AmericanWriters.com -- Creative Writing Podcast.

Just a quick announcement to tell you about the Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/lostmonk. The novel is almost done. Visit www.facebook.com/lostmonk to read the prologue.

This episode looks at two different kinds of protagonists: the fallen and the redeemed. Each can evoke strong emotions in the reader and speak to the human condition. Properly handled, tragedies and redemption stories become very powerful character-driven pieces. If you listen to the podcast but have not yet subscribed for free, please consider doing so via iTunes or another aggregator. Visit AmericanWriters.com for details.

We continue our discussion of how to write historical fiction. Toward that end, we examine what some established authors have done -- and we break the topic into three sections.

Learn about Deus Ex Machina -- its pros and cons and how it can hurt fiction.

This episode doesn't just talk about what superficially motivates characters; it looks at the forces that need to stir at deeper levels.

Many authors are disparaged for using prologues to start their novels -- but is it such a bad practice after all?

Whether you're writing Historical Fiction or utilizing history within your fiction, there are a handful of things you need to consider. This episode focuses on much of the theory, and we take a look at what writers of Historical Fiction have said about the genre. In the next episode, Writing 008, we will analyze what some of the more successful historical novels have done and experiment with some original passages.

Trim down your writing; think about what you should include in your narrative and what should you leave out. Also, learn the difference between story and narrative.

Many writers use their fiction as a form of activism. However, does it hurt the art form?

Learn about the four ways to approach reading a book.

Learn how external conflict can be written to underscore the turmoil brewing within the character's psyche.

It's time to respond to some of your questions and comments. All the same, I can't help myself: I address one or two of them so heavily that I hijack my own show and give it a bona-fide theme. Among other things, I talk about how I approach writing my novel -- and while it's not my intention to say, "Hey, do it MY way," the discussion might somehow be helpful.

Learn how writing is like painting a picture. However, this episode is not what you think; it has nothing to do with writing description. Give it a listen.

Make your characters consistent. Learn how things can easily go wrong.

Stop being so sentimental. If it serves your story, kill the characters you love.