Writing with Friends

Today we’ll discuss the novelist starter pack: five essential tools for your figurative writer’s knapsack as you make the journey from getting started with that novel to querying and hopefully publishing your work! Picks of the Week: * BJ: Existence by David Brin [https://www.davidbrin.com/existence.html] * H: The New Diary by Tristine Rainer [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-new-diary-how-to-use-a-journal-for-self-guidance-and-expanded-creativity-tristine-rainer/11525428?ean=9780874771503&next=t] Mentioned in the Episode: * Brandon Sanderson’s BYU Writing Course [https://www.youtube.com/@BrandSanderson/videos] * Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody [https://bookshop.org/p/books/save-the-cat-writes-a-novel-the-last-book-on-novel-writing-you-ll-ever-need-jessica-brody/11368239?ean=9780399579745&next=t] * S1E10: The Revision Spreadsheet [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3k5SGqxMHSSlOKsTZ0xot1?si=60540918cc824e4b] * S4E3 Fireside Chat: How Should I Use the Revision Spreadsheet? [https://open.spotify.com/episode/26mYKpKAGkV7cN8jDFLfbF?si=2d6201cbbe374c37] * S1E1: Writers Workshops and Text to Speech Tools [https://open.spotify.com/episode/0BpPLpECgLhAAdNJ0sIf77?si=1c93b6f78a5d4f80] * London Writers’ Salon Query with Confidence Course [https://courses.londonwriterssalon.com/]

Today, we’ll be gathering around our metaphorical fireplace for a fireside chat– an honest conversation about our own writing practices that we hope you’ll find helpful for your writing life as well. In this episode, we’ll be talking about our writing lives lately– what’s going well, what’s not, and what we’re learning along the way. Picks of the Week: BJ: The Best Science Fiction of Isaac Asimov by Isaac Asimov [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/85509.The_Best_Science_Fiction_of_Isaac_Asimov] H: The Service of the Dead by Candace Robb [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-service-of-the-dead-a-novel-candace-robb/605c08339bd7a7ea?ean=9781681771755&next=t] Mentioned in the Episode: Sarah Ruhl Quote on Life Intruding on Writing [https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/1417344-i-found-that-life-intruding-on-writing-was-in-fact]

We’ll be talking about the unique challenges of publishing a debut novel. Breaking into the literary world should be exciting and celebratory, and it definitely is! Still, there are a few considerations that debut authors should be aware of as they begin their publishing journeys, so we’re going to cover them here today! Picks of the Week:   BJ: Star Wars: Thrawn by Timothy Zahn [https://bookshop.org/p/books/star-wars-thrawn-ascendancy-book-i-chaos-rising-timothy-zahn/18409776?ean=9780593157701&next=t] H: We Solve Murders by Richard Osman [https://bookshop.org/p/books/we-solve-murders-richard-osman/20984760?ean=9780593653227&next=t] Mentioned in the Episode: Bonnie Garmus Interview [https://www.penguin.co.uk/discover/articles/bonnie-garmus-interview-lessons-in-chemistry] Bonnie Garmus and Felicity Blunt Interview [https://www.curtisbrowncreative.co.uk/blog/interview-bonnie-garmus-and-felicity-blunt-lessons-in-chemistry] S5E9 What’s a Commercial Hook and How do I write one? [https://open.spotify.com/episode/0gxo8xkcweqpa1g5hEw7G2?si=a8130528eb0e4b5e] S6E2 Pacing the First Five Pages [https://open.spotify.com/episode/4xsmBsAsPQEFGZtJ3FaQi3?si=b8d5615045024dc1] Brandon Sanderson’s BYU Writing Course [https://www.youtube.com/@BrandSanderson/videos]

Today's episode is all about finding inspiration and support for your writing in places you might not expect. We’re diving into the world of local bookstores and Bookshop.org [Bookshop.org]! Picks of the Week: BJ: The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-fifth-season-n-k-jemisin/110692?ean=9780316229296&next=t] H: The Snowbirds by Christine Clancy [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-snowbirds-christina-clancy/21356886?ean=9781250284952&next=t] Mentioned in the Episode: New York City Mystery Bookstore: The Mysterious Bookshop [https://www.mysteriousbookshop.com/]

Welcome to a tool deep dive episode, where we highlight the features and the challenges of a tool we think you’ll find helpful as a writer. Today, we’re going to give you a rundown of what note taking tools we’ve actually found helpful as writers, and hopefully give you some ideas about what tools might work well for you too! Picks of the Week: * BJ: Feng Shui Modern by Cliff Tan [https://bookshop.org/p/books/feng-shui-modern-cliff-tan/18166322?ean=9781526639998&next=t] * H: Middlemarch by George Eliot [https://bookshop.org/p/books/middlemarch-penguin-classics-deluxe-edition-george-eliot/226687?ean=9780143107729&next=t] Mentioned in the Episode: * S1E4: Zettelkasten Notetaking Systems  [https://open.spotify.com/episode/1n89zS5I7lcc8NjUJrn86Q?si=de37dc4035354509] * S1E9: Zotero  [https://open.spotify.com/episode/16u10AoeZpXCUhQnOB7e8Z?si=0c3d8d77fd8241be] * S2E5: Notebooks [https://open.spotify.com/episode/6sI1Qtqzw7DSHFHiFag2zA?si=240a907d06814cee] * S4Mini17: What’s in My Bag Writing Edition [https://open.spotify.com/episode/5nUwsyntND1nYb128VTxTQ?si=09b540d9eafa4b26] * Gretchen Rubin: “Beautiful Tools Make Work a Joy!” [https://gretchenrubin.com/articles/favorite-work-from-home-tools/] * Cal Newport: Single Subject Notebooks [https://www.thedeeplife.com/podcasts/episodes/ep-292-single-purpose-notebooks/]