Best Pointofview Podcasts (2025)

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SWRT 321 | Worldbuilding Historical Fantasy with Bjorn Leesson 29:13

2d ago29:13

29:13

In this week's episode of the Story Works Round Table, we welcome Bjorn Leesson, an author whose passion for history and the supernatural has culminated in his captivating series, Outside the Thalsparr. Join us as we explore the unique blend of Viking history and time travel, uncovering the fascinating role of women in Viking culture and the intric…

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SWRT 320 | Spicy Scenes with Paulette Stout 26:45

16d ago26:45

26:45

Join us at the Story Works Round Table as we welcome back the talented author Paulette Stout to talk about the art of writing spicy scenes. Join us as we explore how to craft intimate moments that enhance character development, tension, and narrative arcs, regardless of genre. Paulette shares her insights on the importance of emotional depth in int…

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SWRT 319 | Writing to Your Theme with Paulette Stout 37:49

1M ago37:49

37:49

Join us at the Story Works Round Table as we welcome back the talented author Paulette Stout to discuss her latest novel, What We Give Away. This captivating story tackles the often-taboo subject of body image and societal expectations surrounding weight. Paulette shares her insights on writing about sensitive topics while allowing readers to engag…

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SWRT 318 | Authors Talk YA Fiction 1:09:03

2M ago1:09:03

1:09:03

Join us at the Story Works Round Table for a fascinating discussion with YA authors K.T. Angelhart, Tricia Copeland, and C.C. Robinson as they explore the nuances of young adult fiction and the importance of character development. We talk about the universal appeal of Young Adult Fiction, the importance of relationships with teenage protagonists, a…

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SWRT 317 | Authors Talk Writing Memoir 1:02:54

2M ago1:02:54

1:02:54

Join us at the Story Works Round Table for an insightful conversation about Memoir with special guests Candace MacPhie author of Finding Color, Randi-Lee Bowslaugh author of Good-bye too Soon, Dr. Roger Leslie author of Light Come Out of the Closet, and Michael Hingson author of Live Like A Guide Dog. From taking a piece of your own life and crafti…

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SWRT 316 | Writing Series with Alethea Lyons 50:06

2M ago50:06

50:06

Join us at the Story Works Round Table as we sit down with Alethea Lyons, author of the supernatural dark fantasy Seer of York series, published by Brigids Gate Press. She writes various forms of SFF, with a particular love for science-fantasy, dark fantasy, dystopias, and folklore. We talk about the particular challenges facing writers of series a…

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SWRT 315 | Getting to Know Your Characters with Sarah Branson 33:58

3M ago33:58

33:58

Sarah Branson joins us at the Story Works Round Table to talk about getting to know your characters. We dig into the different roles characters play, depending on their relationship to the protagonist and how well we need to know them in order to write them well. Sarah's novel, North Country, is available now. Get Alida's musings on life, writing, …

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SWRT 314 | Science Fiction & Our Possible Futures 1:00:35

3M ago1:00:35

1:00:35

Join us at the Story Works Round Table for far-ranging, philosophical, and fun conversation about science fiction with special guests Brad C Anderson, author of Duatero, Mark Morton, author of The Headmasters, Lance Robinson, one of the winners of the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future contest, and Kristina Rienzi, author of Among Us. From dystop…

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SWRT 313 | Intuitive Creativity with Chindia Ilonka 1:05:01

4M ago1:05:01

1:05:01

This week's Story Works Round Table features Chindia Ilonka, the visionary leader and author of Quantum Rebel. Discover how to align with your soul, harness your intuitive creativity, and achieve transformative results in your writing. Chindia shares her journey of self-discovery and offers practical insights on cultivating a deeper connection with…

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SWRT 312 | Folklore of North America with Mike Bass 1:07:11

4M ago1:07:11

1:07:11

Are you ready to journey through the captivating world of folklore? This week on the Story Works Round Table podcast, Alida has the pleasure of sitting down with Mike Bass, a distinguished folklorist and printmaker, whose artistry is as intriguing as the stories he tells. Growing up in a house teeming with spirits, Mike's fascination with the super…

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SWRT 311 | Flying Pirates (& Speculative Fiction) with Sarah Branson 51:56

5M ago51:56

51:56

Discover how Sarah Branson blends her experiences as a midwife and science teacher into her speculative fiction series featuring a flying pirate protagonist. Join us for a deep dive into world-building and character development on this week's Story Works Round table. "When you have a protagonist that lives in your head, who is armed and is a pirate…

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SWRT 310 | From Lightning Strike to Novel with Ben Hawken, part 2 34:32

5M ago34:32

34:32

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn continue our conversation with Ben Hawken, author of the new novel "Chandelier." In part two of our conversation, we discuss looking for the next story, processing ideas, writing dialogue and getting characters into conversation as fully formed people, and more! Ben shares his remarkable j…

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SWRT 309 | Immigrant Stories & Historical Events - Fiction with Grishma Shah 58:07

6M ago58:07

58:07

Join us for an insightful episode of Story Works Round Table as we welcome Grishma Shah. Grishma shares the journey of crafting her novel, Anagram Destiny. Inspired by her upbringing as the daughter of Indian immigrants and her expertise in culture and globalization, it's a reverse immigration story that explores the Indian American dream, cultural…

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SWRT 308 | Authors Talk Ghost Stories 1:11:53

6M ago1:11:53

1:11:53

Just in time for Halloween, the Story Works Round Table brings you a special episode featuring five incredible authors of ghost stories: Gabi Coatsworth, Paulette Kennedy, Jan Heidrich-Rice, Sandra Young, and Alida Winternheimer. Dive into the art of crafting paranormal tales, explore the inspiration behind these haunting narratives, and learn abou…

1
SWRT 307 | From Lightning Strike to Novel with Ben Hawken 42:14

7M ago42:14

42:14

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn sit down with Ben Hawken, author of the new novel "Chandelier." Ben shares his remarkable journey from a career in marketing and speech writing to writing his debut book. Learn how he balanced life, work, and writing to achieve his creative dreams. Ben offers insights into story structure,…

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The Revision Mindset 20:52

7M ago20:52

20:52

In this week's Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn delve into the often daunting world of revision. Join them as they explore the mindset shifts necessary to tackle revisions without feeling overwhelmed. They discuss the importance of understanding that revision doesn't mean starting from scratch but rather making thoughtful adjustments to e…

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Navigating the Feedback Landscape: A Writer's Guide 24:58

8M ago24:58

24:58

Feedback is an essential part of the writing journey, but it can also be one of the most challenging aspects to navigate. In this week's episode of Story Works Round Table, Kathryn and Alida delve into the intricacies of receiving and giving feedback, offering valuable insights and practical advice for writers at all stages of their careers. One of…

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Writing Senses with Paulette Stout 59:43

8M ago59:43

59:43

his week at the Story Works Round Table podcast, Alida and Kathryn explore the power of sensory details in writing with award-winning author Paulette Stout. Join us as we discuss how to bring scenes to life through sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste. Paulette shares insights into her writing process, her latest work, and how she uses sensory det…

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SWRT 303 | Lainey Cameron interviews Alida about A Stone's Throw, novel 40:08

9M ago40:08

40:08

This week, the Story Works Round Table is turned: Alida is interviewed by guest host, Lainey Cameron, award-winning author, podcaster, and book marketing expert. They discuss writing without genre in mind, starting with a vision only described as magical realism. Alida's novel, A Stone's Throw, explores themes of relationships, and motherhood, whil…

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SWRT 302 | Transitions: bridging the white space in your stories 29:22

9M ago29:22

29:22

This week at the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn talk transitions. What are the good, bad, and better ways to keep your readers reading past narrative breaks? We want to create bridges over that white space, whether it’s a scene, chapter, or part break, no matter who, when, or where shifts on the other side. Get Alida's musings on life, …

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SWRT 301 | 6 Things I Know That Will Help You Write Your Story 11:58

10M ago11:58

11:58

This week at the Story Works Round Table, Alida shares 6 powerful tips that will help you get your personal story down on the page. Whether you're writing for yourself, family, or the wide world of readers, these 6 things will help you clear the hurdles that make it hard to start telling your story. Alida's latest essay was just published in Passen…

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SWRT 300 | Finding Penrose - Paula Sheridan's life to book to film journey 1:02:54

10M ago1:02:54

1:02:54

This week, Alida and Kathryn welcome Paula Sheridan back to the Round Table to discuss her new project, Finding Penrose. Paula's novel has already captured the hearts of celebrities, plus the media, with 100's of articles already published. And with two renowned film producers adapting Penrose's story for the big screen, they're now in talks with a…

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SWRT 299 | Authors Talk Women's Fiction 1:23:31

11M ago1:23:31

1:23:31

This week at the Story Works Round Table, five authors sit down to talk women's fiction. Alida Winternheimer is joined by D. Liebhart, Heidi McIntyre, Amanda Speights, and Jen Telger to discuss their genre and their stories. There is a lot more to women's fiction than strong female characters or women authors. The diversity of the genre makes it di…

1
SWRT 298 | Writing Whimsey 22:18

11M ago22:18

22:18

This week, Alida and Kathryn discuss writing with whimsey. Whimsical writing can add humor and charm to writing, but it's not only for children's stories. Lighthearted, quirky, and funny moments add levity to otherwise serious or dark tales. After this week's episode, you might just find yourself writing whimsically. Get Alida's musings on life, wr…

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SWRT 297 | Dialogue 23:24

12M ago23:24

23:24

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn talk dialogue. We've noticed what may be some poor advice and some frightening trends in dialogue floating around out there. Time to bust some myths and pop some speech balloons! We draw on the past two Writers Book Club short stories for examples of dialogue, interiority, and narrative po…

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SWRT 296 | Writers Book Club: Chekhov 38:28

1y ago38:28

38:28

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn discuss Chekhov's story, "The Woman with the Little Dog." You can get the link to read it in the show notes. "Everything that he found important, interesting, necessary, in which he was sincere and did not deceive himself, which constituted the core of his life, occurred in secret from oth…

1
SWRT 295 | Writers Book Club: Gina Berriault 39:56

1y ago39:56

39:56

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn discuss Gina Berriault's short story, "The Woman in the Rose Colored Dress." At only 2 1/2 pages, it packs in remarkable sentences, the experience of time passing, incredible subtext in minimal dialogue, and a realistic coming of age story when a girl makes a discovery about her father tha…

1
SWRT 294 | What Is Genre, Anyway? 37:03

1y ago37:03

37:03

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida, Carlee, and Robert go deep with the question of what makes a genre a genre? Discover the nuances of crafting stories and targeting the right readership. We dissect the concept of genre as both a craft and marketing tool. It's far more useful to us writers than just a marketing category. Writing to ma…

1
SWRT 293 | Revision with D. Liebhart 37:28

1y ago37:28

37:28

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn are joined by D. Liebhart. Revision is more than just fixing typos and filling plot holes; it's about delving deep into the heart of the story and ensuring every word, every character, and every twist aligns with the author's vision. D. discusses the challenges she faced revising her award…

1
SWRT 292 | Marketing & Community withe Alexa Bigwarfe 53:57

1y ago53:57

53:57

"It's never too early to start thinking about marketing and building your community. It's never too early. It can be too late." Ever thought it's too early to market your book? Think again! Alexa Bigwarfe shares her wisdom on today's Story Works Round Table, in a conversation that's as inspiring as it is informative. Marketing, as Alexa says, is no…

1
SWRT 290 | Life to Fiction with D. Liebhart 55:25

1y ago55:25

55:25

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn discover the compelling intersection of personal experience and fiction on this week's writing podcast. D. Leibhart joins us to share her journey writing her award-winning novel, House on Fire, and the art of turning life into literature. Join us for a conversation about craft and the comp…

1
SWRT 290 | Heroes with Screenwriter Tim Auld 44:48

1y ago44:48

44:48

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn welcome screenwriter Tim Auld back to the round table to discuss heroes. What makes a hero resonate with an audience? Tim Auld introduces us to the concept of ordinary heroism, a principle that suggests heroes should be inherently inadequate to the challenges they face. It's this inadequac…

1
SWRT 289 | Scripting Didacticism with Screenwriter Tim Auld 40:38

1+ y ago40:38

40:38

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida & Kathryn welcome screenwriter Tim Auld to the Story Works Round Table to discuss the trend in film and literature toward didactic writing, when the (often moral) message of a piece overpowers the story trying to be told. Why is this still happening when audiences are weary of it? What about writing a…

1
Swrt 288 | Stakes & Agency 29:07

1+ y ago29:07

29:07

This week, Alida, Robert, and Kathryn discuss the relationship between stakes and agency. How do these aspects of plot and character work together to create forward drive in your story? This episode is from our library. It was previously published as episode 73. Show notes and more at www.StoryWorksPodcast.com Get Alida's musings on life, writing, …

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SWRT 287 | Crafting Character Arcs 20:35

1+ y ago20:35

20:35

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn talk about creating character arcs. Most characters won't utterly transform from villain to hero, like our friend Scrooge, but shift needs to happen. Our character and plot arcs are married. The internal character arc is played out in the external plot arc. Identifying your character's shi…

1
SWRT 286 | Writers Book Club: A Christmas Carol 59:29

1+ y ago59:29

59:29

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn tackle a holiday classic, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Most of us have seen the story dramatized annually, whether on television or in the theatre. But how many of us have actually read it? It was my first time and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. No surprise, however, Dickens…

1
SWRT 285 | Self Discovery Through Writing 28:39

1+ y ago28:39

28:39

This week, Alida and Kathryn solve the world's problems with one simple, three-part edict. We're kidding, but we're kind of not. Writing and reading are all about building empathetic connections with people who are nothing like ourselves. As such, writers are gifted with a truly great responsibility. Share this episode and a book with the people yo…

1
SWRT 284 | Writers Book Club: Naming My Father 47:58

1+ y ago47:58

47:58

This week, Alida and Kathryn welcome Dr. Martha Highers to the Writers Book Club to discuss "Naming My Father," a personal essay that won the Under the Sun summer writing contest. Martha is an editor at Under the Sun. not only do we talk as reader-writers, we get an insightful behind the scenes glimpse of the selection and editorial process for thi…

1
SWRT 283 | Characterization 26:47

1+ y ago26:47

26:47

This week at the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn discuss characterization, with examples from a short story by Junot Díaz. They analyze how Díaz introduces characters through the narrator's perspective, using just a few sharp details to create vivid impressions of complex people are are inspired to re-examine their own character descript…

1
SWRT 282 | Writers Book Club: Fiesta, 1980 by Junot Diaz 48:32

1+ y ago48:32

48:32

This week at the Story Works Round Table, listener and fellow writer Dave sits down with Alida and Kathryn to discuss the short story by Junot Diaz, "Fiesta, 1980." We're amazed by how much tension Diaz packs into this story about a family gathering, as well as his incredible voice, imagery, and metaphors. Are you ready to work with a developmental…

1
SWRT 281 | Bookends 19:37

1+ y ago19:37

19:37

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn discuss bookending a story with a prologue and epilogue. Bookends can't just be tacked on; they need to be essential to the reader's understanding of whole story. Show notes, links, & more at www.StoryWorksPodcast.com. Read A Room Full of Books & Pencils, ruminations on the essential, stor…

1
SWRT 280 | Writers Book Club: Ethan Frome 1:13:00

1+ y ago1:13:00

1:13:00

This week we're back from summer break with a new season and a new format. In addiction to the regular conversations about craft, we'll be reading a short prose text each month and discussing it as writers. Would you like to join the book club? Next month we're talking about Junot Diaz' short story "Fiesta 1980." This week, we delve into Edith Whar…

1
SWRT | Summer 2023 5:09

1+ y ago5:09

5:09

Story Works Round Table is back next month with some exciting new shows! Want to sit at the round table? Reach out and let us know! Visit WordEssential.com and book a discovery call today!

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SWRT 279 | The Storyteller's Workbook 45:52

2y ago45:52

45:52

This week, Alida and Kathryn welcome Adrienne Young and Isabel Ibañez to the Story Works Round Table to chat about their new book, The Storyteller's Workbook. This is a novelist's dream tool and you're going to want to get your hands on a copy - just ask Kathryn! We get into everything, from the beautiful design and feel of the paper (it really doe…

1
SWRT 278 | Outlining Your Novel 26:32

2y ago26:32

26:32

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida & Kathryn discuss the process of outlining. There is more to talk about than we might first think. Why is outlining useful? How should we go about it to make sure it's a time saver and not a time waster? Does it help to outline more than once in the writing process? Outlining (or storyboarding) is a g…

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SWRT 277 | Contests with Paula Sheridan of Page Turner Awards 1:04:04

2y ago1:04:04

1:04:04

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida has Paula Sheridan of the Page Turner Awards joining me at the Round Table to discuss contests. We talk the reasons for entering contests, what judges look for, and getting your manuscript in shape before placing it in judge’s hands. I’m especially excited about today’s show, because Paula founded the…

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SWWT | Character Traits 6:29

2y ago6:29

6:29

This week's Story Works Writing Tip is all about traits: Make your character traits significant to your story...and here's why and how. A new session of Fiction Group Coaching begins in May. Got a novel in a drawer? Stuck in the middle of a project? Want to improve your craft while fixing a project in a small group of select peers with a mentor? Se…

1
SWRT 276 | Things We Say 29:10

2y ago29:10

29:10

This week on the Story Works Round Table, Kathryn turns the table on Alida. We talk "things we say," all those bits and bobbles of craft speak that get tossed around but not always defined. What does it mean to be tightly plotted? Does every character need a lie or core wound, and are those the same thing? I have a new session of fiction group coac…

1
SWRT 275 | Craft and Conscience with Kavita Das 33:36

2y ago33:36

33:36

This week, Alida & Kathryn welcome Kavita Das to the Story Works Round Table. Kavita has a new book out, Craft & Conscience, all about writing that is concerned with social issues. And really, what writing isn't in one way or another getting at the aspects of being human and being human together that could use some work? This conversation is equall…

1
SWWT | Openings 5:34

2y ago5:34

5:34

This week's Story Works Writing Tip is all about openings. You need to pack a lot into your opening, just don't throw in the kitchen sink! If you enjoyed this craft tip, please give it a thumbs up, share, and say hello. I love hearing from you! Visit WordEssential.com and book a discovery call today!…

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