Sarah asks: Any thoughts on the Divine Comedy and the modern fixation on Inferno?And is there any great recent literature created by someone of faith dealing with issues of faith? Resources Mentioned: The Divine Comedy Join us at the Every Day Novelist Forums
JF asks: The recent episode on nested journey got me thinking: where / how would you suggest learning (apart from trial-and-error methodology) how story works? Ep 875: Nested Journeys and Long Story Arcs
Herbert asks: What are some “westerns” not set in the old west? How would you go about writing westerns, stories touching the themes and values of the genre, in a different setting? Resources Mentioned: The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, by Robert E. Howard Firefly Star Wars: A New Hope …
Roland asks: How is some dialog ‘good’ and other dialog ‘bad’? Isn’t it just a matter of taste? Resources Mentioned Dr, Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog Buffy the Vampire Slayer The Big Lebowski The Untouchables Join us at the Every Day Novelist Forums
Indiana Jim asks: In what ways can screenwriting best practices inform the writing of narrative prose fiction? What connections can be made between the two? The Complete Book of Scriptwriting by J. Micheal Straczynski Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman Glengarry, Glen Ross by David Mamet The Collected …
Melissa asks: What value, if any, are there in awards and writer’s associations in today’s world? Join us at the Every Day Novelist Forums
Robert asks: Writing small discrete sections feels easier than long chapters. Are there other story structures that could help a tired writer? I’m thinking short stories or novels told in epistolary format. Resources Mentioned 1632 by Eric Flint The Grantville Gazette ed. Eric Flint Join us at the Every …
Herbert: A while back you said the 20s might see a resurgence of the Western. Do you have a list of books and authors to “do the reading” before tackling westerns? Resources Mentioned: Flint: A Novel, by Louis L’amour Union Pacific, by Zane Gray True Grit, by Charles Portis Butcher’s …
JD asks: Do you have any advice for a middle aged White male trying to publish a fantasy novel that *isn’t* Vikings and Tolkien pastiches? Join us at the Every Day Novelist Forums
Robert asks: I’ve managed to write the first draft of a sequel to a novel, but I set up some plot elements I didn’t use, and I’m about 10k over my 60k word budget. Do you have any tips on cutting out aspects of a story that don’t lead anywhere? …
