AmericanWriters.com -- Creative Writing Podcast.

Learn about Deus Ex Machina -- its pros and cons and how it can hurt fiction.

This episode doesn't just talk about what superficially motivates characters; it looks at the forces that need to stir at deeper levels.

This episode doesn't just talk about what superficially motivates characters; it looks at the forces that need to stir at deeper levels.

Many authors are disparaged for using prologues to start their novels -- but is it such a bad practice after all?

Trim down your writing; think about what you should include in your narrative and what should you leave out. Also, learn the difference between story and narrative.

Many writers use their fiction as a form of activism. However, does it hurt the art form?

Learn about the four ways to approach reading a book.

Learn about the four ways to approach reading a book.

Learn how external conflict can be written to underscore the turmoil brewing within the character's psyche.

It's time to respond to some of your questions and comments. All the same, I can't help myself: I address one or two of them so heavily that I hijack my own show and give it a bona-fide theme. Among other things, I talk about how I approach writing my novel -- and while it's not my intention to say, "Hey, do it MY way," the discussion might somehow be helpful.