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21.25: Follow the Bouncing Ball
Season 21 Episode 25
In this episode, our hosts explore how writers control their readers’ attention with the metaphor of a bouncing ball. We break down techniques for gu…
2 months, 1 week ago
21.24: Deconstructing the Seven Point Plot Structure
Season 21 Episode 24
Dan Wells joins our conversation as we break down the seven-point plot structure! Using examples from Star Wars, Toy Story, and other films, we discu…
2 months, 2 weeks ago
21.23: Barrier Breaking: Interruptions
Season 21 Episode 23
In this episode, our hosts explore one of the most persistent barriers to writing: interruptions. From family members and pets to emails, meetings, f…
2 months, 3 weeks ago
21.22: The Order of the Telling
Season 21 Episode 22
*Time-Sensitive*
Our final WXR cruise is almost sold out, grab your spot before June 4th, 2026 here!
This week, we are talking about the order in which…
3 months ago
21.21: Rhythm and Words
Season 21 Episode 21
*Time-Sensitive*
Our final WXR cruise is almost sold out, grab your spot before June 4th, 2026 here!
Today, we’re continuing the conversation on sequen…
3 months, 1 week ago
21.20: Sequencing from Mega to Micro
Season 21 Episode 20
Today, we explore why writers place information in the order they do. From broad-to-narrow framing and cause-and-effect to repetition, rhythm, and su…
3 months, 2 weeks ago
21.19: Getting Everything Connected
Season 21 Episode 19
Today, our hosts discuss how to make every part of your story feel connected through causal chains, thematic resonance, and reader pattern recognitio…
3 months, 3 weeks ago
21.18: Deconstructing the Three Act Structure
Season 21 Episode 18
Today, we are joined by Margaret Dunlap as we dive into the three-act structure. This traditional framework—setup, confrontation, and resolution—is a…
3 months, 4 weeks ago
21.17: The Up and Down Escalators
Season 21 Episode 17
Today we zoom out from moment-to-moment tension and look at how escalation and de-escalation shape a story at the structural level—how raising stakes…
4 months ago
21.16: Tension and Release as Call and Response
Season 21 Episode 16
Today, we’re talking about tension and release as a kind of call and response, and how that dynamic can guide your reader through a story. It explore…
4 months, 1 week ago