Character Motivations
Do your characters have the right motivation? Proper motivation is necessary if you want your characters to make believable decisions that lead toward their goals, even if those decisions are flawed. In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss internal and Read more…
Marketing & Social Media
The work doesn’t stop once you launch your book. If you want to be read, you need to promote your book to the world. In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss marketing, social media, advertising, and Russ’ plan for promoting Read more…
HOST Book Launch
The day has arrived! Russ has launched his debut novel, HOST. Tim asks how Russ feels, what happens next, and what improvements he’ll make as he ramps on book two. Also, go buy HOST so Russ can be a little Read more…
Cover Art Process
Cover art is often your first chance to make an impression on the reader, so you better make it a good one. In this episode, Russ and Tim chat about the cover art process, how Russ approached it for his Read more…
Comps & Originality
Are you original? Do you need to be? In this episode Russ and Tim chat about comps, what they are, why they’re useful, and how not to get derailed when you don’t feel original. Resources: How to Find Compelling Comps Read more…
AI & Writing
Join hosts Russ and Tim on an exciting journey as they explore the fascinating world where writing and AI intersect. From AI-generated story prompts to overcoming writer’s block, discover how artificial intelligence can revolutionize the creative process. Get inspired and Read more…
Dialogue Tags & Action Beats
He said, she smiled, they replied. Dialogue tags and action beats are one of many tools a writer can use to distinguish characters and create dynamic scenes. This episode Russ and Tim chat about lessons learned with dialogue tags and Read more…
Writing Action
Action! For every action there is a reaction. This episode Russ and Tim take a swing at issues they ran into while writing action scenes. From character POV, to purpose, to violence. They touch on it all and share what Read more…
Launching A Book
If a book launches and no one sees it, does it actually launch? There’s more to launching a book than just uploading it to Amazon. There’s websites, newsletters, social media, and much more to think about. In this episode Russ Read more…