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SWRT 120 | Translations with Anja Bauermeister & Christina Löw
This week, we check out an episode from the library, formerly published as video-only episode 20. Ever wonder what goes into translating a novel? How translators work with a text? What role, if any, the author of the original plays in the translation? Are you...
SWRT 119 | Writing Tics…and what to do about them
What is a writing tic? And is it always a bad thing? We talk about throat clearing, voice issues, using filter words, and having a POV stranglehold. All of these are things you want to fix in revision, but having them isn’t necessarily a bad thing as long as you recognize them. And what you do after you recognize them can change your writing behaviors for the better!
SWRT 118 | Beyond Motivation part 2
We start off this episode with a recounting of Kathryn’s progress, before diving into bringing self-awareness and cross-contextualization into your goals processes. How can we adapt systems in our life that already work in order to help us complete our goals? And how much productivity are we actually capable of each day? Robert gives us an update on his progress and we talk about the insane amount of pressure we put on ourselves, and how we can help motivate ourselves each and every day. We all want to live the life we love, one day at a time. It’s just about finding the balance to do so!
SWRT 117 | Beyond Motivation
We jump into reviewing our progress on this year’s goals, and spiral into a conversation about our processes, mindset, and how to measure progress. Are we motivated by pain, reward, or something else? How can you re-frame your goals in order to recognize what you have accomplished, rather than beat yourself up for what you didn’t? Ultimately, it all comes down to living the life you want to live, one day at a time!
SWRT 116 | Writing Great Sentences, part 3
How can you use a sentence to evoke mood? What about varying sentence structure to reflect different characters voice? Should you change your sentence structure by genre? Or by book? We all agree, reading great sentences make yours better!
SWRT 115 | Writing Great Sentences, part 2
This week at the Round Table, Alida, Kathryn, and Robert continue their conversation about writing great sentences in novels of any genres. How many types of sentences are there? Do sentences need to be grammatically correct to be great? Do they need to be lyrical to be great? No. The sentences we craft serve a variety of purposes in our prose.
SWRT 114 | Writing Great Sentences, part 1
What did we find when we set out to find great sentences? Is it all about the grammar? We talk about the categories a sentence can fit into, and why looking at the paragraph and sentence level is so important in your writing. We look at a couple of sentences from The Passion and Unaccustomed Earth. FInally, we talk about long sentences, poetic sentences, and use of metaphorical sentences to spice up your writing!
SWRT 113 | How to Give a Really Good Critique
Writing groups, are they helpful? If you are a part of a writing group, how do you give helpful feedback to your writing partners? We cover etiquette, how to mark manuscripts, and the time and effort you should put into being a good critique partner. Even as you critique you are learning as a writer, so have fun and grow together!
SWRT 112 | The Devil Is in the Details: Revision
What details about our story do we miss in first draft? And what can we do to solve them? Is it possible to know everything before you start drafting? And what should your attitude be toward those missing pieces? We dive into how to revise those scenes that you love, and how to use rewriting in your revision process. In the end, it’s all writing! So be excited about making your story the best it can be.
SWRT 111 | Using One Character to Influence Another’s Arc
Kathryn explains an exercise in pre-writing she has been using to deepen her character arcs and relationships within her novel. We explore how it would affect sub-plots, character relationships, and arcs. What problems could this help you avoid? And how could you use it to develop your antagonist as well? We talk about how Kathryn got into this kind of development, and whether or not it would work for every kind of story!
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About the Hosts
Matt is the author of The Auriga Project, a scifi thriller, Scrivener Superpowers, a how-to book for writers, and the forthcoming Tales of the Republic, a serialized novel set in a specualtive future. He also founded the Indie Author Society, an organization that offers community and support for indie authors. When he’s not bending words to his will, Matt likes to climb mountains, throw a frisbee for his Boxer mutt, Elsa, and travel to expand his mind. Learn more about him and his books at www.mgherron.com.
