Avsnitt
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We’ll be talking about something that can really elevate your writing: the power of subtext in storytelling. It’s one of those elements that, when done right, adds a whole new layer of meaning to your work!
Picks of the Week:
BJ: Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
H: Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
Mentioned in the Episode:
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Breaking Bad (TV Show)
Mad Men (TV Show)
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Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the tool we’ll be talking about today is Tarot! Are you curious about tarot? Using a tarot deck can be a fun way to infuse your writing life with inspiration and encouragement.
Picks of the Week:
H: A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat
BJ: A Descent into the Maelström by Edgar Allan Poe
Mentioned in the Episode:
This Might Hurt Tarot Deck
Modern Witch Tarot Deck
Good Karma Tarot Deck
The Biddy Tarot Podcast
Guided Tarot by Stefanie Caponi
The Ultimate Guide to Tarot by Liz Dean
Tarot for Writers by Corinne Kenner
Tarot for the Fiction Writer by Paula Scardamalia
Typewriter Tarot (Creative Coven)
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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We’ll be gathering around our metaphorical fireplace for a fireside chat. We’ll be talking about writing like an Olympian and accepting that it never gets easy… and that’s okay. It’s all about the endurance and dedication required to keep going, no matter how long you’ve been at it.
Picks of the Week:
BJ: Signal to Noise by Eric Nylund
H: Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel
If you have your own suggestions on how to write like an Olympian, let us know by writing to us at [email protected].
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We'll be talking about commercial hooks! As writers, we often write for the love of story and for the joy of creative expression. It can be tempting to shy away from the idea of producing anything “commercial”. But for those of us who hope to publish traditionally or build a broad audience, understanding what a commercial hook is and how to write one can be the key to getting our books into the hands of real readers.
Picks of the Week:
H: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
BJ: Awakening the Heroes Within by Carol S. Pearson
Mentioned in the Episode:
Hook Examples: https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/book-hook/hook-examples/
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Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the tool we’ll be talking about today is writing retreats! These structured environments dedicated to focused writing can be used like a tool to offer writers significant benefits, but also unique challenges for authors of all levels.
Picks of the Week:
BJ: The Risen Empire by Scott Westerfeld
H: Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
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Today, we’ll be talking to writer and teacher Luke Burkbauer. She’s an instructor with Duke’s Thompson Writing program with a wealth of knowledge about writing of all kinds. We’ll discuss academic and nonfiction writing in depth in this episode, exploring how to build confidence as an academic writer, how to develop your writerly identity, and how to use artificial intelligence ethically and creatively within academia. This episode will be a great fit for anyone currently studying or working in higher education, from a college freshman to professors grappling with how to teach writing skills, but any curious writer will benefit.
Mentioned in the Podcast:
Luke’s Scholars at Duke Profile
Luke’s Courses (page 21 and 29)
Luke’s Pick of the Week: Eye of the World (in the Wheel of Time series) by Robert Jordan, narrated by Rosamund Pike
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, narrated by Rosamund Pike
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, narrated by Rosamund Pike
Have any “sliding doors” or alternative life paths books, movies, poems, or other media that Luke could use for her course? Send us your suggestions at [email protected].
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We’ll be talking about how to use time jumps to add an interesting twist to your writing project! A time jump is when you shift the story forward or backwards in time, often with little or no explanation for why this jump has occurred. It can be as simple as skipping from one day to five years later, or jumping back in time to revisit an event that happened earlier on. Time jumps can be used to add a twist, create suspense, and even reveal new character information. But writing a great time jump can be tricky, so join us as we discuss the pros and cons of using time jump in your writing.
Picks of the Week:
BJ: Source Code (movie) directed by Duncan Jones
H: Arrival (movie) directed by Denis Villeneuve and Interstellar (movie) directed by Christopher Nolan
Mentioned in the Episode:
Aeon Timeline
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Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the mindset tool we’ll be talking about today is increasing your luck surface area.
Picks of the Week:
BJ: Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn
H: The Flatshare by Beth O’ Leary
Mentioned in the Episode:
Chelsea Mae Cullen Podcast Episode: How to Become The Hero of Your Own Story
James Clear Quote on Luck Surface Area
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We’ll be gathering around our metaphorical fireplace for a fireside chat– an honest conversation about how we’re applying a craft topic or tool to our own writing practices, and how you might incorporate this topic or tool into your writing life as well. And the craft topic we’ll be discussing today is how to conquer the dreaded first draft.
Picks of the Week:
Bad Therapy by Abigail Shrier
Awakening the Heroes Within: Twelve Archetypes to Help Us Find Ourselves and Transform Our World by Carol Pearson
Mentioned in the Episode:
S4MINI1: Why Rewrite?
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We’ll be talking about how to introduce characters effectively and with style! One reason why writing the first draft of a new manuscript can feel so daunting is because you have so many characters to introduce to your reader. How can you communicate to your reader who these characters are and what they care about without derailing the plot or boring them to tears? Our episode today can help!
Picks of the Week:
H: Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan
BJ: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Mentioned in the Episode:
Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel by Hallie Ephron
The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz
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Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the tool we’ll be talking about today is Grammarly. Grammarly is an AI-powered writing assistant that helps with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and even some style suggestions. It’s like having a personal editor at your fingertips! But there are some downsides to using Grammarly, too. We’ll discuss both the pros and cons of this tool for writers on today’s episode.
Picks of the Week:
H: The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz
BJ: Jumper by Steven Gould
Mentioned in the Episode:
Grammarly
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Show Notes
Today, we’ll be talking to writer Dr. Alexandra Middleton. She’s an Assistant Professor of medical anthropology at the University of Copenhagen, creative nonfiction writer and essayist, runner, swimmer, and more! Tune in to hear about her career as well as her advice for aspiring writers.
Mentioned in the Episode:
Alexandra’s Work
https://www.liminalliety.com/ (Alexandra's Website)
https://therumpus.net/2023/04/11/terra-incognita/
Other Works Mentioned
https://1000wordsofsummer.substack.com/about
https://www.oprah.com/spirit/writing-every-day-writers-rules-aimee-bender/all
https://www.accountabilityworkshops.com/
https://pod.link/1623390096
https://lidiayuknavitch.net/
https://www.melissafebos.com/
http://www.jordankisner.com/thresholds
http://link.chtbl.com/tcahp
Craft Books
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
Steering the Craft by Ursula K. LeGuin
How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee
Essays and Books on Motherhood (from The Liminal Substack)
“The Birth of My Daughter, The Death of My Marriage” by Leslie Jamison
My Work by Olga Ravn
“I Shock Myself” from The Ann Friedman Weekly newsletter
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Today, we’ll finish up our summer quote series.
I’m excited to announce that this is the last episode of Season 4. BJ and I are cooking up a new season for you right now– with lots of craft tips, tool deep dives, fireside chats, and interviews with other writers. That season – Season 5 – will begin releasing every Monday starting September 16. We can’t wait.
Other mini episodes in our quote series:
S4E21 MINI: Standing on the Shoulders of Literary Giants
S4E22 MINI: Paradox and Playfulness in the Writing Life
S4E23 MINI: Why Middle Grade and Young Adult Novels Matter
Mentioned in the Episode:
Wired for Story:The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence by Lisa Cron
The Quest to Understand Consciousness – A TedTalk by Dr. Antonio Damasio
Unmasking the Muse (blogpost by Lisa Cron)
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Mentioned in Episode:
Other mini episodes in our quote series
S4E21 MINI: Standing on the Shoulders of Literary Giants
S4E22 MINI: Paradox and Playfulness in the Writing Life
Books by Madeleine L’Engle:
Many Waters
A Ring of Endless Light
A Swiftly Tilting Planet
And Both Were Young
Newbery Award Acceptance Speech: The Expanding Universe (1963)
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On today’s mini episode, we’re looking at another of my favorite quotes about the writing life.
“Creativity is sacred, and it is not sacred. What we make matters enormously, and it doesn’t matter at all. We toil alone, and we are accompanied by spirits. We are terrified, and we are brave. Art is a crushing chore and a wonderful privilege. Only when we are at our most playful can divinity finally get serious with us. Make space for all these paradoxes to be equally true inside your soul, and I promise—you can make anything. So please calm down now and get back to work, okay? The treasures that are hidden inside you are hoping you will say yes.”
- Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
Let’s discuss how this quote might speak to us about the lightness and playfulness required to creativity.
Mentioned in Episode:
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
The Artist’s Way by Julia CameronThe first episode in our quote series: S4E21 MINI: Standing on the Shoulders of (Literary) Giants
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On today’s episode, we’ll begin a short series looking at some of my favorite quotes as they apply to writing.
And today’s quote is:
"If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." - Isaac Newton
Let's think together about the tension between the ideal of the creative genius and the reality of the creative process.
Mentioned in the Episode:
The Marginalian: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: The Story Behind Newton’s Famous Metaphor for How Knowledge Progresses by Maria Popova
Paper Lantern Writers: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants by Jonathan Posner
Isaac Newton by Games Gleick
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Our question for today’s mini episode is...
How and why should I write until failure?
Today we'll talk about how to write to failure both in terms of honing your craft and in terms of sharing your work with an audience.
Do you have thoughts on failure and the writing life? Do you have ways you push to failure that I didn’t mention? We'd love to hear from you. Our email address [email protected].
Mentioned in the Episode
Zone of Proximal Development by WestEd
How Often Should You Take Your Sets to Fail? (StrengthLog Podcast)
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Our question for today’s mini episode is...
How do I keep up a writing practice when life gets busy?
We'll discuss four strategies for staying engaged in your writing practice when other responsibilities loom large.Mentioned in the Episode:
Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg
Atomic Habits by James Clear
The Revision Spreadsheet (WWF Episodes S4E3 and S1E10)
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Our question for today’s mini episode is...
Why Do Plot Twists Matter?
If you find crafting plot twists a little baffling, or you're unsure if your current story would even benefit from a plot twist, this episode's for you! We'll dive into a fantastic example of a plot twist and discuss the benefits of incorporating plot twists into storylines. What are the plot twists in your current project? Okay, maybe you don’t want to give spoilers, but if you have more questions on this topic or tips of your own, write to us at [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you.
Mentioned in the Episode
S4E16: How Much should I plan and outline before writing?
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Our question for today’s mini episode is...
What’s the best gear to support your writing practice?
Writing is a pretty minimalistic hobby, or it can be. Still, investing in great writing gear isn’t silly or shallow. As writer Gretchen Rubin says “Beautiful tools make work a joy.” By investing in high quality writing tools, we can remind ourselves that our writing practice itself is valuable, and we can create a sense of ritual and reverence around our writing time.
Mentioned in the Episode:
- Moleskine Large Weekly Planner
- A candle! Any kind. 🙂
- Midori MD Note Horizontal Ruled Line Notebook
- NuPhy Halo96 Wireless Mechanical Keyboard with Rose Glacier switches
- Peet’s Major Dickason’s Blend Coffee Beans
- Visa fler
