Flash Fiction with Heather Luby
This week, we’re joined by Heather Luby, managing editor of The Citron Reivew, to take a look at a very popular form of story telling: Flash Fiction. Because the form is so short (less than a thousand words), authors must be careful to craft the story in a very exact...
Bonus Cast! Heroes
Surprise! Just in time for All Saints Day, Firsts in Fiction Podcast brings you the flip side of the villains coin. Nathan Bodell and Aaron Gansky talk heroes: what makes them great, what makes them last. Sadly, Steve wasn’t able to join us for this special bonus...
Author Spotlight: Annie Tipton
This week, I talk with Annie Tipton, author of the A Real Payne series. She made up her first story at the ripe old age of two when she asked her mom to write it down for her. Since then, she has read and written many words as a student, newspaper reporter, author,...
Author Spotlight: Normandie Fischer
[This week on Author Spotlight, I feature Normandie Fischer, author of Becalmed. She studied sculptures in Italy for a number of years before returning home to complete her degree. In the seventies, she began editing and writing technical books in the DC area while...
Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing
It’s a pretty popular thing for accomplished writers to compile lists of rules* for writing fiction. This week, Steve and I tackle 10 of these rules as suggested by Elmore Leonard. Elmore Leonard cut his teeth writing westerns, but quickly moved on to crime novels. He...
First Lines
This week, Steve and I look at the importance of first lines in fiction. The information is largely taken and adapted from my book, Firsts in Fiction: First Lines. The first line of your novel is especially important for a few reasons. Firstly, you want to make sure...