This week, Alida and Kathryn discuss writing with whimsey. Whimsical writing can add humor and charm to writing, but it's not only for children's stories. Lighthearted, quirky, and funny moments add levity to otherwise serious or dark tales. After this week's episode, you might just find yourself writing whimsically.

Get Alida's musings on life, writing, and the writing life in A Room Full of Books & Pencils and stay up to date on book launches, special offers, and more at booksandpencils.substack.com

Are you ready to get more out of your writing, grow your writing skills, and get that book written? Do you want community, feedback, and the mentoring of an expert story craft coach? Check out group coaching for novelists and memoirists. A new session is beginning soon. Get details & schedule your free discovery call today at www.wordessential.com/fictioncoaching

Are you ready to work with a developmental editor or writing coach? Alida works with fiction and nonfiction writers on all kinds of writing projects. Email or schedule a discovery call. www.wordessential.com. 

Show notes, links, & more at www.StoryWorksPodcast.com.

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This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn talk dialogue. We've noticed what may be some poor advice and some frightening trends in dialogue floating around out there. Time to bust some myths and pop some speech balloons! 

We draw on the past two Writers Book Club short stories for examples of dialogue, interiority, and narrative point of view. There is a lot of craft to unpack in this week's episode, a bit of silliness, and a writing prompt, too!

"Dialogue is an art form all in and of itself. So be aware of what you're putting on the page."

"Dialogue should reveal something to the reader."

Are you ready to get more out of your writing, grow your writing skills, and get that novel done faster? Do you want community, feedback, and mentoring? Check out group coaching for novelists. New Summer Session begins May 29. Get details & schedule your free discovery call today at www.wordessential.com/fictioncoaching

Get Alida's musings on life, writing, and the writing life in A Room Full of Books & Pencils. booksandpencils.substack.com

Show notes, links, & more at www.StoryWorksPodcast.com.

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This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn discuss Chekhov's story, "The Woman with the Little Dog." You can get the link to read it in the show notes. 

"Everything that he found important, interesting, necessary, in which he was sincere and did not deceive himself, which constituted the core of his life, occurred in secret from others." -Chekhov

Unpack the layers of Anton Chekhov's poignant short story, "The Lady with the Little Dog," in this thought-provoking episode of Story Works Round Table. Alida and Kathryn dissect the narrative's exploration of love, regret, and societal imprisonment. As they navigate through the characters internal struggles and the story's critique of marital conventions, listeners are invited to consider depth of character emotion, subtext, and presenting social commentary through story.

Are you ready to get more out of your writing, to grow your writing skills, and get that novel done faster? Do you want community, feedback, and mentoring? Check out group coaching for novelists. New Summer Session begins at the end of May. Get details & schedule your free discovery call today at www.wordessential.com/fictioncoaching

Get Alida's reflections on life, writing, and the writing life in A Room Full of Books & Pencils. booksandpencils.substack.com

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This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn discuss Gina Berriault's short story, "The Woman in the Rose Colored Dress." At only 2 1/2 pages, it packs in remarkable sentences, the experience of time passing, incredible subtext in minimal dialogue, and a realistic coming of age story when a girl makes a discovery about her father that shifts her understanding of the world. Get the link in our show notes to read the story yourself.

Join my new group coaching session for writers. Get your free discovery call today: www.wordessential.com/fictioncoaching

Get Alida's musings on life, writing, and the writing life in A Room Full of Books & Pencils. booksandpencils.substack.com

Show notes, links, & more at www.StoryWorksPodcast.com.

Visit WordEssential.com and book a discovery call today!

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida, Carlee, and Robert go deep with the question of what makes a genre a genre? Discover the nuances of crafting stories and targeting the right readership. We dissect the concept of genre as both a craft and marketing tool. It's far more useful to us writers than just a marketing category. Writing to market is often confused with marketing. And what about those of us who strive to be "pure artists," putting categories at the end of the process? Whether you aim to meet or subvert reader expectations, there's more to your genre than meets the eye.

"Genre determines what the story is trying to do."

"If you get lost in a story and you're not quite sure where you're taking it, it's often because you're not clear on genre."

This is an episode from our library, formerly published as #184.

Are you ready to get more out of your writing, to grow your writing skills, and get that novel done faster? Do you want community, feedback, and mentoring? Check out group coaching for novelists. New Summer Session begins at the end of May. Get details & schedule your free discovery call today at www.wordessential.com/fictioncoaching

Get Alida's musings on life, writing, and the writing life in A Room Full of Books & Pencils. booksandpencils.substack.com

Visit WordEssential.com and book a discovery call today!

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn are joined by D. Liebhart. 

Revision is more than just fixing typos and filling plot holes; it's about delving deep into the heart of the story and ensuring every word, every character, and every twist aligns with the author's vision. D. discusses the challenges she faced revising her award-winning novel, House on Fire, from seeking perfection to knowing when to let go. We talk about the importance of actionable feedback, the dynamics of writing groups, and the critical decision to step away when the process no longer serves the story.

Whether you're a seasoned author or just starting, this episode is packed with wisdom. D.'s experiences remind us that the journey of revision is unique to every writer. It's a process that requires patience, honesty, and sometimes the courage to start anew.

"Revision is how you make something worth reading."

"You're the final arbiter of what goes in that book and what's meaningful to say."

Get Alida's musings on life, writing, and the writing life in A Room Full of Books & Pencils. booksandpencils.substack.com

Are you ready to get more out of your writing, to grow your writing skills, and get that novel done faster? Do you want community, feedback, and mentoring? Check out group coaching for novelists. New sessions begin in 2024. Schedule your free discovery call today at www.wordessential.com/fictioncoaching

 #WritingTips #AuthorLife #Revision

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"It's never too early to start thinking about marketing and building your community. It's never too early. It can be too late."

Ever thought it's too early to market your book? Think again! Alexa Bigwarfe shares her wisdom on today's Story Works Round Table, in a conversation that's as inspiring as it is informative.

Marketing, as Alexa says, is not just about selling books. It's about building relationships with readers, sharing your journey, and creating a platform where your voice can be heard. It's about laying the groundwork for your book to not just exist, but to thrive in a market that's flooded with content.

With Alexa's guidance, you'll feel empowered to tackle marketing head-on. She makes the task less daunting and more like an exciting new chapter in your author career.

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This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn discover the compelling intersection of personal experience and fiction on this week's writing podcast. D. Leibhart joins us to share her journey writing her award-winning novel, House on Fire, and the art of turning life into literature. Join us for a conversation about craft and the complexities of writing stories based on personal experiences. 

Join me at the Women in Publishing Summit! Get your ticket to the biggest 4-day, online conference for women authors.

Are you ready to get more out of your writing, to grow your writing skills, and get that novel done faster? Do you want community, feedback, and mentoring? Check out group coaching for novelists. New sessions begin in 2024. Schedule your free discovery call today at www.wordessential.com/fictioncoaching

Get Alida's musings on life, writing, and the writing life in A Room Full of Books & Pencils. booksandpencils.substack.com

Visit WordEssential.com and book a discovery call today!

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn welcome screenwriter Tim Auld back to the round table to discuss heroes.

What makes a hero resonate with an audience? Tim Auld introduces us to the concept of ordinary heroism, a principle that suggests heroes should be inherently inadequate to the challenges they face. It's this inadequacy, this underdog status, that endears them to us and makes their journey emotionally gripping. He illustrates this point with a powerful image: an orangutan striking a crane with a stick, a futile yet emotionally charged act of defiance. It's a metaphor for the kind of heroism that Tim believes should be at the heart of storytelling.

Throughout the conversation, Tim emphasizes the importance of allowing heroes to fail and suffer. It's through their trials and tribulations that we, the audience, find a piece of ourselves, empathizing with their struggle and rooting for their success. He also touches on the current trends in storytelling, where characters are often portrayed as too perfect, too idealized, which can disconnect them from the audience.

Are you ready to get more out of your writing, to grow your writing skills, and get that novel done faster? Do you want community, feedback, and mentoring? Check out group coaching for novelists. New sessions begin in 2024. Schedule your free discovery call today at www.wordessential.com/fictioncoaching

Get Alida's musings on life, writing, and the writing life in A Room Full of Books & Pencils. booksandpencils.substack.com 

Show notes, links, & more at www.StoryWorksPodcast.com.

Visit WordEssential.com and book a discovery call today!

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida & Kathryn welcome screenwriter Tim Auld to the Story Works Round Table to discuss the trend in film and literature toward didactic writing, when the (often moral) message of a piece overpowers the story trying to be told. Why is this still happening when audiences are weary of it? What about writing a message-focused story—is there a right way to do it?

Are you ready to get more out of your writing, to grow your writing skills, and get that novel done faster? Do you want community, feedback, and mentoring? Check out group coaching for novelists. New sessions begin in 2024. Schedule your free discovery call today at www.wordessential.com/fictioncoaching

Get Alida's musings on life, writing, and the writing life in A Room Full of Books & Pencils. booksandpencils.substack.com

Show notes, links, & more at www.StoryWorksPodcast.com.

Visit WordEssential.com and book a discovery call today!