Tiffin Inn Writing Workshop (with Imposter Syndrome & Unlimited Refills)

Tim and Art recap their highlights of Season 5, from the outstanding guests and friends of the show to the lessons learned, before looking ahead to Season 6 and beyond. While Tim and Art are on hiatus (returning in early October), feel free to contact them at TiffinInnWritingWorkshop@gmail.com . Tim and Art are always here to support you on your writing journey.

Tim discusses how he uses prompts to keep his creativity flowing, then proposes a way to use genre (especially genres you don't usually visit) to spark new story ideas.  Feel free to share your thoughts with us at  TiffinInnWritingWorkshop@gmail.com . Tim and Art are always happy to get the conversation started.

Tim and Art welcome into the corner booth Megan Michelle, author of the debut novel Skylark . Megan Michelle's stories blend the raw emotions of military life, the strength of feminism, and the passion of forbidden love. Her stories invite you to dive deep into the hearts of women who don't just survive—they thrive, reclaiming their power and rewriting their stories on their own terms.  Feel free...

Art discusses the elusive sources of "inspiration" in our work, reading a long lost story fragment into the record as an object lesson in how the thing that inspires you might not be the thing you ultimately end up writing about. Feel free to share your thoughts with us at  TiffinInnWritingWorkshop@gmail.com . Tim and Art are always happy to get the conversation started.

Tim and Art discuss why they write and it has only a little to do with hot tubs! Join Tim and Art in the corner booth as they reveal why it is essential to articulate your personal "why," how that has changed over time, and what that knowledge can do to energize your current work.  Feel free to share your thoughts with us at TiffinInnWritingWorkshop@gmail.com . Tim and Art are always happy to get...

Art explores the value in understanding "why" we want to write fiction, how that "why" can change over time, and how this knowledge can improve our overall quality. Feel free to share your thoughts with us at  TiffinInnWritingWorkshop@gmail.com . Tim and Art are always happy to get the conversation started.

Tim and Art welcome into the corner booth Nick Peck, a 24 year-old California native and award-winning journalist, to discuss his debut novel "Only Way Out" available here . Tim and Art discuss how Nick's mining of his own emotional story made the novel feeling "easy" to write. Feel free to share your thoughts with us at TiffinInnWritingWorkshop@gmail.com . Tim and Art are always happy to get the...

Art presents a straightforward, 3-stage approach for writing a short story (Start, Say Something, Finish) that can lower those mental barriers and simplify the work of getting that magical first draft out of your head. Feel free to share your thoughts with us at  TiffinInnWritingWorkshop@gmail.com . Tim and Art are always happy to get the conversation started.

Tim shares his perspective on publishing in his dream lit mag a whopping three times! Tim and Art discuss the best ways for Tim to revisit his novel to jump-start his progress. Then, Art teases thoughts about his latest ghostwriting opportunity and how satisfying it is to make money from creative writing. Feel free to share your thoughts with us at  TiffinInnWritingWorkshop@gmail.com . Tim and Art...

Tim sets aside a couple of moments to share his thoughts on using lists to spur creative thought and maybe jump start another piece. Feel free to share your thoughts with us at TiffinInnWritingWorkshop@gmail.com . Tim and Art are always happy to get the conversation started.

Tim and Art welcome "Friend of the Show" screenwriter Cat Hammons back to the corner booth to discuss writing for screens big and small, using AI as a writing assistant, and the importance of keeping the reader/audience in mind when developing your stories. Feel free to share your thoughts with us at TiffinInnWritingWorkshop@gmail.com . Tim and Art are always happy to get the conversation started.

"Friend of the Show" Bethany Jarmul slides into the corner booth to offer her own Refill episode on writing prompts. Bethany breaks down what makes a good writing prompt, why prompts can help, where to find them, and how to use them in creating your best work. Feel free to share your thoughts with us at  TiffinInnWritingWorkshop@gmail.com . Tim and Art are always happy to get the conversation star...

During an innocent conversation, Tim experiences imposter syndrome in real time. Luckily, we were recording it! Settle in to the corner booth with Tim as he reads his selected story "They Fired Up the Laser" into the record and subsequently wrestles with the event horizon of success. Tim and Art discuss how to stay focused on writing what you like above all else and how diligence and availability...

Art sets aside logic and process to explore how creative nonfiction, and the emotional vulnerability it can uncover, are powerful tools in creating memorable characters. Art shares an example of creative nonfiction from his past to showcase the potential power of authenticity. Feel free to share your thoughts with us at TiffinInnWritingWorkshop@gmail.com . Tim and Art are always happy to get the c...

Tim and Art are joined in the corner booth by author Emily Rinkema for a lively discussion of how to create memorable flash fiction. Emily Rinkema lives and writes in northern Vermont. For her real job, she works as a district curriculum and instruction leader, supporting and facilitating professional learning for teachers and administrators. She has written about education for years, but has now...

Art explores how to use a specific writing prompt as a constraint in building a character background. The prompt is " Describe your most unlikely relationship ." Enjoy! Tim and Art have kicked off 1-on-1 story coaching workshops to make it easy and affordable to get valuable guidance on your personal work. Reading & feedback services start at only $20! E-mail  TiffinInnWritingWorkshop@gmail.com  t...

Tim and Art discuss where they find writing prompts and how they use them to jumpstart creativity in drafting new pieces. They propose sharing writing prompts with each other and the audience, ultimately leaving the following writing prompt for everyone to work on: "Write a story about finding wisdom in the most unlikely place." If you try out the prompt and like what you have, send us an e-mail w...

Art reveals his process for spotting and expelling bad habits from his writing process. A delightful example of Art's continued failure is used as an object lesson of what not to do. Enjoy! Tim and Art have kicked off 1-on-1 story coaching workshops to make it easy and affordable to get valuable guidance on your personal work. Reading & feedback services start at only $20! E-mail  TiffinInnWriting...

Tim and Art unveil their revised 9-Step Writing Process for creating compelling stories. The 9 steps offer a sustainable approach to creative work. Try out the process and see how it aligns with your own writing strategy. Steal some tips. We won't tell. Tim and Art have kicked off 1-on-1 story coaching workshops to make it easy and affordable to get valuable guidance on your personal work. Reading...

Art explores the psychology of deadlines, why they work, and how you can use them to boost the productivity of your writing sessions. Tim and Art have kicked off 1-on-1 story coaching workshops to make it easy and affordable to get valuable guidance on your personal work. Reading & feedback services start at only $20! E-mail TiffinInnWritingWorkshop@gmail.com to start improving your writing today....

During the show hiatus, Tim participated in a 3-week writing workshop offered by SmokeLong Quarterly . Tim shares his overwhelmingly positive experience with Art, uncovering how the community and regular writing prompts supercharged his writing time. Listen in to discover what value there is in joining a writing community, even in short bursts. Tim and Art have kicked off 1-on-1 story coaching wor...

Tim and Art discuss trends in feedback Art has received from his beta readers on his recent stories "V-Hold" and "Donut Fridays." Together they make sense of how different people can read the same work and have wildly different reactions and, more importantly, what decisions can come out of that. Art offers a method of providing feedback to other authors in three buckets - What I Liked, What Didn'...

Building off the discussion from the previous episode, Art explores how to ethically use AI to enhance your writing. Art performs a "science experiment" using three tools within the ToolBaz AI engine : AI Writer, Character Generator, and Story Prompt Generator. Remember, Tim and Art plan to pilot Tiffin Inn Writing Workshops online in 2025! Workshops will be low cost, high impact, 1-hour sessions...

Tim and Art discuss how to decode constructive feedback when beta readers react differently to the same text. Feedback helps identify "cracks in the sidewalk" of your story where readers can trip up. Tim and Art discuss how to use this seemingly opposing feedback to uncover the real problem areas of your story. Then Tim and Art take hard right turn into the ethics of using AI to assist your own wr...

Art explores the difference between beta readers and editors, specifically in how improving communication up front can boost the quality of the feedback on your story. Remember, Tim and Art plan to pilot Tiffin Inn Writing Workshops online in 2025! Workshops will be low cost, high impact, 1-hour sessions with instruction and guided practice. E-mail us at TiffinInnWritingWorkshop@gmail.com to add y...