Writer Syndrome

Letting Go of Your Artistic Masterpiece

Letting go is hard, but necessary. The chase for perfection isn't a realistic goal because it doesn't exist. This episode Russ and Tim chat about their own artistic masterpieces, how they used editing goals to determine when they're done tinkering—even while they search for that perfect sentence. 

Building Characters

Just because you are a character doesn't mean you have character. Goals, motivations, wants, needs, height, hair color, and back story. So many things to think about when developing a character, but what's important to get started? Do you need a detailed profile before you can send them on their journey? This episode Russ and Tim dive into their characters. How they failed them, what they discovered along the way, and what they'd do different next time.

Self-Publishing Imprint, Yay or Nay?

Can a self-publisher have their own imprint? Some say yes, others say it's trickery. This episode Russ and Tim get into the business side of self-publishing and discuss creating an imprint to publish books under. They'll touch on pros, cons, and what to expect when going down this path.

Developing Ideas

Ideas are out there but how do we find them? How do we nuture them and guide them into a story? When is it OK to let them distract us while working on another? This episode Russ and Tim tackle these questions and their ideation process for their own stories.

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.