This week on the Story Works Round Table, we talk about Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton’s great American tragic love story.
SWRT Summer 2023
At this week’s Story Works Round Table, writers discuss the benefits of group coaching. Next month begins the writers book club and more!
SWRT 035 | Goal Setting
Why do we desire to set goals for the new year? And why Robert hates goal setting? What is the framework of inputs and outcomes and how can we use it to avoid goal overwhelm? We talk about the power of the to do list, and that you must know yourself and your tendencies in order to be successful. In the end Alida wraps it up in one neat bundle of tips!
SWRT 034 | That’s Motivation!
How do you stay motivated when life takes over your days? We talk about the issue of negative motivation, and how you can use motivation as a verb. What motivates us? How can you reconnect to the feeling of writing? We talk challenges, deadlines, writing in small chunks, and wrap up with our tips and tricks to keep ourselves motivated.
SWRT 033 | Backstory
What is backstory? And how is it used in your story? What is the difference between backstory and history? How do you know when backstory is needed? And how should you interweave it into your story?
SWRT 032 | Resting the Writer’s Brain
Welcome back Robert! Since Robert just got back from a recent trip, we dive into the idea of travel. Are we travelers? And how far do you have to go to refresh your writing brain? What if you can’t afford to travel? And should your travel involve writing? What are the benefits of breaking out of your routine? And how should you record your travel for later?
SWRT 031 | Writing Skills, part 2
What are some benefits of writing short? How can you make sure your writing is working for your readers? And what are some challenges we face as writers? Finally we talk about what process to go through as you seek to improve your writing!
SWRT 030 | Writing Skills with Steve Peha
How do you make writing interesting to kids? How can you evaluate any kind of writing to make it better? And how do you get anyone, regardless of their age, excited and passionate about creating great writing? We explore six traits of writing, how to find your writing territory, and the importance of publishing your work.
SWRT 029 | Emotional Wounds & Character Arcs
What is a character arc? What are the three kinds of character arcs and four main components of a character arc? How can you use Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to help with pre-writing? And how present does your characters wound need to be? Should you state it outright? Or should you weave it into the narrative? How many of your characters need wounds? And how can it affect your antagonist? Finally we discuss the details of finding your wound, and what it might do to your character.
SWRT 028 | Emotional Wounds
We sit down with Becca Puglisi to talk all things Emotional Wounds, and other writing resources. We talk about the resources she has for writers, and how they can be used in a wide range of applications. How can we use them to help show rather than tell, and make your writing richer and more immersive? We talk about writing challenging personal things, how to use character growth to challenge readers and why context is so important. And what is the difference between a villain and protagonist?
SWRT 027 | First Person Point of View
Alida, Kathryn, and Robert discuss the first person point of view (1st person POV). We get into strengths and weaknesses, a common misconception, and the popularity of first person in YA and NA fiction. Before you listen to this episode make sure you have...