When approaching creativity rigidity and rules can often seem like a detriment, but routine, rules, structure, and rules play an important part in life, creativity, and writing. My Website: www.danielpoppie.com HTWG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howtowritegood HTWG Twitter: https://twitter.com/HTWGPodcast HTWG Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howtowritegood One Last Toast for Ebenezer Fleet: https://www.spreaker.com/show/one-last-toast-for-ebenezer-fleet Intro and Exit Music Credit: Bra...
Nov 27, 2019•51 min
Most of us love writing because of the depth we can express with it, but the act of writing is simple. And those who write are normal people. Each of us is sitting in our own little corner of the world and putting one word after the other to convey experiences and ideas. The accessibility of writing is what got me into it in the first place. I wanted a creative outlet, and paper and pens happen to be cheap. Even though writing can convey a great depth and breadth of ideas, I think it is importan...
Nov 20, 2019•30 min
It is easy to get swept up in things we love, but some of those things we love are more important than others. Writing is something that gives me a lot of happiness and joy, but I know that there are many other things that are much more important. It is good to take a look at what those things are and where writing fits into the hierarchy of meaning. My Website: www.danielpoppie.com HTWG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howtowritegood HTWG Twitter: https://twitter.com/HTWGPodcast HTWG Instagra...
Nov 13, 2019•35 min
Archetypes are often seen as a shortcut to character writing, and characters who are based on basic archetypes are often seen as two-dimensional. Perhaps there is a different way we should be looking at using characters in our narratives. My Website: www.danielpoppie.com HTWG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howtowritegood HTWG Twitter: https://twitter.com/HTWGPodcast HTWG Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howtowritegood One Last Toast for Ebenezer Fleet: https://www.spreaker.com/show/one-l...
Nov 06, 2019•44 min
There can be a temptation to overwrite when creating prose. If I am trying to create prose to set a scene, I might be tempted to include every detail of the place I am describing, but when looking at how a person actually perceives a room, we find that he does not see all those details of the room. A person has a very narrow central vision and the fact that we understand a very small portion of what we can see may be an important clue to how we can convey reality. My Website: www.danielpoppie.co...
Oct 30, 2019•38 min
Writer's Block is something that is hard to predict, and it is something that occurs more often when we have busy days. Here is a perspective on what you can do to create a system that will allow your writing to flow. My Website: www.danielpoppie.com HTWG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howtowritegood HTWG Twitter: https://twitter.com/HTWGPodcast HTWG Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howtowritegood One Last Toast for Ebenezer Fleet: https://www.spreaker.com/show/one-last-toast-for-ebeneze...
Oct 23, 2019•39 min
Some writers have trouble writing for one specific reason. Instead of writing, they choose to build the world around their story. This "World Building Disease" often overtakes writers who are creating fantasy worlds. Though it can get in the way of writing, it also serves a useful purpose. My Website: www.danielpoppie.com HTWG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howtowritegood HTWG Twitter: https://twitter.com/HTWGPodcast HTWG Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howtowritegood One Last Toast for...
Oct 16, 2019•35 min
There is a temptation to niche down when writing. Some would call this choosing a genre. The reason behind this is to make what you write fit into a specific market. When you write and there is already a market for what you write, it is more likely that you are going to sell books. But if you are niching down, are you likely to make a big impact on the literary world? Perhaps. My Website: www.danielpoppie.com HTWG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howtowritegood HTWG Twitter: https://twitter.co...
Oct 09, 2019•40 min
As we gain audiences as writers, I think it is important to remember why we write: so others can read what we write. The spotlight should be on that writing, not on us. My Website: www.danielpoppie.com HTWG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howtowritegood HTWG Twitter: https://twitter.com/HTWGPodcast HTWG Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howtowritegood One Last Toast for Ebenezer Fleet: https://www.spreaker.com/show/one-last-toast-for-ebenezer-fleet Intro and Exit Music Credit: Brain-Eating...
Oct 02, 2019•35 min
Let me harp on perfectionism once again. Instead of talking about trying to find those "right" words, maybe we just need to find the words that work. My Website: www.danielpoppie.com HTWG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howtowritegood HTWG Twitter: https://twitter.com/HTWGPodcast HTWG Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howtowritegood One Last Toast for Ebenezer Fleet: https://www.spreaker.com/show/one-last-toast-for-ebenezer-fleet Intro and Exit Music Credit: Brain-Eating Zombies from Area ...
Sep 25, 2019•35 min
Sometimes we get too emotionally tied to what we are writing. I get that. I get emotionally attached to my writing as well. I just think we might need to take a step back. My Website: www.danielpoppie.com HTWG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howtowritegood HTWG Twitter: https://twitter.com/HTWGPodcast HTWG Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howtowritegood One Last Toast for Ebenezer Fleet: https://www.spreaker.com/show/one-last-toast-for-ebenezer-fleet Intro and Exit Music Credit: Brain-Eat...
Sep 18, 2019•41 min
Looking back at what I have learned over the 10+ past years, I have learned about writing and the writing industry. How I wish that I could be transported back in time to tell myself this information, but maybe this advice will be useful to you. My Website: www.danielpoppie.com HTWG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howtowritegood HTWG Twitter: https://twitter.com/HTWGPodcast HTWG Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howtowritegood One Last Toast for Ebenezer Fleet: https://www.spreaker.com/sho...
Sep 11, 2019•39 min
Perfectionism is often thought of something that makes people succeed. It is the case that good work is important for progress, but perfectionism is not something from that propels a person forward, even though it seems to be the case. Perfectionism is often something that stops a person from getting things done. Perfectionism is often something that stops a person from learning more. Perfectionism is not a strength. Perfectionism is a weakness, and it is keeping you from growth. My Website: www...
Sep 04, 2019•41 min
The straw man argument is when you present a caricature of your opponent's argument. It is not good thinking. When we write, we need to be aware of our ideas and our biases so that we do not caricature our opponent or his argument. My Website: www.danielpoppie.com HTWG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howtowritegood HTWG Twitter: https://twitter.com/HTWGPodcast HTWG Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howtowritegood One Last Toast for Ebenezer Fleet: https://www.spreaker.com/show/one-last-toa...
Aug 28, 2019•1 hr 2 min
I was wrong. A while back, I commented on Stephen King's idea of writing being hypnotism. He stated that it was self-hypnotism. I stated that it was not. After doing research on hypnotism and doing some careful thought, I really I had misunderstood the concept, and what Stephen King stated was much closer to truth than what I believed. My Website: www.danielpoppie.com HTWG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howtowritegood HTWG Twitter: https://twitter.com/HTWGPodcast HTWG Instagram: https://www....
Aug 21, 2019•41 min
Laughter is said to be the best medicine. I don't know if that is true. I suspect it isn't. Though it is probably not the best medicine, laughter and humor are an important part of society. On this week's episode of How to Write Good, I talk about the importance of satire and parody. Smellygoat's Social Media: https://www.minds.com/smellygoat11 My Website: www.danielpoppie.com HTWG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howtowritegood HTWG Twitter: https://twitter.com/HTWGPodcast HTWG Instagram: htt...
Aug 14, 2019•51 min
When I talk about stories, I wonder what use stories are within the human experience. I think I was thinking about it wrong. I saw stories as something extra in life, but the story is something central to what it is to be human. My Website: www.danielpoppie.com HTWG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howtowritegood HTWG Twitter: https://twitter.com/HTWGPodcast HTWG Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howtowritegood One Last Toast for Ebenezer Fleet: https://www.spreaker.com/show/one-last-toast-...
Aug 07, 2019•32 min
Every person has a different life. Some people start out with more benefits. Some start out with less. Those who don't seem to be doing as well may have something in common: they are alone. When you are alone, you cannot do it alone. What people need to understand is that even if you are alone right now, you don't need to be alone. My Website: www.danielpoppie.com HTWG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howtowritegood HTWG Twitter: https://twitter.com/HTWGPodcast HTWG Instagram: https://www.inst...
Jul 31, 2019•39 min
I think truth is an important thing. I think telling the truth is an important thing. But you have probably heard me talk about truth when you right quite often. "Your writing should be the truth," I say (or something like that), but when I talk about truth in writing, I am not talking about absolute truth. In this episode of How to Write Good, I explain a confusion that arises between academics and artists when talking about art. My Website: www.danielpoppie.com HTWG Facebook: https://www.faceb...
Jul 24, 2019•36 min
Character development seems to be straightforward. You think up a character, and you write that character. But developing good characters isn't so easy. By now you probably know that I think every piece of writing is a little elusive. This week, I try to get to the heart of what makes characters in fiction good. This is where the way you live starts to affect the way you write and especially your character development. My Website: www.danielpoppie.com HTWG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howt...
Jul 17, 2019•37 min
I often see writers who rely too heavily on plot outlines. These writers are often newer to the field. When you are looking at how your story flows and develops, here are some things to look at when you work through your plot. My Website: www.danielpoppie.com HTWG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howtowritegood HTWG Twitter: https://twitter.com/HTWGPodcast HTWG Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howtowritegood One Last Toast for Ebenezer Fleet: https://www.spreaker.com/show/one-last-toast-fo...
Jul 10, 2019•46 min
In these week's episode I take another look at art. I was recently working on another project that required me to dive into what art is. When looking into art and walking my way toward a definition, I found a good way to describe how these different artistic endeavors all fit together. My Website: www.danielpoppie.com HTWG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howtowritegood HTWG Twitter: https://twitter.com/HTWGPodcast HTWG Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howtowritegood One Last Toast for Ebe...
Jul 03, 2019•38 min
I run into a lot of questions about "how" to do specific things when writing. I believe it is important to understand the craft of writing and storytelling well, but I think we need to view writing creatively from a different perspective. The question we should be asking is not what is the best way. We should be asking another question. My Website: www.danielpoppie.com HTWG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howtowritegood HTWG Twitter: https://twitter.com/HTWGPodcast HTWG Instagram: https://www...
Jun 26, 2019•37 min
I have heard many people wonder how some people are able to come up with ideas out of the blue. I have even heard major authors state that they do not know where their ideas come from. The goal of this podcast is to help you down the path of developing a habit of coming up with ideas (or something like that). My Website: www.danielpoppie.com HTWG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howtowritegood HTWG Twitter: https://twitter.com/HTWGPodcast HTWG Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howtowritegoo...
Jun 19, 2019•41 min
On this week's episode of How to Write Good, I talk about how it is often the case that we only see ourselves as capable of doing things that others around us have already done. What if instead of doing everything we dream of and instead of doing only what others around us are doing, we go one step above everyone else around us is doing and then working our way up one step at a time? Besides this, I talk about how we can continue to pursue our dreams and betterment while at the same time buildin...
Jun 12, 2019•37 min
Are you having a hard time figuring out how to start your novel? Maybe this episode will help. My Website: www.danielpoppie.com HTWG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howtowritegood HTWG Twitter: https://twitter.com/HTWGPodcast HTWG Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howtowritegood One Last Toast for Ebenezer Fleet: https://www.spreaker.com/show/one-last-toast-for-ebenezer-fleet Intro and Exit Music Credit: Brain-Eating Zombies from Area 51 by Moolen http://ccmixter.org/files/moolen/328...
Jun 05, 2019•37 min
This week's guest is Hypheria, a band that does things a little differently than most. Instead of having three or four bandmates who are consistently in contact, Hypheria has one core musician who writes the base music before sending it off to another musician to put the new musician's spin on what has been written. The band does not exist as several musicians who create music together, but it functions as a revolving door of new musicians who are bringing their own musical flavor into the mix. ...
May 29, 2019•36 min
I don't think this is a big secret that many people like the book better than the movie. When a reader often goes to see a movie, they say that the book was better. But if the book is better than the movie, why do people want their favorite books to be made into movies? I agree with the idea that the book is likely better, but I do not think every great book should be made into a movie. I think it might be a bad thing if great books are made into movies. My Website: www.danielpoppie.com HTWG Fac...
May 22, 2019•41 min
Millennials are hated. Baby-boomers hate millennials. Gen-Xers hate millennials. Millennials hate millennials. Dang millennials; they ruined being a millennial. I talk about millennials and how they work the way they do and why. My Website: www.danielpoppie.com HTWG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howtowritegood HTWG Twitter: https://twitter.com/HTWGPodcast HTWG Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howtowritegood One Last Toast for Ebenezer Fleet: https://www.spreaker.com/show/one-last-toast-...
May 15, 2019•41 min
When you are a young writer (i.e. a new writer), you have big dreams. You are going to write your first book. You are going to send the book off to a publisher. That publisher is going to see your genius, and you are going to be world famous. And what does becoming world famous get you? It allows you to lock yourself in a cave months at a time, crank out books, and never have to talk to another human again (I can only dream). But it does not work out like that for more than 99% of writers. Most ...
May 08, 2019•39 min
