Writer Syndrome

Writing Goals

Like their protagonists, writers also need goals. It's the start of a new year which is the perfect time to set some writing goals. This episode Russ and Tim chat about their own goals, failures, and what's kept them driven to finish their stories.

From a Certain Point of View

There are plenty of POVs to use to tell your story, but which is the right one? Which are more widely used today? Join Russ and Tim as they navigate from first to third person and every variation in-between.

Copy / Line Edit Process

The development edit vs. the line edit vs. the copy edit, what's the difference and where do they fall? In this episode Russ and Tim talk through this royal rumble of the editing process and why it pays to plan ahead and when you should pay out for a professional.

Write What You Know. What Do You Know?

What the hell do you know? Nothing and everything. This episode Russ and Tim chat about the old adage, write what you know. They dig into what it means and how it should be tweaked to not be so vague and pretentious (according to Russ). All that plus caviar.

Momentum & Refilling Your Well

Maintaining momentum while working toward a goal is hard in and of itself. Picking back up once it's lost can stop creativity in its tracks. This episode Russ and Tim talk about momentum, how they try to maintain it, and when it stops, how they push forward to get moving again.

Genre Expectations

Don't judge a book by its cover. At least, so they say. But covers, blurbs, and genres all set expecations for the reader before they read a single word. How important is it to know your genre before getting started? Russ and Tim chat through these ideas, the basic expectations for popular genres, mixing genres, and laser swords vs shields in the latest episode.

Art / Life Balance

Time. We all have it, but how we use it matters. Procrastination can take it from us and pressure can make it move faster. This episode Russ and Tim chat about the art / life balance and how they're making (or not making) the two work together.

The Editing Process

They say writing is rewriting. They aren't wrong. In this episode, Russ and Tim talk about the editing process, what they've learned from beta readers and editors, and how f**king hard it all is. Tune in to hear how they're working through this process and how Tim is using Russ for his spreadsheets.

Self-Publishing an Interview w/ Geoffrey Morrison Part 2

In part two of our interview with Geoffrey Morrison we take some detours from the self-publishing chat to discuss editing, pacing, genre expectations, hugging koalas and, Avatar. Yes, that Avatar. But fear not, it all ties back to self-publishing, kinda.

Self-Publishing an Interview w/ Geoffrey Morrison Part 1

Russ and Tim dive into self-publishing with their latest guest, Geoffrey Morrison, self-published author of Undersea and Undersea Atrophia. By day, Geoff is a writer and photographer about tech and travel for CNET, Wirecutter, and The New York Times. He talks about his self-publishing experience and the benefits of traditional vs self-publishing.