Prose and Cons

Even great writers don't always nail dialogue - so how can we improve? Join Paddy, Phoenix, and Matan, as they explore this super-important topic, breaking down, what makes good dialogue, what makes bad dialogue, and their own tips and tricks for making the most out of every spoken word.

STEPHEN KING REFERENCE COUNTER: 1 TODAY, 48 OVERALL

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Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/

=============================================

This is Prose & Cons - a podcast for emerging writers, by emerging writers. Because sometimes we feel like pros, and sometimes we feel like cons.

Brought to you by Precipice Fiction. Six Writers. Six Worlds. Alexandria Burnham, Paddy Boylan, Alex Eldridge, Matan Elul, Phoenix Raig and James Healy.

The New Mythic: A Sci-Fi & Fantasy Collection - Available now in ebook or paperback: mybook.to/TheNewMythic

• Website: precipicefiction.com
• YouTube: youtube.com/@PrecipiceFiction
• Instagram: instagram.com/precipicefiction/
• Twitter: twitter.com/PrecipiceFic
• Facebook: facebook.com/PrecipiceFiction

What do “Mom” (from Cowboy Bebop), the Overlook Hotel, and Lucifer (yes, from the Bible) have in common? Well, they’re dueling it out of course! This week on Pros and Cons, Matan, Alex, Phoenix, and Paddy dive deep into villains and their roles in literature, finishing things off with the first-ever Precipice Villain Draft! Which team will win? You, the listener, must decide.

We get into:

• Villains as a force of nature vs villains due to trauma.
• Who’s the real meta villain?
• How we write villains and more.

Also! Once again! The STEPHEN KING counter has caught up to the episode number. I (Phoenix) am personally on the edge of my seat.

STEPHEN KING REFERENCE COUNTER: 2 TODAY, 47 OVERALL

Send us a message!

Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/

=============================================

This is Prose & Cons - a podcast for emerging writers, by emerging writers. Because sometimes we feel like pros, and sometimes we feel like cons.

Brought to you by Precipice Fiction. Six Writers. Six Worlds. Alexandria Burnham, Paddy Boylan, Alex Eldridge, Matan Elul, Phoenix Raig and James Healy.

The New Mythic: A Sci-Fi & Fantasy Collection - Available now in ebook or paperback: mybook.to/TheNewMythic

• Website: precipicefiction.com
• YouTube: youtube.com/@PrecipiceFiction
• Instagram: instagram.com/precipicefiction/
• Twitter: twitter.com/PrecipiceFic
• Facebook: facebook.com/PrecipiceFiction

Join us this week for a special look under the hood of Phoenix, James, and Paddy's individual writing practices, discussing things like:

• How we balance writing around the rest of our lives (and how anybody actually finds the time to write);
• Challenges we're experiencing - and tips we can provide - from our current projects;
• How we approach our writing, from planning to prose; and
• How to use using Tinder to maximise the editing process (you read that right).

Send us a message!

Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/

=============================================

This is Prose & Cons - a podcast for emerging writers, by emerging writers. Because sometimes we feel like pros, and sometimes we feel like cons.

Brought to you by Precipice Fiction. Six Writers. Six Worlds. Alexandria Burnham, Paddy Boylan, Alex Eldridge, Matan Elul, Phoenix Raig and James Healy.

The New Mythic: A Sci-Fi & Fantasy Collection - Available now in ebook or paperback: mybook.to/TheNewMythic

• Website: precipicefiction.com
• YouTube: youtube.com/@PrecipiceFiction
• Instagram: instagram.com/precipicefiction/
• Twitter: twitter.com/PrecipiceFic
• Facebook: facebook.com/PrecipiceFiction

We have a book. We have a podcast where we talk about writing. We thinking about writing quite a lot. But why do we do it? Today, James, Paddy, and Alex go on an inward journey, looking at their own inspirations and goals with this thing we all do. Pt 2, with Ally, Matan, and Phoenix will be coming sometime in the future.

- What made them start writing?

- How uninspired learning can sometimes turn someone away from wanting to learn something.

- Savouring those beautiful, cheeky moments when you feel what you’ve written is, as James says it, “deadly”.

Also! Special news for today. This is the 45th episode and the Stephen King counter has reached 45—woo!

STEPHEN KING REFERENCE COUNTER: 1 TODAY, 45 OVERALL

Send us a message!

Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/

=============================================

This is Prose & Cons - a podcast for emerging writers, by emerging writers. Because sometimes we feel like pros, and sometimes we feel like cons.

Brought to you by Precipice Fiction. Six Writers. Six Worlds. Alexandria Burnham, Paddy Boylan, Alex Eldridge, Matan Elul, Phoenix Raig and James Healy.

The New Mythic: A Sci-Fi & Fantasy Collection - Available now in ebook or paperback: mybook.to/TheNewMythic

• Website: precipicefiction.com
• YouTube: youtube.com/@PrecipiceFiction
• Instagram: instagram.com/precipicefiction/
• Twitter: twitter.com/PrecipiceFic
• Facebook: facebook.com/PrecipiceFiction

You got your book in my movie!
Well, you got your MOVIE in my BOOK!
Join the prose and cons team as they dive into perspective, voice, and some beautiful internal dialogue about wood floors as they look at the differences between writing for film vs. writing a book.

- What tools can be shared between film and books?
- Leaning into the innate strengths of your chosen medium.
- Everyone should play Dredge

STEPHEN KING REFERENCE COUNTER: 0 TODAY, 44 OVERALL

Send us a message!

Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/

=============================================

This is Prose & Cons - a podcast for emerging writers, by emerging writers. Because sometimes we feel like pros, and sometimes we feel like cons.

Brought to you by Precipice Fiction. Six Writers. Six Worlds. Alexandria Burnham, Paddy Boylan, Alex Eldridge, Matan Elul, Phoenix Raig and James Healy.

The New Mythic: A Sci-Fi & Fantasy Collection - Available now in ebook or paperback: mybook.to/TheNewMythic

• Website: precipicefiction.com
• YouTube: youtube.com/@PrecipiceFiction
• Instagram: instagram.com/precipicefiction/
• Twitter: twitter.com/PrecipiceFic
• Facebook: facebook.com/PrecipiceFiction

We're back again with another genre deep dive, and this time, James, Ally, and Matan dive deep into the mysteries of mystery. From the crime procedural drama to the "cozy" mystery, from red herrings to the dark night of soul, the gang break down the conventions and structures of this most mysterious of genres.

Send us a message!

Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/

=============================================

This is Prose & Cons - a podcast for emerging writers, by emerging writers. Because sometimes we feel like pros, and sometimes we feel like cons.

Brought to you by Precipice Fiction. Six Writers. Six Worlds. Alexandria Burnham, Paddy Boylan, Alex Eldridge, Matan Elul, Phoenix Raig and James Healy.

The New Mythic: A Sci-Fi & Fantasy Collection - Available now in ebook or paperback: mybook.to/TheNewMythic

• Website: precipicefiction.com
• YouTube: youtube.com/@PrecipiceFiction
• Instagram: instagram.com/precipicefiction/
• Twitter: twitter.com/PrecipiceFic
• Facebook: facebook.com/PrecipiceFiction

I need coloured rectangles STAT! It's time to go deep into some novel talk. Join Paddy, Ally, James, and Matan as they talk about their novels, their years of work, and what they wish they had known back when they started. We'll get into things like:

- How long a scene feels versus how long the scene actually is.
- The John Wick Assassin Economy
- Being allowed to tell (it doesn't have to all be "show").
- How much does bread cost in YOUR world?

STEPHEN KING REFERENCE COUNTER: 0 TODAY, 43 OVERALL

Send us a message!

Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/

=============================================

This is Prose & Cons - a podcast for emerging writers, by emerging writers. Because sometimes we feel like pros, and sometimes we feel like cons.

Brought to you by Precipice Fiction. Six Writers. Six Worlds. Alexandria Burnham, Paddy Boylan, Alex Eldridge, Matan Elul, Phoenix Raig and James Healy.

The New Mythic: A Sci-Fi & Fantasy Collection - Available now in ebook or paperback: mybook.to/TheNewMythic

• Website: precipicefiction.com
• YouTube: youtube.com/@PrecipiceFiction
• Instagram: instagram.com/precipicefiction/
• Twitter: twitter.com/PrecipiceFic
• Facebook: facebook.com/PrecipiceFiction

James, Paddy and Phoenix go into what makes a character memorable, realistic and ultimately loved. Among other things we discuss:

- using the Lord of the Rings to break down character complexity
- Complexity of motive
- Making characters fit to purpose rather than necessarily “realistic”
- Using paradox and contradiction to create depth
- Why just stacking character traits doesn’t make a realistic character
- Redeemable moments
- Building complexity in layers
- Giving grounding details and texture

STEPHEN KING REFERENCE COUNTER: 1 TODAY, 43 OVERALL

Send us a message!

Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/

=============================================

This is Prose & Cons - a podcast for emerging writers, by emerging writers. Because sometimes we feel like pros, and sometimes we feel like cons.

Brought to you by Precipice Fiction. Six Writers. Six Worlds. Alexandria Burnham, Paddy Boylan, Alex Eldridge, Matan Elul, Phoenix Raig and James Healy.

The New Mythic: A Sci-Fi & Fantasy Collection - Available now in ebook or paperback: mybook.to/TheNewMythic

• Website: precipicefiction.com
• YouTube: youtube.com/@PrecipiceFiction
• Instagram: instagram.com/precipicefiction/
• Twitter: twitter.com/PrecipiceFic
• Facebook: facebook.com/PrecipiceFiction

Hey! You there! Yeah, you—the writer. We see you. Come join our group therapy session. We'll discuss project resets, changes in vision, and all those yummy, difficult decisions that we often find ourselves having to make as we continue to add ability points into this mutually-chosen talent tree o—writer.

- Which one of us is currently rewriting an entire novel—changing it from third to first person? (Yes you read right).

- Even the writers of Disney aren't immune from needing to crumple up the digital paper and start, more or less, afresh.

STEPHEN KING REFERENCE COUNTER: 1 TODAY, 43 OVERALL

Send us a message!

Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/

=============================================

This is Prose & Cons - a podcast for emerging writers, by emerging writers. Because sometimes we feel like pros, and sometimes we feel like cons.

Brought to you by Precipice Fiction. Six Writers. Six Worlds. Alexandria Burnham, Paddy Boylan, Alex Eldridge, Matan Elul, Phoenix Raig and James Healy.

The New Mythic: A Sci-Fi & Fantasy Collection - Available now in ebook or paperback: mybook.to/TheNewMythic

• Website: precipicefiction.com
• YouTube: youtube.com/@PrecipiceFiction
• Instagram: instagram.com/precipicefiction/
• Twitter: twitter.com/PrecipiceFic
• Facebook: facebook.com/PrecipiceFiction

This week we dive into the black, seamy void that is grimdark! The gang talks about what the genre is and is not, it's history as a reaction and it's cultural resonance. Is grimdark a pejorative term, or is the genre a useful and incisive tool for social commentary? All this and more.

STEPHEN KING REFERENCE COUNTER: 1 TODAY, 42 OVERALL

Send us a message!

Contact us at: precipicefiction.com/contact/

=============================================

This is Prose & Cons - a podcast for emerging writers, by emerging writers. Because sometimes we feel like pros, and sometimes we feel like cons.

Brought to you by Precipice Fiction. Six Writers. Six Worlds. Alexandria Burnham, Paddy Boylan, Alex Eldridge, Matan Elul, Phoenix Raig and James Healy.

The New Mythic: A Sci-Fi & Fantasy Collection - Available now in ebook or paperback: mybook.to/TheNewMythic

• Website: precipicefiction.com
• YouTube: youtube.com/@PrecipiceFiction
• Instagram: instagram.com/precipicefiction/
• Twitter: twitter.com/PrecipiceFic
• Facebook: facebook.com/PrecipiceFiction