Writing Excuses Season Two Episode 11: Ah... [aka Questions for Dave]

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Writing Excuses Season Two Episode 11: Ah... [aka Questions for Dave]

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2008/12/21/writing-excuses-season-2-episode-11-talking-publishing-and-writing-with-dave-wolverton/

Key points: Write what you love. Name your characters to resonate with the genre. Watch for the upcoming flood of readers. Start with setting, because characters grow out of it, then let your plot grow out of your characters.
( and the little stuff . . . )

[Brandon] All right. Your writing prompt is Juan and Watanabe are in medieval England...
[Dan] Juan and Gregorio Watanabe...
[Brandon] Juan and Gregorio Watanabe are in medieval England. The difficulty is they actually belong there. Why do they belong there? What is their story?
[Dan] Excellent.
[Howard] On your mark, get set, go.

Writing Excuses Season Two Episode 12: Theme

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Writing Excuses Season Two Episode 12: Theme

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2008/12/28/writing-excuses-season-2-episode-12-theme/

Key Points: If plot is the skeleton of your story, theme is the soul you stick inside it. Them is what the story is about. Theme may grow out of characters, out of their conflicts. Theme may direct your research. Don't let theme overshadow your story and characters.
( the discourse of the three wise men? )

[Brandon] Writing Prompt?
[Dan] I did the last one.
[Brandon] Write a story with no theme. Whatsoever. That means nothing. Howard said it's not possible, prove him wrong.
[Howard] That's good. Give us a short story that's meaningless. What have we wrought?

Writing Excuses Season Two Episode 13: Violence

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Writing Excuses Season Two Episode 13: Violence

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2009/01/04/writing-excuses-season-2-episode-13-violence/

Key Points: "Violence is one of the ultimate shaping forces of human culture and to not write about it is dishonest." But you need to include consequences. Wolves and sheepdogs both have teeth. And some doctors laugh when they give you shots.
( all the words )

Writing Excuses Season Two Episode 14: Writing Habits

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Writing Excuses Season Two Episode 14: Writing Habits

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2009/01/11/writing-excuses-season-2-episode-14-writing-habits/

Key points: Routines are what you make them. Howard likes shoes. Brandon likes four-hour blocks. Dan works at a friend's house. Dan and Brandon write music, Howard only draws to music. Games? It depends.
( can the chatter )

Writing Excuses Season Two Episode 15: When Do You Know When to Begin Your Story?

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Writing Excuses Season Two Episode 15: When Do You Know When to Begin Your Story?

from http://www.writingexcuses.com/2009/01/18/writing-excuses-season-2-episode-15-knowing-when-to-begin/

Key Points: When do you start writing? Don't wait for the perfect wave, get your feet wet. Which scene do you start with? In late, out early. Get things moving! And bald guys blush all the way from their eyebrows to the back of their head.
( hide the goat entrails )

[Brandon] No. Write an ending and start your book with it.