Story Works Round Table Archives - Page 34 of 64 - Story Works Round Table Podcast

SWRT 278 | Outlining Your Novel

Apr 5, 2023

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida & Kathryn discuss the process of outlining. There is more to talk about than we might first think. Why is outlining useful? How should we go about it to make sure it’s a time saver and not a time waster? Does it help to outline more than once in the writing process?

Outlining (or storyboarding) is a great way to assess the story you’re writing before and during the lengthy process of novel drafting. The more experienced a writer you are, the more valuable the tool seems to be!

Are you ready to get more out of your writing, to grow your writing skills, and get that novel done faster? Do you want community, feedback, and mentoring? Check out group coaching for novelists. A new session begins in May. www.wordessential.com/fictioncoaching

SWRT 277 | Contests with Paula Sheridan

Mar 23, 2023

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida has Paula Sheridan of the Page Turner Awards joining me at the Round Table to discuss contests. We talk the reasons for entering contests, what judges look for, and getting your manuscript in shape before placing it in judge’s hands.

I’m especially excited about today’s show, because Paula founded the Page Turner Awards. She and her husband, Ken, are doing something unique—at least I’ve never of heard of it being done before.

They are bridging the traditional and indie worlds, holding an annual contest for writers of all stripes and any genre in one place. Not only that, a trophy is nice and a gold seal on your cover does boost sales, but how about winning a mentorship with a developmental editor? How about winning your book being adapted to audio or a screenplay?

Visit www.storyworkspodcast.com to grab Paula’s gifts to Story Works Round Table listeners and get links to all the great craft episodes you’ll want to get your work in shape for the judges!

Fiction Group Coaching new session begins in May. Schedule a discovery call with Alida today. www.wordessential.com/editing/coach.

Visit www.storyworkspodcast.com to grab Paula’s gifts to Story Works Round Table listeners and get links to all the great craft episodes you’ll want to get your work in shape for the judges!

Fiction Group Coaching new session begins in May. Schedule a discovery call with Alida today. www.wordessential.com/editing/coach.

SWRT 046 | Writing Through Anxiety with Micah Joel

Mar 22, 2018

We welcome special guest, Micah Joel, back to the Round Table to talk about the writing life. No matter who we are, we've probably dealt with anxiety and depression at some point in our writing lives. Whether we're talking clinical or "normal" stress and overwhelm,...

SWRT 45 | Lit RPG Fiction with Micah Joel

Mar 15, 2018

What is LitRPG anyway? Where does all the confusion come from? And how important are those game mechanics? What are some of the genre conventions within LitRPG? And how do you interweave a story in with such a rigid set of game rules? What kind of stories can be a vehicle for LitRPG?

SWRT 044 | World Building in Dystopian & Post Apocalyptic Fiction

Mar 8, 2018

How should you approach world-building in dystopian or post-apocalyptic fiction? What do you do when your science doesn’t hold up? And what do your readers expect? How should you display your world-building on the page? And where are all those balance points?

SWRT 043 | Balancing Character & World Building

Mar 1, 2018

Does world building or character development paralyze your first drafts? How should you address this in pre-writing? How do you identify whether or not something is integral to your story? When it is, how do you make sure you get it right? And how should you approach research?

SWRT 042 | Dystopian & Post Apocalyptic Fiction with J Thorn

Feb 22, 2018

How do you define Horror, Post-Apocalyptic and Dystopian fiction? What are the differences in genre conventions? How does it prey on the fears of our society? What are the differences between a good and a great book in these genres? And how and where should you innovate?

SWRT 041 | Climaxes

Feb 15, 2018

What is the difference between an inciting incident and a climax? And can you stack large climaxes throughout your story? How do you know what a climactic moment is? Readers expect variety! Climactic moments should be as varies as the characters, subplots and plot points of your story.

SWRT 040 | Character Relationships

Feb 8, 2018

Are you supporting characters always supportive? How can you use character conflicts and relationships to up the stakes and tension in your work? Don’t forget: no one exists in a vacuum! And characters are defined by how they interact with others!

SWRT 039 | Tropes

Feb 1, 2018

What is the actual definition of a trope? And how should you use one? Why do we conflate it with so many other things? And how can you use them artistically without falling into cliche’s or heavy handed writing?

SWRT 038 | The Bechdel-Wallace Test

Jan 25, 2018

What is the Bechdel-Wallace test and why is it important? Should we know more about it? And are we just products of our culture? How can you apply this test to your fiction? And what is our responsibility as writers and creators to change the worldview around us? Is there a male counterpart to the Bechdel-Wallace test? Should there be? It all comes down to character development, so make sure you are looking at them from all angles!

« Older Entries

Next Entries »

Story Works Round Table

conversations about craft

for writers and readers curious about writers