Story Works Round Table Archives - Page 12 of 64 - Story Works Round Table Podcast

SWRT 321 | Worldbuilding Historical Fantasy with Bjorn Leesson

Apr 24, 2025

In this week’s episode of the Story Works Round Table, Alida Winternheimer and Kathryn Arnold welcome Bjorn Leesson, an author whose passion for history and the supernatural has culminated in his captivating series, Outside the Thalsparr. Join us as we explore the unique blend of Viking history and time travel, uncovering the fascinating role of women in Viking culture and the intricate world-building that brings Bjorn’s characters to life. Discover how Bjorn weaves historical facts with fantasy elements, creating a narrative that spans 1200 years. This episode is a must-listen for fans of historical fiction and fantasy alike!

SWRT 320 | Spicy Scenes with Paulette Stout

Apr 10, 2025

Join us at the Story Works Round Table as we welcome back the talented author Paulette Stout to talk about the art of writing spicy scenes. Join us as we explore how to craft intimate moments that enhance character development, tension, and narrative arcs, regardless of genre. Paulette shares her insights on the importance of emotional depth in intimate scenes and offers practical tips for writers looking to incorporate spice into their storytelling.

SWRT 244 | Weaving Time into Narrative

Mar 10, 2022

This week, Alida and Kathryn go deeper into the subject of writing time, specifically how to handle chronology in narrative. We have three very short examples that illustrate different methods of structuring your narrative to move the story and reader through time.

SWRT 243/SWRS 005 | Careless Whistle

Mar 3, 2022

On today's Story Works Reading Series, Selene Castrovilla reads the short story "Careless Whistle." If the title brings to mind a certain '80s pop tune, it (like everything in great fiction) is intentional. After the reading, Selene and I talk about her start in...

SWRT 242 | What Goes into a Scene?

Feb 24, 2022

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida, Kathryn, & Robert discuss what goes into a scene. Is there a recipe to follow? Kind of, but joke as we may, scenes are built upon certain repeatable story elements. How does pacing change with the shape of your scenes? What mistakes are commonly made at the scene level?

SWRT 241 | Character

Feb 17, 2022

This week on Story Works Round Table, Alida, Kathryn, & Robert talk character. What to do when your supporting characters resist the roles you’ve given them? Do you really need them all? What about developing new skills over the course of an arc?
Could your characters benefit from a writing lesson? Story Works has creative writing workshops available today on character traits, a master class in character development, story structure, plot, and more. Live workshops for Spring 2022 are coming soon! Details at www.storyworksfiction.com

SWRT 240 | Time

Feb 10, 2022

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida, Kathryn, and Robert talk time. Free your story from strictly chronological structure. Your story’s suspense and reveals can benefit from getting creative with your handling of time.

SWRT 239 | A Cat in the Rain, Hemingway

Feb 3, 2022

This week, Alida, Robert, & Kathryn discuss a Hemingway short-short story, “A Cat in the Rain.” Listen to the story, followed by our discussion of the craft choices apparent in Hemingway’s text. At about 600 words, it’s surprising how much there is to unpack and learn!
Join Alida’s MPWW session of the Memory Emotion Body creative writing workshop before seats fill up!
www.storyworksfiction.com

SWRT 238 | Finishing Long Projects

Jan 27, 2022

Finishing long projects can be tough, from staying inspired to never-ending research. Kathryn & Robert put Alida on the spot this week at the Story Works Round Table, talking about her work-in-progress, a historical novel set in 1920s and 30s Minnesota.

SWRT 237 | Idea to Draft

Jan 20, 2022

You’ve got a great idea for your story. Now what? We talk about that stage between the lightning bolt and draft. Writing workshops open now.

SWRT 236 | Co-authoring with Shari Medini & Karissa Tunis

Jan 13, 2022

We bring Shari Medini & Karissa Tunis back to the Round Table to talk about co-authoring their book, Parenting while Working from Home. If you’re teaming up on a book project, they’ve got lots of tips for you!

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