Prose and Cons

What do passing notes while the teacher isn’t looking, drinking a big mug of coffee just before a run, and writing a novel-length work in the second person have in common? They’re RISKS, baby! Join Matan, James, and Ally as they talk through the industry and art of risk-taking in the literary world. Some things to expect: Risks in content vs. risks in prose/form. Character morality vs. character l...

Hello all! In order to allow us to keep producing this podcast that we love—in a meaningful way—while still attending to our other projects and things, we've decided to switch from a weekly release schedule to a release every other week. Thank you to everyone who has been listening up until now. We're excited to keep going : ) Send us a message! Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contac...

Today is a bit of a grab bag of an episode about characters and what makes them interesting to us, interesting enough to write about. James, Paddy and Phoenix go over a number of topics including  paleo art, the importance of not overpopulating your worlds with vapid characters, writing characters within the context of their relationships and, of course, the importance of occasionally wearing some...

"If a story is in you, it has to come out." So says William Faulker, and it may well be true. But where does the inspiration for these stories come from? What sparks our creativity and where do we find the impetus to write? On today's episode, Alex, James, Phoenix and Matan sit down to talk about the origin of inspiration in writing: both from their own experience and with the art o...

Today we’ve got some book recommendations for you. Join James and Phoenix as they delve into the writing styles of Dan “the man” Simmons (Phoenix added “the man,” so don’t worry if Dan doesn’t respond to that if you call out to him). We’ll get into his mastery of genre, the scope of his voice, and the interesting author lineage of influence behind him as we take a good hard look at three of his wo...

As two of the resident horror writers of the group, Alex and James get together to discuss all parts of the genre: what makes it tick, how to structure it and how masters of the genre do what they do. And you better believe we reference Stephen King! STEPHEN KING REFERENCE COUNTER: 6 TODAY, 96 TOTAL Send us a message! Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/ ===================================...

“The Spider hears everything through all its jangling threads.” Sarah dropped her rolled, diluted tobacco ration to the ground and pressed it into the soil with the ball of her foot, as though the ever-watching Omni-Mayor were right there under her shoe. “That’s no reason to give up hope,” I said, not even believing my own words. “Who said anything about giving up?” —— If you haven’t guessed from...

Some lovely new discussions are on the horizon as the team has been quite busy off in the writing world. In the time being, Phoenix has selected one of his favourite episodes; if you're in the early drafting stages or the developmental stage of your manuscript, this is definitely worth a listen. Why can't we just give our character a magic wand and be done with it? Nothing says we can&ap...

We're back with another Absolute Prose classic episode: Ally's sensational "All Storytelling is Wrestling" ep! WrestleMania 39 was on the horizon, and the producers here at Precipice Fiction Inc. felt it was time to unleash Ally's true form on the world. A writer behind the keyboard, a slayer in the analysis of storytelling tools used in the WWE, Ally leads a willing, yet...

James, Matan and Alex sit down to answer the the question what are their favourite techniques - both to read and to write. Send us a message! Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/ ============================================= This is Prose & Cons - a podcast for emerging writers, by emerging writers. Because sometimes we feel like pros, and sometimes we feel like cons. Brought to you by...

Hot take time! Get ready for your exclusive guided tour through Ally’s career as a writer, what got her started, what she’s up to, and what’s coming next. For anyone pursuing a career in film or finding an identity as a multi-media writer, you’re sure to find some excellent nuggets in this one. STEPHEN KING REFERENCE COUNTER: 0 TODAY, 90 TOTAL Send us a message! Contact us at: precipicefiction.com...

Have you ever read a book that completely rocked the axis on which you read and consider literature? Well, here's four of them! Today, Alex, Paddy, James and Matan recount four books that have changed them as readers and writers. Please be aware there are significant spoilers for the following books: Never Let Me Go - Kasuo Ishagura The Girl With All The Gifts - M. R. Carey Atlas Shrugged - A...

Counterintuitive as it may seem, sometimes our protagonists need to fall flat on their face and fail. After all, what's an epic journey without setbacks? In today's episode, Matan, Ally and James examine character failure and why it's often so necessary for an effective story. Join us as we explore the why's and how's of failures, what makes a story's failure effectiv...

Follow the white rabbit. To where is it hippity hoppiting? Through the mono-myth we go, Where all threads are spun. Sorry, I don’t know what came over me just then. Anyway, welcome to Prose & Cons! On today’s episode, Paddy takes James, Alex, and Ally through the Hero’s Journey (name used in a gender-neutral context), the map over which it’s said that all stories are written. Whether you’re en...

Part two of our vaunted Mailbag episode! This part definitely occurred on a different day and we're certainly not all delerious from three hours of podcasting. So enjoy this entirely hinged and sane second part of our mailbag episode! STEPHEN KING REFERENCE COUNTER: 1 TODAY, 90 TOTAL Send us a message! Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/ =============================================...

And like Christmas, it's finally here! The long-awaited Precipice Listener Questions episode, where we huddle around the ol' Precipice mailbag and draw out your letters, answering questions on writing, editing, publishing, collaboration and more.  We had so many that we've decided to make this a two-parter, so stay tuned for Mail Time pt. 2! Got a question you'd like to send us...

Netflix's live-action reimagining of the beloved series Avatar: The Last Airbender is fresh out of the stables, which leads us to the question: how well does the new version hold up? Today we examine this adaptation of a classic series: narrative, character, translation of setting, the nature and purpose of action scenes - nothing will go unexamined! Send us a message! Contact us at: precipic...

And then James said, “I think that’s it.” And we all said our goodbyes. But for this to make sense, let’s go back a bit, back to the beginning. In this episode of Prose and Cons, James, Alex, and Phoenix talk about non-linear storytelling—stories where the end is the beginning or sometimes there are new beginnings that come in the middle. They'll talk through numerous examples as well as touc...

This marks the 6th and final episode of our Absolute Prose run. This final highlight selection was made by – last but not least – Phoenix. Imposter syndrome is something that has plagued more or less everybody at some point in their lives in some form or another. If you've not felt it, that's fantastic – keep doing what you're doing. If you have felt it, you are far from alone. This...

The Precipice crew -- and nearly a full house too -- get back to basics, talking about the specifics of how we use language to convey meaning in our work. I'm talking all the hits: metaphor, simile, alliteration, personification. How can you make the most of the basic building blocks of text to the greatest effect in your work? Stick around and you'll find out. STEPHEN KING REFERENCE COU...

Here's we revisit an old episode where we take a look at some classics of writing advice and really break them down. If you're new to writing and just getting back some advice for the first time, it's a great place to start. Enjoy! Send us a message! Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/ ============================================= This is Prose & Cons - a podcast for em...

Three authors walk into a podcast... BA DOOM TING! That's right today we're talking about comedy and where to find it's beats. What makes something funny? Is it the straight man and the wildcard? Is it finding humour in the mundane? Is it simple contrast? ...Yes! Send us a message! Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/ ============================================= This is Pro...

Today's classic episode is our deep dive into all things VILLANOUS! A great villain is a wonderful thing, and some of the most classic, memorable characters in fiction have been baddies. But what makes a villain tick? What makes a villain effective as a character? And why did Alex think he could nominate a hotel as one of his picks in the Great Precipice Villain Draft? The answer is he can&ap...

Ever written a story that feels flat? Or maybe doesn't quite feel like it's going anywhere?  Ever struggled with a story's end or big climax? Today on the pod we have a pair of excellent techniques to help you build tension, work towards the climax, and keep your story moving in an exciting direction. Special thanks to Chuck Palahniuk for the inspiration for this episode. Check out...

This is a rerun of Ally Burnham's fascinating look into what makes the creative mind tick and how to give it a bit of a kickstart if you're feeling stuck. This was a popular episode among the Precipice crew so if you haven't heard it, it's worth a listen! Send us a message! Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/ ============================================= This is Prose...