Paula B http://www.writingshow.com Where writing is always the story Information and Inspiration for Writers en-us Copyright The Writing Show 2007 Paula Berinstein paula@compulsivecreative.com paula@compulsivecreative.com paula@compulsivecreative.com Thu, 01 Nov 2007 14:00:00 PST Wed, 31 Oct 2007 14:00:00 PST writing books fiction nonfiction screenwriting publishing songwriting authors writers literature 60 Ron Hornbaker, Steve Lucas, Vikki Thompson, Clive Wright With BookCrossing founder Ron Hornbaker and BookCrossers Steve Lucas, Vikki Thompson, and Clive Wright In August 2004, a new word was added to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary: "bookcrossing." Bookcrossing is the practice of leaving a book in a public place to be picked up and read by others, who then do likewise. For Ron Hornbaker, who had conceived of and launched BookCrossing in just one month in 2001, the addition was the gift of a lifetime. BookCrossing is a lively community of more than half a million book lovers who release books into the wild to be found by others. The site's goal is to make the whole world a library. This New Year's, we celebrate BookCrossing with founder Ron Hornbaker and three BookCrossers, including an author who has released his own books into the wild. Join us for this exciting celebration of books and booklovers as Ron, Steve, Vikki, and Clive discuss: * What BookCrossing is * How it came about * How it works * What places are best and worst for releasing books * What types of released books are the most popular * What some of the strangest release locations are * How long books travel * What proportion of released books end up being caught * How Clive has fared releasing his own books, and what he's learned in the process * What cool things you can do with BookCrossing. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=215 Podcasts Sun, 31 Dec 2006 13:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/116.0 57:19 writing writers books book lovers bibliophiles BookCrossing Writing Show podcasts Paula Berinstein With Writing Show host Paula B In 2003, Paula Berinstein and her husband did a really stupid thing: they started an online bookstore. In 2004, humiliated and a great deal poorer (but wiser), they closed it. In episode 7 of "How Not to Run an Online Bookstore," Paula talks about the crazy branding workshop she thought might help save her business, including: * How she ended up going to the workshop in the first place * Why branding is important * What sorts of people attended, and why she had trouble talking to them * What she found helpful about the workshop, and what almost made her run screaming * What she discovered about herself at the workshop * What her final branding statement looked like * What was helpful about the experience, and what ultimately didn't matter. Join Paula for this multi-part series that will be aired a little at a time. And for heaven's sake, don't do what she did! http://www.writingshow.com/?p=214 Podcasts Sun, 24 Dec 2006 13:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/115.0 17:30 bookselling ecommerce bookstores booksellers Charles Dickens With Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens is the author of such classics as A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, and the beloved A Christmas Carol. Some of his characters are the most famous in all of literature: Ebenezer Scrooge, Miss Havisham, Fagin, Little Nell, Madame DeFarge, Uriah Heep. He was born in 1812 in Portsmouth, England. Join Mr. Dickens and host Paula B. as they discuss all things Dickens, including: * How and where he works * What it's like to write in installments * How A Christmas Carol came about * What his "Carol philosophy" is * How Carol was received * What he keeps in his notebook Memoranda * How he prepares for his public readings, and how Mark Twain felt about one of them * How he's fought the piracy of his intellectual property * What his influences are * How he approaches his characters. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=213 Podcasts Mon, 18 Dec 2006 09:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/114.0 39:27 writing writers authors Charles Dickens Christmas Writing Show podcasts Mark Leslie With horror writer Mark Leslie In episode 3 of "Getting Published, with Mark Leslie," we catch up with Mark post NaNoWriMo and find out how he did. We also discuss an extensive crit from Writing Show guest host Mick Halpin, and Mark tells us about a detour he's about to take. You can read a new scene from the novel on our Web site, writingshow.com. We invite you to offer your feedback on Mark's story and egg him on by commenting on our blog and/or writing to Paula B. at paula at writingshow dot com. You can also send your feedback to Mark at mark at markleslie.ca. You can even send him an ecard! http://www.writingshow.com/?p=212 Podcasts Sun, 17 Dec 2006 11:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/113.0 54:50 writing writers writing reality show horror authors Mark Leslie Writing Show podcasts Yves Gagnon, Aaron Kite, Rich Moberg, Sean Perron, and Michell Plested With Yves Gagnon, Aaron Kite, Rich Moberg, Sean Perron, and Michell Plested from the blog Starting Write Now If you haven't sampled the outstanding blog Starting Write Now, I suggest you skedaddle on over there and check it out. The project chronicles the efforts of five writers in various stages of their careers as they struggle with the same issues so many of us face: finding time to write, planning their work, building great characters, writing believable dialog, getting published, and more. Today we have the pleasure of their company. Join us as we discuss the writer's life, including: * Why Sean started the Starting Write Now blog and what its mission is * What types of writing the guys do, and what their goals are * What challenges and issues they're facing at this point in their writing * How they're approaching NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), in which they're all participating this year * Why Rich shut down his freelance writing business * Why Yves and Aaron are working on their outlining skills * What surprising effect on Mike's writing came from mailing his manuscript to a publisher * How a short attention span seems to be plaguing (some of) them * How some of the guys see mostly the trees and some of them see mostly the forest when writing * How they feel about the challenge of writing material that's both fun to write and to read * Why Rich feels that his English degree has been an impediment to his writing * How they feel about using "he said" and "she said" in their dialog * What they think makes for good dialog * How Mike, Sean, and Yves feel about telling people they're writing * How the guys define success * How Aaron feels about hooking readers and pacing his stories * How their supporting each other has affected their writing * Why they write. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=211 Podcasts Sun 10 Dec 2006 15:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/112.0 01:33:55 writing writers authors Writing Show interviews podcasts Erin Hart With mystery writer Erin Hart Imagine finding 100-year-old butter that's still salty and white in, of all places, an Irish bog. Then imagine discovering a centuries-old perfectly preserved body in that same bog. Believe it or not, a bog can harbor archaeological treasures. And leave it to mystery writer Erin Hart to dive right in, well, dig right in, and dredge up something else: murder. Before straying serendipitously into crime fiction, Erin Hart trained to become a theater director, and has been variously employed as a stage manager, propmaster, editor and copywriter, writing teacher, journalist and theater critic. Born in Crawfordsville, Indiana, and raised in Rochester, Minnesota, Erin was educated at Saint Olaf College and the University of Minnesota. While visiting friends in Ireland one summer, Erin heard an intriguing tale about a beautiful red-haired girl whose perfectly preserved severed head was discovered in a desolate Irish bog. That true story was the inspiration for her debut novel, Haunted Ground, the first in a planned series of crime novels set mostly in Ireland, revolving around archaeology, forensics, history, traditional music and folklore. Haunted Ground has been translated into ten foreign languages; the second novel in the series, Lake of Sorrows, was published in October 2004. Join guest host Mick Halpin and Erin as they explore bogs, mystery writing, and things Irish, including: * Where she came up with the idea of writing a bog mystery * How she feels about writing dark characters * How she approaches research * How she ties together the ancient past and the present and entices the reader to care about both * What's going on in bog-based archaeology * How she weaves music and culture into her stories * What she learned from writing her first book that helped her with her second * Why the mystery "formula" remains popular. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=209 Podcasts Mon 4 Dec 2006 10:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/111.0 55:24 writing writers authors mystery mysteries novels fiction archaeology bogs Ireland Erin Hart Writing Show interviews podcasts Jean Tennant With author Jean Tennant In episode 2 of "Getting Published, with Jean Tennant," Jean explained how she was going about her search for an agent and shared her query letter with us. In episode 3 of "Getting Published, with Jean Tennant," Jean reports back after having sent out several queries, and we share some listener feedback. Join Jean and Paula B. as we discuss: * What's happened with the agent queries she's sent out * Why she's tweaking her agent query letter, and how * Why she's leery of overpolishing her work * How she feels about following "the rules" writing experts lay down. Jean also reads more excerpts from her work, which we discuss, and she releases chapter 2 for us to look at. We invite you to offer your feedback on Jean's work by commenting on our blog or writing to Paula B. at paula at writingshow dot com. Or, stop by Jean's Web site and give her an atta girl. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=208 Podcasts Tue, 28 Nov 2006 18:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/110.0 37:46 writing writers agents reality show Jean Tennant publishing getting published novels fiction Writing Show podcasts Keith Fiore and Alexandru Sacui With author Keith Fiore and illustrator Alexandru Sacui Take one part rhyme, one part gorgeous illustration, one hand-produced slipcase, one red ribbon bookmark, and one great story. Voila! You've got Leni the Pug: The Comet Christmas Caper, a new children's Christmas book destined to become a classic. Join us for a look inside the production of this lavish volume. Author Keith Fiore is a New York City writer and entrepreneur. He began to write Leni the Pug: The Comet Christmas Caper in 2003, shortly after he left his job at a large media and advertising company to start his own business, 2aTEE Golf. After completing an early version in 2004 and unable to find anything like it on bookshelves, he decided not to search for a publisher. Instead, he looked for an illustrator. In 2005, he connected with Alexandru Sacui. Artist Alexandru Sacui lives in Asheville, North Carolina. He freelances as an illustrator, designer and animator between his own projects. In 2005 and 2006, Alex illustrated the holiday tale, Leni the Pug: The Comet Christmas Caper, and designed and animated the book's Web site. He brought the book to life in glorious color and fine detail, spending up to 80 hours on each illustration. Alex studied graphic design at the University of Cincinnati, and counts Terry Gilliam, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Antoni Gaudi as his chief creative influences. Join Keith, Alex, and Writing Show host Paula B. for a fun discussion about the production of Leni the Pug, including: * Why Keith chose Christmas as the focus of his first book * Why he went to an illustrator rather than a publisher * How they came to produce such a lavish book * What designing the book entailed * How they decided what aspects of the story to illustrate * How the illustration was done * Why the camera angles are so unusual * How long it took to do each drawing * Why Keith decided to include "grown-up" words in his poetry * How Keith approached the writing of his rhyme (and worked hard to get the meter just right) * How they designed and produced the slip case, and the issues they had to deal with * How they disagreed over the logo and the font (and who won the debate) * How they found their printer * How they're marketing and selling the book * Why they've given their lavish book such a reasonable price. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=207 Podcasts Mon, 26 Nov 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/109.0 58:42 writing writers writing illustration illustrators children children's books literature rhyme kids books Christmas Santa Claus Writing Show podcasts Dick Margulis With freelance editor and typographer Dick Margulis If you've managed to complete your manuscript, congratulations! That's a major achievement, and you deserve to celebrate. Once you've finished the champagne, it's time to switch hats and convert your opus into a product. Don't know where to start? Freelance editor and typographer Dick Margulis can help. Dick's first editing job was chief copy editor for his junior high school newspaper (unpaid, of course)46 years ago. But his interest in typography predates that by a couple of years. He got serious about it in seventh grade. In the intervening decades, Dick has been a butcher, a baker, and a candlestick maker (yes, all three) and, along the way, has had paying gigs as an advertising copywriter, a magazine columnist, a book editor, a technical writer, a marketing writer, an herbarist [sic], a Web designer, a compositor, a lithographer, and a few other things he's already forgotten. But through it all, he has remained true to his passion of clear communication through careful editing and appropriate typographic design. Join Dick and Writing Show host Paula B. for a most enjoyable discussion about post-writing tasks, including: * What you need to do after you've finished writing your book * How a manuscript and a product differ * Why you should get someone to edit your work * What an editor does * Why writers shouldn't take suggestions about their work personally * What writers and editors should expect from each other * How editing fiction differs from editing nonfiction * Why you should ignore what your English teachers told you * What book design is and why it's important * How graphic designers and book designers differ * What factors book designers have to consider * How books are printed * What it costs to print books * What the lead time for getting your book produced is * When the busiest times for printers are * What a proofreader does. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=206 Podcasts Sun, 19 Nov 2006 13:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/108.0 01:22:04 writing writers writing editing book design typography editors Writing Show podcasts Mark Leslie With horror writer Mark Leslie Last time, we introduced horror writer Mark Leslie and learned that Mark was going to attempt to finish his novel A Canadian Werewolf in New York during this year's National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). In episode 2 of Getting Published, with Mark Leslie, we catch up with Mark during NaNoWriMo and find out how the writing is going. We also discuss: * Why publishers seem to eschew horror fiction * What some horror writers do to try to get around the stigma surrounding horror fiction * What types of NaNoWriMo activities he's been participating in (and avoiding) * What type of music he listens to while writing * What things about Mark's story Paula particularly likes * How he came up with the notion of a "coppery taste" for blood * How he loses ideas because he can't always write them down * How he works out some of his plotting challenges * How horror writers spend Halloween. We invite you to offer your feedback on Mark's story and egg him on by commenting on our blog and/or writing to Paula B. at paula at writingshow dot com. You can also send your feedback to Mark at mark at markleslie.ca. You can even send him an ecard! http://www.writingshow.com/?p=204 Podcasts Wed, 15 Nov 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/106.0 36:53 writing writers writing reality show horror authors Mark Leslie Writing Show podcasts Victoria Davisson and Thomas Thompson With technical writers Victoria Davisson and Thomas Thompson If you've ever thought about becoming a technical writer, this is the show for you. This week, we get the straight scoop from two who've practiced the profession for a long time and love it. In this comprehensive discussion, Vicki Davisson and Thomas Thompson explore what it's like to be a technical writer, including: * What technical writing is * What types of skills and educational background you need to do technical writing * What sorts of personality traits good technical writers possess * How tech writers learn about the technology they're writing about * What working with programmers is like * What makes for good technical writing * What they do when they just can't understand the software they're supposed to be writing about * What sorts of deadlines they face * What sorts of conventions are involved in the writing itself * What a tech writer's duties are * How technical writing has changed over the years * What it's like to be a contractor vs. being an employee * Where you can get training * How to get jobs in technical writing * How technical writers are compensated. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=203 Podcasts Mon, 13 Nov 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/105.0 01:06:56 writing writers documentation technical writing tech writing Writing Show podcasts Alethea Pascascio With debut novelist Alethea Pascascio "I was born in 1967, in Gary, Indiana. My father was killed by a stray bullet when I was just a baby, but my sister Nicole's father was like a phantom that no one would dare mention. Regarding Nicole's father, there was a rule similar to the military's "Don't ask, Don't tell." Our rule was "You better not ask, 'cause nobody's telling." That rule also applied to any inquiries about the reason for Nicole and me living with G-ma while our mother lived in an apartment across town. My sister and I grew up without a real father figure until Mitchell came into the picture. And from the moment I laid eyes on him, I knew Mama was making a big mistake. A knot the size of my fist formed in the pit of my stomach when Mama strolled in G-ma's house and introduced Mitchell Donnovan as her fiance. Fiance? Hell, we hadn't even known she was dating somebody." From Alethea Pascascio's debut novel, Bag Lady. The cover of Alethea Pascascio's first novel trumpets "Abuse, secrets, lust, low self-esteem, lies, deception, molestation, rejection, unforgiveness." If that isn't a way to get a potential reader's attention, I don't know what is. But these grabbers don't represent mere hype. This debut novel is as gripping as they come. Crack it open, and I guarantee you'll be mesmerized. After being an avid reader for many years, Alethea Pascascio began writing short stories for her own enjoyment. That all changed after she told some of her co-workers about one of the stories. To her surprise, they all began urging her to write a book. After a few months of deliberation, Alethea penned her debut novel, Bag Lady, a story of redemption. Alethea holds degrees in electronics engineering and telecommunications management. She recently became a full-time mother after ten years as an engineer with a major telecommunications company. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=200 Podcasts Mon, 06 Nov 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/104.0 55:05 writing writers authors fiction novels Writing Show podcasts Stephen Studach With horror writer Stephen Studach reading his short story "Drawing on Dead Air" "Drawing on Dead Air was written specifically for The Writing Show's Halloween extravaganza. It is an experiment, put forward by the author, in which we can all take part as listeners. The author/narrator hopes that it will prove to be a fulfilling experience." Welcome to day 7 of the 7 days of Halloween 2006. Today Stephen Studach reads his short story "Drawing on Dead Air." After the reading, Stephen joins us for a talk about writing. Stephen Studach is a short story, novel, and screenplay writer based in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. He focuses on speculative fiction of a dark cast. Stephen has had works published in Australia, the UK, and the U.S., including a number of anthology appearances. His premier collection, Penumbra, was released in 1998; three of its stories have appeared on The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror recommended reading lists. In 2003 Paroxysm Press published his controversial novelette A Thing of Beauty as a chapbook. He was a finalist in the Australian Horror Writers Association's short story contest for 2006 with his tale "Rubber Monsters." Stephen is also a published poet, book and cinema reviewer, and editor. He was co-editor of The Australian Horror and Fantasy Magazine, Australia's first ongoing horror zine. He has qualifications in film production and direction. The idea of a radio show appeals to him because, in his own words, "I have a great head for radio. One day you might let me bring it in and show you it; floating there in its preservation jar. Pretty bubbles, pretty, pretty bubbles." http://www.writingshow.com/?p=195 Podcasts Tue, 31 Oct 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/103.0 01:01:19 writing writers horror short stories Stephen Studach Halloween Writing Show podcasts Leigh Blackmore With horror writer Leigh Blackmore reading his short story "Cemetery Rose" "Ray Kilworth, photographer, sets out to find a Cemetery Rose at the ghoulish Rookwood Necropolis in Sydney. Little does he know he will find far more than he bargained for: rare roses of unexpected kinds, including the rare Black Rose, and its supernatural guardians. His life will be irrevocably transformed by the encounter." Welcome to day 6 of the 7 days of Halloween 2006. Today Leigh Blackmore reads his short story "Cemetery Rose," and then joins us for a talk about writing. Leigh Blackmore is a writer, editor, manuscript assessor, and occultist who lives in Wollongong with his two partners, several cats, and a personal library of 15,000 volumes. He published and edited (with B.J. Stevens and Chris G.C. Sequeira) Terror Australis: The Australian Horror and Fantasy Magazine from 1987 to 1992 and edited Terror Australis: Best Australian Horror. The MUP Encyclopedia of Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy says that his name is "now synonymous with Australian horror." His weird fiction has appeared in the first two Agog! anthologies ("Uncharted" was a Ditmar nominee for Best Novella in 2003) and at various places online, including www.ligotti.net. He has contributed to many scholarly works on supernatural fiction including Supernatural Literature of the World (edited by S.T. Joshi and Stefan J. Dziemianowicz, Greenwood Press, 2006). He is a co-editor (with chief editor Benjamin J. Szumskyj) of the biannual journal Studies in Australian Weird Fiction and regularly contributes to the zine Mantichore. He deals out-of-print weird and occult fiction under the name Raven Books. Leigh regularly lectures on magick and the esoteric mysteries in the Illawarra, and co-facilitates MoonSkin, a ritual working group, with his magical partner Margi Curtis; their regular column on matters magical appears in the internationally distributed magazine Spellcraft. Leigh's Yahoo discussion group on ceremonial magick, Aurora Australis Thelemic Temple, can be found at groups.yahoo.com/group/aatt. He is currently undertaking a BA Creative Arts (majoring in Creative Writing) at the University of Wollongong. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=194 Podcasts Mon, 30 Oct 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/102.0 01:24:34 writing writers horror short stories Leigh Blackmore Writing Show podcasts Chuck McKenzie With horror writer Chuck McKenzie reading his short story "The Shadow Over Bexley" "Even the Great Old Ones need pepping up once in an age" Welcome to day 5 of the 7 days of Halloween 2006. Today an ebullient Chuck McKenzie reads his short story "The Shadow Over Bexley" and then joins us for a talk about writing. Chuck McKenzie was born in 1970, and still spends most of his time there. He writes stuff, and sometimes people publish it, which is nice. One day he may grow up and get a proper job. Or not. For more information, check out The Official Chuck McKenzie Infosite,the only infosite maintained entirely by NASA-trained chimps. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=193 Podcasts Sun, 29 Oct 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/101.0 55:09 writing writers horror short stories Chuck McKenzie Writing Show podcasts Jason Nahrung With horror writer Jason Nahrung reading chapter 1 of his novel The Darkness Within "Dark secrets are brought into the light when an ancient enemy returns to threaten the women of the Winters family. For struggling photographer Emily, mastering her hidden powers of witchcraft is not enough to protect the people she loves. Emily must decide who is friend and who is foe, not an easy task when the darkness lies not just without, but within as well." Welcome to day 4 of the 7 days of Halloween 2006. Today Jason Nahrung reads chapter 1 of his first published novel The Darkness Within, which he co-wrote with Mil Clayton. After the reading, Jason and I talk writing. Jason Nahrung works as a journalist at one of Australia's largest newspapers. In 2005 he shared the William Atheling, Jr. award for his coverage of speculative fiction. He is a member of Vision Writers Group and the Writers on the Edge. His latest published short story appears in Agog! Ripping Reads. His debut novel, a supernatural thriller called The Darkness Within, was written with his partner Mil Clayton when they were living two states apart. It is due out in early 2007 through Hachette Livre. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=190 Podcasts Sat, 28 Oct 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/100.0 52:21 writing writers horror novels fiction Jason Nahrung Writing Show podcasts Gary Kemble With horror writer Gary Kemble reading his short story "Feast or Famine" "Foreign correspondents Don and Rick are lured up Sikaram mountain, deep in Afghanistan's badlands, by the promise of an exclusive interview with one of the nation's most feared warlords. When an avalanche traps the two men in a bunker, their gruesome fight for survival begins." Welcome to day 3 of the 7 days of Halloween 2006. Today Gary Kemble reads his short story "Feast or Famine." After the reading, Gary joins us for a talk about writing. Gary Kemble has been published in Borderlands, Shadowed Realms, The Specusphere, Espresso Fiction, Ripples, The Devil in Brisbane (anthology), Cafe Doom, Dark Tales, and London at Dawn (anthology). He lives in Brisbane, Queensland, with his wife and son. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=192 Podcasts Fri, 27 Oct 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/99.0 55:34 yes writing writers horror short stories Gary Kemble Writing Show podcasts Kaaron Warren With horror writer Kaaron Warren reading her short story "The Gibbet Bell" "Mr. Martin's aunt died on the gibbet, hung as a witch and left till she rotted. Why is the handle of his bell made from the wood of that gibbet? And why is he so terrified to ring the bell?" Welcome to day 2 of the 7 days of Halloween 2006. Today Kaaron Warren reads her short story "The Gibbet Bell" and then settles in for a talk about writing. The Grinding House, Kaaron's collection of horror, science fiction and fantasy short stories was published in 2005 by CSFG and will be released in North America in 2006. Kaaron has been writing since she was seven, and has produced about 150 short stories. She lives in Canberra, Australia, with her husband, her children, and a very old cat who, at least once, has had another cat die in his place. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=191 Podcasts Thu, 26 Oct 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/98.0 57:35 writing writers horror short stories Kaaron Warren Writing Show podcasts Robert Hood With horror writer Robert Hood What strange and deadly horrors lurk among fallen leaves down the back of this shadowy suburban yard? Come with Robert Hood as he investigates "Peripheral Movement in the Leaves Under an Orange Tree", though you may not survive what you find there! Welcome to day 1 of the 7 days of Halloween 2006. Today Robert Hood reads his short story "Peripheral Movement in the Leaves Under an Orange Tree," which was first published in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. After the reading, Rob joins us for a talk about writing. Robert Hood has been writing stories within the horror/SF genres for several decades. Among his books are the short-story collections Day-dreaming on Company Time (FIP, 1988) and Immaterial: Ghost Stories (MirrorDanse Books, 2002), as well as a number of novels. In 2005, he co-edited Daikaiju! Giant Monster Tales (with Robin Pen, Agog! Press), a unique collection of original stories from around the world inspired by the Japanese tradition of giant monster films (the book is now available in the U.S.). Two sequels are on the way. Upcoming stories include, among others, monstrous tales in the U.S. anthology Monster Noir, the Dr. Who anthology Destination: Prague, Borderlands magazine, and the webzine Shadowed Realms, along with several nonfiction critical pieces. A new collection of horror stories is also on the horizon. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=189 Podcasts Wed, 25 Oct 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/97.0 01:02:55 writing writers horror short stories Robert Hood Writing Show podcasts Kristina Wandzilak and Constance Curry With the mother and daughter team of Constance Curry and Kristina Wandzilak "I lifted the glass to my mouth, and slowly let the liquor slide over my tongue. My head was full of conflict. I knew right from wrong, but I told myself it would only be this one time and no one would ever know. My mom and dad, God and the church, my friends: I wondered what they would say. My mouth stung and my throat burned, but, as the alcohol filled my belly, I was overcome with a sense of relief. It was wonderful. It was a combination of pain and pleasure that I had never before experienced. All the fears in my head dulled as the warmth in my stomach grew. I felt incredible. Nothing was ever the same after that night." From The Lost Years: Surviving a Mother and Daughter's Worst Nightmare by Kristina Wandzilak and Constance Curry. Imagine becoming an alcoholic at age 13 and losing your teen years and beyond to substance abuse, homelessness, and worse. Then imagine the havoc that life wreaks upon your family. This week, we talk with a mother and daughter who lived through that nightmare and found strength and redemption on the other side. Kristina Wandzilak has worked in the chemical dependency field since 1994 as a counselor and interventionist. In 1998, she opened the doors of Full Circle Intervention with the vision of bringing respectful intervention to families in need. She is an international speaker and well-known expert on drug addiction and intervention. Kristina's mother, Constance Curry, is a businesswoman and educational speaker on the subject of addiction and family recovery. She started the first women's golf tournament to raise money for the children's center at the Family Service Agency. She has been in co-dependency recovery for many years, studying and trying to understand the disorder that took over her life and the lives of those she loves. The Lost Years is a brave story about personal disaster, recovery, forgiveness, and redemption. Highly recommended by The Writing Show. Please join us for this moving interview, in which Connie and Kristina discuss: * What happened to them * What went wrong in their lives that led to these things happening * How they decided to write the book at all, and how they came to write it together * How they sparked their memories * How their editor helped them pare down their manuscript and write a tight, focused story * How the people they mention feel about being in the book * How they feel about baring these difficult, private facts about their lives * What they wish had made it into the book * What they've learned from writing and promoting the book. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=199 Podcasts Mon, 23 Oct 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/96.0 01:02:12 writing writers memoirs addiction recovery alcoholism nonfiction substance abuse Writing Show podcasts Jean Tennant With author Jean Tennant Last time, we met author Jean Tennant, who's attempting to get her novel Karaoke Nights at the Twilight Lounge published. Jean explained that her story, inspired by her nomadic childhood, fits into the category "women's fiction,"and described her goal: to be the Fannie Flagg of the Midwest. In episode 2 of "Getting Published, with Jean Tennant," Jean explains how she's going about looking for an agent, including: * Why she decided to look for an agent instead of going straight to a publisher * Why she isn't using the agent she worked with years ago * What she's looking for in an agent * How she's going about her search * How she feels about agent horror stories * Whether she plans to query more than one agent at a time * Whether she will send just a query or some sample chapters and a synopsis * What she plans to include in her query letter * How long she thinks it will take agents to reply * How many letters she plans to send out at a time * What she'll do if she keeps getting rejected * Why she hasn't spent much time researching publishers * How she plans to market her book. We invite you to offer your feedback on Jean's work, including her query letter, by commenting on our blog or writing to Paula B. at paula at writingshow dot com. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=182 Podcasts Wed, 18 Oct 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/95.0 32:48 writing writers agents reality show Jean Tennant publishing getting published novels fiction Writing Show podcasts C.J. Box With crime fiction writer C.J. Box "When ranch owner Opal Scarlett vanished, no one mourned except her three grown sons, Arlen, Hank, and Wyatt, who expressed their loss by getting into a fight with shovels. Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett almost didn't hear the call over his radio when it came over the mutual-aid channel." From C.J. Box's most recent novel, In Plain Sight. If you haven't read C.J. Box's crime novels featuring his Wyoming-based game warden detective Joe Pickett, you're missing a real treat. As Box says, "Game wardens are unique because they can legitimately be involved in just about every major event or situation that involves the outdoors and the rough edges of the rural new west." And situations there are in Box's books aplenty, including murder. C. J. Box is the author of eight novels including the award-winning Joe Pickett series. He's the winner of the Anthony Award, Prix Calibre 38 (France), the Macavity Award, the Gumshoe Award, the Barry Award, and an Edgar Award and Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist. His novels have been cited by the New York Times (2001 Notable Book), Booksense 76, People, Booklist, and many others. His short stories have been featured in America's Best Mystery Stories 2006 and limited-edition printings. The novels have been national bestsellers and have been translated into 12 languages. Join C.J. Box and host Paula B. for a fascinating discussion about Joe Pickett, writing crime and mystery stories, and the mountain west, including: * How he came up with his game warden "detective," Joe Pickett * How Joe Picket differs from other crime fiction protagonists * How the landscape of Wyoming shapes his characters and stories * Why he doesn't think his books fall into the "mystery" category, and how he would characterize them * How he approaches dropping hints and clues * What characteristics make for the best detectives and mystery stories * How he approaches writing his villains * How he deals with the challenges of writing a series, like back story, continuity, character fatigue, etc. * What he finds most difficult about writing * How he feels about being compared to New Mexico crime fiction writer Tony Hillerman * How he depicts regional issues like energy development, the environment, and so on * Why he started writing novels * What he wishes more people would ask him about. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=198 Podcasts Mon, 16 Oct 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/94.0 56:26 writing writers crime fiction suspense mystery Wyoming game wardens Rocky Mountains C.J. Box Writing Show podcasts Mark Leslie With horror writer Mark Leslie Ever wondered what goes on inside the mind of a horror writer? Now's your chance to find out. We'll be following Mark's struggles as he attempts to complete and find an agent for his unpublished novel, A Canadian Werewolf in New York. In episode 1 of "Getting Published, with Mark Leslie," we introduce Mark, his book, and his goals, including: * How he got started writing * Why he writes * Why he writes horror * What his book is about * Where he is in the process * How he plans to seek publication * How he gets started with new projects * How he develops his characters * What his writing and publishing goals are. We invite you to offer your feedback on Mark's story by commenting on our blog or writing to Paula B. at paula at writingshow dot com. You can also send your feedback to Mark at mark at markleslie dot ca or comment on one of his blogs (see show notes). http://www.writingshow.com/?p=196 Podcasts Mon, 09 Oct 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/92.0 01:01:25 writing writers reality show horror authors Mark Leslie Writing Show podcasts Cher Gorman With Cher Gorman, Author of Wolf Island and Seductive Reasoning You'd think that writing about sex would be easy. After all, what's more compelling than lust? But, says this week's guest, there's a lot more to thrilling the reader than just stringing sex scenes together. Cher Gorman is a prolific award-winning author. Her first published novel, Wolf Island, was a 2006 EPPIE Award finalist (EPPIE is given for e-books). Her second book, Seductive Reasoning, was released in June 2006, and her third, a collaborative nonfiction project, Ten Steps to Creating Memorable Characters, comes out in November. As if that weren't enough for one year, three more books will debut between November 2006 and February 2007: The Dove (romantic suspense); Sheriff In My Stocking (erotic contemporary romance); and The Secret Truth at Dare Ranch (contemporary romance). Cher's voice, style, and ability to create deep characters and clever plot twists have earned her glowing reviews. Join Cher and Writing Show host Paula B. for this provocative discussion that covers, among other things: * What she used to do wrong when writing about sex * What really builds sexual tension * How to evoke sexual tension without sex scenes * How eroticism and pornography differ * What kind of language today's erotica demands * How to make sex scenes boring * How understanding your audience can help you build tension * What types of language you can use to make your writing sensual. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=188 Podcasts Mon, 02 Oct 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/91.0 01:14:13 yes writing writers sex sexual erotica tension sensuality Writing Show podcasts Daniella Shames, Elisabeth Wilhelm, Robert Zbedi With Daniella Shames, Elisabeth Wilhelm, and Robert Zbedi How many of you started writing as kids? Whether or not you started early, you may just recognize yourself in this group of dynamic teens, who face many of the same issues as adult writers, and then some. Join us as this energetic threesome discusses: * How they got started writing * What they like to write * How they feel about being teenage writers in an adult world * How they feel about creative writing classes * How their parents and friends (and teachers) feel about their writing * What they find most difficult about writing * How they work * What they feel their greatest writing strengths are * What inspires them * What would help their writing and their careers the most. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=186 Podcasts Mon, 25 Sep 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/90.0 01:14:17 writing writers art teens young adults teenagers kids Writing Show podcasts Kalman Andrasofszky With artist Kalman Andrasofszky What could be more thrilling than to see your words come alive in pictures? But what goes into the creation of those pictures, whether it's a book cover, interior illustration, marketing images, or other art? This week we talk with artist Kalman Andrasofszky, who sheds light, and not a little color, on the question. Kalman Andrasofszky is a freelance illustrator. He's had an eclectic career, illustrating comic books, magazines, and roleplaying games; storyboarding movies and commercials; supplying design work for animation and videogames; and even once creating military propaganda. In comics Kalman has worked for DC, Marvel, Image, and Devils Due Productions producing art and covers for titles like Action Comics, The Outsiders, Ion, Vampi, GI Joe, Put the Book Back on the Shelf, and Vengeance of the Mummy. He's produced a particularly massive volume of art for Wizards of the Coast's various roleplaying game lines including Dungeons and Dragons, Star Wars, and D2O Modern. In 2003 he designed, drew, and colored the comic book series iCandy for DC Comics. Before that he spent a year as lead character designer on a massively multiplayer online game. Please join us for this inside look at the world of pictures, as Kalman explains: * What the difference is between art and illustration * Whether his projects start with the art or the writing * What the process is when illustrating for a client * How he decides what goes in the picture * What materials he works with * What a colorist is, and why he or she is so important * How he creates characters * What he does about facial expressions * How he feels about illustrating superheroes * What sort of illustration he'd most like to do * What artists and writers have in common * How writers can work with him * Why his site is called "horhaus." http://www.writingshow.com/?p=185 Podcasts Mon, 18 Sep 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/89.0 56:24 writing writers art illustration illustrators illustrating comics comic books role-playing games covers Kalman Andrasofszky Writing Show podcasts Paula Berinstein With Writing Show host Paula B. Our first-chapter-of-a-novel contest was a great success! At the same time, it's been a learning experience. Our next contest will be tweaked a little here and there so we can make it even better. Join me as I address your questions, announce a new feature of The Writing Show, and ask for your feedback. Paula B. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=184 Podcasts Tue, 12 Sep 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/88.0 07:14 writing writers contests authors fiction novels Writing Show podcasts Jean Tennant With author Jean Tennant Welcome to our very first reality show! In "Getting Published" we'll follow the efforts of various writers as they work on their books, look for agents and publishers, go through the publishing process, and embark on their marketing. We'll look at their proposals, query letters, and marketing plans and share in their reactions as they hear, or don't hear, from agents and editors. During the journey, we'll ask for your comments and make them available on the show and our blog. In that way, even though each series is one writer's story, their work will become a kind of collaboration between them and you, our listeners. We hope that the show will provide insight into the publishing process and help guide you in your own efforts. In episode 1 of "Getting Published, with Jean Tennant," we introduce Jean, her book, and her goals, including: * What Jean's book is about * Why she has returned to novel-writing after years in journalism * How her current novels are different from the ones she wrote in the eighties * Where she is in the process * How she approaches writing and editing * Why she has chosen to tell this particular story * How she came up with her characters and plot and made sure they were fresh and original * How she came up with her title * What her writing and publishing goals are (you've got to hear her elevator pitch!) * How she feels about the possibility of failure * Why she doesn't want to self-publish. We invite you to offer your feedback on Jean's prologue by commenting on our blog or writing to Paula B. at paula at writingshow dot com. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=181 Podcasts Mon, 11 Sep 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/87.0 48:04 writing writers publishing getting published authors reality show fiction novels Jean Tennant Writing Show podcasts Nick Wilson With professional blogger Nick Wilson We've all heard about people who are supporting themselves blogging. But is that something you and I can do? Pro blogger Nick Wilson returns for his third visit to The Writing Show to tackle this intriguing question. Nick Wilson is one of the co-founders of Performancing.com, the world's largest organization of professional bloggers and one of the most popular destinations on the Web. Since early 2000 Nick has been involved in online publishing and community building in one way or another, with the last three years spent almost entirely on the difficult but rewarding task of building communities. It's always a treat to listen to Nick, who never minces words. In this revealing interview, Nick addresses: * What options are available for making income from blogs and Web sites * Why affiliate schemes (cost per acquisition) have been slow to take off in the blogosphere * Where to place ads for best results * What some of the pros and cons of the various options are * Why people click on ads * What you can do to get higher-quality ads * Which strategy is best for most people * How readers feel about Web ads * Which sorts of visitors are likely to click on ads * How to evaluate blog topics for their financial potential * Why selling a blog is tricky * Whether it's possible to make a living from your blog * What Performancing is planning in the way of an ad network for bloggers. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=176 Podcasts Tue, 05 Sep 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/86.0 38:48 writing writers bloggers blogging monetizing finance advertising AdSense Nick Wilson Performancing.com Writing Show podcasts Paula B. With Writing Show host Paula B. We announce the winners of our first-chapter-of-a-novel contest. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=179 Podcasts Mon, 04 Sep 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/82.0 08:27 writing writers contests fiction novels Writing Show podcasts Gregory Huffstutter Read by Gordon Mackenzie This chapter won first prize in our 2006 first-chapter-of-a-novel contest. "In order to solve his partner's murder, a homophobic rookie cop is forced to team up with a gay-rights activist." http://www.writingshow.com/?p=179 Podcasts Mon, 04 Sep 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/83.0 20:53 writing writers contests fiction novels Writing Show podcasts Scott Middlemist Read by Shane Young This chapter won second prize in our 2006 first-chapter-of-a-novel contest. "A soldier returns to civilian life as an air traffic controller but snaps and causes a horrible crash. He is institutionalized and copes with debilitating nightmares and migraines by using an experimental drug. The drug opens a realm reserved for the dead where he tries to recover the pieces of his shattered soul." http://www.writingshow.com/?p=179 Podcasts Mon, 04 Sep 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/84.0 18:25 writing writers contests fiction novels Writing Show podcasts Stacie Penney Read by Kymm Zuckert This chapter won second prize in our 2006 first-chapter-of-a-novel contest. "A young widow returns to her Midwestern hometown to pick up the fragments of her life." http://www.writingshow.com/?p=179 Podcasts Mon, 04 Sep 2006 16:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/85.0 15:50 writing writers contests fiction novels Writing Show podcasts Andrew Findlay With screenwriter Andrew Findlay It's an old joke that if you ask anyone in L.A. how their screenplay is coming along, they'll tell you without batting an eyelash. It's obvious that few of them will ever make it, but in today's Hollywood, even seasoned pros are having a hard time getting projects off the ground. What's going on in the American film industry, and how does it affect your chances of success? Screenwriter Andrew Findlay, who's written for TV and movies all over the world, offers some hard-won insights. Andrew Findlay has worked in film, TV, and theater in Europe and the U.S. In Europe he consistently earns the highest audience ratings for TV movies like "Delayed Exposure," "Ultimate Trespass," "Twisted Company," and "Oh God! How I'd Love To Get a Good Night's Sleep and Have Sex with the Missus Again." His theatrical screenplays in France and the UK include "Blue Moon," "Riders to the Sea," "Big Bang," "Legacy," "Viva Acapulco," "The Badger," "Angkor," and "Stop Light." He is working on his second four-picture deal for Bertelsmann-owned R.T.L. In the U.S., he developed the comedy "The Minus Touch" with director Peter Chelsom and is working on the series "Selma" with feature producer Janet Yang. He also directs for British television, drawing on his background in photography and the London fringe theater. After spending years working in Hollywood, Andrew has formed some strong opinions about the place. Hear what he has to say about: * How screen and television writing differs in the UK, France, Germany, and the U.S. * What Hollywood is looking for in movie scripts today * How Hollywood's requirements are affecting screenwriters, producers, and directors * Why American movie studios are so cautious these days * Why it's so difficult to advise screenwriters how to succeed today * Why watching today's films won't help screenwriters gauge the market * What the film project decision-making process is like * Why screenwriters need to look upon their work as a job as well as a passion * How screenplays differ from plays and novels * Why it's so difficult to get an agent. Andrew also discusses some of his scripts and the issue of "life rights," reads a short treatment for us, and explains where he gets his ideas. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=175 Podcasts Mon, 21 Aug 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/81.0 53:50 writing writers screenwriting Hollywood screenwriters Writing Show Andrew Findlay podcasts Bob Andelman With Bob Andelman, author of Will Eisner: A Spirited Life What makes a biography special? Is it enough that the subject has lived an interesting or famous life? This week we visit with Bob Andelman, author of Will Eisner: A Spirited Life, who tackles these questions and more. It's a long interview, but Bob was so fascinating that I insisted he keep talking. I would have kept him longer, but I started to feel guilty. Please join us and see why I couldn't stop. Bob Andelman is the author or co-author of several best-selling biographical, business, management and sports books, including, Will Eisner: A Spirited Life, The Profit Zone, Built From Scratch, Mean Business, and five others. He has also written hundreds of newspaper and magazine stories for a vast array of publications ranging from Redbook and the St. Petersburg Times to Gallery. Join us for this riveting interview in which Bob discusses: * How he came to write the book * How he went about interviewing Will Eisner and the people who knew him * How he organized his research * How he dealt with difficult interviewees * How he decided what to put in the book and what to leave out * Whether he worried about being sued * What makes a great biography * What you should never, ever do when writing a biography * How he feels about including his own opinion * How he's marketing the book * What it was like to work with the great Will Eisner. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=174 Podcasts Sun, 13 Aug 2006 16:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/80.0 01:33:39 writing writers biography Will Eisner comic books Writing Show podcasts Ben Vershbow and Jesse Wilbur With Ben Vershbow and Jesse Wilbur of the Institute for the Future of the Book Here's a question for you: is a book a thing or a place? If you said a thing, get ready for a big change. The networked book is here: the new agora/plaza/forum where author, publisher, and readers congregate to ponder, discuss, joke, enjoy, and refer. The book is now searchable, linkable, multimedia-able, commentable, annotatable, previewable, mutable, divisible, aggregatable, correlatable, syndicatable, feedable, emailable, Flickrable, deli.cio.us-able, Diggable. In fact, the book is on the brink of such a huge transformation that we wouldn't be surprised if it opened its own chain of coffee bars. Curious as we could be, The Writing Show caught up with two fellows of the Institute for the Future of the Book, Ben Vershbow and Jesse Wilbur, to find out how they are experimenting with this fascinating idea. In this fascinating look at the future, Ben and Jesse explain: * What a networked book is and why anyone would want to make one * What a networked book looks like * How networked books will change authors' roles * What new skills will be required of authors wishing to host networked books * What networked books will mean for readers * How to get readers to show up at networked books * How networked books could change publishing * How networked books might change the world as a whole * How networked books might make revenue,or not * What networked books might mean for librarians and information pros * How instructors might use networked books in the classroom. If you write or publish, you must hear this interview, for the times, they are a-changin.' http://www.writingshow.com/?p=170 Podcasts Mon, 07 Aug 2006 09:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/79.0 01:15:09 writing writers networked book social networking publishing Institute for the Future of the Book peer review Writing Show podcasts Preston DuBose With Preston DuBose, President of the E-book Publisher 12 to Midnight E-books have been slow to catch on for one simple reason: they've been hard to read. But now the e-book landscape seems poised to change. Are e-books a good investment for authors and publishers? Hear what an e-book publisher has to say. Preston DuBose is president of the roleplaying game publisher 12 to Midnight. Preston and his four colleagues started the company in 2003 with no background in publishing or e-books and grew it to one of the top 25 game publishers at the e-book retailer RPGNow. The company specializes in modern horror, with Preston having contributed two such adventures and co-written a third. In this fascinating interview, Preston explains: * What e-books can do for authors and publishers * What you can do with e-books that you can't do with printed books * What costs are associated with publishing e-books * Who distributes e-books * Why marketing e-books is so challenging, and so critical * How digital rights management affects e-books and their readers * How e-book publishing is enabling readers to buy pieces of books * What you can expect of e-book reading devices (they will knock your socks off) * How e-books affect writers' contracts * How e-books might change the world. If you're self-published, traditionally published, or unpublished, this info-packed interview is a must-hear for you! http://www.writingshow.com/?p=169 Podcasts Mon, 31 Jul 2006 09:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/77.0 01:29:31 writing writers e-books ebooks Writing Show podcasts Jeff Rivera With Jeff Rivera, author of the Latino novel Forever My Lady From Forever My Lady: "You got cotton for brains or something? Move!" the Drill Instructor screamed. He was nose-to-nose with Dio and Dio could smell the funk from the D.I.'s breath, like cigarettes and garlic. He was a stout black man that resembled a boar more than anything. His eyes were piercing enough to bring an elephant to his knees. His teeth had nasty coffee stains like he brushed his teeth with shit or something and never flossed. Spit sprayed out of his mouth with every syllable he spoke. Dio had a pounding headache from all the yelling and the D.I. had been doing it for the last 24 hours, ever since they got off the prison bus. Dio hadn't had a cigarette in over a week and he was about to jump out of his skin. He'd been smoking since he was 12. He was exhausted, hungry, and just not in the mood for all the bullshit. His mind was on something much more important than all this exercise crap that the D.I. had all the inmates, or trainees as they called them, doing. He was troubled, aching inside, like his heart had been ripped out and stomped on over and over. Jeff Rivera writes and publishes "urban novels," and if his first is any indication, he's going to be hot stuff. In fact, he already is. Jeff has written two books. His first, Oh Yes I Can!, was an inspirational book for young people. He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and raised in Hillsboro, Oregon. He has been writing since he was six years old and has made it his personal mission to change the way the world thinks in a positive way. Forever My Lady is his first novel. In 1997, a miracle happened to author Jeff Rivera that would turn his life around 180 degrees. After living in his car for months with his family, he managed to get on his feet and begin working at a department store. That is when he met a young man that would change his life forever. The young man shared with Jeff slices of his life as a gang member on the streets of LA. He began to tell Jeff a story of love, and of loss, of passion and of heartbreak. He told him of how the love of one girl, he called his "lady," had inspired him to become a new man. Listening as he shared the private letters and poems he had written to her, the story captured Jeff's heart and soul and never let it go. It motivated Jeff to write a story that would inspire others, as this young man's story had, that anything is possible with the power of love. In this high-adrenaline, inspiring interview, Jeff reveals: * How he started the book, and how he fleshed it out * Why he decided to tell much of his story through letters between the characters * How he got stuck while writing some of his characters, and what he did to overcome the block * How he keeps the reader riveted to the story * What he doesn't like about most novels, and what he did differently * How he comes up with gripping and natural dialog * How he came up with his characters' names * Where the title came from * Why he started his own publishing company, and where he plans to take it * How his book was picked up by a major publisher * Why he's writing a sequel. Join us for this very special conversation with a star in the making. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=168 Podcasts Mon, 24 Jul 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/76.0 01:00:54 writing writers fiction novels characters dialog Jeff Rivera Latinos urban novel plot Writing Show podcasts Paula Paul With Paula Paul, author of the novels Crazy Quilt, The Barefoot Girl, and 21 other books From Crazy Quilt: "I used to wonder if God was really up there the way the preacher said he was. But I couldn't grasp the concept of a God-king in the sky then any more than I can now. Back then I thought that I was the only one who knew God was really the stars. God the Universe. "There ain't nothing like it," Mac says, drawing on his cigarette, his eyes still on the sky. "No," I say. "Nothing." "I met a old Indian in Oklahoma that told me all them stars is the spirits of dead ancestors. You reckon that's true?" "Captain Kirk wouldn't think so." "You think Star Trek is true?" "No," I say, my earlier wariness stirring. I am wondering if he's crazy. Crazy enough to think Star Trek is real. Crazy enough to kill me. He laughs. "Well, I'll tell you something. They're both true. That old Indian and Star Trek. Both of 'em. There's enough stars up there to accommodate more than one way of looking at 'em." "That makes sense," I say. "You think it does?" "More sense than anything I've heard in a long time," I say and mean it. "Then you're a damned smart woman," he says. He points to something high on the horizon, a streak of light. "Look," he says," one of 'em's falling." Continuing our fiction binge (who can ever get enough?), we talk novel writing with Paula Paul, author of 23 novels spanning a variety of genres: mystery, the historical novel, children's stories, and "the novel." Author Paula Griffith Paul is an award-winning novelist who usually writes mysteries, but her current novel, Crazy Quilt, is a literary novel. The main character is a woman whose body, marriage, and spirit have been ravaged by cancer treatment, but who fights her way back in a most unconventional way. Paula is donating one third of the royalities to cancer research. Paula was born on her grandparents' cotton farm near Shallowater, Texas, and graduated from a country high school near Maple, Texas. She earned a B.A. in journalism and has worked as a reporter for newspapers in both Texas and New Mexico. She's been the recipient of state and national awards for her work as a journalist. In this fascinating interview, Paula explains: * What is common to all the books she's written, despite their being in different genres * Why she sometimes writes under a pseudonym * How she approaches characterization and plot * Why and how the reader is so important to her * How she analyzes other authors' books and draws inspiration from them * What she does to hold the reader's attention * What her writing process looks like * How landscape and setting mold personality * How she deals with beginnings and endings * What the hardest part of writing is for her. Don't miss this exciting show featuring two Paulas, Paula Paul and Writing Show host Paula B., as they explore the fertile world of novel writing! http://www.writingshow.com/?p=167 Podcasts Mon, 17 Jul 2006 08:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/75.0 01:08:28 writing writers fiction novels characters dialog setting Paula Paul plot Writing Show podcasts Elizabeth Buchan With Elizabeth Buchan, author of the novel Everything She Thought She Wanted (and 9 others) From Everything She Thought She Wanted: "I had to be good at managing. It was my job. But, over the years, I had grown wary of using that word. Men, I noticed, were a little tricky on the subject of women and jobs. Being good at my "job," though, bought me a little time and space, which I needed. If Ryder was busy with his book, and the children with their sandcastles, I was free to think, like the Japanese who, it was said, had so little space in their crowded country that their only source of true privacy was inside their heads. That morning I felt restless. A couple of days ago there had been a storm and the sea was still angry. I checked the three children, who were busy with their sandcastles, buttoned my cardigan over my swimming costume and announced, "I'm going for a stroll. Can you watch the children?" Ryder barely looked up from his book. "Don't be too long." I placed a finger against his cheek. "What if I never come back?" "Don't say that. Even as a joke." " What a joy it is to talk about novel writing with experienced authors who have learned by doing! You will love our free-ranging discussion with the delightful Elizabeth Buchan, who explains how she approaches everything from character to setting to coming up with just the right title. Elizabeth Buchan began her career as a blurb writer for Penguin Books, a position that was excellent training for a fledgling writer as it necessitated reading widely through the Penguin list. She later became a fiction editor at Random House but decided after a couple of years that she should do what she wished to do: write. For her first two novels, she took as her subject very typical watersheds: the French Revolution (Daughters of the Storm) and the Second World War (Light of the Moon). The latter followed the fortunes of a woman Special Operations Executive agent in occupied France. Her third novel, Consider the Lily, is the story of a 1930s woman who comes to terms with her unhappiness through gardening. Perfect Love took as its theme Mark Twain's dictum, "No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married for a quarter of a century" and explored the bargains and accommodations that have to be made in any relationship. Against Her Nature reworked Thackeray's Vanity Fair set against a backdrop of the Lloyds of London insurance disasters during the 80s. These titles were followed by Secrets of the Heart and Revenge of the Middle Aged Woman, which was made into a television film for CBS. Her later novels are The Good Wife Strikes Back, Everything She Thought She Wanted, and the sequel to Revenge of the Middle Aged Woman , Wives Behaving Badly. Elizabeth reviews for the Sunday Times and the Daily Mail. Her short stories have appeared in various magazines and have been broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Join Elizabeth as she and host Paula B. explore the craft of novel writing, including: * Where she gets her ideas * How she grabs the reader's attention from the very first word * How she uses imagery to illuminate her characters and their conflicts * How she taps into her subconscious to solve writing problems * How she deals with endings * How she makes sure she "shows" rather than "tells" * How she makes her minor characters memorable * When to eliminate minor characters * How she comes up with names for her characters, and why she works so hard to find the right name * How she feels about the use of adjectives * How she keeps herself from being overwhelmed by her research * Why she always writes three drafts of her books * How her preparation and writing process has evolved * What part of writing she finds the most difficult. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=164 Podcasts Mon, 10 Jul 2006 08:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/74.0 01:00:01 writing writers fiction novels characters Elizabeth Buchan Writing Show podcasts Paula Berinstein With Writing Show host Paula B. Welcome to The Writing Show's first anniversary special. To celebrate our first year of podcasting, we thought it would be fun to take a behind-the-scenes look at the show: how it came about, how we produce it, and where we're headed. Join Writing Show host Paula B. as she explains: * How she and her husband Alan decided to start The Writing Show * What her original plans for the show were, and how she's strayed from them * How she selected author Michael Dean to help her kick off the podcast * What she's done that she would absolutely, positively undo if she could * How listeners have helped shape the show * Whether show length matters * What she does in a typical week * How she finds guests * How she and Alan record and post-process the show * How they plan to expand the Web site and make it a comfortable place for writers to hang out * How they plan to monetize The Writing Show * How you can get involved with the show. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=161 Podcasts Mon, 03 Jul 2006 08:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/73.0 35:06 writing writers Writing Show podcasts Elisabeth Wilhelm, Pamela Lord, and Tiffany Lodoen With With Little Owl Mentoring Program co-founder Elisabeth Wilhelm, author Pamela Lord, and mentee Tiffany Lodoen The Little Owl Mentoring Program is a joint effort between Hope Clark, editor of FundsforWriters.com, and Elisabeth Wilhelm, editor of Absynthe Muse, a writing community for young adults. The program connects young adult writers (13-22) with experienced adult writers who mentor them in an all-volunteer free program. Whether the young adult writer's interest is poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or drama, he or she will be paired with an approved mentor who will work with him or her on accomplishing an agreed upon goal. This goal can be big ("I want to pitch my poetry collection to a New York literary agency") or small ("I want to learn how to write authentic-sounding dialogue that fits in a murder mystery novel set in 30s Chicago."). Little Owl (Athene noctua) is the bird species that used to hang around Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, the arts, and warfare. Owls came to symbolize wisdom and clarity of thought. Ancient Greeks used to think that owls had special lamps in their heads that allowed them to see in darkness. The Little Owl Mentoring Program brings adult writers who have grown big, fuzzy eyebrows together with the young writers who don't plan on growing big eyebrows anytime soon. Elizabeth Wilhelm is the editor-in-chief of online young adult writing community Absynthe Muse and co-founder of the Little Owl Mentoring Program. She started writing seriously after completing a homework assignment for US History which involved stained "old" paper and acrylic blood artistically spattered across old style print. Today, she spends far too much time arguing in third person in Model United Nations and other youth conferences around the world and writing articles on sex, stories about Greek myths gone horribly wrong, editing artsy-fartsy things, and working on so many projects she has a hard time keeping them straight and her friends have declared her insane. Pam Lord has been writing fantasy, horror and scifi for over three decades. She alarmed her grade-school teachers by using her vocabulary lists to make stories of zombies and werewolves. For the past two years she has been living in Israel finishing two novels in a fantasy series, finding a publisher, and enjoying doing what she loves: writing. Tiffany Lodoen is a 20-year-old education student who will be teaching English once university is finished. She has been writing since middle school. Along with working with Absynthe Muse, an international young adult writers' community, she is also a senior editor at kiwibox.com. In this enlightening interview, Elisabeth explains the program, and Pam and Tiff tell what it's like to participate, including: * How the program got started and who runs it * What the program entails * Who can participate * How mentors and mentees are paired up * How the program's organizers protect mentees' privacy and look out for their well-being * What happens if mentor and mentee find they're not a good fit * How their new outreach to incarcerated teens is going and how you can help * How one pair works together * How the mentee deals with taking criticism * What they've learned from the experience * How you can get involved. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=156 Podcasts Sun, 25 Jun 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/72.0 01:17:27 writing writers mentors mentoring teens young adults kids Little Owl Paula Berinstein With Writing Show host Paula B In 2003, Paula Berinstein and her husband did a really stupid thing: they started an online bookstore. In 2004, humiliated and a great deal poorer (but wiser), they closed it. In episode 6 of How Not to Run an Online Bookstore, Paula talks about what it was like working through Amazon.com's third-party marketplace, including: * Why they ended up selling through Amazon in the first place * How much it costs to sell through Amazon * What's involved in listing your books for sale * Why the physical condition of a book sold through Amazon is so critical * How to clean dirty books * Why it's so tricky pricing books for sale through Amazon's marketplace * What they did about sales tax * Why customer ratings aren't all they're cracked up to be * How they managed to sell books they didn't have and what they did about it * How Amazon could do a lot better by its marketplace sellers * Why it isn't profitable to sell new books through Amazon's marketplace. Join Paula for this multi-part series that will be aired a little at a time. And for heaven's sake, don't do what she did! http://www.writingshow.com/?p=154 Podcasts Mon, 19 Jun 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/71.0 28:38 bookselling ecommerce bookstores booksellers Kristy and Leander Harding With game developers Kristy and Leander Harding Writing games isn't just for programmers anymore. Increasingly, fiction writers are turning their talents to videogames, where they can see their stories produced in visual form. What are the challenges of writing a story-based game? This week we meet a writer and a techie who have taken the plunge into this exciting new world. Leander and Kristy Harding are a husband and wife game development team from southern New Hampshire. Leander is a software engineer and creator of the game Onslaught. Kristy is a writer, blogger, and full-time undergraduate student working toward her B.A. in English literature. The couple is currently developing an action role-playing game (RPG), Times Like These, to be released in spring 2007. In this fascinating interview, Kristy and Leander discuss: * How they got the idea for the game * How they drew inspiration from literature and other games * How they got started on their story * What the development process has been like * How writing for games is different from other fiction writing * How they're integrating their story with the game play * What they've done when they've run into roadblocks * Whether it's possible to have rounded characters in games * How they see the role of the player in story-based games * How they're designing their game to work well for both beginning and experienced gamers * How they plan to develop community around their game and incorporate player feedback into their design * What it's like to work together on the game considering their different skills and interests. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=150 Podcasts Mon, 12 Jun 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/70.0 57:20 writers writing games storytelling game developers game development videogames Buddy Scalera With comic book writer Buddy Scalera What could be more fun than comic books? In this high-adrenaline interview, comic book writer Buddy Scalera reveals insider secrets of the comic book industry and explains how you too can write comics. Beware: you may be so inspired that you drop everything and start scribbling madly! Buddy Scalera is a professional comic book writer and journalist. He is the author of 7 Days to Fame, a comic book series about a reality show in which contestants win by committing suicide. He has also written stories for the comic book series Deadpool, X-Men, Marvel Knights, and Marvel Millenial Visions as well as more than 100 articles on the topic of comic books. He also wrote and hosted ComixVision, a cable-access television show that explained the comic book hobby to mainstream viewers. And, with his partner Darren Sanchez, he has released the graphic novels Necrotic and Celestial Alliance. Buddy is also self-publishing Visual Reference for Comic Artists, a series of multimedia art-reference CD-ROMs. Join Buddy and host Paula B as they explore the fabulous world of comics, including: * What the characteristics of good comic book writing are * How comic book writing differs from other kinds of writing * What the process is, from idea to production * How comic book writers work with artists and editors * How comic book writers decide on the number of frames per page and what goes in those frames * How long it takes to produce a comic book * What it's like to break into the business * Whether comic book writers can survive financially * How you can produce your own comics * How comic books are marketed * Who buys comic books * How comics have changed over the years. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=149 Podcasts Mon, 05 Jun 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/69.0 01:17:06 writers writing comics comic books graphic novels Dewey Johnson With Dewey Johnson, author of the coming-of-age novel Summer of Champions From Summer of Champions: "Greg had made me cry until third grade when Mom explained to me that he had been adopted from an orphanage in Albuquerque. I was to pay him no attention, but I found that hard to do. He could come up with scary things to think about! So scary that I imagined his real parents were Bonnie and Clyde, the bank robbers. When they were shot to death at the roadblock in Louisiana, their hoodlum baby Greg was in the backseat in a bulletproof crib. He was put up for adoption in New Mexico where no one knew what a public menace he would grow up to be." Experienced writers often counsel "Write what you know." But it's difficult to write about yourself or your own experience and weave a compelling story. It's tempting to throw in too much, or to insist that because that's the way it was, that's the way the story should be. This week we visit with one author who, in his very first attempt, got it right and produced a riveting coming of age story. Dewey Johnson was born in Lubbock, Texas, and grew up in Roswell, New Mexico. He is a pastor, standup comedian, and the creator of the High Desert Home Companion as well as the coming-of-age novel, Summer of Champions. In this breezy and inspiring interview, Dewey discusses: * How he approaches turning autobiography into fiction * How he reveals his characters * Why some of his characters were easy to write, and some difficult * What his greatest writing challenges are * How he edits to achieve a clean, tight style * How his consumer book came to be published by a university press. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=147 Podcasts Mon, 29 May 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/68.0 54:42 writers writing fiction novels autobiography characters coming-of-age fifties 50s Roswell New Mexico John Bryans, Olga Gardner Galvin, Sue Hamilton With publishers John Bryans, Olga Gardner Galvin, and Sue Hamilton Welcome to The Writing Show's very first Q and A podcast! To kick off our new series, we examine what happens to self-published authors who want to pitch their work to traditional publishers. We asked three publishers for their take: * John Bryans, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher, Information Today, Inc. and Plexus Publishing * Olga Gardner Galvin, publisher, ENC Press * Sue Lutz Hamilton, publisher, Dialogue Publishing. Many thanks to Steve Tupper, a 2005 NaNoWriMo participant, for submitting the question: Suppose that an author has self-published through Lulu, etc. but the author still wants the validation of being published by a major publisher. Does the fact that the author has self-published the book (print, e-book, etc.) that the author is submitting turn off publishers who might otherwise consider picking up the book? Would the author be sticking his thumb in the eye of a major publisher by submitting a copy of the Lulu-published hardcover instead of the 8.5 x 11 manuscript? Even if the author submits his manuscript on 8.5 x 11 paper like everybody else, does professional courtesy require that the author tell the publisher up front that the book has been self-published and marketed on a small scale (and I suspect that it would, being that the publisher wouldn't be getting the actual first distribution of the book and probably deserves to know that). http://www.writingshow.com/?p=143 Podcasts Tue, 23 May 2006 13:30:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/67.0 12:13 writers writing self-publishing publishers publishing manuscripts Micah Dubinko With author Micah Dubinko All writers have a favorite way of editing their work that fits in with their personality and temperament. Today we talk with one writer who is perfecting a fascinating new method: reading his work aloud, recording it, and asking the world for feedback. Micah Dubinko is a Senior Research Developer at Yahoo!, published nonfiction author, and geek. His book, Xforms Essentials, was published in hard copy by renowned tech publisher O'Reilly, and also online under an open content license, making it free for others to copy and modify. Micah is currently editing his first novel, written last National Novel Writing Month, aloud on the Web. In this fascinating interview, Micah discusses: * Why he decided to edit his novel aloud on the Web * How a typical editing session works * What he's learned from editing his work this way * How editing aloud can help a writer produce perfect work * How editing a novel differs from editing a nonfiction book * How listeners can offer feedback on his novel. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=142 Podcasts Mon, 21 May 2006 10:30:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/66.0 35:30 writers writing editing fiction novels Tim King With Tim King of "be the story," a blog and podcast Storytelling is becoming increasingly important in games. Changing gamer demographics, increasing sophistication among developers, and other factors are helping to expand the field so much that game companies are now hiring writers to work alongside programmers and artists. This week, we visit with Tim King, a software engineer, writer, musician, and story enthusiast, who has had a long love affair with story-based videogames. Tim produces "be the story," a podcast about stories and telling them. In this fascinating interview, we explore the world of story-based games, including: * Which types of games feature stories * How developers integrate game play with storytelling * How players interact with and experience games that feature strong stories * What makes for good and not-so-good storytelling in a game * What cut scenes are and how they affect game play * What some of the best games with stories are. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=139 Podcasts Mon, 15 May 2006 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/65.0 47:17 writers writing games storytelling videogames C. Hope Clark With C. Hope Clark of FundsforWriters.com. This week's show is about how to get that green stuff: money. Most of us are familiar with the usual sources: publishing contracts, magazine gigs, selling a script to Hollywood. But there are other ways of making money writing. C. Hope Clark is editor and founder of FundsforWriters.com and author of The Shy Writer: The Introvert's Guide to Writing Success. What started out as helping a few writing friends, evolved into a newsletter and ebook business online that serves 17,000 writers each week. Hope has 25 years in federal service in lending, grants, and personnel management and uses this background often in her work advising other writers. In this exciting interview, Hope reveals: * What grants and fellowships are * Who awards grants and fellowships * How to increase your chances of getting a grant * Why you should contact your local community foundation * What some of the lesser-known markets for writing are and how to find out about them * How you can maximize your earnings as a writer * How to write a foolproof query letter. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=137 Podcasts Mon, 08 May 2006 11:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/64.0 57:05 writers writing funds money financing payment grants fellowships foundations NEA earnings authors markets fillers freelancing queries query letter Paula B. With Writing Show host, Paula B. Announcing The Writing Show's first ever contest! This podcast will explain what the contest is about (we're looking for the best first chapter of an unpublished novel) and how to submit. We look forward to receiving your entry. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=136 Podcasts Fri, 05 May 2006 15:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/63.0 14:55 writers writing contest contests prizes fiction novels novel Betsie Bush and Annie Coleman With Librarians Betsie Bush and Annie Coleman. As long as writers have been putting ideas into words, there have been people trying to keep those words from being heard. Whether it's religion, politics, sex, or some other issue, the history of writing is full of books that have been banned, and those that people have tried to squelch. How do issues of censorship and intellectual freedom affect writers and publishers today? Join librarians Betsie Bush and Annie Coleman and host Paula B. as they explore the forbidden. Betsie Bush has been working in libraries in many capacities for almost 20 years,including shelving and processing books as a teenager, circulation and book restoration as a graduate student, and professionally as a catalog and reference librarian. Currently she supports libraries across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan as catalog librarian and trainer for the Superiorland Library Cooperative. In addition to providing library catalog maintenance and training to library staff in the region, she coordinates the Upper Peninsula Regional Digitization Center, a branch of the state's online digital history collection. Betsie earned her Master of Science in Information (formerly Library and Information Science) from the University of Michigan in 1999. Annie Coleman is a part-time library clerk and a part-time graduate student working towards her masters degree in library science. Annie works in a small public library in the suburbs of St. Louis and hopes to be able to call herself a certified librarian in about a year. When she is not working or doing homework, Annie volunteers for LibriVox.org, maintains her Web site at www.anniecoleman.com, and records a podcast of free audiobooks. Her first audiobook was Pride and Prejudice and she is now working on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In this lively discussion, Betsie and Annie hold forth on: * What intellectual freedom is * Why librarians are so passionate about intellectual freedom * Where the limits of intellectual freedom reside * What sorts of materials tend to be challenged by library users * What happens when someone wants a book removed from a library * How the issue of censorship affects authors and publishers * Which books have been banned over the years. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=133 Podcasts Mon, 01 May 2006 13:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/62.0 49:27 censorship intellectual freedom libraries librarians banned books writers writing publishers publishing Denise Rockhill, Jenny Kasza, and Rachael Zimmerman With Denise Rockhill, Jenny Kasza, and Rachael Zimmerman of NaSPA, the Network and Systems Professionals Association. Writing for technical and trade publications can confer benefits above and beyond simple payment. Believe it or not, Writing Show host Paula B. started her writing career that way. What's involved in this kind of writing, and how can you get started? The answers come from three publishing experts at an information technology association, NaSPA, the Network and Systems Professionals Association. Denise Rockhill has more than ten years' experience in niche publication marketing, advertising sales, editorial acquisition, and publishing. Jenny Kasza began her tenure with NaSPA as editor of Technical Support magazine and is currently involved with that and other technical magazines. Rachael Zimmermann edits Network Support magazine. Both she and Jenny work closely with writers to acquire editorial content for their specific publication. They also shape editorial direction, perform copy editing, and manage production. They work with advisory review boards to determine the quality of incoming articles and guide writers through the writing process. Join Denise, Jenny, Rachael, and host Paula B. as they explore how to write for technical and trade publications, including: * How they find writers for their publications * What they look for in their writers * How writers can benefit from being published in technical and trade magazines * What the writing and editing process entails * How long the production process usually takes * What sorts of unrealistic expectations some writers have * How to write a great how-to article. There are a few rough spots in the audio on this podcast, but 99% of it is in great shape! http://www.writingshow.com/?p=130 Podcasts Mon, 24 Apr 2006 11:30:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/61.0 32:16 technical writing trade publications magazine writing NaSPA associations how-to articles publishing Paula Berinstein With Writing Show host, Paula Berinstein In 2003, Paula Berinstein and her husband did a really stupid thing: they started an online bookstore. In 2004, humiliated and a great deal poorer (but wiser), they closed it. In episode 5 of "How Not to Run an Online Bookstore," Paula talks about what it took to get books to customers and what it was like to work with the inscrutable U.S. Post Office, including: * Why books are so difficult to pack and ship * How we solved the packing challenge * How we schlepped a lot of stuff to the post office more or less elegantly * How to avoid waiting in line at the post office * Why we chose to use the U.S. Postal Service despite its drawbacks * How Postal Service practices and behavior baffled us * What media mail is and why media it isn't as attractive an alternative as it might appear. Join Paula for this multi-part series that will be aired a little at a time. And for heaven's sake, don't do what she did! http://www.writingshow.com/?p=127 Podcasts Mon, 17 Apr 2006 11:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/60.0 49:27 bookselling ecommerce small business Robert Garrison, Basil Munroe Godevenos, and Denny Sayers With writers Robert Garrison, Basil Munroe Godevenos, and Denny Sayers This week, three writers get together to compare notes on how they approach their work. You may recognize yourself here, or you may be completely surprised. Whatever you think, you can't help concluding that writers are as varied as can be. Denny Sayers is a professor of education at California State University-Stanislaus. He writes books for teachers that focus on technology, learning languages, and teaching students how to read and write. Brave New Schools (1997, St. Martin's Press) which he wrote with Jim Cummins is still in print, which is rare for a book on the Internet and global learning networks. His new book from Allyn and Bacon Literacy, Diversity and Technology, written with two co-authors, comes out in June. Basil Munroe Godevenos is a blossoming writer. He's the author of Disjoint, a book of short fiction and poetry, he manages an online forum for writers, and he's an occasional blogger. Basil is currently working on a novel, a screenplay, and a comic book. Robert Garrison from Seattle, Washington is an unpublished writer of short fiction and non-fiction and poetry, a technical writer for engineering computer programs and a legal writer of motions and othe