Writing with Friends

On today’s episode, we’ll begin a short series looking at some of my favorite quotes as they apply to writing. And today’s quote is: "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." - Isaac Newton Let's think together about the tension between the ideal of the creative genius and the reality of the creative process. Mentioned in the Episode: The Marginalian: St...

Our question for today’s mini episode is... How and why should I write until failure? Today we'll talk about how to write to failure both in terms of honing your craft and in terms of sharing your work with an audience. Do you have thoughts on failure and the writing life? Do you have ways you push to failure that I didn’t mention? We'd love to hear from you. Our email address writingwithf...

Our question for today’s mini episode is... How do I keep up a writing practice when life gets busy? We'll discuss four strategies for staying engaged in your writing practice when other responsibilities loom large. Mentioned in the Episode: Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg Atomic Habits by James Clear The Revision Spreadsheet (WWF Episodes S4E3 and S1E10 )

Our question for today’s mini episode is... Why Do Plot Twists Matter? If you find crafting plot twists a little baffling, or you're unsure if your current story would even benefit from a plot twist, this episode's for you! We'll dive into a fantastic example of a plot twist and discuss the benefits of incorporating plot twists into storylines. What are the plot twists in your current...

Our question for today’s mini episode is... What’s the best gear to support your writing practice? Writing is a pretty minimalistic hobby, or it can be. Still, investing in great writing gear isn’t silly or shallow. As writer Gretchen Rubin says “Beautiful tools make work a joy.” By investing in high quality writing tools, we can remind ourselves that our writing practice itself is valuable, and w...

Our question for today is: Is plotting vs. pantsing a helpful dichotomy? Mentioned in the Episode: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin WWF S4E14 The best mindset shift for your writing

Hi! Hillary here with a new summer mini episode. We'll keep things casual and spend a few minutes chatting about a writing question that's been on my mind lately. And our question for today is: How do I keep the beta reading process from becoming overwhelming? Do you have your own beta reading tips? We'd love to hear from you. Our email address writingwithfriendspodcast@gmail.com. And...

Hillary here. We’re on a summer break right now between seasons, but I’m still here some weekly mini-episodes. We'll keep things casual and spend a few minutes chatting about a writing question that's been on my mind lately. Hopefully I'll leave you with some takeaways for your own writing journey! Our question for today is: Why should you consider writing a craft rather than just and...

Today, we’ll be talking to writer Jaimie Woo. She’s a Creative Producer, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Consultant, and Communications Expert . Tune in to hear about her career as well as her advice for aspiring writers. Mentioned in the Episode: Yes She Can: 10 Stories of Hope & Change from Young Female Staffers of the Obama White House  Jaimie's Website Are You There, Universe (J...

It’s time for an ASK ME ANYTHING! We’ll be chatting with Hillary, getting a little more personal about her own writing practice, and learning more about what she’s been thinking about and working on these days. Picks of the Week: H: “Of All Things” by Isabel Gallymore BJ: On Having No Head by Douglas E. Harding Mentioned in the Episode: Jessica Brody ( Save the Cat! Writes a Novel ) Lisa Cron ( St...

Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the tool we’ll be talking about today is movie trailers! Picks of the Week: BJ: Making Sense: Conversations on Consciousness, Morality, and the Future of Humanity by Sam Harris H: Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson Mentioned in...

We’ll be talking about editing your own work. Okay, so you’ve written a first draft of your novel and you know things need to change. But how? And what? Our editing tips today can help! Picks of the Week: H: Happy Place by Emily Henry BJ: “Twelfth Night: Or What You Will” by William Shakespeare Mentioned in the Episode: Order—Method: Trollope Learns to Write by Susan L. Humphreys Mythbusters Video...

We’ll be gathering around our metaphorical fireplace for a fireside chat– an honest conversation about how we’re applying a craft topic or tool to our own writing practices, and how you might incorporate this topic or tool into your writing life as well. The tool we’ll be talking about today is our favorite piece of writing software, Scrivener. We’ll focus on the pros and cons of the software. Pic...

Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the tool we’ll be talking about today is body doubling! Do you find it hard to stay on task and focus when you’ve sat down for a writing session? Body doubling can help! Picks of the Week: H: Slow Productivity by Cal Newport BJ: Existence by David Brin   ...

We’ll be talking about why subplots are the secret ingredients to add depth and complexity to any story. Picks of the Week: H: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt BJ: A Descent into the Maelström by Edgar Allen Poe Mentioned in the Episode: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling If you’ve been developing subplots in your writing project, let us know all about them by writ...

It’s time for an Ask Me Anything! We’ll be chatting with BJ and getting a little more personal about his own writing practice and what BJ’s thinking about and working on these days! Picks of the Week: H: The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff BJ: Qualityland by Marc-Uwe Kling Mentioned in the Episode: Mage Knight: The Board Game The Mad Titan’s Shadow expansion for Marvel Champions Unrel...

Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the tool we’ll be talking about today is scene cards. Do you ever sit down to write a scene and feel a bit at a loss of how to structure a scene? What should a scene actually include? What makes a scene work or not work? Scene cards can help! Picks of the...

We’ll be talking about why you should use your good ideas now instead of saving them for later. We propose in this episode that good ideas are not a finite resource and there may never be a perfect time to explore them. Picks of the Week: BJ: The Maze Runner Files by James Dashner H: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas If you use your good ideas now instead of saving them for later, let u...

We’ll be gathering around our metaphorical fireplace for a fireside chat– an honest conversation about how we’re applying a craft topic or tool to our own writing practices, and how you might incorporate this topic or tool into your writing life as well. The tool we’ll be talking about today is the revision spreadsheet! Picks of the Week: H: The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell BJ: Rich Dad, Poor Dad...

Show Notes: Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the tool we’ll be talking about today is Goodreads! Picks of the Week: H: Acedia & Me by Kathleen Norris BJ: Golden Son by Pierce Brown Mentioned in the Episode: The Goodreads Author Program

Ever find yourself in the middle of one writing project and itching to start another, then second guessing if that’s even a good idea? We’re tackling the pros and cons of this dilemma to help you figure out what the right strategy is for your writing life! Picks of the Week H: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel BJ: The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni Mentioned in the Episode: Brandon Sanderson on his w...

We're kicking off Season 4 with some mini-episodes. We'll keep things casual and spend a few minutes chatting about a writing topic that's been on my mind lately. Hopefully I'll leave you with some helpful takeaways for your own writing journey. On this episode, we'll tackle why and when you should let your manuscript rest, and what you can do in the meantime!

We're kicking off Season 4 with some mini-episodes. We'll keep things casual and spend 3-5 minutes chatting about a writing topic that's been on my mind lately and hopefully I'll leave you with some helpful takeaways for your own writing journey. On this episode, we'll tackle two questions: Why rewrite? And how much rewriting is too much? Mentioned in the episode: Michaela Coel...

We're diving into the thrilling world of NaNoWriMo. But first, congratulations to everyone who completed NaNoWriMo for November 2023! That’s an amazing accomplishment and we want to go over ideas of what to do post NaNoWriMo. P.S. This is our final episode of Season 3. We look forward to being back in your podcast feeds in 2024. Happy New Year! Picks of the Week: BJ: The Kaiju Preservation Soc...

We'll be talking about writing routines! For many of us, the hardest part of writing is actually sitting down to write! So how can we ease the path into a fruitful and satisfying writing session? Routines can help! Picks of the Week: BJ: The Forgetting Moon by Brian Lee Durfee H: I Love School by Philemon Sturges Mentioned in the Episode: NaNoWriMo Wired for Story by Lisa Cron (scene matrix te...