Episodes
Saturday Oct 01, 2016
Episode 1.18: Self-editing
Saturday Oct 01, 2016
Saturday Oct 01, 2016
The bane of iGor's existence, self-editing, is none the less an important weapon in the writer's arsenal. For the continued co-operation of mini- *ahem* beta-readers, it is vital that writers are always respectful others' time and the best way to do that is to only send out the best thing that you can. This takes the form of various stages from the nitty-gritty sentence level stuff to the full-on story-level high vantage-point view. The Mad Writers weave through the inverse triangle of self-editing in an effort to make sense of things.
Notable notes
- Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print by Renni Browne and Dave King
- 25 Steps to Edit the Unmerciful Suck Out of Your Story by Chuck
- Rock Your Revisions: A Simple System for Revising Your Novel (Rock Your Writing Book 2) by Cathy Yardley
- Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time by Jordan E. Rosenfeld
Recommended reading
Tim's recommendation: Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction by Jeff VandermeerJay's recommendation: Swordspoint (Riverside) by Ellen Kushner
Nina's recommendation: The Geek Feminist Revolution by Kameron Hurley
Please support Mad Writers Union by reviewing it on iTunes or Stitcher! You can subscribe to this show on iTunes or via RSS.
Intro and outro music comes from “Cephalopod” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Thursday Sep 15, 2016
Episode 1.17: Moderation with Steven H Silver
Thursday Sep 15, 2016
Thursday Sep 15, 2016
There comes in every writer's path to world domination a time for panel moderation. Our intrepid Mad Writers are fair newbies themselves in the big, bad world of conventions and none of them have ever moderated a panel, so they decided to call in some expert assistance in the form of Steven H. Silver. Currently the Events Director at SFWA, Steven has also been an author, editor, Chicon 2000 programs director, and a Jeopardy contestant. The Mad Writers grill Steven on the various aspects of being a good panelist and a good moderator.
Notable notes
- Use the microphone
- Sharing is caring
- Prepare
- Do not get on a panel to say "I don't know why I'm on this panel"
- Seriously, be kind
- "The Art of the Con"
Recommended reading
Steven's recommendation: Children of Earth and Sky by Guy Gavriel KayTim's recommendation: Player Piano: A Novel by Kurt Vonnegut
Jay's recommendation: Downbelow Station (Alliance-Union Universe) by C.J. Cherry
Nina's recommendation: Once Broken Faith: An October Daye Novel by Seanan McGuire
Thursday Sep 01, 2016
Episode 1.16: Networking
Thursday Sep 01, 2016
Thursday Sep 01, 2016
During Worldcon, the mad writers grabbed master networker K.M. Szpara to join them for a little chat. They start with the basics of networking, with Kelly providing the Mad Writers with specific conversation starters. He emphasizes the power of listening. Thanks to their live studio audience they also discuss more fraught topics such as alcohol consumption during events. Receive instruction in how to leave a conversation you've been edged out of. Because of the live situation, this episode is Not Safe For Work, as the customary bleeps could not find their way into the temporary Volcano Waterfall lair.PLEASE NOTE! The sound quality on this episode is, unfortunately, poor. iGor did his best to improve it but he will need to be whipped for his performance.
Recommended Reading
Tim's recommendation: Making Conversations by Theresa Neilsen HaydenJay's recommendation: The School for Good and Evil by Soman Ghainani
Nina's recommendation: Ghost Talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal
Kelly's recommendation: The Usual Path to Publication: 27 Stories About 27 Ways In edited by Shannon PagePlease support Mad Writers Union by reviewing it on iTunes or Stitcher! You can subscribe to this show on iTunes or via RSS.Intro and outro music comes from “Cephalopod” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
Monday Aug 15, 2016
Episode 1.15: Considering Self-care
Monday Aug 15, 2016
Monday Aug 15, 2016
One of the essential parts of a creative life is making sure that you can keep on creating new things. As MidAmericon II is fast approaching, our intrepid introverts talk about self-care. They touch on both acute situations as well as going the long slog that can sometimes get exhausting. This is a resource-heavy episode with a huge list of links to various things the Mad Writers have found helpful.
Notable Notes
- Emergency Kittens
- Mary Robinette Kowal: Sometimes Writers Block is really Depression
- Superbetter
- Habitica
- Miracle Morning
- Jeff Bridges Sleeping Tapes
- The Bullet Journal
- Nina's favorite resource for Bullet Journal ideas: Boho Berry
- Franklin Covey
- The Artist's Way Morning Pages
- 750 words
- Headspace
- Bunny Yoga
- Chuck Wendig: SELF-CARE FOR WRITERS: SOME TIPS!
- List of suicide crisis lines around the world
- The Bloggess Strange and Beautiful with a huge list of self care tips
Recommended Reading
Tim's recommendation: Something Rotten (Thursday Next Novels) by Jasper FfordeJay's recommendation: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Nina's recommendation: Zoe's Tale (Old Man's War) by John Scalzi
Monday Aug 01, 2016
Episode 1.14: Alphas and Betas
Monday Aug 01, 2016
Monday Aug 01, 2016
Jay's writing relies heavily on both alpha and beta readers. In this episode, she explains in detail her method of getting a book from an idea to finished draft. Her approach is very reliant on a communal form of storytelling. While they're talking, Nina realizes that Jay has been her alpha for a while already. Lots and lots of giggling ensues. Also actual organized comparisons of various methods of using alpha and beta readers, including one by one of our favorite authors, Mary Robinette Kowal.
Notable notes
- Jay's most trusted alpha, Valerie Valdes
- Mary Robinette Kowal explains her own Alpha Reader process
- Writing Excuses episode on Alpha Readers
- Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction by Jeff Vandermeer
- Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull
Recommended reading
Tim's recommendation: Cetaganda (Vorkosigan Adventure) by Lois McMaster BujoldJay's recommendation: The Daughter Star (Grayline Sisters Book 1) by Susan Jane Bigelow
Nina's recommendation: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (The Inheritance Trilogy) by N.K. JemisinCome say hi to us at MidAmericonII!
Friday Jul 15, 2016
Episode 1.13: Flash Fiction
Friday Jul 15, 2016
Friday Jul 15, 2016
Tim is having problems with his Flash Fiction eating too many doughnuts and expanding into short story territory. The Mad Writers get together and try to figure out how to get his stories to stay within a reasonable range for Flash Fiction. They talk about the shape of a story vs Vignette, control of user perception, arranging implications instead of statements, getting rid of filler words and making words pull their weight. Many of the things they talk about are applicable to other forms of fiction but things that are especially important when writing Flash Fiction. Join them as Tim tries to figure out the magical world of Flash Fiction.
Notable Notes
- Terry Bison's They're Made Out of Meat
- Ernest Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants
- Daily Science Fiction
- Sunil Patel
- Caroline M. Yoachim
- John Wiswell
- Flash Fiction Online
- Ken Rand's 10% Solution
Recommended Reading
Tim's recommendation: The Everything Box: A Novel (Another Coop Heist) by Richard KadreyJay's recommendation: The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All: Stories by Laird Barron
Nina's recommendation: Night Watch: A Novel of Discworld by Terry Pratchett
Friday Jul 01, 2016
Episode 1.12: Goals Check-In
Friday Jul 01, 2016
Friday Jul 01, 2016
Back in January we announced our goals to the world. None of us would have any kind of idea of just how much things would shift during transit. And so, having reached the halfway point of the year, we thought we would have a look at how the work on our goals is progressing and just how much has changed.As with the original goal setting, we've had varying levels of success with our goals thus far and things have happened that we never expected to happen this, including moving house, quitting jobs, hospitalization of a loved one as well as editorial interest in projects that didn't even exist at the start of the year. Jay went back to see what they all said they'd do this year and is now holding some feet to the fire.
Recommended reading
Tim's recommendation: The Collected Stories (FSG Classics) by Grace PaleyJay's recommendation: The Escapement of Blackledge: a novella by Mary Robinette Kowal
Nina's recommendation: All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
Please support Mad Writers Union by reviewing it on iTunes or Stitcher! You can subscribe to this show on iTunes or via RSS.
Intro and outro music comes from “Cephalopod” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Monday Jun 20, 2016
Episode 1.11: Community Building
Monday Jun 20, 2016
Monday Jun 20, 2016
The Mad Writers keep referring to building your community and this week they are putting their money where their mouth is. They are joined by Crystal Huff who has been involved in ALL THE CONS. She also fights the kyriarchy professionally through giving workshops and for example consulting companies on creating a welcoming environment as well as dealing with Impostor Syndrome. The panelists cover how to deal with horrible situations, how to get new people without losing all of the old ones and how to make sure the community doesn't die because the people who started it are tired. The entire episode is full of amazing content, you may want to have a notepad handy!
Notable Notes
- Readercon 2012 incident summary
- Crystal's consultation and training
- Wiscon
- Readercon
- Arisia
- 4th Street Fantasy
- Worldcon 75
Recommended Reading
Crystal's recommendation: The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken LiuTim's recommendation: Air Vol. 1: Letters from Lost Countries by G. Willow Wilson and M.K.Perker
Jay's recommendation: The Noble Approach: Maurice Noble and the Zen of Animation Design
Nina's recommendation: Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson
Please support Mad Writers Union by reviewing it on iTunes or Stitcher! You can subscribe to this show on iTunes or via RSS.
Intro and outro music comes from “Cephalopod” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0Wednesday Jun 01, 2016
Episode 1.10: Story Length
Wednesday Jun 01, 2016
Wednesday Jun 01, 2016
Story length can be confusing to some writers and none more so than Nina. The Mad Writers help Nina figure out what is going wrong and why her short stories keep accidentally turning into novels and novellas. They work through the Hugo definitions of the various story lengths as well as working through the things that make stories longer as you write.
Notable Notes
- Orson Scott Card's MICE method as explained by Karen Woodward
- Writing Excuses MICE episode
- Writing Excuses episode on Short Stories - in which Mary Robinette Kowal explains her calculations
Recommended Reading
Tim's recommendation: Updraft (Bone Universe) by Fran WildeJay's recommendation: Hawkmoon: The Jewel in the Skull by Michael Moorcock
Nina's recommendation: Archangel (The Chronicles of Ubastis) by Marguerite Reed
Monday May 16, 2016
Episode 1.9: Reward Systems
Monday May 16, 2016
Monday May 16, 2016
Every writer sometimes needs help with motivation. Inspired by Elizabeth Bear's recent article, the Mad Writers discuss ways writers can reward themselves on a job well done. Especially because the lag times for writers tend to be long, in traditional publishing more so. The volcano lair is filled with speculation over how to create suitable rewards for various situations to keep the motivation up.
Notable Notes
- Elizabeth Bear: Burnout, creativity, and the tyranny of production schedules
- Kevin J Anderson: Dictating, Writing, Hiking
- 750 Words
- Julia Cameron: The Artist's Way
- Write or Die
- Written? Kitten!
Recommended Reading
Tim's recommendation: Word Puppets by Mary Robinette KowalJay's recommendation: Make Art Make Money: Lessons from Jim Henson on Fueling Your Creative Career by Elizabeth Hyde Stevens
Nina's recommendation: Velveteen vs. The Multiverse by Seanan McGuire