... And It’s Writing

Planning a novel is hard. Today we talk about some of the tools and processes we use to get started.----more----

Items mentioned in this episode:

Anthemion Writer's Cafe

Scrivener

Aeon Timeline

Jami Gold Beat Sheets

Character Development Worksheet

World Anvil

In our first Halloween episode, we talk about the horror of queries! We chat a little about the query experience, and go over some key dos and don'ts when crafting your query letter. We also revise a spooooky query about a star-crossed ghost and the real estate agent trying to sell his haunted house.

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Books mentioned in this episode:

A Little Life, by Hanya Yanagihara

A Dowry of Blood, by S.T. Gibson

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Drink Recipe: Spiced Dai-query

3.5oz light rum

1.5oz lime juice

2oz agave syrup

2-4 slices of jalapeno to taste (can remove seeds if you want milder, leave the seeds in if you want it hotter)

1 cup ice

Add ice to blender.

In a separate mixing glass, muddle jalapeno in agave syrup, then pour the syrup through mesh strainer into the blender. Discard leftover jalapeno bits.

Add the rum and lime juice to the blender.

Blend.

Pour into a daiquiri or wine glass, garnish with a lime wheel.

In this episode, DC and Avery discuss best practices for pitching your work, both online and in-person, as well as thoughts on pitch events in general. How to find your story's hook and show it off as sparkly as it can be. We also take a look at a few of Avery's pitches and break down some common pitch mistakes.

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Books mentioned this episode:

A Little Life, by Hanya Yanagihara

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Drink for this episode:

Pitch-black, Short and Sweet:

2.5oz Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur

1oz Dark Rum (not spiced)

1oz Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Syrup

Optional: black sugar for rim

Optional: Luxardo cherry for garnish

(Optional: rim martini or coupe glass with black sugar)

Combine Mr Black, rum, and chocolate syrup in a shaker with ice, shake very well.

Strain into glass, garnish with a Luxardo cherry on a cocktail pick.

In this episode, Avery interviews author Crystal L. Kirkham about everything short fiction, from drabbles to flash fiction to novellas.

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Find Crystal L. Kirkham online:

Website

NSFWords Podcast

Twitter

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Sites and tags mentioned in this episode:

NSFWords episode on reading/writing widely

#vss365 prompt tag on Twitter

Submission Grinder

Crystal's anthologies and books

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Drinks for this episode:

Boozy Strawberry Shortcake

3oz cake or donut vodka

1 cup frozen strawberries

4oz milk or plant milk of choice

(optional) whipped cream for topping

Combine strawberries (still frozen), vodka, and milk in a blender

Blend until smooth

Optional: top with whipped cream

Crystal's drink: Petit Verdot white wine

Today, D.C. and Avery discuss the love and hate aspect of writing. How do you keep the passion alive when your love for a story starts to wane? And when it comes to deadlines, how do you trudge through the parts of the process you hate in order to meet them?

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Books mentioned in this episode:

Neon Gods, by Katee Robert

A Little Life, by Hanya Yanagihara

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Drink recipe:

Snakebite

5oz hard cider

5oz Guinness or similar dry Irish stout

Pour cider into a pint glass

Layer stout on top using the back of a spoon

First-person Present Tense is often hated, but why? In this episode we chat about the reasons many dislike it, but also the ways it can be useful. We share excerpts from our writing that illustrate possible ways to tackle some common pitfalls of this tense/POV combo, as well.

 

CORRECTION: Toward the end of the podcast while discussing Howl's Moving Castle, Avery incorrectly refers to Sophie as the middle child instead of the eldest. Sorry, that drink was a strong one, whoops.

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Books mentioned in this episode:

Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt

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

Feed, by Aveda Vice

Skin, by Aveda Vice

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

The Seven-½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton

The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins

Wolf Hall, by Hilary Mantel

Dune, by Frank Herbert

Howl's Moving Castle, by Dianna Wynne Jones

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Drinks from this Episode:

Matcha Elderflower Last Word

¾ ounce gin

¾ ounce green chartreuse Liqueur

¾ ounce ​maraschino liqueur

¼ ounce elderflower liqueur

¾ ounce lime juice

1 tsp matcha powder

Mix all in a shaker with ice

Shake well

Strain into a coupe glass or Nick and Nora glass

 

Greatest CEO In The World

1½  ounce Lagavulin 16 Year Scotch

1½ ounce Avery’s Magical Maple Cherry w/ Cinnamon shrubs

1 sugar cube

1 peel of lemon

3 dashes Angostura bitters

1 wedge of orange

1 splash club soda

Drip 3 dashes of Angostura bitters on a sugar cube, in a glass

Put a thin wedge of orange, a lemon peel, and a maraschino cherry in the bottom of glass, and muddle the fruit.

Pour Lagavulin on muddled fruit.

Pour in Cherry shrubs.

Put a handful of ice in a whiskey glass, stir, and finish with a dash of club soda.

 

Maple-Cherry Shrub Recipe:

1½ cups dark sweet cherries (frozen ok)

1 tsp cinnamon

½ cup maple syrup

½ cup granulated sugar

⅔ cup red wine vinegar

Mix cherries, cinnamon, maple syrup, and sugar in a glass bowl or tupperware container and cover. Leave in refrigerator for up to 3 or 4 days, checking and stirring once a day, until the sugar has pulled the juice from the cherries and there's a good amount of liquid.

Strain juice through a mesh strainer and remove cherries. (These can be pureed into a jam for toast and will last at least a few days in the fridge, if you'd like to save them.)

Add vinegar to the juice and stir well. There may still be some stray sugar granules at this stage, but these will dissolve eventually.

Pour into a sterilized glass bottle or jar and refrigerate. Will keep for 3-4 months if refrigerated. The flavor will change slightly for about the first week, but then will stabilize.

It's aliiiive! In this episode, we discuss how to bring your stale, lifeless writing back from the dead by swapping out the verb "was" for more varied phrasing, and embellish this week's writing snippet with silliness.----more----Books mentioned in this episode:The Secret History, Donna TarttAngela's Ashes, Frank McCourtRosemary and Rue, Seanan McGuire

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Drink Recipe: The Zombie (recipe by Dale Degroff)

1 oz light rum

1 oz dark rum

1 oz orange curaçao liqueur

1-½ oz passion fruit purée

1-½ oz orange juice

½ oz lemon juice

½ oz lime juice

¼ oz grenadine

2 dashes aromatic bitters

Cocktail umbrella and/or various fruits for garnish

Shake all in cocktail shaker with ice

Pour into a tall glass filled with ice

Garnish with fresh fruit, pineapple leaves, and/or a tiki umbrella

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Excerpts:Before:

He was younger than I thought he’d be, though I couldn’t pinpoint an exact age. Somewhere between around thirty was my best guess. His expression was guarded, and there was a twist to his lip that suggested a joke that only he understood. Not one thread of his clothing was out of place. In the dim restaurant ambience, it was difficult to tell what color his hair was. Dark, though whether it was brown or black I couldn’t say. The one thing that was impossible to ignore was an eerie quality I couldn’t quite pinpoint. 

Word Count : 93Wases: 10

After:

He was younger than I thought he’d be, though I couldn’t pinpoint an exact age. Somewhere around thirty, maybe. A guarded expression, and a twist of his lip implied a cruel joke only he understood. Not one thread of his clothing was out of place, he wore a monogrammed heirloom watch, a class ring from Grand Dick High School--this guy was the whole enchilada. In the dim restaurant, the color of his hair was vague. Dark, but brown or black I couldn’t say. His lack of eyebrows was entirely off-putting, but his unwavering stare was even moreso. 

He shook my hand, smiled with all his teeth, and said, "Eating too much cake is the sin of gluttony, but you can eat as much pie as you want. the Sin of pie is zero. Hi, my name is David.”

Word Count : 139Wases: 6

Let's get rid of some was-es! In this episode, the task of revising passive voice drives both D.C. and Avery to their editing limits (while sharing a good laugh).So what is Passive Voice, exactly? When is it bad, and (hot take) when is it sometimes a GOOD thing? We polish up a sample of Avery's old writing on-air to demonstrate.

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Books mentioned in this episode:

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Land of the Beautiful Dead by R. Lee Smith

Story Genius by Lisa Cron

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Before and After Excerpts from Episode 5:

Before:

I cracked open an eye to see that the room was now lit by the rising sun. I rolled over and got out of bed stiffly. My leg was wracked with heat, which worried me. I lifted a hand to brush the earring I wore. A simple silver hoop was graced with three beads in blue, white, and gold. It was worn by all members of the The Order, and it provided immunity from the toxins carried by the walking dead and other unholy creatures. Unfortunately, it was no good against plain old infection. After the salve, though, hopefully the wound would be healed soon enough.

 

After:

The morning sun broke, tearing me from sleep. I winced and rolled out of bed, leg still wracked with heat from the festering wound. Worried, and looking for reassurance, I touched my earring. Good, it’s still there, still can’t become a zombie. Unfortunately, the silver hoop earrings worn by The Order--required to be in Sayara’s blue, white, and gold colors, were no good against plain old infection. No matter. The salve would heal the wound soon enough.

Everyone says you need betas and Critique Partners, but finding them sometimes feels like the proverbial needle in a haystack. So where can you actually track them down? Join us for a conversation about critique partners and betas -- the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Now featuring Avery's hot new single: "The Technical Issues Song" (Comcast Remix)

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Books and links mentioned in this episode:

The Land of the Beautiful Dead - R. Lee Smith

The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt

#CPMatch on Twitter

Absolute Write Forums

(Writevents on Twitter was also mentioned in this episode, but has gone on indefinite hiatus.)

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Drink recipe: Boozy PSL

Since we met most of our Critique Partners through NaNoWriMo-related events, which is in November, we've made a fall-themed cocktail in summer... an iced Pumpkin Spice Latte.

1.5 oz spiced rum

1.5 oz coffee liqueur 

2.5 oz pumpkin spice syrup/puree1 c sugar

1 c water

1 c canned pumpkin puree (not the kind with spices, just pure pumpkin)

½ tsp pumpkin pie spiceHeat all in saucepan until it blends together, let cool, strain to remove any bigger pumpkin pieces. Bottle and keep in refrigerator.

3 oz milk

Whipped cream

Nutmeg (freshly grated for garnish)

Pour all except whipped cream over ice in highball or rocks glass

Stir well

Top with whipped cream

Grate a little nutmeg on top

D.C. and Avery discuss the techniques we use to set a scene, including D.C.'s "lizard in a box" theory on character and setting.