Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchEpisode 137 - Twenty-one rules of writing.
How can an injury be good for us writers? It was for Roald Dahl. And here are Strunk and White's twenty-one rules of writing. Also, Stephen King o…
1 year, 11 months ago
Episode 136 - Benefits of a character's otherness.
A strong way to make a character likeable, and to have the reader root for her, is to have the character experience "otherness." She's out of place.…
1 year, 11 months ago
Episode 135 - Maybe the strongest writing tool - contrast.
Contrast is among the strongest tools we writers can use. It's magic. Here is a discussion of how and where to use contrast. Also, Henry Miller's …
1 year, 11 months ago
Episode 134 - A stong technique for describing a character's personality.
We can show (as opposed to tell) about a character's personality by describing the character's face and body, so that our physical description does d…
1 year, 11 months ago
Episode 133 - In our plot what should we save for a sequel?
In our novel should we leave plot questions unanswered so we have compelling questions for a sequel? Here are thoughts on how we can approach it. …
2 years ago
Episode 132 - How to avoid the main reason readers stop reading a novel.
Why do readers put down a novel for good before they reach the last page? Here is a reason, maybe the main reason, and how we writers can avoid it. …
2 years ago
Episode 131 - A review of the ten strongest writing techniques.
Here is a list of the top ten writing techniques in order of their importance, as best I can figure them out. Also, good comments from a book coach.…
2 years ago
Episode 130 - Kurt Vonnegut's rules of writing, and powerful character descriptioins.
Here are Kurt Vonnegut's eight rules of writing. Also, why reading an Andy Weir novel is such a good writing lesson. And; character descriptions sh…
2 years ago
Episode 129 - A scene with too many mistakes. Can we spot them?
Here is a scene with a strong plot point important to our story. It should be powerful but it isn't because of technical mistakes in the writing. C…
2 years, 1 month ago
Episode 128 - Should we be afraid our plot has been done before?
What if we get the sense that our story is a trope, that the plot is a cliche, that it's been done before? Here are thoughts on cliched stories. Al…
2 years, 1 month ago