Podcast Episodes
Back to Search
21.15: Using Contrast for Maximum Effect
Season 21 Episode 15
Today, we’re talking about how to use contrast to make key moments in your story hit harder, especially in the middle. We explore how pairing light a…
4 months, 3 weeks ago
21.14: Because at First, They Don’t Succeed
Season 21 Episode 14
Today, we’re talking about the “try-fail cycle” and why failure is essential to making the middle of your story actually interesting. It allows reade…
5 months ago
21.13: Does The Middle Have To Be Soggy?
Season 21 Episode 13
Today, we’re taking on the idea of the “soggy middle” and why stories start to lose momentum—often because characters lack clear action, obstacles fe…
5 months, 1 week ago
21.12: Breaking Down Barriers- Environment
Season 21 Episode 12
When writing feels harder than it should, the problem might not be the story— it might be the room. In this episode, our hosts explore how environmen…
5 months, 2 weeks ago
21.11: The Cold Open- Action
Season 21 Episode 11
Sometimes the fastest way to hook a reader is to start with something exploding. In this episode, our hosts dig into the promise — and the pitfalls —…
5 months, 3 weeks ago
21.10: The Cold Open- Voice
Season 10 Episode 21
A cold open can hook a reader with nothing more than voice. In this episode, our hosts explore what makes a voice-driven opening work — cadence, rhyt…
5 months, 4 weeks ago
21.09: Grounding The Reader
Season 21 Episode 9
Grounding a reader starts in the very first lines of a story. Where are we? Who are we with? What kind of story are we in? Our hosts explore how emot…
6 months ago
21.08: Setting Expectations
Season 21 Episode 8
In this episode, we explore what it really means to set reader expectations at the beginning of a story. We talk about how openings communicate the s…
6 months, 2 weeks ago
21.07: Deep Dive- “With Her Serpent Locks”
Season 21 Episode 7
To celebrate Mary Robinette’s birthday today (!!), she is taking us inside the craft (and emotional engine) of her short story “With Her Serpent Lock…
6 months, 3 weeks ago
21.06: Begin and the Beginning
Season 21 Episode 6
In this episode, our hosts dive into what makes a strong beginning and why it matters so much to readers. They talk about openings as an act of hospi…
6 months, 4 weeks ago