The Wordslinger Podcast What 2025 taught me about writing
10 snips
Dec 25, 2025 In this festive discussion, the host shares transformative lessons on the art of writing. He explores the balance between outlining and creative spontaneity, introducing a method that drives scenes through cause-and-effect. Drawing wisdom from Murakami, he contrasts artistic prose with logical structure. Insights from James Patterson reveal the joys of a writing routine. The concept of continual writing promotes spreading sessions throughout the day for sustained creativity. It's a treasure trove of advice for anyone seeking to enhance their writing journey!
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Episode notes
Outline In Small, Writable Chunks
- If outlining drains your enthusiasm, outline only the next third or a few chapters instead of the whole book.
- Outline in small chunks and write, then outline the next chunk to keep momentum and discovery.
Use Cause‑And‑Effect To Drive Scenes
- Propel scenes by showing direct consequences: "because that happened, then this happened."
- Make each scene a natural logical progression from the previous one to move the story forward.
Artful Meandering Creates Dreamlike Prose
- Writing that favors art over logical progression can create dreamlike, mystifying scenes.
- Haruki Murakami intentionally blends artful meandering with logical scenes to enhance magical realism.
