Were a young writer to ask me for advice, and only had one minute to listen, here is what I'd say.  Plus: how Louisa May Alcott worked.  And, avoiding the blahs and self-doubts when writing.

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Remember the fabulous worlds that fantasy, sci fi, and historical writers create for us readers?  How do they do that?  What works so well?  I'll talk about world-building, not just for those novels but for all genres.  And also: more on the critical craft of character description.

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Many readers only give a story ten or twenty pages before putting it aside to look for something more interesting.  A fast start is the best way to maintain the reader's interest.  Here's how to write the fast start.  Also, how Alice Munro worked, and Richard Ford's rules of writing.

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Manon in Paris asked, "Why do some novels move us more than others?"  Here is the single best way to make our story unforgettable, a story that moves the reader.  Also, have we heard the advice, "Write what you know?"  It's bad advice, and here are thoughts on it.

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Edna Ferber was a master of character description.  Here are a few of her characters, and maybe we can pick up some of her skill.  Also, how many words a day do famous writers write, and how many words a day should we write?  And showing pain, as opposed to telling about pain.

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Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre is a classic of western literature, a novel that endures and still hugely entertains because . . . it's so great.   (How that for being profound?)  Charlotte Bronte offers an important lesson for today's writers, and I'll talk about her lesson in this episode.  Plus, the trouble with prologues.

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Why are some novels so good?  One of the reasons is that the author is a master at setting descriptions.  How did Charlotte Bronte and Edna Ferber make their settings magical?  We'll talk about their techniques here.  Also, strong verbs versus weak verbs: how and why to choose the stronger action word.

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My first encounter with Mad Magazine, a life changer.  And dialogue techniques that can help make our characters' conversations fascinating.

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Good stories are filled with surprises for the reader.  There are right and wrong ways for us writers to deliver surprises, and I'll talk about them here.  Also, the importance of a tie-up-later list.  

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What do George Orwell, Sara Gruen, Jean Shepherd, and John Steinbeck have in common?  Many things but foremost among them is their expert use of details that take readers away, that lift us readers out of our chairs and transport us to their places and times.  Here are thoughts on their use of details.  Also, we should avoid cliches like the plague. 

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