Essential Guide to Writing a Novel
Hosted by James Thayer, the podcast is a practical, step-by-step manual on how to craft a novel. It presents a set of tools for large issues such as story development and scene construction (Kirkus Reviews said Thayer's novels are "superbly crafted') and it also examines techniques that will make your sentence-by-sentence writing shine. The New York Times Book Review has said Thayer's "writing is smooth and clear. it wastes no words, and it has a rhythm only confident stylists achieve.
Latest episodes
Jul 22, 2022 • 28min
Episode 22: A summary of earlier episodes, and techniques for musical writing.
Topics of earlier episodes are boiled down to sixteen points, and we'll talk about them briefly. Also, here are some things we can do to make our sentence-by-sentence writing more pleasing to readers' eyes and ears.Support the show
Jul 15, 2022 • 27min
Episode 21: Creativity and how to get it.
How can we shake loose from our brains plots for our novels? Here's my favorite way. Plus, benefits and perils of writing with a partner. More on accents. And avoiding adverbs, which are not a writer's friend.Support the show
4 snips
Jul 7, 2022 • 25min
Episode 20 - Reasons we fail to start.
Why don't we begin our novel? Here's a reason, and a way to avoid it. Plus, we'll talk about qualifiers and intensifiers, the leeches of language. And some thoughts on profanity and slang. And why age benefits novelists.Support the show
4 snips
Jun 6, 2022 • 26min
Episode 19 - More on modifiers, including the useless and the dangling. And clunky reach words.
Dive into the pitfalls of modifiers that can make writing feel rickety. Discover how unnecessary adjectives can dilute your prose and create confusion. Learn the dangers of dangling modifiers and complex verbs, all while embracing the power of simplicity. With humorous examples, this discussion showcases the value of clear and concise language, emphasizing how a few precise words can elevate your narrative. Anecdotes from renowned authors further highlight the journey toward successful storytelling.
4 snips
Jun 4, 2022 • 27min
Episode 18 - Lots of things to avoid: the negative, cliches, and too many modifiers.
Dive into the art of vivid sentence construction and learn to dodge pitfalls like clichés and mixed metaphors. Discover how precise language can energize your storytelling. The discussion reveals how age and experience can enhance creativity, and even shares some hilarious bad analogies from high school essays. Balance is key—too many modifiers can weaken your prose. Unlock the secrets to powerful writing while finding inspiration from historical figures who thrived later in life.
5 snips
May 29, 2022 • 26min
Episode 17 - Keep it simple but not too simple, and metaphors.
Our writing should be a clear window to the story, and a technique is to, in Einstein's phrase, keep it simple but not too simple. Here are some techniques for doing that, along with a discussion of metaphors and similes.Support the show
May 21, 2022 • 27min
Episode 16: Theme, odd questions, more on conflict, and vivid writing.
As writers, should we be concerned with a themes for our stories? And a critical question: are writers allowed to be weird? We'll also return to the need for early conflict in our stories, and then go on to discuss vivid writing.Support the show
May 16, 2022 • 31min
Episode 15 - Techniques for writing about settings.
Our setting -- the place and time of the scene -- anchor our characters the the ground. Here are techniques for writing our settings to get the most from them, so that they play a strong role in the story.Support the show
May 11, 2022 • 26min
Episode14: The fourth wall, the ending, and some bad writing.
Our topics this episode are how to avoid breaking the fourth wall, onomatopoeia (clunk, thud, kersplat), and techniques on ending the novel. We'll also talk about some bad writing, really bad writing.Support the show
May 6, 2022 • 25min
Episode 13: More on dialogue, and techniques about foreshadowing and coincidences
Dialogue is so important to our stories that we'll talk more about it here. Then we'll move on to foreshadowing--including the Chekhov's famous gun--and coincidences., where one is fine but two are not.Support the show
