This week on the Story Works Round Table, Sarah Branson returns to talk about getting to know your characters. We dig into the different roles characters play, depending on their relationship to the protagonist and how well we need to know them in order to write them well. Sarah’s novel, North Country, is available now.
“You have to put yourself in their life and try and figure out what their motivations are.”
Join us at the Story Works Round Table for far-ranging, philosophical, and fun conversation about science fiction with special guests Brad C Anderson, author of Duatero,
Mark Morton, author of The Headmasters, Lance Robinson, one of the winners of the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future contest, and Kristina Rienzi, author of Among Us. From dystopias to conspiracy to environmental collapse, discover how these stories mirror our reality and spark imagination.
This week Alida, Robert, & Kathryn continue discussing what we’re reading now and why we chose it. Why would a successful, beautifully-written book lose readers? What niche mystery has Robert excited to read more?
This week, we return the subject of what we’re reading now. We get into not only the titles we’re into, but what makes them work and maybe not work as well as they could. We have a variety of reasons for what we choose to read beyond “pleasure” and the books are not all in our genres. You might be surprised by which popular and award-winning novel we dissect. How did you feel about All…?
This week on the Story Works Round Table, we talk about “those bits tacked on at the end of a story to explain everything…” Wait, who said that? We discuss the epilogue and dig into our favorite epilogue to love and hate at the end of the Harry Potter series. What did you think of it? Have you written epilogues to your novels? Let us know in the comments.
This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida, Kathryn, & Robert dissect the prologue. Can you be for or against prologues? When do writers do them wrong? And how do you do them right? As with so many of our Round Tables, we start out with something that seems so simple, yet find ways to sink our teeth into a juicy discussion!
Want to be part of the conversation? Good.
We’re having an Ask Us Anything episode in the near future. Just head over to iTunes and leave us a review. Pose your craft question in your review and we’ll address it on the episode!
This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida, Robert, & Kathryn talk pacing. Isn’t it about word count and how quickly readers turn the pages? You know, that old chestnut, the Beach Read? It’s about the need to know what’s coming next, the reader’s desire to keep being drawn into and through the story. But it’s also about the ebb and flow of action, not an overall speed, but a rhythm that allows for ups and downs, quick and slow movements. Make the pace of your story organic to your character’s experience. Do not think of pace in terms of speed, but in terms of the reader’s experience of your story.
Enjoy this unpacking of this seemingly simple topic, pacing, and join the conversation at our Story Works Writers Facebook group.
This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida, Robert, & Kathryn talk about reconnecting with a work-in-progress that has been shelved for a looooong time. Robert has returned to a manuscript after four years. Anyone who has been more than “resting” a manuscript will benefit from Robert’s process and today’s discussion.
This week at the Round Table, Alida, Kathryn & Robert talk about talking. What goes into writing natural sounding dialogue that is still artful in its delivery? What are the pitfalls of giving your characters speaking parts? How many ways can you make them sound wooden, artificial, or even annoying? Should you really use said? And does Robert have a dialogue pet peeve?
This episode previously aired as episode 028. Make sure you go back into the library and check out our other episodes with Becca Puglisi.
Join your hosts, Alida Winternheimer, Kathryn Arnold, and Robert Scanlon, at the Round Table every week by visiting https://storyworkspodcast.com. Show notes, links, comments, and more!
This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida, Kathryn, & Robert talk about budding writers, young writers, and old hands like ourselves. It seems we all need encouragement and support to get on with the act & the art of writing! What helps you get through your story projects? Let us know in the comments.