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…
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…
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…
The Devil is in the details. Balancing the details you give to readers in character and setting description is just another aspect of telling a great story. How much is too much? Or too little? This episode Russ and Tim Read more…
Story versus plot. Is there a difference? Can one overshadow the other and is that OK? This episode Russ and Tim dissect these terms to their core and attempt to find a balance between their importance when crafting a story. Read more…
Letting go is hard, but necessary. The chase for perfection isn’t a realistic goal because it doesn’t exist. This episode Russ and Tim chat about their own artistic masterpieces, how they used editing goals to determine when they’re done tinkering—even Read more…
Just because you are a character doesn’t mean you have character. Goals, motivations, wants, needs, height, hair color, and back story. So many things to think about when developing a character, but what’s important to get started? Do you need Read more…
Can a self-publisher have their own imprint? Some say yes, others say it’s trickery. This episode Russ and Tim get into the business side of self-publishing and discuss creating an imprint to publish books under. They’ll touch on pros, cons, Read more…
Ideas are out there but how do we find them? How do we nuture them and guide them into a story? When is it OK to let them distract us while working on another? This episode Russ and Tim tackle Read more…
Like their protagonists, writers also need goals. It’s the start of a new year which is the perfect time to set some writing goals. This episode Russ and Tim chat about their own goals, failures, and what’s kept them driven Read more…