In this episode, we turn the page on the calendar and turn a corner in our craft. After a month of sharpening our sensory tools, we begin a brand-new series: Character Archetypes.

In this episode, we discuss:

The Advantage of the Blueprint: Why using recognizable roles like the Hero, the Mentor, or the Trickster provides a "safety net" for the reader, allowing you to focus on the subversion and the "messy human" beneath.

Are you treating archetypes like a cage that limits your characters, or are you using them as the foundation to build a person who feels both universal and unique?

Subscribe for more episodes as we spend this month breaking down the "stamps" of the human experience!

In this final installment of our five-part mini-series on the Five Senses, we finish with the sense that grounds us in our own skin and confirms reality: Touch. We explore "haptic" and why the secret to powerful prose lies in the "feedback loop" between a character and their environment.

In this episode, we discuss:

Awareness: Why haptic description goes beyond simple texture to include the weight of an object, the resistance of a door, and the way the world pushes back against a character's movement.

Touch as Conversation: How to move to a "haptic" approach, treating every physical contact as a meaningful exchange of information.

Is your character merely walking through a scene, or is the world reacting to their presence through weight, resistance, and physical connection?

Subscribe for more episodes and thank you for joining me on this deep dive into the five senses!

In this episode, we take a bite out of the world as we reach the penultimate stop in our five-part mini-series on the Five Senses. 

In this episode, we discuss:

The Visceral Shortcut: Why describing a taste—like the metallic "taste of iron"—bypasses logic to trigger immediate physical responses like a puckered lip or a tightened throat.

The "Double-Edged" Nature: How to transition from physical flavors to metaphorical character traits, using "acerbic wit" to define a personality that is as sharp and cutting as poorly aged vinegar.

Is the atmosphere of your scene as sweet as honey, or does it carry an acerbic bite that mirrors the sharp, cutting tension between your characters?

Subscribe for more episodes and to join me for the grand finale of our series on the five senses: Touch!

In this episode, we tune our ears to the world as we continue our five-part mini-series on the Five Senses. We explore "Sound" through the word "susurrus"—a beautiful, whispering term that serves as a vital warning for storytellers: just because a word is "literary" doesn't mean it’s the right tool for the job.

In this episode, we discuss:

The Trap of the Niche: Why reaching for a high-level vocabulary word can accidentally "kick" the reader out of the story, and why words with simple translations—like "rustling"—often carry more resonance.

The Pretentious Exception: How to use academic or rare language as a characterization tool to show, rather than tell, that a character loves being the smartest person in the room.

Are you using sound to build an immersive atmosphere, or is your vocabulary drawing the reader's eye away from the story and toward the author?

Subscribe for more episodes and to join me for the rest of our five-part series on the senses!

In this episode, we open our eyes to the light, but we aren't looking at the obvious. We continue our five-part mini-series on the Five Senses by focusing on Sight. We explore "nacreous"—the luster of the mother-of-pearl—and why the most effective visual storytelling happens when the writer provides the spark and lets the reader build the fire.

In this episode, we discuss:

The Mother of Pearl: Diving into the origins of "nacre" to understand a light that doesn't just sit on the surface, but seems to glow with depth and layers from within.

The "Sight Trap": Why trying to provide a 4K blueprint of a scene actually pushes the reader away, and why your job is to be the spark that lets the reader's imagination become the cinematographer.

Controlling Focus: Techniques for using hyper-specific words like "nacreous" alongside consistent context clues to render an image instantly without overstaying your welcome.

Are you overcrowding your reader's eyes with too much detail, or are you providing a single, iridescent anchor that lets them co-create the world with you?

Subscribe for more episodes and to join me for the rest of our five-part series on the senses!

In this episode, we kick off a five-part mini-series on the Five Senses by diving into the "air" of your story: Smell. We explore "petrichor"—the blood of the stone—and why scent is the ultimate storyteller's shortcut to the human nervous system.

In this episode, we discuss:

The Blood of the Stone: Breaking down the ancient Greek roots petra (stone) and ichor (ethereal fluid of the gods) to understand why this word evokes a sense of wonder and transformation.

The Amygdala Connection: Why scent is the only sense that bypasses mental filters to strike the emotional heart of the brain, making it the most powerful tool for triggering a character's memory.

Anchoring the Scene: Techniques for using petrichor to build tension, ground internal monologues, and create sharp contrasts between sterile urban settings and the raw, earthy relief of a breaking storm.

What specific scent in your story triggers a memory for your protagonist?

Subscribe for more episodes and to join me for the rest of our five-part series on the senses!

In this episode, we have reached the summit. We’ve traveled from A to Y, and it is only fitting that we end at the highest point. 

In this episode, we discuss:

Managing the Descent: Why you shouldn't rush the view once your character reaches the top, and how to use prose to bring your story to its natural, hard-earned conclusion.

The sun is at its zenith and the alphabet is complete—what will you do with the final choice at the peak of your character's journey?

Subscribe for more episodes and thank you for walking through the alphabet with me!

In this episode, we explore a word that is as much about a feeling as it is about a function. 

In this episode, we discuss:

The Character of the Explainer: How using niche language like "yare" acts as a window into a character’s high standards, isolation, or private passions.

Is your prose bogged down and sluggish, or is it "yare" ready to guide your reader exactly where you want them to go without any wasted energy?

Subscribe for more episodes and to join me in this journey through the alphabet!

In this episode, ground ourselves in the words that try to capture the sound of the world’s bones. 

In this episode, we discuss:

The Skeletal Soundscape: Why the xylophone is the ultimate literary shorthand for the macabre, using its "rib-like" keys to evoke the rattling of bones and Saint-Saëns’ Danse Macabre.

Phonetic Contrast: How to use the rare, hard "X" sound to "poke" the reader’s attention and build rhythmic, staccato prose that mirrors the striking of wood.

Are you settling for the "lightning bug" of a generic description, or are you finding the "lightning" in the sharp, wooden clack of a xylophonic metaphor?

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In this episode, we open the door to the unexpected, the lighthearted, and the delightfully strange. 

In this episode, we discuss:

Mischief vs. Whimsy: Distinguishing between the sharp, rule-breaking edge of mischief and the gentle, surreal wings of whimsy.

The Puck Principle: Lessons from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream on how whimsical characters humanize high drama and remind us that the world is a playful, benevolent place.

The Reality of Levity: Why dark masterpieces like Pan’s Labyrinth use whimsy not to distract from horror, but to provide the contrast necessary to make the shadows feel truly deep.

Are you obsessing over the pathos of your story, or are you looking for the spaces where a little "pure imagination" can take root and lift the heart?

Subscribe for more episodes and to join me in this journey through the alphabet!