Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchEpisode 100 - Getting into the flow, and the power of fiction.
Can we writers get into a mental state called the flow or the zone, then write 40 pages? Maybe. Here's how. And: our fiction might someday change …
2 years, 6 months ago
Episode 99 - Traps when writing character-driven stories.
Character-driven stories--which delve deeply into the hero's change and growth--can be moving and unforgettable for readers but there are traps that …
2 years, 6 months ago
Episode 98 - Counterintuitive techniques that new writers might resist.
At some point all writers are new writers. Here are some sure-fire fiction writing techniques that might not seem right, that are counterintuitive. …
2 years, 6 months ago
Episode 97 - Clothing our characters. Also, how to end a scene.
How we dress our character will show--that is, to reveal--much about our characters to the reader. Clothing is evidence of our character's personali…
2 years, 6 months ago
Episode 96 - How to create emotions in our characters and readers.
Huge rewards for fiction readers are a character's emotions; love, fear, gratitude, respect, loathing, and many others. Here are techniques on how t…
2 years, 7 months ago
Episode 95 - More strong dialogue techniques.
In the last episode we talked about major dialogue techniques. Here are smaller ones--but still important techniques--that'll make our dialogue shin…
2 years, 7 months ago
Episode 94 - Seven big dialogue writing techniques.
Dialogue in fiction is fun to write and fun to read. Here are seven techniques that'll help make our dialogue shine. Also, why should we create a c…
2 years, 7 months ago
Episode 93 - Can we avoid stupid writing?
Let's talk about stupid writing, And: how to get our story going without over-explanation and back-story. How John Updike and Frank Baum wrote. An…
2 years, 7 months ago
Episode 92 - Fourteen scene mistakes and how to avoid them.
Here is a list of the fourteen biggest mistakes we can make when creating our scene, and how to avoid them. Also, we'll talk about how to avoid the …
2 years, 7 months ago
Episode 91 - The benefits of a buddy, and Willa Cather and Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Adding a close friend for our story's protagonist offers many benefits. Here are some thoughts on buddies. And: how did novelists Willa Cather and …
2 years, 8 months ago