Firsts in Fiction
Writer Psychology
Ask the Authors
Firsts in Fiction Ask the Authors How do you prefer to handle typesetting words in made up languages? Italics? What if you are including thoughts in dialogue? Here is an example: Kata’s brow furrowed, “Snack?” Zeta looked around warily before she whispered, …
Feeding the Beast: Keeping Creativity Fed
Welcome back, loyal listeners! A quick disclaimer: we faced quite a few technical difficulties this week. The content is still top-notch, but the quality of recording was spotty (mainly on Aaron’s end at the beginning). Stick with us, though. The quality improves further in. It’s …
Mental Missteps–Avoiding Common Writerly Mental Mistakes
NOVEL SPOTLIGHT (Aaron): The Road by Cormac McCarthy I’m a sucker for stories about fathers and sons, and this one is about as gritty as it gets. Set in a post-apocalyptic future filled with cannibals and other darker perils, the father and son …
Encouragement from Discouragement
NOVEL SPOTLIGHT (Aaron): The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien This is another staple in my English classes. I first read it while at Antioch and fell in love with it. In his collection of short stories (that some argue is more of a …
Reading Like a Writer
NOVEL SPOTLIGHT (Pops): The Taking, by Dean Koontz, 2004, Bantam Books, 448 pages in original release. When I think of books by Dean Koontz several titles float to the surface of my mind: Strangers, Sole Survivor, Odd Thomas, One Door Away from Heaven, and …
Developing Discipline–The Habit of Art
Novel Spotlight (Molly Jo): Heart’s Song by Aaron Gansky and Kaye Morrison Developing Discipline–Mental Steps to Establishing Habit We started this year of FiF podcasts by focusing on the writer’s mind and way of thinking. Last week we chatted about the “Writer’s Mind: …
The Writer’s Mind–What Kind of Writer Are You?
NOVEL SPOTLIGHT: Slaughterhouse Five (Aaron’s Pick) This is one of my favorite novels of all time. I’m not sure exactly how many times I’ve read it, but it’s up there. I use it in the AP class I teach each year. There’s a lot …