Today we’ll discuss the novelist starter pack: five essential tools for your figurative writer’s knapsack as you make the journey from getting started with that novel to querying and hopefully publishing your work!
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Today, we’ll be gathering around our metaphorical fireplace for a fireside chat– an honest conversation about our own writing practices that we hope you’ll find helpful for your writing life as well. In this episode, we’ll be talking about our writing lives lately– what’s going well, what’s not, and what we’re learning along the way.
Picks of the Week:
BJ: The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov by Isaac Asimov
H: The Service of the Dead by Candace Robb
Mentioned in the Episode:
We’ll be talking about the unique challenges of publishing a debut novel. Breaking into the literary world should be exciting and celebratory, and it definitely is! Still, there are a few considerations that debut authors should be aware of as they begin their publishing journeys, so we’re going to cover them here today!
Picks of the Week:
BJ: Star Wars: Thrawn by Timothy Zahn
H: We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
Mentioned in the Episode:
Bonnie Garmus and Felicity Blunt Interview
S5E9 What’s a Commercial Hook and How do I write one?
Today's episode is all about finding inspiration and support for your writing in places you might not expect. We’re diving into the world of local bookstores and Bookshop.org!
Picks of the Week:
BJ: The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin
H: The Snowbirds by Christine Clancy
Mentioned in the Episode:
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. Today, we’re going to give you a rundown of what note taking tools we’ve actually found helpful as writers, and hopefully give you some ideas about what tools might work well for you too!
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Today, we’ll be talking about deciding not to withhold a big reveal. Whether you're writing a novel, a screenplay, or even a short story, knowing when and how to reveal critical information to your audience can make or break your narrative. We'll be discussing the impact of timing, the balance between suspense and satisfaction, and how to make those big reveals resonate with your readers.
Picks of the Week:
BJ: My recommendation this week is a book of comics, not to be confused with traditional comic books. It’s called Hi, Just a Quick Question: Queries, Advice, and Figuring It All Out by Beth Evans
H: Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman
Mentioned in the Episode:
The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard
Today 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 tool we’ll be talking about today is…scheduling and protecting your writing time.
Picks of the Week:
Mentioned in the Episode:
Gretchen Rubin Quote: “Don’t Let the Perfect Be the Enemy of the Good”
James Clear Quote: “It Only Takes Five Minutes”
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 goals! Specifically, we’ll cover when they hurt and when they help.
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We'll be talking about pacing the first five pages of your novel. For many writers, including us here at Writing with Friends, getting the first five pages of your novel writing can feel so daunting. After all, if you are seeking to traditionally publish your manuscript, making those five pages the best they can be is essential to piquing the interest of a potential agent, publishing house, and reader. That’s a lot of pressure! So let’s jump right and and think together about how to get the pacing of the beginning of your story just right.
Picks of the Week:
H: Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten
BJ: Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
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Today we’ll be talking to the authors of the newsletter This Black-Ass Life, Mitu and Jumoke. For the past several years, these two friends have been writing for the Black diaspora, especially Black women. They cover pop culture, history lessons, music, and more. This episode will be a great fit for anyone interested in starting a newsletter and learning how to connect with their audience.
This episode contains some language that may not be appropriate for all audiences. If you're sensitive to strong language or listening with children, you may want to consider one of our other episodes instead.
Links
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
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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.
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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 writingwithfriendspodcast@gmail.com.
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/
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.
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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 writingwithfriendspodcast@gmail.com.
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
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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
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:
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
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