The Creative Writing Life

Author J.A. Merkel (THE FALL GAUNTLET) talks using short stories to hone your writing skills, finding the right balance between sci-fi and fantasy, doing what works for you, and how it all started with the movie CLUE

http://jamerkel.com

Author Bryan Gruley (RIVER DEEP) talks the basics of crime fiction, getting out after painting yourself into a corner, knowing your hook in the first two sentences, multiple POV storytelling, and…flying werewolves?

http://bryangruley.com

Author/instructor Theresa Halvorsen talks about being a “recovering pantser”, knowing your characters beyond their backstory, disagreeing (sort of) with Stephen King, and the multiple versions of a writer’s self-care

http://theresahalverson.com

Author Nina Chayka (SEAGULLS) talks creating and inter-connecting an ensemble of characters, developing a non-linear story, the language of events, and non-traditional approaches to resolution

http://ninachayka.com

Author Neal Lipschutz (LONG ARM OF THE PAST) talks grounding your story with plausibility, creating fallible characters, balancing the unexpected and the cohesive, and fine-tuning the story to play fair with the reader

http://neallipschutz.com

Author Erin Baldwin (GOOD LUCK, BABE!) talks how first-person POV is more “voicey”, representing for queer stories, the challenge of not giving readers the ending they want, and the concept of kayfabe within reality TV

http://erinbwrites.com

Writer/poet Sherre Vernon (TRANSLATING BLUE) talks about loving the sound of words, striking a balance when you write, how complexity is important, and the value of finding the right word

http://sherrevernon.com

Writer/poet Miguel Eichelberger (EVERYTHING IS) talks “translating the untranslatable”, adding human detail, why writers should write everything, the Stargate universe, and “don’t show, let them see”

http://migueleichelberger.com

Authors Sara DiVello (BROADWAY BUTTERFLY) and Leslie Zemeckis (FEUDING FAN DANCERS) talk about the power of stories, remembering women excluded by history, and the fun of nerding out about writing

http://saradivello.com

http://lesliezemeckis.com

Author Jill Rosenberg (NOW I’M PHOTOGENIC AND OTHER STORIES I TELL MYSELF) talks embracing surrealism, overcoming the fear of revealing emotion, and the sound of the story