Story Works Round Table Archives - Page 42 of 64 - Story Works Round Table Podcast

SWRT 266 | Writing Humor

Oct 6, 2022

This week, Alida, Robert, and Kathryn answer a listener’s question about writing humor into our stories. Is comedy just a special gift some writers have and the rest of us don’t? Or are there things we can craft to make our story moments funny?

Join us as we explore the topic and let us know your favorite funny authors as well as how you handle comedic moments in your writing. Share in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!

Do you have a question or topic you’d like us to explore? Let us know. We’d be happy to!

SWRT 265 | Read Widely to Improve Craft

Sep 22, 2022

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida, Kathryn, & Robert discuss all the ways reading widely benefits you as a writer. There is so much more to be gained from reading as a writer than reading as a reader. Kathryn attests that her story craft has improved by reading beyond her favorite genre. How has reading improved your storytelling? What are the pitfalls to avoid when shopping for books? How can you find the books with the scenes that will deliver the help you need as a writer?

SWRT 12: Short Stories part 1

Dec 8, 2016

Taking a look at “Sonny Liston Takes the Fall” by Elizabeth Bear, we talk about why Matt picked this story, and what it is really all about. Why did the author choose one protagonist over another? And what is the theme of this story? We talk about the narrator character and if Sonny Liston even took the fall. In the end we wonder what genre this truly is – and want to know if there is any alternate history in this story that we don’t know about.

SWRT 11: Pacing

Dec 1, 2016

What is pacing? How do you decide the best pace for your story? And how do you achieve that pace? What kind of effect can pacing have for your readers? And why is pacing so different between books and movies? Check out the things we’ve mentioned section to check out those books we talked about – those we loved and even those we didn’t.

SWRT 10: Write What You Know

Nov 14, 2016

Do you always have to write what you know? And what defines what you know? How do you craft a character based on yourself? What about characters we have nothing in common with? We talk about building worlds based on our own, and where we research in order to create compelling worlds. In need of research assistance? We offer a wealth of resources we find useful, and recommend that you read bibliographies!

SWRT 9: Story Ideas

Nov 8, 2016

Where do story idea’s come from? Can you cultivate ideas or do you have to wait for inspiration? We talk about travel, dreams, visions and how the writing process truly is one of discovery. Do you need an idea in order to write? And is creativity a limited well or a muscle you can whip into shape? What if someone else steals your ideas? You will be surprised where some of our inspiration comes from!

SWRT 8: Active Protagonists

Oct 31, 2016

What is agency? And how do you keep your protagonist active? Do coincidences and natural disasters take away character agency? What is they try/fail cycle and what does Alida have against it? What is the difference between a reaction and a response? When should you plan your characters agency? And how do you handle reaction scenes? In the end just ask yourself: “did my character lose a hand?”. If he did, then you have a pretty good chance – he’s active!

SWRT 7: Endings

Oct 26, 2016

Are endings hard? What makes a good ending, and how do you make it surprising and inevitable? How do you resolve a book differently if it’s a short story, versus a novel, versus a novel in a series? And how can you create that satisfying ending for both you and the reader?

SWRT 5: Subplots

Oct 12, 2016

What exactly is a subplot? When do you need them? Who should they revolve around? And can they really alleviate the soggy middle syndrome? And please don’t forget your characters have lives too! Don’t make them live entirely in the main plot line.

SWRT 6: Openings

Oct 11, 2016

Want to know what it takes to write a good opening? How do you hook your reader and get them invested in your story? How do you create character empathy and what are the action steps that you need to take in order to write a great opening?

SWRT 4: Book Covers with Daria Brennan

Oct 3, 2016

Can an author do their own cover? What is it like to work with a professional cover designer? And how should you start the process? We explore market and genre conventions, as well as some tricky pitfalls of wanting a person on your cover. We even talk about how hard it was to find the houses for Alida’s covers! Stay tuned for an amazing side by side cover comparison, as well as a very generous offer. Make sure you check Daria out!

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