Totally Composed: Recent Episodes
Dan Kent
There is more to writing than just writing. Good writing involves seduction, persuasion, logic, charm, wisdom, wit, humor, and so much more. It involves abstract (yet fundamental) things that are rarely discussed in writing books. This podcast will look at the interplay between writing and psychology, philosophy, and even spirituality.
Episode 29: Dan and Heather talk about writing books. Heather talks about her strengths and weaknesses in writing, and shares how she built a Fiction Writing Dream Team to help her produce great fiction.
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One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass. Interview about Confident Humility: HERE
Episode 28: In some sense, all writing IS transition. We move the reader from one idea to another, hopefully without them seeing the wheels and strings that move them.
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Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass. Interview about Confident Humility: HERE
Episode 27: Even the BEST writers ever had their critics. In this episode Dan explores how a writer might respond to someone who hates their writing. In particular, how might we respond in a way that will improve our writing and our reach?
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
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Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass. Interview about Confident Humility: HERE
Episode 26: Some writers, when faced with describing something incredible, amazing, or awesome, will commit the horrendous writing sin of proclaiming "It's beyond description," or "There are no words." In this episode, Dan argues that there are plenty of words, and offers 4 tips for describing incredible things.
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
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Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass. Interview about Confident Humility: HERE
Episode 25: Simplicity might make your book more readable to more people, but it also turns off those who are most likely to buy books.
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
Follow on Facebook: @TotallyComposedPodcast
Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass. Interview about Confident Humility: HERE
Episode 24: Don't dumb yourself down, clear yourself up! Good writing fixes bad writing. Dumbing your writing down simply dumbs down your audience.
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
Follow on Facebook: @TotallyComposedPodcast
Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass. Interview about Confident Humility: HERE
Episode 23: You should have different types of readers read your drafts. Here. Dan offers a strategy for finding the right types.
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
Follow on Facebook: @TotallyComposedPodcast
Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass. Interview about Confident Humility: HERE
Episode 22: Where you place your subject and verb tickles your reader's brain in different ways.
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
Follow on Facebook: @TotallyComposedPodcast
Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass. Interview about Confident Humility: HERE
Episode 21: To-be verbs like "is" will bore your readers to sleep. Dan talks about removing them. Interview about Confident Humility: HERE
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
Follow on Facebook: @TotallyComposedPodcast
Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass.
Episode 20: The passive voice will bog down your readers. Dan talks about charging up your writing by converting the passive voice to active. Interview about Confident Humility: HERE
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
Follow on Facebook: @TotallyComposedPodcast
Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass.
Episode 19: Using checklists and search-and-replace to accelerate your editing. Interview about Confident Humility: HERE
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
Follow on Facebook: @TotallyComposedPodcast
Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass.
Episode 18: Sometimes you don't have to kill your darlings. Sometimes you may need to simply FEED your darlings.
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
Follow on Facebook: @TotallyComposedPodcast
Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass.
Dan chats with Brianna Millett about the dangers of writing the way you talk. Is it possible that writing the way you talk is a way of transferring your social insecurities to your writing? Is it possible that you are sabotaging your own authority?
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
Follow on Facebook: @TotallyComposedPodcast
Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass.
Dan chats with Julie Thoreen, lead singer of Har Di Har.
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
Follow on Facebook: @TotallyComposedPodcast
Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass.
Dan talks more about concision.
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
Follow on Facebook: @TotallyComposedPodcast
Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass.
Dan talks more about concision.
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
Follow on Facebook: @TotallyComposedPodcast
Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass.
Dan looks at a BETTER way to kill your darlings—Resurrect Your Darlings!
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
Follow on Facebook: @TotallyComposedPodcast
Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass.
Dan talks about how to get ideas and images and stories from your head into the readers'. Here is a Venn diagram:
Writing that comes close to accomplishing all three:
(1) Was Jesus Crazy?
(2) Why I Created Fruitless Verses
(3) Learning is NOT Fun!
(4) The Truth of How I Graduated High School
FAILURES:
Good Readability, Good Communication, Poor concision:
(example)
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
Follow on Facebook: @TotallyComposedPodcast
Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass.
Dan looks at a principle for effective writing pulled out of the gospels from the mouth of Jesus himself.
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
Follow on Facebook: @TotallyComposedPodcast
Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass.
Dan explains the picture of him with a cigarette in his mouth and expounds upon his dysfunctional, though productive, oral fixation.
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
Follow on Facebook: @TotallyComposedPodcast
Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass.
There are a thousand obstacles that can distract us from writing output. In this episode Dan shares a tactic for getting around the obstacle of 'finding the perfect word.' He calls it the Bracket Method.
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
Follow on Facebook: @TotallyComposedPodcast
Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass.
Dan considers the roles of writer and audience, and how the self relates to the whole.
The Road Trip that Changed the World
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
Follow on Facebook: @TotallyComposedPodcast
Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass.
Dan provides his first listical in this eye-opening episode on description.
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
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Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass.
Some people who have a mental illness are very creative. But not all mentally ill people are. Furthermore, in my considerable experience, a person is far more creative when their mental illness symptoms are under control that when they are highly acute. Good writing is about discerning truth. Mental illness, when symptoms are active, almost always inhibit one's ability to discern truth. If you are experiencing mania, depression, or suicidal thoughts, this is NOT a good thing. Seek help.
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
Follow on Facebook: @TotallyComposedPodcast
Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass.
A good writer will plan out what they are going to write—and we're all happy for them! For the rest of us, who make it all up as we go along, we need to be able to be good editors and re-writers. In this episode I talk about a pattern I notice in shorter essays or blog posts that can help you greatly improve the opening of your pieces.
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
Follow on Facebook: @TotallyComposedPodcast
Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass.
Is there a difference between 'a writer' and a 'person who writes'? Does it matter? Yes!
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
Follow on Facebook: @TotallyComposedPodcast
Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass.
Is Creativity a big deal? I would say NO. Idolizing creativity puts an incredible amount of pressure on writers to pursue the wrong things.
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
Follow on Facebook: @TotallyComposedPodcast
Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass.
What comes first: a compelling writing voice, or a compelling person who writes? In this first episode I lay out my grandiose plans for the podcast. There is more to writing than just writing. Good writing involves seduction, persuasion, logic, charm, wisdom, wit, humor, and so much more. It involves abstract (yet fundamental) things that are rarely discussed in writing books. This podcast will look at the interplay between writing and psychology, philosophy, and even spirituality.
Follow on Twitter: @TotallyComposed
Follow on Facebook: @TotallyComposedPodcast
Follow Dan on Twitter: @thatdankent
Follow Dan on Facebook: @authorDanielKent
One way you can support my show is by buying one of my books. I recommend my KX12 Series. I also have a book of poetry—calm down! It's mostly funny stories and silly jokes. It's called: Diamonds Mixed with Broken Glass.