The Written Scene

As fun as it is to create characters and build worlds, the same holds true for our own writing voice. For author K.A. Fox, writing also as Krysta Fox and Kristi Fox allows her to have several ways to tell stories.

In this episode of The Written Scene, K.A. discusses why she uses pen names, the dread of killing off characters due to emotional attachment, reading for escape from the real world, the challenges of writing outside your genre, how playing with her kids when they were young informed her later as a writer, being a plantser instead of just a planner or pantser, the personal importance of writing strong female characters, including real life moments in stories no matter the genre, how writing is an art with a business end to it, sticking to the rules you create when world building, finding ways to wake up the muse, respecting the mental health aspect of being a writer, the proper way to incorporate validation into our writing careers, and much more.

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Music: Addis Ababa

A pen name can say a lot. A sexy pen name? Well, that says it all. For author K.A. Fox, the name allows her to have some fun.

Enjoy this brief teaser ahead of next week's full episode of The Written Scene. And don't worry, it'll be safe for work. Promise.

Music: Addis Ababa by Eshi Era

If you like a thick Chicago accent— and who doesn't— have we got an episode for you.

In this episode of The Written Scene, author and former U.S. Secret Service agent Richard Podkowski discusses how working in law enforcement both helped and hurt him as a writer, the genesis and karma of his debut novel The Walk-On through Acorn Publishing, getting inspiration from the Hallmark Channel, why storytelling was a skill but law enforcement was his choice, learning to be more structured when writing, using other artistic endeavors to keep the creative juices flowing, having a finish line mentality when writing while also remaining flexible, the life milestone of holding a book you wrote in your hands, why it's sexier to write street crime novels, and much, much more.

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Music: Addis Ababa by Eshi Era

Sure, skill is necessary to writing a novel. But for author and former U.S. Secret Service agent Richard Podkowski, a little karma doesn't hurt either.

Enjoy this brief teaser of The Written Scene ahead of next week's full episode with Richard. Please be sure to subscribe, rate, review, and share this and all episodes of The Written Scene.

Music: Addis Ababa by Eshi Era

When it comes to having a fun name for every trick of the writing trade, Marni Freedman, an author, writing coach, and the co-founder of the San Diego Writer's Festival, has you covered.

In this episode of The Written Scene, Marni discusses bridging gaps in the San Diego writing community, how creativity is a life-giving force we can all tap into, opening doors to share power dynamics, being a monkey throwing spaghetti (aka: a writer), wishing she could live just one more day in film school, what writers groups need and when to know you're in a good one, learning storytelling and writing outside of school and other writing atmospheres, choosing to move on instead of saying something's done, what Elizabeth Gilbert said that pissed her off, and much more.

If you're listening to this before April 6th, 2024, be sure to check out San Diego Writers Festival from 9am to 6pm on Coronado Island. It's free and full of vendors and amazing talks you heard about in this episode. If you're listening to this after April 6th, 2024, now you have no reason to miss next year's festival.

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Music: Addis Ababa by Eshi Era

According to author and force of nature Marni Freedman (as well as some scientific proof), sometimes not writing is writing.

Please enjoy this brief teaser of The Written Scene ahead of next week's full episode with Marni.

San Diego Writer's Festival is April 6th. Hope to see you there.

Music: Addis Ababa by Eshi Era

Many people have a story to tell. For author and educator Dr. Darla Calvet, it was imperative.

In this week's episode of The Written Scene, Darla talks about never giving up on writing if it's a passion, being in a familiar spot to get in the zone while writing, becoming more addicted and skilled when you give in to your muse, how writing can be both cathartic and painful, reading in the area in which you want to write, the pros and cons of writing groups with different genres and topics, the harsh sobriety of rejection letters, why humor is needed for both the reader and writer in certain stories, using prompts for places you're stuck, the strange places and times when our best ideas come, and so much more.

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Music: Addis Ababa by Eshi Era

For author and educator Dr. Darla Calvet, writing her story required defying death. Twice.

Enjoy this brief teaser ahead of next week's full episode of The Written Scene.

In over two years of The Written Scene podcast, we've heard about the various paths writers take to becoming an author. If there's one thing you can count on, it's that there is no one single way to becoming an author. Once again, author and law professor Justin Brooks provides further proof.

In this episode, Justin discusses the grind of non-fiction, bias as a writer that can ruin the story you write, how the internet has made fiction more accurate, finding a balance between description and movement, why reading modern writers is important if you want to be a modern writer, the terrible cycle of illiteracy among kids of incarcerated people, adjusting and evolving character while writing the story, being a pantser as both a writer and a student, why the actor Greg Kinnear followed him around the law school where he taught, writing and selling a movie script, and much more.

You Might Go to Prison, Even Though You're Innocent (Univ. of California Press, 2023)

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Music: Addis Ababa

Weekends are meant for your true love: writing fiction.

Enjoy this brief teaser of next week's full episode of The Written Scene with author and law professor Justin Brooks, and be sure to subscribe, rate, review, and share this and all episodes of The Written Scene.

Music: Addis Ababa by Eshi Era