Write Better, Author Smarter with Autumn Bardot

Blood red and cherry red convey much different feelings. So do color descriptors like ivory and white. Discover how to use color descriptors to enrich your writing.

For all my social media links and books go to AutumnBardot.com

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 A great story is all about character's strengths,  weaknesses, needs, desires, and how they are thwarted from getting it!  Want to write a  great novel? Write great characters.   

This episode is all about character arcs and why you need them for a better plot, more conflict, and a great novel and story.   

🌻 Find all my books, social media links, and/or get new episodes sent to your inbox at https://linktr.ee/AutumnBardot

#characterarc #charactergrowth #writegreatcharacters 

The magic of symbolism! I bet you can rattle off four different songs that have a color in the title.    That’s because color is attached to a spectrum of emotions. Savvy writers know color can symbolize, reveal, and add irony. Color symbolism is fraught with ambiguity and duality, making it a vibrant way to add complexity.  

Symbolism in novels matter.  They bring layered, nuanced ideas, emotions, characterization, and more to a story. Does your novel or story have symbolism? Does it need symbolism to add depth and complexity?    

Symbolism is never ‘this means that.’  Symbols and their layered meanings act as a diving board into a deep pool of emotional, psychological, spiritual, cultural, and intellectual dynamics that YOU decide how to mold and manipulate. It’s just one more tool for your writing toolbox.   

WARNING! Including symbolic language in an effort to sound literary adds nothing to your story. But when the story warrants it, the writer can open up their symbolism toolbox to add depth, nuance, and context to enrich characters, scenes, foreshadowing, plot, and emotions.  

🌻 Get my book The Magic of Symbolism: Enrich Your Novel with Hidden Meaning at https://www.autumnbardot.com/books/

🌻 Get all my books, social media links, and/or new episodes sent to your inbox at https://linktr.ee/AutumnBardot

#literarysymbolism #colorlsymbolism #symboliccolors #authorpodcast #writingpodcast

Beginner writers tend to overwrite.  Do you write  long sentences,? Do you use flowery words? Or do you like to show off your college level vocabulary?  Fancy, big words slow down a story and often comes off as elitist and pompous. It's also confusing and takes the reader out of the story.  Remember,  it's about the story, not the scholarly vocabulary.   In this episode, I share why you don't want to use big, confusing words and vocabulary. Write better. Write a great story.   

🌻 Find all my books, social media links, and/or get new episodes sent to your inbox at https://linktr.ee/AutumnBardot 

✅ GREAT READ “Politics and the English Language” by George Orwell  

#overwriting #beginnerwriter #writingproblems #authorpodcast #writingpodcast

 How do you write a great villain? A memorable villain. A believable villain. Even a supervillain. What if your villain is the protagonist in the story? ( He is in one of mine.)  

 What character traits make a great villain? Can you make a villain lovable or likable?  Villain tropes are boring. You need to add nuance and layers to your villain, bad guy, or antagonist.

 In this episode, I share 14 ways you can add, nuance, complexity, and depth to the villain in your novel and story.  

 ✅ My article on how I made, super villain Vlad Dracula a romantic lead in The Impaler's Wife can be found at: https://www.thefussylibrarian.com/newswire/2019/05/29/character-study-how-vlad-the-impaler-became-a-romantic-lead 

🌻 Find all my books, social media, and/or get new episodes sent to your inbox at https://linktr.ee/AutumnBardot

#writeagreatvillain #greatantagonist #villaincharacteristics #authorpodcast #writingpodcast

Writing and authoring is hard work! A writer needs more than just creativity, imagination, and an idea to write a novel or story. 

 These 10 traits will help you on your path to success!  Which do you have?  Do you have the traits and characteristics of a good writer? Which do you need to focus on or practice?  

This episode shares the 10 traits writers need to help them do what they love most...write a story!  Write better. Author smarter.

🌻 Find all my books, social media posts, and/or get new episodes sent to your inbox at https://linktr.ee/AutumnBardot  

#writelikeapro #writertraits #writebetter  #writingpodcast #authorpodcast

Every scene in a novel and story serves a purpose.  A scene in a novel needs to advance the plot, provide characterization, and a whole lot more. Are you making the most of each scene?   Many beginner writers write scenes that do nothing for a novel. Or the scene does too little. 

Each scene should build upon the other.  Write better, write smarter. Write a great book!  This episode is about the elements you need to write a great scene. What's missing from your scenes? What are you doing right?  Let me know in the comments.  

🌻 Find all my books, social media, and/or get new episodes sent to your inbox at https://linktr.ee/AutumnBardot

#scenechecklist #writegreatscene #whatscenesneed #writingpodcast #authorpodcast

Writers have a lot to complain about. Writing a novel comes with all kinds of problems. There's so much we have to deal with,  manage, learn, and figure out.  Many writing and publishing issues we have no control over.  Admit it, writers like to whine.  That's okay. Sometimes a bit of whining and commiserating is good for a writer's soul.   

In this episode, I share some of  the common writing complaints.  What's your favorite? What do you never complain about? What do you never complain about. Let me know in the comments.  Also, I hope I made you laugh. Or at least smile a bit.   

😜 oops!  Did you catch the editing error? Somehow when I added one of the titles to the video, I didn't delete ALL the letters from "title." Sheesh. LMAO.  I don't know how to change it without deleting the video so I guess I'll leave it up. Ah, the joys of editing.   

🌻 Find all my books, social media, and/or get new episodes sent to your inbox at https://linktr.ee/AutumnBardot

#writerproblems #writercomplaints #authorhumor #authoryoutube #authorpodcast #writingpodcast

Oh, the drama of the family meal! People eating and drinking together is tasty with yummy symbolism.  Why is that, you ask? In ancient times, sharing one’s meal symbolized hospitality and goodwill. Certain foods, drink, or days were associated with religious and social rituals.  If one was breaking bread with someone, it indicated friendship, truce, partnership, or an alliance. 

The human race hasn’t changed all that much. We still enjoy eating with those we like and avoid eating with those we don’t.  Eating and/or fasting rituals are found in most religions. And I can’t think of a holiday that doesn’t center around food and eating. Or fasting and then eating. 

Sharing food is an act of agreement, fellowship, and harmony.  Writing a meal or eating scene is challenging, but can reveal much about the plot, characters, relationships, family dynamics, setting, or culture. 

 ✅ Find my book The Magic of Symbolism: Enrich Your Writing With Hidden Meaning at https://www.autumnbardot.com/books/ 

🌻 Find all my books, social media links, and/or get new episodes sent to your inbox at https://linktr/ee/AutumnBardot

#literarysymbols #symboliceating #mealtimesymbolism  #authorpodcast #writingpodcast

Writing a book is hard! Writing a great novel even harder. Sometimes the challenges are too great and we get caught in writing hell. You don't want this!  Like Dante's Inferno, new and beginner writers struggle with many writing problems before publishing their first story. Each circle comes with its own hellish emotions.  Which circle are you trapped in?  

In this episode, I share the 10 circles or levels of writing issues...because writers need some author humor to put things in more positive, funnier  author perspective. Write Better. Write Smarter.   

🌻 Find all my books, social media, and/or get new episodes sent to your inbox at https://linktr'ee/AutumnBardot

writercomplaints #writerproblems #authorhumor #authorfunny  #authorfunny #authorbodcast #writingpodcast