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Naming our story's characters is fun but there is a big technique involved, which we talk about in this episode. Also; the iceberg theory of writing, and the story framing device. Plus, examples of showing rather than telling about characters' moods.
La Fayette, We Are Here!
French history podcast for Americans, by a Frenchman. Learn all about France's history.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the Show.
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It's critical for us writers to make multiple simultaneous submissions. Here are some thoughts on why it's so important. And I mention a wonderful but counterintuitive technique that makes our dialogue smoother. Also: the importance of a scene playing out minute-by-minute, without time skips.
La Fayette, We Are Here!
French history podcast for Americans, by a Frenchman. Learn all about France's history.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the Show.
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Where can we turn when wondering about whether we should continue reading a novel? Right here, for some thoughts on reading. Also, here is a discussion on big mistakes we might make when creating our story's setting, and how to avoid them.
La Fayette, We Are Here!
French history podcast for Americans, by a Frenchman. Learn all about France's history.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the Show.
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Some novels--even novels that are great literature--have titles that are downers: titles that are sour and pessimistic. Here are thoughts on why we might not want to give our novels downer titles. Also, why we should avoid words that when too close together echo poorly, creating a distracting dissonance. And how we writers can practice.
La Fayette, We Are Here!
French history podcast for Americans, by a Frenchman. Learn all about France's history.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the Show.
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Details are proofs, evidence offered to the reader about our story. Details will make our fiction engaging and will allow the story to grab readers. But there are right and wrong ways to use details, and we'll talk about the difference. Also, how should we handle back-story, politics, and society in our story? And a goofy pop quiz.
La Fayette, We Are Here!
French history podcast for Americans, by a Frenchman. Learn all about France's history.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the Show.
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For most of us our sentence-by-sentence writing should be a clear window to our story rather than a barrier to seeing the story. Here are thoughts on the clear window. Also, how George Orwell worked.
La Fayette, We Are Here!
French history podcast for Americans, by a Frenchman. Learn all about France's history.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the Show.
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of writing in the present tense? And the past tense? Also, a reminder about the importance of setting. And I get on my high horse about writers needing persistence regarding submissions.
La Fayette, We Are Here!
French history podcast for Americans, by a Frenchman. Learn all about France's history.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the Show.
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It's hard to make a big meeting scene interesting. Much of the time meeting scenes should be avoided. But if we must have a meeting, showing rather than telling will make it more interesting. Plus, how Carson McCullers worked. And some comments from feuding writers. Also, an interview with Maeve Binchy.
La Fayette, We Are Here!
French history podcast for Americans, by a Frenchman. Learn all about France's history.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the Show.
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Good advice about designing your own book cover; don't. If you self-publish your novel don't ruin it with a do-it-yourself book cover. Here are thoughts on why you should hire a pro designer. Also: why have we lost some enthusiasm for writing our novel, and how can we get it back? And some of the loveliest sentences in literature.
La Fayette, We Are Here!
French history podcast for Americans, by a Frenchman. Learn all about France's history.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the Show.
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Some of us have a hard time beginning the writing of our novels or short stories. Here are the reasons why and things we might do to overcome them. Also, the best first sentences in literature. And now novelist John Cheever worked.
La Fayette, We Are Here!
French history podcast for Americans, by a Frenchman. Learn all about France's history.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the Show.
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We can avoid inert paragraphs by having our descriptions do more than one thing at once. Descriptions of our characters, settings, and action and our dialogue can do double duty--two things at the same time--which will engage the reader and enliven our story. Here's how .
La Fayette, We Are Here!
French history podcast for Americans, by a Frenchman. Learn all about France's history.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the Show.
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Should we categorize our novel as literary or commercial? What are the benefits and drawbacks of doing so? Also, we can improve our dialogue writing by reading great crime fiction. And: the importance of avoiding filters.
La Fayette, We Are Here!
French history podcast for Americans, by a Frenchman. Learn all about France's history.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the Show.
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Jack Bickham says that scenes should be followed by sequels. Here are thoughts on how to write a sequel. Also, the middle of a novel--sometimes called the Great Swampy Middle--can be hard to plot. We'll discuss techniques on bulking up the middle of our story.
La Fayette, We Are Here!
French history podcast for Americans, by a Frenchman. Learn all about France's history.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the Show.
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What is the best way to plot our novel, plotting from scene to scene? Here is a discussion of the critical technique of avoiding a scene's set up and wind down. Also, I took part in a writing experiment and spectacularly failed, and here is an account of it. I still wince when I recall it. Also, a strong writing technique is avoiding "was" and "were." We'll discuss why and how to do so.
La Fayette, We Are Here!
French history podcast for Americans, by a Frenchman. Learn all about France's history.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the Show.
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What if we are stymied in our plotting, and can't think of enough story? Here are some thoughts on how we might get to work. Also; one of the best ways we can reveal our characters to readers is with the characters' own words, with their dialogue. Here are some thoughts on showing--as opposed to telling--with dialogue. Also, this episode contains the words "oaf," "poltroon," and "knucklehead," such words being like salt; they make anything better.
La Fayette, We Are Here!
French history podcast for Americans, by a Frenchman. Learn all about France's history.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the Show.
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We writers get to experience the joy of creating something--a character, a setting, an event--out of nothing. And, how can we tell if the new plot point we've come up with is any good? Are there questions we can ask ourselves to test our new plot point? Also: who are the most memorable villains in fiction? Here is Stephen King's list. And here is something technical; how to paragraph dialogue.
La Fayette, We Are Here!
French history podcast for Americans, by a Frenchman. Learn all about France's history.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the Show.
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Most of us subscribe to the our-words-should-be-a-clear-window-to-the-story technique but some writers intentionally make their sentences beautiful so that we think about the words on the page. Here are some thoughts on writing beautiful sentences. Also, how can we pump up our creativity so as to get us off the dime regarding our plotting? And Edna Ferber's striking character descriptions.
La Fayette, We Are Here!
French history podcast for Americans, by a Frenchman. Learn all about France's history.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the Show.
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A phrases notebook is a remarkably useful tool for writers. Here's how to create one. Also, sometimes while writing we might get the feeling that our plot is becoming aimless and that it is bogging down. We'll list questions we can ask ourselves to determine if it's true, and how to fix the problem.
La Fayette, We Are Here!
French history podcast for Americans, by a Frenchman. Learn all about France's history.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the Show.
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Can we writers get into a mental state called the flow or the zone, then write 40 pages? Maybe. Here's how. And: our fiction might someday change people's lives. Also, showing--as opposed to telling--negative emotions such as disgust. And a monkey in Thailand.
La Fayette, We Are Here!
French history podcast for Americans, by a Frenchman. Learn all about France's history.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the Show.
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Character-driven stories--which delve deeply into the hero's change and growth--can be moving and unforgettable for readers but there are traps that we can fall into when writing them. Here they are, and how to avoid them. Also, Kurt Vonnegut's technique of making a character want something right away. And how Joyce Carol Oates works. Also, the enduring appeal of Anne of Green Gables.
La Fayette, We Are Here!
French history podcast for Americans, by a Frenchman. Learn all about France's history.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the Show.
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