Get the complete show notes on the blog here . Okay, today’s writing-related (non-goal) topic is Great Beginnings. New Beginnings. First lines and first pages. Starting off on the right foot. All those euphemisms for the most important page in the book. The first one. When we did this topic in May of 2020 ( episode 94 ) I told you about a terrible beginning to a romance novel that had triggered my gag reflex. It’s often the case that the first page of a book is a bit of a difficult entry point. ...
Mar 12, 2022•46 min•Ep. 126
Complete show notes out on the blog here . Let’s get into this Character Arc thing. So I found this tweet and YouTube clip that talks about Rick’s character in Casablanca and how at each point of the character arc, one character comments on how Rick is changing. Sometimes it’s even Rick himself. And I thought, “Have we ever done character arcs?” and the answer is, “no.” So here we go. What is a character arc and what are some examples of types? This link will be of use. The character arc is how ...
Mar 12, 2022•47 min•Ep. 125
Get the full show notes out on the blog here . Mark Allan Gunnells loves to tell stories. He has since he was a kid, penning one-page tales that were Twilight Zone knockoffs. He likes to think he has gotten a little better since then. He loves reader feedback, and above all he loves telling stories. He lives in Greer, SC, with his husband Craig A. Metcalf.
Mar 12, 2022•42 min•Ep. 124
Full show notes out on the blog here . Google does it again. I found this link to the 30 scariest scenes in Western literature which was a goldmine for what we want to do today which is really break it down. What’s happening in the scene? How is it constructed and how does it work? The rage of Achilles — when he arrives on the battlefield, the Trojans quake with fear and when he unleashes his battle cry, some of them fall back and impale themselves on their own spears. Um. Wow. Banquo returns to...
Mar 12, 2022•47 min•Ep. 123
Photo credit: ArtHouse Studio on Pexels.com Get the full show notes out on the blog here . Theme for the day Scary Series: Serial Killers Agenda SCWA Upcoming events and goings-on It’s October! Let’s Halloween! What’s up with Serial Killers? How to write a convincing serial killer I’m reading You right now which is a thriller about a stalker / serial killer that was made into a Netflix series. It’s crazy good. The narrator is so compelling I’m having a hard time putting it down. And the violence...
Oct 27, 2021•46 min•Ep. 122
Get the full show notes on the blog here . Scary Series: Vampires Agenda SCWA Upcoming events and goings-on It’s October! Let’s Halloween! Vampires aren’t scary How to write a convincing vampire (no sparkling!) I found a How Stuff Works (yeah, the science site) entry for How Vampires Work which is just awesome. Here’s the link . Here are the highlights: They were once human They died and “rose again” which makes them “undead” Can be attractive, highly sexual beings Can also transform into animal...
Oct 27, 2021•46 min•Ep. 121
Get the full show notes here . Theme for the day Paying Your Writerly Dues Agenda SCWA Upcoming events and goings-on How have those book promotional events gone? What to know about “paying your dues” Even some super famous authors sat alone in a bookstore My mom joined me at M Judson Books in Greenville back on September 12th. Four people bought books, two bought shot glasses and one got a wine glass, too. Then last week’s library event, two publishers of an online magazine and the librarian att...
Oct 27, 2021•47 min•Ep. 120
Learn more about Len Lawson here . Visit the Featured Author section of the show notes on WriteOnSC.blog to learn more about guests and friends of the show. Become a patron and get your spot at Featured Author on the website and the show. Visit the YouTube channel for more interviews with authors....
Oct 27, 2021•47 min•Ep. 119
Full show notes on the blog here . Welcome back to the studio, Catherine Peace, romance author . And our new addition, Ella Shawn , author of Southern Gothic Erotica. Let’s get to know her for just a minute. Last week we broke down some tropes and sub genres of Romance. It was mostly fun to shock Rex with all the various layers and requirements of Romance writing. It’s more complicated than non-readers might suspect. Today I thought we’d start with out favorites list. So here are the categories ...
Oct 09, 2021•46 min•Ep. 118
Full show notes out on the blog here . Meet Catherine Peace Romance genre expectations How to write the steamy scenes Welcome to the studio, Catherine Peace, romance author. Catherine Peace has been telling stories for as long as she could remember. She often blames two things for her forays into speculative fiction—Syfy (when it was SciFi) channel Sundays with her dad and The Island of Dr. Moreau by HG Wells. She graduated in 2008 from Northern Kentucky University with a degree in English and i...
Oct 09, 2021•46 min•Ep. 117
Complete show notes on the blog here . After Raegan said she wasn't a book launch expert, Kasie admitted this was just a chance for the two of them to talk about their new books that had recently launched. So some advice, but a LOT about Raegan's new book and Kasie's as well. SCWA Upcoming events and goings-on Launch Day report for Before Pittsburgh Launch Day report for Time to Prey Best practices for launching your book Raegan’s fifth novel, Time to Prey, launched this month. Check out the det...
Oct 09, 2021•37 min•Ep. 116
Full show notes on the blog here . Launch Day report for Before Pittsburgh SCWA Upcoming events and goings-on The 7 Deadly Sins recap Sloth as a character trait, motivation, and antagonizing force The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices, or cardinal sins, is a grouping and classification of vices within Christian teachings, [1] although they are not mentioned in the Bible . Behaviours or habits are classified under this category if they directly give rise to other immoralities. [2...
Oct 09, 2021•46 min•Ep. 115
Summer project update SCWA Upcoming events and goings-on The 7 Deadly Sins series Greed as a character trait The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices, or cardinal sins, is a grouping and classification of vices within Christian teachings, [1] although they are not mentioned in the Bible . Behaviours or habits are classified under this category if they directly give rise to other immoralities. [2] According to the standard list, they are pride , greed , wrath , envy , lust , glutton...
Oct 08, 2021•46 min•Ep. 114
Get the full show notes on the blog here . The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices, or cardinal sins, is a grouping and classification of vices within Christian teachings, [1] although they are not mentioned in the Bible . Behaviours or habits are classified under this category if they directly give rise to other immoralities. [2] According to the standard list, they are pride , greed , wrath , envy , lust , gluttony and sloth , [2] which are contrary to the seven heavenly virtues...
Sep 14, 2021•46 min•Ep. 113
Get the full show notes out on the blog here . The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices, or cardinal sins, is a grouping and classification of vices within Christian teachings, [1] although they are not mentioned in the Bible . Behaviours or habits are classified under this category if they directly give rise to other immoralities. [2] According to the standard list, they are pride , greed , wrath , envy , lust , gluttony and sloth , [2] which are contrary to the seven heavenly vir...
Sep 14, 2021•47 min•Ep. 112
Get the full show notes on the blog here . The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices, or cardinal sins, is a grouping and classification of vices within Christian teachings, although they are not mentioned in the Bible . Behaviours or habits are classified under this category if they directly give rise to other immoralities. According to the standard list, they are pride , greed , wrath , envy , lust , gluttony and sloth , which are contrary to the seven heavenly virtues . Summer pr...
Sep 14, 2021•47 min•Ep. 111
Get the full show notes on the blog here . The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices, or cardinal sins, is a grouping and classification of vices within Christian teachings,[1] although they are not mentioned in the Bible. Behaviours or habits are classified under this category if they directly give rise to other immoralities.[2] According to the standard list, they are pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth,[2] which are contrary to the seven heavenly virtues. This wee...
Sep 14, 2021•47 min•Ep. 110
Here's the link to the video of the interview. You miss the cute kid in the background with the audio. Jodie Cain Smith is the author of two recently release books. The second edition of The Woods at Barlow Bend and the new release Bayou Cresting: The Wanting Women of Huet's Pointe. Check out her home page and order one or both of the books. She's a phenomenal storyteller. Before Pittsburgh is the second release in the After December duet and follows our protagonist and first person narrator Bri...
Aug 21, 2021•38 min•Ep. 109
Featuring readings from After December, Before Pittsburgh, and The Full Moon in Neverland, this audio from the Words & Wine event Kasie headlined is full of her commentary on her work, her marketing, and what it means to be UnapologeticallyX. Here's a link to the YouTube video (visual!) version. Get After December here . Pre-order Before Pittsburgh here . View Kasie's UnapologeticallyX blog here. Dive into The Full Moon in Neverland on Wattpad here....
Jul 17, 2021•52 min•Ep. 108
The 7 Deadly Sins introduction Focus on the first: Pride Full show notes out on the blog here .
Jul 17, 2021•47 min•Ep. 107
Male Cliches and The Patriarchy (dunh dunh duuunnnnh) Agenda What are some cliches and archetypes for male characters How the patriarchy informs and perpetuates male cliches How to avoid the big-box-everyone-expects-it male character Full show notes out on the blog here .
Jul 17, 2021•48 min•Ep. 106
Meet Dr. Len Lawson What is empathy and how does literature connect to it? How to really bring empathy through your work Complete show notes including links to Len Lawson's bio and works on the blog here .
Jul 17, 2021•47 min•Ep. 105
On June 26th, Kasie and Rex welcomed fellow SCWA Board of Directors member Cayce LaCorte into the studio to talk all about that slushfest itch. Meet Cayce LaCorte Put Yourself Out There, they said, It’s Good For You. Sore losers and Slushfest How to stay out of slush Full show notes on the blog here . Studio recording was not functional for the first half of the show, so our talk with Cayce is just half the episode. But we're adding the Behind the Scenes for you here, too. Something we reserve f...
Jul 17, 2021•25 min•Ep. 104
The Virgin, the Whore, and the Madwoman: Female stereotypes in fiction Virgin, Whore, or Madwoman? Do these stereotypes still exist? How to avoid it? Full show notes out on the blog here .
Jul 17, 2021•47 min•Ep. 103
Diversity, inclusivity, and writing outside of your own experience Agenda Indie Bookstore Mention SCWA upcoming events Writing People of Color (POC) characters How to do it (sort of) Full show notes out on the blog here .
Jul 17, 2021•46 min•Ep. 102
Who dies When and how Writing an unclichéd scene How to do it Full show notes out on the blog here .
Jul 17, 2021•48 min•Ep. 101
What it means to be taboo History of taboo-ness in writing The purpose and benefits of taboo topics in literature How to do it Full show notes out on the blog here .
Jul 17, 2021•47 min•Ep. 100
Show notes out on the blog here . Vella from Amazon and what it means for serialization What is serialization and how can you do it? Should you serialize?
Jul 17, 2021•45 min•Ep. 99
It’s SCWA Conference weekend, here are some highlights It’s been a year since “internet grab bag” episode Where we go looking for questions Q&A from the internet Full show notes out on the blog here .
Jul 16, 2021•48 min•Ep. 98
What is “the core wound” How is it different from motivation? How do you locate it and work it into the story? Show notes are on the blog here .
Jul 16, 2021•48 min•Ep. 97
