We discuss story craft in Junot Diaz’s short story “Fiesta, 1980” at this week’s writers book club on the Story Works Round Table podcast.
SWRT 281 | Bookends
This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn discuss bookending a story, drawing on our recent discussion of Ethan Frome. Edith Wharton masterfully uses prologues and epilogues to frame the story and provide meaning. We analyze how the framing devices are essential to understanding the themes and events. Then explore examples of other books that also use framing devices well to provide narrative distance and allow readers to understand the story’s significance.
SWRT 023 | 3D Villains
What makes a good villain? How do you avoid cliches? How do you effectively layer your villains? And how do you use villains in different genres? Can you have an ideal as a villain? And what about those villains we don’t vanquish by the end of the book? Don’t forget that your villainy must be tangible to your protagonist and relatable to your reader!
SWRT 022 | Inspiration
What is a high concept idea? And do you need one in order to write? Should you build your story around your theme or let it emerge through your story? And what about writing to genre conventions? We talk about what inspires us, how to write in and out of the box, and shut down that voice of resistance in your head!
SWRT 021 | Distinct Characters
How do you know if you have created a distinct character? How important is role? And what is a supporting character anyway? How do motivation and subplot work toward giving your characters individuality? And what sort of tools can you use to help create these individuals? In the end Alida wraps it all up together, and even gives some great exercises to help you create distinct characters.
SWRT 020 | Setting
How is setting different from world building? What do you put on the page and what should you leave out? How much detail is too much detail? And how do you keep your setting active in your story? Robert gives great practical ways to evaluate your style of writing setting, and how to make it better!
SWRT 019 | Trouble
What is trouble? How does it contribute to both character and plot arcs? How do you have to pay off trouble? And do you have to get it into every scene? We enjoy making a character struggle with a speeding ticket, and talk about how it can contribute to hooks both between chapters and books.
SWRT 018 | Naming
At what point does a character or place earn a name? How do naming and significance relate? And how do you keep nameless characters descriptors from becoming boring or repetitive? And what about real world places? Is there such thing as a short cut? And finally we commiserate about the difficulty of naming characters. We all just want them to sound awesome!
SWRT 017 | Genre Series: Literary Fiction with Mike Stop Continues
How do you define literary fiction? And is there a value judgment between literary and genre? Is literary just a feeling or can we measure it? And how can you make your own novel literary? Want to pick up a literary book – we’ve got plenty of examples for you to choose from!
SWRT 016 | Cliffhangers
What is the difference between a cliffhanger, an end hook, and an ambiguous ending? And what about cliffhangers within books versus at the end? How can you avoid cliffhangers within a series? And what does the reader actually want at the end of the book, story, or part in a serial?
SWRT 015 | Fantasy Adventure with Alina Sayre
What makes a fantasy a fantasy? Can you combine fantasy with other genres? What are the main things that go into a fantasy novel? And what are reader expectations of your world and characters? And what are some pitfalls you need to avoid as a fantasy writer?