http://wordplay-kmweiland.blogspot.com en-us ℗ & © 2009 K.M> Weiland Helping writers become authors. K.M. Weiland Historical and speculative novelist K.M. Weiland offers tips and essays about the writing life, in hopes of helping other writers understand the ins and outs of the craft and the psychology behind the inspiration. (Music intro by Kevin MacLeod.) Historical and speculative novelist K.M. Weiland offers tips and essays about the writing life, in hopes of helping other writers understand the ins and outs of the craft and the psychology behind the inspiration. (Music intro by Kevin MacLeod.) K.M. Weiland km.weiland@ymail.com K.M. Weiland Good manners says overlooking the occasional and inevitable little boo-boo is the better part of courtesy. To be effective in sharing our knowledge with the leetspeakers, we have to realize why most people hate the guts out of Grammar Nazis and then approach with caution. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/nazis.mp3 Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT 6:12 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, grammar, grammar nazis, grammar police, diction, style, spelling K.M. Weiland Three's a crowd - especially when authors have to juggle three or more characters in a single scene. How do we juggle scenes in which multiple characters are all supposed to be acting and talking? http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/multiple.mp3 Sun, 22 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT 5:36 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, Characters, scenes, dialogue K.M. Weiland Today I'd like to share some of the major catalytic moments in my writing journey. Even the Margaret Atwoods and Stephen Kings had to log their time as frustrated, fearful authors who had no idea what they were doing. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/how-i-learned.mp3 Sun, 15 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT 7:04 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, reading, schedule, writing process, crit partners K.M. Weiland When overdone, explanations can leave your reader feeling as if he's drowning in a flood of wordy information. Always be aware of why you're including a particular explanation, then reevaluate it to determine its value and don't be afraid to chop it if it's interrupting the information that's of true importance to your story. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/explanations.mp3 Sun, 08 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT 5:05 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, plot, explanations, telling, showing, info dump K.M. Weiland Twelve writing resolutions - one for each month! This year, instead of making a complete list of writing resolutions for the whole year, try implementing one new resolution every month. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/12resolutions.mp3 Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT 4:33 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, new year, resolutions, goals K.M. Weiland The (mostly) writing-specific gifts I'm thankful for this Christmas. Today, I'd like to share a little bit of my own holiday cheer with a list of the (mostly) writing-specific gifts I' thankful for this Christmas. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/gifts.mp3 Sun, 25 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT 4:33 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, christmas K.M. Weiland Five suggestions for culling the real story idea contenders from the wannabes and also-rans. Although sorting through our fat idea folders can sometimes seem like an overwhelming challenge, don't forget that an abundance of ideas is an author's greatest blessing. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/whichstory.mp3 Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT 5:26 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, inspiration K.M. Weiland 25 Christmas gift ideas for the fellow writer on your list, all priced at $25 or less. You might find the perfect gift for the fellow writer on your list - or you may find something to add to your own "Dear Santa" list! http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/under25.mp3 Sun, 11 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT 2:57 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, christmas, gifts, gifts for writers, tools, reading K.M. Weiland A good flashback is sometimes just the ticket for bringing to life an important event in your character's past. To flashback or not to flashback? Sooner or later, that's a question every writer is confronted with. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/flashback.mp3 Sun, 04 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT 7:05 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, flashback, backstory K.M. Weiland What's the difference between action and reaction? It's vital the author understand the differences between action and reaction, so he can identify which course is preferable at key moments in the story http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/pistons.mp3 Sun, 27 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT 5:09 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, action, reaction, plot, dominos K.M. Weiland Let's take a look at what successful mimicry is and is not. Copying another writer boils down to nothing more or less than mimicry, and mimicry, as we all know, is one awesome compliment. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/mimic.mp3 Sun, 20 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT 6:04 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, studying, reading, plagiarism K.M. Weiland Are there certain rules that are concrete and others that aren't? When the writing gurus tell you to be brave and break some rules, for crying out loud, which rules are they talking about? http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/break.mp3 Sun, 13 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT 5:13 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, rules, art K.M. Weiland The wrong choice of just a single word can be enough to give readers a completely different perspective of a character. When you write your story, but particularly as you revise, be on the watch for the balance that emerges about your character from the details you present. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/see.mp3 Sun, 06 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT 6:50 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, most common mistakes, Characters, internal monologue, narrative K.M. Weiland Which is scarier - writing or lion taming? Let's take a look at ten methods for cracking our whips at our fears and forcing them to respond to our shouts of "back, back, vicious beast!" http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/fear.mp3 Sun, 30 Oct 2011 05:00:00 GMT 6:50 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, fear, writing buddy K.M. Weiland The closing line is the one that determines how well your story works - and whether or not your reader will find your story a satisfying experience. Explore the five elements that will help you craft the kind of closing line that caps your entire story and leaves readers with a feeling of unforgettable resonance. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/closingline.mp3 Sun, 23 Oct 2011 05:00:00 GMT 8:20 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, endings, pacing, theme K.M. Weiland We see a lot of hype these days about books that are too lengthy for agents or editors to consider. But what about books that fall short of the expected word count? In comparison to giving your overweight manuscript liposuction, fattening up an anorexic story often feels like trying to create something out of nothing. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/lengthen.mp3 Sun, 16 Oct 2011 05:00:00 GMT 5:45 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, word count, revision, showing, telling, minor characters K.M. Weiland Sometimes too many characters can become way yonder too much of a good thing. When authors are dealing with large casts of characters, readers sometimes find themselves in grave danger of character overload. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/overload.mp3 Sun, 02 Oct 2011 05:00:00 GMT 4:40 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, beginnings, Characters, most common mistakes, scenes K.M. Weiland The one thing all readers share is their strong opinions about what makes a book resonate with them. What makes a good book? Everyone has his own take. Some readers like action, some prefer romance. Some like a little of both. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/goodbook.mp3 Sun, 25 Sep 2011 05:00:00 GMT 4:40 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, Characters, ending, style, Theme K.M. Weiland Opening lines offer authors their first and best opportunity to make a statement about their stories. The opening line of your book is your first (and, if you don't take advantage of it, last) opportunity to grab your reader's attention and give him a reason to read your story. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/firstline.mp3 Sun, 18 Sep 2011 05:00:00 GMT 7:03 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, opening line, beginnings, voice, setting, characters, opening question K.M. Weiland A little trick authors can use to make even their darkest anti-heroes sympathetic. If you find yourself with a dark character on your hands, stop worrying about whether or not audiences will like him and up the odds by giving him a dog to pet. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/dog.mp3 Sun, 11 Sep 2011 05:00:00 GMT 7:03 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, characters, protagonist, hero, anti-hero K.M. Weiland In order for something to happen next, something has to happen to begin with. Let's take a look-see at some of the signs your scene may be more of the nothin' sort than the happenin' sort. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/happening.mp3 Sun, 04 Sep 2011 05:00:00 GMT 7:03 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, book, books, most common mistakes, conflict, internal monologue, description, dialogue, backstory, K.M. Weiland Something has to be keeping your hero locked in his conflict with the antagonist - and vice versa. Let's take a gander at seven possible adhesives you can use to keep your protagonist and his antagonist stuck like glue. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/glue.mp3 Sun, 28 Aug 2011 05:00:00 GMT 4:10 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, characters, antagonist, protagonist, motive, conflict K.M. Weiland Creating a likable character isn't as easy as snap-your-fingers-and-Jimmy-Crack-Corn. Likable characters require careful crafting if they're to come to life in a way that is not only believable but compelling. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/captain-america.mp3 Sun, 21 Aug 2011 05:00:00 GMT 4:10 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, Characters, action, protagonist, Captain America, K.M. Weiland In writing, the little mistakes are often the big mistakes. Make sure you're not letting any of these potentially tragic gaffes sabotage your reader's trust in your competency. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/stylistic-mistakes.mp3 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 05:00:00 GMT 4:10 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, most common mistakes, grammar, style, punctuation K.M. Weiland Writing time is precious, and the last thing we want is someone barging into our solitude. Guidelines for getting friends, family, co-workers, and pets to respect your writing time - without your needing to resort to death threats. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/respect-time.mp3 Sun, 07 Aug 2011 05:00:00 GMT 6:28 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, time, writing life, schedule K.M. Weiland Few authors reach publication with their first novel Life is too short and too full of stories for us to spend all our time slaving away on just one book. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/kick.mp3 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 05:00:00 GMT 5:08 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, first draft, revision, publication K.M. Weiland What does this idea that "the story knows best" really mean? The phrase "the story knows best" is a pie-in-the-sky concept used by writers to describe the indescribable. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/storyknowsbest.mp3 Sun, 24 Jul 2011 05:00:00 GMT 5:10 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, Conscious, Creativity, Inspiration, Subconscious, Unconscious K.M. Weiland You might find yourself walking through the yellow caution tape into the pothole of deus ex machina before you realize the danger. This plot device might have worked for the ancient Greeks and Romans, but for modern authors it presents a number of difficulties. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/machina.mp3 Sun, 17 Jul 2011 05:00:00 GMT 5:56 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, deus ex machina, endings, foreshadowing, climax, suspension of disbelief K.M. Weiland The mark of a truly great author is the ability to write compelling and realistic characters of both genders. Writers too often create unrealistic characters by imposing their own perceptions (or fantasies) onto the opposite sex. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/gender.mp3 Sun, 10 Jul 2011 05:00:00 GMT 5:56 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, Characters, crit partners, research, stereotype, write what you know K.M. Weiland You may be lying to your readers without even realizing it. Your opening line may be bristling with energy, danger, and barbed fishhooks with which to reel in your readers, but if the paragraph that follows pulls the old switcheroo, your reader is more likely to be irritated than impressed. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/lying.mp3 Sun, 03 Jul 2011 05:00:00 GMT 5:41 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, opening line, beginnings, most common mistakes K.M. Weiland The more time we spend studying our craft and the more we learn, the easier it is to lose sight of our own fallibility. No matter where we are in our writing lives, no matter how many bad stories we write, no matter how many good stories we write, no matter how much we've learned or how much we've mastered - we still don't know anything. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/noexperts.mp3 Sun, 26 Jun 2011 05:00:00 GMT 5:41 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, Art, Writing Life, studying, K.M. Weiland Boredom indicates only apathy. And the apathetic reader won't be your reader for long. If you can avoid these five boredom bombs, you can slay reader apathy before it starts and keep them riveted from page one all the way through to the end. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/boredom.mp3 Sun, 19 Jun 2011 05:00:00 GMT 5:23 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, conflict, stakes, action, repetition K.M. Weiland How do we know which word is the "right" word? Let's explore four sophisticated linguistic techniques for choosing and using words. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/perfectword.mp3 Sun, 12 Jun 2011 05:00:00 GMT 5:23 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, style, Grammar, voice, sentence structure K.M. Weiland Let's take a look at some of the common pitfalls of the first-person narrator and how to avoid them. The first-person narrator, more than any other type of narrator, is inclined to lapse into self-centered telling, in which he overpowers the story, at the expense of the other characters and even the plot itself. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/1stperson.mp3 Sun, 05 Jun 2011 05:00:00 GMT 5:49 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, first-person, third-person, narrative, narrator, Showing, Telling, thoughts, sentence structure K.M. Weiland To cap every story with a happy ending is dishonesty to both ourselves and our readers. Few of us would want to subsist on a steady diet of tragedy, but all of us are better for having occasionally cleansed our reading palate with the astringent bite of these unflinching portrayals of bittersweet truth. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/sadendings.mp3 Sun, 29 May 2011 05:00:00 GMT 5:56 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, endings, happy ending, sad ending, Theme, honesty, emotion, grief K.M. Weiland You need to understand the basics of this integral type of scene if you're going to blind readers from overexposure to your action awesomeness. Fight scenes, chase scenes, and other action extravaganzas appear in stories of every genre, so consider these tips to make sure yours are legendary http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/panda.mp3 Sun, 22 May 2011 05:00:00 GMT 7:40 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, fight scenes, action, dialogue, Characters, Showing, Telling, tension, research, Originality, sentence structure, kung fu panda K.M. Weiland Sometimes the more we try to be original, the more hackneyed our stories end up sounding. Are there any original stories left to be written? And, if so, how do you find one to write? http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/original.mp3 Sun, 15 May 2011 05:00:00 GMT 4:48 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, Originality, Creativity, honesty, Cliches, stereotypes K.M. Weiland What techniques are most useful for making the most of your daily writing time? Organizing my daily writing routine into a series of specific steps helps me get the most out of every minute I spend writing. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/routine.mp3 Sun, 08 May 2011 05:00:00 GMT 4:48 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, Characters, Journaling, music, Outline, proofreading, research, schedule, writing routine K.M. Weiland Why do you write? Simple question that it is, it can be surprisingly difficult to answer. At the end of the day, what's important isn't so much understanding the reason you write as it is accepting that you don't always need an explicit reason. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/reasons.mp3 Sun, 01 May 2011 05:00:00 GMT 5:00 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, Art, message, catharsis, money, Creativity, motivation, jeff vandermeer, booklife K.M. Weiland The 50-page edit centers us in our story, reminds us of what we've already written, and keeps us on track for the next 50 pages. The 50-page mark is the perfect place to stop and remember where you've been, so you have a better idea of where you're going. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/50page.mp3 Sun, 24 Apr 2011 05:00:00 GMT 5:15 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, Editing, proofreading, revision, first draft, james scott bell K.M. Weiland Don't jeopardize your characters' witty dialogue with punctuation and stylistic mistakes. Let's a take a look at two means for indicating speakers and varying the rhythm of speech and narrative: the speaker tag and the action beat. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/speaker.mp3 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 05:00:00 GMT 5:36 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, most common mistakes, dialogue, speaker tags, action beat, Telling, punctuation K.M. Weiland What if I told you that the best stories are those that feature protagonists and antagonists who share more in common than not? The more similar your hero and villain, the stronger your story, the more realistic your characters, and the deeper your exploration of theme. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/sharedtraits.mp3 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 05:00:00 GMT 6:11 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, Characters, protagonist, antagonist, goals K.M. Weiland Writing may be a solitary endeavor, but a writer's life shouldn't be. As important as it is to claim large chunks of uninterrupted writing time, it's also important that we make time to actually live our lives. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/solitude.mp3 Sun, 03 Apr 2011 05:00:00 GMT 6:43 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, loneliness, solitude, Time, writing buddy, schedule, Writing Life K.M. Weiland I'm about to introduce you to the wisest writing mentor you're ever likely to meet. Yourself. If you've ever found yourself wishing for a writing mentor - someone with the savvy, experience, and generosity to reach down and guide you in your own writing journey - today's your lucky day! http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/advice.mp3 Sun, 27 Mar 2011 05:00:00 GMT 5:31 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, k.m. weiland, wordplay, helping writers become authors, criticism, crit partners, Unconscious, Subconscious, Conscious, artistic vision K.M. Weiland If you are bold, precise, and definite in your choice of words, your readers will feel the power of your prose. As the creator of our worlds and our characters, we don't have to wallow in the quagmire of vague details and fuzzy ideas. We can make statements of authority because, if we're not the authority in our stories, who is? http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/vague.mp3 Sun, 20 Mar 2011 05:00:00 GMT 5:17 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, most common mistakes, style, Grammar, prose, generality, specificity K.M. Weiland An overview of subjects and questions to keep in mind as you develop your speculative setting. Even if you already have a good idea of the specifics of your world, taking the time solidify your ideas by answering these, and other, questions can inject more life and realism into your setting and allow you to spot flaws and inconsistencies. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/fantasy.mp3 Sun, 13 Mar 2011 05:00:00 GMT 6:02 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, Setting, fantasy, speculative fiction, verisimilitude, K.M. Weiland Quick, what annoying trait do writers and I Love Lucy share? Some words are overused so often that they find their way onto the Wanted: Dead or Alive list of practically every author, agent, and editor (not to mention reader). http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/tics.mp3 Sun, 06 Mar 2011 05:00:00 GMT 6:29 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, Critiquing, dialogue, Editing, Grammar, overused phrases, overused words, style, tics K.M. Weiland Laziness and fear - a writer's two great nemeses - do their best to keep us stuck in the writing rut. Thanks to laziness and fear - and often oblivion - it's much too easy to fall into comfortable patterns that eventually descend into blatant repetition. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/rut.mp3 Sun, 13 Feb 2011 05:00:00 GMT 5:36 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, Originality, genres, Inspiration, motivation, creativity K.M. Weiland It's all too easy for authors to risk confusing readers by showing the effect of an action, before showing the cause itself. If you can strengthen the narrative of your story by showing a logical progression of cause and effect, you'll end up with leaner prose, more honest character reactions, and more involved readers. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/causeeffect.mp3 Sun, 06 Feb 2011 05:00:00 GMT 6:28 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, most common mistakes, cause and effect, narrative, suspension of disbelief K.M. Weiland First-time novelists often make the mistake of believing their first novels will be the most difficult writing of their lives. Recognizing, and even appreciating, the fact that writing will always be difficult, frees us from the doubt, and even guilt, of feeling we'll never be good enough - because the truth is we won't. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/easier.mp3 Sun, 23 Jan 2011 05:00:00 GMT 5:52 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, Inspiration, writer's block, Writing Life K.M. Weiland Aside from writing itself, reading is the single most important element in a healthy writing life. Studying stories of the type you want to write is legitimately important research, and don't let anyone tell you differently. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/whatyouwanttowrite.mp3 Sun, 23 Jan 2011 05:00:00 GMT 4:50 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, Cliches, Inspiration, motivation, reading, research, studying K.M. Weiland One morning you boot up your computer, glance through the manuscript file, and realize "This stinks!" Now what do you do? No story is perfect; no author is perfect. This is a sad fact that every writer has to face sooner or later. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/stinks.mp3 Sun, 16 Jan 2011 05:00:00 GMT 5:37 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, creative lollygaggging, crit partners, Editing, Inspiration, objectivity, rewriting, writer's block K.M. Weiland Using "there" at the beginning of sentences and phrases is the lazy way out. Whenever you see the word "there" used as a pronoun, you can be sure it's being used as a crutch to hold up a weak and passive sentence. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/there.mp3 Sun, 09 Jan 2011 05:00:00 GMT 4:38 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, active, most common mistakes, passive, Showing, Telling, verb K.M. Weiland Ten writing resolutions that you can fulfill this year. When we focus on the goals that are slightly more achievable, we're not only more likely to pull them off, but we'll also feel much better about ourselves come next year. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/resolutions.mp3 Sun, 02 Jan 2011 05:00:00 GMT 6:01 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, completion, Critiquing, goals, Inspiration, schedule, studying, writer's block K.M. Weiland Ever since Edward Bulwer-Lytton slapped readers with his infamous "dark and stormy night" line, writers everywhere have been leery of misusing weather in their stories. Weather, like most description, is best delivered in small doses, interspersed with the action and dialogue, and offered only when important. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/weather.mp3 Sun, 26 Dec 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:14 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, Description, emotion, imagery, irony, Setting, stakes, symbolism, tension, weather K.M. Weiland One of the most common bits of telling I run across is also one of the easiest to overlook. Keep your eyes open for places where you can effortlessly strengthen your scene by using verbs that show instead of tell. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/verbs.mp3 Sun, 19 Dec 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:07 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, details, most common mistakes, senses, Showing, Telling, verb K.M. Weiland Like vine-ripened tomatoes, stories require the slow nourishment of sunlight and warm imaginative soil to grow into rosy, juicy maturity. It takes time and breathing space for us to figure out which ideas are worth committing to for the long haul. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/ripen.mp3 Sun, 12 Dec 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:25 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, completion, discipline, failure, first draft, success K.M. Weiland Just as our stories are unique, so are our personalities and lifestyles - and, as a result, our working patterns. It's vital that each author discover for himself the methods that work best for him. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/whatkind.mp3 Sun, 05 Dec 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:28 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, method, Rules, schedule, Time, Writing Life K.M. Weiland I'm here to offer a shocking declaration: Description gets a bad rap. Avoiding description is impossible, and attempting to avoid it does nothing but tie an author's hand. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/description.mp3 Sun, 28 Nov 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:40 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, Description, details, scenes, telling detail K.M. Weiland Take a step back and do some thinking about why you're devoting such a huge chunk of your life to this story. Figure out what makes this story more worth writing than any other story, and let that reason empower you in every subsequent word you write. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/why.mp3 Sun, 14 Nov 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:08 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, artistic vision, commitment, motivation, premise, Snoopy's Guide to the Writing Life K.M. Weiland Many a book has lost all hope of timelessness thanks to its heavy use of cutting-edge references, which may be fresh today, but which will have grown stale and flat in ten years. Pleasing both our present and future readers can seem like an impossible task. But with a little bit of foresight and practicality, we can sidestep the most egregious pitfalls. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/dating.mp3 Sun, 07 Nov 2010 5:00:00 GMT 6:10 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, Characters, dichotomies, juxtaposition, prop, Setting, Subtlety K.M. Weiland Juxtaposition is the art of contrast, the foundation of dichotomy, and the tool of both subtlety and boldness. One of the easiest ways to add depth to a story is to introduce one of the most marvelous techniques known to writers: juxtaposition. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/juxtaposition.mp3 Sun, 31 Oct 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:25 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, Characters, dichotomies, juxtaposition, prop, Setting, Subtlety K.M. Weiland A character standing still - especially if he's standing still just thinking - isn't doing much to move the plot forward. A character who's moving - even if he's just walking across the street - gives the reader the sense that the story is moving forward along with him. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/motion.mp3 Sun, 24 Oct 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:31 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, action, dialogue, motion, narrative, scenes, the deepest breath, writer's block K.M. Weiland I don't have a favorite character. As an author, I can't afford to. When we write from a character's POV, we must become that character - and that means that if we fail to love him, we will fail to understand him and, as a result, end up looking down our noses and sermonizing. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/love.mp3 Sun, 17 Oct 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:51 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, antagonist, Characters, motive, pov, protagonist, verisimilitude K.M. Weiland So just what is dialogue is really capable of? It's easy enough to make our characters talk to each other and even relatively easy enough to make what they say interesting to the reader. But if interesting is the only burden our dialogue is carrying, it's not doing its share. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/dialogue.mp3 Sun, 10 Oct 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:28 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, audience, Editing, Inspiration, research, Rules K.M. Weiland Have you ever heard any these nuggest of advice and lived to regret it? Some of the worst advice ranges from downright discouragement to bits that perhaps are specific only to some of us. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/worstadvice.mp3 Sun, 03 Oct 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:28 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, audience, Editing, Inspiration, research, Rules K.M. Weiland Another (highly unscientific) survey to discover some of the best writing advice Because writing is an art form that can largely be learned, and because it is a craft that can always be perfected, most writers learn early on to study to show themselves approved. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/bestadvice.mp3 Sun, 26 Sep 2010 5:00:00 GMT 6:16 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, Description, Rules, studying, Theme, voice, discipline, Editing, revision K.M. Weiland Every time you set your fingers on your keyboard, every time you take a pen in hand - you are a writer. It's much too easy for us - no matter where we are on the writing ladder - to feel that what we're writing isn't important enough to qualify us for a full-fledged Writer Card. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/areyouawriter.mp3 Sun, 19 Sep 2010 5:00:00 GMT 6:35 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, Inspiration, Creativity, calling, orson scott card K.M. Weiland If you can't find the exact data you need, get as close as you can and wing the rest. So long as you've exhausted your avenues of research, and so long as you've got a little chutzpah on your side, you can fake what you don't know, and readers will never notice the glue between the cracks. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/research.mp3 Sun, 12 Sep 2010 5:00:00 GMT 7:09 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, research, suspension of disbelief, verisimilitude, behold the dawn, A man called outlaw, telling detail K.M. Weiland The art of the mysterious is at the heart of every type of story, not just mysteries and suspense. The specifics of the mysteries in every story will differ according to each story's demands, but following are some general guidelines on what information an author can and can't safely withhold. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/mysterious.mp3 Sun, 05 Sep 2010 5:00:00 GMT 6:16 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, backstory, intrigue, plot holes, suspense, suspension of disbelief K.M. Weiland Like so much of the writing life, the answer to this little conundrum is largely bound up in each writer's personality and preferred working methods. In order to decide whether you should edit as you go or not, you need to evaluate your writing methods and decide whether or not perfectionism is likely to slow you down to the point where that first draft will never get written http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/asyougo.mp3 Sun, 29 Aug 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:58 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, Editing, revision, proofreading, Subconscious, perfectionism, Creativity, first draft K.M. Weiland When used to their full potential, pronouns have the power to accomplish a number of impressive tasks. Using pronouns to replace character names, whenever possible, creates a seamless flow of narrative that puts the focus on the what and how of your scene once you've established the who. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/pronouns.mp3 Sun, 15 Aug 2010 5:00:00 GMT 4:51 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, pronouns, Grammar, style, names, suspension of disbelief, narrative K.M. Weiland Minor characters provide the color and conflict that fill our protagonists' worlds. For every vivid minor character with whom you surround your protagonist, you'll be able to give readers one more reason not to put your story down. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/dazzling.mp3 Sun, 08 Aug 2010 5:00:00 GMT 6:03 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, minor characters, character arc, Characters, Theme, A man called outlaw, behold the dawn, dreamers, Cliches, goals, motive, stakes K.M. Weiland If a story doesn't resonate first and foremost with you, why think it will ever be able to touch a reader? Even perfectly crafted books can't always guarantee an emotional reaction from readers. So how do you go about infusing this all-important essence into your fiction? http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/resonance.mp3 Sun, 25 Jul 2010 5:00:00 GMT 6:01 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, emotion, Inspiration, subjectivity, Subconscious K.M. Weiland Creating a character who acts in exciting and larger-than-life ways is wonderful, but unless this character also has a reason for these actions, he will ultimately fail to capture readers' attention. Readers want to understand a character by seeing what he does. However, often, it's what a character wants to do that matters even more. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/motive.mp3 Sun, 18 Jul 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:22 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, action, Characters, goals, motive, Showing, subplot, Telling K.M. Weiland Crafting a good premise sentence is valuable for a number of reasons. All stories begin with a premise. But, often, our original conceptions are hazy and unformed. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/premise.mp3 Sun, 11 Jul 2010 5:00:00 GMT 6:35 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, Characters, conflict, Inspiration, Outline, outlining, Plot, premise, premise sentence, what if K.M. Weiland Some writers consider the thesaurus their secret weapon; others regard it as a crutch. If you feel that a thesaurus would benefit your writing, why not use it? In my case, the benefits far outweigh any drawbacks, and my thesaurus remains a valuable tool in my writing toolbox. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/thesaurus.mp3 Sun, 04 Jul 2010 5:00:00 GMT 4:37 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, thesaurus, Subconscious, Unconscious, Conscious, Creativity, vocabulary, stephen king K.M. Weiland As an author, your most powerful gift is your unique and integral view of the world. When you strip fiction down to its essentials, the authors viewpoint is all there is. He may mask it artfully in the colorful garb of diverse characters and impartial dialogue, but if he’s not willing to share with his readers his own passionate worldview, he’s not giving them anything more than fluff. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/soapbox.mp3 Sun, 27 Jun 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:08 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, honesty, message, Risks, Theme, world view, john truby, eric maisel, a writer's space, the anatomy of story K.M. Weiland The truth is I really have no idea what I'm doing. In fact, no author does. If we flip the coin on its head, and look at the other side, we discover some mighty interesting benefits to this seeming defeatism, including the marvelous commiserative comfort of knowing that even the likes of Hemingway and Goldman struggled with getting a story to work. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/nobody.mp3 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 5:00:00 GMT 4:38 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, Inspiration, writer's block, Subconscious, emotion, Writing Life, ernest hemingway, william goldman K.M. Weiland The secret to memorable characters isn't so much creating a strong character as it is creating a strong character arc. You can come up with the most entertaining, marvelous character imaginable, but unless you also give him a strong and convincing character arc, his story will lack depth and power. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/arc.mp3 Sun, 13 Jun 2010 5:00:00 GMT 4:28 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, action, beginnings, character arc, Characters, climax, endings, inner journey, outer journey, Plot, Showing, Telling K.M. Weiland How do create an inciting event that will fuel your plot and drive your characters forward? The inciting event is the moment your character's world is forever changed. It knocks over the first domino in the line of dominoes that forms your plot. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/inciting.mp3 Sun, 06 Jun 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:08 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, inciting event, beginnings, conflict, dominos, action K.M. Weiland Writing longhand is an invaluable technique my writing would suffer without. Returning to the caveman technology of pen and paper can have a surprisingly freeing effect on our muses. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/longhand.mp3 Sun, 30 May 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:42 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, writing longhand, outlining, Outline, Editing, Subconscious, Conscious, Tools, writer's block, Inspiration, Unconscious K.M. Weiland Fiction is about the specifics. The difference between specific fiction and general fiction is the difference between stories that come to life and stories that lie dead on the page. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/generality.mp3 Sun, 23 May 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:11 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, details, telling detail, generality, specificity, careers, Setting K.M. Weiland A tour of a writing space. It's important to discover the atmosphere that best encourages your creativity and foster that atmosphere as much as possible. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/station.mp3 Sun, 16 May 2010 5:00:00 GMT 4:33 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, discipline, talent, Creativity, Inspiration K.M. Weiland The only way to be a better writer is to be a better person. We're all striving to be the best writers we can be. But the only way to be a better writer is to be a better person. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/improve.mp3 Sun, 09 May 2010 5:00:00 GMT 2:35 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, writing space, Inspiration, writers block, tools K.M. Weiland How many times have you come up with a brilliant idea - a story so dazzling, a character so real, a snippet of dialogue so scintillating that it knocks you breathless - only to have it fail to live up to your vision when you start putting it on paper? Chances are good that our stories will never quite live up to our expectations, but the challenge of bridging the chasm between idealized concept and finished product is one of the joys of the craft. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/planned.mp3 Sun, 2 May 2010 5:00:00 GMT 4:46 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, Inspiration, rough draft, Editing, Outline K.M. Weiland Learn to trim your sentences into lean, mean bundles of incisive power. If we want our characters and plots to hit the reader to the fullest effect, we have to put our sentences on a strict exercise regime that will let them emerge buff and trim and strong enough to the bear the weight of our stories. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/skinny.mp3 Sun, 25 Apr 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:30 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, prose, style, Grammar, dialogue, active, passive, voice, Cliches, Editing, proofreading, punctuation, Modifiers, Adjectives, Adverbs, noun, verb K.M. Weiland Stereotypes can be successfully applied in two ways: we can use them and we can play off them. Because stereotypes are widely recognized, they provide us common ground with the reader. From that starting place, we then have the option of using the reader's expectations to our advantage in any number of ways. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/stereotype.mp3 Sun, 18 Apr 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:02 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, stereotype, Cliches, Characters, Originality K.M. Weiland As writers, the one thing we can't afford is not to daydream. Too often, in the mad rush of life's busy work, daydreams are relegated to the shadowy cellars of our minds. We'll think about them when we have time. When time never seems to come, however, our daydreams become a luxury we can't afford. But, as writers, the one thing we can't afford is not to daydream. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/daydream.mp3 Sun, 11 Apr 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:13 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, Inspiration, daydream, imagination, Time, writer's block, creative lollygaggging, K.M. Weiland Tips for distilling your settings to the perfect number. We often lose sight of the fact that settings are more than scenery. They're the cohesive grounding, the foundation, of the whole story - and as such they need to be used with sparing care. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/toomany.mp3 Sun, 04 Apr 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:05 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, Setting, foreshadowing, minor characters, john truby, anatomy of story K.M. Weiland Finding perfect harmony between ordinary and extraordinary will produce just the right about of conflict between the character and his setting. Readers want fiction to be extraordinary enough to thrill them with its strangeness and excitement. But they also want it be ordinary enough for them to find aspects they can relate to. So how is a writer supposed to pull off this apparent paradox? http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/extraordinary.mp3 Sun, 28 Mar 2010 5:00:00 GMT 4:37 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, Characters, conflict, extraordinary, ordinary, premise, Setting, tension K.M. Weiland This charming little story features almost all of the important tenets of a story arc. Who knew furry little rodents were such experts on story arc? See the foundational art of the three-act structure acted out to perfection! http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/mouse.mp3 Mon, 22 Mar 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:23 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, plot points, Plot, character arc, Characters, beginnings, middles, endings, characteristic moment, backstory, inciting event, dominoes K.M. Weiland Rewriting can be both fun and easy. Following are some of the tricks I've learned along the way. Rewriting is hard work, but it's also very freeing and satisfying. Raising your story to its full potential, cutting its weaknesses, and beefing up its strengths is exciting! Don't lament the work; revel in it. As E.B. White pointed out: The best writing is rewriting. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/rewrite.mp3 Sun, 14 Mar 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:22 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, dreamers come, Editing, rewriting, scenes K.M. Weiland When authors whose stories have impacted the world start talking, we start listening. Take a look at the following collection of wisdom on a myriad of writing topics. Be instructed, and be inspired! When authors whose stories have impacted the world start talking, we start listening. Take a look at the following collection of wisdom on a myriad of writing topics. Be instructed, and be inspired! http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/lessons.mp3 Sun, 07 Mar 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:16 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, beginnings, Characters, Description, dialogue, Editing, endings, Inspiration, Originality, Plot, rewriting, Showing, Telling, style, Subtlety, titles, voice K.M. Weiland At times, procrastination can seem like an incurable disease. Fortunately, however, I have an infallible solution, and it can be summed up in three little words. Much as we love writing, as soon we sit down and take one look at that intimidating blinking cursor, our tendency is to start procrastinating, usually with seemingly innocent minutiae that adds up before we know it. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/three.mp3 Sun, 28 Feb 2010 5:00:00 GMT 4:43 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, procrastination, Inspiration, writer's block, K.M. Weiland Just as we light our own torches from the fires of other authors, our own ideas will throw sparks onto the tinder of others' imaginations. Confession time: I pilfer the wealth of other writers' words on a regular basis. I filch characters. I purloin themes. I steal plots. In other words, I am a big fat thief. And I want you to be one too. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/steal.mp3 Sun, 21 Feb 2010 5:00:00 GMT 4:30 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, Characters, dialogue setting, plot points, reading, vocabulary K.M. Weiland Here's a little trick to help narrow the gap between your idealization of your story and its printed reality: Write yourself the perfect review. If you could have a professional reviewer read your book and totally get it - completely understand everything you were trying to say with your characters, plot, dialogue, and themes - what would he write about your story? Close your eyes for a moment, emotionally distance yourself from your story, and pretend you're that reviewer. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/review.mp3 Sun, 14 Feb 2010 5:00:00 GMT 4:13 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, review, plot, characters, theme, editing, outlining, dialogue K.M. Weiland The simple fact is that fiction requires both plot and character to achieve its full potential. Good writing should not be about pitting plot against character, but rather about finding the harmony between them. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/plot.mp3 Sun, 7 Feb 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:34 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, Characters, characters and viewpoint, commericialism, genres, literary, Orson Scott Card, Plot K.M. Weiland In the best of stories, setting is an inherent key in bringing to life not just the scenery but the characters themselves. In the best of stories, setting is an inherent key in bringing to life not just the scenery but the characters themselves. As such, it isn't something we can afford to overlook. Your answers to the following questions may show you the weak points in your setting construction and help you use it to its full potential. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/setting.mp3 Sun, 31 Jan 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:22 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, details, Elizabeth George, empire of the sun, j.g. ballard, michael connelly, pacing, pov, Setting, settings, write away K.M. Weiland We've transformed the internal editor into a monster of epic proportions, but only because we haven't learned to utilize him. We've transformed the internal editor into a monster of epic proportions, but only because we haven't learned to utilize him. Our editor's not a fiend; he's a friend. The best friend - and the best tool - a writer can have. But only if we embrace him. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/embrace.mp3 Sun, 24 Jan 2010 5:00:00 GMT 4:51 author, fiction, novels, writing, writer, story, criticism, Editing K.M. Weiland Is our writing just a fun pastime - or is it a calling? Is our talent and desire for writing a gift we're meant to use? Or is it just a harmless hobby, something to pass the time that others might pass by remodeling classic cars or playing soccer? Is our writing just a fun pastime - or is it a calling? http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/calling.mp3 Sun, 17 Jan 2010 5:00:00 GMT 4:11 author, fiction, novels, writing, Art, calling, careers, Inspiration K.M. Weiland For some writers, word counts can prove more problematic than they're worth. If you find you're focusing more on your word count than your words themselves, you might want to consider releasing yourself from what could end up being a habit destructive to your productivity. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/count.mp3 Sun, 10 Jan 2010 5:00:00 GMT 4:30 author, fiction, novels, writing, Creativity, word count, writer's block, behold the dawn, Time, K.M. Weiland If, by the end of the year, you can cross the following habits of successful authors off your checklist, you'll be a force to reckon with in the literary world! Haven't made your New Year's resolutions yet? The following list is an excellent place to start, whether you're jumpstarting your writing career, or whether you've been writing for years and need to scrape off some rust. If, by the end of the year, you can cross the following habits of successful authors off your checklist, you'll be a force to reckon with in the literary world! http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/habits.mp3 Sun, 03 Jan 2010 5:00:00 GMT 5:17 author, fiction, novels, writing, Rules, Inspiration, Creativity, research, outlining, Editing, critiquing K.M. Weiland Chapter breaks are do-or-die territory for novelists. Not every chapter needs to end with a cliffhanger, but they do need to encompass a question powerful enough to make the reader crazy to know the answer. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/breaks.mp3 Sun, 27 Dec 2009 5:00:00 GMT 5:19 author, fiction, novels, writing, chapters, chapter breaks, conflict, emotion, dialogue, metaphors K.M. Weiland When planning your scenes, even scenes where what's said is what's important, give your characters something to do. By allowing your characters to communicate with their bodies as well as their mouths, you can open up a whole new layer of nuance in your dialogue. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/talking.mp3 Sun, 20 Dec 2009 5:00:00 GMT 4:14 author, fiction, novels, writing, Characters, dialogue, talking head avoidance devices, Elizabeth George, write away K.M. Weiland Why not tap into the power of music when you need the inspiration most: while you're writing. If you haven't already done so, make music a part of your writing routine - and reap the benefits of immersion in the magical realm of stories without words. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/music.mp3 Sun, 13 Dec 2009 5:00:00 GMT 4:35 author, fiction, novels, writing, A man called outlaw, behold the dawn, Creativity, Inspiration, muse, music, the deepest breath K.M. Weiland The better the artist, the more varied his work. Every once in a while, dare to step outside the bounds of normalcy and see what unexpected adventures you can find off the beaten path. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/genre2.mp3 Sun, 6 Dec 2009 5:00:00 GMT 4:35 author, fiction, novels, writing, genres, Stephen King, janet evanovich, john grisham, nora roberts, writer's digest, jessica strawser, historical, fantasy, literary, suspense, steam punk K.M. Weiland I argue that keeping a writing-exercise journal is an ineffective, inefficient, and occasionally even detrimental habit. Maybe journaling is a mine of creative gems for some people. Maybe it is conducive to that sometimes elusive dance with the muse. But maybe it's also a waste of time. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/journal.mp3 Sun, 29 Nov 2009 5:00:00 GMT 5:29 author, fiction, novels, writing, Journaling, writing prompt, writing exercise, Creativity, procrastination K.M. Weiland When your story demands you kill a prominent character, how do you tap into the power and pathos without infuriating your readers? Some of the most powerful stories in literature and cinema have a surprising common element: The death of a main character. At first glance, this would seem to be an instant turnoff. Why hang with a character for 300+ pages only to watch him get knocked off in the end? But the truth is, when handled properly, the death of a character can add untold power and pathos to a tale. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/kill.mp3 Sun, 22 Nov 2009 5:00:00 GMT 5:38 author, fiction, novels, writing, characters, emotion, foreshadowing, endings, happy ending, gladiator, a prayer for owen meany, john irving, Audrey Niffenegger, the time traveler's wife K.M. Weiland This week, I decided to take a highly unscientific poll in an effort to discover the most common reasons a reader stops reading. When a reader pokes his bookmark in between the pages, stretches, yawns, and drops a novel back on his nightstand, it's a terrifying moment for both novels and novelists alike. This is the moment we've worked and sweated and prayed to avoid. And yet it's a problem that few of us will entirely escape in our careers. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/stop.mp3 Sun, 15 Nov 2009 5:00:00 GMT 6:21 author, fiction, novels, writing, Characters, Description, dialogue, emotion, Gratuitous, language, Plot, sex, violence K.M. Weiland How do you know when to heed criticism? How do you know what's worth listening to? You can start by asking yourself the following six questions. How do you know when to heed criticism? How do you know what's worth listening to? You can start by asking yourself the following six questions. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/critique.mp3 Sun, 08 Nov 2009 5:00:00 GMT 5:10 author, fiction, novels, writing, crit partners, criticism, Critiquing K.M. Weiland Take a look at the following list of classic characters and the dichotomies that made them so memorable. Fiction writing doesn't offer many shortcuts or magic formulas. But today I am going to give you give you a secret ingredient in that coveted recipe for memorable and realistic characters. What is this ingredient? Dichotomy. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/dichotomous.mp3 Sun, 01 Nov 2009 5:00:00 GMT 6:50 author, fiction, novels, writing, arsenic and old lace, aubrey/maturin series, Characters, dichotomies, frank capra, it's a wonderful life, jane austen, kidnapped, Pride and Prejudice, robert louis stevenson, treasure island K.M. Weiland So how do you go about creating emotionally resonant stories? It's simple: You create stories with which you resonate. As much as we want readers to intellectually appreciate the intelligence of our writing, we need them, even more, to react to the underlying pull of the story and its characters with utter, unthinking emotion. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/emotional.mp3 Sun, 25 Oct 2009 5:00:00 GMT 5:05 author, fiction, novels, writing, emotion, Elizabeth George, write away, Right Brain, Left Brain, Conscious, Unconscious K.M. Weiland Often, it's easier and more productive to start with the last scene in a series and work your way backwards. Facing the wide, blank unknown of a story can be scary. Putting one foot in front of the other, when you're unsure of the terrain, can be overwhelming. But when you can work your way backwards from a known plot point, finding your way becomes as simple as filling in the blanks. And the result is a story that falls into order like a row of expertly placed dominoes. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/backwards.mp3 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 5:00:00 GMT 4:31 author, fiction, novels, writing, dominos, Outline, outlining, Plot, plot points, the deepest breath K.M. Weiland A little dryness of mouth, a little dampness of face, a little quiver in the abdominal region - these are the symptoms of sheer, unadulterated panic. These are the symptoms of a good writer. Whenever your comfort zone starts getting too comfortable, it's a sure bet you're no longer challenging yourself. Writing scared means pushing yourself to the limit, tackling projects that look unconquerable, and always forcing yourself to go just a little bit farther than you think you're capable of going. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/scared.mp3 Sun, 11 Oct 2009 5:00:00 GMT 5:09 author, fiction, novels, writing, Inspiration, motivation, fear, overcoming fear, living on the edge K.M. Weiland By letting the reader imagine all the filler details, the stuff that's not actually important to the plot, readers create for themselves a scene that is both vivid and completely believable. Experienced writers have learned that less really is more. Readers have great imaginations, and experienced writers have learned how to tap into them to make their own work come across more vividly and more believably. Experienced writers have learned how to give only the essential details of a scene in such a way that readers imagine everything else. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/lazy.mp3 Sun, 04 Oct 2009 5:00:00 GMT 4:41 author, fiction, novels, writing, Description, details, guest post, jason black, telling detail K.M. Weiland For better or worse, art (like life) is subjective. Not one of us looks at a story, a painting, a movie, or a concert in the same way. Experiencing art is like watching clouds. Two people can lie on the same grassy hill, watching the same cloud formations. But how they interpret the shapes of the clouds is an entirely individual experience. You may see a poodle on a leash, while in the same cloud, I see a drag race. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/subjectivity.mp3 Sun, 27 Sep 2009 5:00:00 GMT 5:35 author, fiction, novels, writing, subjectivity, criticism, Critiquing, Art, artistic vision, stephen r. lawhead, hood K.M. Weiland Writing for an audience, instead of merely to an audience means you're molding your artistic vision to please the whims of the public. Know your audience is a common tenet of all media. After all, if you don't know your audience, you can't give them what they want, right? Yes and no. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/audience.mp3 Sun, 20 Sep 2009 5:00:00 GMT 6:16 author, fiction, novels, writing, audience, artistic vision, sophomore novel, crit partners, criticism, writing life stories, bill roorbach, kristen keckler K.M. Weiland Nine traits of a good beginning. Unfortunately for us harried writers no surefire pattern exists for the perfect opening. However, most good beginnings do share a couple traits. Following are nine. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/9beginnings.mp3 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 5:00:00 GMT 6:23 author, fiction, novels, beginnings, backstory, characters, conflict, intrigue, writing K.M. Weiland Is angst a necessary ingredient for creativity? Guest post by psychologist/writer Carolyn Kaufman. Everyone talks about angst-ridden creative people, and I've had several readers ask me if angst is in fact a necessary ingredient for creativity. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/angst.mp3 Sun, 06 Sep 2009 5:00:00 GMT 8:49 author, fiction, novels, creativity, angst, mental illness, bipolar disorder, manic depression, carolyn kaufman, Michelangelo, Jackson Pollock, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Kurt Cobain, Billy Corgan, Ernest Hemingway, Stephen King, soul K.M. Weiland Characters need to do something to prove themselves worth defining. As writers, it's often very easy for us to talk on and on about our characters' intentions. If we're not careful, we often let our characters' mouths run away with them, as they spend chapter upon chapter sitting around discussing and planning their next move. But guess what? Most readers don't care about what your characters are planning to do. They only care when they actually do it. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/defines.mp3 Sun, 30 Aug 2009 5:00:00 GMT 5:35 author, fiction, novels, Characters, Showing, Telling, Batman Begins, Christian Bale, Katie Holmes K.M. Weiland Genres too often lead to cliched storylines, sub-par writing, and, in the long run, a less discerning and demanding reading public. Art isn't something that thrives within set parameters. By its very nature, creativity must be free to grow beyond even its creator's initial concepts. When we sign up as genre writers - led on perhaps by our own love of certain types of literature, perhaps by the lure of the money and fame that attaches itself to successful genre writers - we may be making the best possible commercial decision a writer can make in his career. But, as artists, do we honestly want to put the money before the art? Is a career as a best-selling author worth surrendering the opportunity for deeper and broader artistic license? http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/genres.mp3 Sun, 23 Aug 2009 5:00:00 GMT 6:01 author, fiction, novels, genres, Creativity, careers, Marketing, artistic vision, commericialism K.M. Weiland Particularly during this modern trend of beginning stories in medias res (in the middle of things), a deep and full-bodied backstory is every whit as important as the story itself. When Ernest Hemingway spoke about the dignity of an iceberg being " due to only one-eighth of it being above water," he was speaking about the importance of the part of the story that isn't told. Those nine-eighths underwater are the ballast for the tiny bit that juts up to glisten in the sun. And, more often than not, those nine-eighths are almost entirely composed of one of the most important - and yet sometimes overlooked - facets of any tale. Backstory. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/backstory.mp3 Sun, 16 Aug 2009 5:00:00 GMT 5:31 author, fiction, novels, backstory, outlining, characters, Ernest Hemingway, Audrey Niffenegger, Milena McGraw, Daphne DuMaurier, Orson Scott Card, subtext K.M. Weiland What your character does for a living, even if it doesn't feature prominently in your story, will profoundly affect who he is and how he responds to the world around him. We're defined by what we do, by our jobs and our career choices. Mention a profession (mechanic, stock broker, bull rider) and definite images and presuppositions pop to mind. As writers, we can hardly afford not to take advantage of those presuppositions when crafting our characters. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/careers.mp3 Sun, 9 Aug 2009 5:00:00 GMT 5:28 author, fiction, novels, perseverance, writer, writing, Characters, write away, Elizabeth George, andre dubus iii, A man called outlaw, behold the dawn K.M. Weiland If you are willing to stick with a story and resist the urge to let go when the going gets tough, you are likely to discover one of the most important traits of any artist: perseverance. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of sticking with a story, even when it seems beyond hope. It is true that not every story will be worth continuing, but every story is worth a second chance. Sometimes the most difficult and seemingly worthless stories are the ones that will explode into brilliance if only you grit it out and keep hacking away at them. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/stickwith.mp3 Sun, 2 Aug 2009 5:00:00 GMT 5:48 author, fiction, free, novels, perseverance, failure, inspiration, writer block, behold the dawn, writer, writing K.M. Weiland Tutorial for yWriter, the quintessential organizer for writers. yWriter was designed by author and programmer Simon Haynes, who apparently saw the same needs I saw in my own writing life and was able to use his programming expertise to put together one humdinger of a program. yWriter in the quintessential organizer for writers. It allows you to see your scenes, chapters, characters, settings - and just about anything else you can think of - all at a glance. As an extensive outliner, I've found it particularly helpful in organizing my mountains of eventually undecipherable scrawl into neat, easily accessible notes. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/ywriter.mp3 Sun, 26 Jul 2009 5:00:00 GMT 4:45 author, Characters, fiction, free, novels, open source, organizing, Outline, settings, simon haynes, Software, spacejock, tutorial, writer, writing, yWriter K.M. Weiland Cliches need not be dreaded bogeymen who haunt our work, but rather exciting and multi-faceted challenges that we can make work for us in many ways. The sad fact is that, with thousands of cliches roaming about the vast landscape of the English language, it's pretty darn near impossible to write a story without cliches. This is a fact. It's also a fact that cliches are pretty much the kiss of death (pardon the, well... you know) in fiction. So how can authors go about reconciling this dichotomy? http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/cliches.mp3 Sun, 19 Jul 2009 5:00:00 GMT 6:49 cliches, a man called outlaw, self-editing for fiction writers, rennie browne, dave king, K.M. Weiland Pacing is like a dam. It allows the writer to control just how fast or how slow his plot flows through the riverbed of his story. Understanding how to operate that dam is one of the most important tasks an author has to learn. Pacing is like a dam. It allows the writer to control just how fast or how slow his plot flows through the riverbed of his story. Understanding how to operate that dam is one of the most important tasks an author has to learn. Without this skill, we end up writing stories that variously lack momentum, feel uneven, become anticlimactic, and seem melodramatic. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/pacing.mp3 Sun, 12 Jul 2009 5:00:00 GMT 6:33 pacing, jessica page morrell, Showing, Telling, details, pov, sentence structure, fiction, writing, novel, story K.M. Weiland Learn why the details of an author's prose decide whether a story will be the entertainment of an hour or a lasting piece of literature. We can write the most enthralling story ever told, but if we don't artfully wield the details of that story, it will never live up to its full potential. As artists, we can't avoid looking at the big picture at the expense of even the tiniest detail. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/details.mp3 Sun, 05 Jul 2009 5:00:00 GMT 6:34 Kristin Heitzman, details, telling detail, verb, noun, Gary Provost, description K.M. Weiland Learn why readers connection with imperfection in characters, more than perfection. At first glance, it makes sense that the likability factor would be the single most important consideration a reader has in, well, liking a character. But I'm going to posit that likability is overrated. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/likability.mp3 Sun, 28 Jun 2009 5:00:00 GMT 4:53 Characters, Charles Dickens, jane austen, Dashiell Hammett, Margaret Mitchell, dreamers come, heros, anti-heros, dichotomies, conflict, cliches K.M. Weiland How authors can encourage the growth of vocabulary and use it to enhance their writing. It's a sad fact that modern society is no longer as literate as it once was—and most authors don't seem to be doing a lot to raise the bar. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/big-words-die.mp3 Sun, 21 Jun 2009 19:00:00 GMT 5:48 vocabulary, language, noah lukeman, george orwell, michael perry, fiction, novels, writing K.M. Weiland Discovering what drives emotion in fiction and how to elicit it in readers. Emotional responses, like all of fiction, are subjective. Due to our distinctive psychological makeups and the varied influencing factors of our individual lives, we each react differently to emotional stimuli. We can never expect to tap into the tears of every single person who reads our fiction. But if you can figure out what it is that makes one person—yourself—emotionally responsive, you can likely tap into a universal reaction. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/eliciting-emotion.mp3 Sun, 14 Jun 2009 19:00:00 GMT 6:41 emotion, grief, joy, characters, writing, sorrow, fiction, novel, fantasy K.M. Weiland Two reasons to avoid specifying common and popular consumer names in your fiction. If generality is the death of the novel, then specificity, including the specificity of brand names, must bring it life. But that doesn't negate the pitfalls of branding in fiction. Discover the two of the biggest reasons I decided it was often better to avoid specifying common and popular consumer names. http://www.kmweiland.com/podcast/branded.mp3 Sun, 7 Jun 2009 19:00:00 GMT 5:39 consumerism, generality, specificity, telling details, fiction, novel, fantasy