It's hard to make a big meeting scene interesting.  Much of the time meeting scenes should be avoided.  But if we must have a meeting, showing rather than telling will make it more interesting.   Plus, how Carson McCullers worked.  And some comments from feuding writers.  Also, an interview with Maeve Binchy. Support the Show.

Good advice about designing your own book cover; don't.   If you self-publish your novel don't ruin it with a do-it-yourself book cover.   Here are thoughts on why you should hire a pro designer.  Also: why have we lost some enthusiasm for writing our novel, and how can we get it back?   And some of the loveliest sentences in literature. Support the Show.

Some of us have a hard time beginning the writing of our novels or short stories.  Here are the reasons why and things we might do to overcome them.   Also, the best first sentences in literature.  And now novelist John Cheever worked. Support the Show.

We can avoid inert paragraphs by having our descriptions do more than one thing at once.   Descriptions of our characters, settings, and action and our dialogue can do double duty--two things at the same time--which will engage the reader and enliven our story.   Here's how . Support the Show.

Should we categorize our novel as literary or commercial?  What are the benefits and drawbacks of doing so?  Also, we can improve our dialogue writing by reading great crime fiction.  And: the importance of avoiding filters. Support the Show.

Jack Bickham says that scenes should be followed by sequels.  Here are thoughts on how to write a sequel.  Also, the middle of a novel--sometimes called the Great Swampy Middle--can be hard to plot.  We'll discuss techniques on bulking up the middle of our story. Support the Show.

What is the best way to plot our novel, plotting from scene to scene?  Here is a discussion of the critical technique of avoiding a scene's set up and wind down.  Also, I took part in a writing experiment and spectacularly failed, and here is an account of it.  I still wince when I recall it.  Also, a strong writing technique is avoiding "was" and "were."  We'll discuss why and how to do so. Reverie Nature PodcastNature lore, Wilderness essentials, Bushcraft, stories, soundscapes,...

What if we are stymied in our plotting, and can't think of enough story?  Here are some thoughts on how we might get to work.   Also; one of the best ways we can reveal our characters to readers is with the characters' own words, with their dialogue.  Here are some thoughts on showing--as opposed to telling--with dialogue.  Also, this episode contains the words "oaf," "poltroon," and "knucklehead," such words being like salt; they make anything better. Support the show

We writers get to experience the joy of creating something--a character, a setting, an event--out of nothing.  And, how can we tell if the new plot point we've come up with is any good?  Are there questions we can ask ourselves to test our new plot point?  Also: who are the most memorable villains in fiction?  Here is Stephen King's list.  And here is something technical; how to paragraph dialogue. Support the show

Most of us subscribe to the our-words-should-be-a-clear-window-to-the-story technique but some writers intentionally make their sentences beautiful so that we think about the words on the page.  Here are some thoughts on writing beautiful sentences.  Also, how can we pump up our creativity so as to get us off the dime regarding our plotting?  And Edna Ferber's striking character descriptions.   Support the show

A phrases notebook is a remarkably useful tool for writers.  Here's how to create one.  Also, sometimes while writing we might get the feeling that our plot is becoming aimless and that it is bogging down.  We'll list questions we can ask ourselves to determine if it's true, and how to fix the problem. Support the show

Can we writers get into a mental state called the flow or the zone, then write 40 pages?  Maybe.  Here's how.  And: our fiction might someday change people's lives.   Also, showing--as opposed to telling--negative emotions such as disgust.  And a monkey in Thailand. Support the show

Character-driven stories--which delve deeply into the hero's change and growth--can be moving and unforgettable for readers but there are traps that we can fall into when writing them.   Here they are, and how to avoid them.  Also, Kurt Vonnegut's technique of making a character want something right away.  And how Joyce Carol Oates works.   Also, the enduring appeal of Anne of Green Gables. Support the show

At some point all writers are new writers.  Here are some sure-fire fiction writing techniques that might not seem right, that are counterintuitive.  These are big techniques new writers often get wrong because at first glance they don't make sense.   Here's a list of these methods, and how to avoid getting them wrong.   Support the show

How we dress our character will show--that is, to reveal--much about our characters to the reader.  Clothing is evidence of our character's personality, and a strong tool for us writers.   Also, Jack Bickham has solid advice on how to end our chapters. Support the show

Huge rewards for fiction readers are a character's emotions; love, fear, gratitude, respect, loathing, and many others.  Here are techniques on how to create emotions in our characters that will  be intensely rewarding for readers.  Also: an example of the rule of exceptions regarding likeable characters.. Support the show

In the last episode we talked about major dialogue techniques.  Here are smaller ones--but still important techniques--that'll make our dialogue shine.  And: how does the best-selling novelist Jonathan Franzen work?  We'll find out. Support the show

Dialogue in fiction is fun to write and fun to read.  Here are seven techniques that'll help make our dialogue shine.  Also, why should we create a character readers hate?  Because those characters can be riveting, and are a strong element in the story.   Here are some famous examples from novels, not main villains, but rather secondary characters who make readers groan when they appear on the page. Support the show

Let's talk about stupid writing,  And: how to get our story going without over-explanation and back-story.  How John Updike and Frank Baum wrote.  And an encounter with Aphrodite in English 101. The Stan Steele PodcastThe Stan Steele Podcast will feature guests from many different walks of life. Some...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show

Here is a list of the fourteen biggest mistakes we can make when creating our scene, and how to avoid them.  Also, we'll talk about how to avoid the dull tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock metronome beat when writing sentences.  And: showing rather than telling about a character's personality. Writers of the Future PodcastProviding writing tips and art advice from Contest Judges and Winners for writers and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show

Adding a close friend for our story's protagonist offers many benefits.  Here are some thoughts on buddies.  And: how did novelists Willa Cather and Nathaniel Hawthorne work?  Plus, techniques for avoiding interior monologue when our character is alone in the scene.  And: should we write the story that's loudest in our head or should we aim for the market? Support the show

Bland settings works against the story, and riveting settings propel the story forward.  Here are techniques for creating powerful settings that will engage the reader.  Also, the Wall Street Journal's interview of best-selling Ken Follett is fascinating, and here is some of it. Plays On Word RadioAn in-depth look at the Word of God, the Plays On Word community, and the Plays we...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show

Here are thoughts on how to avoid early mistakes in our writing,  those blunders we might make before we write the first sentence of our story.    Also, a couple of wonderful quotation about writing.  And: new technology tools to help us writers. Support the show

Action is the most interesting element in most novels, and a fight is action.   Here are some techniques for writing a fight scene.   Also, here's an almost sure-fire way to prime the pump of our plotting, a way to invent more plot for our story.   And: thoughts about naming our characters. Support the show