073: Finding the Right Medium for Your Story - Interview with Drew Chapman

Hey there, Word Nerds. Thanks for joining me for another installment of DIY MFA Radio.

Today I’m talking to Drew Chapman. Drew is a thriller author. His debut novel, The Ascendant, was published in 2014 and the sequel The King of Fear is currently being released as a serialized eBook and will be out in paperback come February 2016.

A fellow New Yorker, Drew grew up in NYC, got a BA in History from the University of Michigan, then eventually moved to LA to work in the movie business. He directed an indie film Stand Off, was a writer on the animated feature Pocahontas for Disney, and most recently wrote and co-executive produced the second season of Legends (a spy show for TNT). Now working mostly in television, he has been writing for networks like ABC, Fox, and TNT. Drew lives in Seattle with his wife and kids.

In this episode Drew and I discuss:

• The difference between writing for TV and film and writing novels.
• What his process is like for writing his characters.
• How the craft of storytelling differs based on the medium you choose.
• Writing serial fiction.
• The art of the info-dump. When to use back story and when to leave it out.

"The thing that writers need to worry about is finding their voice. Know what you want to say about the world." ~Drew Chapman

Resources:

If you want to know more about Drew you can follow him on Facebook and Twitter or visit his website.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/073