Chris's Idea Engine Podcast

I'm still trying to nail down why done characters only work will in certain settings. Or, why they work best in their native setting. Support the show

Why do some characters not work well in certain stories? I am trying to figure that out. Support the show

Eh, ship listening to this one. I rambled a bit. When you design your characters to make their choices, or you lose track of what characters should do, that's when to make them do what the theme demands. You either reinforce or your challenge the theme with every major decision. Support the show

One way I fit more writing time into my day is... Probably gonna get me in trouble. Support the show

In this new series, I'm going to show how writing fan fiction helped me grow as a writer.  First of, what do I look for in a story I want to rewrite? The answer: Unused potential. Support the show

Realism aside, there is one your if writing that I can't stand:  Hero bashing. Support the show

Sherlock Holmes one says that the most complicated matters turn out to be the simplest. I explore how that works in writing. Support the show

Just me, musing about what I enjoy about writing. Support the show

What I intend for a scene, and what I actually write, don't often match. How do I adapt to that? Support the show

After an evening typing, I finished one section and began looking at another. Here's what I had to consider. Support the show

Not quite yet. I wrote a section that was in the pan, but that didn't work out as I intended. Here's why I didn't delete it. Support the show

How do some themes develop themselves? How complex should a story be? Let the topic decide... And maybe let Sherlock Holmes advise you on that. Support the show

This one is less about above, more about how I can't get a break to actually write these days. Support the show

Somewhat. We want real characters, but those aren't just in adult books. Support the show

"Love what you do, and you'll never work a day"? No, not at all. Love what you do, and work to make it happen. Support the show

I studied what a line editor does. And now I can't stop.  But I think it is helping improve my writing. Support the show

I don't like easy happy endings. Or, now that I think about it, being emotionally manipulated. Support the show

I don't have any good answers to toss one, just a little perspective on my experience with this. Support the show

Life conspires against building good habits. It just does. But good habits are still worth building. Support the show

"Only put it in if it serves the story." But what if it doesn't serve the story, but it serves the writer? Support the show

Common advice says, "No, you don't have to write your story in any order." Here's my experience. Support the show

Exercise makes a person more brain-capable?  Support the show

We all miss a day or two here or there. How do I personally deal with it? Support the show

Why would you try to make a full-time career of it if you can't enjoy it? Let's examine a case study. Support the show

Why am I giving myself only ten weeks to write this project? Because psychology (citation somewhere around here...) Support the show