The Write Note

In this episode J Ryan and Keira discuss the importance of creating an engaging premise when crafting a story and share their Top-3 list of story examples having an awesome premise.

Episode highlights:

01:25         What if?

02:53        The components of a great premise

04:50        Character is King: Clever Premise Edition

10:35          Amazing amber idea

12:59          Rewarding heroics

16:08          Strange

19:40          Boarding

22:13          A bunch of firsts

24:39         Again and again

27:10           Fun fact

This episode is a horse of a different color as J Ryan and Keira take a deep dive into idioms. Join their exploration of how these beloved expressions of speech have permeated our culture and day to day lives and learn the amazing history and origin of some of their favorites.

Episode highlights:

01:55 What is an idiom?

03:50 Our verbal culture (Tribal Knowledge)

05:35 Character is King: Idiom Edition

12:50 Let it whip

16:25 The “All” of something

18:35 Siriusly?

21:10 Couldn’t be more different

22:38 Boxing, jumping, acting, or sailing?

25:16 You’re not worthy 

In this episode, J Ryan and Keira welcome romance & fantasy author Kara Douglas to discuss the tropes of love, unraveling fate, and making magic. Kara also shares her key to social media book promotion and how she gets advanced copies of her books into readers hands.

Episode highlights:

01:20               Blending Genres

03:45              Character is King: Mixed Genre Edition

09:59              Welcome Kara Douglas

10:47               Lunaria’s theme

13:35               Fitting in the fantasy

17:05               Inspiration in Ireland

21:50               Pantser vs Plotter

26:15               Why Alice In Wonderland?

29:05              Kara’s social media advice

35:55              Unraveling the ARC process

In this episode, J Ryan and Keira welcome USA Today bestselling thriller and suspense author Luana Ehrlich to discuss the secret of being a prolific writer, the challenge of juggling multiple series characters, and the art of intertwining faith with thrills and chills.

Episode highlights:

01:15               What makes a prolific author?

05:45             Character is King: Long Running Series Edition

11:17               The lost era of appointment TV

13:43               Welcome Luana Ehrlich

17:45               It blew their minds

20:01               The origin of Titus Ray

26:02              Weaving in the faith

30:54              The pros, cons, and humor of First Person POV

36:45              Finding a voice for your hero (in audiobooks)

40:54              Keeping characters distinct

45:10               A day in the life of Luana Ehrlich

53:35              Reflections of life in Michigan

In this second installment of the Lyrically Speaking series, J Ryan and Keira shine a festive light on classic Christmas songs and explore the lyrics that make the holidays bright. Along the way, they share not-so-well-known stories behind these beloved tunes and reveal a 400-year-old mystery surrounding one cherished Christmas carol.

Episode highlights:

02:14               Holiday inspiration and irony

03:24              Character is King: Christmas Edition

09:20              A picture postcard of Christmas—with morbid edges?

13:20               What other type of Christmas is there?

17:47               A toe-tapping celebration of Santa Claus

22:37               An ancient manuscript recorded by a King

28:28               The exuberance of youth…and an elf

32:28               It captures Christmas Eve so well

37:48               Our own Scrooge moment

In this episode, J Ryan and Keira take a deep dive into Pixar Studio's 22 Rules of Storytelling, examining each rule and sharing examples of how they are executed in popular films and in their own writing projects. They also unveil Pixar's unique corporate creative process, "The Pixar Braintrust," and discuss how it came to be.

Episode highlights:

03:33 George Lucas, Steve Jobs, ILM & the birth of Pixar

05:59 The Pixar Braintrust

08:06 Character is King: Pixar Edition

14:53 Diving into the 22 Rules of Storytelling

18:07 When do you see the theme in your work?

24:17 The End is the beginning…and the middle

27:40 Learn what you like, then use it

31:26 An obvious way to surprise yourself

36:54 Keeping it real…no matter the circumstance

41:55 It’s such a waste, or is it? (Even after 14 years)

47:17 Exercise: Fix a broken story

Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling PDF Download

In this episode, J Ryan and Keira welcome author Dony Jay to discuss writing action-packed spy thrillers from a Chistian perspective. Dony also shares his insights into police procedurals, and how his 20-year career as a police investigator has prepared him to write his new crime thriller series.

Episode highlights:

01:52               How much of ourselves do we put in our fiction?

07:20              FRAK!

09:40             Character is King: Law Enforcement Edition

16:37               Welcome Dony Jay

17:56               Fiction with Conviction

21:18               Breaking the curse (word)

24:56              What do crime & mystery authors get wrong?

33:12               Writing facts vs writing fiction

37:45              Dony’s secret to character development

45:35              The challenge of independence

51:08               Book trailers and marketing

In this episode, J Ryan and Keira welcome thriller author Jack Arbor to discuss his action & espionage series The Russian Assassin, the weight of Cold War history, and the challenge of crafting a lovable anti-hero. The conversation also delves into the business side of independent publication and the benefits of cultivating an extensive Beta Reader network.

Episode highlights:

02:58             Growing up during the Cold War – A brief history

07:48             Did you feel the doom? - Anxieties of a new generation

10:06              Character is King: Cold War Edition (Technicality ahead!)

17:22               Welcome Jack Arbor

20:04             Creating Max Austin

24:20             The flavor of a place

35:10              The art of Product Market Fit

40:58             The best sketch artists

46:14              Who would play your main character?

48:00             Jack’s Beta Reader process

54:32             Getting the world right in Book-1

59:44             Bourbon or beer?

1:03:14            Makin’ Coffee

In this episode, hosts J Ryan and Keira dive into the world of music to discuss how the structure and conventions of the modern pop song provides fertile ground for excellent writing, and they share their favorite examples of stellar lyrics from songs over the past 70 years.

Episode highlights:

02:41                    Structure, constraints, and good writing

05:36                   Character is King: Music Edition

12:55                    A masterclass of concise writing

17:30                    Wait, the song is about that?

21:29                    A band transforms

24:40                   Correcting the record on a tortured artist

28:05                   A self-deprecating character study

32:50                   The song is the same, you’re the one who changed

In this episode contemporary romance novelist Kristy Lynae Moore joins J Ryan and Keira to talk about travel adventures, life on a ranch, and a fascination for a particular Kingsman. Kristy also discusses how she discovered and fell in love with the art of typography, and shares her biggest challenge with independent publishing.

Episode highlights:

01:25                    Do you like to travel?     

02:57                   Overselling the Mona Lisa

05:11                    Character is King: Travel Edition

09:31                    Welcome Kristy Lynae Moore     

11:27                    What to leave in, what to leave out

15:57                    Splitting time between writing, typography, and motherhood

17:32                    Immortalizing the Exs

19:33                    Crushing on the Kingsman

24:00                   Discovering a love for typography

29:23                   Handling critiques

33:31                    The hardest part of publishing

36:12                    Can you elaborate on the ranch?