Story Works Round Table

conversations about craft

for writers and readers curious about writers

SWRT 328 | Creating Writing Rituals & Celebrations with Elizabeth Barbour

SWRT 328 | Creating Writing Rituals & Celebrations with Elizabeth Barbour

In this enlightening episode, Alida and Kathryn welcome Elizabeth Barber, a life and business coach, shamanic practitioner, and joyful ritualist, who shares her journey of transforming chaos into clarity through sacred celebrations. Elizabeth discusses her award-winning book, ‘Sacred Celebrations,’ and how rituals can be woven into our writing practices and everyday lives. Discover the significance of creating personal rituals and how they can help us navigate life’s milestones, both joyful and challenging. Join us as we explore the power of storytelling, the importance of witnessing, and the art of celebrating our achievements.

SWRT 327 | Embracing The Heroine’s Journey with Danielle Anderson

SWRT 327 | Embracing The Heroine’s Journey with Danielle Anderson

In this episode, Alida Winternheimer welcomes Danielle Anderson, a seasoned nonfiction book coach and editor, as we delve into the concept of the heroine’s journey. Drawing from Maureen Murdoch’s influential work, Danielle shares her personal experiences and insights on the internal journey women often face, contrasting it with the traditional hero’s journey. Discover how understanding this narrative can empower women to embrace their unique stories and identities. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone seeking to explore the depths of their own journey!

SWRT 251 | Ambiguity in Story

SWRT 251 | Ambiguity in Story

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida, Robert, & Kathryn talk about that slippery subject, ambiguity in story. What is it? How does it function in story? How & why it can disappoint or disgruntle readers (like Kathryn!). How it’s different from a hook. More!

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SWRT 250 | Description

SWRT 250 | Description

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida, & Kathryn talk description. Have you considered the purpose and power of description in your narrative before? Given that most of story is narrative, how you tell it matters. At the heart of narrative is description.

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SWRT 249 | The Writer’s Sketchbook

SWRT 249 | The Writer’s Sketchbook

 Looking for inspiration or want to know you’re not alone in this crazy creative process called storytelling? Curious about how other writers spend writing time outside of drafting?
This week, Alida, Robert, and Kathryn talk about the ways we make writing our practice and practice our writing. Before launching a project, when problem solving, or developing a new skill, we hone our craft. Just like painters with their sketchbooks, we have our notebooks. 
Submit to the Story Works Reading Series today. We want to read your short story or essay!

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SWRT 248 | Prewriting

SWRT 248 | Prewriting

Summer Session - apply nowSpecial pay what you can session.Could your characters benefit from a writing lesson? Alida has creative writing workshops available today on character traits, a master class in character development, story structure, plot, and more. Live...

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SWRT 247 | Writer’s Mindset

SWRT 247 | Writer’s Mindset

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn dig into the writer’s mindset. When we’re facing challenges of motivation, inspiration, or just plain old scheduling, what can we do to get out of the rut and get back to what matters, what matters to us, that is? Sometimes the hardest thing to accept and act on is that it really is up to us (and no one else) if and when we write. Whether the world is humming along or falling apart at the macro or micro level, it still comes down to what we want and are willing to do for what we want.

Do you want to write?

Show notes, links, & more at www.StoryWorksPodcast.com.

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SWRT 246 | Theme

SWRT 246 | Theme

Alida & Kathryn discuss their favorite topic, theme, on today’s Story Works Round Table podcast. Connect to other theme episodes in the notes.

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SWRT 245 | Emotions: their effect on story and reader

SWRT 245 | Emotions: their effect on story and reader

This week, Alida and Kathryn talk about emotions. A critical element of any story, it’s not always obvious why or when we need them. Even trickier is how to put a feeling into words that translate beyond meaning, that actually make the reader feel what the character is feeling or something more. Crafting words on the page with the goal of emotional depth, intensity, or power is a worthwhile goal for any writer.

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SWRT 244 | Weaving Time into Narrative

SWRT 244 | Weaving Time into Narrative

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.

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SWRT 243/SWRS 005 | Careless Whistle

SWRT 243/SWRS 005 | Careless Whistle

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...

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