Keystroke Medium

What do Patrick Rothfuss, Tad Williams, Mercedes Lackey, C.J. Cherryh, and Nnedi Okorafor all have in common? Besides being A-List fantasy wordcrafters, all were published by DAW Books. Tonight we meet the woman behind one of science fiction and fantasy's most beloved publishing houses, DAW Books' President, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief, Betsy Wollheim.

Betsy's here to pull back the curtain on what goes into the traditional publishing process, give you tips on how to get published, and discuss where she thinks the publishing world is headed.

So get your questions ready and join us LIVE. We'll snag as many questions as we can from the chat. Cheers!

On this episode, best-selling author Yudhanjaya Wijeratne returns to LIVE! to talk about his new book "The Salvage Crew."

https://amzn.to/3mT1Im3

Hosts: Josh Hayes, Lauren Moore

00:00 Opening remarks

-Discord server is up!

https://discord.com/invite/t96CVRD

-Keystroke Coffee is live!

https://keystrokemedium.com/product/keystroke-coffee/

08:00 Weekly update—Did Your Parents Love You Edition

Josh: Wrote something in the Tranquility series. Moving and packing. Still Reading Sanderson’s Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive #4)

https://amzn.to/36LINUy

Lauren: Doing a ton of research for The Writer’s Journey and planning out into 2021. Also researching for a historical western romance.

Yudhanjaya: Working and spending time on Saturday to write, currently working on a Witcher analog with a twist (and a cat!).

16:51 Main Event— LIVE! Yudhanjaya Wijeratne

-Writes only once a week, but really tries to hit 5-7k words.

-Uses an Onyx Boox Note Air for focused writing

https://www.boox.com/noteair/

-Josh uses the Olympus for dictation (still)

https://amzn.to/2JLGasN

-Discussing the genesis of The Salvage Crew

-Man being replaced and beaten by machine.

-Writing code for world building.

-Using AI to write poems as well.

-Having Nathan Fillion narrate the audiobook and the changes in Indie Audiobook industry.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0277213/

-Comparing the writing of Hurt by Trent Reznor and the cover by Johnny Cash.

42:15 Sponsor: 13 Mercs: A Military SciFi Epic (Brothers in Arms Book 2) by Scott Moon

​https://amzn.to/2Jw7JpZ

43:33 Main Event— LIVE Yudhanjaya Wijeratne, Continued!

-Story generation with simulators, which took Yudhanjaya only 3 months.

-Using the AI to get out of the middle build slog.

-Setting monitor to black and white to reduce notifications.

-Unhealthy habits like Hemingway.

-Yudhanjaya’s process.

Cal Newport’s Deep Work (Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World)

https://amzn.to/36OAM1d

-Getting a feel of the story after the first chapter is done.

-Iteration your writing process.

-Writing short stories vs. novels.

Ex. Rhett Bruno and Jaime Castle’s Dead Acre

https://amzn.to/3mQUYFd

-English is the language that goes around in dark alleys and mugs other languages.

1:11:18 Closing remarks

Coffee and Concepts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRuoHj6opw0

Writer’s Journey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydLaFFntB4Q

Storytelling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYRzwuQeK9Q

Become a Medium today! https://keystrokemedium.com/mediums/

Don't forget to Like and Subscribe and get involved with the mayhem and shenanigans in the live chat! http://www.youtube.com/c/keystrokemedium

If you have any thoughts or ideas for show topics or if you have authors you'd like to see on the show, let us know. Visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KeystrokeMedium

For all the latest and greatest KSM Gear, check out our store at: https://keystrokemedium.com/ksm-store/

Also, subscribe to Sci Fi Explorations for the best discounted and free books we come across through our contacts: http://www.scifiexplorations.com

Keystroke Medium Anthologies

     Kingdoms of Iron and Stone - https://amzn.to/2GjbE6I 

     Horizons Beyond - https://amzn.to/2SrJ6uX

     Farthest Reach – https://amzn.to/2UZINeo

The Writing Dream – and How to Make it to Happily Ever After – Keystroke Medium’s first non-fiction book. https://amzn.to/2UZINeo

If you enjoy this podcast, please leave us a review and rate the show on iTunes, Podbean, Stitcher, or wherever else you found us!

#ksm #keystrokemedium #coffee #writing #editing #author #books #plotting #pantsing #plantsing #militarysciencefiction #milSF #militarySci-Fi #IndieAuthor #SFF

Did you find yourself a book buddy? Let's go over some etiquette while sipping some joe.

We get joined by Mr. Paddy Finn to discuss keeping the schedules and making the words during the holidays.

It's a busy time of year, especially for 2020, lets talk about writing, thankfully.

Hosts: Josh Hayes, Scott Moon, C. Steven Manley

00:00 Opening remarks

-Discord server is up!

https://discord.com/invite/t96CVRD

-Keystroke Coffee is live!

https://keystrokemedium.com/product/keystroke-coffee/

05:24 Weekly update—Reverse Trucking Edition

Scott: Sanderson Intervention Support Group in effect. Working on the Orphan Wars, They Came for Blood #4. Looking to take a teaching position at an academy.

Chuck: Closing in on the end of Jack Dark #2 and prepping work for Jack Dark #3, dealing with COVID in his family.

Josh: Fell down a rabbit hole of Brandon Sanderson’s Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive #4)

https://amzn.to/36LINUy

16:57 Main Event— LIVE! Thanksgiving Roundtable 2020

-Update on The Mandorlorian in terms of letting supporting characters have a bigger role in the story. Episode 12, The Siege.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12981674/

-Scott disagrees with both the length of the show and misnomer for the episode name.

-Casting of Gina Carano as a warrior.

22:10 Sponsor: Raising ACEs (ACE Series Book 1) by Chad Boyer

https://amzn.to/2HsKhcx

23:10 Main Event— LIVE Thanksgiving Roundtable 2020, Continued!

-Scott rails that Stormtroopers were bad in Season 1, but degenerated into trope in Season 2 (The loss of the ‘danger’ element).

-Bike Trooper scene and ‘punching’ Baby Yoda.

-Loss of buildup of Moff Gideon over the first few seasons.

-Star Wars breadth and not depth.

-How to get lost in an Imperial Facility.

-Bo-Katan’s ‘boob’ armor vs. Joel Schumaker’s Bat ‘nipples’.

-More fan theories.

Ex. A Game of Thrones children going in different directions.

https://amzn.to/2L5yJxi

-Chuck asks about using a pen name for mystery thriller v. C. Steven Manley for urban fantasy.

-Genre overlap vs. reader overlap.

-Exception: A huge author may spill into another genre.

Ex. Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files for mystery thrillers

https://amzn.to/2VK9UJr

Ex. JK Rowling vs. Robert Galbraith to segregate genre readership.

-Reasons why authors use initials (ex. men in romance and women in science fiction).

-Josh theorizes if Stephen King could write straight science fiction, would it be good?

-Chuck points out that he wrote The Running Man

https://amzn.to/3lSa8bY

-Simplifying things for the reader, not the author.

-Naming conventions for kids.

58:11 Closing remarks

Coffee and Concepts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRuoHj6opw0

Writer’s Journey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydLaFFntB4Q

Storytelling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYRzwuQeK9Q

Become a Medium today! https://keystrokemedium.com/mediums/

Don't forget to Like and Subscribe and get involved with the mayhem and shenanigans in the live chat! http://www.youtube.com/c/keystrokemedium

If you have any thoughts or ideas for show topics or if you have authors you'd like to see on the show, let us know. Visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KeystrokeMedium

For all the latest and greatest KSM Gear, check out our store at: https://keystrokemedium.com/ksm-store/

Also, subscribe to Sci Fi Explorations for the best discounted and free books we come across through our contacts: http://www.scifiexplorations.com

Keystroke Medium Anthologies

     Kingdoms of Iron and Stone - https://amzn.to/2GjbE6I 

     Horizons Beyond - https://amzn.to/2SrJ6uX

     Farthest Reach – https://amzn.to/2UZINeo

The Writing Dream – and How to Make it to Happily Ever After – Keystroke Medium’s first non-fiction book. https://amzn.to/2UZINeo

If you enjoy this podcast, please leave us a review and rate the show on iTunes, Podbean, Stitcher, or wherever else you found us!

#ksm #keystrokemedium #coffee #writing #editing #author #books #plotting #pantsing #plantsing #militarysciencefiction #milSF #militarySci-Fi

It's a special episode tonight--number 100! The Writer's Journey is celebrating with an A-List author's brain to pick.

Steven Savile has woven tales in some of the most memorable universes, including Warhammer, Doctor Who, Stargate, and Jurassic Park. He's here tonight to delve deep on genre fiction, writing in established worlds, and satisfying reader expectations when the bar is HIGH.

Of course the greatest part about being a writer is the writing part, but if you're self published, then there's a whole host of stuff that goes with it. Unless you're looking to hire a staff of folks to take care of it... it's your job.

Charles and Vlas Parlapanides return to the show to talk about their brand-new Netflix series Blood of Zeus.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10009170/

Hosts: Josh Hayes, Scott Moon

00:00 Opening remarks

-Discord server is up!

https://discord.com/invite/t96CVRD

-Keystroke Coffee is live!

https://keystrokemedium.com/product/keystroke-coffee/

09:00 Weekly update—Break Stuff Edition

Josh: Blew up a water heater. Almost done with Tranquility book 1 and drafting a new project and a screenplay a la True Detectives

Scott: Departure Day (They Came for Blood #3),  Orphan Wars, turned in One for All (Brothers in Arms #3) into Aethon books. RIP iMac.

Charles: Finished a pilot for MGM with present day mythology, playing some games.

13:20 Main Event— LIVE! Blood of Zeus w/ the Parlapanides Brothers

-Charles answers who would be a dream actor for a show of his.

-Charles explains what ‘Pay for Play’ means.

-Charles admits what he would give up to be a better writer.

-Taste exceeding talent at first vs. learning and grinding and working the craft.

-Josh’s critique of the sound editing of Blood of Zeus.

-The even slow progression of each character.

-Outlining and building the story progression.

-Outlining is pantsing.

-Charles discusses his favorite character to write in Blood of Zeus.

-Anti-heroes

Ex. Walter White in Breaking Bad

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903747/

Ex. Tony Soprano in Sopranos

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0141842/

-Overcoming anger as a theme.

-Decisions based on emotions vs. the best decision you can make.

-Final tips of advice for writers.

1:03:35 Closing remarks

Coffee and Concepts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRuoHj6opw0

Writer’s Journey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydLaFFntB4Q

Storytelling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYRzwuQeK9Q

Become a Medium today! https://keystrokemedium.com/mediums/

Don't forget to Like and Subscribe and get involved with the mayhem and shenanigans in the live chat! http://www.youtube.com/c/keystrokemedium

If you have any thoughts or ideas for show topics or if you have authors you'd like to see on the show, let us know. Visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KeystrokeMedium

For all the latest and greatest KSM Gear, check out our store at: https://keystrokemedium.com/ksm-store/

Also, subscribe to Sci Fi Explorations for the best discounted and free books we come across through our contacts: http://www.scifiexplorations.com

Keystroke Medium Anthologies

     Kingdoms of Iron and Stone - https://amzn.to/2GjbE6I 

     Horizons Beyond - https://amzn.to/2SrJ6uX

     Farthest Reach – https://amzn.to/2UZINeo

The Writing Dream – and How to Make it to Happily Ever After – Keystroke Medium’s first non-fiction book. https://amzn.to/2UZINeo

If you enjoy this podcast, please leave us a review and rate the show on iTunes, Podbean, Stitcher, or wherever else you found us!

#ksm #keystrokemedium #coffee #writing #editing #author #books #plotting #pantsing #plantsing #militarysciencefiction #milSF #militarySci-Fi

Live in 3... 2... 1! KEYSTROKE FEUD! In today's episode, Keystroke Medium hosts go head-to-head against the crew of 20Booksto50K(R) in a Family Feud frenzy of DOOM!

We've gathered the answers of over 250 members of KSM and 20Books (which our players have never seen!) for the show. What kind of crazy answers did the audience come up with? Watch and see.

Let the feud BEGIN!

Chuck and Josh sit down to talk about challenging yourself and increasing your productivity.

Hosts: Josh Hayes, C. Steven Manley

00:00 Opening remarks

-Discord server is up!

https://discord.com/invite/t96CVRD

-Keystroke Coffee is live!

https://keystrokemedium.com/product/keystroke-coffee/

08:30 Weekly update—Shut the Hell Up! Edition

Josh: Still working on the first Tranquility novel before it goes off to the editor at around 100-120k; the longest single book Josh has worked on. Working on a new project and attempting dictation starting out ideas and ready to attempt dictation. Started with ‘pre-work’ and became drafting.

Kevin J. Anderson’s On Being a Dictator: Using Dictation to Be a Better Writer (Million Dollar Writing Series)

https://amzn.to/39Lo8C7

Olympus recorder being used

https://amzn.to/2JLGasN

Chuck:  Working on Jack Dark #2 and avoiding COVID-19.

21:15 Main Event— LIVE! Challenging Yourself

-Chuck’s biggest hurdle is distraction and he’s cut away distraction like entertainment links, and using the Freedom App.

https://freedom.to

-Locks up the first half of the day for writing.

-Gets frustrated easily but trying to go with the flow.

-Getting caught up on chasing the latest ‘shiny’.

-Josh working on multiple projects increases his productivity as well as reading every day.

Reading Robert McKee’s Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting

https://amzn.to/36Ny8Zv

-Trying to do iterative outline drafts to understand the point of a scene while writing dialogue.

-Aaron Sorkin’s scene process.

-Dictation as a great way of working out both sides of an argument.

-Reading Sgt. David Bellavia’s House to House: A Soldier’s Memoir for mining ideas and ‘feel’.

https://amzn.to/3lQdNHn

-Reading Jack Carr’s Terminal List: A Thriller

https://amzn.to/36LzDYc

-Index shooting.

-Breaks a lot of the storytelling rules.

-Taking your ego out of the equation and figuring out what your readers want.

-Josh paneled a military science fiction for SFFCon and a podcast with Mark Lefebvre

http://markleslie.ca

-Feedback for creativity and productivity.

-Being motivated by a community of readers and authors.

-Ex. Chuck stopped his Storyshop podcast because of lack of ideas and feedback.

-Using a ‘virtual office’ to motivate you to write (peer pressure).

1:01:10 Closing remarks

Coffee and Concepts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRuoHj6opw0

Writer’s Journey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydLaFFntB4Q

Storytelling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYRzwuQeK9Q

Become a Medium today! https://keystrokemedium.com/mediums/

Don't forget to Like and Subscribe and get involved with the mayhem and shenanigans in the live chat! http://www.youtube.com/c/keystrokemedium

If you have any thoughts or ideas for show topics or if you have authors you'd like to see on the show, let us know. Visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KeystrokeMedium

For all the latest and greatest KSM Gear, check out our store at: https://keystrokemedium.com/ksm-store/

Also, subscribe to Sci Fi Explorations for the best discounted and free books we come across through our contacts: http://www.scifiexplorations.com

Keystroke Medium Anthologies

     Kingdoms of Iron and Stone - https://amzn.to/2GjbE6I 

     Horizons Beyond - https://amzn.to/2SrJ6uX

     Farthest Reach – https://amzn.to/2UZINeo

The Writing Dream – and How to Make it to Happily Ever After – Keystroke Medium’s first non-fiction book. https://amzn.to/2UZINeo

If you enjoy this podcast, please leave us a review and rate the show on iTunes, Podbean, Stitcher, or wherever else you found us!

#ksm #keystrokemedium #coffee #writing #editing #author #books #plotting #pantsing #plantsing #militarysciencefiction #milSF #militarySci-Fi #podcasting #indie #indieauthor