What exactly is a Zero Draft, how does one differ from an outline, and why might you want to give them a try? Grab a draft beer for this week's themed beverage and join D.C. and Avery as they discuss the subject! Books mentioned: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab The Goldfinch, by … Continue reading Episode 29: Zero Drafts
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Episode 25: Is This a Kissing Book?
(Writing Sex Scenes) Ooh la la! D.C. and Avery discuss the salacious topic of writing sex scenes. We discuss how we try to avoid the cringe zone, as well as sharing examples with a lot of laughs and a teensy bit of embarrassment. Books mentioned: The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt I Give You My Body, … Continue reading Episode 25: Is This a Kissing Book?
Episode 23: Series & Standalones
In this episode, DC and Avery discuss series and standalones. How do you decide if a story idea is a series or standalone? What does the outlining process look like for each? And how to avoid common pitfalls such as the Book 2 Slump or infodumps in later books? Books and items mentioned in this … Continue reading Episode 23: Series & Standalones
Episode 21: Filler Words
What do words like "just", "really", and "all" have in common? They can act as excess fluff and filler, which clutter up your writing and make it less readable. In this episode, a slightly rusty D.C. and Avery will show how to clean up these words by revising an old piece of our writing. Books … Continue reading Episode 21: Filler Words
Episode 17: @#$&! – Swearing in Fiction
DC and Avery talk about dirty words! How far is too far, and does genre affect that line? When is swearing most effective, and why would you want to use it? Books mentioned in this episode: A Little Life, by Hanya Yanagihara The Echo Maker, by Richard Powers Imbibe! by David Wondrich Rita Hayworth and … Continue reading Episode 17: @#$&! – Swearing in Fiction
Episode 13: Dialogue Tags & Action Beats
DC and Avery discuss whether "said is dead" or "said is invisible", the use of outlandish dialogue tags, and how action beats can break up repetitive dialogue. Featuring an excerpt from one of Avery's very oldest writing samples. Books mentioned in this episode: A Little Life, by Hanya Yanagihara Drinks: Both of the cocktails this … Continue reading Episode 13: Dialogue Tags & Action Beats
Episode 11: Scary Queries
In this episode, DC and Avery discuss best practices for pitching your work, both online and in-In our first Halloween episode, we talk about the horror of queries! We chat a little about the query experience, and go over some key dos and don'ts when crafting your query letter. We also revise a spooooky query … Continue reading Episode 11: Scary Queries
Episode 10: Pitch, Please
In this episode, DC and Avery discuss best practices for pitching your work, both online and in-person, as well as thoughts on pitch events in general. How to find your story's hook and show it off as sparkly as it can be. We also take a look at a few of Avery's pitches and break … Continue reading Episode 10: Pitch, Please
Episode 8: Passion vs. Obligation
Today, D.C. and Avery discuss the love/hate aspect of writing. How do you keep the passion alive when your love for a story starts to wane? And when it comes to deadlines, how do you trudge through the parts of the process you hate in order to meet them? Books mentioned in this episode: Neon … Continue reading Episode 8: Passion vs. Obligation
Episode 7: Dos and Don’ts of First Present
First-person Present Tense is often hated, but why? In this episode we chat about the reasons many dislike it, but also the ways it can be useful. We share excerpts from our writing that illustrate possible ways to tackle some common pitfalls of this tense/POV combo, as well. Books mentioned in this episode: Angela's Ashes, … Continue reading Episode 7: Dos and Don’ts of First Present
...and it's writing. 