bringing room service to Chandler.

Upset that Monica took lunch with her ex-boyfriend, the script had Chandler pouring his heart out and then sleeping with Cash's character.

However, Perry is said to have got cold feet and spoke out to get rid of the season five scene.

Cash told NBC News: "We had rehearsed it and everything, and then the day before we were shooting in front of a live audience I was told Chandler went to the writers and said the audience will never forgive him for cheating on Monica."

Read more: Perry 'happy and chipper' before death, Friends creators say Chandler's funniest jokes in Friends

She said the whole course of Friends might have been altered had the scene gone ahead as planned.

"The Ross and Rachel (David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston) thing, 'They were on a break', but this wouldn't have been on a break," said Cash.

"This would have been a decision he would have made while they were together."

She added: "I think it would have really changed how the audience would have (viewed) Chandler and that whole thing. I don't know if they could have survived it."

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Cash did end up getting her moment on the show and instead appeared as a flight attendant in the same episode - The One in Vegas: Part I.

Perry's funeral took place last week in LA , with his famous co-stars all in attendance for the ceremony of about 20 people.

The 54-year-old died on 28 October from apparent drowning, but initial post-mortem results were reportedly inconclusive so more investigations were ordered.

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• Matthew Perry

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Main Character of the Day

'we cannot fail so big as war': a writer's lesson from examining the korean war.

Manuela López Restrepo

E.J. Koh's novel covers war and generations. Adam K. Glaser/Tin House hide caption

E.J. Koh's novel covers war and generations.

In just over 200 pages, E.J. Koh spans decades to tell the individual stories of lives impacted by the Korean War.

Who is she? E.J. Koh is an author, poet and translator of Korean literature.

What's going on? In The Liberators, her debut novel, Koh delves into the pain and history of families forced to immigrate from Korea after the war split the nation in two.

• For Koh, zooming in on the characters' individual stories was a means to accurately portray the endless impact of the conflict.
• "We get to really see how every individual makes a choice — makes a different choice, maybe about how to, or whether they should, erase the troubling origins of the war, or reconcile with the urge to do so in the face of inherited grief and violence and pain. And so we come to a really human level of understanding these choices."

The Liberators is Koh's debut novel. Tin House hide caption

The Liberators is Koh's debut novel.

What is she saying? Koh sat down with All Things Considered host Ari Shapiro to discuss the thinking behind the many perspectives in her book, and how the writing process impacted her own perception of her family history.

On including characters that process their grief and trauma in a variety of ways:

There's this wonderful author and researcher, Elizabeth Rosner, who talks ... that humanity, that our human lineage, is a braid of both destruction and restoration.  And so that means that when we tell stories and we carry memories, we want to tell the stories of both the perpetrators and the collaborators, the prisoners and the guards, the murdered and the survivors. You want to be responsible for the entire braid because that's what our humanity looks like. That's what we're reckoning with.

For another perspective on family and migration, listen to Consider This on how violence in Sudan forced one mother to make a difficult choice .

On reckoning with her own lineage:

This work of fiction came after the work in my memoir, where I did a lot of looking into not only my family's stories but the history that we have in Japan, Korea and the U.S., and particularly Jeju Island, the island off of mainland South Korea. And while doing that ... there was a few — like, my mother's parents especially — that ... stayed with me. In a way, they became shadows to some of the main characters in this work of fiction.

On the importance of hope, in remembering pain and forging new paths forward:

It can be difficult. And I don't think it's ever been written in a way where hope came across as really simple and easy and straightforward. But I found, at least in working with, you know, mass trauma and grief and suffering, that there is a process to testimony, to telling stories, to sharing these stories, to listening. And really, a lot of what you're doing here in this moment matters, that nothing is always inevitable and that each of us have that point, and we can ask more questions.

So, what now?

• Here's an excerpt from Koh's acknowledgements about her deepest hope for the world:
• "My deepest hope is to understand that even if we fail, we cannot fail so big as war. And as sure as the sun rises and the world rotates, we as humans have a chance to try again."
• The Liberators is available now. 

Learn more:

• 'Music was there for me when I needed it,' The Roots co-founder Tariq Trotter says
• In 'White Holes,' Carlo Rovelli takes readers beyond the black hole horizon
• Alice McDermott's 'Absolution' transports her signature characters to Vietnam

The interview with E.J. Koh was conducted by Ari Shapiro, produced by Kat Lonsdorf and edited by Courtney Dorning.

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Love On Fire

OMG! Love on Fire is just getting started… Ready to HEAT things up on your first official date?! Show us you can strut your stuff, babe! #flauntit #firstdate #loveonfire 

Rule Breaker

You quickly realize that Russ isn't the one for you, and you dump him. Too bad he's out for revenge, and your new hot room mate gets caught in the middle.

My Brother's Hot Friend

It's not easy being the new girl. Especially when [CALEB:Caleb:Kayla] is making sure all the guys stay away from you. 

Ready to heat up your love life? Flirt, scheme, and party your way to true love in this sizzling romance where YOU call all the shots--and make all your dreams come true.

The K*ss List

Kentwood Academy is ripe for taking over. Continue your perfect streak of ruling schools by kissing 10 of Kentwood's hottest singles!

Catching Feelings

Last night with Shay isn’t the only thing on your mind after you learn you’re the subject of a crazy rumor in school…

It'll Be Our Secret

Will you and Frank be able to have a baby? And perhaps a better question… what’s up with this cute neighbor of yours??

Bad Meets Bad

First day at your new school! And it looks like your neighbor already has some thoughts about you... wanna find out what they are?

Girl In A Boyband

You go out for drinks with the band, and after a few drinks you end up in Asher's bed!  

Coming For The Crown

You arrive to the Castle and learn that the rules here are way stricter than they were in your village.

Aligning The Stars

When your hot, mysterious celebrity invites you to a charity gala, you are determined to be reunited. Will the stars align for you to find each other?

When a vampire comes to your window, will you invite them in, or leave them out in the cold?

Crossing the Line

Time to learn about the mysterious Bentley Banks! And what better way than over an intimate beach bonfire party?

Me & 2 Bad Boys

Meet Rayden, the baddest of the bad boys! Is he really as dangerous as he seems, or is there more beneath that dangerous attitude?

Pretty Little Liars

One year later, Ali's still missing. You and the girls are closer than ever, but emerging secrets and the return of a past love threaten to tear your new life apart.

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