In which I talk about why we do this thing we do, and answer the top 10 questions I get asked, at StoryADay (including everything from where to put commas, to how to submit stories, to how to overcome imposter syndrome).
Grab a hot beverage and settle in…
Links
Short Story Structure: https://storyaday.org/framework
Imposter Syndrome: https://storyaday.org/imposter-syndrome/
The 3-Day Challenge: https://storyaday.org/3dc
Humans don’t just experience their lives. We infect each other with shared memories of how it felt to be watching historic events or a baby take their first steps. We transmit meaning through emotion, through story.
Getting good at telling stories isn’t trivial. It isn’t frivolous. And it certainly isn’t selfish…
Links:
In this episode I look at goals and why it’s so uncomfortable getting from where you are now to where you want to be…and how you can make it happen.
Download the Annual Planning Bundle now
Also in this episode I answer a question about whether or not it’s bad to write more description than dialogue.
Links::
Get The StoryADay Annual Review Bundle: https://storyaday.org/annualplan
Learn how to P. A. C. E. Yourself https://storyaday.org/episode094
Take the 3-Day Challenge: https://storyaday.org/3dc
How diverse is your bookcase?
In this week’s #podcast I give you a nudge (and some resources) to read a little more widely.
Plus: a Q&A about how to #write with passion when you’re a cool cat.
Resources:
Mystery & Mayhem Diverse Thrillers for 2020
Roxane Gay’s Gay Mag on Medium
What writers/resources would YOU recommend? Leave a comment:
Sometimes the story we tell ourselves is as important as anything else we do. What story will you tell yourself in 2021?
Plus: a question, from Becky, about the challenges of moving from non-fiction writing to fiction
What will it take to get you writing through the next few months? I have some thoughts..
Also: I answer questions about getting through the middle of a project and about conquering procrastination
LINKS
Your Writing Life Series
I often talk about the middle of a story as ‘the muddy middle’, but I prefer Blake Snyder’s label “fun and games”.
This week I talk about what the middle of your story has to do, why it’s hard, and how you can make it easier.
AND I answer StoryADay-er Jacqui’s question about how to get out of a funk and start writing again.
Resources:
James Scott Bell’s Write Your Novel From The Middle https://amzn.to/2I9liuE
Jessica Brody’s Save The Cat Writes A Novel https://amzn.to/36yixff
Gwen Hayes’s Romancing The Beat https://amzn.to/2UoXnug
LINKS
What do you need to know about the I, WRITER Course?
https://storyaday.org/iwriter
In Part 2 of my interview with Angela Ackerman, co-author of The Emotion Thesaurus and host of Writers Helping Writers, we talk about how to use details to write great characters, immerse readers in your story, and even figure out your plot.
Links:
Writers Helping Writers: http://stada.me/whw
One Stop For Writers: http://stada.me/osfw
Angela Ackerman is the co-author of the Emotion Thesaurus range of writing books and the One Stop for Writers site. In this episode I talked to her about creativity and how a big writing challenge might be just the thing you need right now.
Links:
Angela’s post: http://stada.me/angela
One Stop For Writers: http://stada.me/osfw
Should you take part in NaNoWriMo this year? Should you attend that conference or take that class? Should you buy that new writing craft book?
Here’s a process to get you started figuring out whether or not you’re looking at a shiny object or a shiny opportunity.
Links:
Are you writing short stories? Why? And are you reading short stories? Which ones and again: why?
LINKS:
20 Short stories to read that will make you a better writer: http://stada.me/readme
Pushcart prize nominator calls for recommendations: http://stada.me/pushcart20
What are you reading? https://storyaday.org/episode185
So much of our procrastination is powered by mindset, but there’s more to making writing an inevitable part of our lives than simply wishing it was true. I have some suggestions….
LINKS:
Inevitable Writer article: http://stada.me/inev
SWAGr Accountability post: https://stada.me/swagr
3 Day Challenge: http://stada.me/3day
September can be a time for reflection and planning ahead. I have some tips on that as well as some interesting reads from around the web.
LINKS
Kate Northrup, Do Less: https://katenorthrup.com/
The Good Place, The Podcast: https://stada.me/GoodPlace
Writer Unboxed Titles article: https://stada.me/wutitles
Romantic Gifts article: https://stada.me/gifts
Srini Rao, Risk Tolerance: https://stada.me/risk
Does it matter if you write? Hell, yes. Let’ s talk about that….
JOURNAL QUESTIONS
1a, How are you when you are writing? (how’s your focus, your mood, your relationships?)
1b, Who does that impact?
2, Whose writing affected you most deeply in your life?
3, Who could your writing be a gift for?
Not ready for a 30 Day Challenge? Try the 3 Day Challenge: https://storyaday.org/3dc/
If you haven’t started writing short stories this month it’s not too late! This week’s podcast is a look back and a look forward at the writing prompts in StoryADay September (from writers like Tobias S. Buckell, Jonathan Maberry, Seanan McGuire, Simon Rich, Grant Faulkner, Art Taylor, and more…).
Plus a short sermon on why you should finish your stories.
Links:
Windy Lynn Harris’s Flash Fiction episode of the podcast: https://storyaday.org/episode166/
In which I compare writing to whittling, and explain why you’d much rather play Candy Crush than anything you call ‘work’…and how you can use that to make your writing go more smoothly.
Links:
Sign up for daily prompts in September: https://storyaday.org/next-challenge/
Today’s writing prompt from Mary Robinette Kowal:
https://storyaday.org/05-kowal
If you want to discover your best process for writing, you might want to join us for the StoryADay September challenge.
And if you want to keep that progress going all year, consider the Superstars group.
LINKS:
Sign up for prompts this September: http://stada.me/sept20
Find out more about the Superstars: http://stada.me/Super20
What’s the most important skill in writing? Is it plot, character arcs, dialogue, description, pacing?
In this episode I argue that the thing that will dictate your level of success is your state of mind.
Links:
Eric Platenberg: http://stada.me/eric
Seth Godin: http://stada.me/seth
StoryADay September Sign up: http://stada.me/sept2020
Writing is self-directed, so reaching out for support is essential. It can, however, invite unhelpful comparisons with other writers who have different strengths and who are at different stages.
In this episode I explore the writing life through the lens of Martin Seligman’s Positive Psychology and think about the ways we can celebrate our triumphs at every stage.
When do better when we feel better…so let’s put some habits in place to help us celebrate every step we take towards our writing goals!
LINKS
Success in writing is about so much more than the external trappings (publication, adulation, recognition).
Every day that you sit down to write, it’s important to feel successful. This week’s episode talks about some ways to do that.
Writing Prompt: Write a Twitter-length story every day this week, to exercise your storytelling muscles, then tag me @storyadaymay
Links:
How To Write Twitter Fiction: https://storyaday.org/2016-16-twitter/
Problems with writing are often not problems with writing: they’re a battle with focus and with our own insecurities.
In this episode I talk about some of the ways to focus (especially if you find yourself working from home all day for the first time) and some ways to shake up your writing routine to outrun your insecurities.
How do YOU create focus and motivation for your writing, especially now? Leave a comment:
https://storyaday.org/episode174
There is so much information about writing out there…it can be hard to figure out what you should be working on. In this episode I walk you through one way to figure out (and focus on) your very next step.
Leave a comment: https://storyaday.org/episode173
Writing Prompt: Write A Seasonal Story https://storyaday.org/prompt-seasonal-story/
Part of the art of making progress in your writing is knowing what stage you’re in, and what you need to study and practice, to move to the next stage. And that’s what I’m talking about today.
Sign Up For The Serious Writers’ Accountability Group reminders
StoryADay’s annual showcase, StoryFest 2020, is happening on June 27-28. Here’s how you can get involved.
How To Get Involved
https://stada.me/sf20
How To Write Author Biographies and Story Summaries
https://stada.me/summary
Sometimes it’s as important to take an effective break from our writing as it is to keep putting words on the page. Find out how and why, in this episode.
LINKS
DIYMFA Summit of Awesomeness: https://members.diymfa.com/
In this fourth week of StoryADay May 2020 I talk about the importance of celebrating every win in your writing life.
LINKS: NaNoWriMo YWP Flash Fiction Workshop with Julie Duffy: https://youtu.be/ecYq1CHqArw
We’re heading into Week 3 of StoryADay May 2020. What can you do this week to make the most of all this creative energy? I have some suggestions…
Whether you’ve been writing this month, are still thinking about jumping into the challenge, or are working on other writing, this episode is full of tips for staying motivated to write week after week, month after month. Do’t skip this one!
Today the author of “Writing & Selling Short Stories & Personal Essays: the Essential Guide To Getting Your Work Published” AND frequent StoryADay participant, Windy Lynn Harris joins me to talk about Flash Fiction: what it is, 7 different ways to approach it, and how it can help your career, even if you’re a novelist.
We’re a week away from StoryADay May. Take the WRITER Code workshop here: https://storyaday.org/writer-code
Find out more about StoryADay Superstars, our writing community: https://www.storyaday.com/superstars-2020
Today’s episode is a conversation with Tammy Breitweiser whose flash fiction has been published in The Ninja Writers Monthly, Spelk, Clover and White, and Elephants Never. Her essay is in the I Wrote it Anyway anthology. You can connect with Tammy through Twitter @TLBREIT or through her medium page https://medium.com/@
In this interview she mentions Windy Lynn Harris’s excellent book “Writing & Selling Short Stories & Personal Essays”
A 6-part journey through the short story.
Starts July 28, 2023
