Episodes
Wednesday Nov 22, 2023
Wednesday Nov 22, 2023
Looking to build out characters for your narrative? Character archetypes can help! This episode Russ and Tim discuss the various archetypes with examples and how they might be used to create interesting and unique characters.
Tuesday Nov 07, 2023
Tuesday Nov 07, 2023
Story archetypes are a great starting point for building your narrative. In this episode Russ and Tim discuss the seven core story archetypes that can be found in most fiction, how they can be used to create a engaging novels, and how they used (or didn't use) them for their own projects.
Tuesday Oct 24, 2023
Tuesday Oct 24, 2023
It all comes down to this...Act III. Our heroes have been removed from their normal world, thrust into a chaotic Act II world, been through the ringer, hit the bottom of the barrel, now it's time for them to shine (or maybe not?) and finish their journey. Join Russ and Tim as they wrap-up their deep dive into the Save the Cat! Act III story beats.
Tuesday Oct 10, 2023
Tuesday Oct 10, 2023
Doing their best to avoid strong act II vibes, Russ and Tim continue their deep dive into Save the Cat! Writes A Novel story beats with Act II.
Wednesday Sep 27, 2023
Wednesday Sep 27, 2023
Using Save the Cat! Writes A Novel as a jumping off point, Russ and Tim do a deep dive into the Act I story beats, and reference how this methodology was useful in crafting their own works.
Tuesday Sep 12, 2023
Tuesday Aug 29, 2023
Tuesday Aug 29, 2023
Do your characters have the right motivation? Proper motivation is necessary if you want your characters to make believable decisions that lead toward their goals, even if those decisions are flawed. In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss internal and external motivations, how they connect to goals, and how they can change as the story progresses.
Tuesday Aug 15, 2023
Tuesday Aug 15, 2023
The work doesn't stop once you launch your book. If you want to be read, you need to promote your book to the world. In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss marketing, social media, advertising, and Russ' plan for promoting his new book, HOST.
Wednesday Aug 02, 2023
Wednesday Aug 02, 2023
The day has arrived! Russ has launched his debut novel, HOST. Tim asks how Russ feels, what happens next, and what improvements he'll make as he ramps on book two. Also, go buy HOST so Russ can be a little less of a starving artist.
Tuesday Jul 18, 2023
Tuesday Jul 18, 2023
Cover art is often your first chance to make an impression on the reader, so you better make it a good one. In this episode, Russ and Tim chat about the cover art process, how Russ approached it for his self-published title, what mistakes he made along the way, and how it's a great way to refill the creative well.