Write the Book radio show airs weekly on WBTV-LP in Burlington, Vermont. Shelagh offers in-depth, hour-long interviews with authors, poets, illustrators, agents, and editors about writing, publishing, finding inspiration, developing one’s craft, and finding community. Her show always ends with a new writing prompt, often one recommended by that week’s guest. The easy rapport that Shelagh establishes with her guests—who include everyone from top selling and award winning authors to authors publishing with indies or self-publishing—results in a wonderful conversational flow that is fun to listen to and always informative. The archives include over 500 interviews with authors including Ann Patchett, Kate Atkinson, Colum McCann, Richard Russo, Steve Almond and Jennifer Egan.
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Write the Book radio show airs weekly on WBTV-LP in Burlington, Vermont. Shelagh offers in-depth, hour-long interviews with authors, poets, illustrators, agents, and editors about writing, publishing, finding inspiration, developing one’s craft, and finding community. Her show always ends with a new writing prompt, often one recommended by that week’s guest. The easy rapport that Shelagh establishes with her guests—who include everyone from top selling and award winning authors to authors publishing with indies or self-publishing—results in a wonderful conversational flow that is fun to listen to and always informative. The archives include over 500 interviews with authors including Ann Patchett, Kate Atkinson, Colum McCann, Richard Russo, Steve Almond and Jennifer Egan.
Vermont Author Andrew Liptak, whose recent book is Cosplay: A History: The Builders, Fans, and Makers Who Bring Your Favorite Stories to Life (Saga Press).
This week’s first Write the Book Prompt won’t surprise you, if you listened to the interview. Dress in costume and write about the person you see yourself representing. If you have a costume that works for a character you’re working on, great. If not, try to change one thing about your appearance to help you access that character. Does he have a mustache and you do not? Stick on a fake, or draw one above your lip. Does she wear a tiara, pencil skirts, stilettos, sandals, penny loafers? Find something you can try on and see if it helps you embody the person you are trying to get right on the page. Maybe a character you’re working on is on vacation, and he dresses like any number of other men - nothing really worthy of being labeled a costume. But as he’s away from work for a while, you might try to write with a tie, to get a feel for what he’s presently released from, and then wear a collared shirt with the top button undone. Maybe that will give you some idea of how he feels, physically, at this stage in his life.
Andrew Liptak kindly sent in a prompt as well, one that I really like. Take a favorite character, and then go back three generations to their great-great-grand parents. What personality / family / traits or habits does your character have that might have originated from their ancestors?
Good luck with your work in the coming week, and tune in next week for another prompt or suggestion.
Music Credit: Aaron Shapiro
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Write The Book: Conversations on Craft
Write the Book radio show airs weekly on WBTV-LP in Burlington, Vermont. Shelagh offers in-depth, hour-long interviews with authors, poets, illustrators, agents, and editors about writing, publishing, finding inspiration, developing one’s craft, and finding community. Her show always ends with a new writing prompt, often one recommended by that week’s guest. The easy rapport that Shelagh establishes with her guests—who include everyone from top selling and award winning authors to authors publishing with indies or self-publishing—results in a wonderful conversational flow that is fun to listen to and always informative. The archives include over 500 interviews with authors including Ann Patchett, Kate Atkinson, Colum McCann, Richard Russo, Steve Almond and Jennifer Egan.
