Write Where We Belong (3WB)

Writers tend to think of writing as creating and editing as a destructive chore. This episode discusses how to make the transition from the role of writer to the editor's role.  We also learn how prepare ourselves to perform the emotion-free editing which is necessary for making our stories better.

Science fiction and fantasy writers know that one of the more important elements of developing their stories is world building -essentially creating the environment where the story takes place. Whether it’s dystopian cyberpunk or magical fantasy with six legged unicorns doesn’t matter. Setting up the world in a way that lacks credibility or pulls focus away from the story you want to tell is a recipe for rewrite.

This episode is about world building, and some of the things to consider while you are burrowing down the rabbit holes of your imagination.

We all want to keep it real when we write, after all accuracy is important. But how real is too real? This episode discusses how we can naturally keep the story moving forward without getting bogged down in the mundane.

It's ridiculously easy not to write. However, writers can leverage non-writing time to enrich their stories just by paying attention to what's going on around them. Non-writers surrounded by cars rolling bumper to bumper see only a traffic jam. A writer, on the other hand, sees the details that can be used to enrich his or her next story. 

Is it time to call it quits or to dig in and plug away? Writers frequently struggle with this question. We agonize over the results of our writing process. Something gets lost between the vision in our head and the draft we create. Discouraged when we reread a few pages, we succumb to the feeling that we have somehow fallen short, that we lack the talent, and will never meet our ultimate writing goals. This episode discusses the questions to ask yourself before you throw in the towel.

This episode discusses the story, what it is and what it can be. While many elements make a story great, Steve focuses on creating characters that help keep the reader engaged.

We've been told that ideas are all around us if we know where to look. Even so, we can feel like the well has run dry. We think that we have nothing to write about and the inspiration to create is lacking. This episode discussed how to use Steve's HP method to build a story that leverages reader curiosity, contrasting characters, and meaningful conflict that drives the story forward. 

Writers often discuss what makes a someone a writer. Some say it's inborn talent, others say it's the environment, and still others say it's a sprinkling of both. They're all missing the point. It's something else completely.   

The Ides of March is coming and the soothsayers have told us to beware. But should we? This episode introduces the Write Where We Belong Podcast, a show dedicated to helping the storytellers, dreamers, plotters, and schemers of the writing world. Please join the 3WB writers community on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/432485814679925 and continue the conversation on Twitter using #3wbpodcast.