Soman and Victoria debate the difference between a good idea and a great one that’s worth writing. They also sort through the different kinds of characters and ways to avoid clunky exposition. Soman is getting very wet recreating an iconic Taylor Swift photo, while Victoria wants her payout from the AI companies!

Theme of the Week (03:13)

Goals for the Week (12:55)

Industry Nonsense (24:31) 

Reader Mailbag(44:43)

Plot Twists in Real Life (51:33)

Pup Twist (56:51)

Goals of the Week is sponsored by Wordsmith Workshops.

Industry Nonsense is sponsored by First Draft Pro.

Additional sponsorship by The Ready State.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Soman and Victoria debate the line between fandom and parasocial relationships, not just between authors and fans but also between authors. Plus, they try to determine when it’s time to take your artistic career “seriously” and if authors should be thinking about TV and film adaptations while writing. V has thoughts turning fanfic into original novels, and Soman wants to coach a college tennis team.

Theme of the Week (02:33)

Goals of the Week (13:25)

Industry Nonsense (28:36) 

Reader Mailbag(52:34)

Plot Twists in Real Life (56:48)

Pup Twist (59:31)

Goals of the Week is sponsored by Wordsmith Workshops.

Industry Nonsense is sponsored by First Draft Pro.

Additional sponsorship by The Ready State.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Soman and Victoria wonder whether an artist can overproduce, using TSwift as a case study. Also they break down the art of writing transition scenes and how to decide on what POV to use. Victoria has to clean her office and Soman wants kids to know about life before smart phones.

Theme of the Week (03:50)

Goals for the Week (12:01)

Industry Nonsense (28:34) 

Reader Mailbag(47:26)

Plot Twists in Real Life (52:58)

Pup Twist (56:06)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Title: Can You Handle The Truth About Your Work? (Taylor’s Version)

Soman and Victoria debate whether we’ve gotten too soft in how we handle feedback, both on and off the page. Also they discuss whether or not an author needs a college degree and if publishers are responsible for policing plagiarism. Soman is about to start the YOUNG WORLD preorder campaign and Victoria wants to make sure you aren’t sharing your location on Instagram.

Show notes

Theme of the Week (04:17)

Goals for the Week (13:06)

Industry Nonsense (26:17) 

Reader Mailbag (47:59)

Plot Twists in Real Life (53:48)

Pup Twist (57:39)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Soman and Victoria discuss whether good writing is nature or nurture. Also they discuss when is the right time to reach out to agents and how to avoid cliches.  Victoria has a lot of errands to run, and Soman wants publishers to bid for writers like AI companies do for researchers.

Show notes

Theme of the Week (02:45)

Goals for the Week (10:28)

Industry Nonsense (21:13) 

Reader Mailbag(41:17)

Plot Twists in Real Life (51:31)

Pup Twist (53:52)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Soman and Victoria discuss the tricks of staying healthy as a professional artist.  Also, they discuss celebrity ghostwriting and how not to fall out of love with your work mid-stream. Soman is launching a new coaching lab for teenagers, and Victoria wants to freeze time.

Theme of the Week (03:31)

Goals for the Week (12:58)

Industry Nonsense (27:21) 

Reader Mailbag(47:59)

Plot Twists in Real Life (53:06)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Soman and Victoria discuss when fan fiction crosses the line into grift. Also they answer questions about whether authors really need to be on social media and whether they like to plot out their stories or improvise as they go. Victoria has a big battle scene to rewrite, and Soman has a brand new addition to his family.

Show notes

Theme of the Week (04:50)

Goals for the Week (13:13)

Industry Nonsense (23:52) 

Reader Mailbag h(45:24)

Plot Twists in Real Life (53:16)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the podcast Victoria and Soman discuss the tension between the love of making art and the need to make money. Also they discuss questions about using sensitivity readers and whether they read other authors' books while writing. Finally, Soman opens up to Victoria about a plot twist he wished he could have seen coming. (Trigger warning: Pet loss.)

Theme Of The Week02:33

Goals Of The Week09:07

Industry Nonsense15:52

Reader Mailbag34:53

Plot Twists In Real Life43:15

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Soman and Victoria discuss whether being physically attractive helps an author get ahead. Also they talk about world building in writing and how they react to being recognized in public. Soman is trying to level-up his tennis and Victoria wants a movie about the Blue Angels.

Show notes

Theme of the Week (01:26)

Goals for the Week (11:04)

Industry Nonsense (22:02) 

Reader Mailbag(40:20)

Plot Twists in Real Life (45:35)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.