A Novel Process

In this episode, May talks about the beautiful, detailed, chapter-by-chapter plan that she would have created for the novel, if only her brain wasn't a writhing bed of snakes.

In this episode, Kirsteen deep dives into the main protagonist of her novel: Artemis. We find the narrative arc works quite well, but the character arc reveals our main character is just... too awesome.

In this episode May tries to work out why the end of her book is dull.  Turns out she hasn't been applying extreme enough consequences to her characters for performing human sacrifices. The little scamps.

In this episode, Kirsteen discusses the pros and cons of prophecy, and the love/hate relationship she has with her book’s prologue.

A monumental moment here, as we welcome a new writer to the podcast, Kirsteen McInnes!  In this episode May and Kirsteen chat about their different writing processes, sci-fi vs fantasy, gardeners vs architects, still working on your first draft vs having finished multiple drafts like a show-off (ahem).

Going forward we're excited to announce that you'll be regularly hearing from Kirsteen here on the podcast, every second week. She'll discuss the trials and tribulations of late-stage novel writing: editing, re-writing, and preparing for publication.

In this episode, May discusses why researching mining regulations is way more fun (and more creatively fulfilling) than making stuff up.

In the first episode of 2022, May explains how to write a romance between two communities (and why it's way easier once you invent Alien Euthanasia).

It's the last episode of 2021!  In it, May twiddles the knobs and dials of the book's central moral quandry, attempting to make the problem that the protagonists are trying to solve exactly the right level of problem-y.    This twiddling requires skill, finesse, and the ability to actually listen to the good advice that multiple, intelligent people have given to May, multiple times.

In this episode, May talks about writer's block, anxiety, and accidentally writing a book about terminal illness.

In this episode, May takes a long large look at the state of the novel and plans out the ways she wants to move forward.