Drunken Pen Writing Podcast

In this episode we have a special guest, Ash Caton from the Ear Read This Podcast, and he helps us go over the essential rules of how to write a good story. We also break out into a few ridiculous discussions about classic writers, Ernest Hemingway fighting Orson Wells, and the weird differences between England and the US. If you want to read the article this episode is based on, head on over to ...

Our white American ignorance shines extra bright in this episode as we cover ten of the best African writers and their amazing work. We also have a discussion on the differences between African fiction and American fiction, cultural appropriation in literature, and how writing has become somewhat segregated as of late. We struggle to pronounce some of the names on this list so you should definitel...

All work and no play makes for a boring podcast! That's why we decided to go over the differences between Stephen King's The Shining and the movie adaptation by Stanley Kubrick. And with Doctor Sleep coming to theaters in a few months we also touch on the novel version of that as well. Make sure you stick around until the end of the episode for a few important announcements related to the future p...

Boy howdy, where do we even start with this one? Well, Spencer had other plans and couldn't be in this episode. So we got a friend of DPW, Mr. Dominick Welsh, to hop behind the mic to discuss ten of the best novels dealing with God.  This discussion takes many twists and turns, especially since we get hammered drunk on a fine bottle of tequila as the episode goes on. We cover plenty of controversi...

For our second Book of the Month episode, we cover The Black by Paul E. Cooley. "Under 30,000 feet of water, the exploration rig Leaguer has discovered an oil field larger than Saudi Arabia, with oil so sweet and pure, nations would go to war for the rights to it. But as the team starts drilling exploration well after exploration well in their race to claim the sweet crude, a deep rumbling beneath...

Today we have for you our first ever ConCast episode! As members of the press, we were fortunate enough to cover the Wizard World con in Pittsburgh for the first time since the event was last here in 2016. In this review, we go over what we liked and disliked about the event, as well as our suggestions on how to make the event better in the future.  This is a quick review for those who don't want...

After a bizarre intro dealing with the personal hygiene of hairy men, Jason Momoa getting shamed for his "dad bod," and rapper Method Man eyeing up a role in the MCU, we get into a long and wonderful discussion about Ray Bradbury's best writing advice. You can skip the intro if you like but you'll definitely want to check out the topic at hand. There's a lot of great info in this episode. If you w...

This turned out to be a very informative episode. We discuss, sandwiched between dick jokes and talking about boobs, how successful authors use social media to build their brand as well as their readership. We give great tips on how to improve your social media presence and get quality followers who actually care about you and your work. You can check out  https://insights.bookbub.com/how-successf...

In this episode, we have a great discussion about the current state of comic book and media consumption culture. Unfortunately, our audio got a little screwy on this episode, so we went ahead and made it a DBS episode rather than a normal one. Though, we think you'll really enjoy the conversation regardless. We really go deep into why critique culture is bad and how alienating potential fans has c...

In this episode, we discuss some quick ways to overcome writer's block and get your creativity flowing again. We also go over what traps we personally fall into and what we do or should do to get back on the creative path.  If you want to check out the article that inspired this episode, you can give it a read at  https://drunkenpenwriting.com/2018/05/07/writing-quick-tips-how-to-defeat-writers-bl...

We have reached the end of House of Leaves and couldn't be happier to be rid of this doorstop. Come listen as we share our gripes about the book, as well as go over the things (as few as they may be) that we actually liked about it.  We also discuss a bunch of things unrelated to the book and end the episode by trying (and failing) to come up with the next book we want to cover. As a warning, thin...

Spencer wants to write a novel! In this episode, we come up with some possible ideas for a novel Spencer wants to write. Then we brainstorm some ideas for our short stories we're currently working on. Of course, it wouldn't be a Drunken Pen Writing episode if we didn't go completely off the rails a few times.  If you want to check out our fiction you can head on over to www.drunkenpenwriting.com

As we near the end of House of Leaves, we dive deeper into the madness of the novel and breakdown all the crazy we've experienced thus far. We also give our harsh criticisms of what has so far turned out to be an underwhelming read. We apologize if Ashleigh's audio sounds off in this episode. Like the typical drunkards we are, we forgot to plug his mic into the mixer. We promise that next week's e...

In this episode, we get serious (at least for us) and tackle two things all writers experience at some point in their careers. That's right, we're talking about how to face rejection and fight off imposter syndrome.  We give tips on how to deal with getting rejected and some ways to overcome it. Then we discuss imposter syndrome and why you shouldn't let it screw up your writing. Somebody call Dr....

In part two of our House of Leaves Inebriated Reading Challenge, we go into what we like and dislike so far about the book. We also break down the author's writing style and formatting decisions.  There's also plenty of classic DPW nonsense for you to laugh at even if you aren't or haven't yet read the book. Despite the book's tone, we keep things light and fun. To check out our fiction, head on o...

In this episode, we discuss the 7 tips on how to write sci-fi by science fiction author Max Barry. We break down his tips and go over how we would do things. Then we go over the types of genre fiction we need to start reading and how the tips previously discussed fit into all types of novel writing. If you want to check out Max's article, you can go to  https://io9.gizmodo.com/how-to-write-a-great...

In our first IRC (Inebriated Reading Challenge) episode we read the cult classic, House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. Mr. Ashleigh Hatter, the expert in weird fiction himself, joins Caleb James for this new weekly reading episode where they'll be discussing their progress of the book and break down all the weird ass things that happen in this novel. Though, novel might be a generous title for...

Holy Moly Donut Shop! We actually stayed on topic this episode. That's a new record for us. And that topic is fine literature. Mainly classic literature. But if you think this episode is going to be a bit dry, you're completely wrong! We wax philosophical on the classics, what makes for good literary fiction versus pretentious modern art BS, and what work we recommend to those who are interested i...

In our first Storycast episode, Caleb James reads a short story entitled "The Ocean The World Ignored" by DPW writer, Ashleigh Hatter. "This is for the men and women, for the families and communities and livelihoods that have been lost and forever altered. I can never know how much you’ve lost in these floods, and I know these words won’t fix anything. But I wanted to show you that you aren’t forg...

In this week's episode, we bring fellow DPW writer Ashleigh Hatter on to discuss why YA fiction is so popular and why we don't care for it. This was our first attempt at bringing a guest on via Skype and the audio isn't the best, but the discussion is pretty fun regardless. We do divert from the main topic multiple times and go into some random craziness (much like the cold open), but it's all in...

After some technical difficulties, we go into this episode talking about some of the most hated characters in literature. Then we discuss some of our personal favorite characters to hate. If you want to check out the list, head on over to  https://www.bustle.com/p/10-of-the-most-hated-characters-in-literature-from-heathcliff-to-umbridge-2446564

In this episode, we travel around the world and find words that we should incorporate into the English language. Of course, it wouldn't be a DPW Podcast without the butchering of these words' pronunciation. We also go off topic multiple times and get into some bizarre discussions, but for the most part, we keep our focus on the strange words and their meanings.    If you're interested, you can che...

In this episode we start off by talking about the many words and phrases used to describe boobs and penises, then we try to act like adults by going over a list of the top Japanese authors you should check out. Not only do we break down the authors and their work, but we also go into Japanese culture and how it differs from the western world. Then we end things with a quick rant about the new trai...

In this episode, we discuss the rules of writing magical realism. We break down what magical realism is and how it differs from fantasy. Then we knock some smarts into you by going over the differences between hippies and hipsters, why Caleb dislikes Philadelphia, and what kind of events we want to cover in the future.  Head on over to www.drunkenpenwriting.com  for more great content. And be sure...

In this Drunken Bullshit episode, we talk about our hatred for people who purposely post movie spoilers online, our upcoming press gigs, and our issues (no pun intended) with the current state of the comic book industry. This is a pretty relaxed episode. At least for our standards. If you're interested in checking out our writing you can head on over to www.drunkenpenwriting.com  for plenty of gre...