Writer Syndrome

Backstory is essential to establishing who your characters are and the decisions they'll make in your story, but how much is too much? In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss backstory, how they approached it for their first novels, and how they plan on using it in their new works.

Writing your first novel is hard, but is writing a second novel any easier? In this episode, Russ and Tim chat about how to plan a new project, when to stop researching and start writing, and why their approaches have changed since completing their first works.

Knock, knock... no, we won't do that to you. In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss writing with humor, how they approach it in their works, the different types of humor authors can use, and when to use it.

In this episode, Russ and Tim are joined by Michael Bahler, a New Jersey-based writer whose short fiction and nonfiction have appeared in The New York Times, Glimmer Train, Nerve, and many others, including the Brooklyn Rail. He joins us to chat about the publishing industry, writing short stories, and his jump from short to long-form writing.

Have you ever read a book and thought the end wasn't particularly satisfying? Well, you're not alone! In this episode, Russ and Tim explore common Act III pitfalls, why they can make your final act fall flat, and how to avoid them.

Why are scene transitions important? Not ony to they ground the reader in POV, setting, and time. They can change mood and create pacing that keeps a reader engaged. In this episode Russ and Tim get into their own approaches to scene transitions and if they were intentional from the start.

50th episode! We made it! Russ and Tim do a pulse check on their projects, how far they've come, and the path ahead. Here's to fifty more!

Structure is a good thing, right? In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss chapter structure and how a well-structured chapter can impact pacing and tension and influence the reader to keep turning pages.

Are video games art? What elevates a video game narrative to make it memorable? Will Russ and Tim ever stop playing and get back to writing their second novels? In this special video game-themed episode, we tackle these questions and more.

Author Geoffrey Morrison joins us again for a great chat about his new nonfiction book, Budget Travel for Dummies. We discuss his move from fiction to nonfiction, hostels, deadlines, editing, and more.

Similes are metaphors; metaphors are not similes. In this episode, Russ and Tim explore more tools in the author's toolbox with metaphor and simile usage. What are they? How are they different? And how they use them in their own stories. Along with soup analogies. It's the most fun you can have while learning about figures of speech.

Have you found your voice as a storyteller? What does that even mean? This episode Russ and Tim explore the many factors that can shape an author's voice, and how they found (or are still looking for) their own.

There are a slew of writing myths out there. In this episode, Russ and Tim walk through some common myths and even bust a few of the big ones.

The query process can be a daunting, self-doubt-inducing part of getting published. In this episode, Russ asks Tim about his experience with the query process, the good, the bad, the ugly, and most importantly, how to stay focused on writing.

A good theme can provide the heart and glue that binds your story together. Characters, dialogue, setting, and symbolism are important in conveying your theme to the reader. In this episode, Russ and Tim dive into the common themes and how they used them in their writing.

J.D. Edwin, author of the sci-fi fantasy trilogy Headspace, joins us as we discuss querying, marketing, plotting vs pansting, and how to stay sane while writing a series.

Character archetypes were just the beginning, in order to further refine your characters you need to utilize direct and indirect characterization. This episode Russ and Tim discuss the finer details about characters, and the ways to tease that information to readers.

Looking to build out characters for your narrative? Character archetypes can help! This episode Russ and Tim discuss the various archetypes with examples and how they might be used to create interesting and unique characters.

Story archetypes are a great starting point for building your narrative. In this episode Russ and Tim discuss the seven core story archetypes that can be found in most fiction, how they can be used to create a engaging novels, and how they used (or didn't use) them for their own projects.

It all comes down to this...Act III. Our heroes have been removed from their normal world, thrust into a chaotic Act II world, been through the ringer, hit the bottom of the barrel, now it's time for them to shine (or maybe not?) and finish their journey. Join Russ and Tim as they wrap-up their deep dive into the Save the Cat! Act III story beats.

Doing their best to avoid strong act II vibes, Russ and Tim continue their deep dive into Save the Cat! Writes A Novel story beats with Act II.

Using Save the Cat! Writes A Novel as a jumping off point, Russ and Tim do a deep dive into the Act I story beats, and reference how this methodology was useful in crafting their own works.

Writer's block...

Do your characters have the right motivation? Proper motivation is necessary if you want your characters to make believable decisions that lead toward their goals, even if those decisions are flawed. In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss internal and external motivations, how they connect to goals, and how they can change as the story progresses.

The work doesn't stop once you launch your book. If you want to be read, you need to promote your book to the world. In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss marketing, social media, advertising, and Russ' plan for promoting his new book, HOST.