Dear Writer

This week, we take a closer look at the YA genre of fiction. We discuss the characteristics of YA fiction, and look at the popular sub-genres that are common in YA. We also talk about the different ways tense and point of view can be used to good effect when writing in this genre.

This week we hosted Elizabeth Moore Kraus on our podcast. Elizabeth had recently retired from her job as an English professor and, during covid, compiled her experiences of traveling with her sisters into a memoir, titled "Three Sisters, Three Weeks, Three Countries (Still Talking). It was a pleasure to talk to Elizabeth about her writing and her life.

This week on Dear Writer we tried out another creative exercise. This involved creating a scene between two characters, using only gestures to have a conversation. Listen in to find out how we found the exercise and how we think it could be useful for creativity and writing.

This week, we continue our discussion about creating side characters. We talk about the difference between flat and round characters, and how to use them effectively in your novel. We also share our tips for creating compelling supporting characters.

This week, we discuss the importance of side characters in your novel. We talk about the different archetypes of supporting characters, how you can blend archetypes to make your characters more compelling, and try to iron out how many side characters you should have in your novel.

This week on Dear writer we had another of our author spotlight interviews, and we were excited to host Ashley Kaplan. Ashley is a YA fiction author based in Ontario, Canada. Outside of writing, Ashley is a stay-at-home mom of two toddlers and is enjoying discovering a new chapter of her life as a mom and author. We had an interesting discussion about her writing journey and her hopes for expanding her writing career.

This week on Dear Writer we tried another creative exercise from the Reedsy blog, called 'Room'. The instructions were: using a character from your current WIP, describe the room you are currently located in. We tried out the exercise and discussed how we found the experience. If you are are interested in this exercise and would like further information, visit the reedsy blog here: https://blog.reedsy.com/writing-exercises/setting/room/

This week, we continue our discussion about creating compelling protagonists. We chat about character motivations, how supporting characters can aid your protagonist, and give some handy tips for getting to know your hero better.

This week we discussed how to write compelling protagonists. We talked how character flaws and backstory can make your hero's interesting and realistic.

This week on our author spotlight section we had Rhonda Renee. Rhonda is an elementary school teacher with two grown daughters and she enjoys imparting her passion for books in those around her. Rhonda has written two novels; Antique Dreams and Moments in the Soul of a Man. We enjoyed having Rhonda on the podcast and hearing about her writing journey.