Writing Tips and Writerly Musings

How getting the science right improves a story, types of science you can use, and aiming your story for the right audience. =============================== If you find my content of value, please share it with your friends! Join me Sunday afternoons for "Morgan's Lazy Sunday Afternoon 'Productivity' Sprints" on YT/Twitch, where sometimes we're productive, and sometimes we're not, but we always bri...

The reluctant hero: Not every protagonist wants to be the hero of the story. How do doubt and hesitation develop heroic characters, and how does reluctance change over the course of a narrative? Here are tips on: motivations to demur ways they're relatable - favorite tropes If you find my content of value, please share it with your friends! Join me Sunday afternoons for "Morgan's Lazy Sunday After...

Everyone loves free stuff, but authors need to pay the bills. Can you make money by giving your work away, and if so, how do you choose what to distribute for free? What tools and metrics can you use to show a publisher or business partner that the work that you give away for free is driving sales? The panelists were Brenda Clough, Leonardo (Leo) Espinoza Benavides, Jean Marie Ward, and Donald Ekp...

I'm still going to push forward with this trick, but it's less effective at times. How do you do it? (note: this episode was recorded back when I was still associating with the now-defunct NaNoWriMo challenge. These days, I still do the challenge, just with my own friends.) If you find my content of value, please share it with your friends! Join me Sunday afternoons for "Morgan's Lazy Sunday After...

=============================== If you find my content of value, please share it with your friends! Join me Sunday afternoons for "Morgan's Lazy Sunday Afternoon 'Productivity' Sprints" on YT/Twitch, where sometimes we're productive, and sometimes we're not, but we always bring snacks. If you're looking for an agent, check out My Agent Database on Patreon, where for $1/month you can have access to...

You Get Agency, and You Get Agency – EVERYBODY Gets Agency! If you find my content of value, please share it with your friends! Join me Sunday afternoons for "Morgan's Lazy Sunday Afternoon 'Productivity' Sprints" on YT/Twitch, where sometimes we're productive, and sometimes we're not, but we always bring snacks. If you're looking for an agent, check out My Agent Database on Patreon, where for $1/...

The reluctant hero is a solid staple of fiction and comic books. How do you write the heroes who never wanted to be, what motivates them, how to maintain their reluctance throughout a whole series, and how to make them relatable to readers. =============================== If you find my content of value, please share it with your friends! Join me Sunday afternoons for "Morgan's Lazy Sunday Afterno...

One of the main things that can make or break a novel is it's pacing. How can you get it right? If you find my content of value, please share it with your friends! Join me Sunday afternoons for "Morgan's Lazy Sunday Afternoon 'Productivity' Sprints" on YT/Twitch, where sometimes we're productive, and sometimes we're not, but we always bring snacks. If you're looking for an agent, check out My Agen...

Welcome back for Season 10 of "Writing Tips and Writerly Musings", with writing tips from the big names, the medium names, and everyone else, plus, of course, my own writerly musings. I'm your host, Morgan Hazelwood and this season, I'm back with tips about writing the reluctant hero, the very alien, publishing, and more, so get ready, and hang on tight, and thanks for listening. =================...

Back in January of 2024, I had no clue how bad my executive dysfunction was going to get and I set all these resolutions. Looking back, I just have to laugh at some, but I didn't do too poorly on others. How much progress have you made on your goals? If you find my content of value, please share it with your friends! Join me Sunday afternoons for "Morgan's Lazy Sunday Afternoon 'Productivity' Spri...

While resolutions aren't for everyone, I like to set out plans and intentions for the year. Fingers crossed that I'm being realistic. Do you make resolutions? =============================== If you find my content of value, please share it with your friends! Join me Sunday afternoons for "Morgan's Lazy Sunday Afternoon 'Productivity' Sprints" on YT/Twitch, where sometimes we're productive, and som...

If I lose this key, it really doesn't go well. Ask me how I know. Note: This episode was originally recorded before the NaNoWriMo challenge imploded, but I'm still participating in a November Writing challenge with my friends. =============================== If you find my content of value, please share it with your friends! Join me Sunday afternoons for "Morgan's Lazy Sunday Afternoon 'Productivi...

So often, you hear writers talking about their word goals -- how many words they want to write in a day/week/month/year. But, there's another limit we don't always think about... =============================== If you find my content of value, please share it with your friends! Join me Sunday afternoons for "Morgan's Lazy Sunday Afternoon 'Productivity' Sprints" on YT/Twitch, where sometimes we're...

Every time I gear up to start a new manuscript, some familiar doubts plague me. Note: This episode was originally recorded before the NaNoWriMo challenge imploded, but I'm still participating in a November Writing challenge with my friends. =============================== If you find my content of value, please share it with your friends! Join me Sunday afternoons for "Morgan's Lazy Sunday Afterno...

Some people start a novel with a blank page and an idea. Some people start with 30 pages of outlines. Others have maps and diagrams and books full of world building. What sort of prepper are you? If you find my content of value, please share it with your friends! Join me Sunday afternoons for "Morgan's Lazy Sunday Afternoon 'Productivity' Sprints" on YT/Twitch, where sometimes we're productive, an...

Scripts aren't novels, but they can teach us a lot about pacing. =============================== If you find my content of value, please share it with your friends! Join me Sunday afternoons for "Morgan's Lazy Sunday Afternoon 'Productivity' Sprints" on YT/Twitch, where sometimes we're productive, and sometimes we're not, but we always bring snacks. If you're looking for an agent, check out My Age...

Editors were invited to an AMA, here are the answers to the most pressing questions from novelists. If you find my content of value, please share it with your friends! Join me Sunday afternoons for "Morgan's Lazy Sunday Afternoon 'Productivity' Sprints" on YT/Twitch, where sometimes we're productive, and sometimes we're not, but we always bring snacks. If you're looking for an agent, check out My...

Chapters are the building block of any novel. How can you get the most out of your chapters? If you find my content of value, please share it with your friends! Join me Sunday afternoons for "Morgan's Lazy Sunday Afternoon 'Productivity' Sprints" on YT/Twitch, where sometimes we're productive, and sometimes we're not, but we always bring snacks. If you're looking for an agent, check out My Agent D...

Some plot twists make us admire the clever creators, while others rub us the wrong way. What causes some unexpected plot developments to disappoint rather than delight -- and how do you craft a satisfying surprise? =============================== If you find my content of value, please share it with your friends! Join me Sunday afternoons for "Morgan's Lazy Sunday Afternoon 'Productivity' Sprints"...

Early fairytales were dark warnings, before they were 'sanitized' and evolved into their Disney versions. Now, all the fairytale inspired works are going dark again. What's motivated the changing ways we view the fae? =============================== If you find my content of value, please share it with your friends! Join me Sunday afternoons for "Morgan's Lazy Sunday Afternoon 'Productivity' Sprin...

History can inspire new myths. How can you do this respectfully? =============================== If you find my content of value, please share it with your friends! Join me Sunday afternoons for "Morgan's Lazy Sunday Afternoon 'Productivity' Sprints" on YT/Twitch, where sometimes we're productive, and sometimes we're not, but we always bring snacks. If you're looking for an agent, check out My Age...

Writing a short story is a very different thing than writing a novel. The pacing and characters and writing techniques required a drastically different. But, sometimes, you have a short story that won't let you go. Here's tips from the pros on how to turn that short story into something longer. =============================== If you find my content of value, please share it with your friends! Join...

After you finish drafting a new manuscript, there are some good reasons (other than just fatigue) to let the manuscript just breathe. No. Really! =============================== If you find my content of value, please share it with your friends! Join me Sunday afternoons for "Morgan's Lazy Sunday Afternoon 'Productivity' Sprints" on YT/Twitch, where sometimes we're productive, and sometimes we're...

You always here how there are no new stories, just new storytellers. I'm sharing notes on how to make your authorial voice distinct! =============================== If you find my content of value, please share it with your friends! Join me Sunday afternoons for "Morgan's Lazy Sunday Afternoon 'Productivity' Sprints" on YT/Twitch, where sometimes we're productive, and sometimes we're not, but we a...

How do you cope when waiting for news? =============================== If you find my content of value, please share it with your friends! Join me Sunday afternoons for "Morgan's Lazy Sunday Afternoon 'Productivity' Sprints" on YT/Twitch, where sometimes we're productive, and sometimes we're not, but we always bring snacks. If you're looking for an agent, check out My Agent Database on Patreon, wh...