Story from Scratch

This week on Quick Bits, we discuss Justin's concept of a dynamic character arc. What if instead of having an arc where a character doesn't change until the climax of the novel, one were to write a story in which a character goes through multiple significant changes of the course of the novel? Yale and Justin debate whether this style of storytelling is actually feasable and has the potential to be satisfying. Examples are provided from some of Justin's works-in-progress, so beware of potential spoilers!

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This week on quick bits, Yale and Justin talk about where to end a particular writing session. Do you stop at the end of a scene? End of a chapter? Is it better to write for a set amount of time or to write a set amount of words?

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This week on Quick Bits, Justin and Yale revisit the topic of themes. Do you ever wonder how to straddle that line between conveying a message and force-feeding your opinions down the reader's throat? Do you have concerns about making definitive statements on grander concepts you fear you lack authority on? Well, we do--so join us as we hash out the intricacies of thematic subject matter.

Please check out our partners, the publisher tdotSpec at http://tdotspec.com/

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Welcome to Quick Bits! For the month of May, due to our busy schedules, we'll be publishing these shorter, more-focused episodes, each delving into a single topic. This week, we (by which we mean mostly Yale) discuss what software and hardware we use for writing. We learn how meticulously organized Yale is, and how meticulously disorganized Justin is.

Please check out our partners, the publisher tdotSpec at http://tdotspec.com/

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This week, for a change, Yale and Justin discuss things they actually like about the writing process. It's easy to find things to gripe about, but at the end of the day, we're doing this writing thing because, well, we like doing it.

Please check out our partners, the publisher tdotSpec at http://tdotspec.com/

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This week on Story From Scratch, Yale and Justin discuss how they approach the revisions process. Justin ponders Stephen King's advice about taking time away before beginning revisions, and Yale grapples with perfectionism. Questions are raised about the benefits of actioning writing group feedback.

Please check out our partners, the publisher tdotSpec at http://tdotspec.com/

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Our friend Peter G. Reynolds joins us once again, this time for a deep dive into the hurdles of writing books for children. After all, children aren't (usually) the ones who write children's books. They're not the ones who edit them. And they're not the ones who buy them, either. How do all of these factors affect the way we approach writing them?

To find out more about Peter, or purchase his books, visit him at https://www.storiesbypeter.com/

Please check out our partners, the publisher tdotSpec at http://tdotspec.com/

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This week, we have a chat with children's author and podcaster Peter G. Reynolds. We talk about the influence writing groups have on our creative process and how an author can become pidgeon-holed within their community. Peter also shares a bit about the inception of his lovely podcast, Musings and Other Nonsense, and tells us how the "yes, and" philosophy from improv can help you overcome writer's block.

To find out more about Peter, or purchase his books, visit him at https://www.storiesbypeter.com/

Please check out our partners, the publisher tdotSpec at http://tdotspec.com/

Follow us at:

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Twitter: @storyfscratch

This week, we get an update from Yale on how his querying journey has been going thus far... which leads us to the topic of how to deal with the anxiety of waiting and the crushing blow of rejection. We discuss some useful coping mechanisms we've employed, which hopefully will be of use to you once you've finished that draft.

Please check out our partners, the publisher tdotSpec at http://tdotspec.com/

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This week, we respond to questions and comments from our listeners! Sticking to our theme for the month, we touch on various topics related to querying. Find out how many agents to query at a time, whether you can query multiple agents at the same agency, and what sorts of unexpected questions agents might ask you to provide answers to.

Special thanks to everyone who sent questions in! We didn't get to everything, so we'll be doing more of these in the future. Be sure to send us your questions, comments, and thoughts.

Please check out our partners, the publisher tdotSpec at http://tdotspec.com/

Follow us at:

IG: @storyfromscratchpodcast

Twitter: @storyfscratch