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, 10 Jan 2008 09:00:00 PST Thu, 10 Jan 2008 09:00:00 PST writing books fiction nonfiction screenwriting publishing songwriting authors writers literature 60 Father Walter Macken, Jr. With Father Walter Macken, Jr., son of the late Irish novelist Walter Macken Every writer's dream is to create a legacy that lives on, informing and inspiring readers for generations after they themselves have perished. Ireland's most popular historical novelist, Walter Macken, who died in 1967, did just that. This week's show features a conversation between Dublin-based linguist Rafael Guzmán and Father Walter Macken, Jr., the son of Walter Macken, recorded earlier this year to mark the 40th anniversary of Macken's death. In this fascinating talk, Father Walter Macken Jr. candidly discusses his father's life and legacy, motivations, and methods. http://www.writingshow.com/podcasts/2007/12232007.html Podcasts Sun, 23 Dec 2007 09:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/187.0 54:24 writing writers fiction novels Walter Macken Writing Show podcasts Eric Pliner With Eric Pliner This week we present two hilarious stories submitted by Writing Show listeners Eric Pliner ("Santa Baby") and Tim Tucker ("That Day in the Manger"). After each writer reads his story, he joins Writing Show host Paula B. to talk about writing. http://www.writingshow.com/podcasts/2007/12162007.html Podcasts Sun, 16 Dec 2007 09:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/186.0 46:28 writing writers short stories Christmas Eric Pliner Writing Show podcasts Tim Tucker With Tim Tucker This week we present two hilarious stories submitted by Writing Show listeners Eric Pliner ("Santa Baby") and Tim Tucker ("That Day in the Manger"). After each writer reads his story, he joins Writing Show host Paula B. to talk about writing. http://www.writingshow.com/podcasts/2007/12162007.html Podcasts Sun, 16 Dec 2007 09:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/185.0 01:10:55 writing writers short stories Christmas Tim Tucker Writing Show podcasts Reviel Netz and William Noel With Reviel Netz and William Noel, author of The Archimedes Codex: How a Medieval Prayer Book Is Revealing the True Genius of Antiquity's Greatest Scientist In 1998, a medieval prayer book sold for $2 million at a Christie's auction in New York City, to an anonymous bidder. No one could figure out why it went for so much, especially since it was in terrible shape. And everyone wondered what this mysterious buyer knew that they didn't. Now, almost a decade later, experts at Baltimore's Walters Art Museum, to which the manuscript has been entrusted, are learning the full extent of its value. It turns out that the prayers, penned by a Christian monk circa 1200 A.D., were written over an earlier text. But not just any text. The prayers were written over the lost works of Archimedes, the greatest mathematician of antiquity. What did this ancient manuscript hold? Literally the secrets of the universe. And in The Archimedes Codex, Stanford professor Reviel Netz and Walters Art Museum curator William Noel, who have been on the front lines of its decoding, tell its full story. Please join Reviel Netz, William Noel, and Paula B. as they delve into: How they got involved with the codex What sorts of issues they faced in conserving the artifact Why Archimedes is so important What has been discovered about Archimedes through the codex Why a scribe wrote over Archimedes' texts Where the codex was hiding over the centuries How the codex ended up at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Who's allowed to purchase precious artifacts like the codex, and under what conditions How they finally cracked the text. http://www.writingshow.com/podcasts/2007/12092007.html Podcasts Sun, 09 Dec 2007 09:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/184.0 01:18:02 writing writers manuscripts codex palimpsest Archimedes Reviel Netz William Noel Writing Show podcasts Jurgen Wolff With writing coach Jurgen Wolff Writers are just different. We face a variety of issues unknown to most people. What do we struggle with, and how can we rise to meet those challenges? Jurgen Wolff is a writing coach who writes films, plays, television shows, fiction, and nonfiction. He teaches creativity workshops around the world. Please join Jurgen and host Paula B. as they wrestle with: Which psychological issues are most common among writers How writers sabotage themselves How to keep from falling into bad habits Why we sometimes feel let down when we achieve a goal How to handle friends who are envious or disparaging How to make unpleasant tasks easier to tackle How to decide when to give up. http://www.writingshow.com/podcasts/2007/12022007.html Podcasts Sun, 02 Dec 2007 09:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/183.0 01:07:40 writing writers Jurgen Wolff Writing Show podcasts Paula Berinstein With Writing Show host Paula B. We just concluded a big experiment: our 2007 First-Chapter-of-a-Novel Contest. Tune in and find out what went on behind the scenes. Join Writing Show host Paula B. and contest judge Ann Paden for this look at our 2007 First-Chapter Contest, including: Why we decided to offer feedback Why it was difficult to find judges How we came up with our fee structure What the role of Literary Market Place was How I flubbed up on the number of judges I'd need How the judges felt about writing 750-word critiques How the judges evaluated your chapters How one judge, Ann Paden, felt about the entries she read and about the contest itself What Ann recommends contestants do to improve their work What was involved in administering the contest. http://www.writingshow.com/podcasts/2007/11282007.html Podcasts Wed, 27 Nov 2007 09:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/182.0 28:33 writing writers contest competition Writing Show podcasts Scott Fivelson With Scott Fivelson, co-writer of "American Reel" and "Route 666" With the writers' strike in full swing, the timing of this interview with a writer and producer of independent films couldn't be better. Find out why work-for-hire gigs may not be enough for the ambitious screenwriter. Scott Fivelson co-wrote and was a producer on the film "American Reel," starring David Carradine, Mariel Hemingway, and the distinguished British actor Michael Maloney. He also co-wrote the zombie movie "Route 666." Please join Scott and host Paula B. as they chew over, among other things: How Scott got started in Hollywood How "American Reel" and "Route 666" got made How he ended up producing as well as writing How he selects his subjects What a screenwriter does and doesn't get to do on a film What he finds difficult about writing How he comes up with jokes and humorous situations. http://www.writingshow.com/podcasts/2007/11252007.html Podcasts Sun, 25 Nov 2007 09:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/181.0 01:21:03 writing writers screenwriting independent films Route 666 American Reel Scott Fivelson Writing Show podcasts Jean Tennant With author Jean Tennant Since September of 2006, we've been following Jean as she attempts to find an agent to represent her intergenerational novel Karaoke Nights at the Twilight Lounge. So far, Jean has received a number of rejections, but at least she's heard something. She's also started work on some new projects. In episode 7, we hear once again from listener T.A. Evans, learn what Jean is going to do about her stalled search for an agent, and get an update on the other projects she's pursuing in the meantime, including her new podcast. http://www.writingshow.com/podcasts/2007/11202007.html Podcasts Tue, 20 Nov 2007 09:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/180.0 26:55 writing writers publishing getting published reality shows Jean Tennant Writing Show podcasts Steve Reilly With Steve Reilly, author of The Fat Lady Never Sings: How a Football Team Found Redemption on the Baseball Diamond This week's guest may be a debut writer, but to my mind he's one of the best wordsmiths I've ever encountered Since 1976, Steven M. Reilly has coached baseball in Connecticut's Lower Naugatuck Valley. Please join Steve Reilly and host Paula B. as they explore: Why readers should care about a fifteen-year-old high school baseball season How Steve achieves sparkling description and lively characters Why he likes the number three How his commentary spices up the narrative How he remembered so many minute details What hyphenated words do for his style How he achieves a cinematic effect. http://www.writingshow.com/podcasts/2007/11182007.html Podcasts Sun, 18 Nov 2007 09:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/179.0 01:47:51 writing writers memoirs sports baseball Steve Reilly Writing Show podcasts Paula Berinstein With Writing Show host Paula B. We announce the winners of our 2007 First-Chapter-of-a-Novel Contest http://www.writingshow.com/podcasts/2007/11152007.html Podcasts Thu, 15 Nov 2007 09:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/178.0 10:57 writing writers contests competitions novels fiction Writing Show podcasts Nick Popio With Nick Popio of Lulu.com As a relative newcomer to the self-publishing world, Lulu.com has garnered quite a bit of attention with its unorthodox business model. Nick Popio serves as a communications specialist at Lulu.com. Please join Nick and host Paula B. as they ponder: * What Lulu.com does * How the company makes its revenue * How much it costs to publish through Lulu.com * How many copies of their books Lulu.com authors typically sell * Whether the company rejects manuscripts * How they let authors know what to expect as far as sales and income are concerned * Whether Lulu.com is a vanity press. http://www.writingshow.com/podcasts/2007/11112007.html Podcasts Sun, 11 Nov 2007 09:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/177.0 39:16 writing writers self-publishing Lulu Lulu.com Nick Popio Writing Show podcasts David Korzenik With attorney David Korzenik If you haven't heard of the heinous phenomenon known as "libel tourism," I urge you to listen to this show. David S. Korzenik, Esq., a partner at Miller Korzenik Sommers LLP, specializes in media and First Amendment law as well as intellectual property. The firm defends book, magazine, and online publishers; broadcasters; news organizations; and human rights groups against claims such as libel, privacy, newsgathering torts, copyright, and so on. Please join us for this important show in which David and host Paula B. discuss: What libel tourism is and how it got started How plaintiffs are able to sue American defendants in foreign courts How laws relating to free speech differ in the U.S. and the UK What some high-profile cases are How libel tourism is affecting publishers, authors, and journalists How the House of Lords is making some changes in authors' and publishers' favor Why bloggers and podcasters need to be aware of the phenomenon. http://www.writingshow.com/podcasts/2007/11042007.html Podcasts Sun, 04 Nov 2007 09:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/176.0 01:51:09 writing writers libel intellectual freedom censorship legal First Amendment David Korzenik Writing Show podcasts Stephen Studach With horror writer Stephen Studach reading "Eyes Closed in a Dark Room" "Presented for your experience: a psychoacoustic visitation. It is recommended that headphones with good left/right variance be used, and that the listener partake of this recording with "Eyes Closed in a Dark Room." The Tellings: In Foreign Climes The Devil You Don't After The Exit Waiting at the Break Old Man in Wheelchair When All The Lost in Darkness Call " http://www.writingshow.com/?p=346 Podcasts Wed, 31 Oct 2007 09:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/175.0 27:31 yes writing writers horror Halloween Stephen Studach Writing Show podcasts David Conyers With horror writer David Conyers "On the fields of the African savanna, Lord Caulfield is on safari hunting lions. Little does he know that deep beneath the earth a yet undiscovered breed of humanoids is hunting him, not to kill or make him their trophy, but to take him far beneath the earth where he will discover his new role in their world." http://www.writingshow.com/?p=344 Podcasts Tue, 30 Oct 2007 09:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/174.0 01:27:17 yes writing writers horror Halloween David Conyers Writing Show podcasts Robert Hood With horror writer Robert Hood reading his short story "Last Remains" "Daniel Jones hasn't come to terms with the failure of his relationship with Jeannie. But an angry and embittered drive along a darkened freeway, and a swarm of bogon moths, may give him reason to look upon his situation in an entirely different light." http://www.writingshow.com/?p=339 Podcasts Mon, 29 Oct 2007 09:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/173.0 56:25 writing writers horror Halloween Robert Hood Writing Show podcasts Martin Livings With horror writer Martin Livings reading his short story "The Art of Suffering" "A writer discovers the secret to inspiration, but the cost is far higher than he could ever have imagined." http://www.writingshow.com/?p=338 Podcasts Sun, 28 Oct 2007 09:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/172.0 01:06:59 yes writing writers horror Halloween Martin Livings Writing Show podcasts David Schembri With horror writer David Schembri reading his short story "The Tuning of Hex" "No matter how bright the sun would shine, Michael Waley always sensed a dark cloud hovering above him." http://www.writingshow.com/?p=337 Podcasts Sat, 27 Oct 2007 09:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/171.0 01:06:21 writing writers horror Halloween David Schembri Writing Show podcasts Kaaron Warren With horror writer Kaaron Warren reading her short story "Dead Sea Fruit" "Beware the Ash Mouth Man. Once he kisses you, everything you eat will taste of ashes." http://www.writingshow.com/?p=336 Podcasts Fri, 26 Oct 2007 09:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/170.0 40:17 yes writing writers horror Halloween Kaaron Warren Writing Show podcasts Rick Kennett With horror writer Rick Kennett "It wasn't an innocent game" http://www.writingshow.com/?p=340 Podcasts Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/169.0 48:26 writing writers horror Halloween Rick Kennett Writing Show podcasts Jason Nahrung With horror writer Jason Nahrung reading his short story "Kadimakara and Curlew" "An unusual earthquake draws three seismographers to a sacred monolith in remote central Australia, where they discover a deadly mystery that science alone cannot solve." http://www.writingshow.com/?p=335 Podcasts Wed, 24 Oct 2007 09:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/168.0 59:31 writing writers horror Halloween Jason Nahrung Writing Show podcasts Chuck McKenzie With horror writer Chuck McKenzie reading his short story "Retail Therapy" "Eventually, we all encounter the customer from heck." http://www.writingshow.com/?p=334 Podcasts Mon, 22 Oct 2007 17:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/167.0 48:45 writing writers horror Halloween Chuck McKenzie Writing Show podcasts Jeff Rivera and Alethea Pascascio With authors Jeff Rivera and Alethea Pascascio What happens to newly published writers as their careers take hold? This week we catch up with two Writing Show guests, authors Jeff Rivera and Alethea Pascascio, and find out how things are going one year later. In these two fascinating updates, we'll talk about: * How Jeff got his agent * How he was picked up by a major publisher * How Forever My Lady is igniting interest in the show biz and media communities * Why Alethea followed Bag Lady with a self-help title * How her advice is being received by readers * How an engineer is making the transition to self-help guru. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=347 Podcasts Sun, 21 Oct 2007 11:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/166.0 51:43 writing writers Jeff Rivera Alethea Pascascio Writing Show podcasts David Simon With David Simon, creator of "The Wire," featuring host Bob Andelman In January of 2007, author and podcaster Bob Andelman sat down with David Simon, creator of the critically-acclaimed and Peabody Award-winning HBO series, "The Wire." A former Baltimore Sun crime reporter, David is the writer that the Baltimore Chamber of Commerce no doubt loves to hate, having co-authored (with Edward Burns) the Baltimore-based book, The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner City Neighborhood, and the subsequent HBO series, "The Corner." David also provided the inspiration and a number of scripts for the Baltimore-based NBC show, "Homicide: Life on the Street," which was based on another of his true crime books, Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets. In this fascinating interview, Bob and David discuss: * How reality and fiction work together in David's dramas * How his background as a journalist has enhanced his storytelling skills * How he's able to write such realistic and compelling dialogue * What he does to insure that his settings and situations are believable * Why watching TV shows and movies isn't the way to research how people talk * Why "The Wire" isn't interested in "good and evil." http://www.writingshow.com/?p=345 Podcasts Sun, 14 Oct 2007 11:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/165.0 40:09 writing writers television HBO The Wire David Simon screenwriting Writing Show podcasts Susan Driscoll With iUniverse president and CEO Susan Driscoll This week, we continue our discussion of traditional vs. self-publishing with one of the latter's most visible companies: iUniverse. Susan Driscoll is president and CEO of iUniverse, a leading provider of author publishing services. Susan has held management positions at Holt, HarperCollins, and Holtzbrinck Publishers including editorial director, director of marketing, director of new media and technology, and director of operations. Join Susan and Paula B. as they discuss: * What iUniverse does * Whether iUniverse rejects manuscripts * How iUniverse authors can get their books in stores * Whether self-publishing is the kiss of death for an author * Whether iUniverse is a vanity press * Why authors should self-publish even though time spent reading books is declining * How much it costs to publish a book the traditional way vs. with iUniverse * How iUniverse deals with author expectations * How iUniverse makes its revenue. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=332 Podcasts Sun, 07 Oct 2007 11:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/164.0 01:00:17 writing writers self-publishing iUniverse Susan Driscoll Writing Show podcasts Michael A. Stelzner With white paper guru Michael Stelzner If you're looking for a writing specialty that will catapult you out of the "starving writer" ghetto, you may want to consider an up-and-coming option: white papers. Michael Stelzner is best known as the author of the bestselling book Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged. He is the editor of the WhitePaperSource Newsletter and founder of the Internet's only portal dedicated to the writing and marketing of white papers, WhitePaperSource. Please join Michael and host Paula B. as they examine: * What a white paper is * What qualifications you need to write white papers * What sorts of personalities are best suited to writing white papers * What you should and shouldn't do when writing white papers * How much money you can make writing white papers * How to find clients. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=325 Podcasts Sun, 23 Sep 2007 11:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/162.0 39:13 writing writers marketing white papers Michael Stelzner Writing Show podcasts Stephen Tiano With book designer Stephen Tiano We can all recognize the importance and appeal of attractive product design. But with books, the right design affects much more than our aesthetic sensibilities. Please join book designer Steve Tiano and host Paula B. as they weigh: * What's the most important thing to consider when designing a book * How book design has changed over the last century, and why * Where new design trends originate * What a knockoff font is, and whether it matters if designers use one * How he would feel if someone offered him the chance to design books for cell phone delivery * Why book design is more important for the reader than you might think. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=322 Podcasts Sun, 16 Sep 2007 11:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/161.0 48:40 writing writers book design Stephen Tiano Writing Show podcasts Paula Berinstein With Writing Show host Paula B. Entering a fantasy world can be both exhilarating and bewildering. The author who builds such a world may be familiar with it, but how does he introduce his readers to a place known only to him? This week we'll look at how two famous fantasy authors, Lewis Carroll and J.R.R. Tolkien, approach this challenge. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=320 Podcasts Sun, 09 Sep 2007 11:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/160.0 28:15 writing writers fantasy Lewis Carroll Tolkien novels fiction Writing Show podcasts Jack J. Ward With playwright Jack J. Ward If you want to stretch your writing wings, this week's guest has a suggestion for you: audio plays. They're fun to write, you get great practice crafting dialogue, and audiences love them. Author, actor, teacher, and speaker Jack J. Ward is the dynamic founder of both the Sonic Society and Sonic Cinema Productions, featuring the very best in audio drama. Writer and producer of more than 50 original audio plays, Jack is a passionate advocate for storytelling, drama, and scriptwriting. Join Jack and host Paula B. as they explore: * What audio theater is * What types of audio theater there are * Why write for audio theater * Which genres work best * What comprises the dos and don'ts of writing for audio theater * How to make transitions between scenes and acts * How to get produced * How to make money writing audio plays. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=316 Podcasts Sun, 26 Aug 2007 11:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/159.0 01:36:19 writing writers radio plays audio plays audio drama playwrights play writing Writing Show podcasts Jeff DeRego, Stacie Penney, Matthew Wayne Selznick With authors Jeff DeRego, Stacie Penney, and Matthew Wayne Selznick A few weeks ago, we heard a contrarian opinion from author Jeff DeRego about the advisability of self-publishing. We got so much response to that show that we've put together a panel to weigh in on the self- vs. traditional publishing issue. Join authors Jeff DeRego, Stacie Penney, Matthew Wayne Selznick, and host Paula B. as they debate the merits and drawbacks of traditional and self-publishing. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=311 Podcasts Sun, 19 Aug 2007 11:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/158.0 01:26:41 writing writers self-publishing publishing Writing Show podcasts Roger Morris With R.N. Morris, author of The Gentle Axe Roger Morris is a gutsy guy. He's adopted one of literature's most famous detectives, Porfiry Petrovich, created by one of the greatest writers of all time, Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Is he crazy? The world's most prestigious review publications don't think so. The New York Times Book Review, The Wall Street Journal, and even The Moscow Times have awarded The Gentle Axe high praise. Meet the man who would be Dostoyevsky's disciple. Join Roger and Writing Show host Paula B. as they explore: * What inspired him to take on such a formidable task * How much of Dostoyevsky's style he tried to bring to his work * How he fleshed out the character of Dostoyevsky's detective * How he researched 19th century St. Petersburg * How writing a whodunit differs from crafting a mystery in which the perpetrator is known * What he would tell readers who feel intimidated by the idea of delving into Dostoyevsky * How he got published by two of the world's most respected publishers * How he feels about the runaway success of the book. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=310 Podcasts Sun, 12 Aug 2007 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/157.0 01:16:09 writing writers novels crime fiction mysteries Dostoyevsky Roger Morris Writing Show podcasts Paula Berinstein With Writing Show host Paula B. A brief First-Chapter-of-a-Novel Contest update. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=312 Podcasts Thu, 09 Aug 2007 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/156.0 09:53 writing writers novels fiction contests Writing Show podcasts Mark Putnam With writer Mark Putnam On June 17th, Mark Putnam told us that he wanted to write a novel but couldn't decide what to write about. He had too many ideas. So, he asked for your input, and you responded. The voting is over, and Mark is now working toward completion of his first draft by the end of the year. How did the voting turn out, and how is he coming along? Join Mark and Writing Show host Paula B. for this surprising update on Mark's progress. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=309 Podcasts Sun, 05 Aug 2007 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/155.0 46:26 writing writers novels fiction Mark Putnam Plotastic Writing Show podcasts Anthony G. Williams With Anthony G. Williams, author of the science fiction novel Scales I'm beginning to see that as much as I like to ask questions about structure, characterization, plot, and other elements of fiction, many writers don't plan those things: they just let them unfold. Yet despite the fact that this week's guest wrote his story pretty much as he went along, everything came out beautifully. How did that happen? Listen! Tony Williams has spent his working life in education, initially as a teacher, later as an administrator, and finally at a university. He took early retirement a couple of years ago to focus more on his writing and editing. He works from home editing Jane's Ammunition Handbook for Jane's Information Group. He is also editor of The Cartridge Researcher, the monthly bulletin of the European Cartridge Research Association. He collects and researches ammunition, especially of the military variety. Please join Tony and Writing Show host Paula B. as they discuss: * How the idea for Scales came to him (it's unusual!) * How he turned the idea into a complete book, and why it took him so long to do so * Why he structured the book the way he did * What type of narration he chose and why * What drives the story forward * Where Scales falls in the science fiction continuum * How this book fits into his overall writing career * Why he writes science fiction. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=306 Podcasts Sun, 29 Jul 2007 11:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/154.0 49:58 writing writers fiction plot science fiction Anthony G. Williams Writing Show podcasts Paula Berinstein With Writing Show host Paula B. We've had a lot of requests for a show on point of view, so I've been researching the topic, and despite the fact that I majored in literature in college, I've been surprised by almost everything I've discovered! In this solo show, I'll share with you what I've found so far, including: * What point of view is * What the function of the narrator is * What types of narration there are * When to use the various types of narration * How to decide who should be a viewpoint character * What to watch out for when switching between points of view. I'll be illustrating my findings with lots of examples. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=304 Podcasts Sun, 22 Jul 2007 11:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/153.0 50:42 writing writers fiction point of view narration narrators first person third person Writing Show podcasts Paula Berinstein With Writing Show host Paula B. I've recorded a special podcast explaining how you can get involved with this year's Writing Show holiday programming: our short story celebration and our New Year's poetry slam. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=305 Podcasts Mon, 16 Jul 2007 11:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/152.0 08:03 writing writers short stories poetry slam Writing Show podcasts Mark Leslie With horror writer Mark Leslie In episode 4 of "Getting Published, with Mark Leslie," we learned that Mark was taking a detour from his horror story A Canadian Werewolf in New York to publish a picture book for his niece and work on some other projects. We also dug into a critique of one of Mark's chapters from Writing Show guest host Mick Halpin. In episode 5, we find out whether Mark has indeed returned to writing his horror story. We also go over another entertaining Mick Halpin critique and hear a fabulous reminiscence about clove cigarettes (inspired by one of Mick's critiques) from Writing Show listener Mark Herbst. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=298 Podcasts Sun, 15 Jul 2007 13:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/151.0 01:22:04 writing writers reality show horror authors Mark Leslie Writing Show podcasts Karen G. Anderson With former Apple writer Karen G. Anderson The Web has created dazzling new opportunities for writers. Today's guest, a former writer for iTunes and other Apple projects, explains how you can get involved. For the past decade Karen Anderson has been involved in writing, designing and producing user-friendly Web content for consumer audiences. From 2000 to 2006 she worked for Apple as a writer for iReview and the iTunes Music Store and as the managing editor for the one-million-member .Mac Internet services Web site. Karen currently writes content for commercial Web sites as part of a Seattle search engine optimization team. Please join Karen and Paula B. as we surf our way through: * What opportunities there are for writing on the Web * How search engine optimization affects Web writers * What "chunking" is * Why it's so important to get "signup pathways" right * What white papers are and why writers should care * What it was like evaluating sites for the Webby awards * What it was like writing for iTunes and other Apple projects * Why she left Apple to go out on her own * How well Web writers can do financially * What qualifications you should have to write for the Web (and get paid for it). Following Karen's interview we have a quick chat with author Bob Andelman about his new interview podcast and blog, Mr. Media, and get a Jeff's eye view of the perils of narrow-focusing from author Jeff DeRego. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=297 Podcasts Sun, 08 Jul 2007 13:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/150.0 01:33:32 writing writers Web sites SEO search engine optimization Karen Anderson Writing Show podcasts Jeff DeRego With author Jeff DeRego We've heard a lot of positive buzz about self-publishing here on The Writing Show. But not everyone thinks that's the best idea for authors. Today's guest has some strong words for self-publishing companies and some food for thought for those considering using them. He also has some choice words for Writers Digest regarding a recent article about how to get out of the slush pile. Jeffrey R. DeRego is a "know it all loudmouth" currently living in Derry, NH. Jeff is the author of the Union Dues series of stories, among others, available for free download from Escape Pod. He also writes under the pseudonym Big McLargehuge for Horrorview.com. Jeff is an instructional designer and editor for a telecommunications training company. Join Jeff and host Paula B. as they wrangle over: * Why Jeff isn't exactly gung-ho about self-publishing * What other routes to getting published he recommends * Why some Writers Digest-approved branding and marketing techniques don't help you get out of the slush pile * How to get out of the slush pile. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=296 Podcasts Sun, 24 Jun 2007 13:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/149.0 01:23:27 writing writers self-publishing book marketing Jeff DeRego Writing Show podcasts Mark Putnam With writer Mark Putnam Mark Putnam wants to write a novel, but he can't decide what to write about. He's got too many ideas. One day he thinks he's writing a thriller, the next day a satire. He needs motivation. Mark has created a survey, called Plotastic, which asks for your vote on what he should write about. Once the voting is over on July 1st, Mark will write his novel. There's no turning back now: he's committed to finishing the first draft by the end of the year. Will he make it? What will this fantastical manuscript look like? Cast your votes at Plotastic.com. Mark Putnam is a professional fundraiser and amateur writer of fiction. He has a BA in English from Angelo State University and worked in the technical and freelance writing fields prior to entering the fundraising profession. He has completed and submitted for publication several short stories over the past ten years but has never been published. His freelance and technical work has been published in various trade newsletters and online publications. Mark is a native of Houston, Texas. He and his wife have twin three-year-old sons. Join Mark and Writing Show host Paula B. as they explore Mark's brainchild, including: * How he came up with the idea * How he plans to reconcile all the individual elements of the story when he sits down to write * What he'll do if this project doesn't solve his problem * What sorts of feedback he's been getting on his blog. We'll also go over Mark's ballot and discuss its implications. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=292 Podcasts Sun, 17 Jun 2007 10:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/148.0 52:46 writing writers novels fiction Mark Putnam Plotastic Writing Show podcasts Jean Tennant With author Jean Tennant Since last September we've been following Jean as she attempts to find an agent to represent her intergenerational novel Karaoke Nights at the Twilight Lounge. So far, Jean has received a number of rejections. She's also started work on some new projects. In episode 6, we hear more atta girls from a Writing Show listener, find out what happened to two errant agent queries and learn what Jean plans to do about them, and discover that one of Jean's other projects seems to be getting some official interest. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=293 Podcasts Wed, 13 Jun 2007 09:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/147.0 24:10 writing writers publishing getting published reality shows Jean Tennant Writing Show podcasts Gary Cheski, Sue Nading, and David J. Roth With Gary Cheski, Sue Nading, and David J. Roth We looked at the workings of online critique groups with author Sean Dent in February. This week, three writers join us to explore the ins and outs of in-person groups. Please join Gary Cheski, Sue Nading, David J. Roth, and host Paula B. for this exciting discussion, including: * What a critique group should do for its participants * How in-person critique groups work * What sorts of issues arise * How they've dealt with thorny issues * How to attract new members * How online and in-person groups compare. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=287 Podcasts Sun, 10 Jun 2007 14:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/146.0 01:02:17 writing writers critique groups writing groups Writing Show podcasts Candace Lake With literary manager Candace Lake The movie business is changing, and this week's guest has reinvented her business as a result. What inspired literary agent Candace Lake to become a literary manager, and what is a literary manager anyway? Candace Lake has represented writers and directors at Ziegler, Diskant Associates; International Creative Management; her own The Candace Lake Agency; and now Stone Canyon Media. Join Candace and Writing Show host Paula B. as they delve into the high-stakes world of writing for Hollywood, including: * What a literary manager does * Why she left agenting to become a literary manager * How writers get jobs in Hollywood * What she looks for in a writer * What qualities give screenwriters the best chance of finding and keeping work * What it takes to be a successful agent or literary manager * Which TV shows and movies she considers excellent * Whether screenwriters need to live in Los Angeles to be successful. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=284 Podcasts Sun, 03 Jun 2007 13:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/145.0 55:51 writing writers screenwriting screenwriters literary manager literary agent Candace Lake Writing Show podcasts Jan Whitford With Jan Evan Whitford, author of Mystic Island Jan Whitford's Mystic Island, a comic, romantic tale with historical overtones, unfolds from the perspective of a strong female lead. The author, a guy, says that the book even inches toward "chick lit." How did he write such a convincing woman protagonist? With a little help from his friends. Jan Evan Whitford originally hails from Albuquerque, New Mexico. After active duty in the Marine Corps Reserve, he got his B.A. at the University of New Mexico and moved to St. Louis, Missouri where he worked as a cartographer for the Defense Mapping Agency. Now semi-retired, Jan writes novels and pitches them as equal parts mystery, romance, and humor. Some of his short humor pieces have been published in magazines and newspapers. Mystic Fear, the second in Jan's Nikki O'Connor mystery series, follows on the heels of Mystic Island, which was released by Hilliard and Harris Publishing in June of 2005. Join Jan and Writing Show host Paula B. as we explore: * Why he alternates between third- and first-person points of view * Why he decided to make his main character a woman * How he manages to get inside a woman character's head so convincingly * How he choreographed his hurricane * How he was able to make every detail of the hurricane so realistic * How he dealt with the issue of putting words in a historical figure's mouth (or pen) * How he managed to surprise the reader at the end without contrivance * What "snake hands" are and why you should care. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=278 Podcasts Sun, 27 May 2007 17:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/144.0 01:03:04 writing writers historical fiction novels Jan Whitford Writing Show podcasts Rahsaan Ali With Rahsaan Ali, author of the gangster novel Carmello A few lucky writers find their style early in life. This week's guest cut his teeth writing poetry as a kid, and you can tell. His novels reverberate with rhythm and dazzling imagery, as you will hear. Rahsaan Ali was born at Brooklyn Hospital in 1972 and raised in Saint Albans, Queens before moving to Suffolk, Long Island. His first novel, Nasty, originally titled Selfish Intentions, made Essence's bestsellers list four months in a row. His second novel, Carmello, will be out this June. Join Rahsaan and Writing Show host Paula B. as we discuss: * Where he got the idea for Carmello * How he creates such poetic dialog * Why he writes in the first person * Why he uses so many points of view in his writing * How he likes to surprise readers * Why he likes to write about lots of characters * Why we like flawed characters so much * What sex scenes should do * How his first experience with a publisher fizzled * What he thinks of the term "urban fiction" * Why he writes. Rahsaan also reads several selections for us. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=276 Podcasts Sun, 20 May 2007 17:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/143.0 01:00:35 yes writing writers fiction novels gangsters Rahsaan Ali Writing Show podcasts L. Diane Wolfe With L. Diane Wolfe, author of the Circle of Friends novels You would not believe how good at marketing this week's guest is. Check her Web site under Archives and you'll see the dozens and dozens of interviews and book signings she's done, without the help of a publicist, mind you. In today's publishing environment, her accomplishments are nothing short of phenomenal. And she's going to tell us how she does it! L. Diane Wolfe's five-book Southern-based series, The Circle of Friends, centers on a group of college-age kids and portrays love and friendship overcoming all obstacles. Meant to inspire as well as entertain, Wolfe's books have been described as "encouragement personified." Traveling the East Coast to promote her series, Wolfe sets herself a heavy tour of book signings and speaking engagements. She averages more than eighty appearances and interviews each year. Join Diane and host Paula B. as they discuss the best and the worst ways to market your books, including: * Why she calls herself "Spunk on a Stick" * How she got the idea for her series * How she gets dozens and dozens of interviews and signings * How she gets her press releases noticed * What the secret to writing a great blurb is * What you should wear to a book signing * What you should always do at a book signing (and what you shouldn't) * How not to market your books * How to do a great interview. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=272 Podcasts Sun, 13 May 2007 17:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/142.0 52:46 writing writers book marketing bookstores getting interviews L. Diane Wolfe Circle of Friends Writing Show podcasts Robert Skole With Robert Skole, author of Jumpin' Jimminy: A World War II Baseball Saga: American Flyboys and Japanese Submariners Battle It Out in a Swedish World Series Writing historical fiction requires a stickler's attention to detail, even if you're not putting words in real people's mouths. This week's guest even got access to classified documents so he could make his story realistic. But there's nothing dry about this comic tale that brings together, of all things, baseball, soldiers, and World War II Sweden. Robert Skole, a reporter and foreign correspondent, has written for newspapers and magazines in the United States, Japan, and Europe. He covered Sweden for McGraw-Hill business publications for 25 years. Author and editor of a dozen books, mainly about Sweden, he lives in Boston and Stockholm. His first novel is Jumpin' Jimminy: A World War II Baseball Saga: American Flyboys and Japanese Submariners Battle It Out in a Swedish World Series. Join Bob and host Paula B. as they explore this wacky world, including: * Where he got the idea to combine World War II and baseball * How he got access to Swedish classified documents so he could research his story * Which easily accessible research tool helped him the most * How he unobtrusively wove in context that helps readers understand the background of the story * How he worked his research into the story * What he thinks about the importance of accuracy in writing historical fiction. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=270 Podcasts Sun, 06 May 2007 14:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/141.0 52:46 writing writers historical fiction novels World War II Sweden baseball military fiction Writing Show podcasts Jean Durbahn With freelance editor Jean Durbahn Are you workin' for the Man and wishing you could chuck it all for the literary world? Today's guest did just that. Find out what motivated her, how she did it, and how she's getting along. Jean Durbahn founded her editing business, Antrim Consulting, in 2004 for the sole purpose of polishing the written word. Before that, she spent ten years in Human Resources at Target, where she was often called upon to enhance business publications and communication. * How she discovered what she really loves to do * How she ended up leaving her well-paid executive career at Target * What she went through to start her editing business * What challenges she faces as a freelancer, and how she's meeting them * How she feels about having left her plum job now. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=267 Podcasts Sun, 29 Apr 2007 16:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/140.0 38:18 writing writers editing small business freelancing Antrim Consulting Jean Durbahn Writing Show podcasts Darryl Sloan With author/filmmaker/musician Darryl Sloan In 1999 Darryl Sloan wrote a story called "Terror on Tarthlogue Road," featuring several real-life teenage friends in dire straits. It was purely a novelty piece, but when one of the friends decided to read the whole story aloud to the others one evening, something special happened. He read at a fast pace, and even at that, the story was long enough to keep him going for three quarters of an hour. During this time, every mouth in the room was silent, every ear attentive, from the first line to the last. In light of the notoriously short attention spans of teenagers, what Darryl was witnessing was exciting to behold. He thought, "You're onto something here, Sloan." Since then, Darryl has has made six low or no-budget films and has two self-published novels under his belt: Ulterior, which is set in Clounagh Junior High School where he works, and Chion. Darryl lives in Portadown, Northern Ireland, a town infamous across the globe as the epicenter of the province's volatile politics. Despite the constant tension between the Protestant and Catholic communities, Darryl thinks it's actually a pretty nice place to live. Please join Darryl and Writing Show guest host Mick Halpin for a fascinating talk about filmmaking, writing, and self-publishing, including: * The last time he was really really scared * How he started making movies * Why he likes writing about the end of the world * Why he's glad he didn't use print on demand for his self-published book, Ulterior * Why he set one of his books at the school where he teaches * Why he declined to publish his own books rather than go with a self-publishing company * How he got his book into stores * Why he likes selling his books on eBay * What makes a good first chapter * Why he's loath to podcast his novels. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=261 Podcasts Sun, 22 Apr 2007 15:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/139.0 48:26 writing writers publishing self-publishing filmmaking horror Darryl Sloan Mick Halpin Writing Show podcasts Jean Tennant With author Jean Tennant Since last September we've been following Jean as she attempts to find an agent to represent her intergenerational novel Karaoke Nights at the Twilight Lounge. So far, Jean has received a number of rejections, but she still has some queries out. Today we hear more about the fate of Jean's queries, discuss her dilemma about revising the opening of her story, hear some advice from Writing Show listeners, and learn that Jean has been holding out on us. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=255 Podcasts Tue, 17 Apr 2007 17:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/138.0 42:04 writing writers publishing getting published reality shows Jean Tennant Writing Show podcasts Linda Seger With script consultant and creativity expert Linda Seger A few years ago I heard that Linda Ronstadt had moved to New York because living in Los Angeles was making her too soft and stifling her creativity. I never heard whether that helped her, but I began to wonder whether you have to live a hard life, be left-handed, or be a bit crazy to be a really creative person. Find out what today's guest, a creativity expert, thinks about my question. Dr. Linda Seger created and defined the job of script consultant when she began her business in 1981, based on a method for analyzing scripts she developed for her dissertation project. Since then, she has consulted on over 2000 scripts, including over 40 produced feature films and about 35 produced television projects. She is an internationally known speaker in the area of screenwriting, having lectured in over 20 countries. She has given seminars for studios, networks, production companies, television series, and film commissions. She is the author of nine books, including Making a Good Writer Great and Creating Unforgettable Characters. Join Linda and host Paula B. for a fascinating exploration of creativity, including: * What creativity is * Whether creativity can be learned * Whether great artists, writers, and musicians are more creative than other people * Whether drugs and drink help people be more creative * Whether you have to be a little crazy to be creative * Whether you have to have a hard life to be creative * How to jump-start your creativity * How writers can develop their visual thinking skills. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=259 Podcasts Sun, 15 Apr 2007 14:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/137.0 01:00:10 writing writers creativity screenwriting Linda Seger Writing Show podcasts Elizabeth Harrin With author Elizabeth Harrin Writing is a compelling pursuit for many teens. But how many of them keep writing as adults, and how many of those actually build a writing career? This week's guest has done all of the above, and today she shares her experiences with us. Elizabeth Harrin is an award-winning poet who has published in a variety of magazines, including Mslexia, Aesthetica, and nthposition. Her poetry has been published in the anthologies Perhaps (2005, Cinnamon Press) and Voices from the Heart (1995, Embroidered Dimensions, in aid of the Big Issue poets). Her seven years' journalism experience includes articles published in many UK and US, print and online magazines and newspapers like Health Education, Writer's Monthly, and Practical Caravan. Her nonfiction book, Project Management in the Real World, was published by the British Computer Society in November 2006. Join Elizabeth and host Paula B. as they look at writers young and not-so-young, including: * What kind of writing she did as a teen * What it was like to publish two literary magazines * How she and her friends got author Jeffrey Archer to contribute to their magazine * How she segued from writing poetry as a teen to writing articles for mainstream publications * How she got into book writing * What her writing goals are now * What advice she would give to young writers who want to carve out a career in the field. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=256 Podcasts Sun, 08 Apr 2007 17:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/136.0 01:00:22 writing writers teens young writers Writing Show podcasts Anirvan Chatterjee With Anirvan Chatterjee, founder and CEO of BookFinder.com By now, almost everyone has heard of "the long tail," the commercial phenomenon that allows little-known products to be found and purchased. Nowhere is the long tail more obvious than in online bookselling, as we'll see when we visit with today's guest. Anirvan Chatterjee developed the core BookFinder.com technology in 1997 as a class project when he was a student at the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to founding BookFinder.com he interned at Microsoft and worked as CTO for Santa Cruz California Web services firm AtreNet. In 1999, Anirvan teamed up with his long-time friend Charlie Hsu to build the back-end technology that powers BookFinder.com. A lifelong bibliophile, he is a big supporter of independent bookstores and a voracious reader, working his way through a hundred books a year. Join Anirvan and host Paula B. for a book lover's discussion of BookFinder.com and bookselling in general, including: * What BookFinder.com is and how it works * How they financed BookFinder.com after it grew out of a college project * What sorts of books people search for the most * How the life cycle of a book affects bookselling, book searching, and authors * How valuable signed copies of a book are * What the difference between a signed book and an inscribed book is * Whether you can search for ebooks and self-published books on BookFinder.com * Why they've added a feature that lets people see the total cost of a book, including shipping * When and how customers are most and least likely to rate merchants * How online marketplaces affect pricing * What authors can tell about their books by browsing on BookFinder.com * What sorts of issues arise for book searching because of variations among countries and languages * What other cool things you can do at BookFinder.com * How Anirvan finds the time to read 100 books a year * And then Anirvan turns the tables on Paula and asks her about her book searching and buying habits. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=253 Podcasts Mon, 02 Apr 2007 10:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/135.0 01:13:39 bookselling search engines BookFinder.com Anirvan Chatterjee Writing Show podcasts Joey Robert Parks With ghostwriter Joey Robert Parks We've showcased so many great horror writers on The Writing Show that you might think this week's guest, ghostwriter Joey Robert Parks, adds to their number. No, ghostwriting is something else entirely, as you will discover when you listen to this most entertaining of writers. In fact, Joey is so much fun to listen to that we talked for two hours! I've edited our conversation down to a more manageable 100 minutes or so, but that's just too much for one file, so I've formatted the show as two separate files. Enjoy! Joey Robert Parks has spent the last 14 years covering a lot of writing ground: screenplays, stage plays, business operations manuals, pharmaceutical catalogs, novels, copywriting, ghostwriting, and short biographies for creative professionals. His first published novel is Die Reading: An Espionage Thriller. He hosts a creative roundtable in Phoenix, Arizona, made up of some of the most talented photographers, artists, designers, musicians, and writers in the area. Join Joey and Writing Show host Paula B. for a riproaring discussion of ghostwriting, including: * What ghostwriting is * How he finds clients * What the ghostwriting process consists of * How he makes clients feel comfortable with him and the process * How he deals with the business aspects of ghostwriting * What happens if he doesn't like the client, or vice versa * What he does when a project doesn't interest him * What sorts of issues come up when ghostwriting a book * What the pay for ghostwriting is like * What his duties as a ghostwriter are and aren't * Who holds the copyright to a ghostwritten work * What advice he has for those considering going into ghostwriting. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=251 Podcasts Sun, 25 Mar 2007 15:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/133.0 01:11:37 writing writers authors ghostwriting ghost writing Joey Robert Parks Writing Show podcasts Joey Robert Parks With ghostwriter Joey Robert Parks We've showcased so many great horror writers on The Writing Show that you might think this week's guest, ghostwriter Joey Robert Parks, adds to their number. No, ghostwriting is something else entirely, as you will discover when you listen to this most entertaining of writers. In fact, Joey is so much fun to listen to that we talked for two hours! I've edited our conversation down to a more manageable 100 minutes or so, but that's just too much for one file, so I've formatted the show as two separate files. Enjoy! Joey Robert Parks has spent the last 14 years covering a lot of writing ground: screenplays, stage plays, business operations manuals, pharmaceutical catalogs, novels, copywriting, ghostwriting, and short biographies for creative professionals. His first published novel is Die Reading: An Espionage Thriller. He hosts a creative roundtable in Phoenix, Arizona, made up of some of the most talented photographers, artists, designers, musicians, and writers in the area. Join Joey and Writing Show host Paula B. for a riproaring discussion of ghostwriting, including: * What ghostwriting is * How he finds clients * What the ghostwriting process consists of * How he makes clients feel comfortable with him and the process * How he deals with the business aspects of ghostwriting * What happens if he doesn't like the client, or vice versa * What he does when a project doesn't interest him * What sorts of issues come up when ghostwriting a book * What the pay for ghostwriting is like * What his duties as a ghostwriter are and aren't * Who holds the copyright to a ghostwritten work * What advice he has for those considering going into ghostwriting. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=251 Podcasts Sun, 25 Mar 2007 15:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/134.0 38:07 writing writers authors ghostwriting ghost writing Joey Robert Parks Writing Show podcasts Mark Leslie With horror writer Mark Leslie In episode 3 of "Getting Published, with Mark Leslie," we learned that Mark was planning to take a detour from working on his novel, A Canadian Werewolf in New York, ACWINNY, for short. He had decided to self-publish a picture book for his five-year-old niece to clear his mind and experiment with self-publishing. Only after he completed that project would he be ready to continue with his horror story. Today we present episode 4 of our reality show, "Getting Published, with Mark Leslie" and find out what happened with "A Horse Named Cow" (or was it "A Cow Named Horse") and dig into a fabulous critique of ACWINNY submitted by Writing Show guest host and Internet bad boy, Mick Halpin. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=247 Podcasts Wed, 21 Mar 2007 09:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/132.0 58:06 writing writers reality show horror authors Mark Leslie Writing Show podcasts William Bast With William Bast, author of Surviving James Dean In the fascinating Surviving James Dean, William Bast recounts his five-year relationship with the legendary actor. In 1956, shortly after Dean's death, Bast wrote his first memoir of their friendship, but in that puritanical time, he wasn't able to tell the whole story, and the homosexual aspect of their association was never mentioned. Now, Bast has rewritten the story, this time candidly but delicately discussing the sexual nature of their relationship as well as their close friendship. As Turner Classic Movies says in Movie News, 2006, "Surviving James Dean divulges the truth of Dean's existence, years after his story was distorted by peripheral figures, and is told by a man who has survived the evolving myth surrounding Dean since his death." William Bast is an author and writer-producer for film and television. Born and raised in Milwaukee, he was educated at the University of Wisconsin and UCLA. He has written James Dean: A Biography, "The Myth Makers" (a television drama inspired by the hoopla surrounding Dean's funeral), more than 200 hours of television drama in the U.S. and the UK, and three feature films. He lives in Los Angeles with his longtime partner, Paul Huson. Join William and host Paula B. for a fascinating talk about writing the memoir, including: * Why he wrote the book * How he was able to bring out the contradictions in Dean's personality * How he was able to capture 50-year-old conversations and moments with such clarity * Why it was so important to reveal himself to the reader while telling Dean's story * How he's able to deal with the wrenching feelings the book has dredged up * How he feels about saying uncomplimentary things about people he's known * How much he thinks people are entitled to know about public figures. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=246 Podcasts Sun, 18 Mar 2007 18:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/131.0 45:51 writing writers authors memoirs biography James Dean William Bast Writing Show podcasts Yves Gagnon, Aaron Kite, Rich Moberg, Sean Perron, Michell Plested With Yves Gagnon, Aaron Kite, Rich Moberg, Sean Perron, and Michell Plested from the blog Starting Write Now In December, we heard from the five guys behind the Starting Write Now blog. Recorded just before the 2006 National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), these aspiring writers explained what they struggle with and how they planned to approach the month-long event. Today we revisit the guys and find out how their NaNoWriMo experience turned out. Join us as we discuss all things NaNo and more, including: * What happened during the 30-day event * What they learned * How their NaNo experience has affected their writing since the event * How setting goals helped and hindered them * What they think about outlining now * Why they do or don't stick to writing their stories in order * Whether they made New Year's resolutions, and what they were (if they remember) * Whether they've stuck to their plans * How they feel about writing unsympathetic characters. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=244 Podcasts Sun, 11 Mar 2007 15:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/130.0 01:21:29 writing writers authors NaNoWriMo National Novel Writing Month Writing Show podcasts Paula Berinstein With Writing Show host Paula B. Our 2007 First Chapter Contest is now open! Full details on our Web site at writingshow.com. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=239 Podcasts Thu, 08 Mar 2007 17:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/129.0 20:26 writing writers authors contests fiction novels Writing Show podcasts Nancy O. Greene With author Nancy O. Greene, author of the collection Portraits in the Dark We've heard them each Halloween, but we haven't talked much about short stories as a genre on The Writing Show yet. This week, we remedy the omission. Nancy O. Greene started writing at the age of nine. She attended the University of Southern California, where she earned a B.A. in Cinema with a minor in English. Her short story collection, Portraits in the Dark, received the Editor's Choice award and Publisher's Choice award from iUniverse. She has written articles for numerous Web sites, and two of the short stories featured in Portraits in the Dark received quarterfinalist and semifinalist awards from the 10th Annual Writers Network Fiction and Screenplay Competition. Join Nancy and host Paula B. for a fascinating talk about short stories, including: * What the characteristics of short stories are * How creating character in short stories differs from working in the novel * Whether it's easier or more difficult to write a short story than a novel * Why some famous authors take so long to write short stories * Whether the short story is in decline * How to put together a compelling short story collection * Why Nancy writes short stories * What some of her favorite short stories are. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=241 Podcasts Sun, 04 Mar 2007 14:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/128.0 01:01:27 writing writers authors short stories horror Nancy O. Greene Writing Show podcasts Lyda Phillips With author Lyda Phillips This month we've heard from an attorney who examines and compares self-publishing contracts and an entrepreneur who runs his own self-publishing company. Today we hear from an author who has chosen to self-publish her books. Lyda Phillips is an award-winning journalist, novelist, and screenwriter. Lyda has written two award-winning young adult novels: Mr. Touchdown and Peace I Ask of Thee, Oh River, as well as several unpublished novels for both young readers and adults. Join Lyda and host Paula B. for a first-hand look at a self-publishing experience, including: * Why she decided to self-publish * What the production process was like * How she got reviews * How she got her books into libraries * What obstacles she's faced as a self-published author * How she thinks authors can improve self-publishing's image * How she thinks iUniverse could help its authors more * What she's learned from her self-publishing experience * Why she's now looking for a mainstream publisher. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=240 Podcasts Sun, 25 Feb 2007 13:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/127.0 01:17:01 writing writers self-publishing iUniverse Lyda Phillips Writing Show podcasts Sean Dent With writer/editor Sean Dent We've had more requests for a show on writing groups than any other topic. It's been a long time coming, but here is our first look at this important subject. Sean Dent has written professionally since 1990 as a journalist, editor, columnist, freelance writer, and senior editor for NFG Magazine. He has published several short stories and is currently finishing his first novel, Execution Day. Join Sean and Writing Show host Paula B. for an illuminating discussion about writing groups, including: * How writing groups work * Whether writing groups help writers gain commercial success * What sorts of pitfalls groups encounter * How to provide good feedback to other writers * What to do when you feel you aren't getting quality feedback * Whether writers should worry about their work being stolen when they participate in groups * What you need to run your own group. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=237 Podcasts Sun, 18 Feb 2007 15:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/126.0 01:21:27 writing writers communities critiques feedback peer review Sean Dent Writing Show podcasts Tim Harper With author/entrepreneur Tim Harper With all the hoopla about self-publishing today, we thought it would be interesting to get the viewpoint of someone on the other side: the self-publishing company that makes your book happen. Today's guest founded his own self-publishing company. Timothy Harper is a longtime journalist, author, book coach and editorial/publishing consultant. His 13 books for major publishing houses include License to Steal, Moscow Madness, The Idiot's Guide to the Constitution, and The ASJA Guide to Freelance Writing. Join Tim and Writing Show host Paula B. for a fun discussion about self-publishing, including: * How he got inspired to start his self-publishing company * What technology he uses to produce books, and what kind of results you can expect from it * What advantages self-publishing can confer on an author * What kinds of cool things people are doing with self-publishing * What self-publishing is, and what its variations are * How he thinks self-publishing is changing the entire publishing landscape, and why * Which famous books were originally self-published. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=235 Podcasts Sun, 11 Feb 2007 12:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/125.0 54:21 writing writers self-publishing Tim Harper Writing Show podcasts Mark Levine With Mark Levine, author of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing: The Contracts and Services of 48 Self-Publishing Companies Analyzed, Ranked, and Exposed As self-publishing becomes more common, you'll enjoy an increasingly wider choice of companies that can produce your book. Which ones will give you the best deal, and what should you look out for when signing their contracts? Today's guest can help you answer these pressing questions. Join Mark and host Paula B. as they sort through the fine print of self-publishing contracts, including: * What writers should look out for when evaluating a self-publishing company * How and why Mark is trying to change the self-publishing industry * Whether he thinks authors can negotiate contract terms with the companies * What criteria he used when ranking companies * How much he estimates a good book cover should cost * What it means to get royalties on a gross or net basis * How author royalties vary across self-publishing companies * How much it costs to print a book * What tasks are involved in producing a book. Mark and Paula also run some numbers to see what typical costs might be to self-publish a book, how you'd have to price it to make a profit, and what you might net. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=231 Podcasts Sun, 04 Feb 2007 18:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/124.0 01:19:06 writing writers self-publishing contracts legal Mark Levine Writing Show podcasts Mark Andrushko With Scriptapalooza president and co-founder Mark Andrushko Having trouble getting a Hollywood production company to read your screenplay? Submit it to the Scriptapalooza Screenplay Competition, and they will! Join Mark Andrushko and host Paula B. for a fascinating conversation about Scriptapalooza, including: * What the contest offers its winners * Who reads the scripts, and how many scripts each judge reads * How the judges grade the scripts * How many entries they get * How winners get connected with the film industry * Why they have three deadlines * Whether a film's potential budget affects a screenplay's chances of winning * Whether a lousy script hurts a contestant's chances in the future * How they got so many production companies involved in the contest. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=230 Podcasts Wed, 31 Jan 2007 11:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/123.0 28:08 screenwriting screenwriters contests competitions Scriptapalooza Writing Show podcasts Jill Ronsley With freelance editor and book designer Jill Ronsley As an editor and book designer, Jill Ronsley gets involved in a potpourri of projects. Today she shares a bit of her considerable experience with us, touching on everything from common writing mistakes to what to look for in a font to how to write great children's stories and rhymes. Jill won the Best Book Editor 2005 award from the Editors and Preditors Readers Poll. She has edited nonfiction, fiction, stories for children, spiritual books, and cookbooks and designed book interiors and typeset works of fiction, nonfiction, children's books, film scripts, and more. She also designs book covers, working closely with graphic artists, fine artists, and photo editors; and promotional materials, such as postcards, brochures, business cards and bookmarks. Join Jill and Writing Show host Paula B. for a fun discussion about editing, design, and kids' stuff, including: * How she got into editing and book design * What common editing issues she comes across * How to use commas, dashes, and colons * How she feels about adjectives * What writers can do to vary their styles * What she looks for when designing a book interior * What serif and sans serif fonts are and how they're used * What goes into the design of back covers, dust jacket flaps, and spines * What challenges and issues are involved in writing, editing, and designing children's materials * What should be considered when writing a children's poem or rhyme * Whether rap and hip hop have influenced children's rhymes * How children's writers can increase their chances of being published * What approaches she takes with writers who ask for her help. Jill also reads a couple of rhymes for us. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=228 Podcasts Sun, 28 Jan 2007 17:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/122.0 01:26:40 writing writers editing editors typography book design children's books rhyme poetry Writing Show podcasts Jean Tennant With author Jean Tennant In episode 3, Jean reported her progress after having sent out several queries and told us that she had modified her query letter based on a listener suggestion. We also explored the idea of overpolishing one's work, and Jean admitted that she enjoyed her scenes from the sixties more than the ones based in the present. Today we hear more about the fate of Jean's queries, discuss the state of the industry, and hear some advice from Writing Show listeners. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=227 Podcasts Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:00:00 PST paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/121.0 36:33 writing writers agents reality show Jean Tennant publishing getting published novels fiction Writing Show podcasts Harry S. Pariser With travel writer and publisher Harry S. Pariser What could be a better job than traveling around the world and writing about your experiences? Today we hear from one lucky guy who gets to do that. Join Harry S. Pariser and host Paula B. as they explore the world of travel writing and publishing, including: * What his travel guides cover * How he decides which places to write about * How long he spends in each place * How he conducts his research while touring * What he looks for in a destination * What it's like to publish travel guides in a crowded market * What a great travel guide should do. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=225 Podcasts Mon, 22 Jan 2007 11:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/120.0 43:00 writing writers travel tourism publishing Costa Rica Virgin Islands Writing Show podcasts Gordy Hoffman With BlueCat founder and screenwriter/director Gordy Hoffman First prize is $10,000. The deadline is March 1st. Are you ready for the BlueCat Screenplay Competition? This week, screenwriter/director and BlueCat founder Gordy Hoffman joins us for a look at this internationally acclaimed contest in which every entrant receives a written script analysis. Join Gordy and host Paula B. as they discuss: * What the contest offers its winners * What sorts of screenplays have won * How winners get connected with the film industry * What sorts of critiques entrants get * Whether a film's potential budget affects a screenplay's chances of winning * What some of the most common writing faults are * How you can insert back story elegantly * How to write great log lines * How Gordy feels about titles. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=224 Podcasts Wed, 17 Jan 2007 11:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/119.0 34:21 writing writers screenwriting screenplay screenwriters contest competition BlueCat Gordy Hoffman Writing Show podcasts Undersheriff Tony Spurlock With Undersheriff Tony Spurlock of the Douglas County, Colorado Sheriff's Office This podcast is rated PG. We often see how the police investigate crimes on TV and in movies, and we read about their procedures in books, but how accurate are those portrayals? This week we get the real story from one who knows. Join Undersheriff Tony Spurlock and host Paula B. as they discuss: * Where the police start their investigations * What kinds of facts they must have in order to make progress * How police should handle witnesses * How the police sometimes miss important forensic evidence that is available to them * What types of forensic evidence the police usually get involved with * What some types of more exotic forensic evidence are * How easy it is for perpetrators to cover their tracks * How detectives trace where weapons and other evidence was purchased or otherwise obtained * How long police keep evidence * How evidence is stored * How evidence is disposed of * Who cleans up crime scenes * What detectives look for when searching houses and offices * Why people commit murder * How reliable witness accounts are * What to look out for when questioning witnesses * Whether he thinks he could commit the perfect crime. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=220 Podcasts Sun, 14 Jan 2007 14:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/118.0 01:12:33 writing writers crime fiction novels TV television movies film police procedure forensic evidence Writing Show podcasts Ben Arnoldy With Ben Arnoldy of the Christian Science Monitor The Fourth Estate. We entrust them with so much: providing us with complete and unbiased news of the world, acting as checks on government and corporations, digging up unpleasant facts, telling truth to power, all the while possibly endangering and exposing themselves in the process. What's it like to carry this weight on your shoulders? To put yourself in harm's way so you can act as the public's eyes and ears, trying to get it right? Join Ben Arnoldy and Paula B. as they discuss: * How he got into reporting in general and foreign reporting specifically * What the scope of his reponsibilities has been * What it was like being "embedded" with the troops in Iraq * What sorts of limitations were imposed on him in Iraq * How he felt about those restrictions * Why he thinks the Pentagon wanted reporters "embedded" * What his living conditions were like * What his relationship with the military was like * How his editors treated the reports he sent back * Whether he feels that he got everything right when reporting from Iraq * What happened when the paper tried to do an investigative report on the Afghan drug trade * How he feels about the reporting of foreign news to U.S. audiences. http://www.writingshow.com/?p=219 Podcasts Sun, 31 Dec 2006 13:00:00 PDT paula@writingshow.com http://www.writingshow.com/117.0 01:12:33 writing writers journalism journalists news war correspondents Iraq war military Air Force Christian Science Monitor Writing Show podcasts