This season you’ll hear from a variety of editors who look at various aspects of different types of stories. I love writing everything from horror to love, screenplay to short story, essay to micro-fiction. And my goals are to eventually make a living as a writer (which I understand makes it a job and that it isn’t going to be easy), but understanding where I want to go, what my process looks like, and all the places I can improve will help me reach those goals in time. So long as I keep writing, of course. 

As you listen, you’ll notice each editor’s unique take on the various stories I write. Some are long, some short, some I want to turn into a novel, and others were just for fun or to learn. I hope you’ll find a key takeaway from each episode that you can apply to your stories. 

The sequence of episodes is one I think will help you learn once more about crafting stories and using them effectively for your own goals. For example, on the first full episode, I talk with Lori Puma who specifically helps writers before they’ve written a single word. We talk about how to find places to submit your writing and to maximize the potential for being published (or at least getting personalized feedback from your rejected submissions). 

Shelley Sperry and I chat next about writing a nonfiction book in which I discuss the things keeping me from writing. It’s a chance to combat everything holding me back from my stories as well as what it takes to plan and write a memoir. 

Followed by Julia, who takes a short story I’ve written and tells me specifically how to make it better so that I can submit it somewhere. Griffin, who takes a piece of micro-fiction I wrote for an NYC Midnight competition and teaches me tools of horror that will help me expand upon it. And Kim, who walks me through how to craft short vs long fiction and where the goalposts for each type of story lay. 

Leslie and I also discuss how to expand upon short stories, how to strengthen your craft, and building a career as a writer. While Abigail and I talk about all the different ways to plan a longer story using existing content and the various tools available to improve your skills. 

The last episode of this season will be with me, myself, and I (and hopefully I can put up with my own voice for that long). In that episode, I’ll take all the advice I’ve been given and apply it to one of my stories from last season through the self-editing process. I personally think it’s important to edit your own work before taking it to someone else for a number of reasons. First of all, when someone gives you advice on a first draft, it can entirely kill your spirit because you want to hear how great it is, but it’s bound to be shit (read Bird by Bird for the reference). Secondly, if you’re going to pay someone to help you improve your writing, you might as well get it as far as you possibly can on your own first so you’re not wasting money to have someone tell you something you already know. And if that’s not enough of a reason, editing yourself teaches you how to be a better writer each time you do it. 

So there you have it. Season 2 of A Story That Works is sure to provide you with tangible advice on editing and improving your writing. If it doesn’t, go talk to these editors yourself. 

As always, keep writing. Keep writing. Keep writing. 

Editors: 

Lori Puma: loripuma.com

Shelley Sperry: sperryeditorial.com

Julia Blair: ragstowritten.com

Kimberly Kessler: kimberkessler.com

Griffin Gartner: gartnerediting.com

Leslie Watts: Writership.com

Abigail Perry: abigailkperry.com

My website: creativitythroughconstraints.com