Prose and Cons

Writing is fun, creative and expressive, but keeping up a regular practice can sometimes be a grind. In this epsiode, we give our tricks and insights into staying motived, balancing work and life, our different approaches to being productive, and explore the fascinating 'Pomodoro technique'. If you've ever struggled with regular writing, or are just looking to maximise your daily wo...

Note: Apologies for the re-upload on this one, there was an issue with the original that was creating gaps in the audio. We will be back to our regular scheduled programming next week! Today we talk about books that we did not finish... but not because we didn't like them! Today's episode features: - DNFing perfectly serviceable books for treatises on latrines in the Middle Ages - excess...

This week on prose and Cons, the gang explore the world of books adapted into films. From the best film adaptations to the very worst, we investigate what makes a great adaptation, what makes a book adaptable, and the books we would most love to see adapted. (Also, James, you are objectively wrong and No Country for Old Men was a great film.) STEPHEN KING REFERENCE COUNTER: 2 TODAY, 28 TOTAL. Send...

In this episode, Alex discusses the value of using TikTok's organic reach to sell books, including: - Why TikTok is more than 12 year olds doing silly dances - The openness and viability of BookTok as a community for authors - How NOT to use TikTok - What to make for your first video STEPHEN KING COUNTER:  0 TODAY. 26 TOTAL. https://www.tiktok.com/@areldridgeauthor Send us a message! Contact...

Today we go IN on the correlation between reading and writing: James, Paddy and Alex and discuss their most recent written work and how it is related to what they're reading right now. Along the way they discuss: Unorthodox formatting choices Hilary Mantel Cherrypicking the good from the lousy Biochemistry More Hilary Mantel Avoiding being distracted by awesome irrelevance Reading versus audi...

Once again it's time to delve deep into genre, and this time we're plunging into the bizarre worlds of 'soft science fiction.' What is 'soft' science fiction? How does it differ from 'hard'? Why are there fierce internet battles over how 'soft' is defined? And are Jedi just wizards with space magic? All will be revealed in this all-informative epis...

How do you tackle a well-written character flaw? In this episode we test out Ally’s awesome character personality slider tool, fable arcs, sound out our pet peeve character flaws, discuss research/sensitivity and play a rate-your-character-flaws game! STEPHEN KING REFERENCE COUNTER: 0 TODAY, 24 TOTAL. This is Prose & Cons - a podcast for emerging writers, by emerging writers. Because sometimes...

Join Paddy and Alex for a special one-on-one conversation as they drill down into the whys and hows of their individual careers, both their commercial and creative sides. They talk sustaining a living in self-publishing, choosing the genre and format of their next work,  accepting that they 'can't all be zingers', and how to make the Dunning-Kruger effect work for your career. Also,...

The gang spend this episode talking about writer's block in all its forms: from the micro of trying to write more than 500 words in a day, to the big picture, middle-of-the-night scaries of self-doubt, Alex, Ally, James and Paddy reveal their secrets to dealing with this dreaded authorial bugbear. (NOTE: The book Alex tries and fails to find in this ep is Daily Rituals by Mason Curry.) Choice...

Have you ever heard the phrase "show, don't tell"? It's one of many critiques that writers will hear over the course of their early career (and possibly beyond) - but what does it mean? And does it always apply? We go over some of the most common, and some not-so-common, critiques and advice that you can receive as a writer, and try to revive an ongoing mountain lion joke with...

With our genre-spanning anthology releasing in two days, we discuss our favourite genres, why we love them so, what we DON'T love about them, and why behind every mystery, at the end of every road, and at the heart of every romance, there is a mountain lion. Send us a message! Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/ ============================================= This is Prose & Cons -...

This week on Prose & Cons, we continue our deep dive into getting our publication up and running: the genesis of some of the stories, the advantage of multiple editors and why everyone loves Hilary Mantel (RIP). 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 Precipice Fictio...

This week on Prose & Cons, we dive into the nitty (and the gritty) of getting our publication up and running: where we're at, how we're doing it and some tips for all you self-publishers out there. Send us a message! Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/ ============================================= This is Prose & Cons - a podcast for emerging writers, by emerging writers...

It's season 2! Precipice Fiction is back, and our long-awaited anthology is nearly complete - so what better subject to discuss than "when is a story done?" Hear what the gang has to say in our triumphant return episode. Send us a message! Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/ ============================================= This is Prose & Cons - a podcast for emerging writ...

Announcing the end of our first season! Thank you so much to all our listeners. We won't be gone for long - we'll see you again for Season 2 in November 2022! 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...

In this episode, we deep dive into the horror genre, with James leading the discussion. We talk about the importance of 'the warning', how to effectively seed narrative tension while keeping your characters from running for the hills, and how to engender ambiguity into a story to give it resonance (all while making surprisingly few Stephen King references). Send us a message! Contact us...

Today Ally, James, Matan, Paddy and Phoenix discuss writing feedback! We talk about the value of consuming bad content, using non-writer feedback as a helpful tool, when to ask for it, the relationship between plotting and feedback and the absolute worst feedback ever. Send us a message! Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/ ============================================= This is Prose &...

We all know what 'planning' a story is - but what is 'pantsing'? Why does Alex do it? Why doesn't Ally? Are we wearing pants while we're recording this? Find the answers to all but the latter in this week's episode, all about how we approach - or don't approach - planning our stories. Need something edited? Check out Phoenix's editing gig here: https://...

This episode the gang discuss action sequences, including sex scenes *gasp*! We discuss what the primary purpose of action is, different ways to get the effect across and try our hardest not to make too many dirty puns. Send us a message! Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/ ============================================= This is Prose & Cons - a podcast for emerging writers, by emerging...

WARNING: Spoilers for House of the Dragon episode 1. The TV show! The book! The Prose & Cons Podcast discussion! Yes, it's all happening here this week on Prose & Cons - we've watched House of Dragon, and now we dissect it in meticulous and erudite detail. Join us for our roundtable discussion on HBO's adaptation of George R.R. Martin's 'Fire & Blood'. It&...

Strap in writers, we're going deep into the psychology of creativity in this one. Ally Burnham hosts a show filled with insight into what creativity is, where it comes from and the creative mindset. A particularly informative and chin-stroking episode of Prose & Cons. Send us a message! Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/ ============================================= This is Pros...

In this episode, the gang talk about perspective in writing. What are the choices of perspective available to a writer? What are the strengths and challenges of each? Will Paddy ever finish reading Moby Dick? Find out on this exciting new episode of Prose & Cons. Send us a message! Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/ ============================================= This is Prose & Co...

Tender & fresh-faced, Alex, Ally & Paddy lay down the pilot episode. Listen to our very first recording together - it's endearing, we promise. The topic of the day is "tropes & genre", even if it takes us a little while to get there... Enjoy! Send us a message! Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/ ============================================= This is Prose &...

In today's episode Ally, Paddy and Alex discuss worldbuilding: what is the 'Goldilocks Zone' for exactly how much to give the reader? They touch on hard and soft magic systems and discuss ways to make your worldbuilding feel less info-dumpy. Send us a message! Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/ ============================================= This is Prose & Cons - a podc...

Today, 4/6ths of the gang discuss research in writing - its role, importance and the ways in which it's done, answering questions like: "How much is too much?", "When is it ok to ignore your research and make stuff up?", and "Will the history professor I randomly phone up know that I'm not actually a world-famous bestselling author?" Send us a message! Conta...