17: Steven Gould: Consequences In Fiction

Tonight we spoke with Steven Gould, Science Fiction and YA author of the books: Helm, Reflex and Jumper and the soon to be released Seventh Sigma (Release Date: July 5, 2011). A cohesive narrative is integral to a successful story, be it in short fiction or novel format. An integral part of such a narrative, especially to maintain believability for your reader is, making sure:

• When you set up a premise (or a consequence for a character's actions)make sure it pays off well in the end.
• Your character's actions in your work are affected by their environment.
• Too much tension for your characters without periods of rest tire your audience.

If you've ever read others works (or your own) and thought: "Hold on- why did they do that, again?!" and need to know how to fix or refine that aspect of your work, give this episode a listen!

Access the MP3 here or listen to it below:

16 Larry Correia: The Mechanics of Writing Action and Pacing

Tonight we spoke with Larry Corriea, author of the Monster Hunter series and Hard Magic: Book One of the Grimnoir Chronicles. During our conversation this evening, Larry "The Action Guy" shared with us ways we can improve the pacing and the flow of the actions our characters choices (or the choices placed upon them by the circumstances we put them in) play out in our books or stories.

Improving the action in our writings can include (but is not limited to):

1. Balancing the amount of action vs the amount of characterization.
2. Making sure you as the author don't overstimulate your reader with Action sequences.
3. What "If its boring, fix it!" actually means.

Put on your "Big Boy" (or Girl) pants, sit down, belt up and hang on- Larry "The Action Guy" has something to tell ya!

You can access the MP3 here or you can listen to it below:

15 Gail Carriger: The Business of Writing

I have a friend at work who reads a lot of the same books I love. We're constantly trading book recommendations. One day, I stopped by her counter and she had this new book: SOULLESS by Gail Carriger. I read the back and couldn't wait to read the whole thing. It's an amazing comedic blend of Victorian steampunk and fantasy (think werewolves and vampires, out in society, winning wars for the crown and influencing fashion). I was hooked. I wasn't the only one: it was a NYT Bestseller, won an ALA award, and forced debut author Gail to learn a lot about the publishing industry, like NOW.

On this call, she shared her knowledge with us, for when it's our turn. Some (but not all, by a long shot) highlights:

• It is still possible to be plucked from a publishing house slush pile.
• Pick an agent who can help you negotiate a favorable contract, and who has time for you on her client list. (Gail's agent is Kristin Nelson of Nelson Literary Agency. Kristin also blogs at Pub Rants.)
• Pick a publishing house with an editor you can trust to be professional, and with whom you can relate (Gail's publisher for the SOULLESS series is Orbit Books).
• Your publisher's marketing efforts will likely correspond to the size of your advance.
• There are a lot of things an author can do to market her own books--calling in favors is often involved.
• Blending genres is cool, but can be confusing to marketing departments, bookstores, and other industry professionals. Be prepared to explain your book, but you might get to help design your cover. :) (Well, at least Gail did.)
• If you perform well in public, your publisher will give you more opportunities to do so.
• Publishing money comes in stages: upon signing, upon delivery, upon publication, upon winning of awards, hitting benchmarks, out-earning advance, etc. Don't expect a big fat check all at once.

Gail stayed extra long to answer caller questions and to make sure we knew everything she thought we should. Plus, she pointed us to this post on her blog, where she talks in detail about her post-sale events and marketing efforts. Be sure to check it out!

You can access the MP3 by clicking here, or you can listen to the call below.

14: Peter Orullian: Daring to Fail Spectacularly as a Writer and Writing About Hope In a World of Grey

Tonight, we spoke with Peter Orullian, author of The Unremembered, the first in a new Epic Fantasy series called The Vault of Heaven. Peter spoke at length about how daring to fail (spectacularly) as a writer and still keep the joy of writing and how to imbue your novel (and yourself) with hope.

Some of tonight's topics were:

• If you're serious about writing professionally, write the best you can and "swing for the fences" with every effort.



• Don't write to the market, write your story and what you're passionate about, your market (and your audience) will often find you.



• "If a writer can be discouraged, help him build his ego."

Whether you're at the beginning of your writer's journey, or reflecting on the sunset phase of a long, illustrious career, everyone needs to be emboldened at one time or another. Take heart! Push "Play," bend an ear, and be encouraged!

Listen to it below or download the MP3. (Download may work better with Internet Explorer.)

13: Laura Anne Gilman: Professionalism and the Aspiring Writer

Tonight, we spoke with Laura Anne Gilman author of the Paranormal Scene Investigation series , The Vineart War novels and The Retrievers series. Although the writing in your work (s) must be as polished as it can be first, LAG shared:

• The best (and worst) novel pitches she's ever heard as a former editor.
• Whether or not you have a presence on Social Media (Twitter or Facebook etc) it shouldn't make or break your writing career.
• Ways you can properly "work" a Convention (be it a writing convention or a genre centric convention) as an aspiring author.

And much much more!

If you've ever wondered how "The System" works from an editor's standpoint and an author's standpoint, lend an ear and be informed!

Listen to it below or download the MP3.

12: Q & A with Mary Robinette Kowal

Tonight, we had the distinct pleasure of speaking with Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America 's current Vice President, Campbell award winner and 2011 Hugo award winner, Mary Robinette Kowal.
Many topics were bandied about this evening in a spirited, free form question and answer session.


Topics of discussion included:

• Novel ideas or short story ideas- How do you know which one you have?
• Expanding a short story into a novel- How is that done?
• Magic systems in Fantasy novels and one way they're developed.
• How much background information readers need and want in a novel or story.
• Professional puppetry and personal space when filming- How close is too close for your human co stars?

For a little over an hour of answers to these and other scintillating questions, give this episode a listen!


You can also download the MP3 here.
(If it's not working, try switching to Internet Explorer.)

11 Aprilynne Pike: Outlines

You just have to love Aprilynne Pike. Not only is she the #1 NYT Bestselling author of WINGS, SPELLS, and the upcoming ILLUSIONS, but she's down to earth, with a dry wit and an excellent sense of who she is, where she's going, and what she needs to do to get there. She's humble, ever trying to improve, and willing to share what she knows with those of us who haven't "made it" yet. She was my bootcamp instructor at LDStorymakers in 2010 and she completely tore my pitiful chapters to bits. It was awesome. So is she.

Tonight, Aprilynne taught us how to create a simple outline. Here's the basics:

1. Draw a big timeline long enough for 60 ticks.
2. Mark a tick about 5 ticks from the beginning for your inciting incident: 
• This should fall within the first ten pages of your book
• This is where your plot is set in motion
3. Mark a tick about 5 ticks from the end for the climax (where everything goes boom)
4. Around 25% from the start (with 60 ticks that's... carry the 1... 15 ticks) is your first Turning Point
• This is where everything goes in a different direction
• Harry discovers he's a wizard, Bella discovers Edward is a vampire, Marly appears to Ebeneezer
5. Around 75% from the start (calculating... 45 ticks) is your second Turning Point
• Once again, everything changes
• Main suspect is murdered, Darth Vader is Luke's father?, Westley stops being mostly dead
6. Fill in the rest with plot points--one per tick
• Plot points drive the plot--they are interesting and active
• Romeo goes on vacation is NOT a plot point
• Romeo leaves town hours before the letter reaches him IS a plot point
• Baby has green eyes is NOT a plot point
• Detective realizes green-eyed baby can't come from brown eyed parents IS a plot point

Aprilynne also gave us a lot of advice on how to be a discovery writer ("pantser") AND use an outline (plan the main ticks and discovery write the rest), how to make sure your book has enough emotion, and how to deal with love triangles. Plus, we talked a bit about her books. :) (Did I mention ILLUSIONS  is coming out on May 3?)

Listen to it here:


Or click here to listen to it on your computer's Media Player.
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