Welcome!
We've Got a Story Brewing.
Plot Lab is a generative writing podcast that takes pop culture headlines, trending topics and viral moments and spins them into an original story with a guest author. It’s fast, fun, imaginative brainstorming that reminds us why we fell in love with storytelling in the first place.
We explore the infinite sources of inspiration, elements of story (like character, dialogue, and what’s at stake), and offer a glimpse into the creative process.
Launching September 10, 2026
This is the online community for Plot Lab, where a headline, a strange little news story, or a deliciously weird overheard conversation can become the spark for a story. This is a space for readers, writers, aspiring writers, and anyone who has ever heard a headline and thought, Wait... what if? Each episode page below includes all three prompts from the show. Pick the one that makes your brain start buzzing, then add your story to the comments. It can be a paragraph, a scene, a character idea, a plot twist, or the beginning of something you don’t quite know how to finish yet.
Beth Uznis Johnson
Beth is the author of the novel Coming Clean (2024, Regal House). She has published fiction and creative nonfiction in Massachusetts Review, Broad Street, Story Quarterly, Mississippi Review, and elsewhere. She was the recipient of the McGinnis-Ritchie Award for her essay, “Your Friend/My Friend, Ted,” which was included in The Best American Essays 2018.
In 2025, Beth received an individual artist grant from the City of Chicago, where she is hard at work on her second novel. She also serves on the board of directors at StoryStudio Chicago, the world's best literary organization where you should totally take classes and check out their summer conference.
Kristi Leonard
Kristi is a writer, audiobook narrator, community builder, and former president of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. She previously co-hosted Author Express, a podcast centered on conversations with authors about creativity, process, and the lives they build around storytelling. Through her writing retreats and volunteer leadership, she’s dedicated to helping writers find their voice and stay deeply engaged in their work.
Kristi focuses her creative energy on writing fiction and developing programs that elevate women’s voices in publishing. When she isn’t writing or leading, she’s likely hiking Florida trails with her writer-hiker pals or reading with her Golden Retriever, Charlie, at her side. She’s currently at work on a novel and building the kind of author career she’s long championed.