Essential Guide to Writing a Novel
By James Thayer
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Subscribers: 29
Reviews: 0
Episodes: 139
Description
Hosted by James Thayer, the podcast is a practical, step-by-step manual on how to craft a novel. It presents a set of tools for large issues such as story development and scene construction (Kirkus Reviews said Thayer's novels are "superbly crafted') and it also examines techniques that will make your sentence-by-sentence writing shine. The New York Times Book Review has said Thayer's "writing is smooth and clear. it wastes no words, and it has a rhythm only confident stylists achieve.
| Episode | Date |
|---|---|
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Episode 139 - Writing in the first person.
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Nov 15, 2024 |
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Episode 138 - How to live a writer's life.
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Nov 08, 2024 |
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Episode 137 - Twenty-one rules of writing.
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Nov 01, 2024 |
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Episode 136 - Benefits of a character's otherness.
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Oct 25, 2024 |
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Episode 135 - Maybe the strongest writing tool - contrast.
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Oct 18, 2024 |
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Episode 134 - A stong technique for describing a character's personality.
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Oct 11, 2024 |
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Episode 133 - In our plot what should we save for a sequel?
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Oct 04, 2024 |
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Episode 132 - How to avoid the main reason readers stop reading a novel.
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Sep 27, 2024 |
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Episode 131 - A review of the ten strongest writing techniques.
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Sep 20, 2024 |
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Episode 130 - Kurt Vonnegut's rules of writing, and powerful character descriptioins.
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Sep 13, 2024 |
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Episode 129 - A scene with too many mistakes. Can we spot them?
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Sep 06, 2024 |
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Episode 128 - Should we be afraid our plot has been done before?
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Aug 30, 2024 |
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Episode 127 - Go big or go home plotting.
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Aug 23, 2024 |
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Episode 126 - Should we hire a book coach?
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Aug 16, 2024 |
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Episode 125 - When to avoid the proven writing technique.
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Aug 09, 2024 |
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Episode 124 - Save the cat plotting.
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Aug 02, 2024 |
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Episode 123 - The beauty of a professional submission.
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Jul 26, 2024 |
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Episode 122 - Getting inside a villain's mind.
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Jul 19, 2024 |
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Episode 121 - The biggest mistakes new writers make.
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Jul 12, 2024 |
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Episode 120 - The most important element in fiction.
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Jul 05, 2024 |
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Episode 119 - Making our sentences instantly stronger.
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Jun 28, 2024 |
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Episode 118 - Naming characters and the framing device.
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Jun 21, 2024 |
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Episode 117 - Making multiple submissions, and a strong dialogue technique.
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Jun 14, 2024 |
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Episode 116 - Advice from your lifestyle counselor, and mistakes when describing our setting.
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Jun 07, 2024 |
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Episode 115 - Downer titles and words that echo poorly.
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May 31, 2024 |
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Episode 114 - A critical technique to make our story engaging.
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May 24, 2024 |
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Episode 113 - The clear window technique.
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May 17, 2024 |
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Episode 112 - Writing in the past or present tense, and making submissions.
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May 10, 2024 |
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Episode 111 - If we have to have a big meeting, show rather than tell.
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May 03, 2024 |
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Episode 110 - Book cover design, and regaining enthusiasm.
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Apr 26, 2024 |
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Episode 109 - How we can stop stalling and get going.
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Apr 19, 2024 |
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Episode 108 - Every description should do double duty.
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Apr 12, 2024 |
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Episode 107 - The differences between literary and commercial fiction.
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Apr 05, 2024 |
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Episode 106 - How to write a scene's sequel, and plotting the novel's middle.
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Mar 29, 2024 |
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Episode 105 - A technique for plotting scene to scene, and my failed writing experiment.
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Mar 22, 2024 |
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Episode 104 - Let's get to work, and showing with dialogue.
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Mar 15, 2024 |
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Episode 103 - The joy of creating something out of nothing. And, is our new plot point a strong one?
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Mar 08, 2024 |
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Episode 102 - Lovely sentence-by-sentence writing, and pumping up our creativity.
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Mar 01, 2024 |
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Episode 101 - The phrases notebook, and avoiding our plot bogging down.
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Feb 23, 2024 |
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Episode 100 - Getting into the flow, and the power of fiction.
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Feb 16, 2024 |
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Episode 99 - Traps when writing character-driven stories.
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Feb 09, 2024 |
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Episode 98 - Counterintuitive techniques that new writers might resist.
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Feb 02, 2024 |
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Episode 97 - Clothing our characters. Also, how to end a scene.
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Jan 26, 2024 |
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Episode 96 - How to create emotions in our characters and readers.
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Jan 19, 2024 |
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Episode 95 - More strong dialogue techniques.
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Jan 12, 2024 |
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Episode 94 - Seven big dialogue writing techniques.
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Jan 05, 2024 |
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Episode 93 - Can we avoid stupid writing?
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Dec 29, 2023 |
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Episode 92 - Fourteen scene mistakes and how to avoid them.
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Dec 22, 2023 |
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Episode 91 - The benefits of a buddy, and Willa Cather and Nathaniel Hawthorne.
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Dec 15, 2023 |
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Episode 90 - Techniques for creating riveting settings.
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Dec 08, 2023 |
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Episode 89 - Avoiding the biggest mistakes before we begin to write.
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Dec 01, 2023 |
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Episode 88 - Writing the fight scene.
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Nov 24, 2023 |
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Episode 87 - How to write a fabulous first sentence.
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Nov 17, 2023 |
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Episode 86 - The importance of a tie-up later list. Also: sequels.
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Nov 10, 2023 |
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Episode 85 - Dialogue's three most important techniques.
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Nov 03, 2023 |
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Episode 84 - Why we should create a funny character, and how to do so.
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Oct 27, 2023 |
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Episode 83 - How to show our character's thoughts to avoid interior monologue.
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Oct 20, 2023 |
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Episode 82 - Finding the courage to write, and describing our first-person hero.
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Oct 13, 2023 |
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Episode 81 - The top ten fiction writing techniques.
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Oct 06, 2023 |
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Episode 80 - Maybe we are writing magic, and strong versus weak words.
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Sep 29, 2023 |
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Episode 79 - Tips for writing YA fiction. Also: adding detail to our scenes.
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Sep 22, 2023 |
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Episode 78 - Developing a distinctive voice, and flashbacks.
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Sep 15, 2023 |
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Episode 77 - Eleven techniques for writing strong sentences.
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Sep 08, 2023 |
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Episode 76 - Writing our synopsis, and avoiding filters.
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Sep 01, 2023 |
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Episode 75 - The magical difference between scene and summary.
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Aug 25, 2023 |
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Episode 74 - How to describe our villainous villain, and how to get unstuck.
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Aug 18, 2023 |
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Episode 73 - How to make settings work for our story, and how writers get to work each day.
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Aug 11, 2023 |
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Episode 72 - Finding an agent, and writing a query.
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Aug 04, 2023 |
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Episode 71 - Using the critical tool of contrast. And writing vivid character descriptions.
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Jul 28, 2023 |
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Episode 70 - Writing a story in the first-person.
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Jul 21, 2023 |
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Episode 69 - Learning character and setting descriptions from the masters.
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Jul 14, 2023 |
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Episode 68 - Do we have an idea or a plot? Also: how to write joyful dialogue.
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Jul 07, 2023 |
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Episode 67 - Lighting the writing fuse, and showing rather than telling about the setting.
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Jun 30, 2023 |
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Episode 66 - Creating characters readers love. Also; techniques for writing sad dialogue.
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Jun 23, 2023 |
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Episode 65 - A writer's thoughts on ChatGPT. And the benefits of identifying our genre.
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Jun 16, 2023 |
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Episode 64 - How to get started writing, and tips on romantic and angry dialogue.
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Jun 09, 2023 |
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Episode 63 - How to bring our settings to life, and writing the romantic scene.
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Jun 02, 2023 |
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Episode 62 - A technique for bringing our characters to life, and writing the action scene.
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May 26, 2023 |
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Episode 61 - How to detect and fix a sloppy scene. Also: how to unleash story ideas.
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May 19, 2023 |
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Episode 60 - Fabulous sentences of fiction, font fiddling, and slow motion.
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May 12, 2023 |
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Episode 59 - Plotting with a spreadsheet. And the unreliable narrator. Also, fiddling with the flow of time.
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May 05, 2023 |
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Episode 58 - Making writing less daunting, and some techniques to avoid weak sentences.
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Apr 28, 2023 |
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Episode 57 - An important tool, the timeline. Also, authorial distance.
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Apr 23, 2023 |
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Episode 56 - How many characters are too many? And he wore his guilt like a harness.
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Apr 14, 2023 |
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Episode 55 - How many words should we write a day? And the use of contrast.
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Apr 07, 2023 |
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Episode 54 - Fear of failure, author photos, and the use of humor.
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Mar 31, 2023 |
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Episode 53 - Embarrassing stuff, and the middle of the novel.
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Mar 24, 2023 |
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Episode 52 - Making our sentences more lively, and avoiding reader disbelief.
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Mar 17, 2023 |
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Episode 51 - The wonder factor.
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Mar 10, 2023 |
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Episode 50 - The right kind of surprise ending, and wonderful character descriptions.
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Mar 03, 2023 |
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Episode 49 - Avoiding the biggest mistake, and keeping the POV tight.
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Feb 24, 2023 |
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Episode 48 - Writing strong dialogue, and Ray Bradbury on plotting.
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Feb 17, 2023 |
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Episode 47 - A strong plotting technique, and leeches.
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Feb 10, 2023 |
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Episode 46 - What if no one comes to our book signing? And crafting our narrative voice.
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Jan 06, 2023 |
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Episode 45 - Techniques to make our dialogue riveting.
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Dec 30, 2022 |
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Episode 44 - How to avoid another prospect-killing mistake.
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Dec 23, 2022 |
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Episode 43 - Dialogue should do double duty. Here's how.
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Dec 16, 2022 |
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Episode 42 - The single most important writing technique.
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Dec 09, 2022 |
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Episode 41 - How can we know if we have the talent to write?
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Dec 02, 2022 |
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Episode 40 - Creating villainous villains.
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Nov 25, 2022 |
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Episode 39 - How to create characters readers love.
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Nov 18, 2022 |
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Episode 38 - We shouldn't write these scenes, and strong techniqes for character description.
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Nov 11, 2022 |
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Episode 37 - When to stop preparing and start writing.
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Nov 04, 2022 |
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Episode 36 - The most interesting to the least interesting aspects of a novel.
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Oct 28, 2022 |
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Episode 35 - A close look at scene structure, and avoiding mushy sentences.
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Oct 21, 2022 |
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Episode 34 - Why and how to practice writing, and more thoughts on thoughts.
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Oct 14, 2022 |
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Episode 33 - Danger signs our plot is dull.
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Oct 07, 2022 |
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Episode 32 - A formula for showing, and clear and spare writing.
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Sep 30, 2022 |
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Episode 31 - Favorite novels and check-mark plotting.
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Sep 23, 2022 |
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Episode 30 - Plotting and the power struggle.
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Sep 16, 2022 |
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Episode 29 - The pattern of a novel.
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Sep 09, 2022 |
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Episode 28 - The enchanter quality, and weather and rudeness.
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Sep 02, 2022 |
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Episode 27 - The importance of genres and formulas. And thoughts about titles.
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Aug 26, 2022 |
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Episode 26 - Navel gazing and how to avoid it. And more on showing
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Aug 19, 2022 |
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Episode 25: The magic of writing. Cause and effect. And thinking.
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Aug 12, 2022 |
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Episode 24 - Showing others our work. And strong sentence-by-sentence writing techniques.
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Aug 05, 2022 |
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Episode 23: Editing our own manuscript
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Jul 29, 2022 |
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Episode 22: A summary of earlier episodes, and techniques for musical writing.
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Jul 22, 2022 |
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Episode 21: Creativity and how to get it.
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Jul 15, 2022 |
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Episode 20 - Reasons we fail to start.
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Jul 07, 2022 |
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Episode 19 - More on modifiers, including the useless and the dangling. And clunky reach words.
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Jun 06, 2022 |
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Episode 18 - Lots of things to avoid: the negative, cliches, and too many modifiers.
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Jun 04, 2022 |
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Episode 17 - Keep it simple but not too simple, and metaphors.
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May 29, 2022 |
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Episode 16: Theme, odd questions, more on conflict, and vivid writing.
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May 21, 2022 |
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Episode 15 - Techniques for writing about settings.
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May 16, 2022 |
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Episode14: The fourth wall, the ending, and some bad writing.
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May 11, 2022 |
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Episode 13: More on dialogue, and techniques about foreshadowing and coincidences
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May 06, 2022 |
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Episode 12 - Dialogue
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Apr 28, 2022 |
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Episode 11: Point of view and voice.
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Apr 21, 2022 |
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Episode 10: More show and tell, and the grammatical person.
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Apr 16, 2022 |
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Episode 9: Showing versus telling
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Apr 09, 2022 |
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Episode 8 - Scene and summary
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Apr 04, 2022 |
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Episode 7 - How to craft a scene.
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Mar 27, 2022 |
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Episode 6: Villains and sidekicks.
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Mar 23, 2022 |
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Episode 5: Creating compelling characters.
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Mar 16, 2022 |
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Episode 4: Pace, the first sentence, back-story, over-description
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Mar 09, 2022 |
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Episode 3 - Go big or go home.
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Mar 03, 2022 |
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Episode 2: Getting ready to start writing a novel.
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Mar 02, 2022 |
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Episode 1: Learning and getting better at the craft of writing.
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Mar 02, 2022 |