From Flash Fiction to Full Novels: The Writing Journey

From Flash Fiction to Full Novels: The Writing Journey

Edith and Teri discuss summer plans and share book recommendations, including Heather Walter’s Malice and Misrule, a duology retelling the Maleficent–Aurora story from Alice/Malice’s first-person perspective with romantic elements and multiple twists. They talk about how strong writing helps readers “become” a character regardless of narration style and how state of mind affects immersion. Edith describes teaching One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus, its shifting viewpoints, and creative student assignments such as a funeral letter from the deceased and a school newspaper article, plus flash fiction work in English as a foreign language. The conversation shifts to publishing advice: revising multiple times, letting manuscripts rest, using tools like Autocrit, and the value of editors. They also cover author visibility and marketing—podcasting, consistency, avoiding overwhelm, marketing the author brand rather than a single book, and starting platforms early in a saturated market. 00:00 Welcome and Summer Plans 00:47 Fantasy Duology Pick 03:49 Becoming the Character 04:51 First vs Third Person 08:52 Teaching a Mystery Novel 10:58 Creative Test Assignments 14:00 Flash Fiction in ESL 16:03 Learning Languages and Dreaming 21:27 Editing Before Publishing 26:29 Editors Make Books Better 31:48 Description vs Story Pace 41:26 Interview for Story Impact 43:32 Visibility Book Origins 44:44 Podcasting For Exposure 47:19 Avoid Marketing Overwhelm 51:25 Market Yourself Not Books 53:39 Start Early Stay Consistent 55:14 Branding With Thumbnails 01:00:23 Podcast Guest Confidence 01:06:21 Finding Readers In Saturation 01:12:45 Reading Like A Writer 01:18:38 Writing Reality And AI 01:21:15 Closing Thoughts Farewell Music: artlist.io

Read, Write, Wander: Adventures in Literature and Life

On the Teri and Edith Show, Teri recaps a Weymouth, North Carolina writers’ retreat where she chose activities beyond writing, including library visits, a retirement village book club, an author talk, a craft fair book table, a poetry group, a bookstore event, and a local podcast, gaining networking and submission tips and selling books. She discusses feedback on Daughters of Green Mountain Gap (noting it won a major North Carolina award) and her new, funnier book Pagan Hinged, and warns listeners about Netflix scam emails, especially those from Gmail addresses. The conversation shifts to reading: library audiences skew older; many young people prefer fantasy or avoid reading, influenced by phones, instant gratification, and shrinking attention spans. They argue reading builds vocabulary, imagination, critical thinking, and cultural understanding, praise reading aloud and audiobooks for kids, criticize flat AI narration, and share current book recommendations. 00:00 Welcome Back Intro 00:10 Retreat Goals Tradeoffs 02:14 Readings Libraries Events 03:45 Networking Author Lessons 05:54 Artsy Southern Pines Vibe 07:53 Greece Roots Dreams 09:15 Netflix Scam Emails 12:12 Audience Feedback New Book 13:53 Herbal Remedies Disclaimer 16:04 Who Reads Today 19:56 Kids Reading Habits 21:58 Books vs Movies Debate 23:28 Is Reading Coming Back 25:36 Instant Gratification Worries 30:18 Why Reading Matters 36:55 Phones Attention Spans 38:15 Text Speak and Vocabulary Loss 39:32 Reading Builds Young Minds 42:01 Phones Replace Conversation 44:09 Reading and Math Foundations 46:58 Stories Over Screens 50:43 Why AI Narration Falls Flat 55:02 Future of Reading and Patience 01:00:08 Book Talk and Recommendations 01:05:21 World War I and Learning History 01:11:04 Read and Write Goodbye Music: artlist.io

Pages and Perspectives: Laughter and Lessons with Teri and Edith

Teri shares feeling overwhelmed by multiple upcoming projects and events, including a book launch in April, an anthology short story release in May, a recent short story collection printing delay, a two-week writers’ retreat, becoming a grandmother again, and a July residency in Greece with travel through Barcelona and Rome. Teri and Edith discuss Teri’s humorous contemporary novel Unhinged, scheduled for April 7, and the challenges of writing sustained humor and maintaining a consistent narrative voice. Edith describes using strict word-count flash fiction prompts with 13-year-old ESL students and a school collaboration with a nearby retirement home, prompting talk about compiling student work into a booklet. They also cover author feedback and reviews, the “characters talking” writing process, scheduling challenges, Amazon pricing differences across markets, and how publishers and designers affect pricing, covers, and interior formatting, including Teri’s work on the Carolina Tides local-author anthology. 00:00 Welcome Back 00:25 Launch Season Chaos 01:34 Travel Plans and Meetups 03:57 Unhinged Release Talk 06:23 Writing Humor and Voice 08:34 Women of a Certain Age 11:02 Teaching Flash Fiction 15:09 Prompts and Student Stories 19:52 Publishing Kids Work 23:24 Reviews and Creative Flow 28:53 Writing Life and Workspace 33:34 Book Pricing Sticker Shock 38:28 Pricing Books Right 39:45 Amazon Market Differences 42:55 Tracking and Shipping Costs 46:02 Author Control and Covers 48:10 Cover Trends and Branding 53:56 Designers and Interiors 59:01 Anthology Teamwork Challenges 01:04:55 Editors and Reader Clarity 01:12:35 Book Recommendations Wrap Music: artlist.io

Surviving Winter, Best Books & Author Adventures

In this episode of the Teri and Edith Show, Teri and Edith share their struggles and stories about surviving the harsh winter weather across different locations, Vienna and North Carolina. They discuss their personal experiences with snowstorms, freezing rains, and finding alternative heat sources. They also dive deeply into book recommendations that span historical fiction, crime mysteries, and poignant memoirs. Exciting updates about meetups with other authors and upcoming novels are shared, alongside amusing and frustrating experiences with book cover design. The episode is sprinkled with humor and insightful conversations about human nature, the importance of reading, and reflections on teaching students. Join Teri and Edith for an engaging discussion packed with storytelling, book recommendations, and a peek into the lives of authors. 00:00 Welcome to the Teri and Edith Show 00:18 Winter Woes: Weather Updates from Vienna and North Carolina 04:28 Exciting News: Kimberly's Visit to Vienna 06:01 Feisty Deeds and Short Stories 13:08 Book Recommendations and Literary Discussions 16:19 The Impact of Historical Events on Literature 28:15 The Art of Reading: Personal Preferences and Recommendations 22:44 Analyzing the Craft of Writing 37:25 The Joys and Challenges of Reading Nonfiction 38:39 The Temptation of Buying Books 39:21 Podcasting and Book Consumption 43:59 The Reality of Teaching 48:19 Encouraging Children to Read 57:11 The Frustrations of Book Cover Design 01:13:45 The Importance of Reading Music:artlist.io

The Artistry of Writing: Balancing Creativity and Controversy

In this episode of 'The Teri and Edith Show,' Teri and Edith delve into the nuanced challenges and joys of writing, editing, and launching a new book. Teri shares her experiences from a recent retreat where she completed the draft of her upcoming book 'Peg Unhinged.' They also discuss the difficulties of balancing multiple writing projects and the rigorous editing process. The conversation touches on how personal experiences and societal issues influence writing, the complexities of separating art from the artist, and the role of controversial topics in literature. The episode concludes with a lighthearted discussion about the personal and commercial aspects of Christmas, making it a well-rounded conversation for viewers interested in the world of writing and beyond. 00:00 Welcome to the Teri and Edith Show 00:17 Teri's Writing Retreat and New Book 01:29 Edith's Writing Struggles 02:26 Editing Challenges and Character Development 06:02 Peg's Character and Middle-Aged Women in Literature 11:24 Generational Perspectives and Personal Reflections 18:26 Christmas Stories and Writing Preferences 22:29 Separating Art from the Artist 31:32 Sharing Personal Moments on Social Media 31:45 The Intersection of Art and Politics 32:31 The Role of Fiction in Addressing Social Issues 34:20 Different Approaches to Art and Controversy 36:10 Generational Perspectives in Storytelling 41:16 Human Nature and Historical Parallels 54:08 The Struggle for Recognition in the Arts 57:43 Holiday Traditions and Reflections 01:02:11 Concluding Thoughts and New Year Wishes Music: artlist.io