From brainstorming to revision, Emily shares how her writing process has changed over time and what worked for her when she wrote her most recent fantasy novel.

WE RECOMMEND*

Emily uses this Word Count Tracker and Agent Query Tracker, both available on her store.

The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr. See all of Emily's favorite books on writing here! All books are available in her bookshop.

Trout Fishing in America by Richard Brautigan

Emily recommends Balto by Universal Studios (just the first one!)

LISTENER RESPONSES

We hear from Misty L. Butler.

Misty can be found on TikTok @studioofmistylbutler and Youtube @studioofmistyl.butler2060

HEY JON MEYERS

Emily talks about the fascinating nature of reindeer!

FINAL ACT

Jon Meyers plays Wiki-How-Do-You-Do-It.

*This page contains affiliate links for products we recommend. Thanks for supporting us!

Author/Entrepreneur Sandra Tayler shares her process for cultivating multiple communities, balancing several projects at once, optimizing crowdfunding efforts, choosing the appropriate live events, and a host of other related independent publishing issues.

SANDRA'S LINKS

Sandra Tayler's Website (plus pre-orders for her new book)

Sandra's Patreon

Writing Excuses Retreats

Writing Excuses Podcast

https://writingexcuses.com/

OUR HOSTS GET OUT OF THEIR BUBBLE

Jon Meyers visits a celebrity.

Emily learns that reading the instructions is important.

LISTENER RESPONSES

A YouTube viewer suggests Emily take over as showrunner of... ???

(You'll have to listen to find out.)

CALL TO ACTION

Sandra challenges you to figure out what YOU want from a writing group, then "throw the party that you want to be a part of." Find other like-minded people that want what you want, then step up and host that group yourself. Let us know how it goes in the comments on our ⁠website! ⁠

HEY JON MEYERS

Talking Turkey.

THE FINAL ACT

The longest game of 20 Questions ever. Bring a sandwich.

................................................

AFFILIATE LINKS:

Emily Brooks and Jon Meyers, WRITE ANYWAY: https://amzn.to/4erbV3G

Drip Confections!

Our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/WriteBetterTogether

CONNECT WITH US:

www.writebettertogether.com

www.youtube.com/@WriteBetterTogether

www.instagram.com/WriteBetterTogether

www.facebook.com/writebettertogethernow

www.X.com/WriteBetterTgtr

CONNECT WITH EMILY BROOKS:

www.emilybrookswriter.com

www.instagram.com/EmilyBrooksWriter

www.facebook.com/EmilyBrooksAuthor

CONNECT WITH JON MEYERS:

www.jonmeyersscripts.com

www.instagram.com/FilmicThePage

www.facebook.com/FilmicThePage

www.X.com/FilmicThePage

#writingpodcast #writerscommunity #writinginspiration #booktube

We reflect on our takeaways from Writer Fest 2024 in Nashville!

Physicist and professor Dr. Matthew Huddleston share his research process for his new novel, Final Eclipse, which included on-site exploration, interviews, and study, as well as his own personal expertise. He also shares his unique layering approach to drafting.

MATTHEW'S PROJECTS

Final Eclipse

Substack

Youtube Channel

EMILY'S INSIDE OUT 2 RESPONSE

Read Part 1 of Emily's response to Inside Out 2 here!

LISTENER RESPONSES

Jeanice has some great title ideas for the last chapter of Write Anyway. Share yours with us here!

CALL TO ACTION

Before deciding what will happen, do research for your fiction. Then explore the many possibilities based on what you learned. Let us know how it goes in the comments on our website!

HEY JON MEYERS

Emily talks about generalized anxiety disorder, which she writes about on her blog, https://emilybrookswriter.com/

THE FINAL ACT

Is Emily smarter than a Capybara?

CORRECTION

The episode where Emily shares her writing process will be released December 10th.

We talked (again!) with the wonderful screenwriter Bob Sáenz about marketing yourself and your scripts. We talked about querying, festivals, contests, and other insights about joining the film industry.

BOOKS BY BOB SÁENZ

That's No The Way It Works: a no-nonsense look at the craft and business of screenwriting

Jessica's Vampire Diary

HEY JON MEYERS

Do organic farmers use pesticides?

Emily disagrees with how QI handled this question, so she clarifies the answer.

As you'll see here, the USDA specifically distinguishes non-synthetic substances from synthetic ones.

Austin Francis practices pitching and tells us about his networking experiences. We also talk about the movie business and what it takes to be a screenwriter.

Then, Emily talks about her ringneck doves, and Jon Meyers and Emily play an "Underconsumption Core" scavenger hunt.

Check back next week for our episode with Bob Sáenz where we go even deeper into the business.

Links

A Conversation with Bob Sáenz about Networking

That's Not the Way it Works: A no-nonsense look at the craft and business screenwriting by Bob Sáenz

Storm Warning by David Bell

She's Gone by David Bell

Write Anyway: Giving Yourself Permission to Write No Matter What by Emily Brooks and Jon Meyers

Write Anyway Sample

HEY JON MEYERS

Emily talks about her ringneck doves!

CALL TO ACTION

Keep it positive!

FAIL means "First Attempt in Learning"

NO means "Next Opportunity"

END means "Effort Never Dies"

Are you a writer? Can you confidently say it?

Last week, we were at the Southern Festival of Books and talked to many people who hesitated to say, "Yes, I'm a writer."

We dig into why we hesitate—including our own perfectionism, confidence killers, burn-out, and more—and how we overcome them.

We also learn about the origins of our perception of ghosts and play a silly game where Emily has to create a spontaneous presentation using pre-chosen slides by Jon Meyers.

Write something every day! Emily is taking on the challenge (Jon Meyers already does it!).

Emily learned about transparent ghosts via author @JasonPargin on Instagram here.

Learn more here.

Call to ActionHey Jon Meyers

Full show notes at https://writebettertogether.com/podcast/

We talked with screenwriter David Hal Chester about how he creates characters using a questionnaire (see show notes for questionnaire download)

Learn more about David Hal Chester with these links:

davidhalchester.com
David on IMDB
"Goodbye My Best Friend-Lyric Video"

"Cry the Big Tears" album on Spotify
Echoes of Heartache and Hope

Hey Jon Meyers

Learn more about prison cats here!

Call to Action

Write a one page synopsis of your story.

What is the difference between confidence and self-esteem, and how do they impact our creativity differently? How can we grow in confidence?

We talked with Fallon Bechtel about why she writes and reads fan fiction, and why it's a tool for authors to grow.

You can find Fallon's work at https://archiveofourown.org/users/abrahamsdaughterraisedherbow/works

Fallon can also be found at:

Instagram: @itsmefallonb

X: fallonsbechtel

HEY JON MEYERS

Today's fact came from a video by @tirthak.saha on Instagram

CALL TO ACTION

Choose a character you love from a story you already exist. Write something (a story, poem, song etc.) from their perspective.

WE MENTION

Into the Lantern Waste by Sarah Sparks - Here is a sample song from this "fan fiction" album.

Coyote vs Acme by Ian Frazier