Podcast Episodes

Did you ever have a dream where you are underdressed for an occasion? Like, you show up naked at school, or you are the only one who thought the big shindig was a “costume” party?

That is the feeling I used to have when I thought about another person looking at my writing. I mean, there is a lot of vulnerability in the writing process – you feel emotions, then you write them down. Even if they are “spun” to fit a character or a situation that has nothing to do with your reality, there is still a piece of you in that art. You might say that your artistic “fingerprint” is all over your work.

I believe that is what makes us feel vulnerable. After all, what do we know about fingerprints? They are individually created for each of us. There are no two humans who share them. Therefore, you are putting YOURSELF on display when you share your art.

I still struggle with this, but one thing that helps is to try to recognize that the greatest artist of all time has also left his fingerprint upon everything he created. He is an open book. All of what and who he is is on display for us to judge. Some of it is oh so easy to love; a newborn creature. A hug. Birdsong.

But he has also put himself out there for criticism; granting his very creation the liberty to shake its collective fist at him and ask him what the heck he was thinking when he wrote chapter 2020.

Our God is an awesome God. He is brave and bold and fearless. We serve him. He is our King. 
Resting in this can give you what you need to overcome any feelings of fear or self-doubt. He’s got you, in good times and bad.

And, frankly, why is the assumption that the experience is going to be bad? Why not just decide that, no matter what the outcome, sharing your work will be exactly what you need in order to become the writer you were called to be from the foundation of the world.

And isn’t that really what it’s all about?

See you soon,

Jamie

It’s two am. You’ve been staring at your work in progress (WIP) for an hour and a half, trying to figure out how to fix this scene: 

Your protagonist – a knight named Sir Reginald – is frantically racing to save your heroine – princess Desdimona – from the malevolent dragon, Thorax.

The Princess has a pet dragon, Skiffle, who is doing her best to defend her lady but has been wounded in the battle and is whimpering in the corner – no help, there.
You’ve tried having the dragon force his way into the castle, but he always ends up eating your princess before you can get your knight over there from the nearby shire.

You’ve written and re-written the scene seven ways to Sunday, and you are still not happy with it. You try to get over it, move on to other things, but the problem gnaws at you, making life miserable.

What’s a writer to do?
Tune in this week as the ladies discuss tips and tricks for staying sane when your Work In Progress (WIP) is driving you crazy!

See you there!

I’ll never forget Matt Dillon’s character in the movie “Singles,” who was just looking for the kind of girl who would say, “God bless you,” when he sneezed. 

(“Gesundheit” is the German variation of this customary expression, a wish for “good health.”)

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

(highlight text below to read spoiler)

He sneezes at one point in the movie and a girl, indeed, says “those three little words that mean so much.”

Totally adorable, right?
Except, sneezing itself is not adorable, nor are the airborne germs floating around post-”gesundheit”

It’s a bummer, but it’s true – cold and flu season is upon us. People are coughing and hacking all over the place. What’s a writer to do?

This week on the podcast, the ladies discuss strategies for staying healthy during the cold and flu season, as well as any time of year.

See you there!

Have you ever just looked at your writing and thought, “this is so boring?” Maybe that’s just me. But I’ve realized that I feel this way especially when I read my descriptions. I’ve never been a fan of lengthy descriptions, so I find I struggle to write them.

Enter similes and metaphors. These handy literary devices can turn your boring prose into something worth reading.

This week, the ladies on the podcast discuss similes and metaphors and how they can improve your writing.

Imagine:

You sit down to write a sci-fi space opera. You are typing away merrily when your main character meets a love interest.

You feel you are at a crossroads – should you focus on the romance, or the plot of the space opera?

You decide (wisely), not to worry about such pesky details and just keep writing. You figure, you’ll just tell your story, and the genre problem will sort itself out in the end.

When the dust settles, you find you have written a romance/sci fi mash-up that doesn’t fit squarely into either genre.

What’s a writer to do?

Come join us this week as we discuss Genre Matters.