Tag Archives: NaNoWriMo

Career and Lifestyle, Theory and Technique

NaNoWriMo 2018 Bonus Episode, with Mercedes Lackey

November 15, 2018 Howard Tayler 5 Comments

Your Hosts: Brandon, Mary Robinette, Dan, and Howard, with special guest Mercedes Lackey

NaNoWriMo 2018 is half-way over today. Are you stuck? Do you need to get unstuck? Mercedes Lackey joined us at GenCon Indy back in 2017 to talk about writer’s block, and how it’s very likely a symptom of something else. In this episode we discuss the interpretation of those symptoms, and how we go about solving the root problems.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 16:43 — 11.5MB)

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Write a lovers’ quarrel where the fight they’re having is happening because they think they need to have a fight.

Avalanche: Secret World Chronicle Book 5, by Mercedes Lackey

Archive Seasons 11-13, Career and Lifestyle, Season 13

NaNoWriMo 2018 Mini-Episode 2

November 7, 2018 Howard Tayler 5 Comments

Your Mini-Episode Hosts: Amal El-Mohtar and Maurice Broaddus, with Special Asides from Mary Robinette Kowal

We’re a week in to NaNoWriMo. If you’re scared of it, Amal is here to tell you that it’s okay to feel that way, Maurice is here with the encouraging words “consequence-free.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:35 — 1.8MB)

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Relax! The “rules” of NaNoWriMo are not YOUR rules. If there’s a way you like to write, write that way!

Career and Lifestyle

NaNoWriMo 2018 Mini-Episode 1

October 31, 2018 Howard Tayler 5 Comments

Your Mini-Episode Hosts: Brandon, Mary Robinette, Dan, and Howard

Back in 2017 we recorded a bonus episode for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and then forgot to air it. Here, then, in the spirit of never throwing anything away, is a spot of motivation which is both timely AND one year late.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:18 — 3.7MB)

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Your homework: Try NaNoWriMo!

Archive Seasons 11-13, Career and Lifestyle, Season 12, Theory and Technique

12.44: NaNoWriMo 2017 Primer

October 29, 2017 Howard Tayler 18 Comments

Your Hosts: Brandon, Mary, Dan, and Howard

We’re going to share some of our experiences with NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) in an effort to encourage you to participate in ways that will advance you toward your goals.

Note: After a week, this is the only photo we’ve found of Wounded Howard. Dan took it, and Howard was clearly putting on “angry face” for show. Also, he doesn’t look nearly as pale as any of us remember him looking.

Credits: this episode was recorded in Cosmere House Studios by Dan Dan the Audioman Thompson, and mastered by Alex Jackson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 18:40 — 12.9MB)

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Do NaNoWrimo in a way that matches your personal goals.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Archive Seasons 7-10, Career and Lifestyle, Q&A, Season 08

Writing Excuses 8.1: Microcasting

January 6, 2013 Writing Excuses 24 Comments

We’re back for 2013 and Season 8, so let’s start it off by answering all your questions! That’s right, it’s time for a fast-paced, lightning round of microcasting! It’s like eight very, very short podcasts in one.

Why do some authors only ever come out with one or two books?
What’s your process for writing fast under artificial deadlines (NaNoWriMo)?
How do you avoid getting bogged down in explanation?
What happened to your Hero of a Thousand Faces episode? (Whoops! See below.)
Are there concerns or pitfalls regarding the use of metaphors and similes in genre fiction?
What are some pitfalls to writing short stories?
How do you write sex scenes? (Note: This particular question resulted in an entire episode back in Season 7. Shanna Germain to the rescue!)
Have any of you included original poems in your work?

Whoops! We lock-stepped this episode to the release of A Memory of Light, but we ALSO locked it to air after our Hero of a Thousand Faces discussion. Crass commercialism trumps continuity! You’ll get the hero’s journey next week.

Incidentally: If you’re eligible to nominate things for the 2013 Hugo Awards, here’s a list of the things we’ve done which are eligible.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 17:43 — 12.2MB)

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What does SFPA stand for?

A Memory of Light: Wheel of Time, Book 14, by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, narrated by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading.

Archive Seasons 7-10, Career and Lifestyle, Season 07

NaNoWriMo 2012: Bonus Episode 4, with Mary & Brandon

November 29, 2012 Writing Excuses 9 Comments

Brandon and Mary are back to offer you some last-minute help.

Are you stuck? We have a tip to get you un-stuck.

Is it being difficult? We will help you approach the difficulty differently, in a way you are certain to hate (and thank us for later.)

Sure, there are only two days left, and this was originally recorded to air while you still had a week, but don’t use our lateness as an excuse for slacking off. Slack ON!

Need additional motivation! writtenkitten.net!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:14 — 5.9MB)

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