A replay of an episode recorded in 2023. Story archetypes are a great starting point for building your narrative. In this episode Russ and Tim discuss the seven core story archetypes that can be found in most fiction, how they can be used to create engaging novels, and how they used (or didn't use) them for their own projects.…

If you've survived the second draft, congrats! But you still have quite a way to go on your journey, which brings us to the third draft and beyond. Refining sentence structure and word choice, incorporating beta reader feedback, eliminating crunch words and phrases, the drafts where the polish happens. In this episode, Russ and Tim reflect on their…

So you've completed a first draft of your manuscript. Now what? The real work begins. Writing is re-writing and the second draft is a heavy lift of fixing those major character and plot issues that creep in during that first vomit draft. This episode Russ and Tim talk about the trials and tribulations of the second draft and how important it is whe…

The first draft, often called the "vomit draft," is one of the most important parts of the writing process. Once you type "the end," you can truly begin. In this episode, Russ and Tim revisit their first drafts and discuss the improvements they've made for their upcoming projects.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

The battle is on! Pens vs swords! In this episode, we explore the variations of the classic idiom "the pen is mightier than the sword." We discuss its fascinating history, discover who made it what it is today, and why pens shouldn't turn into laser swords.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Research is a key part of the writing process. Without proper research, building credible worlds, intriguing plots, and relatable characters is impossible. But how much is too much? In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss how their research methods have evolved from their first manuscripts to their new ones.…

A replay of an earlier episode on Themes in storytelling. It's a timely topic for us as we're exploring themes in our new projects. A good theme can provide the heart and glue that binds your story together. Characters, dialogue, setting, and symbolism are important in conveying your theme to the reader. In this episode, Russ and Tim dive into the …

Nothing slows a story like an Act II info dump or an author cramming all their research during the climax. Deliberate pacing is an essential tool in the writer's toolbox to keep readers engaged. Dialogue, description, and even white space on the page can significantly affect your pacing. In this episode, Russ and Tim dissect pacing in their works a…

Every good story is built on conflict. Sometimes, that conflict can culminate in scenes of violence. But when is that violence too much or not enough? In this episode, Russ and Tim explore violence in writing and the many factors that impact readers' expectations and enjoyment.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Our idiom series continues with "the writing on the wall." In this episode, we dive into the classic religious story that involved too much partying and impending doom. Get the popcorn.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Generally, stories don't cover every waking moment of a character's life. Stories move through time, skipping the dull parts and getting to the key moments that impact a character's arc. In this episode, Russ and Tim get into the how, when, and why of time jumps and their impact on writing a cohesive narrative.…

Life has a way of getting in the way. It can take our best intentions, writing or otherwise, and throw them into the void, never to be seen again. It happens to everyone, so how do you get back into it and meet your goals? In this episode, Russ and Tim suggest methods to regain focus so you can get back into writing like you were never away.…

What is tension? What is suspense? These key ingredients keep readers turning your pages and wondering what will happen next. In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss tension and suspense and explore how these tools can work together to create a compelling narrative.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Every story will have at least one coincidence to kick off the plot. After that, as a writer, you're asking your audience to continue to suspend disbelief to move the story along at the cost of losing them. In this episode, Russ and Tim talk about coincidences, how many are too many (spoilers: more than one), and get into Deus Ex Machina, and Tim v…

We're getting the ball rolling...on a new year! It's our first episode of 2025, and we're diving into idioms. We'll be "tackling" them throughout the year, exploring their history, usage, and how they could be used in writing.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Goodbye 2024! In this episode, Russ and Tim look back at their respective writing goals for the year and grade how they did. Spoilers: everyone got an A+, even if they didn't deserve it. Happy New Year, everyone, and thank you for listening.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Book swap! In this episode, Russ and Tim trade books from their favorite genres and give a review. Russ read Nick Cutter's The Troop while Tim read Lee Child's The Killing Floor.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Is that an adverb? Ditch it. Overly verbose exposition? Delete. Detailed descriptions of everyday objects? Get rid of it! In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss killing their darlings and reflect on what they left in their novels and why.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Epilogues—who needs them? Isn't your story already over? In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss how epilogues are used, why they exist, and whether or not you should use one.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

To prologue or not to prologue? That is the question. In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss the ins and outs of prologues, what makes a good one, and why people don't like them.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Have you ever made a mistake that kept you up at night? Or maybe you set an expectation that you couldn't quite meet? In this episode, Russ and Tim explore their own writing mistakes and expectations, how they recovered from them (if they did), and how they adjusted to maintain writing productivity.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Who or what influences you and your writing? Influences can come from anywhere and are important in shaping the stories we tell. This episode Russ and Tim get into the authors, movies, art, music, and even family, that influenced their stories.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

We're not fans of novels getting censored, but what happens when you're the one doing the censoring? There is a fine line between being true to the vision of your story and being shocking or sultry just for the sake of it. In this episode, Russ and Tim talk about how they self-censored their own work based on genre, reader expectations, and what th…

You only get one chance to make a first impression. Title your book wrong, and you may lose out on potential readers. Is your title intriguing enough? Is it too similar to others? Does it fit within your genre? In this episode, Russ and Tim tackle these questions and explain why they named their first novels and what they did.…

Pop culture references are a fun way to build on a character, setting, and world within your story. Yet too many references can ruin your reader's suspension of disbelief. So, where's the line? How much is too much? In this episode, Russ and Tim reflect on how they used pop culture references in their first works and the lessons they've learned.…

What's in a name? Character names can allow readers to peer into and gather insight into what makes them tick. Does your protagonist need an epic name? How about your villains or secondary characters? Russ and Tim get into naming characters in this episode and dive into their own naming experiences and missteps in early drafts.…

Symbolism is yet another tool in the author's toolkit for enhancing a story. Whether it be big-picture themes, character behaviors, or a setting, symbolism is a great way to enrich a reader's experience. In this episode, Russ and Tim chat about how they applied symbolism to their stories and lessons learned.…

Backstory is essential to establishing who your characters are and the decisions they'll make in your story, but how much is too much? In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss backstory, how they approached it for their first novels, and how they plan on using it in their new works.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Writing your first novel is hard, but is writing a second novel any easier? In this episode, Russ and Tim chat about how to plan a new project, when to stop researching and start writing, and why their approaches have changed since completing their first works.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Knock, knock... no, we won't do that to you. In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss writing with humor, how they approach it in their works, the different types of humor authors can use, and when to use it.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

In this episode, Russ and Tim are joined by Michael Bahler, a New Jersey-based writer whose short fiction and nonfiction have appeared in The New York Times, Glimmer Train, Nerve, and many others, including the Brooklyn Rail. He joins us to chat about the publishing industry, writing short stories, and his jump from short to long-form writing.…

Have you ever read a book and thought the end wasn't particularly satisfying? Well, you're not alone! In this episode, Russ and Tim explore common Act III pitfalls, why they can make your final act fall flat, and how to avoid them.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Why are scene transitions important? Not ony to they ground the reader in POV, setting, and time. They can change mood and create pacing that keeps a reader engaged. In this episode Russ and Tim get into their own approaches to scene transitions and if they were intentional from the start.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

50th episode! We made it! Russ and Tim do a pulse check on their projects, how far they've come, and the path ahead. Here's to fifty more!By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Structure is a good thing, right? In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss chapter structure and how a well-structured chapter can impact pacing and tension and influence the reader to keep turning pages.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Are video games art? What elevates a video game narrative to make it memorable? Will Russ and Tim ever stop playing and get back to writing their second novels? In this special video game-themed episode, we tackle these questions and more.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Author Geoffrey Morrison joins us again for a great chat about his new nonfiction book, Budget Travel for Dummies. We discuss his move from fiction to nonfiction, hostels, deadlines, editing, and more.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Similes are metaphors; metaphors are not similes. In this episode, Russ and Tim explore more tools in the author's toolbox with metaphor and simile usage. What are they? How are they different? And how they use them in their own stories. Along with soup analogies. It's the most fun you can have while learning about figures of speech.…

Have you found your voice as a storyteller? What does that even mean? This episode Russ and Tim explore the many factors that can shape an author's voice, and how they found (or are still looking for) their own.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

There are a slew of writing myths out there. In this episode, Russ and Tim walk through some common myths and even bust a few of the big ones.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

The query process can be a daunting, self-doubt-inducing part of getting published. In this episode, Russ asks Tim about his experience with the query process, the good, the bad, the ugly, and most importantly, how to stay focused on writing.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

A good theme can provide the heart and glue that binds your story together. Characters, dialogue, setting, and symbolism are important in conveying your theme to the reader. In this episode, Russ and Tim dive into the common themes and how they used them in their writing.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

J.D. Edwin, author of the sci-fi fantasy trilogy Headspace, joins us as we discuss querying, marketing, plotting vs pansting, and how to stay sane while writing a series.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Character archetypes were just the beginning, in order to further refine your characters you need to utilize direct and indirect characterization. This episode Russ and Tim discuss the finer details about characters, and the ways to tease that information to readers.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Looking to build out characters for your narrative? Character archetypes can help! This episode Russ and Tim discuss the various archetypes with examples and how they might be used to create interesting and unique characters.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Story archetypes are a great starting point for building your narrative. In this episode Russ and Tim discuss the seven core story archetypes that can be found in most fiction, how they can be used to create a engaging novels, and how they used (or didn't use) them for their own projects.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

It all comes down to this...Act III. Our heroes have been removed from their normal world, thrust into a chaotic Act II world, been through the ringer, hit the bottom of the barrel, now it's time for them to shine (or maybe not?) and finish their journey. Join Russ and Tim as they wrap-up their deep dive into the Save the Cat! Act III story beats.…

Doing their best to avoid strong act II vibes, Russ and Tim continue their deep dive into Save the Cat! Writes A Novel story beats with Act II.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Using Save the Cat! Writes A Novel as a jumping off point, Russ and Tim do a deep dive into the Act I story beats, and reference how this methodology was useful in crafting their own works.By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney

Writer's block...By Russ Capasso and Tim Letteney