The Writing Show show

The Writing Show

Summary: The Writing Show provides information and inspiration for writers of all kinds. Whether you write fiction, nonfiction, screenplays, songs, games, manuals, ads, reports, reviews, or poetry, we are here to entertain, help, and engage you.

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Podcasts:

 Episode 2, Getting Published, with Janice Ballenger | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 39:23

In Episode 1 of "Getting Published, with Janice Ballenger," we introduced Janice and her project: a memoir of her experiences as an emergency medical technician and Deputy Coroner in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Janice has been sending query letters to agents. In episode 2, we learn what kinds of responses she's received, and what she's done to follow up.

 Confessions of a Former Literary Agent | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 38:54

Representing authors is a tough business that requires a variety of skills and personality traits. This week's guest, who used to be an agent, reveals what the job is really like and why she left Please join Elizabeth Little and Paula B. as they lay bare: Why she got into publishing in the first place Why she left agenting How agents select publishers for their clients Why deals fall apart What some of the mysterious things publishers and agents say in rejection letters really mean What she thinks agents and publishers look for in a work and an author Why people want to be agents How to write a query letter to an agent How not to approach an agent.

 Episode 8, Getting Published, with Mark Leslie | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 11:33

Mark reports on how he did with another of Mick Halpin's challenges.

 The Writer's Muse | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 49:27

Throughout literature, writers have invoked their own muses, asking them for inspiration and sometimes claiming to be a conduit through which the muses were speaking. Among musophiles: Shakespeare, Milton, Chaucer, Dante, Homer, Virgil, and this week's guest. A former nightclub singer, published songwriter, and restaurateur, Rita Schiano now makes her living as a freelance writer and editor while working on novels, screenplays, and teleplays. Painting the Invisible Man, the fictionalized story of her investigation into the decades-old murder of her father, is her second novel. Please join Rita and host Paula B. as we contemplate: How she found her muse How her muse helps her on a daily basis What happens when her muse gets ornery What a writer's obligations to her muse are Whether she could have written her book without her muse Whether having a muse makes her a better writer.

 The Writer's Voice | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 17:53

Paula B. contends that an author's voice should be so distinctive that his or her writing can be recognized out of context. In this episode of The Writing Show, she reads 14 examples of distinct voices and challenges you to identify them.

 Episode 7, Getting Published, with Mark Leslie | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 23:07

In episode 6 of "Getting Published, with Mark Leslie," Writing Show guest host Mick Halpin issued a challenge to Mark: "Stop messing around and start writing. If you'll write 10,000 words on A Canadian Werewolf in New York in 30 days, I'll write up a story about how I recently lost a tooth." In episode 7, we find out whether Mark made his goal and whether Mick actually got that story written. Mark also tells us about some of his recent short story publications.

 Episode 1, Getting Published, with Janice Ballenger | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 35:22

Janice Ballenger was the deputy coroner on call the day of the Amish schoolroom shooting in 2006. She is looking to publish a book about her experiences related to that incident as well as other cases throughout her career. In episode 1 of "Getting Published, with Janice Ballenger," we introduce Janice, her book, and her goals, including: What her book is about What inspired her to write it now rather than wait till she's retired, as she originally intended What her writing background is What her long-term writing goals are How her book will benefit readers What happened when she sent out her first query letters Where to look for help getting published.

 The State of Poetry Today | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:08:03

We haven't focused on poetry on The Writing Show nearly as much as we should. And what better way to start than by looking at the state of poetry today. But if you think you're about to hear a lot of flowery talk, grab hold of your seat. This week's guest, unlike most of the poetry establishment, is not pleased. Joseph S. Salemi has published poems, translations, and scholarly articles in over one hundred journals throughout the United States, Canada, and Great Britain. His four collections of poetry are Formal Complaints and Nonsense Couplets, issued by Somers Rocks Press, Masquerade from Pivot Press, and The Lilacs on Good Friday from The New Formalist Press. Please join Joseph S. Salemi and host Paula B. as they explore: Why he feels poetry is dying How poetry got to this point What types of poetry he would like to see people write What his eight rules of thumb for writing poetry are.

 Writing Miniseries | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 57:04

You don't hear many people say, "I want to write miniseries when I grow up." Yet this week's guest, who's written several, has found great satisfaction as well as success in this oft-neglected niche. Simon Moore is an award-winning writer and director in film, television, and theater. His works include "The Tenth Kingdom," "Traffik," "Dinotopia," and an adaptation of Gulliver's Travels. Join Simon and host Paula B. as they discuss: How he manages to maintain such a varied career What the issues are in writing and producing miniseries How he researched the drug trade for "Traffik" Why he likes to write female lead characters What he does when he pitches ideas How he writes differently for UK and U.S. audiences and why (and how the difference sometimes trips him up).

 Episode 6, Getting Published, with Mark Leslie | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 36:46

In episode 5 of "Getting Published, with Mark Leslie," we heard that Mark was still taking a detour from his horror story A Canadian Werewolf in New York. In episode 6, we find out just what Mark has been doing since July of 2007 when we last spoke with him: what happened when he pitched I, Death to an editor he met at a conference, and how the science fiction anthology he edited, North of Infinity II, has been remaindered (and tells us what remainders are and how they affect writers). He also presents parts of chapters 9 and 10 of A Canadian Werewolf, along with another insightful Mick Halpin critique. At the end of the interview, Mark and Mick issue challenges to each other. What are they, and will the two rise to the occasion?

 Writing Dialogue #1: Character Agenda | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 20:43

This is the first in a series of shows about writing dialogue. In each show, we'll start with a principle or two and then look at some examples of that principle in action. This time, we'll talk about the importance of character agenda. Using examples from well-known writers, Writing Show host Paula B. will explore: What dialogue is What dialogue should do Which three things you need to know about your characters in order to write effective dialogue How to move your story forward through dialogue.

 What Successful Screenplays Have in Common | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 59:26

Want to know what makes successful films work? This week's guest has figured it out, and breaks down 50 films to show you step by step how it's done. In this inspiring interview, screenwriter Blake Snyder and host Paula B. explore: What "save the cat" means and why it's important for films to have "save the cat" moments What the ten story types of most successful films are, and how Blake came up with them What Blake's "story beats" are and how you can use them in your screenplays Why false victories, "lemon seeds," and "buttons" are important.

 Writing Marketing and Advertising Material | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 57:07

The power to persuade greases the wheels of commerce. And while some people are born salesmen, the good news is that persuasion is a skill that can be learned. This week's guest is living proof. She started out as a teacher. Now she's an award-winning copywriter and marketing consultant. Naomi Finkel is the president and creative director of Say It With Words in Westlake Village, California. She has helped hundreds of businesses, including Costco, Mervyns, and Pepperdine University, develop successful, innovative, targeted strategies and campaigns. She is the author of How to Get Big Business Exposure on a Small Business Budget. In this information-rich interview, Naomi reveals: How she made the transition from teaching to business What she does when working with a client What a unique selling proposition (USP) is and why you need one How to understand your target market What special words get people's attention What a call to action is How to measure the effectiveness of your campaign.

 Dealing with Shyness | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 47:28

Are you shy? Many writers are, and it can affect our ability to create and promote our work. This week's guest bravely discusses her almost-crippling shyness while revealing some of her unconventional methods for battling it. Karen Laven has been a newspaper feature writer and photographer. Her award-winning poetry, short fiction, and humor essays have appeared in publications across America. Please join us for this candid look at an all-too-common problem as Karen explains: How shyness has dogged her throughout her life and career What sorts of situations make her the most and least nervous Whether the nature and degree of her shyness has changed over time How she feels when she knows she has to do interviews or appearances How she feels during and after interviews and appearances Why she thinks she's so shy How she battles her shyness What she advises other shy writers to do.

 The Archimedes Codex: A Book within a Book within a Book | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:18:02

In 1998, a medieval prayer book sold for $2 million at a Christie's auction in New York City, to an anonymous bidder. No one could figure out why it went for so much, especially since it was in terrible shape. And everyone wondered what this mysterious buyer knew that they didn't. Now, almost a decade later, experts at Baltimore's Walters Art Museum, to which the manuscript has been entrusted, are learning the full extent of its value. It turns out that the prayers, penned by a Christian monk circa 1200 A.D., were written over an earlier text. But not just any text. The prayers were written over the lost works of Archimedes, the greatest mathematician of antiquity. What did this ancient manuscript hold? Literally the secrets of the universe. And in The Archimedes Codex, Stanford professor Reviel Netz and Walters Art Museum curator William Noel, who have been on the front lines of its decoding, tell its full story. Please join Reviel Netz, William Noel, and Paula B. as they delve into: How they got involved with the codex What sorts of issues they faced in conserving the artifact Why Archimedes is so important What has been discovered about Archimedes through the codex Why a scribe wrote over Archimedes' texts Where the codex was hiding over the centuries How the codex ended up at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Who's allowed to purchase precious artifacts like the codex, and under what conditions How they finally cracked the text.

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