A little bit longer post for this week's podcast. Tomorrow starts the presale of our new book on Amazon. This week, we discuss kicking off our marketing campaign tomorrow (Monday, November 21) with all sorts of plans and incentives. We're doing the title reveal this week and the cover reveal next week. The biggest challenge will be navigating through the uncertainty of social media, which may disappear without warning. Here's our plans to push this book: 1. We will be offering free books from ou...
Nov 20, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 92
We chat about writing about the holidays, why Hollywood keep making holiday movies, and why people keep watching them. Themes include family, winter, and love. Minor spoilers of Love Hard, Die Hard, and others. We're over at www.carsonhume.com if you want to leave a comment or subscribe via WordPress. Have a listen! TIA & LYL! ( Flickr image made available from Steve McFarland via Creative Commons.)...
Nov 13, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 91
Writing about politics can be rewarding and challenging, but it's easy to get lost in the weeds. CC and I give you ideas about how to focus on the story at hand without going too far off track. We talk about our current works in progress, Nanowrimo, graphic design, and the upcoming holidays. Pretty good podcast this week, if I do say so myself. Have a listen and check us out at www.carsonhume.com TIA! LYL! Also: Here's the link if you want to join CC on Nano: https://nanowrimo.org/participants/c...
Nov 06, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 90
Welcome to Halloween 2022, and we pick what we feel is the iconic horror film of the genre: Alien! We thoroughly spoil this 1979 classic that pushes back on all (well, most) of the clichés, and we explain why we feel this is mandatory viewing for writers dabbling in the horror and/or sci-fi genres. We also chat (or kvetch, if you will) about our Graphic Arts class, and we touch on Nanowrimo and our ongoing works in progress. As always, stop by our website at www.carsonhume.com and let us know wh...
Oct 30, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 89
A short one this week on our updated marketing plan, changing of the seasons, retirement, our WIPs, and the importance of routine. We came to the conclusion we use podcasting as an excuse to drink coffee. Have a listen and y'all take care of yourselves, you hear? TIA LYL (Check us out at www.carsonhume.com when you get a sec.)
Oct 23, 2022•24 min•Season 1Ep. 88
We got around to rerecording Settings Part 2, the one where we define how a setting can overwhelm the characters in your book. We're talking about an event that obliterates the routines and comfort zones of your characters. We give thoughts on this genre, starting with highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of your characters as they are changed by the setting. Trigger Warning: we use Manzanar as an example. We bring you up to speed on our works in progress (three!) and our prep for Nanowrimo...
Oct 16, 2022•34 min•Season 1Ep. 87
This week's podcast has us on the road to Lone Pine, California, home to many movie settings, some of which you've seen. We use a visit to the Museum of Western Film History and the Alabama Hills as background for a chat about Settings. They can be a challenge to writers as we try to strike a balance between adding a colorful dimension versus overwhelming the reader with details and extrapolation. We thoroughly spoil Pleasantville and Blade Runner (1982) as examples. Next week, we talk about how...
Oct 03, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 86
This week we chat about Robert Frost's "Road Not Taken" (apologies to Mr. Frost for mangling the quote in the podcast). With CC and I being of a certain age, we have a better perspective of our interests and skills. What careers would we have picked had we the chance to do things over again? And what were our childhood choices for jobs? We go down this path because we're engaging our imaginations and "what if's," both being essential writers' tools. Are you in your chosen career path? What would...
Sep 25, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 85
We gave ourselves an on-air (and mutual) anxiety attack in this week's podcast as we talked out our plans for the rest of the year. We didn't know how much we have going on until we turned on the microphone! The big part of the podcast was Content Editing. We got the draft back from our editors on our joint project, and we learned that we did indeed have plot holes that need smoothing over before we can return the draft for their next deep dive. We talk about how we created those holes and how w...
Sep 18, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 84
"May you live in interesting times." JT's awesome aunt says this is an ancient Chinese curse. The world has been living through them here in the 21st Century, but what does that mean for the writer who engages in historical fiction? We discuss the challenges facing authors who use real-life events in their books, including sources of information, writer's biases, and the challenge of seeing into the future. Historical fiction might be the difficult form of fiction to get right. Have a listen. Ar...
Sep 11, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 83
We always say we have a jampacked podcast and we're usually right. Today's fun started at Oh-dark-thirty when JT photographed a hot air ballon over Carson City, only to learn later that a friend and colleague was aboard. We ended up taking pictures over each other without knowing we were taking pictures of each other. We dedicated this podcast to that brave, brave soul. We take a dive into "Imposter Syndrome," loosely defined as someone who doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments fearin...
Sep 04, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 82
Episode 81 is all about making a plan to market our book and sticking to it. We say "Marketing is Cruel" because we are not the kind of people to rush out and beg people to read our books. We talk about the baby steps we're taking to get over that hump and why we're taking those steps. We spent the first part of the podcast talking about our experience with the Van Gogh Immersive Experience , from the 3D exhibitions to the moving galleries to the virtual reality walk. We segued into a discussion...
Aug 28, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 80
Welcome to the podcast where we misquote actor Edwin Guinn and others when we say, "Life is easy. Comedy is hard." We discuss our mutual WIP, and we agree that while we got the "Rom" part right, we misfired on the "Com" part. How did that happen? And what can we do together to improve our future works? We analyze two of our favorite rom-com movies along the way. We also update our individual WIPs and what we're reading this summer. And we signed up for a college class! Read and listen all about ...
Aug 21, 2022•23 min•Season 1Ep. 80
Busy episode, so let's dive in: - Book covers w @99designs - Editing with @RAPublishing - Lessons learned from writing together - The status of our individual WIPs - Pixar Storytelling rules via @lawnrocket - Karma. Be kind. Always. The source of the Pixar storytelling rules: https://writingworkshops.com/blogs/news/22-creative-storytelling-rules-from-pixar Take a wander through our website at www.carsonhume.com and let us know what you think! TIA! LYL!...
Aug 14, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 79
What hooks a reader into buying and reading a book? Heck if we know, but we try to examine that "hook" that pulls readers into our books. I read the first chapter of my latest book as an example. (Adult content warning) We also talk about finishing the first draft of our latest book, and we go into the fun and challenges of writing a joint book. Lots of lessons learned! We say this a lot, but this podcast is packed! If you're a writer or a reader, there's good things here for you! Check us out a...
Aug 07, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 78
Two weeks ago , CC gave me random prompts and had me make up a story on the fly, testing me as a pantser. CC took her turn as a plotter with these three prompts: Dropped into an alien world High school romance Teenage girl superhero (Giving credit, the prompts came from https://www.servicescape.com/writing-prompt-generator ) We had an interesting conversation about the strengths and weaknesses of being a plotter, and we narrow it down to one four-letter word. We give you an update on the book we...
Jul 31, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 77
CC and I are writing a book together, and today we talk about the intense editing session we're doing this weekend. We're learning a lot about collaboration, writing styles, sentence structures, and editing in general. Happy Birthday to Ruth Buzzi, Lynda Carter, and to all July 24 babies! As always, you can learn more about us at our website: www.carsonhume.com TIA! LYL!
Jul 24, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 76
Pantsing (also known as winging it) is the term Wrimos use refer to writing without a fixed outline (an outline that the writer will force themselves to follow). A Wrimo who adopts the pantsing approach to writing is called a pantser. ( source ) Today was a fun podcast on Pantsing with CC challenging me with surprise writer's prompts: Dropped into an alien world High school romance Teenage girl superhero Next week, CC is going to do the same prompts, but from a plotter's point of view. (Giving c...
Jul 17, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 75
We chat about our current WIP and whether we should do a "Happily Ever After" versus "Happy For Now" kind of ending. Readers want both, often at the same time, which can lead to "interesting" sequels. Spoilers: Star Wars, The Godfather, The Matrix , and The Mummy (Brenden Frasier version, obv). We also announce a big deal happening on July 24th. More details soon on our website at www.carsonhume.com Have a listen and let us know what you think! TIA! LYL! PS: Thank you for the hugely successful b...
Jul 10, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 74
We chat about our summer reading experiences from younger days, plus we talk about our current projects and our thoughts about "assigned reading." You can find links to our books at carsonhume.com Have a listen and leave comments. TIA! LYL!
Jul 03, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 73
In a very special Saturday episode of the Amateur Hour, CC and I chat about the real-life ghosts in our lives, the people we see in random places who look like loved ones and friends who've passed away. For that millisecond before we remember they're gone, we can be hit with a ton of strong feelings, including the echoes of the love and affection for someone we don't get to see anymore. A difficult and very personal subject for a podcast, but as writers, we talk about how we can use these import...
Jun 25, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 72
CC and I chat about our personal writer's retreat this week and about writers retreats in general. CC talks about her good and bad experiences at big-time retreats. We also give updates on our three books in the pipeline. You can learn all about us at www.carsonhume.com TIA! LYL!
Jun 19, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 71
We take a dive into the shallow end of the pool to discuss famous and no-so-famous literary couples. Writing is a tough chore to begin with, so lots of respect for these (and any) couples who write together. We used this article as a foundation: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/13--literary-couples_n_5104412 You can hear our podcasts and read our blogposts at www.carsonhume.com TIA! LYL!...
Jun 12, 2022•34 min•Season 1Ep. 69
Please join us as we celebrate our 40th anniversary with memories, laughs, and a few tears. CC and I chat about the good old days and what's kept us together so far. There's a little bit of writing stuff, too. Check out our web site at www.carsonhume.com TIA! LYL!
Jun 05, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 68
We attack the multiverse in this week's podcast to answer the question: "Are we truly writing fiction?" Covered w Spoilers: The MCU Batman Star Trek Pleasantville Back to the Future Quantum Leap Sliding Doors Stranger Than Fiction Carol Burnett Have a listen and send feedback through our website at www.carsonhume.com TIA! LYL!
May 29, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 67
Couples Therapy this week with incorporating our experiences and minefields into our writing, plus the most and least important parts of a relationship and how to use them to create tension. Many more podcasts and blog posts on our website at www.carsonhume.com Let us know what you think via our Contacts page or leave a comment. TIA! LYL!
May 22, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 66
This week's writers' podcast is a deep dive into " Romance is a Bonus Book ," and how this excellent series got us thinking about the choices we've made. We chat about the power you have over your life and the key question: "Who am I?". We may have shotgunned a gallon of coffee before recording. Not kidding. Big-time spoilers. Lots of good stuff on our website at www.carsonhume.com TIA! LYL!
May 15, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 65
CC and I do online therapy in talking about our mothers and our upbringing, and we discuss how writers can use their parental relationships in their writing. Possible triggers in this one. Check out our website for more podcasts and blog posts: www.carsonhume.com TIA! LYL!
May 08, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 64
This week is our fav subject: editing. (#sarcasm) We discuss the strengths and weakness of self-editing vs. hiring professionals, using beta readers, and being responsible for your book. Big shout-out to my professional editors at Red Adept Editing ! This and many more writers podcasts at www.carsonhume.com Have a listen and let us know what you think. TIA! LYL!
May 01, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 63
This week's writers podcast is a deep dive into the brick wall called "grammar." Ugh, we get it: everyone hates the rules. We talk about why writers should learn and follow the rules, anyway. The deep dive: The history of English grammar. Moby Dick versus The Old Man of the Sea. What did I do 450 times? Ideas on improving your writing grammar. Turn on the closed captioning! Grammarly may not be your friend. Have a listen and let us know what you think. Over on my Patreon, I finished the the Tucc...
Apr 24, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 62
