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• Episode 149 - How masterful writers use details. (Fri, Jan 24, 2025)
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• Episode 148: A magical way to end one scene and begin another. (Fri, Jan 17, 2025)
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• Episode 147 - Make sure it's important and make it short. (Fri, Jan 10, 2025)
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• Episode 146 - How to make our character unforgettable. (Fri, Jan 03, 2025)(:00 -0800, )
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• Episode 145 - Bringing our settings to life. (Fri, Dec 27, 2024)
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• Episode 144 - One sentence can bring our character to life. (Fri, Dec 20, 2024)
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• Episode 143 - The three most important sentences when writing a scene. (Fri, Dec 13, 2024)
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• Episode 142 - A big technique for literary writing. (Fri, Dec 06, 2024)
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• Episode 141 - How to begin and end scenes. (Fri, Nov 29, 2024)
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• Episode 140 - Tips from Stephen King on writing dialogue. (Fri, Nov 22, 2024)
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• Episode 139 - Writing in the first person. (Fri, Nov 15, 2024)
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• Episode 138 - How to live a writer's life. (Fri, Nov 08, 2024)
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• Episode 137 - Twenty-one rules of writing. (Fri, Nov 01, 2024)
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• Episode 136 - Benefits of a character's otherness. (Fri, Oct 25, 2024)
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• Episode 135 - Maybe the strongest writing tool - contrast. (Fri, Oct 18, 2024)
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• Episode 134 - A stong technique for describing a character's personality. (Fri, Oct 11, 2024)
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• Episode 133 - In our plot what should we save for a sequel? (Fri, Oct 04, 2024)
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• Episode 132 - How to avoid the main reason readers stop reading a novel. (Fri, Sep 27, 2024)
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• Episode 131 - A review of the ten strongest writing techniques. (Fri, Sep 20, 2024)
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• Episode 130 - Kurt Vonnegut's rules of writing, and powerful character descriptioins. (Fri, Sep 13, 2024)
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• Episode 129 - A scene with too many mistakes. Can we spot them? (Fri, Sep 06, 2024)
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• Episode 128 - Should we be afraid our plot has been done before? (Fri, Aug 30, 2024)
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• Episode 127 - Go big or go home plotting. (Fri, Aug 23, 2024)
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• Episode 126 - Should we hire a book coach? (Fri, Aug 16, 2024)
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• Episode 125 - When to avoid the proven writing technique. (Fri, Aug 09, 2024)
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• Episode 124 - Save the cat plotting. (Fri, Aug 02, 2024)
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• Episode 123 - The beauty of a professional submission. (Fri, Jul 26, 2024)
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• Episode 122 - Getting inside a villain's mind. (Fri, Jul 19, 2024)
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• Episode 121 - The biggest mistakes new writers make. (Fri, Jul 12, 2024)
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• Episode 120 - The most important element in fiction. (Fri, Jul 05, 2024)
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• Episode 119 - Making our sentences instantly stronger. (Fri, Jun 28, 2024)
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• Episode 118 - Naming characters and the framing device. (Fri, Jun 21, 2024)
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• Episode 117 - Making multiple submissions, and a strong dialogue technique. (Fri, Jun 14, 2024)
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• Episode 116 - Advice from your lifestyle counselor, and mistakes when describing our setting. (Fri, Ju 07, )(n 06:00:00 2024, -0700)
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• Episode 115 - Downer titles and words that echo poorly. (Fri, May 31, 2024)
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• Episode 114 - A critical technique to make our story engaging. (Fri, May 24, 2024)
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• Episode 113 - The clear window technique. (Fri, May 17, 2024)
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• Episode 112 - Writing in the past or present tense, and making submissions. (Fri, May 10, 2024)
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• Episode 111 - If we have to have a big meeting, show rather than tell. (Fri, May 03, 2024)
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• Episode 110 - Book cover design, and regaining enthusiasm. (Fri, Apr 26, 2024)
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• Episode 109 - How we can stop stalling and get going. (Fri, Apr 19, 2024)
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• Episode 108 - Every description should do double duty. (Fri, Apr 12, 2024)
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• Episode 107 - The differences between literary and commercial fiction. (Fri, Apr 05, 2024)
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• Episode 106 - How to write a scene's sequel, and plotting the novel's middle. (Fri, Mar 29, 2024)
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• Episode 105 - A technique for plotting scene to scene, and my failed writing experiment. (Fri, Mar 22, 2024)
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• Episode 104 - Let's get to work, and showing with dialogue. (Fri, Mar 15, 2024)
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• Episode 103 - The joy of creating something out of nothing. And, is our new plot point a strong one? (Fri, Mar 08, 2024)
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• Episode 102 - Lovely sentence-by-sentence writing, and pumping up our creativity. (Fri, Mar 01, 2024)
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• Episode 101 - The phrases notebook, and avoiding our plot bogging down. (Fri, Feb 23, 2024)
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• Episode 100 - Getting into the flow, and the power of fiction. (Fri, Feb 16, 2024)
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• Episode 99 - Traps when writing character-driven stories. (Fri, Feb 09, 2024)
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• Episode 98 - Counterintuitive techniques that new writers might resist. (Fri, Feb 02, 2024)
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• Episode 97 - Clothing our characters. Also, how to end a scene. (Fri, Jan 26, 2024)
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• Episode 96 - How to create emotions in our characters and readers. (Fri, Jan 19, 2024)
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• Episode 95 - More strong dialogue techniques. (Fri, Jan 12, 2024)
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• Episode 94 - Seven big dialogue writing techniques. (Fri, Jan 05, 2024)
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• Episode 93 - Can we avoid stupid writing? (Fri, Dec 29, 2023)
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• Episode 92 - Fourteen scene mistakes and how to avoid them. (Fri, Dec 22, 2023)
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• Episode 91 - The benefits of a buddy, and Willa Cather and Nathaniel Hawthorne. (Fri, Dec 15, 2023)
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• Episode 90 - Techniques for creating riveting settings. (Fri, Dec 08, 2023)
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• Episode 89 - Avoiding the biggest mistakes before we begin to write. (Fri, Dec 01, 2023)
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• Episode 88 - Writing the fight scene. (Fri, Nov 24, 2023)
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• Episode 87 - How to write a fabulous first sentence. (Fri, Nov 17, 2023)
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• Episode 86 - The importance of a tie-up later list. Also: sequels. (Fri, Nov 10, 2023)
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• Episode 85 - Dialogue's three most important techniques. (Fri, Nov 03, 2023)
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• Episode 84 - Why we should create a funny character, and how to do so. (Fri, Oct 27, 2023)
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• Episode 83 - How to show our character's thoughts to avoid interior monologue. (Fri, Oct 20, 2023)
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• Episode 82 - Finding the courage to write, and describing our first-person hero. (Fri, Oct 13, 2023)
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• Episode 81 - The top ten fiction writing techniques. (Fri, Oct 06, 2023)
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• Episode 80 - Maybe we are writing magic, and strong versus weak words. (Fri, Sep 29, 2023)
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• Episode 79 - Tips for writing YA fiction. Also: adding detail to our scenes. (Fri, Sep 22, 2023)
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• Episode 78 - Developing a distinctive voice, and flashbacks. (Fri, Sep 15, 2023)
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• Episode 77 - Eleven techniques for writing strong sentences. (Fri, Sep 08, 2023)
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• Episode 76 - Writing our synopsis, and avoiding filters. (Fri, Sep 01, 2023)
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• Episode 75 - The magical difference between scene and summary. (Fri, Aug 25, 2023)
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• Episode 74 - How to describe our villainous villain, and how to get unstuck. (Fri, Aug 18, 2023)
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• Episode 73 - How to make settings work for our story, and how writers get to work each day. (Fri, Aug 11, 2023)
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• Episode 72 - Finding an agent, and writing a query. (Fri, Aug 04, 2023)
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• Episode 71 - Using the critical tool of contrast. And writing vivid character descriptions. (Fri, Jul 28, 2023)
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• Episode 70 - Writing a story in the first-person. (Fri, Jul 21, 2023)
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• Episode 69 - Learning character and setting descriptions from the masters. (Fri, Jul 14, 2023)
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• Episode 68 - Do we have an idea or a plot? Also: how to write joyful dialogue. (Fri, Jul 07, 2023)
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• Episode 67 - Lighting the writing fuse, and showing rather than telling about the setting. (Fri, Jun 30, 2023)
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• Episode 66 - Creating characters readers love. Also; techniques for writing sad dialogue. (Fri, Jun 23, 2023)
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• Episode 65 - A writer's thoughts on ChatGPT. And the benefits of identifying our genre. (Fri, Jun 16, 2023)
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• Episode 64 - How to get started writing, and tips on romantic and angry dialogue. (Fri, Jun 09, 2023)
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• Episode 63 - How to bring our settings to life, and writing the romantic scene. (Fri, Jun 02, 2023)
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• Episode 62 - A technique for bringing our characters to life, and writing the action scene. (Fri, May 26, 2023)
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• Episode 61 - How to detect and fix a sloppy scene. Also: how to unleash story ideas. (Fri, May 19, 2023)
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• Episode 60 - Fabulous sentences of fiction, font fiddling, and slow motion. (Fri, May 12, 2023)
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• Episode 59 - Plotting with a spreadsheet. And the unreliable narrator. Also, fiddling with the flow of time. (Fri, May 05, 2023)
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• Episode 58 - Making writing less daunting, and some techniques to avoid weak sentences. (Fri, Apr 28, 2023)
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• Episode 57 - An important tool, the timeline. Also, authorial distance. (Sun, Apr 23, 2023)
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• Episode 56 - How many characters are too many? And he wore his guilt like a harness. (Fri, Apr 14, 2023)
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• Episode 55 - How many words should we write a day? And the use of contrast. (Fri, Apr 07, 2023)
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• Episode 54 - Fear of failure, author photos, and the use of humor. (Fri, Mar 31, 2023)
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• Episode 53 - Embarrassing stuff, and the middle of the novel. (Fri, Mar 24, 2023)
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• Episode 52 - Making our sentences more lively, and avoiding reader disbelief. (Fri, Mar 17, 2023)
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• Episode 51 - The wonder factor. (Fri, Mar 10, 2023)
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• Episode 50 - The right kind of surprise ending, and wonderful character descriptions. (Fri, Mar 03, 2023)
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• Episode 49 - Avoiding the biggest mistake, and keeping the POV tight. (Fri, Feb 24, 2023)
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• Episode 48 - Writing strong dialogue, and Ray Bradbury on plotting. (Fri, Feb 17, 2023)
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• Episode 47 - A strong plotting technique, and leeches. (Fri, Feb 10, 2023)
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• Episode 46 - What if no one comes to our book signing? And crafting our narrative voice. (Fri, Jan 06, 2023)
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• Episode 45 - Techniques to make our dialogue riveting. (Fri, Dec 30, 2022)
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• Episode 44 - How to avoid another prospect-killing mistake. (Fri, Dec 23, 2022)
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• Episode 43 - Dialogue should do double duty. Here's how. (Fri, Dec 16, 2022)
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• Episode 42 - The single most important writing technique. (Fri, Dec 09, 2022)
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• Episode 41 - How can we know if we have the talent to write? (Fri, Dec 02, 2022)
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• Episode 40 - Creating villainous villains. (Fri, Nov 25, 2022)
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• Episode 39 - How to create characters readers love. (Fri, Nov 18, 2022)
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• Episode 38 - We shouldn't write these scenes, and strong techniqes for character description. (Fri, Nov 11, 2022)
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• Episode 37 - When to stop preparing and start writing. (Fri, Nov 04, 2022)
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• Episode 36 - The most interesting to the least interesting aspects of a novel. (Fri, Oct 28, 2022)
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• Episode 35 - A close look at scene structure, and avoiding mushy sentences. (Fri, Oct 21, 2022)
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• Episode 34 - Why and how to practice writing, and more thoughts on thoughts. (Fri, Oct 14, 2022)
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• Episode 33 - Danger signs our plot is dull. (Fri, Oct 07, 2022)
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• Episode 32 - A formula for showing, and clear and spare writing. (Fri, Sep 30, 2022)
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• Episode 31 - Favorite novels and check-mark plotting. (Fri, Sep 23, 2022)
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• Episode 30 - Plotting and the power struggle. (Fri, Sep 16, 2022)
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• Episode 29 - The pattern of a novel. (Fri, Sep 09, 2022)
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• Episode 28 - The enchanter quality, and weather and rudeness. (Fri, Sep 02, 2022)
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• Episode 27 - The importance of genres and formulas. And thoughts about titles. (Fri, Aug 26, 2022)
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• Episode 26 - Navel gazing and how to avoid it. And more on showing (Fri, Aug 19, 2022)
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• Episode 25: The magic of writing. Cause and effect. And thinking. (Fri, Aug 12, 2022)
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• Episode 24 - Showing others our work. And strong sentence-by-sentence writing techniques. (Fri, Aug 05, 2022)
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• Episode 23: Editing our own manuscript (Fri, Jul 29, 2022)
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• Episode 22: A summary of earlier episodes, and techniques for musical writing. (Fri, Jul 22, 2022)
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• Episode 21: Creativity and how to get it. (Fri, Jul 15, 2022)
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• Episode 20 - Reasons we fail to start. (Thu, Jul 07, 2022)
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• Episode 19 - More on modifiers, including the useless and the dangling. And clunky reach words. (Mon, Jun 06, 2022)
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• Episode 18 - Lots of things to avoid: the negative, cliches, and too many modifiers. (Sat, Jun 04, 2022)
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• Episode 17 - Keep it simple but not too simple, and metaphors. (Sun, May 29, 2022)
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• Episode 16: Theme, odd questions, more on conflict, and vivid writing. (Sat, May 21, 2022)
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• Episode 15 - Techniques for writing about settings. (Mon, May 16, 2022)
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• Episode14: The fourth wall, the ending, and some bad writing. (Wed, May 11, 2022)
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• Episode 13: More on dialogue, and techniques about foreshadowing and coincidences (Fri, May 06, 2022)
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• Episode 12 - Dialogue (Thu, Apr 28, 2022)
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• Episode 11: Point of view and voice. (Thu, Apr 21, 2022)
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• Episode 10: More show and tell, and the grammatical person. (Sat, Apr 16, 2022)
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• Episode 9: Showing versus telling (Sat, Apr 09, 2022)
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• Episode 8 - Scene and summary (Mon, Apr 04, 2022)
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• Episode 7 - How to craft a scene. (Sun, Mar 27, 2022)
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• Episode 6: Villains and sidekicks. (Wed, Mar 23, 2022)
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• Episode 5: Creating compelling characters. (Wed, Mar 16, 2022)
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• Episode 4: Pace, the first sentence, back-story, over-description (Wed, Mar 09, 2022)
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• Episode 3 - Go big or go home. (Thu, Mar 03, 2022)
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• Episode 2: Getting ready to start writing a novel. (Wed, Mar 02, 2022)
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• Episode 1: Learning and getting better at the craft of writing. (Wed, Mar 02, 2022)
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