Your Writing Does Not Suck

No matter how good your story idea, if your pacing is off, the story goes flat and your reader feels the real world pulling them out.

In this podcast, the ladies talk about different levels of pacing – by sentence, by scene, and by act. They also discuss some of the different pacing aspects that are often key for the beginning, middle, and end of the book.

Jess notes the similarities of writing fight scenes and intimacy scenes, as well as some of the common issues she encounters when getting a manuscript.

QUOTE: “It doesn’t matter what’s been written in your story so far. It’s how you fill up the rest of the pages that counts.” - Anonymous

LINKS:

Margie Lawson Academy

The Anatomy of Story by John Truby

The Winner's Curse trilogy by Marie Rutkoski

Entwine by Tracey Shearer

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded and edited by Anne M. Belen.

In this episode the group discusses how characterization is integrated into every aspect of a story, as well as the idea that “character” is a verb. Jessica also stresses the need to establish your character’s Ordinary World in order for people to care about them.

The ladies touch on different ways of planning your story – a plotter versus a pantser (panzer?) – and Jess gets two strikes for inappropriate gaffes that Anne has refused to edit out.

QUOTE: “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” – C.S. Lewis

LINKS:

The Hero With a Thousand Faces (The Hero's Journey) by Joseph Campbell

RED (Retired Extremely Dangerous)

Save the Cat by Blake Snyder

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded, edited, and not completely botched by Anne M Belen.

In Part Two of this section, critique group member Troy Kozen joins in for more insights into what makes a critique group work.

Topics include philosophies behind giving and receiving critique and the difference between giving feedback as a newbie versus giving feedback as a seasoned critiquer.

QUOTE: "Don’t be pushed by your fears, be lead by your dreams." – Ralph Waldo Emerson

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not suck was recorded and edited by Anne M Belen.

If you look into writing advice, everyone tells you to get into a critique group. But not all critique groups are created the same. And how do you even do it? And what do you do if you’re just not meshing with the group?

This time around, the ladies talk about how they formed their critique group, as well as other groups they created, and what kinds of ground-rules should be laid out coming in. They stress the importance of diligent attendance, even during dry spells, and the equal importance of being honest about what you want out of a group.

Also, Anne says the word “uncomfortable” too many times.

QUOTE: "Be around people who are good for your soul."  – anonymous until someone claims it

LINKS: If you’re local to the Seattle area, these were the places we found like-minded writers:

- Pacific Northwest Writers Association:https://www.pnwa.org/

- University of Washington Popular Fiction Program: https://www.pce.uw.edu/courses/fiction-writing-the-novel

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded and edited by Anne M Belen.

Ah, tropes. They are the very thing that attracted you to that book in your hand – the story promise that you were seeking. So how and when do those beloved tropes slide into the much-despised cliché territory? 

In this episode Jess the editor hits on some of those distinctions, and Anne confesses the reason behind her love of K-drama before going slightly sideways into outlining her heartbreak over The Walking Dead decisions of later seasons.

Tracey then leads us into discussion about villains – both clichéd and not – that can work well equally, perhaps summoning He Who Must Not Be Named.

QUOTE: "Keep going, because you did not come this far just to come this far." – Play on a Tom Brady quote

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded and edited by Anne M Belen.

In this episode, the ladies get into effective ways of using Sensory Detail through the five senses. They discuss what that is exactly, how to not overdo it, and how it strengthens character Point of View.

They then explore visceral reactions, followed by Jess’s attempt to convince them there are actually eight senses.

*Sorry for the mic bumps. Anne has Big Hand Gesture Syndrome. She’s Italian. 

QUOTE: "Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change." – Wayne Dyer

REFERENCES AND LINKS:

Entwine by Tracey Shearer

The senses of proprioception, vestibular input, and interoception: https://www.spdstar.org/basic/your-8-senses 

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded and edited by Anne M Belen.

This pilot episode quickly introduces editor Jessica Petersen and writers Tracey Shearer and Anne M. Belen.

They then hop right into the different kinds of POV (Point of View) authors can choose from and noted industry trends, before exploring the importance of keeping POV consistent and what your genre might mean for making that decision. They also discuss the pros and cons of First and Third Person POV, why no one seems to want to touch Second Person that often, and when and how to use Omniscient effectively.

Anne confesses to some newbie trauma in her early writing years, Tracey drops a few technique tips, and, as always, Jessica offers industry insights.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "We do not see things as they are. We see things as we are." - Anonymous

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded and edited by Anne M. Belen.