3: David Farland: Writing the Basic Parts of the Story

1. Introducing setting, characters, and conflicts
2. Creating an inciting incident
3. The first try/fail cycle for the major conflict
4. Escalating to the second try/fail
5. Third Try/Fail
6. The climax (with its possible reversals)
7. The denouement

If you missed it, you can listen to the recording below:

For the first fifteen minutes, David answered callers' questions:

Or you can download the MP3.

David's advice on writing the Basic Parts of the Story was recorded separately (the final Q&A did not record--sorry!)

Or you can download the MP3.

2: Kevin J. Anderson's 11 Tips for Writing Productivity

Kevin J. Anderson is an award-winning, international bestselling author of the new Dune series (with Brian Herbert), the Terra Incognita and Saga of Seven Suns series, X-Files, Star Wars, and numerous comics; he has published 100 books, with more than 20 million copies in print in 30 languages.

After the call, Kevin spent several weeks blogging about these tips (though in a slightly different order). Follow the links to see his blog posts.

1. Shut up and Write!
2. Defy the Empty Page
3. Dare to be Bad (at first)
4. Work on Different Projects at the Same Time
5. Know the Difference Between Writing and Editing
6. Use Every Minute
7. Set Goals for Yourself—and Stick with them
8. Create the Best Writing Environment for Yourself
9. Think Outside the Keyboard
10. Get Inspired
11. Know When to Stop

If you missed it, you can listen to the recordings below:
In the first fifteen minutes, Kevin answered callers' questions:


Or you can download the MP3.

The main call with Kevin's 11 Tips was recorded separately (a little over an hour):


Or, you can download the MP3.