Smashing Writer's Block

Action! (Tips to Write Awesome Action Scenes)

In this episode action speaks louder than words as we share writing tips to craft awesome action scenes that elevate the impact of your story and lock in reader engagement. Highlights: 01:12 The pivotal action scene 02:12 Character is King: Action Editon 08:10 Make the action mean something 11:33 Keep up the pace 13:50 The 3 pitfalls of writing action 18:25 Add sensory 21:35 Add personality 24:05 Think like a film editor 27:14 I busted a chair across his teeth 30:40 Hood slidin’ like Bo Duke

Worldbuilding

In this episode we share key elements you need to develop to create a custom-made world for your story. Highlights: 01:24 Why worldbuilding is essential 03:33 Character is King: World Builder Edition 07:00 Your story’s foundation (6 key elements) 07:31 Geography – Real world, New world, Authenticity 11:23 Make significant settings memorable (examples) 12:45 Physics – Rules of Nature, Magic, Technology 17:24 Climate – Seasons, Weather, Character Impact 20:40 Culture – Customs, Class, Politics, Occupations 24:25 History – Deep past, Major events, Need to Know 27:10 Religon – Poly/Mono, Influence on Society, 28:20 Things to keep in mind

Shakespeare's Enduring Impact

In this episode we hail The Bard himself, William Shakespeare, and celebrate the enduring impact his writing has had on Western literature and entertainment for over 400 years. Highlights: 01:30 The Titan of Western Literature 04:45 Character is King: Shakespeare Edition 12:03 Shakespeare in Led Zeppelin - Merchant of Venice (Act 2, Scene 7) 14:28 Shakespeare in Wonka - Romeo and Juliet (Act 2, Scene 2) 16:20 We happy few - Henry V (Act 4, Scene 3) 17:18 Something Good from Nothing - King Lear (Act 1, Scene 1) 20:53 Double Double - Macbeth (Act 4, Scene 1) 22:46 The Undiscovered Country - Henry V (Act 3, Scene 1) 26:48 To be, or not to be (performed poorly by J Ryan Fenzel)

The Goldberg Prompt (A Writing Exercise)

In this episode we share a creative writing exercise that teaches authors how to avoid the predictable and unleash the vivid. Episode Highlights: 01:27 The Goldberg Prompt 02:42 Setting up the exercise 03:30 An example run-through 04:23 Resulting verb-driven sentences

Smashing Writer's Block

In this episode we take on writer’s block and share tried & true strategies to break through the wall and get those words flowing again. Episode Highlights: 01:44 Character is King: Communication Problem Edition 08:45 The 4 types of Writer’s Block 12:42 Level 1 Treatment: Overcoming the variants 18:45 Level 2 Treatment: Manage the writing process 24:00 Set a clear intent for your writing session 26:23 Movement is medicine 30:51 Level 3 Treatment: Kickstarters 31:08 Develop a character 33:16 Start in the middle 36:22 Genre swapping 39:22 Caffeine