The Plot Thickens

The Death of Dad Books

Oh, no! Are dads no longer reading dad books? Dan and Ezra check out the data on men's reading habits and reconsider their own bookshelves. What is the world coming to if dads aren't reading Civil War histories and biographies of Winston Churchill???

Dan and Ezra Read 'Theo of Golden'

Dan and Ezra dig into two much-discussed novels: the word-of-mouth bestseller Theo of Golden, which famously began its life as a self-published book, and Transcription, a spikey metafiction sure to be shortlisted for major literary awards this year. Can our faithful hosts agree on anything about these two very different novels? And what, if anything, can writers and pubishers learn from their success?

It's All a Blurb to Me

Drawing on his secret identity as a prize-winning writer of promos for TV, Dan leads a conversation about crafting blurbs for book covers.

Does Character Really Count?

In the wake of their conversation about plot and story, Dan and Ezra consider the question of character -- how important is character in fiction? And how do you go about creating memorable characters? Plus: a foray into the topic of marine mammals.

The Plot Thickens

Does plot matter? Ezra is skeptical but Dan argues that plot absulutely does matter, and sketches out key elements of storytelling.