Write Right: Recent Episodes
Write Right
In a world as overwhelming as ours is, what does self-care look like? What is “escape,” and how does it compare? How do you balance self-care with remaining connected and productive?
Episode recommendation: Visit Tara Brach’s website at www.tarabrach.com for some excellent guided meditations. Her meditations are also available on the Insight Timer app.
Attentive listeners may have noticed that we disappeared for three months. What happened? What do we do, as writers, when life gets in the way and we finally decide/have time to return? How do we reintegrate into our own lives? How do we catch up on everything?
Episode recommendation:
Try John’s sticky note method, wherein you make a small list of which things you’d like to get done on a given day, and try to figure out how to align your chosen tasks/goals with 20-25 minute blocks of time, giving yourself time to rest.
The idea of “breaking in” has changed completely since the rise of digital publishing. In the “old world,” authors built a reputation with short fiction in monthly publications, after which point they’d have a better chance of getting agented representation and full-length book deals from publishers. The world’s different now. How are we planning to break in? Is there merit to the old ways? Have things really changed all that much?
Each of us defines success differently, and our definitions aren’t set in stone. How do we maintain our momentum while adjusting our direction mid-flight?
After a very long (unplanned) absence, Write Right is back! Keep an eye out for the next two episodes, which will be available on Friday, June 29. After that, we’ll be back to our regular weekly programming. Thanks for sticking with us.
There are many avenues to building a writing career. Fortunately, a few of them are represented in this podcast. There are as many ways to make it as a writer as there are writers in the world, but there are a few paths to a writing career that are more thoroughly trodden than others. In this episode, the gang talks about their experiences in the various stages of career building and, as usual, meander off topic for a little while.
New month, new theme! For March, we’ll be talking about processes, goals, the daily grind, and how we define success. We call it The Long March. Our guest for the month is Andrew Wood. You can find Andrew on twitter @andrewtheauthor, on Patreon, and on facebook. Pick up his debut novel, Storm of Fury, on Amazon.
The daily writing adventure (something we discuss so often on this podcast,) is a challenge. It is a process. Let’s discuss our writing habits, our rolling plains, our Khazad-Dums, our Balrogs, and our Rivendells.
What can we learn about how we approach middles (and our craft as a whole) that can enrich the time we spend writing?
Are romance and erotica the gold mine they are believed to be? Should writers try to build a career in romance or erotica under a pen name?
It might be harder than you think.
Content warning: this episode includes coarse language and discussions about sexual assault in literature.
Continuing the conversation from episode 3.6, we explore sex in non-romance fiction. Sex scenes should not be any different, fundamentally, from any other scene in a book. They can be staged like a fight, conversation, transaction-—any scene that involves character emotion and growth. The scene should have value as well as enticing action.
Do social taboos affect the way we write and read sex? Definitely.
Content warning: this episode includes coarse language, (terrible) descriptions of sexual acts, and discussions about sexual assault in literature.
Sex and physical intimacy in literature is a slippery slope. Inclusion of those elements for shock value alone is counterproductive and generally seen as gratuitous. What we discover through our conversation is that the inclusion of sex in stories must have value to the characters and plot. We also issue a warning: stop using sexual assault as a character-building trope in speculative fiction. It is a terrible thing to do.
We also went quite a bit over time in this episode’s recording, so the episode is split between 3.6 and 3.7, so tune in next week for the second half of the conversation.
This month, Write Right will dive into discussions about romance and erotica. That being the case, we are going to flag the episodes for February as explicit. If these topics aren’t your cup of tea, join back up with us in March when we change themes.
Are the romance genres a smooth spectrum, or are there clear lines between romance, erotic (or steamy) romance, and erotica? Are there well-established rules for the form? Mariëlle Smith joins us for our exploration of the steamier side of popular fiction.
Starting a new story can be an intoxicating thing. It’s my greatest strength as a writer, and that’s why I have so, so many stories on the backburner. At a certain point, there’s got to be a limit to how much “new” energy for writing is positive…doesn’t there? How do we know the difference between a shiny new idea and a true gem? How do we balance between our projects? How do we deal with “want to write” versus “am writing”?
Recommendation:
Start an idea farm.
John is taking a break between the fourth and fifth drafts of A Thousand Roads. How does he bring excitement to reworking something he’s been working on for a long time? How dooes he manaage drafting processes?
Resolutions for the New Year can be a controversial topic. One thing’s for sure: they don’t work for everyone. For many of us, they can be downright counterproductive. If the concept of the resolution doesn’t work for us, is there a way for us to “resolve” do to something in a beneficial way?
Recommendation:
Become the jellyfish you’ve always wanted to be.
Here we are, at the very beginning of the third season of Write Right. We're joined this month by Elayna Mae Darcy, during which we'll be talking about beginnings and newness. This time, we talk about new podcasts each of us is hosting, and podcasts we love.
Here's a complete list of our recommendations:
- Elan's new podcast: The Warbler Weekly
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Elan's recommendations: Steal the Stars, Writing Excuses, Crooked Media's many podcasts
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Elayna's new podcast: The Convention Kid
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Elayna's recommendations: Shmanners, Spirits, Esoteric Oddities
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Craig and John's new podcast: Deep Desires Podcast
- Craig's recommendations: Sell More Books Show, Lore, The Secret Life of Canada John's recommendations: Tides of History, The Fall of Rome, Revolutions
This is the the thirty-fifth and final episode of the second season of Write Right. It's been a wonderful, strange, difficult, and expansive year. The podcasters talk about their years in writing, reading, working, and living. The next season of Write Right begins in the new year! Many thanks to each and every listener who gave our program their time. We hope to make the next year of writerly chats even better. WE DEMAND: Watch the movie Kedi on YouTube, iTunes, or anywhere you can find it.
Oh dear. Here we go. Not too long ago, we talked about NaNoWriMo, that magical, stressful month where hundreds of thousands of writers around the world go wild. How did our collective Novembers go? Did we win?
No. We didn't win. But you know what? That's okay.
The great and terrible evil of the day job is this episode's topic, and while the initial intent of the episode was to talk about how we balance our day jobs with our writing endeavors, the episode took a turn for the philosophical, as they seem to do when Elan is let loose upon the world. We hope you enjoy the episode! Recommendation: If you are unable to write when you want to, try to figure out why. When you identify that, think of ways to change your day around to accommodate your desire to write. Also, be kind to yourself.
Elan tells a tiny lie at the episode's opening, but once that fib's behind the crew, they dig into talking about NaNoWriMo. We've been NaNoRebels, NaNoLameOs, and NaNoJudgeMos when the need struck us, and for better or worse, we're all NaNo adjacent. The conversation moves somewhat far afield of the initial topic (as it tends to do), but we hope that, whether you NaNo or No, you find the episode—and the entire month of November—inspiring and positive. Recommendation: write a story in November that you're not tied to deeply. Just write for writing's sake.
We have talked extensively about daily writing, techniques for achieving it, and the ostensible benefits of it. Let’s take a step back and discuss what it’s like in the trenches of daily writing, the frustrations that may arise, and the methods we use to keep ourselves on task. Recommendation: Track your daily word counts, whether you write or not.
When John mentioned the term “Fractal Outlining” several episodes ago, Elan’s mind exploded. Because he still hasn’t recovered, the Write Right crew was gracious enough to dedicate a full episode to the topic, wherein Elan will pepper John with questions about it. Recommendation: Read John's blog post about fractal outlining.
From July 28th through August 15th, Elan was away, on both the Writing Excuses Cruise and in Finland for Worldcon 75. In this episode, Elan talks about his experience and John and Craig do all the question-asking! Prompt & Recommendations: Write a 250-word short story using plot randomizers. For links to plot randomizers, go to writerightpodcast.com
There’s a well-known adage in genre fiction, whereby worldbuilding is like an iceberg. You only see the 30% that is above the surface, but you build the entire thing, and that other 70% is what makes your world feel real. This isn’t a universally held belief, however. How much of the iceberg to you build when you write? Recommendation: Brandon Sanderson lecture series on YouTube.
Pen and paper. Word. Scrivener. Ulysses. Aeon Timeline. Notecards, voice recorders, lap-desks and more! What are the tools you use to write?Recommendation: www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com
Writing every day isn’t for everyone, but most people want to build a daily practice. But it’s a difficult thing to do; forming any kind of habit is hard. How do you make sure that you write every day? How do you motivate and schedule yourself? Recommendations: 2k to 10k - Rachel Aaron (We know, we keep recommending it...but it's really good!); John's Awesome Writer Spreadsheet
We live in a world of distraction. Distraction is an enormous challenge for almost all of us, rearing its shiny head to peel us away from the work we care about or need to do. We recently talked about active and reactive work, but no matter our best intentions, distractions all-too-frequently take us away from accomplishing either. How do you fight distractions? Recommendations from the episode: Forest App for iOS, Android, and Google Chrome; Focus App for Mac; F.B. Purity and News Feed Eradicator, for removing or altering the newsfeed in Facebook; This one weird trick will save your attention span! article on Medium.com; Recommended reading: Deep Work - Cal Newport
Day to day, choices are forced upon us, from the moment we get up to check our inbox and messages, to the many interruptions at work. Often, we get few opportunities to do the work we really want to do because we’re too busy reacting. Important work requires willful action to drive it, but the art of executing this requires battling the forces of reaction that surround us. Recommended reading: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen R. Covey
Plotting and pantsing are often described as diametrically opposed concepts, incompatible with each other and mutually exclusive. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. In reality, we all fall somewhere in between on the spectrum of plot and pants. We plotz. Recommended reading: Wired for Story - Lisa Cron
Discovery writing! Gardening! Pantsing! How do you do it? What are the benefits and difficulties? Do we write linearly? How much do we know when we sit down to write? Recommendation: Author Accelerator (authoraccelerator.com)
Let's take a closer look at plotting: techniques, benefits, issues—the whole thing. How do you do it? How do you not? Recommendations: The Snowflake Method and 2K to 10K by Rachel Aaron.
Writing can be a solitary activity, but the reality is that the world of writing is vibrant and dynamic, with conventions, seminars, cafes, readings, and more touching the world of writing. Should you venture out?
. Where do we fit writing in? Recommendation: The Magic Spreadsheet! Look it up or get in touch to receive an invitation to our private sheet.
The great debate with no correct answer: plotting or pantsing? The answer is often a combination of the two.
Making a living on novels alone is difficult—in fact, the odds are stacked against such success. But becoming a full-time writer who can support themselves doesn’t mean hitting the bestsellers list with every book you write, it means diversifying your income. How can you make a living as an independent writer? Recommended reading: The Five Day Novel - Scott King
How do we measure our achievements against personal goals? How do we learn to feel proud of our writing achievements without throwing the rest of our lives out the window? Recommended activity: write for one hour every day.
Congratulations! You've published an Ebook. Now what? Craig and John delve into their experience marketing digital books. Recommended reading: How to Market a Book - Joanna Penn
Writing is more than typing frantically at a keyboard. Alas, we get ideas and have to work them into stories, while making sure that the final product meets our original intent and the desires of our readers. What does that process look like? Recommended website: Author Accelerator, authoraccelerator.com
Self-Publishing is complex—there are various platforms, stores, and formats to consider before even starting the process. How do you self-publish? Recommended reading: How to Self-Publish Your Book - Craig Gibb with John Robin
Self-editing is an important part of the process, when applied properly and not overexerted. How do you go about it? What kind of limitations do you need to set? Recommended reading: Self-editing for Fiction Writers - Dave King and Renni Browne
Where do you write? Do you have a special place that fills you with inspiration? Do you sit? Do you stand? Do you work at a cafe? In silent sequestration? Recommended reading: On Writing - Stephen King
NaNoIng, Speak Beastie-ing, IndiePen Ink-ing Hufflepuff Elayna Mae Darcy joins us for the next few episodes (at least!) Get to know her background and passions in this Q&A episode. Our recommendation: visit indiepenink.com to learn more about what Elayna's up to these days.
As much as we love stimulants and late-night writing sessions, sleep is a very important of personal maintenance. It’s vital to your success and health. No two ways about it. Enough of the “never stop working” idea. We need rest. Recommended reading: jamesclear.com/sleep
Why are editorial services so pricy? Let’s dig into the details of the process to lay any confusions to rest. Our recommendation: visit the EFA's rates page. www.the-efa.org/res/rates.php
read? Recommended reading: Reading Like a Writer - Francine Prose; Story Trumps Structure - Steven James; The Anatomy of Story - John Truby
It's guaranteed that not everyone will love your book. It’s easy enough to deal with positive reviews. You share them, get excited, and move forward. What happens when you get a bad review? What should you do?
The prolific, Brandon Sanderson-esque writer is a rare gem. For most of us, writing—the thing we love to do—is like pulling teeth. How do you self-administer the kick in the rear that gets you back on track? John recommends: James Clear's newsletter, at jamesclear.com
The subject of social media is one of much debate, especially on social media channels. Does social media really work for writers? Is it a distraction? Do you have to have an account to succeed? Craig's recommendation: Tweepi for managing followers on Twitter
Sometimes, it feels like story archetypes mean that every story has already been told. What if your story is exactly like another that's already out there? What's the best way to get motivated if you feel like your story is unoriginal? Elan's recommended reading: Storyteller by Kate Wilhelm
Welcome to season two! We're starting strong, talking about the nuances of voice and how you can eschew the rules of grammar when it comes to character. John's book recommendation: Story Trumps Structure by Steven James.
Craig Gibb (Story Perfect's own marketing manager) has published over 50 works, many of them on his own under various pen names. He shares his wisdom about self-publishing in this episode.
While we're on a summer break, we wanted to take the time to say hi and offer an editing prompt to you. We'll be back in two weeks!
Despite the good intentions of the world at large, most of us judge books by their covers. That being the case, what are self-pub authors to do about being judged positively?
Based on last episode's discussion and an important caveat brought up by Ian, we take another look at breaking the rules, specifically as they pertain to dialogue.
The crew gets off topic, and Dale has to get bleeped out. Meanwhile, we discuss how mechanical rules can be broken, and whether or not they should be at all.
Dale records a new intro song, and the team introduces Ian, our newest apprentice. We dig into what your first time with an editor might look like, what kind of editing services might be offered, and what you might expect to get back from an editor.
Semi-colons are wonderful tools, but do they belong in fiction? It depends, but it's safe to say no. Book recommendations from this week include: The Little, Brown Handbook; A Dash of Style - Noah Lukeman; The Elements of Style - William Strunk & E.B. White
Commas are everywhere, and even though we understand them intuitively, there’s lots to be said about them. Also, Elan needs to learn to face his microphone.