Story Works Round Table

conversations about craft

for writers and readers curious about writers

SWRT 299 | Authors Talk Women’s Fiction

SWRT 299 | Authors Talk Women’s Fiction

This week at the Story Works Round Table, five authors sit down to talk women’s fiction. Alida Winternheimer is joined by D. Liebhart, Heidi McIntyre, Amanda Speights, and Jen Telger to discuss their genre and their stories. There is a lot more to women’s fiction than strong female characters or women authors. The diversity of the genre makes it distinct from other genres, keeping the writer’s hands unbound by conventions or reader expectations. Though writing stories that range from historical to magical realism to contemporary and medical, they have a lot in common…especially a deep commitment to realism and their characters’ emotional journeys.

SWRT 298 | Writing Whimsey

SWRT 298 | Writing Whimsey

This week, Alida and Kathryn discuss writing with whimsey. Whimsical writing can add humor and charm to writing, but it’s not only for children’s stories. Lighthearted, quirky, and funny moments add levity to otherwise serious or dark tales. After this week’s episode, you might just find yourself writing whimsically.

SWRT 145 | Plot Problems…Solved! part 2

SWRT 145 | Plot Problems…Solved! part 2

How should you mirror your Act one and Act three? And why should they be related? What tools does that help you access? Remember your inciting incident doesn’t have to be one climactic moment, but your protagonist must have a choice! How should you develop your character with plot in mind? And what if you are writing a very interior or quiet journey?

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SWRT 144 | Plot Problems…Solved!

SWRT 144 | Plot Problems…Solved!

How do you keep your middle act functioning for your plot? How do you avoid ending your story too early? How should you effectively use subplots? And what about tools like the “try-fail” cycle or the hero’s journey? Alida walks us through how to give your characters the perfect level of problems, and the skills to solve them!

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SWRT 143 | Starting Again with Leeland Artra

SWRT 143 | Starting Again with Leeland Artra

What caused Leeland’s break from writing? And what is the problem of the allure of the new and different? Why do we struggle to just write the next book in the series? What was the impetus behind Leeland’s return to writing? And what are some tips Leeland has for streamlining your marketing so you can have more time for your writing?

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SWRT 142 | Steampunk with Leeland Artra

SWRT 142 | Steampunk with Leeland Artra

What is the Steampunk genre? How real does your science need to be? And does it have to be set in the Victorian era, and in Victorian society? What sort of plot goals should a Steampunk novel have? And what archetypes do you need in order for it to feel Steampunk? Leeland gives us his tips on the perfect mixture to make a Steampunk novel, and how to get started if you are interested in writing one!

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SWRT 141 | Workshopping Act I

What can workshopping your novel with an editor do for you as a writer? What are Kathryn’s issues with Act One? And what does your reader truly need to know about your world and characters? Make sure you zoom out and look at the big picture of what you are trying to achieve with Act One.

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SWRT 139 | The Craft of Writing Book Copy with Bryan Cohen

SWRT 139 | The Craft of Writing Book Copy with Bryan Cohen

Why should author’s know how to craft copy for their book? What are the fundamentals? How do you find the number one conflict in your book? And then how do you make it exciting? What is the structure of a book blurb? And where do most author’s run into problems?

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SWRT 138 | Writing – Life Balance, part 2

How can you reset your creative motivation when it has fallen to the wayside? How can you balance your life to give yourself the most willpower for your creative pursuits? And where do you need to re-evaluate your life and your habits? In the end, it’s all about finding the balance that works for you, your life, and your creative goals!

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SWRT 137 | Writing – Life Balance

SWRT 137 | Writing – Life Balance

How did 2019 go in our writing lives? And what lessons have we learned about how we have balanced, or failed to balance, our writing with our life? How can you shift your perspective from the outputs to the inputs? And how can we achieve that balance where our lives feed our creativity, and our creativity our lives?

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