In August we attempted a series on characters: Episode 240 was about the protagonist. Episode 241 was about the antagonist and Episode 242 was, too. Last week we were off to assist SCWA with their one-day Indie Author Camp and that was too much fun. We’d promised we’d do best friends and love interests and longtime listeners might think, “haven’t ya’ll done that?” and the answer is yes, kind of. In Episode 100 (way back in June 2020 – COVID anyone?) we talked about Romantic Subplots and in Episo...
May 14, 2024•46 min•Ep. 184
Does the antagonist always have to lose? ( link ) What about the mutual satisfaction ending? Plot-by-role discussion of the antagonist at this link . Early (the hook) - the antagonist has their own thing, not really engaged with or concerned about the protagonist Inciting incident - the protagonist’s choice puts them in conflict with the antagonist’s goal; the antagonist may still be unaware of the protagonist’s goal, but their paths are converging rapidly now Plot Point 1 - if the two haven’t m...
May 14, 2024•51 min•Ep. 184
Segment 1 First, Kasie finally got around to that whole cache of recordings and put them all up on Simplecast through June 30th. July to come. It starts here with “The Write Stuff” from last fall. (I know. I told you it had been a while). In August, we’re doing a series. We haven’t done this for a few months. We’re focusing on Characters this month: Protagonist (8/5) Antagonist (8/12) Best friends & love interests (8/19) To recap the protagonist, s/he’s one of these four types: Hero / heroin...
May 14, 2024•46 min•Ep. 182
Welcome to special guest, Nick Roberts. Nick Roberts is a native West Virginian and a graduate of Marshall University. He is an active member of the Horror Writers Association and the Horror Authors Guild. His short works have been published in various magazines and anthologies. His novel, Anathema , won Debut Novel of the Year at the 2020-2021 Horror Authors Guild Awards. His second novel, The Exorcist’s House , was released in 2022, and his It Haunts the Mind collection in 2023–both by Crystal...
May 14, 2024•45 min•Ep. 181
Segment 1 Last month we jumped around a bit – special guests, time travel, the mentor character. It was all pretty self-serving. Rex went on vacay so I brought my friends on. In August, we’re going to try for a series. We haven’t done this for a few months. We’re focusing on Characters this month: Protagonist (8/5) Antagonist (8/12) Best friends & love interests (8/19) The protagonist in the story is ( link ) the character who drives the action and whose outcome matters most. Emotional heart...
May 14, 2024•46 min•Ep. 180
Today’s special guest is Heather Harris-Bergevin, an author whose business, Barrow Editing, is based in Columbia, South Carolina. She, her three children, two cats, and a happy pitbull spend most of their time fighting entropy. Her own poetry books are published with By Common Consent Press, and she has an upcoming children's picture book with Lucky Rabbit Press, based in Columbia, SC. It's been said that copy editors are the "first readers" as well as the “last line of defense” – they approach ...
May 14, 2024•46 min•Ep. 201
A debut novelist, Roger Jones, author of The Final Victory, joined Kasie and Rex in the studio on January 20, 2024. Welcome to the studio, Roger Jones . The Final Victory is set to be released April 30th and is available for pre-order now on Amazon. The Final Victory follows Tripp Avery, a prominent businessman whose life gets disrupted by a cancer diagnosis. Tripp decides, during the peak of his battle with cancer to coach a mixed masters dragon boat on its way to the national championships. Wh...
Jan 27, 2024•46 min•Ep. 183
In Tuesday’s Summer Series session on marketing, a writer asked how she could protect her idea at pitchfest. She was going to share it with agents and publishers and didn’t want them to steal it or give it to another writer. Interestingly, the same thing had JUST come up on an episode of Suits which Charlie is watching and I’m giving one ear/one eye to when I’m between songs on Spotify or stories on my kindle. In the episode, a writer wanted to sue the bookstore/publisher she worked for because ...
Sep 24, 2023•45 min•Ep. 179
So last week we did time travel and I have to confess, it was a LOT so I could think through my own time traveling vampires novel and the needs, uses, and functionality of time travel in the plot. So thanks. This week we’re doing the mentor-apprentice relationship and once again, I’m using it for my own purposes. See, I’m writing about a new-ish vampire, Blue, and his sire, Raven, and the hero-worship of progeny to sire – especially given the rules of their faith – and how eventually Raven will ...
Sep 21, 2023•45 min•Ep. 178
Rex is back from vacay. Renewed, refreshed, ready to hit the ground running? But he didn’t have a topic idea so I hijacked the show for a time travel discussion. I’ll admit it’s a Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) from-the-vault inspired topic. The song is Timeless and it’s on Taylor’s recently released re-recorded album Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) there’s a great story behind her re-recording the music, BTW, we can chat about that if we want. But this song was one she’d imagined for the album and c...
Sep 21, 2023•46 min•Ep. 177
Full show notes including links to both books on the blog here .
Aug 08, 2023•46 min•Ep. 176
Full show notes out on the blog here . Joining me in the studio today is Dr. Anna Courie , an Army wife, nurse, corporate social responsibility officer, and author of six titles. Anna’s 20+ years in the healthcare field include experience in public and private sector health promotion. Anna is a graduate of Clemson University, the University of Wyoming, and Ohio State University. In her spare time, she consults in public health, facilitates retreats, writes books, and blogs for Living Compass Min...
Aug 08, 2023•47 min•Ep. 175
This week I’m joined by Paul Davis , prize-winning journalist and Brown University grad. As a freelance writer and reporter, he has written for large and small newspapers from the Tampa Tribune to The New York Times. At the Providence Journal, he chaired the newspaper’s in-house writing committee. He won awards for his stories about the homeless, New England’s struggling fishermen, the Narragansett Indians and the working poor. The Journal submitted his seven-part series on the Rhode Island-Sout...
Aug 08, 2023•47 min•Ep. 174
Full show notes out on the blog here .
Aug 08, 2023•46 min•Ep. 173
Full show notes out on the blog here .
Aug 08, 2023•46 min•Ep. 172
Full episode show notes out on the blog here .
Aug 08, 2023•48 min•Ep. 171
Full show notes out on the blog here .
Aug 08, 2023•46 min•Ep. 170
Full show notes out on the blog here .
Aug 08, 2023•46 min•Ep. 169
Full show notes out on the blog here.
Aug 08, 2023•45 min•Ep. 168
Full show notes out on the blog here .
Aug 08, 2023•45 min•Ep. 167
Full show notes out on the blog here .
Jul 31, 2023•47 min•Ep. 166
Full show notes out on the blog here .
Jul 31, 2023•46 min•Ep. 165
Full show notes out on the blog here .
Jul 31, 2023•47 min•Ep. 164
Full show notes out on the blog here .
Jul 31, 2023•46 min•Ep. 163
Full show notes out on the blog here .
Jul 31, 2023•43 min•Ep. 162
Full show notes out on the blog here .
Jul 31, 2023•46 min•Ep. 161
Full show notes out on the blog here .
Jul 31, 2023•46 min•Ep. 160
Full show notes out on the blog here .
Jul 31, 2023•46 min•Ep. 159
Full show notes out on the blog here .
Jul 31, 2023•46 min•Ep. 158
Full show notes out on the blog here .
Jul 31, 2023•46 min•Ep. 157
