While the word antagonist is the modern accepted word in stories, there is a difference between an antagonist and a layered villain. An antagonist is the obstacle. A villain is a thinking counterpart to the protagonist, acting as the protagonist’s dark mirrored reflection that shatters the façade to show us the protagonist as their true self.  As the Write Pack explores the villain we toss out Nazis, Vampires, Darth Vader, Dracula, Zombies, Moriarty, The Joker, Javert and more. We explore the seductive aspects of the villain and evil.

How do you create a layered villain?  Why is the villain so necessary? What makes a villain memorable? What drives the villain? Are there types of villains? How does the villain tie to the black moment? Is there a relationship between the Villain and the Hero?

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New episodes every Sunday

The Persevering Writer

Why do we bother going through the rejection process to get our books read? If we self-publish, there are other obstacles to overcome just to capture a part of the audience out there. As writers we are looking for validation, which pushes us to send query letters and get back rejections and join writing groups to plug into the creativity.  The publishing process is torturous.  If a writer is going the traditional publishing route, we have to stand out as THE manuscript to stand out from the 30,000 manuscripts that are received by the agent. Then they have to try to sell the manuscript to the publishing house who may not be looking for what you wrote. Then you have to catch the audience, right next to the self-published writer.

All episodes available at:

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New episodes every Sunday

Pantsing vs Plotting

In the world of writing there has been a debate that has raged since the first stories were ever told: Is it better to plot or to fly by the seat of your pants when you write? There are "How to" Articles, Blogs and books on writing that claim one or the other is the best process. Join the Write Pack as we tear into this age old debate. Are you a Pantser? Are you a Plotter? Or does it really even matter when you boil it all down?

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New episodes every Sunday

It has been the rise of the geeks! But who are they? Are they all just Science Fiction and Fantasy Geeks? Or do other genres like horror, mystery/thrillers, and romance  have their geekdom as well and can we all just get along?  Join The Write Pack as the explore geekdom, Comic Con, Bouchercon, gaming, role playing games, comic books, and the past and modern age of geekdom—including crowdsourcing films like Veronica Mars, Star Trek Axanar, and Star Trek Renegades.

Also, here is an article from the BBC about D&D as it was looked at 30 years ago, when there was a mania against parts of Geek culture: The great 1980s Dungeons & Dragons panic: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26328105 

All episodes available at:

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   -  And other platforms

New episodes every Sunday

Can Utopia exist in all the Dystopic Fiction?

With a world filled with Brave New World, The Hunger Games, Divergent, and so many dystopian stories, can Utopian stories be published today?  Is the idea of a Utopian world a fleeting illusion? Can a person or a society grow in a Utopia? Could artist exist? Is mankind able to truly exist in Utopian world or would we get ourselves expelled or choose to leave as Bilbo left the Shire?

OR

Is one man’s Utopia another man’s dystopia?

The Write Pack explores Star Trek, Logan’s Run, Brave New World, The Hunger Games, Batman, Divergent, 1984, Transformers, The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings as they try to tackle the debate between Utopia vs. Dystopia.

 

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New episodes every Sunday

Cyborgs vs Androids Vs Robots

Science Fiction and Science fact are blending in the modern world, bringing independent robots, cyborgs and androids closer to reality. How does that affect the writer? Is there a difference in how these tropes of Science Fiction are written? Is science fact shaping how these characters will fill the world of reality and the fantasy of Science Fiction?  The Write Pack tackles these questions and much more as they explore the pop culture and the possibilities of the realities of cyborgs vs. androids vs. robots.

 

All episodes available at:

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New episodes every Sunday

The question every writer faces in the modern world of publishing is if they should choose to try to be traditionally published, self-published or a hybrid. It is not an easy decision and can shape your career as a writer. This debate, which has raged and simmered for years has been fanned into an inferno of dueling blogs around the question: Has the publishing world now been divided into a “caste system.” Follow along as the Write Pack feels their way through this maze.

The following blog posts are for reference.

The blog that fanned the flames: The New Class System  http://writerunboxed.com/2014/02/05/the-new-class-system/

My Amazon bestseller made me nothing: http://www.salon.com/2013/03/15/hey_amazon_wheres_my_money/

Author Earnings Data Supports DBW Findings | Digital Book World: http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2014/author-earnings-data-supports-dbw-findings/

The 50k Report – Author Earnings: http://authorearnings.com/reports/the-50k-report/

Book Sales: Running the Number:  http://stlsinc.blogspot.com/2014/02/book-sales-running-numbers.html

Hugh Howey and the Indie Author Revolt: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/61116-hugh-howey-and-the-indie-author-revolt.html?et_mid=661161&rid=240749728 (Note you need a subscription to the magazine to see this---so if you don’t have one, check out your local library. Many subscribe to Publishers Weekly)

All episodes available at:

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   -  And other platforms

New episodes every Sunday

Have you ever had to hide what you read? Have you ever not read a book or a series because others have told you that it is wrong, evil, or other derogatory term ? Have you ever been turned down for a date, lost a friend, kicked out of a group, because you choose to read something they thought you shouldn't? Why do we have banned books? Inspired by a situation where a girl turned down a guy for reading the Hunger Games and Twilight, The Write Pack dives into the question—Are we judged by what we read and do we hide it?

The question every writer faces in the modern world of publishing is if they should choose to try to be traditionally published, self-published or a hybrid. It is not an easy decision and can shape your career as a writer. This debate, which has raged and simmered for years has been fanned into an inferno of dueling blogs around the question: Has the publishing world now been divided into a “caste system.” Follow along as the Write Pack feels their way through this maze.

The following blog posts are for reference.

The blog that fanned the flames: The New Class System  http://writerunboxed.com/2014/02/05/the-new-class-system/

My Amazon bestseller made me nothing: http://www.salon.com/2013/03/15/hey_amazon_wheres_my_money/

Author Earnings Data Supports DBW Findings | Digital Book World: http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2014/author-earnings-data-supports-dbw-findings/

The 50k Report – Author Earnings: http://authorearnings.com/reports/the-50k-report/

Book Sales: Running the Number:  http://stlsinc.blogspot.com/2014/02/book-sales-running-numbers.html

Hugh Howey and the Indie Author Revolt: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/61116-hugh-howey-and-the-indie-author-revolt.html?et_mid=661161&rid=240749728 (Note you need a subscription to the magazine to see this---so if you don’t have one, check out your local library. Many subscribe to Publishers Weekly)

Music: Paperback Writer by the Beatles. All rights remain with them.

Amusing the Muse

What is the muse? Why does it drive us so crazy? Is it something inside of us or, as the ancient Greeks thought, something external? The Write Pack explores what the muse inspires and how it drives us nuts. Write Pack Radio 's first episode airs on 3/2, with the Pack exploring that crazy thing we call a muse. What the heck is this drive, this arrogance, this urge to create art with the belief that others will want it? Why does it drive some to success and others to self-destruction. The Write Pack explores . . .

All episodes available at:

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   -  And other platforms

New episodes every Sunday