Hosted by James Thayer, the podcast is a practical, step-by-step manual on how to craft a novel. It presents a set of tools for large issues such as story development and scene construction (Kirkus Reviews said Thayer's novels are "superbly crafted') and it also examines techniques that will make your sentence-by-sentence writing shine. The New York Times Book Review has said Thayer's "writing is smooth and clear. it wastes no words, and it has a rhythm only confident stylists achieve.
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Write Your Damn Novel (formerly How to Win NaNo) is a no-nonsense guide to writing a novel in 30 days. Like it or not November comes every year, but don't you worry — your hosts are here for you! Kristina Horner and Liz Leo are 'writing-50k-words-in-a-month' experts (and lifelong writing friends) with a passion for helping people write their damn novel. Join them each week as they share their personal tips, tricks and other things they've learned over almost two decades of consecutive NaNoWr ...
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The show where you join me, Oliver Brackenbury, on the journey of writing my next novel, from first ideas all the way to publication & promotion. In this unique, one-man-reality show I'll share you with you my ever evolving thoughts and feelings on how I write, being a writer, and everything that entails at each stage of the process. I'll also answer listener questions and, sometimes, interview people who write fiction. If you're the kind of person who likes to learn how things are made, and ...
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Author Keith McNally describes his process while writing a novel.
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Face it. We all want to write novels. “Write A Novel” is the podcast you need to make that goal a reality. It doesn't matter if you don't know what to write about or how to tell a story. I'm here to walk you through the process as many times as you need to make your dreams of being an author come true.
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I’m just a young writer trying to figure out how to write her first novel so I’m going to share my experiences with you. This includes me reading sections of my book, trying to figure out how to write sections of my book, and giving a few tips that I’ve learned through my experience with writing.
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Matt Bird (author of "The Secrets of Story: Innovative Tools for Perfecting Your Fiction and Captivating Readers") and James Kennedy (author of the novel "The Order of Odd-Fish") have raucous debates about the craft of novel writing, screenwriting, storytelling (and anything else they want to fight about!) Through their discussion you will learn how to be a better storyteller.
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Episode 191 - Do we know enough to write the first sentence?
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24:35When do we know enough writing techniques to start our novel? And when is the story ready to be written? I'll try to answer both questions. Also, how do great writers describe a character's appearance in ways that reveal the character's past and personality? Here's how masterful writers do it. Support the show…
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When the shine wears off and you still have 45,000 words to go
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23:47Okay I'll admit, this episode was supposed to go out a week ago. So pretend every time we talk about the 5k slump, we're actually talking about the... 15k slump. Either way, being in a writing slump can be tricky, especially when you're starting to realize things aren't working quite as well as you envisioned it and there's so, so many words left t…
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Episode 190 - The right way to leave red herrings.
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27:10Red herrings--false clues--are used in most all stories in all genres. Here are the right and wrong ways to insert red herrings into our stories. Also, here's how we can show--reveal--much about a character by describing a setting. Support the showJames Thayer által
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How to stay focused and block out immediate distractions while writing
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18:38November is here! Are you ready? Too bad, we all have to start writing anyway! In today's episode, your hosts Kristina and Liz discuss how to buckle down and get words written, despite the many distractions out there vying for your attention. HAPPY NANOWRIMO, ALL! Best of luck on your stories! Send us a text Support the show Enjoy the show? Like th…
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Episode 189 - Start as close to the end as possible.
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25:07Kurt Vonnegut said we should "Start as close to the end as possible." What did he mean? How can we do so? Here are thoughts on this famous piece of advice from a legendary novelist. Also, avoiding the word "not" to give our sentences more energy. And Orson Scott Card on creativity. Support the showJames Thayer által
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100% Writer-approved novel outlining MAD LIBS!
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21:24There are only 3 days until NaNoWriMo begins! If you're scrambling like we are, we've got a tool that might help: MAD LIBS! All joking aside - in today's episode, your hosts Kristina and Liz realize the silly outlining mad lib they created is shockingly useful, and might have just helped them stumble upon Liz's next great American novel concept. Tr…
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Episode 188 - How to make our writing fun.
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29:15Is your writing time becoming a grind? If so, here are some things that may reduce the grind and maybe even make writing fun. Also, here are thoughts on how we might write a sentence that is a timeless truth told in lovely language, an immortal sentence that will live forever. Support the showJames Thayer által
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Slow burn romance: why we love it
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24:08What exactly makes a romance "slow burn", and why is it having such a moment right now? What makes this trope so appealing? How can you raise the tension and add delicious slow burn romance to your own writing without it feeling like things are dragging? In today's episode, your hosts Liz and Kristina discuss the craft of writing slow burn romance,…
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Episode 187 - Giving readers what they want.
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28:46We writers should consider giving readers what they want. Well, what do they want? Here is a discussion of the five things readers want in a novel. Also: the dual timeline plot structure. And F. Scott Fitzgerald's seven tips on writing. Support the showJames Thayer által
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Interview with our Discord mods (and the creators of Rough Draft Month)!
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43:12Not only are today's guests Sara and Lucie two of the amazing minds behind the Rough Draft Month challenge, but they're also our Discord mods! Join us in today's episode as we talk writing, how these two came to be our moderators, and what it's like behind the scenes over at Rough Draft Month! This might be one of our favorite episodes yet. Send us…
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Episode 186 - Showing--not telling--what a character is thinking.
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26:41Thoughts are interior, in our minds. But there are ways to show--to give evidence--that reveal to the reader what our character is thinking. Also, here is an important ingredient that many writers forget when describing a character. Support the showJames Thayer által
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Liz is off cruising the Mediterranean, so this week you get ~ solo Kristina ~ talking about a new website making the rounds that we may have had a hand in... NaNo2.org is a community-focused hub for all things NaNoWriMo, created entirely by community volunteers and former staff who left the org way before it started going downhill. The goal is to p…
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Episode 185 - The keys to musical writing.
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24:15The three most important words in our fiction are, "Story, story, story." But we can also shoot for lovely, musical language that makes each sentence and paragraph a pleasure to read. Here are thoughts on how to add music to our sentences. Support the showJames Thayer által
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Writing Confessions (Featuring listener participation by YOU!)
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20:49What's your deepest, darkest writing secret? 👀 This week, your hosts Kristina and Liz tell all, including anonymous submissions from our listeners. Thank you to everyone who shared a writing confession with us... your secret is safe with the Write Your Damn Novel community! Send us a text Support the show Enjoy the show? Like this episode, give a t…
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Episode 184 - Skipping the dull stuff in our plot.
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26:30In his famous ten rules of writing, Elmore Leonard says that we shouldn't write things readers tend to skip. What are those things? How can we avoid writing them? Also, should our story have theme and, if so, how can we present it? Support the showJames Thayer által
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The 10k Day: Can you do it? Should you?
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20:05To some, the idea of writing 10,000 words in a day is a wild fantasy they may only dream of; to others, it's a standard part of NaNoWriMo. What does it really take to write this many words in such a short period of time? Why is it easier for some folks than others? In today's episode, your hosts Kristina and Liz talk about how to prepare for a 10k …
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Episode 183 - A key to making our sentences forceful.
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27:35What do Ernest Hemingway, Cormac McCarthy, and Elmore Leonard have in common? Powerful stories, yes. But also lean and forceful sentences. Here's how they do it. Also: in our plotting,what's an acceptable coincidence and what's a weak, story-ruining coincidence? Support the showJames Thayer által
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Kristina's 20th novel but mostly KPop Demon Hunters
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20:19It's time for an update with your hosts! In today's episode, we talk about what we've been working on since last season, what we might do for this year's novel, and then basically decide to turn this podcast into a KPop Demon Hunters show. Also, Kristina is hitting an important milestone this year, so we miiiight have something special planned. Sen…
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Episode 182 - Things to think about as we write the end of our story.
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23:48After months and month if writing, we'll near the end of our story. Our novel is almost finished. Here are things we should consider as we wrap up our story. Also, for many of us editing our own story isn't as fun as writing. Here are thoughts on how we can make sure we edit enough, and how we know when to quit editing. Support the show…
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Catching up with Write Your Damn Novel!
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12:15Hey everyone! Your hosts Kristina and Liz are back for SEASON 7 of Write Your Damn Novel, and we're so excited to jump in with ya'll for 2025. In this first episode, let's talk about the elephant in the room: the fact that NaNoWriMo as a non-profit organization is, uh... gone. What does that mean for this year? How do we feel about this? And most i…
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Episode 181 - A critical difference between scene and summary.
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26:11Why should almost all of our story be scenes rather than summaries? Here's how we can avoid summaries and instead write moment-by-moment real-time scenes in our fiction. Also: here are perhaps the most beautiful sentences ever written in fiction. Support the showJames Thayer által
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Episode 180 - The critical distance between the reader and the action.
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27:02The reader is like a camera as the scene unfolds. Where should that camera be? How far away from the characters and the action? Here are thoughts on authorial distance, about the benefits of placing the camera--the reader--near or far. Plus, how Charlotte Bronte worked. Support the showJames Thayer által
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0177: First Draft Done
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1:04:01Keith McNally által
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Episode 179 - The critical writing techniques all in one episode.
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27:15Here are the most important fiction writing techniques boiled down to twenty-five minutes. I've talked about all these elements in prior episodes but sometimes it's useful to hear things again. This episode is a refresher. Support the showJames Thayer által
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Episode 178 - How to make readers laugh.
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27:34We may be writing a comic novel or we may want to add humor to our thriller or romance or horror or literary novel. Humor adds a strong element to most any story. Joe Pesci as Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas: “Funny how? I mean, funny like I'm a clown? I amuse you? I make you laugh?" Well, yeah. Let's see how we can make readers laugh. Support the show…
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Episode 177 - The description double duty technique.
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27:37Good descriptions of characters should do double duty: they can let the reader know what the character looks like and the description can also suggest something about the character's personality. Here are examples and thoughts on double duty descriptions. Also, how Alice Walker works. Support the show…
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Episode 176 - Inventing a fabulous title.
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24:47The title is the book browser's first impression of our novel. The title should tempt the browser to pick up and open the book. Here are thoughts on how we can give our story a strong, enticing title. Also, how do famous authors edit their own manuscripts? Maybe we can learn from them the best way to self-edit our stories. Support the show…
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Episode 175 - Writing funny dialogue.
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25:48We can write dialogue that makes readers laugh. Here are thoughts on creating funny conversations between our characters. Plus, we don't need to have our character look into a mirror to describe herself, which has been done time and again. Here are ways to avoid the mirror. Support the showJames Thayer által
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Episode 174 - How to ruin our story's first sentences.
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25:36A story's first sentence should make the reader ask, "What's next?" They should propel the reader into the story. Here's how to do it right and how to do it wrongly. Also, three master writers show us how to describe a setting. Support the showJames Thayer által
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Episode 173 - The magic of dialogue.
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23:56Dialogue is fun to write and fun to read. Our story should have lots of it. Here's a powerful thing dialogue can do: it can reveal (that is, to show rather than tell) what a character is thinking. The character's conversation can be lively and fun, and hearing the character speak is so much stronger than reading the character's mind. Here are thoug…
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Episode 172 - Our first fifteen pages.
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25:53The first pages of our novel should contain certain elements and avoid certain elements. Here's a list of things to include and exclude in those first pages. Plus, ways to write forceful, clear, and lovely sentences. Support the showJames Thayer által
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Episode 171 - Top ten list of bad advice for writers.
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29:09In these episodes I try to set out good writing advice but a lot of bad advice is out there, so here is a list of bad advice, and the list may help us avoid writing blunders. Here are also ten dialogue mistakes, and avoiding them likely means we end up with engaging and even riveting dialogue for our characters. Support the show…
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Episode 170 - Writing the crowd scene. And guilt and pride.
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28:09Here are techniques for keeping focus in a scene where there is a crowd, with an example from Harper Lee. And how Margaret Mitchell worked. Plus: how can we show rather than tell about a character's guilt or pride. Support the showJames Thayer által
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Episode 169 - How to find a surefire plot.
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25:03Stephen King says there is no idea dump we can visit to find a good plot. We have to create our own plots. How can we do so? Here's a discussion on creating plots. Also, if Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark expedition can learn to write, so can we. And the critical technique of using the active sentence form. Support the show…
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Episode 168 - Making our first sentence sparkle.
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27:17Does our story's first sentence cause the reader to ask, "What's next?" Or does the reader say, "So what?" Here are thoughts on creating a tense, sparkling first sentence. Also, how the masters use specific, definite, and concrete details to convince the reader. Support the showJames Thayer által
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Episode 167 - Revealing our character by the setting.
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26:48Our setting descriptions should do more than describe a place. They can also show the reader much about our character. Here's how to do so. Also: what's the main thing our plot needs: trouble. Here's why. And how Edna Ferber worked. Support the showJames Thayer által
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Episode 166- Showing our character's thoughts.
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24:30Two mistakes can ruin our presentation of what our character is thinking: telling rather than showing, and interior monologue. Here are ways to present thoughts in a way that grabs the reader. Also, how Octavia Butler worked. And examples of wonderful character descriptions from masterful writers. Support the show…
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Episode 165 - The rule of exceptions.
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28:41Sometimes the strongest writing technique isn't the strongest in our story. Every writing rule has exceptions, and here's a discussion on when to make exceptions. Also, how to create a strong title for our novel and short story. Support the showJames Thayer által
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Keith McNally által
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Episode 164 - Design our cover? And the masters on setting details.
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28:36We are learning fiction techniques, and we are or soon will be skilled fiction writers. Does this mean we should design our own book covers? Also, Michael Chabon's terrific sense of smell. And the use of details in the haunted house. Support the showJames Thayer által
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Episode 163 - The benefits of an underdog.
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25:36Having readers fall in love with our character is so important, and making our hero an underdog is a good way to do it. Here are thoughts on underdog characters. Also, I'll read a few character descriptions from master story-tellers that may make us stronger writers. Support the showJames Thayer által
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The Final Episode in this Feed: Another preview of "A Good Story Well Told"!
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1:05:36It's another episode of Matt's new podcast, "A Good Story Well Told" with Jonathan Auxier, this time discussing "The Giver", but from now on, to get new content, you'll have to subscribe to the "A Good Story Well Told" feed. Meanwhile, this feed will remain active so you can enjoy the wonderful archives of Matt and James's content.…
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Ep84 – Interview with Curtis Ellett
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47:48Oliver sits down with the editor of the longest running, still-extant S&S magazine, Swords & Sorcery Magazine, Curtis Ellett! https://swordsandsorcerymagazine.comOliver Brackenbury által
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Episode 162 - The state fair plotting technique.
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27:19Our story should be like a state fair: one thing after another. Here are some ideas on state fair plotting. Plus: settings shouldn't be inert locations in our novel or short story but rather should work for our story. Here's how to get the most from our settings. Also: my experiment with AI proofreading. Support the show…
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Introducing a new podcast: A Good Story Well Told with Jonathan Auxier
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42:03It's a special preview of the first episode of Matt's new podcast with Jonathan Auxier: A Good Story Well Told. Search for and subscribe to the new podcast to get a second episode now!Matt Bird and James Kennedy által
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Episode 161 - Ways to give readers what they want.
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26:46Readers want five things in a story, three of which are right in the beginning. Here's a discussion of how to deliver those five things. Plus, a character's thoughts are the least interesting aspect of a story. How can we show what a character is thinking without entering her mind? Support the showJames Thayer által
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