Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchEpisode 90 - Techniques for creating riveting settings.
Bland settings works against the story, and riveting settings propel the story forward. Here are techniques for creating powerful settings that will…
2 years, 8 months ago
Episode 89 - Avoiding the biggest mistakes before we begin to write.
Here are thoughts on how to avoid early mistakes in our writing, those blunders we might make before we write the first sentence of our story. Al…
2 years, 8 months ago
Episode 88 - Writing the fight scene.
Action is the most interesting element in most novels, and a fight is action. Here are some techniques for writing a fight scene. Also, here's an…
2 years, 8 months ago
Episode 87 - How to write a fabulous first sentence.
The first sentence of our story should suggest to the reader, "Come on in and listen." A good first sentence propels the reader into the story, and …
2 years, 9 months ago
Episode 86 - The importance of a tie-up later list. Also: sequels.
Why should we keep a tie-up later list? How to create one and their importance are mentioned. And Angelou, King, and Tolstoy. Also: should we pl…
2 years, 9 months ago
Episode 85 - Dialogue's three most important techniques.
Listening to characters speak is a great pleasure for readers. It's as if the reader is a character in the scene, listening in, eavesdropping. Here…
2 years, 9 months ago
Episode 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, 9 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, 9 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, 10 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, 10 months ago