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.
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.
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?
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.
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?
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.
Episode #7 – In this episode, we discuss what is involved in developing believable characters. Who to write complex versus flat characters. How to develop a character over the course of your novel. Should you use character sheets and develop a backstory?
Episode #6 – In this episode, we look at the 2023 New Year and make some resolutions about our writing. Basically, we are going to try to finish these novels! We also discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of what we read last year, and some options for reading this coming year.
Episode #5 – In this episode, we talk about world-building. Writing fiction involves placing characters into a world. What does that world look like? Is it modern-day Earth? Is it Medieval Europe? Is it some alien planet that looks nothing like Earth? How do people dress? What religions are involved? These are some of the writing topics we dig into.
Episode #4 – In this episode, we discuss the intricacies of writing dialog, including some of the difficulties we have encountered in our own writing.
© 2022 Jonathan & Ragan Franzone