Hillary here. We’re on a summer break right now between seasons, but I’m still here some weekly mini-episodes. We'll keep things casual and spend a few minutes chatting about a writing question that's been on my mind lately. Hopefully I'll leave you with some takeaways for your own writing journey!

Our question for today is:

Mentioned in the Episode: 

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

The York Minster’s Statue of Elizabeth II

Writing Excuses Podcast’s Close Reading Series

WWF S4E12 Hillary’s Ask Me Anything

Today, we’ll be talking to writer Jaimie Woo. She’s a Creative Producer, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Consultant, and Communications Expert. Tune in to hear about her career as well as her advice for aspiring writers.

Jaimie's Website

Are You There, Universe (Jaimie's Podcast)

culture.house Media

Jaimie's Picks:

Underworld

Shogun

A Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

It’s time for an ASK ME ANYTHING! We’ll be chatting with Hillary, getting a little more personal about her own writing practice, and learning more about what she’s been thinking about and working on these days.

Picks of the Week:

H: “Of All Things” by Isabel Gallymore

BJ: On Having No Head by Douglas E. Harding

Mentioned in the Episode:

Jessica Brody (Save the Cat! Writes a Novel)

Lisa Cron (Story Genius and Wired for Story)

Elizabeth Gilbert (Big Magic)

Hillary Mantel (A Memoir of My Former Self: My Life in Writing and the Wolf Hall series)

Harlen Coben (thriller writer, series on BBC Maestro)

Cal Newport (Slow Productivity)

The TV show Travel Man with Richard Ayoade

If you have any other questions for either of us, let us know by writing to us at [email protected]. We’ll have some more Ask Me Anything episodes in future seasons of Writing with Friends!

Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the tool we’ll be talking about today is movie trailers!

Picks of the Week:

BJ: Making Sense: Conversations on Consciousness, Morality, and the Future of Humanity by Sam Harris

H:Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

Mentioned in the Episode:

WWF Season 2 Episode 4: Three-Act Structure

Email us your pick of the week at [email protected]. We would love to hear from you.

We’ll be talking about editing your own work. Okay, so you’ve written a first draft of your novel and you know things need to change. But how? And what? Our editing tips today can help!

Picks of the Week:

H: Happy Place by Emily Henry

BJ: “Twelfth Night: Or What You Will” by William Shakespeare

Mentioned in the Episode:

Order—Method: Trollope Learns to Write by Susan L. Humphreys

Mythbusters Video about polishing a turd

Season 4 MINI2: Why should I let my manuscript rest?

If you try out these editing tips, let us know which one was your favorite by writing to us at [email protected].

We’ll be gathering around our metaphorical fireplace for a fireside chat– an honest conversation about how we’re applying a craft topic or tool to our own writing practices, and how you might incorporate this topic or tool into your writing life as well. The tool we’ll be talking about today is our favorite piece of writing software, Scrivener. We’ll focus on the pros and cons of the software.

Picks of the Week:

H: Cars and Trucks and Things That Go by Richard Scarry

BJ: Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarity

Mentioned in the Episode:

Organizing your manuscript  in Scrivener’s Binder System

Scrivener’s Corkboard Feature

Scrivener’s Composition Mode

Adding notes in Scrivener

Organizing research in Scrivener

Split-screen mode in Scrivener

If you try out one of the options from this strategy menu in your own writing practice or if you have your own suggestions about how to best use Scrivener, let us know by writing to us at [email protected]!

Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the tool we’ll be talking about today is body doubling! Do you find it hard to stay on task and focus when you’ve sat down for a writing session? Body doubling can help!

Picks of the Week:

H: Slow Productivity by Cal Newport

BJ: Existence by David Brin   

Mentioned in the Episode:

“What is body doubling for ADHD?” in Medical News Today

London Writers’ Hour

Study with Merve

Study with Celine

If you try out body doubling, let us know how you liked it by writing to us at [email protected].

We’ll be talking about why subplots are the secret ingredients to add depth and complexity to any story.

Picks of the Week:

H: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

BJ: A Descent into the Maelström by Edgar Allen Poe

Mentioned in the Episode:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

If you’ve been developing subplots in your writing project, let us know all about them by writing to us at [email protected]. 

It’s time for an Ask Me Anything! We’ll be chatting with BJ and getting a little more personal about his own writing practice and what BJ’s thinking about and working on these days!

Picks of the Week:

H: The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff

BJ: Qualityland by Marc-Uwe Kling

Mentioned in the Episode:

Mage Knight: The Board Game

The Mad Titan’s Shadow expansion for Marvel Champions

Unreliable Wizard  Board Game

If you have any other questions for BJ, let us know by writing to us at [email protected].  And we’ll also do an Ask Me Anything episode for Hillary later this season, so send your questions our way for that one too!

Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. And the tool we’ll be talking about today is scene cards. Do you ever sit down to write a scene and feel a bit at a loss of how to structure a scene? What should a scene actually include? What makes a scene work or not work? Scene cards can help!

Picks of the Week:

H: Crying in Hmart by Michelle Zauner

BJ: Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola

Mentioned in the Episode:

Story Genius by Lisa Cron (Lisa Cron is the creator of this tool!)

Blog post on Scene Cards from Life Gone Write by Jessica Grace Kelley

If you try out scene cards, let us know how you liked this tool by writing to us at [email protected].