Episodes
8 hours ago
8 hours ago
Epilogues—who needs them? Isn't your story already over? In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss how epilogues are used, why they exist, and whether or not you should use one.
Tuesday Nov 05, 2024
Tuesday Nov 05, 2024
To prologue or not to prologue? That is the question. In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss the ins and outs of prologues, what makes a good one, and why people don't like them.
Tuesday Oct 22, 2024
Tuesday Oct 22, 2024
Have you ever made a mistake that kept you up at night? Or maybe you set an expectation that you couldn't quite meet? In this episode, Russ and Tim explore their own writing mistakes and expectations, how they recovered from them (if they did), and how they adjusted to maintain writing productivity.
Tuesday Oct 08, 2024
Tuesday Oct 08, 2024
Who or what influences you and your writing? Influences can come from anywhere and are important in shaping the stories we tell. This episode Russ and Tim get into the authors, movies, art, music, and even family, that influenced their stories.
Tuesday Sep 24, 2024
Tuesday Sep 24, 2024
We're not fans of novels getting censored, but what happens when you're the one doing the censoring? There is a fine line between being true to the vision of your story and being shocking or sultry just for the sake of it. In this episode, Russ and Tim talk about how they self-censored their own work based on genre, reader expectations, and what they learned through the process.
Tuesday Sep 10, 2024
Tuesday Sep 10, 2024
You only get one chance to make a first impression. Title your book wrong, and you may lose out on potential readers. Is your title intriguing enough? Is it too similar to others? Does it fit within your genre? In this episode, Russ and Tim tackle these questions and explain why they named their first novels and what they did.
Tuesday Aug 27, 2024
Tuesday Aug 27, 2024
Pop culture references are a fun way to build on a character, setting, and world within your story. Yet too many references can ruin your reader's suspension of disbelief. So, where's the line? How much is too much? In this episode, Russ and Tim reflect on how they used pop culture references in their first works and the lessons they've learned.
Tuesday Aug 13, 2024
Tuesday Aug 13, 2024
What's in a name? Character names can allow readers to peer into and gather insight into what makes them tick. Does your protagonist need an epic name? How about your villains or secondary characters? Russ and Tim get into naming characters in this episode and dive into their own naming experiences and missteps in early drafts.
Saturday Aug 03, 2024
Saturday Aug 03, 2024
Symbolism is yet another tool in the author's toolkit for enhancing a story. Whether it be big-picture themes, character behaviors, or a setting, symbolism is a great way to enrich a reader's experience. In this episode, Russ and Tim chat about how they applied symbolism to their stories and lessons learned.
Tuesday Jul 16, 2024
Tuesday Jul 16, 2024
Backstory is essential to establishing who your characters are and the decisions they'll make in your story, but how much is too much? In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss backstory, how they approached it for their first novels, and how they plan on using it in their new works.