Writing with Friends (Hillary Barnes Martinez and BJ Williams)

We’ll be talking about how to incorporate feedback when editing. If you’re in the editing process with feedback from friends, editors, beta readers, or writing partners, keep listening for tips and guidance.

Picks of the Week:

BJ: Why Didn’t They Teach Me This In School? by Cary Siegel 

H: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

We’ll be talking about the Strange vs. the Familiar, a helpful framework for thinking strategically about whether to take a more traditional or a more innovative approach to your draft.

Picks of the Week:

• Armada by Ernest Cline
• Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Brandon Sanderson's Lecture on "Blending the Familiar & Strange"
• The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
• Lady Night by Tamora Pierce
• Cinder by Marissa Meyer
• Knives Out directed by Rian Johnson

Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the tool we’ll be talking about today is movie trailers!

Picks of the Week:

BJ: Making Sense: Conversations on Consciousness, Morality, and the Future of Humanity by Sam Harris

H:Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

Mentioned in the Episode:

WWF Season 2 Episode 4: Three-Act Structure

Email us your pick of the week at writingwithfriendspodcast@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you.

Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the tool we’ll be talking about today is body doubling! Do you find it hard to stay on task and focus when you’ve sat down for a writing session? Body doubling can help!

Picks of the Week:

H: Slow Productivity by Cal Newport

BJ: Existence by David Brin   

Mentioned in the Episode:

“What is body doubling for ADHD?” in Medical News Today

London Writers’ Hour

Study with Merve

Study with Celine

If you try out body doubling, let us know how you liked it by writing to us at writingwithfriendspodcast@gmail.com.

We’ll be talking about character spectrums. More specifically, we’ll be covering Brandon Sanderson’s sliding scales for writing a character: likability, proactivity, and competence. And our tool tip of the week is the Zettelkasten notetaking system. Stay tuned to hear about how a 20th century German sociologist inspired a modern-day open source note taking software.

Picks of the Week:

• Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert
• Things that Matter by Joshua Becker
• How to Take Smart Notes by Sonke Ahrens

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Brandon Sanderson BYU Lecture on Character
• Brandon Sanderson’s Writing Excuses Podcast
• Obsidian Open-Source Software 

Ever find yourself in the middle of one writing project and itching to start another, then second guessing if that’s even a good idea? We’re tackling the pros and cons of this dilemma to help you figure out what the right strategy is for your writing life!

Picks of the Week

H: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

BJ: The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni

Mentioned in the Episode:

Brandon Sanderson on his workflow

Anthony Trollope writing routine

It’s time for an Ask Me Anything! We’ll be chatting with BJ and getting a little more personal about his own writing practice and what BJ’s thinking about and working on these days!

Picks of the Week:

H: The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff

BJ: Qualityland by Marc-Uwe Kling

Mentioned in the Episode:

Mage Knight: The Board Game

The Mad Titan’s Shadow expansion for Marvel Champions

Unreliable Wizard  Board Game

If you have any other questions for BJ, let us know by writing to us at writingwithfriendspodcast@gmail.com.  And we’ll also do an Ask Me Anything episode for Hillary later this season, so send your questions our way for that one too!

We'll be talking about using all five senses to describe and develop your characters. By using a 5 senses character development exercise, you can create a multi-dimensional, nuanced description of your characters’ physical traits in just a few minutes.

Picks of the Week:

• Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk (Author), Antonia Lloyd-Jones (Translator)
• I Am Number Four by James Frey/Pittacus Lore

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Happier Podcast Episode 387- Creating a Five-Senses Portrait

We'll be talking about writing routines! For many of us, the hardest part of writing is actually sitting down to write! So how can we ease the path into a fruitful and satisfying writing session? Routines can help!

Picks of the Week:

• BJ: The Forgetting Moon by Brian Lee Durfee

• H: I Love School by Philemon Sturges

Mentioned in the Episode:

• NaNoWriMo
• 
  Wired for Story by Lisa Cron (scene matrix technique)

We’ll be talking about how often we should use adverbs in our writing and addressing Steven King’s adverb advice in particular. And our tool tip of the week is setting up a distraction-free writing environment. Stay tuned to hear about how the humble tomato could help you power through a difficult round of revisions!

Picks of the Week:

• Foundation by Isaac Asimov
• Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder

Mentioned in the Episode:

• A Writer's Book of Days by Judy Reeves

Today on Season 2 Episode 14, we’ll be talking about how to improve dialogue in our writing to make it both effective and nuanced.

Picks of the Week:

• Cuba: An American History by Ada Ferrer

• Mort by Terry Pratchett

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Writing With Friends Season 1 Episode 2: How Often to Use Adverbs and the Writing Sprint

Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. The tool we’ll be talking about today is voice memos.

Picks of the Week:

BJ: Bloodmarked by Tracey Deonn

H: The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris

Mentioned in the Episode:

The index card method in Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

Season 2 Episode 15: Boredom

Season 1 Episode 10: The Revision Spreadsheet

We’ll be talking about printed drafts. If you consider yourself a pen and paper person – or if you’re seeking a way to look at a picked-over draft with fresh eyes, this craft topic is for you. And our tool tip of the week is OneNote. Stay tuned to hear about this personal notebook in the cloud!

Picks of the Week:

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Who? A Celebration of Babies by Robie H. Harris

Mentioned in the Episode:

OneNote

Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the tool we’ll be talking about today is Grammarly. Grammarly is an AI-powered writing assistant that helps with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and even some style suggestions. It’s like having a personal editor at your fingertips! But there are some downsides to using Grammarly, too. We’ll discuss both the pros and cons of this tool for writers on today’s episode.

Picks of the Week:

H:  The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz

BJ: Jumper by Steven Gould

Mentioned in the Episode:

Grammarly

We're kicking off Season 4 with some mini-episodes. We'll keep things casual and spend a few minutes chatting about a writing topic that's been on my mind lately. Hopefully I'll leave you with some helpful takeaways for your own writing journey.

On this episode, we'll tackle why and when you should let your manuscript rest, and what you can do in the meantime!

Today, we’ll be talking about reading widely across genres. If you’re writing regularly, how important is it that you find time to read, too? We’ll be uncovering why reading can be so helpful for writers, especially intentionally reading books outside of our comfort zones.

Picks of the Week:

• Momo by Michael Ende

• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

We'll be talking about the artist date: a method for cultivating inspiration in your creative life. Do you sometimes sit down to write and find that your inspiration has mysteriously dried up? Taking yourself on an artist date could help!

Picks of the Week:

• BJ: The Magician King by Lev Grossman

• H: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong 

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Julia Cameron's Descriptions of Artist Dates

• NPR's Life Kit Podcast on How to Have Fun

We’ll be talking about editing your own work. Okay, so you’ve written a first draft of your novel and you know things need to change. But how? And what? Our editing tips today can help!

Picks of the Week:

H: Happy Place by Emily Henry

BJ: “Twelfth Night: Or What You Will” by William Shakespeare

Mentioned in the Episode:

Order—Method: Trollope Learns to Write by Susan L. Humphreys

Mythbusters Video about polishing a turd

Season 4 MINI2: Why should I let my manuscript rest?

If you try out these editing tips, let us know which one was your favorite by writing to us at writingwithfriendspodcast@gmail.com.

We're diving into the thrilling world of NaNoWriMo. But first, congratulations to everyone who completed NaNoWriMo for November 2023! That’s an amazing accomplishment and we want to go over ideas of what to do post NaNoWriMo.

P.S. This is our final episode of Season 3. We look forward to being back in your podcast feeds in 2024. Happy New Year!

Picks of the Week:

• BJ: The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

• H: The Likeness by Tana French

Mentioned in the Episode:

• NaNoWriMo Forums

• NaNoWriMo The "Now What?" Months

Our question for today is:

Is plotting vs. pantsing a helpful dichotomy?

Mentioned in the Episode:

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

WWF S4E14 The best mindset shift for your writing

We’ll be talking about beta readers. After you’ve finished writing your latest pieces, you might want to consider sharing them with others to get vital feedback from a sample audience. And our tool tip of the week is Zotero. Stay tuned to hear about how painless constructing a research bibliography can actually be. For real. We promise it’s not that bad!

Picks of the Week:

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Dopamine Nation by Dr. Anna Lembke

Mentioned in the Episode:

Zotero

Mendeley

Papers

We’ll be talking about flash fiction and doing a mini-writing workshop live as we read our own flash fiction to each other. Not sure if you’re ready to commit to a story idea? Looking to infuse your writing life with some inspiration in a low-key way? The short, get-in, get-out format of flash fiction might be perfect for you.

Picks of the Week:

What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe

The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson

Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the mindset tool we’ll be talking about today is increasing your luck surface area.

Picks of the Week:

BJ: Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn

H: The Flatshare by Beth O’ Leary 

Mentioned in the Episode:

Chelsea Mae Cullen Podcast Episode: How to Become The Hero of Your Own Story

James Clear Quote on Luck Surface Area

We're kicking off Season 4 with some mini-episodes. We'll keep things casual and spend 3-5 minutes chatting about a writing topic that's been on my mind lately and hopefully I'll leave you with some helpful takeaways for your own writing journey.

On this episode, we'll tackle two questions: Why rewrite? And how much rewriting is too much?

Mentioned in the episode: Michaela Coel's profile by E. Alex Jung in Vulture

We’ll be talking about the three-act structure. This classic model for narrative fiction can help you break down your writing into more manageable pieces. It can also help you consider the pacing and progression of your story.

Picks of the Week:

• The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
• Cuba: An American History by Ada Ferrer

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting by Syd Field

We’ll be talking about conquering the middle build. Sometimes you have those high level ideas for your story, but can’t quite connect it all. Don’t worry, because today we’ll discuss how to keep things moving through the middle of your writing project.

Picks of the Week:

• BJ: The Puzzle Palace by James Bamford
• H: A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny

We're taking a tool deep dive by highlighting the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. We’ll be talking about social media including Instagram and Twitter.

Picks of the Week:

BJ: The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

H: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Mentioned in the Episode:

Common writing/literary hashtags include: #amwriting, #amquerying, and #bookstagram

Our question for today’s mini episode is...

How do I keep up a writing practice when life gets busy?

We'll discuss four strategies for staying engaged in your writing practice when other responsibilities loom large. Mentioned in the Episode:

Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg

Atomic Habits by James Clear

The Revision Spreadsheet (WWF Episodes S4E3 and S1E10)

Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. The tool we’ll be talking about is incorporating music into your writing practice! Having trouble getting into flow during your writing sessions? Or maybe you're really struggling to nail down your character's emotional arc over the course of your novel. In either case, using music in your writing practice can help! 

Picks of the Week:

BJ: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

H: Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie

Mentioned in the Episode:

Iconic Soundtracks playlist on Spotify

Favorite composers: Hans Zimmer, John Williams, Rachel Portman, Thomas Newman

Favorite albums: Interstellar, Inception, 1917, A Little Chaos

Favorite Songs: Earth by Hans Zimmer, Tennessee by Hans Zimmer, Come Back to Us by Thomas Newman
Angsty Playlist Example: Maybe Break My Heart Again by FINNEAS and I Remember Everything by Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves

Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the tool we’ll be talking about today is online archives– and more specifically, how to use online archives to engage in high quality research for your current novel project!

Picks of the Week:

• How to Do Nothing by Jenny O’Dell

• Momo by Michael Ende

Mentioned in the Episode:

• JSTOR free articles

• EBSCO free databases

• British Museum free catalogues

Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the tool we’ll be talking about today is writing retreats! These structured environments dedicated to focused writing can be used like a tool to offer writers significant benefits, but also unique challenges for authors of all levels.

Picks of the Week:

BJ: The Risen Empire by Scott Westerfeld

H: Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

On today’s episode, we’ll begin a short series looking at some of my favorite quotes as they apply to writing.

And today’s quote is:

"If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." - Isaac Newton

Let's think together about the tension between the ideal of the creative genius and the reality of the creative process.

Mentioned in the Episode:

The Marginalian: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: The Story Behind Newton’s Famous Metaphor for How Knowledge Progresses by Maria Popova

Paper Lantern Writers: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants by Jonathan Posner

Isaac Newton by Games Gleick

Writing workshops are the best way we’ve found to breathe new life into stale drafts and get the encouragement and camaraderie you need to stay the course on the sometimes lonely path of consistent writing practice! And our tool tip of the week is text to speech tools. Stay tuned to hear about how you can let your web browser narrate your own novel right back to you!

Picks of the Week:

• Dune by Frank Herbert
• You'll Grow Out of It by Jessi Klein

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Natural Reader

On today’s mini episode, we’re looking at another of my favorite quotes about the writing life.

“Creativity is sacred, and it is not sacred. What we make matters enormously, and it doesn’t matter at all. We toil alone, and we are accompanied by spirits. We are terrified, and we are brave. Art is a crushing chore and a wonderful privilege. Only when we are at our most playful can divinity finally get serious with us. Make space for all these paradoxes to be equally true inside your soul, and I promise—you can make anything. So please calm down now and get back to work, okay? The treasures that are hidden inside you are hoping you will say yes.”

- Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear

Let’s discuss how this quote might speak to us about the lightness and playfulness required to creativity. 

Mentioned in Episode:

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

The first episode in our quote series: S4E21 MINI: Standing on the Shoulders of (Literary) Giants

We’ll be talking about how to use time jumps to add an interesting twist to your writing project! A time jump is when you shift the story forward or backwards in time, often with little or no explanation for why this jump has occurred.  It can be as simple as skipping from one day to five years later, or jumping back in time to revisit an event that happened earlier on. Time jumps can be used to add a twist, create suspense, and even reveal new character information. But writing a great time jump can be tricky, so join us as we discuss the pros and cons of using time jump in your writing.

Picks of the Week:

BJ: Source Code (movie) directed by Duncan Jones

H: Arrival (movie) directed by Denis Villeneuve and Interstellar (movie) directed by Christopher Nolan

Mentioned in the Episode:

Aeon Timeline

Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the tool we’ll be talking about today is Scrivener, our favorite writing software!

Picks of the Week:

• Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov
• Alaska Sourdough by Ruth Allman

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Scrivener writing software

Show Notes:

Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the tool we’ll be talking about today is Goodreads!

Picks of the Week:

H: Acedia & Me by Kathleen Norris

BJ: Golden Son by Pierce Brown

Mentioned in the Episode:

The Goodreads Author Program

Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the tool we’ll be talking about today is scene cards. Do you ever sit down to write a scene and feel a bit at a loss of how to structure a scene? What should a scene actually include? What makes a scene work or not work? Scene cards can help!

Picks of the Week:

H: Crying in Hmart by Michelle Zauner

BJ: Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola

Mentioned in the Episode:

Story Genius by Lisa Cron (Lisa Cron is the creator of this tool!)

Blog post on Scene Cards from Life Gone Write by Jessica Grace Kelley

If you try out scene cards, let us know how you liked this tool by writing to us at writingwithfriendspodcast@gmail.com.

Hi! Hillary here with a new summer mini episode. We'll keep things casual and spend a few minutes chatting about a writing question that's been on my mind lately. And our question for today is:

How do I keep the beta reading process from becoming overwhelming?

Do you have your own beta reading tips? We'd love to hear from you. Our email address writingwithfriendspodcast@gmail.com.

And until our next chat, keep up the writing!

Mentioned in the Episode:

S1E9 Beta Readers and Zotero

S4E3 Fireside Chat: How should I use the revision spreadsheet?

S1E10 Tool Deep Dive: The Revision Spreadsheet

Our question for today’s mini episode is...

How and why should I write until failure?

Today we'll talk about how to write to failure both in terms of honing your craft and in terms of sharing your work with an audience.

Do you have thoughts on failure and the writing life? Do you have ways you push to failure that I didn’t mention? We'd love to hear from you. Our email address writingwithfriendspodcast@gmail.com.

Mentioned in the Episode

Zone of Proximal Development by WestEd

How Often Should You Take Your Sets to Fail? (StrengthLog Podcast)

We’ll be discussing the muse– where our writing inspiration comes from and why the way we conceptualize inspiration can have an impact on our writing practice. And our tool tip of the week is grammar apps and extensions. Stay tuned to hear about how Grammarly and other grammar checking software can speed up your draft editing workflow.

Picks of the Week:

• Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
• Death in Holy Orders by P.D. James

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Elizabeth Gilbert's TedTalk
• Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Walking on Water by Madeleine L’Engle
• Grammarly Chrome Extension

Show Notes

Today, we’ll be talking to writer Dr. Alexandra Middleton. She’s an Assistant Professor of medical anthropology at the University of Copenhagen, creative nonfiction writer and essayist, runner, swimmer, and more! Tune in to hear about her career as well as her advice for aspiring writers. 

Mentioned in the Episode: 

Alexandra’s Work

• https://www.liminalliety.com/ (Alexandra's Website)

• https://therumpus.net/2023/04/11/terra-incognita/

Other Works Mentioned

• https://1000wordsofsummer.substack.com/about

• https://www.oprah.com/spirit/writing-every-day-writers-rules-aimee-bender/all

• https://www.accountabilityworkshops.com/

• https://pod.link/1623390096

• https://lidiayuknavitch.net/

• https://www.melissafebos.com/

• http://www.jordankisner.com/thresholds

• http://link.chtbl.com/tcahp

Craft Books

• Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

• Steering the Craft by Ursula K. LeGuin

• How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee

Essays and Books on Motherhood (from The Liminal Substack)

• “The Birth of My Daughter, The Death of My Marriage” by Leslie Jamison

• My Work by Olga Ravn

• “I Shock Myself” from The Ann Friedman Weekly newsletter
  

We’ll be gathering around our metaphorical fireplace for a fireside chat– an honest conversation about how we’re applying a craft topic or tool to our own writing practices, and how you might incorporate this topic or tool into your writing life as well. The tool we’ll be talking about today is our favorite piece of writing software, Scrivener. We’ll focus on the pros and cons of the software.

Picks of the Week:

H: Cars and Trucks and Things That Go by Richard Scarry

BJ: Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarity

Mentioned in the Episode:

Organizing your manuscript  in Scrivener’s Binder System

Scrivener’s Corkboard Feature

Scrivener’s Composition Mode

Adding notes in Scrivener

Organizing research in Scrivener

Split-screen mode in Scrivener

If you try out one of the options from this strategy menu in your own writing practice or if you have your own suggestions about how to best use Scrivener, let us know by writing to us at writingwithfriendspodcast@gmail.com!

Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the tool we’ll be talking about today is Tarot! Are you curious about tarot? Using a tarot deck can be a fun way to infuse your writing life with inspiration and encouragement. 

Picks of the Week:

• H: A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat

• BJ: A Descent into the Maelström by Edgar Allan Poe

Mentioned in the Episode:

• This Might Hurt Tarot Deck

• Modern Witch Tarot Deck

• Good Karma Tarot Deck

• The Biddy Tarot Podcast

• Guided Tarot by Stefanie Caponi

• The Ultimate Guide to Tarot by Liz Dean

• Tarot for Writers by Corinne Kenner

• Tarot for the Fiction Writer by Paula Scardamalia

• Typewriter Tarot (Creative Coven)

It’s time for an ASK ME ANYTHING! We’ll be chatting with Hillary, getting a little more personal about her own writing practice, and learning more about what she’s been thinking about and working on these days.

Picks of the Week:

H: “Of All Things” by Isabel Gallymore

BJ: On Having No Head by Douglas E. Harding

Mentioned in the Episode:

Jessica Brody (Save the Cat! Writes a Novel)

Lisa Cron (Story Genius and Wired for Story)

Elizabeth Gilbert (Big Magic)

Hillary Mantel (A Memoir of My Former Self: My Life in Writing and the Wolf Hall series)

Harlen Coben (thriller writer, series on BBC Maestro)

Cal Newport (Slow Productivity)

The TV show Travel Man with Richard Ayoade

If you have any other questions for either of us, let us know by writing to us at writingwithfriendspodcast@gmail.com. We’ll have some more Ask Me Anything episodes in future seasons of Writing with Friends!

We’ll be talking about genre grid breakdowns. Have you ever eeked out a first draft of a manuscript and felt like something was missing? If so, story grid genre breakdowns can really shed some light on how to approach your draft!

Picks of the Week:

• The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel
• Afro Puffs Are the Antennae of the Universe by Zig Zag Claybourne

Mentioned in the Episode:

• The Story Grid: What Good Editors Know by Sean Coyne
• https://storygrid.com/action-genre/
• https://storygrid.com/genre-conventions/

We’ll be talking about writing fan fiction. We want to discuss a fun creative writing avenue that might scare some due to copyright laws, but we think taking some of your favorite worlds and putting your own spin on it can be a truly rewarding pursuit.

Picks of the Week:

• Children of Dune by Frank Herbert
• Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Fanfiction.net
• Wattpad.com

Today, we’ll finish up our summer quote series.

I’m excited to announce that this is the last episode of Season 4. BJ and I are cooking up a new season for you right now– with lots of craft tips, tool deep dives, fireside chats, and interviews with other writers. That season – Season 5 – will begin releasing every Monday starting September 16. We can’t wait.

Other mini episodes in our quote series: 

S4E21 MINI: Standing on the Shoulders of Literary Giants

S4E22 MINI: Paradox and Playfulness in the Writing Life

S4E23 MINI: Why Middle Grade and Young Adult Novels Matter

Mentioned in the Episode:

Wired for Story:The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence by Lisa Cron

The Quest to Understand Consciousness – A TedTalk by Dr. Antonio Damasio

Unmasking the Muse (blogpost by Lisa Cron)

We’ll be talking about writing secondary characters, including some fundamentals of fiction writing to help with character planning and development.

Picks of the Week:

BJ: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain

H: Four Lost Cities by Annalee Newitz

Mentioned in the Episode:

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Welcome to Writing with Friends! We’re writers and friends on a quest to improve our creative writing craft. And along the way, we’ll be sharing our best tips, insights, and the writing tools we love. From building an awesome character to deciding if writing software is worth the sticker price, we’ve got you covered. Tune in each week for a little friendship and shop talk on your writing journey. New episodes drop on Mondays!

Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the tool we’ll be talking about today is notebooks! In contrast to our helpful episode on OneNote, a digital notebook, which you can hear more about in Season 1, Episode 8, today’s focus is on the physical notebook.

Picks of the Week:

• Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll
• The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Elago black bound notebook with 6mm lines and 180 by 255mm pages
• LEUCHTTURM1917 - Medium A5 Dotted Notebook in Softcover

We’ll be taking a tool deep dive. We’ll be highlighting the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the tool we’ll be talking about today is the infamous revision spreadsheet!

Picks of the Week:

Seconds by Brian Lee O’Malley

Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari

Mentioned in the Episode:

Revision Spreadsheet Template

Today, we’ll be talking to TV writer Ritza Bloom, who’s written for ABC’s Grownish as well as Disney’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Tune in to hear about what a TV writer’s room actually feels like, where Ritza draws her inspiration from, and some of her advice for aspiring writers. We’re currently taking a bit of time off to enjoy the summer between our second and third seasons and to deepen our personal writing practices, but we’ll look forward to being back in your podcast feed soon with season three!

We'll be talking about filtering words. Do you want to create scenes and descriptions that feel vivid to your reader? Removing filtering words can help.

Picks of the Week:

•  Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevan
• The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Our question for today’s mini episode is...

What’s the best gear to support your writing practice?

Writing is a pretty minimalistic hobby, or it can be. Still, investing in great writing gear isn’t silly or shallow. As writer Gretchen Rubin says “Beautiful tools make work a joy.” By investing in high quality writing tools, we can remind ourselves that our writing practice itself is valuable, and we can create a sense of ritual and reverence around our writing time.

Mentioned in the Episode:

- Moleskine Large Weekly Planner

- A candle! Any kind. 🙂

- Midori MD Note Horizontal Ruled Line Notebook

- NuPhy Halo96 Wireless Mechanical Keyboard with Rose Glacier switches

- Peet’s Major Dickason’s Blend Coffee Beans

We’ll be talking about the 15-minute daily writing practice. This writing craft gives you a feeling of satisfaction, accomplishment, and progress while continuing to work on a larger task.

Picks of the Week:

• The High Druid’s Blade by Terry Brooks 
• Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Don’t Break the Chain app

We’ll be talking about why subplots are the secret ingredients to add depth and complexity to any story.

Picks of the Week:

H: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

BJ: A Descent into the Maelström by Edgar Allen Poe

Mentioned in the Episode:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

If you’ve been developing subplots in your writing project, let us know all about them by writing to us at writingwithfriendspodcast@gmail.com. 

Mentioned in Episode:

Other mini episodes in our quote series

S4E21 MINI: Standing on the Shoulders of Literary Giants

S4E22 MINI: Paradox and Playfulness in the Writing Life

Books by Madeleine L’Engle:

Many Waters

A Ring of Endless Light

A Swiftly Tilting Planet

And Both Were Young

Newbery Award Acceptance Speech: The Expanding Universe (1963)

We’ll be talking about morning pages. If you’re feeling stuck in your current writing project or you think you might even be engaging in a bit of self-sabotage or procrastination in your writing life, this craft idea just might be for you! And our tool tip of the week is the Libby app. Stay tuned to hear about how Hillary and BJ access library books in the digital age.

Picks of the Week:

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez

Mentioned in the Episode:

The Libby App

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

Hillary here. We’re on a summer break right now between seasons, but I’m still here some weekly mini-episodes. We'll keep things casual and spend a few minutes chatting about a writing question that's been on my mind lately. Hopefully I'll leave you with some takeaways for your own writing journey!

Our question for today is: Why should you consider writing a craft rather than just and art, and what benefits will you see from this way of framing your writing practice?

Mentioned in the Episode: 

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

The York Minster’s Statue of Elizabeth II

Writing Excuses Podcast’s Close Reading Series

WWF S4E12 Hillary’s Ask Me Anything

We’ll be gathering around our metaphorical fireplace for a fireside chat. We’ll be talking about writing like an Olympian and accepting that it never gets easy… and that’s okay. It’s all about the endurance and dedication required to keep going, no matter how long you’ve been at it.

Picks of the Week:

BJ: Signal to Noise by Eric Nylund

H: Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel

If you have your own suggestions on how to write like an Olympian, let us know by writing to us at writingwithfriendspodcast@gmail.com.

Our question for today’s mini episode is...

Why Do Plot Twists Matter?

If you find crafting plot twists a little baffling, or you're unsure if your current story would even benefit from a plot twist, this episode's for you! We'll dive into a fantastic example of a plot twist and discuss the benefits of incorporating plot twists into storylines. What are the plot twists in your current project? Okay, maybe you don’t want to give spoilers, but if you have more questions on this topic or tips of your own, write to us at writingwithfriendspodcast@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.

Mentioned in the Episode

S4E16: How Much should I plan and outline before writing?

We’ll be talking about the “point of no return” at the beginning of your novel, also known as the “stasis=death” moment. Are you unsure of how to frame the stakes at the beginning of your novel? Do you have a sense of where you want your story to go, but you're not quite sure how to jumpstart your protagonist's motivation to get there? The framework of the stasis = death moment can help!

Picks of the Week:

BJ:The Maze Cutter by James Dashner

H: If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha

Mentioned in the Episode:

Season 2 Episode 13: The Midpoint Beat

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

We’ll be gathering around our metaphorical fireplace for a fireside chat– an honest conversation about how we’re applying a craft topic or tool to our own writing practices, and how you might incorporate this topic or tool into your writing life as well. The tool we’ll be talking about today is the revision spreadsheet!

Picks of the Week:

H: The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

BJ: Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T Kiyosaki

Mentioned in the Episode:

Revision Spreadsheet Template

S1E10 Tool Deep Dive: The Revision Spreadsheet

S2E13 Navigating the Midpoint Beat

S3E5 The Stasis=Death Beat

If you try out one of the options from this strategy menu in your own writing practice, or if you have your own suggestions about what to include on a revision spreadsheet, let us know by writing to us at writingwithfriendspodcast@gmail.com!

We’ll be gathering around our metaphorical fireplace for a fireside chat– an honest conversation about how we’re applying a craft topic or tool to our own writing practices, and how you might incorporate this topic or tool into your writing life as well. And the craft topic we’ll be discussing today is how to conquer the dreaded first draft.

Picks of the Week:

• Bad Therapy by Abigail Shrier

• Awakening the Heroes Within: Twelve Archetypes to Help Us Find Ourselves and Transform Our World by Carol Pearson

Mentioned in the Episode:

• S4MINI1: Why Rewrite?
  

Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the tool we’ll be talking about today is boredom. How is boredom a tool, you ask? Well, at the heart of boredom lies…our creativity!

Picks of the Week:

• The Chaos Machine by Max Fisher

• Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O’Malley

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Darwin's Thinking Path

• Manoush Zomorodi's TED Talk

Resources:

• Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self by Manoush Zomorodi
• Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention--and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari

• How to Do Nothing by Jenny O’Dell

• Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport 

• The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

We’ll be talking about the midpoint beat. So you’ve written the beginning of your story. You have an idea for a mind-blowing finale. But hmm… what’s supposed to happen in the middle again? Fear not! We’re here to help.

Picks of the Week

• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain

• Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody

We’ll be talking about short stories as a means of plot and setting exploration. If you have a great idea for a novel but are feeling uncertain of where to dive in, this craft topic may be the perfect way to get started. And our tool tip of the week is writers’ association webinars.  Stay tuned to hear about what perks writing associations offer and why joining a non-work-related Zoom might actually be an exciting opportunity. We promise.

Picks of the Week:

Survive the Night by Riley Sager

All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis, edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K Wilkinson

Mentioned in the Episode:

Women’s Fiction Writers Association

We’ll be talking about how to introduce characters effectively and with style! One reason why writing the first draft of a new manuscript can feel so daunting is because you have so many characters to introduce to your reader. How can you communicate to your reader who these characters are and what they care about without derailing the plot or boring them to tears? Our episode today can help!

Picks of the Week:

H: Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan

BJ: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Mentioned in the Episode:

Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel by Hallie Ephron

The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz

We’ll be talking about why you should use your good ideas now instead of saving them for later. We propose in this episode that good ideas are not a finite resource and there may never be a perfect time to explore them.

Picks of the Week:

BJ: The Maze Runner Files by James Dashner

H: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

If you use your good ideas now instead of saving them for later, let us know about your favorite example by writing to us at writingwithfriendspodcast@gmail.com!

We’ll be talking about something that can really elevate your writing: the power of subtext in storytelling. It’s one of those elements that, when done right, adds a whole new layer of meaning to your work!

Picks of the Week:

BJ: Skyward by Brandon Sanderson

H: Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe

Mentioned in the Episode:

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Breaking Bad (TV Show) 

Mad Men (TV Show)

We'll be talking about commercial hooks! As writers, we often write for the love of story and for the joy of creative expression. It can be tempting to shy away from the idea of producing anything “commercial”. But for those of us who hope to publish traditionally or build a broad audience, understanding what a commercial hook is and how to write one can be the key to getting our books into the hands of real readers.

Picks of the Week:

H: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

BJ: Awakening the Heroes Within by Carol S. Pearson

Mentioned in the Episode: 

Hook Examples: https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/book-hook/hook-examples/

Today, we’ll be talking to writer Jaimie Woo. She’s a Creative Producer, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Consultant, and Communications Expert. Tune in to hear about her career as well as her advice for aspiring writers. Mentioned in the Episode: Yes She Can: 10 Stories of Hope & Change from Young Female Staffers of the Obama White House 

Jaimie's Website

Are You There, Universe (Jaimie's Podcast)

culture.house Media

Jaimie's Picks:

Underworld

Shogun

A Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Today, we’ll be talking to writer and teacher Luke Burkbauer. She’s an instructor with Duke’s Thompson Writing program with a wealth of knowledge about writing of all kinds. We’ll discuss academic and nonfiction writing in depth in this episode, exploring how to build confidence as an academic writer, how to develop your writerly identity, and how to use artificial intelligence ethically and creatively within academia. This episode will be a great fit for anyone currently studying or working in higher education, from a college freshman to professors grappling with how to teach writing skills, but any curious writer will benefit. 

Mentioned in the Podcast:

Luke’s Scholars at Duke Profile

Luke’s Courses (page 21 and 29)

Luke’s Pick of the Week: Eye of the World (in the Wheel of Time series) by Robert Jordan, narrated by Rosamund Pike

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, narrated by Rosamund Pike

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, narrated by Rosamund Pike

Have any “sliding doors” or alternative life paths books, movies, poems, or other media that Luke could use for her course? Send us your suggestions at writingwithfriendspodcast@gmail.com.

Show Notes:

Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the tool we’ll be talking about today is focus timers– a way to easily silence those distractions to give yourself quiet time to focus on your writing!

Picks of the Week:

• BJ: Seveneves by Neal Stephenson 

• H: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Microsoft Focus Timer

• iPhone/Mac Focus Mode

• MacOS Clock App

• Flora Timer App

Do you wonder how other writers draw inspiration from images and objects to render their settings and characters more vivid on the page? An inspiration board might be just what you need!

Picks of the Week:

Story Genius by Lisa Cron

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

Mentioned in the Episode:

"Abraham Verghese on the Whiteboard: Its Iterations and Complications" by Abraham Verghese

“Ruta Sepetys: Up Close and Personal” by Alegria Barclay