Writing Excuses Season Two Episode 26: How Publishing Is Changing in the New Century

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Writing Excuses Season Two Episode 26: How Publishing Is Changing in the New Century

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2009/04/05/writing-excuses-season-2-episode-26-how-publishing-is-changing-in-the-new-century/

Key points: electronic distribution of material -- the Internet -- is a disruptive technology that has enabled the growth of electronic magazines. One model is the Internet as superconducting copy machine, where anything that can be copied will be copied. Print-on-demand (POD) is not self-publishing. E-readers, POD -- disruptive technologies are coming. Think about what your generatives are -- customization, patronage, convenience, or something else?
( bits for the superconducting copy machine )

[Brandon] We're out of time. We're way over time. Thank you all for listening. I'm going to hit Howard for another Writing Prompt.
[Howard] Oh, my gosh. Okay. Write a story that convincingly describes the death of the traditional publishing industry 25 years from now.
[Brandon] This has been Writing Excuses. Thanks for listening.

Writing Excuses Season Two Episode 27: Reading Critically

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Writing Excuses Season Two Episode 27: Reading Critically

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2009/04/12/

Key points: questions for reading: "How could I do that? How could I do it better? How could I make it my own?" Writing is not something that people on a pedestal do, you can do it. Look at things that are successful, use those formulas, and show yourself, "Yeah, I can do that, too." Learn techniques from other authors and apply them to your own work, like concrete flowing over pancakes. Identify archetypes or structures. Look for what works and what doesn't.
( The critic's choice )

[Brandon] We should end. I'm going to give a writing prompt. I want you to write a story about a critic, but a critic who criticizes something abnormal. Such as they are a critic of kitchen paint colors, or they are a critic...
[Howard] That's just an interior designer.
[Dan] Cement mixers?
[Brandon] Or cement mixers. Something wildly original that they are a critic of. This has been Writing Excuses. Thank you.

Writing Excuses Season Two Episode 28: Watchmen

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Writing Excuses Season Two Episode 28: Watchmen

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2009/04/19/writing-excuses-season-2-episode-28-applying-critical-reading-watchmen/

Key points: Consider critical reading. Start by looking at plot, setting, and character -- how does the work do at each of these? What did it do well, and how did it do that? Where does it have an emotional or intellectual impact, and why? How can I use that?
( doughnut holes )

[Howard] Let's take something from the setting that we talked about. Using some of the ideas from the Watchmen, write yourself a setting for an alternate 2009 in which...
[Brandon] Some major dramatic... a different president won?
[Howard] In which a different president won.
[Dan] Whatever branch off point you want.
[Brandon] Alternate 2009. Go for it. This has been Writing Excuses.

Writing Excuses Season Two Episode 29: How Not to End Your Book

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Writing Excuses Season Two Episode 29: How Not to End Your Book

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2009/04/26/we-talk-about-how-not-to-end-books-with-the-goal-of-helping-you-fix-them/

Key points: good endings go beyond the reader expects. You need to fulfill promises that you made in the first part of the book. Get help identifying promises that you have made. Avoid the third act Hollywood wimpout -- big action set pieces are not automatically good endings. A book in a series should fulfill its promises while opening up new problems for the future. Make your plots fit your books first. Bad endings usually mean bad foreshadowing. Revise to fit.
( the meat )

[Brandon] This has been Writing Excuses. Writing prompt?
[Dan] Write an ending in which everybody dies and it works.
[Brandon] Start your book with an ending where everyone dies. This has been Writing Excuses. Thanks for listening.

Writing Excuses Season Two Episode 30: Things We've Learned in the Last Year

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Writing Excuses Season Two Episode 30: Things We've Learned in the Last Year

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2009/05/03/writing-excuses-season-2-episode-30-the-most-important-thing-howard-learned-in-the-last-year/

Key Points: [implied, but still worthwhile: Stop and reflect on what you have learned about writing from time to time.] Knowing what form you are working in lets you fulfill more of the promises of that form and write better. Knowing your genre or goals lets you stay focused. "Sitting down and analyzing what you do reflexively is how you improve." When you are starting, just keep flapping. Then when you start to understand how you can fly, that's the time to back up and analyze it.
( The flight of the bumblebee )

[Brandon] We managed to get through one of us in a podcast, but that's not unexpected. Howard, it's been your podcast. Give us a writing prompt.
[Howard] Have an artist who is analyzing his form and discovers the refinements of his form that he needs in order to make it perfect and in so doing, unlocks magic.
[Brandon] Awesome. This has been Writing Excuses.