Lex Out Loud: Writing Science Fiction

Today I bring you up to date on what I’ve been working on. I talk a bit about how if you don’t use it, you lose it and how I’m really loving crosswords to keep my vocabulary sharp. Finally, I discuss receiving my first alpha feedback, titling the book, and how I’m adjusting my strategy going forward. I’m Looking for Alpha & Beta Readers Interested in being an alpha or beta reader for my novel?...

Whether you’re doing research for your novel or looking for information of the craft of writing, it’s always a good idea to look into where the information is coming from. Does the information come from a reputable and reliable source, or not? I’m Looking for Alpha & Beta Readers Interested in being an alpha or beta reader for my novel? Head here for more information . Links Get a free 30 day...

I have finished the second draft of my novel! Today I talk a bit on how I’m approaching my revisions and what I’m focusing on with each draft. Links Get a free 30 day trial of Audible with my affiliate link. Support the show . Join my Discord server . Call My Voicemail: 951-465-5391

Today I share my love of fountain pens with you. I used to hate writing longhand. Now I love it, and it’s all because of fountain pens (and the inks, of course!). Links Get a free 30 day trial of Audible with my affiliate link. Becoming a Writer , Staying a Writer by J. Michael Straczysnki Goulet Pens website Goulet Pens YouTube channel Support the show . Join my Discord server . Call My Voicemail...

I share my thoughts and process, as I begin preparing for the second book in the series. I also talk about how I plan on handling an ensemble cast of characters. Links Get a free 30 day trial of Audible with my affiliate link. Support the show . Join my Discord server . Call My Voicemail: 951-465-5391

Today I define what specifically the terms “alpha reader” and “beta reader” mean to me and how I use them in my editing process. I also reflect on why it’s really a good idea not to let anyone read your first draft. Links The Writing Excuses podcast. Brandon Sanderson’s YouTube Channel Brandon Sanderson’s 2020 Creative Writing Lectures YouTube Channel with Brandon Sanderson’s older lecture series...

Today I talk about beginning the process of editing the first draft of my novel. I also talk about the importance of taking some time off between finishing the first draft and beginning the second draft and how it was really difficult for me to do. Links To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini Get a free 30 day trial of Audible with my affiliate link. Support the show . Join my Discord s...

I have finished the first draft of my novel! In the season 2 finale episode, I reflect on the last year and the progress I’ve made in this novel. I also talk about what’s in store for the coming year, both in terms of my writing and the podcast. Thank you to all my listeners for your support, and happy holidays! Links Episode on Setting the Right Writing Goal for You Get a free 30 day trial of Aud...

One of the best ways to become a better writer is to read a lot. Today I talk about pacing. I share some observations I’ve made of a lot of books I’ve read recently—how they gradually increase momentum as the book progresses. Links To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini ( Audible trial ) Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir ( Audible trial ) On Writing by Stephen King ( Audible trial ) Get a...

Today I continue my series on writing groups and critiquing with a discussion of how to receive a critique. Links Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir ( Audible trial ) Artemis by Andy Weir ( Audible trial ) Billy Summers by Stephen King ( Audible trial ) To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini ( Audible trial ) Episode on Giving Good Critiques Episode On Writing Groups The Elements of Style T...

Today I’m going to share the ideal word counts for a debut sci-fi or fantasy novel. After that I’ll talk a bit about what I’ve learned as a writer from The Wheel of Time . Links Word Counts for Novels LOL Episode on Points of View and Tense LOL Episode on Manuscript Best Practices On Writing by Stephen King. Call My Voicemail: 951-465-5391 Try Audible for 30 days for free with my affiliate link. S...

In episode 41 I talked about best practices for formatting your manuscript. This week I discuss best practices for backing up your manuscript and other files relevant to your work in progress. If you follow this advice, it will take a true end-of-civilization cataclysm for you to lose your work, and if that happens, you’ll likely have bigger things to worry about! Links To Sleep in a Sea of Stars...

Today I’m going to recommend some best practices when it comes to writing your actual manuscript. These include the best software to use and guidelines on formatting your manuscript. Links To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini On Writing by Stephen King Get a free 30 day trial of Audible with my affiliate link. Differences between Templates, Themes & Styles Templates vs. Themes How...

November is national novel writing month, and for many writers that means the NaNoWriMo competition. This week I’m going to go against the grain, play devil’s advocate and discuss why NaNoWriMo might NOT be the way you want to celebrate November. Links Episode 38: Setting the Right Writing Goal for You How Long Should a Book Be? Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer : The Artistry, Joy, and Career o...

An essential part of preparing your novel for submission is participating in a writing group. This gives you a chance to get other writers’ eyes on your novel, so they can help you improve it. A very important part of being in a writing group is being able to give good critiques of other writers’ work. Today I’m going to share some best practices for critiquing other writers, so you all can make t...

The best way to make real progress as a writer is to set a daily writing goal and stick to it, writing every day. However, finding the right goal for you can be a bit of a process, and chances are you won’t get it exactly right on the first try. Today I’ll talk about how I recently changed my writing goal to something that works better for me and how it’s made all the difference.

Today I’ll go over some of the options for the point of view of a story. I’ll explain why you generally want to avoid the “weird” ones—they usually get in the way of the reader understanding and enjoying the story. However, occasionally a less common POV will enhance a reader’s immersion in a story, and if you can pull it off flawlessly, it can take your story to the next level.

Today I discuss why space tourism really is extremely important, not just for science and space exploration, but also for the future of humanity itself.

As writers there’s only so much we can do to perfect our manuscript on our own. Ultimately, we’ll need someone else’s eyes on it to find issues we’ve missed, preferably before sending it off to an agent or publisher. Writing groups, alpha readers and beta readers are way we can get this invaluable feedback. In this first of a series of episodes, we’ll talk about finding or creating the right writi...

Today I talk about how writing can be an emotional rollercoaster. Personally, I’ve found I have a lot of emotional highs and lows while writing a novel, and “good writing days” often seem to follow “bad writing days” and vice versa. I also talk about how the difference between good and bad writing is often subjective. Finally, I share how I’ve discovered some themes emerging in the book I’m curren...

Today I answer listener-submitted questions.

Today I’m going to talk about the importance of keeping your novel, or other writing project, fresh in your mind. The ideal is writing every day, and this is the simplest, best solution. But if that isn’t possible, the next best thing is keeping it fresh in your mind, so your subconscious continues to work on it in the background, even when you’re not consciously thinking about it.

Today I’d like to put some of my previous discussions into context and remind you that I may not know what I’m talking about.

Today I’m going to talk about some of the prewriting I did for these stories. I’ll talk about why I started writing a prequel before I wrote the main story, and why that ended up being the perfect approach for me to take with this project.

Today I talk about how consistency is the key to finishing a novel, and how if you want writing to be a part of your life, your best path to success lies in making writing a daily habit.