Story Works Round Table

conversations about craft

for writers and readers curious about writers

SWRT Summer 2023

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 006 | Genre Series: Science Fiction with Chris Fox

SWRT 006 | Genre Series: Science Fiction with Chris Fox

How did Chris Fox start writing science fiction? And how can you write a science fiction book with limited research? What is classic science fiction about anyway, and how does it compare with today? If you want to write science fiction, what are some technological and science based tropes you should be aware of? And how should you approach alien characters? Don’t make your readers work too hard! And how can you make tropes work for you?

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SWRT 005: Soggy Middle Problem

Alida, Kathryn, and Robert discuss the soggy middle problem and what to do about it. Keep your action interesting and stakes and tension rising throughout the entire story. VIDEO AUDIO SHOW NOTES  What is a soggy middle? And what kind of writers tend to have...

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SWRT 004 | Genre Series: Mystery, Characters

SWRT 004 | Genre Series: Mystery, Characters

What is a cozy mystery? And how do you develop the right cast of characters to fit inside of one? What skills to they need? And who do they need around them? We discuss genre conventions for mysteries in general, and cozy mysteries specifically. Don’t forget your law enforcement, or your red herrings!

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SWRT 003 | Genre Series: Dark Fiction with Lisa von Biela

SWRT 003 | Genre Series: Dark Fiction with Lisa von Biela

We welcome special guest, Lisa von Biela, to the Story Works Round Table this week to launch a series on genre fiction. Lisa has numerous dark, horror, speculative stories published, primarily with Dark Fuse. We talk about inspiration, plotting, and the twists of...

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SWRT 34: Developing Your Supporting Characters

How do you develop supporting characters? What goes into them versus your protagonist? How do you move them from plot device to fully fleshed being? And what role should they play? Above all how do you keep them from all sounding the same?

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SWRT 33: How to End Your Story

How do you know when to end your story? And how do you deliver your ending in a way that leaves readers thinking about your story and character for days? Be deliberate about what you leave unresolved, and don’t let that ending be disappointing! Above all make sure your protagonist takes center stage. And don’t be fooled by our decoy endings.

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