... And It’s Writing

When introducing readers to your world, how do you show them the tip of the iceberg? Avery and D.C. discuss their tricks for world-building and conveying that world, as well as giving some recommendations of books that do this correctly. Also, a Neopets digression.

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Books mentioned:

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab

The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt

Binti, by Nnedi Okorafor

The Emperor's Soul, by Brandon Sanderson

Barsk: The Elephant's Graveyard, by Lawrence M. Schoen

The City We Became, by N.K. Jemisin

Dune, by Frank Herbert

Stardust, by Neil Gaiman

Critique is hard. Giving it can be just as difficult as receiving it, but there are some general "best practices" in critique etiquette and manners that can help the medicine go down a little smoother for everyone involved. In this mini-episode, D.C. and Avery discuss their personal tips for critique etiquette on both ends.

What exactly is a Zero Draft, how does one differ from an outline, and why might you want to give them a try? Grab a draft beer for this week's themed beverage and join D.C. and Avery as they discuss the subject!

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Books and authors mentioned:

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab

The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt

Jonathan Strange & Mister Norrell, by Susanna Clarke

Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke

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Zero Draft Sample:

It shouldn’t be this easy, but there are no guards, not here, all I need to do is to avoid being seen by anyone [[draw this out, add tension, have her creeping around & maybe almost caught]]

I know for sure that tonight, Autumn will be alone. Every tenth day [[check this - is it really ten?]], he spends it without a consort or any other sort of companionship. [[explain this schedule earlier in the book]]

I knock on his door. A moment later, teh latch clicks, the knob turns. [[should they even have doors? maybe curtains or something more open]]

Autumn’s eyes wide. His hair is unruly with sleep, his stare sleepy. “Tirne. You are forbidden to enter these halls, on punishment of [[WHAT?]].” He’s stern, puzzled, but he hasn’t called for anyone yet.

“Your Holiness… I have news of utmost importance..” 

“It should be, if you are willing to risk [[FIGURE THIS OUT]] to share it.” He stares at me. He closes his eyes. He steps back and gestures me in

“But…”

“You’ve already broken every rule to be here. What’s one more?” 

I step inside. [[DESCRIBE HIS ROOM]]

He latches the door behind me.

[[Write the rest of this scene later:]]

How does this play out? Is he angry or happy to see her?

She tells him all the clues

He believes her story & start working with her

Add earlier romancey stuff —  slow-burn comes to a point here

But KEEP IT ANGSTY

D.C. and Avery discuss writing dark or possibly triggering content, our thoughts on content warnings, and how to approach these topics in a thoughtful way.

The Query Trenches are a rough place to live. In this episode, D.C. and Avery discuss how they coped with the stress of querying and rejection, as well as some tools to help manage the query process.

Items Mentioned:

QueryTracker: A website for managing your queries

Sometimes in revision, you've got to make the tough choice to give a character the axe, or combine multiple characters into one. How do you decide when to do this, and what are some techniques for doing so?

Ooh la la! D.C. and Avery discuss the salacious topic of writing sex scenes. We discuss how we try to avoid the cringe zone, as well as sharing examples with a lot of laughs and a teensy bit of embarrassment .

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Books mentioned:

The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt

I Give You My Body, by Diana Gabaldon

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“Sex on the Beach” Fancy Martini

The standard Sex-on-the-Beach recipe is vodka, cranberry juice, orange juice, and peach schnapps. So we fancied it up with cranberry gin, apricot liqueur instead of peach, and bergamot liqueur instead of orange.

2oz Koval Cranberry Gin

1oz Apricot Liqueur

1oz Italicus Bergamot Liqueur

Stir all in mixing glass with ice until well chilled

Strain into chilled martini or coupe glass

Garnish with two Luxardo cherries on a cocktail pick.

This episode is a bit of a break from writing subjects so you can get to know Avery and D.C. a little better. We discuss the weirdest things our pets do, our worst book hangovers, and play a game of FMK with fantasy novel protagonists.

In this episode, DC and Avery discuss series and standalones. How do you decide if a story idea is a series or standalone? What does the outlining process look like for each? And how to avoid common pitfalls such as the Book 2 Slump or infodumps in later books?

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Books, Authors, and Items Mentioned:

The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt

Winter's Orbit, by Everina Maxwell

Elantris, by Brandon Sanderson

The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson

The Realm of the Elderlings Series, by Robin Hobb

Aeon Timeline Software

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Episode drinks:

Rainbow Shots (Series)

Blue Curacao (1oz) + Vodka (.5oz)

Blue Curacao (1oz) + Pineapple Juice (.5oz)

Pineapple Juice (1oz) + Vodka (.5oz)

Pineapple Juice (.5oz) + Cranberry (.5oz) + Vodka (.5oz) 

Cranberry (1oz) + Vodka (.5oz)

Curacao (.5oz) + Cranberry (.5oz) + Vodka (.5oz)

Rainbow Cocktail (Standalone)

Equal parts Cranberry Juice, Pineapple Juice, and Vodka in a light-up rainbow martini glass.

How do we deal with "writer's block"? Does it even exist? DC and Avery discuss the topic in this mini-episode.

Items Mentioned in This Episode:

Character Development Questions