Collaborcast

Hey Collaborist - You know how we've already discussed techniques for being disciplined about description in your work? Well, we had an idea for this episode that talks about it again and we also bring up the oft mentioned "Chekov's Rifle." Here is the intersection of description and foreshadowing and we are waiting on the corner to discuss it with you.

Ben is in California for this episode at the Wellstone Center in the Redwoods where he experienced his first earthquake.

Come on Gang! Let's chit chat, Collaborist! 

Hello! Please pardon the absence, we're back (finally!) from AWP. Thank you to everybody we met and who agreed to join us on the podcast. As a heads up, because we were recording this on the fly in a venue with lots of people and no control of the environment, the audio quality is...not going to win a Grammy. Apologies in advance. What it may lack in clearness, it more than makes up in earnestness.

We'll be back next week with a regularly scheduled episode and hope to see you there!

Hey Collaborist - on today's episode we take a look at some opening pages and why they work as an effective beginning ot a book.

Do you find yourself driving down the writing highway only to slam on the brakes to incorporate backstory?

Hey Collaborist - are you unsure how to get critical details into your characters' pasts without slowing down the pace of your book? You're not alone. It's important to keep in mind that you--as the author--should know a lot more about the people populating your book than the reader, much of that knowledge won't ever be directly shared with the reader. And that's okay.

Here are some things to think about when trying to decide what to include and not include in your book.

Pacing is a key component in how well a book holds a reader's attention. It doesn't always have to be a million miles an hour with big car chases and explosions. In fact, maybe the more you add, the less they mean. So maybe don't add so many.

We also talk about dramatic tension--how to keep the reader's cortisol and dopamine invested in each page.

Lastly, hey Moot--it's a murder car!

You've been dreaming of the day when understanding book contracts and subsidiary rights is the most important thing in the world. Well, we share that dream with you and here's a primer.

Hey Collaborist - we recognize that the world around book contracts is often mysterious and getting information about them is only as good as the source (and there are a lot! and they aren't always good!). We got a question about how it all works in practice and on this episode of Collaborcast, Ben talks about general terms, what they mean, how to understand them, and ways YOU might think about them when the day comes.

We talk movies! Translations! Territories! Options! We talk about the costs of publishing and the Terrible, No Good Intersection of Art and Commerce! Ready? We're about to help you on your quest of understanding book contracts and subsidiary rights.

We also, not exactly stealthily, bring up issues around labor being discussed in general but specifically by striking Harper Collins employees. An article about that can be found here - https://www.chicagotribune.com/entert...

On this week's episode of Collaborcast we talk about the importance of Understanding Your Characters.

Hey Collaborist - you spend hours with them on the page and in your head, but how well do you know your characters?

How do you introduce yourself? Do you ask them questions? Do they give you answers? How real our characters feel is a critical component of how readers connect with them and with the larger story we're telling. Remember! The author (in most cases) is not the character. It's likely they've had entirely different experiences and as a result, would make different choices and handle their decision points in different ways.

Let's discuss...understanding your characters!

Hey Collaborist - this week we're talking about head hopping in writing and also answering the question of how to approach reading while you write. We go over listener reading lists. And, Ben's got a new studio setup.

One of the most common editorial notes first time authors get is that they're "head hopping." Well, what does that mean? How does it happen? And how can you work around it. If you haven't already seen our classic Instagram Reel discussing the topic, we cover a lot of the same stuff in this episode of Collaborcast.

If you're watching this video, you probably don't need much convincing of how important it is to read books. But should you keep reading even while you're working on your own book? Or is that simply a recipe for getting influenced by the works and voices of other authors? Reading is important for writers, and when you read may be a critical component of that.

Both of these topics were listener submitted questions. If you've got one of your own, please feel free to drop it in the comments or send us an email and we'll try to work it into a future episode. We also celebrate the authors and books mentioned in last week's reading accountability check in addition to Jason and Ben listing the books they're reading.

Featured independent bookstore - Pegasus Books.

Hey Collaborist! Welcome to 2023, we've been waiting for you.

Have you ever caught yourself daydreaming about how to drum up more interest in your writing? Maybe you've come up with some wild ideas about how to sell a truckload of books. Well, we encourage you to make sure that "wild" doesn't equal "bad" because there are plenty of bad marketing tricks that people try to play and ultimately, they're not only unsuccessful as a get rich quick scheme, they can also completely obliterate an author's career in its tracks. For instance, on this episode of Collaborcast we talk about one "innovative" author strategy that involved faking their own death. Don't do that.

We also talk about the value of New Year's resolutions and how to incorporate the concept (or a modified version of it) as you enter the first page of the calendar.

Lastly, we've got an accountability check. If you're so inclined, let us know the books you're reading this week, next week, and so on.

Hey Collaborist,

In this week's episode, Jason and Ben talk about the birth and growth of Collaborist and Collaborcast, including some of their favorite episodes. Additionally, they read and discuss another query letter submitted by a Collaborist just like you.

How about you, Collaborist? What were your 2022 highlights?

Featured independent bookstore - Andover Bookstore in Andover, Massachusetts.