The Writing Show 2007 Archives

We've had more requests for a show on writing groups than any other topic. It's been a long time coming, but here is our first look at this important subject. Sean Dent has written professionally since 1990 as a journalist, editor, columnist, freelance writer, and senior editor for NFG Magazine. He has published several short stories and is currently finishing his first novel, Execution Day. Join Sean and Writing Show host Paula B. for an illuminating discussion about writing groups, including: * How writing groups work * Whether writing groups help writers gain commercial success * What sorts of pitfalls groups encounter * How to provide good feedback to other writers * What to do when you feel you aren't getting quality feedback * Whether writers should worry about their work being stolen when they participate in groups * What you need to run your own group.

With all the hoopla about self-publishing today, we thought it would be interesting to get the viewpoint of someone on the other side: the self-publishing company that makes your book happen. Today's guest founded his own self-publishing company. Timothy Harper is a longtime journalist, author, book coach and editorial/publishing consultant. His 13 books for major publishing houses include License to Steal, Moscow Madness, The Idiot's Guide to the Constitution, and The ASJA Guide to Freelance Writing. Join Tim and Writing Show host Paula B. for a fun discussion about self-publishing, including: * How he got inspired to start his self-publishing company * What technology he uses to produce books, and what kind of results you can expect from it * What advantages self-publishing can confer on an author * What kinds of cool things people are doing with self-publishing * What self-publishing is, and what its variations are * How he thinks self-publishing is changing the entire publishing landscape, and why * Which famous books were originally self-published.

As self-publishing becomes more common, you'll enjoy an increasingly wider choice of companies that can produce your book. Which ones will give you the best deal, and what should you look out for when signing their contracts? Today's guest can help you answer these pressing questions. Join Mark and host Paula B. as they sort through the fine print of self-publishing contracts, including: * What writers should look out for when evaluating a self-publishing company * How and why Mark is trying to change the self-publishing industry * Whether he thinks authors can negotiate contract terms with the companies * What criteria he used when ranking companies * How much he estimates a good book cover should cost * What it means to get royalties on a gross or net basis * How author royalties vary across self-publishing companies * How much it costs to print a book * What tasks are involved in producing a book. Mark and Paula also run some numbers to see what typical costs might be to self-publish a book, how you'd have to price it to make a profit, and what you might net.

Having trouble getting a Hollywood production company to read your screenplay? Submit it to the Scriptapalooza Screenplay Competition, and they will! Join Mark Andrushko and host Paula B. for a fascinating conversation about Scriptapalooza, including: * What the contest offers its winners * Who reads the scripts, and how many scripts each judge reads * How the judges grade the scripts * How many entries they get * How winners get connected with the film industry * Why they have three deadlines * Whether a film's potential budget affects a screenplay's chances of winning * Whether a lousy script hurts a contestant's chances in the future * How they got so many production companies involved in the contest.

As an editor and book designer, Jill Ronsley gets involved in a potpourri of projects. Today she shares a bit of her considerable experience with us, touching on everything from common writing mistakes to what to look for in a font to how to write great children's stories and rhymes. Jill won the Best Book Editor 2005 award from the Editors and Preditors Readers Poll. She has edited nonfiction, fiction, stories for children, spiritual books, and cookbooks and designed book interiors and typeset works of fiction, nonfiction, children's books, film scripts, and more. She also designs book covers, working closely with graphic artists, fine artists, and photo editors; and promotional materials, such as postcards, brochures, business cards and bookmarks. Join Jill and Writing Show host Paula B. for a fun discussion about editing, design, and kids' stuff, including: * How she got into editing and book design * What common editing issues she comes across * How to use commas, dashes, and colons * How she feels about adjectives * What writers can do to vary their styles * What she looks for when designing a book interior * What serif and sans serif fonts are and how they're used * What goes into the design of back covers, dust jacket flaps, and spines * What challenges and issues are involved in writing, editing, and designing children's materials * What should be considered when writing a children's poem or rhyme * Whether rap and hip hop have influenced children's rhymes * How children's writers can increase their chances of being published * What approaches she takes with writers who ask for her help. Jill also reads a couple of rhymes for us.

In episode 3, Jean reported her progress after having sent out several queries and told us that she had modified her query letter based on a listener suggestion. We also explored the idea of overpolishing one's work, and Jean admitted that she enjoyed her scenes from the sixties more than the ones based in the present. Today we hear more about the fate of Jean's queries, discuss the state of the industry, and hear some advice from Writing Show listeners.

What could be a better job than traveling around the world and writing about your experiences? Today we hear from one lucky guy who gets to do that. Join Harry S. Pariser and host Paula B. as they explore the world of travel writing and publishing, including: * What his travel guides cover * How he decides which places to write about * How long he spends in each place * How he conducts his research while touring * What he looks for in a destination * What it's like to publish travel guides in a crowded market * What a great travel guide should do.

First prize is $10,000. The deadline is March 1st. Are you ready for the BlueCat Screenplay Competition? This week, screenwriter/director and BlueCat founder Gordy Hoffman joins us for a look at this internationally acclaimed contest in which every entrant receives a written script analysis. Join Gordy and host Paula B. as they discuss: * What the contest offers its winners * What sorts of screenplays have won * How winners get connected with the film industry * What sorts of critiques entrants get * Whether a film's potential budget affects a screenplay's chances of winning * What some of the most common writing faults are * How you can insert back story elegantly * How to write great log lines * How Gordy feels about titles.

This podcast is rated PG. We often see how the police investigate crimes on TV and in movies, and we read about their procedures in books, but how accurate are those portrayals? This week we get the real story from one who knows. Join Undersheriff Tony Spurlock and host Paula B. as they discuss: * Where the police start their investigations * What kinds of facts they must have in order to make progress * How police should handle witnesses * How the police sometimes miss important forensic evidence that is available to them * What types of forensic evidence the police usually get involved with * What some types of more exotic forensic evidence are * How easy it is for perpetrators to cover their tracks * How detectives trace where weapons and other evidence was purchased or otherwise obtained * How long police keep evidence * How evidence is stored * How evidence is disposed of * Who cleans up crime scenes * What detectives look for when searching houses and offices * Why people commit murder * How reliable witness accounts are * What to look out for when questioning witnesses * Whether he thinks he could commit the perfect crime.

The Fourth Estate. We entrust them with so much: providing us with complete and unbiased news of the world, acting as checks on government and corporations, digging up unpleasant facts, telling truth to power, all the while possibly endangering and exposing themselves in the process. What's it like to carry this weight on your shoulders? To put yourself in harm's way so you can act as the public's eyes and ears, trying to get it right? Join Ben Arnoldy and Paula B. as they discuss: * How he got into reporting in general and foreign reporting specifically * What the scope of his reponsibilities has been * What it was like being "embedded" with the troops in Iraq * What sorts of limitations were imposed on him in Iraq * How he felt about those restrictions * Why he thinks the Pentagon wanted reporters "embedded" * What his living conditions were like * What his relationship with the military was like * How his editors treated the reports he sent back * Whether he feels that he got everything right when reporting from Iraq * What happened when the paper tried to do an investigative report on the Afghan drug trade * How he feels about the reporting of foreign news to U.S. audiences.