John Helps You Write Better

You prepare as you go 06.06.2024 10:11 ↓

In today's episode, I want to talk to you about preparation. I want to talk to you about this sense that you're scared of what's coming next and what to do about it.

About those 100 things you've started and never finished... 05.06.2024 13:08 ↓

In today's episode, I'd like to talk about your ever-growing pile of ideas you never work on or finish.

Get It Out Of Your Head If You Want It To Become Real 04.06.2024 10:20 ↓

In today's episode, I want to tell you that keeping your plans in your head is keeping you from accomplishing them.

I'm making a thing! 03.06.2024 3:30 ↓

In today's very short episode, I'm announcing work on a new project.

I need you to stop only making up your story and start feeling it too 29.05.2024 11:43 ↓

In today's episode, I want to talk to you about how you need to do more than just make up things on the page.

Make progress in writing by writing just one sentence 28.05.2024 7:42 ↓

In today's episode, I want to talk to you about the value of writing one sentence.

My Dinner With Capitalism 27.05.2024 8:05 ↓

In today's episode I want to talk to you briefly about my ongoing struggle with being a guy who sells things.

Theme, Part 3: Why theme needs to matter to you as a writer 23.05.2024 11:21 ↓

In today's episode I want to wrap up my thoughts on theme by pointing out why it should matter so much more to you that you have a theme and are using it effectively.

5 Things To Be A Successful Writer (listen to me when you need a boost) 22.05.2024 50:48 ↓

In this very special episode, I want to talk to you about being successful.

Theme, Part 2: Why themes matter in publishing 22.05.2024 13:06 ↓

In today's episode, I want to talk to you about why publishing (especially traditional publishing) really wants you to have themes in your work.

Theme Part 1: What is it, where does it go? 21.05.2024 12:31 ↓

In today's episode, I want to talk to you about what a theme is and where it goes in your story.

You need structure. I'm sorry, you just need to learn some writing basics. 20.05.2024 7:53 ↓

In today's episode, I want to talk to those writers who say things like "I don't really have a three-act structure" or "I'm a discovery writer."

How to Organize Your Story 15.05.2024 1:17:21 ↓

In this week's Writers Chat, I want to help you organize your story. From the beginning. Yes really. All the way to the finished draft.

What happened to the craft of writing lately? 15.05.2024 11:06 ↓

In today's episode, I want to kinda be an old man yelling at clouds and talk about a problem I see proliferating in writing.

Is a comic writer a "real" writer? 13.05.2024 6:46 ↓

In today's episode I want to talk to you about who is or isn't a real writer.

Your characters need to be challenged 09.05.2024 12:23 ↓

In today's episode, I want to talk to you about how you're challenging your characters and why you should if you're not already.

More stuff is not necessarily cooler. 08.05.2024 7:53 ↓

In today's episode I want to talk to you about that bad writer habit of not challenging your character while also giving them huge accomplishments.

Even more writing exercises to help you write better 07.05.2024 1:13:04 ↓

In today's episode, I've got some writing exercises to help you organize your characters, your themes, and the depth of your story. It gets crunchy but it will help you.

Please stop making diss tracks against yourself. 07.05.2024 13:15 ↓

In today's episode, I want you to quit rap battling yourself. It's not helping. And you deserve all the help and love and support you can get.

How to organize your own continuity (landscaper edition) 06.05.2024 9:35 ↓

In today's episode I want to talk to you (while the landscapers fly a jet out my window) about managing your work's continuity.

How to deal with continuity and big messes of story 02.05.2024 8:55 ↓

In today's episode, I want to talk to you about how you find your footing in big complicated series and amid all the many moving interwoven parts.

I have a few thoughts about X-Men 97 01.05.2024 15:27 ↓

In today's episode, can we talk about some teens?

Everything You Might Want To Know About Writing A Scene 30.04.2024 1:14:11 ↓

In this week's stream, let's talk scenes. Here's how to build them, what goes into them, what they need, and several kinds of them.

Rejection is what you make of it. 30.04.2024 10:32 ↓

In today's episode, I want to talk to you about rejection and what it means for you (and how that doesn't mean quitting)

Doubt happens, here's what you can do about it. 29.04.2024 10:47 ↓

In today's episode, I want to talk to you about self-doubt.