What Makes a Good Protagonist?
Episode #17 – In this episode, Jonathan and Ragan discuss what makes up a good protagonist (THE HERO!). They also dive into some of their favorite (and least favorite) protagonists and why they love or hate them.
What Makes a Good Antagonist?
Episode #16 – In this episode, Jonathan and Ragan discuss what makes up a good antagonist. They also dive into some of their favorite (and least favorite) antagonists and why they love or hate them.
Merpeople Gene-splicing – A Live Plotting Episode
Episode #15 – In this episode, Jonathan and Ragan (and Avery) attempt to plot a new novel live. We dive into world-building, character-building, motivations, magic-systems, and merpeople genocide. We thought it would be a fun exercise so that our listeners could experience the goofy things we talk about and also see what it’s like to develop ideas for your stories.
Music and Writing
Episode #14 – In this episode, Jonathan and Ragan discuss music and writing. First, we have to clear up exactly what that means, and then we embark on all the aspects: listening to music while writing or reading and writing music into your novel.
Let’s Talk About Magic
Episode #13 – In this episode, Jonathan and Ragan discuss magic systems. We talk (again) about Brandon Sanderson’s laws of magic, and then we apply those laws to the magic found in various books, including The Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, Mistborn, and more.
Book Formats
Episode #12 – In this episode, Jonathan and Ragan discuss book formats (i.e., hard cover, paperback, audio, ebook, etc.). They discuss the pros and cons of the various formats as well as what are their favorite formats. Finally, they talk about publishing prospects and things to think about in publishing their own novels.
Worldview and Writing
Episode #11 – In this episode, Jonathan and Ragan discuss the impact of worldview on writing fiction. Is it possible to write without a worldview? Should we leverage our worldview to create more compelling stories?
What’s Your Point? (of View)
Episode #10 – In this episode, Jonathan and Ragan discuss point of view in writing fiction. There are generally four points of view: first person, second person, third person (limited), and third person (omniscient). We also read excerpts from some books demonstrating these various viewpoints.
Story Tropes We Love and Hate
Episode #9 – In this episode, we discuss our favorite and least favorite story tropes. Which story tropes are useful and compelling for a story? Which tropes drive us crazy and even cause Ragan to stop reading a book?
Interview with Author Austin Brown
Episode #8 – On this episode, Jonathan and Ragan interview author Austin C. Brown. Austin lives in Pensacola, FL with his wife and three children. He has written a memoir about the adventures of a postal worker, several theological works, and literary fiction. We discuss how to get writing done, what are good sources of inspiration, and the differences between writing fiction and non-fiction. Ragan even blows Austin’s mind with her aphantasia.
