Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchEpisode 84 - Why we should create a funny character, and how to do so.
Humorous characters are fun to read about and fun to write about. Here are some thoughts on why funny characters are important in our stories, and s…
2 years, 5 months ago
Episode 83 - How to show our character's thoughts to avoid interior monologue.
Here are ways to show with action and dialogue what our character is thinking so we can avoid visiting the character's mind for interior monologue, u…
2 years, 6 months ago
Episode 82 - Finding the courage to write, and describing our first-person hero.
Do we need courage to write our first novel? If so, where do we find it? Also, writing the physical description of our hero in a first-person novel…
2 years, 6 months ago
Episode 81 - The top ten fiction writing techniques.
Here's a list of the most important techniques we should think about when plotting and writing our novel or short story. Also, more on making our se…
2 years, 6 months ago
Episode 80 - Maybe we are writing magic, and strong versus weak words.
Did soon-to-be famous writers know as they drafted their novels that they were creating magic for readers? Maybe. Maybe not. And how can we cho…
2 years, 6 months ago
Episode 79 - Tips for writing YA fiction. Also: adding detail to our scenes.
Young adult fiction is a vast market, and many wonderful writers create YA novels. Here are some thoughts on YA, some techniques we might keep in mi…
2 years, 7 months ago
Episode 78 - Developing a distinctive voice, and flashbacks.
A distinctive voice can add a charming or compelling aspect to a story. What is voice? And do we need a distinctive voice? Maybe not, maybe so. H…
2 years, 7 months ago
Episode 77 - Eleven techniques for writing strong sentences.
The words on our page should be a clear window to our story. How can we do that? Here are eleven techniques to make our sentences forceful and cle…
2 years, 7 months ago
Episode 76 - Writing our synopsis, and avoiding filters.
A literary agent or a publisher may ask for a synopsis of our novel, a three to five-page summary. Here are techniques on how to write one. Also, c…
2 years, 7 months ago
Episode 75 - The magical difference between scene and summary.
New writers tend to put too much summary into their stories. I'll talk about how to avoid that mistake, making sure that most of our novels are scen…
2 years, 7 months ago