Questions 465: Plot Reveals Through Structure
Subscribe Here! Caine asks: How do you stick to a genre structure, without spilling the beans? Resources Mentioned: Agatha Christie Robert Bloch Rear Window Best American Mysteries of the 20th Century
Questions 464: Pick a Peck of Pen Names
Subscribe Here! Charles asks: Is it a good idea to use a throwaway pen name for your early work?
Questions 463: High Concept/Low Concept
Subscribe Here! Johanna asks: What exactly is “high concept”? What’s the difference between high concept and low concept? And does genre matter? This episode sponsored by BundleRabbit
Questions 462: Finding the Climax
Subscribe Here! Robert asks: Do you do anything different when writing the climax of your book?
Questions 461: Mysteries, Spoilers, and Readers
Subscribe Here! Caine asks: Do readers finish books if they guess the ending too soon? Resources mentioned: Instinct Silence of the Lambs The Usual Suspects Bulwer-Lytton Charles Dickens
Questions 460: Glass Boxes
Subscribe Here! Chris and Caine ask: What do you mean by “glass boxes”?
Questions 459: Story Beats
Subscribe Here! Zoe asks: Can you talk more about story beats and “scenes and sequels”? Resources Mentioned: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Questions 458: Swearing in Kids’ Books
Subscribe Here! Robert asks: Kids swear, but publishers and buyers of kids’ books frown on swearing. How do to keep it real without offending the gatekeepers? This episode sponsored by BundleRabbit
Questions 457: Post-Apocalypse Resources
Subscribe Here! Chuck asks: In your post-apocalyptic world, what resource would people go Mad Max over?
Questions 455: Linear vs. Non-linear writing
Subscribe Here! Ed asks: What is your experience with linear vs. non-linear writing? Is one better?