If They Don't Have Books

Neil and Ben discuss Lucid Dreaming, Unreliable Narrators, and the problems with NaNoWriMo.

Neil and Ben discuss the pros and cons of handwriting your first draft vs. typing it. How handwriting connects to the creative side of the brain and our processing of information and why you should never delete your old work.

Neil and Ben pick back up the idea of opinion validity and try like hell to tie it to writing. Does empathy require accepting all opinions as valid? What does validity even mean and is it even real? Politics and Religion

Stealing babies Field sobriety tests Remembering that the untold stories of your side characters are important too. and Why are some authors treated differently from others for their public statements?

Ben had a baby The world is ending  Sometimes you need a break Don‘t be a sociopath  Embrace sensitivity readers Go ahead and build a multiverse 

We're talking about mental health in writing for Mental Health Awareness Month. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255 BetterHelp (Not a sponsor) Online Therapy https://betterhelp.com

We missed a week, but we're still here. Today we talk about Genre. Genre trends, Genre myths, and Genre tropes. Ben talks like William Shatner and Neil has a tendency to ramble and get off topic. Twitter Neil @writegavingayle Ben @B_A_Durham Podcast @make_books_cool Website GavinGayle.com TikTok Neil @AuthorNeilChristiansen

Delve into the complexities of writing unique dialogue for characters, drawing inspiration from renowned writers like Aaron Sorkin. Discover the art of crafting authentic interactions while avoiding clichés and stereotypes. Explore the nuances of humor, from long payoff jokes to shaggy dog stories. Engage in a lively debate about narrative justification and the balance between high art and community engagement. Plus, hear a playful challenge to a famous author for collaboration!

We finally name the podcast and discuss it's slightly dubious origins and implications. Then we tackle the atrocious descriptors "Plotter" and "Pantser" and discuss what they really mean. Neil speculates that there may not even be such a thing as a plotter. The conversation goes off the rails when we get into giving character backstory, how it's applied to heroes vs. villains and when it's appropriate to discuss the humanity of truly evil people. Oh, and we finally have an actual intro. About freaking time. Links: Article about John Waters: https://www.indiewire.com/2022/04/john-waters-false-negative-interview-1234718802/ The Podcast T-Shirt: https://noir-novels.creator-spring.com/listing/if-they-don-t-have-books

Neil and Ben go through common writing tips and discuss their merits and failures. Ben spills coffee all over his desk and Neil has his mind blown by Ben's observation.