The Writing Show 2006 Archives

"Dark secrets are brought into the light when an ancient enemy returns to threaten the women of the Winters family. For struggling photographer Emily, mastering her hidden powers of witchcraft is not enough to protect the people she loves. Emily must decide who is friend and who is foe, not an easy task when the darkness lies not just without, but within as well." Welcome to day 4 of the 7 days of Halloween 2006. Today Jason Nahrung reads chapter 1 of his first published novel The Darkness Within, which he co-wrote with Mil Clayton. After the reading, Jason and I talk writing. Jason Nahrung works as a journalist at one of Australia's largest newspapers. In 2005 he shared the William Atheling, Jr. award for his coverage of speculative fiction. He is a member of Vision Writers Group and the Writers on the Edge. His latest published short story appears in Agog! Ripping Reads. His debut novel, a supernatural thriller called The Darkness Within, was written with his partner Mil Clayton when they were living two states apart. It is due out in early 2007 through Hachette Livre.

"Foreign correspondents Don and Rick are lured up Sikaram mountain, deep in Afghanistan's badlands, by the promise of an exclusive interview with one of the nation's most feared warlords. When an avalanche traps the two men in a bunker, their gruesome fight for survival begins." Welcome to day 3 of the 7 days of Halloween 2006. Today Gary Kemble reads his short story "Feast or Famine." After the reading, Gary joins us for a talk about writing. Gary Kemble has been published in Borderlands, Shadowed Realms, The Specusphere, Espresso Fiction, Ripples, The Devil in Brisbane (anthology), Cafe Doom, Dark Tales, and London at Dawn (anthology). He lives in Brisbane, Queensland, with his wife and son.

"Mr. Martin's aunt died on the gibbet, hung as a witch and left till she rotted. Why is the handle of his bell made from the wood of that gibbet? And why is he so terrified to ring the bell?" Welcome to day 2 of the 7 days of Halloween 2006. Today Kaaron Warren reads her short story "The Gibbet Bell" and then settles in for a talk about writing. The Grinding House, Kaaron's collection of horror, science fiction and fantasy short stories was published in 2005 by CSFG and will be released in North America in 2006. Kaaron has been writing since she was seven, and has produced about 150 short stories. She lives in Canberra, Australia, with her husband, her children, and a very old cat who, at least once, has had another cat die in his place.

What strange and deadly horrors lurk among fallen leaves down the back of this shadowy suburban yard? Come with Robert Hood as he investigates "Peripheral Movement in the Leaves Under an Orange Tree", though you may not survive what you find there! Welcome to day 1 of the 7 days of Halloween 2006. Today Robert Hood reads his short story "Peripheral Movement in the Leaves Under an Orange Tree," which was first published in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. After the reading, Rob joins us for a talk about writing. Robert Hood has been writing stories within the horror/SF genres for several decades. Among his books are the short-story collections Day-dreaming on Company Time (FIP, 1988) and Immaterial: Ghost Stories (MirrorDanse Books, 2002), as well as a number of novels. In 2005, he co-edited Daikaiju! Giant Monster Tales (with Robin Pen, Agog! Press), a unique collection of original stories from around the world inspired by the Japanese tradition of giant monster films (the book is now available in the U.S.). Two sequels are on the way. Upcoming stories include, among others, monstrous tales in the U.S. anthology Monster Noir, the Dr. Who anthology Destination: Prague, Borderlands magazine, and the webzine Shadowed Realms, along with several nonfiction critical pieces. A new collection of horror stories is also on the horizon.

"I lifted the glass to my mouth, and slowly let the liquor slide over my tongue. My head was full of conflict. I knew right from wrong, but I told myself it would only be this one time and no one would ever know. My mom and dad, God and the church, my friends: I wondered what they would say. My mouth stung and my throat burned, but, as the alcohol filled my belly, I was overcome with a sense of relief. It was wonderful. It was a combination of pain and pleasure that I had never before experienced. All the fears in my head dulled as the warmth in my stomach grew. I felt incredible. Nothing was ever the same after that night." From The Lost Years: Surviving a Mother and Daughter's Worst Nightmare by Kristina Wandzilak and Constance Curry. Imagine becoming an alcoholic at age 13 and losing your teen years and beyond to substance abuse, homelessness, and worse. Then imagine the havoc that life wreaks upon your family. This week, we talk with a mother and daughter who lived through that nightmare and found strength and redemption on the other side. Kristina Wandzilak has worked in the chemical dependency field since 1994 as a counselor and interventionist. In 1998, she opened the doors of Full Circle Intervention with the vision of bringing respectful intervention to families in need. She is an international speaker and well-known expert on drug addiction and intervention. Kristina's mother, Constance Curry, is a businesswoman and educational speaker on the subject of addiction and family recovery. She started the first women's golf tournament to raise money for the children's center at the Family Service Agency. She has been in co-dependency recovery for many years, studying and trying to understand the disorder that took over her life and the lives of those she loves. The Lost Years is a brave story about personal disaster, recovery, forgiveness, and redemption. Highly recommended by The Writing Show. Please join us for this moving interview, in which Connie and Kristina discuss: * What happened to them * What went wrong in their lives that led to these things happening * How they decided to write the book at all, and how they came to write it together * How they sparked their memories * How their editor helped them pare down their manuscript and write a tight, focused story * How the people they mention feel about being in the book * How they feel about baring these difficult, private facts about their lives * What they wish had made it into the book * What they've learned from writing and promoting the book.

Last time, we met author Jean Tennant, who's attempting to get her novel Karaoke Nights at the Twilight Lounge published. Jean explained that her story, inspired by her nomadic childhood, fits into the category "women's fiction,"and described her goal: to be the Fannie Flagg of the Midwest. In episode 2 of "Getting Published, with Jean Tennant," Jean explains how she's going about looking for an agent, including: * Why she decided to look for an agent instead of going straight to a publisher * Why she isn't using the agent she worked with years ago * What she's looking for in an agent * How she's going about her search * How she feels about agent horror stories * Whether she plans to query more than one agent at a time * Whether she will send just a query or some sample chapters and a synopsis * What she plans to include in her query letter * How long she thinks it will take agents to reply * How many letters she plans to send out at a time * What she'll do if she keeps getting rejected * Why she hasn't spent much time researching publishers * How she plans to market her book. We invite you to offer your feedback on Jean's work, including her query letter, by commenting on our blog or writing to Paula B. at paula at writingshow dot com.

"When ranch owner Opal Scarlett vanished, no one mourned except her three grown sons, Arlen, Hank, and Wyatt, who expressed their loss by getting into a fight with shovels. Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett almost didn't hear the call over his radio when it came over the mutual-aid channel." From C.J. Box's most recent novel, In Plain Sight. If you haven't read C.J. Box's crime novels featuring his Wyoming-based game warden detective Joe Pickett, you're missing a real treat. As Box says, "Game wardens are unique because they can legitimately be involved in just about every major event or situation that involves the outdoors and the rough edges of the rural new west." And situations there are in Box's books aplenty, including murder. C. J. Box is the author of eight novels including the award-winning Joe Pickett series. He's the winner of the Anthony Award, Prix Calibre 38 (France), the Macavity Award, the Gumshoe Award, the Barry Award, and an Edgar Award and Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist. His novels have been cited by the New York Times (2001 Notable Book), Booksense 76, People, Booklist, and many others. His short stories have been featured in America's Best Mystery Stories 2006 and limited-edition printings. The novels have been national bestsellers and have been translated into 12 languages. Join C.J. Box and host Paula B. for a fascinating discussion about Joe Pickett, writing crime and mystery stories, and the mountain west, including: * How he came up with his game warden "detective," Joe Pickett * How Joe Picket differs from other crime fiction protagonists * How the landscape of Wyoming shapes his characters and stories * Why he doesn't think his books fall into the "mystery" category, and how he would characterize them * How he approaches dropping hints and clues * What characteristics make for the best detectives and mystery stories * How he approaches writing his villains * How he deals with the challenges of writing a series, like back story, continuity, character fatigue, etc. * What he finds most difficult about writing * How he feels about being compared to New Mexico crime fiction writer Tony Hillerman * How he depicts regional issues like energy development, the environment, and so on * Why he started writing novels * What he wishes more people would ask him about.

Ever wondered what goes on inside the mind of a horror writer? Now's your chance to find out. We'll be following Mark's struggles as he attempts to complete and find an agent for his unpublished novel, A Canadian Werewolf in New York. In episode 1 of "Getting Published, with Mark Leslie," we introduce Mark, his book, and his goals, including: * How he got started writing * Why he writes * Why he writes horror * What his book is about * Where he is in the process * How he plans to seek publication * How he gets started with new projects * How he develops his characters * What his writing and publishing goals are. We invite you to offer your feedback on Mark's story by commenting on our blog or writing to Paula B. at paula at writingshow dot com. You can also send your feedback to Mark at mark at markleslie dot ca or comment on one of his blogs (see show notes).

You'd think that writing about sex would be easy. After all, what's more compelling than lust? But, says this week's guest, there's a lot more to thrilling the reader than just stringing sex scenes together. Cher Gorman is a prolific award-winning author. Her first published novel, Wolf Island, was a 2006 EPPIE Award finalist (EPPIE is given for e-books). Her second book, Seductive Reasoning, was released in June 2006, and her third, a collaborative nonfiction project, Ten Steps to Creating Memorable Characters, comes out in November. As if that weren't enough for one year, three more books will debut between November 2006 and February 2007: The Dove (romantic suspense); Sheriff In My Stocking (erotic contemporary romance); and The Secret Truth at Dare Ranch (contemporary romance). Cher's voice, style, and ability to create deep characters and clever plot twists have earned her glowing reviews. Join Cher and Writing Show host Paula B. for this provocative discussion that covers, among other things: * What she used to do wrong when writing about sex * What really builds sexual tension * How to evoke sexual tension without sex scenes * How eroticism and pornography differ * What kind of language today's erotica demands * How to make sex scenes boring * How understanding your audience can help you build tension * What types of language you can use to make your writing sensual.

How many of you started writing as kids? Whether or not you started early, you may just recognize yourself in this group of dynamic teens, who face many of the same issues as adult writers, and then some. Join us as this energetic threesome discusses: * How they got started writing * What they like to write * How they feel about being teenage writers in an adult world * How they feel about creative writing classes * How their parents and friends (and teachers) feel about their writing * What they find most difficult about writing * How they work * What they feel their greatest writing strengths are * What inspires them * What would help their writing and their careers the most.

What could be more thrilling than to see your words come alive in pictures? But what goes into the creation of those pictures, whether it's a book cover, interior illustration, marketing images, or other art? This week we talk with artist Kalman Andrasofszky, who sheds light, and not a little color, on the question. Kalman Andrasofszky is a freelance illustrator. He's had an eclectic career, illustrating comic books, magazines, and roleplaying games; storyboarding movies and commercials; supplying design work for animation and videogames; and even once creating military propaganda. In comics Kalman has worked for DC, Marvel, Image, and Devils Due Productions producing art and covers for titles like Action Comics, The Outsiders, Ion, Vampi, GI Joe, Put the Book Back on the Shelf, and Vengeance of the Mummy. He's produced a particularly massive volume of art for Wizards of the Coast's various roleplaying game lines including Dungeons and Dragons, Star Wars, and D2O Modern. In 2003 he designed, drew, and colored the comic book series iCandy for DC Comics. Before that he spent a year as lead character designer on a massively multiplayer online game. Please join us for this inside look at the world of pictures, as Kalman explains: * What the difference is between art and illustration * Whether his projects start with the art or the writing * What the process is when illustrating for a client * How he decides what goes in the picture * What materials he works with * What a colorist is, and why he or she is so important * How he creates characters * What he does about facial expressions * How he feels about illustrating superheroes * What sort of illustration he'd most like to do * What artists and writers have in common * How writers can work with him * Why his site is called "horhaus."

Our first-chapter-of-a-novel contest was a great success! At the same time, it's been a learning experience. Our next contest will be tweaked a little here and there so we can make it even better. Join me as I address your questions, announce a new feature of The Writing Show, and ask for your feedback. Paula B.

Welcome to our very first reality show! In "Getting Published" we'll follow the efforts of various writers as they work on their books, look for agents and publishers, go through the publishing process, and embark on their marketing. We'll look at their proposals, query letters, and marketing plans and share in their reactions as they hear, or don't hear, from agents and editors. During the journey, we'll ask for your comments and make them available on the show and our blog. In that way, even though each series is one writer's story, their work will become a kind of collaboration between them and you, our listeners. We hope that the show will provide insight into the publishing process and help guide you in your own efforts. In episode 1 of "Getting Published, with Jean Tennant," we introduce Jean, her book, and her goals, including: * What Jean's book is about * Why she has returned to novel-writing after years in journalism * How her current novels are different from the ones she wrote in the eighties * Where she is in the process * How she approaches writing and editing * Why she has chosen to tell this particular story * How she came up with her characters and plot and made sure they were fresh and original * How she came up with her title * What her writing and publishing goals are (you've got to hear her elevator pitch!) * How she feels about the possibility of failure * Why she doesn't want to self-publish. We invite you to offer your feedback on Jean's prologue by commenting on our blog or writing to Paula B. at paula at writingshow dot com.

We've all heard about people who are supporting themselves blogging. But is that something you and I can do? Pro blogger Nick Wilson returns for his third visit to The Writing Show to tackle this intriguing question. Nick Wilson is one of the co-founders of Performancing.com, the world's largest organization of professional bloggers and one of the most popular destinations on the Web. Since early 2000 Nick has been involved in online publishing and community building in one way or another, with the last three years spent almost entirely on the difficult but rewarding task of building communities. It's always a treat to listen to Nick, who never minces words. In this revealing interview, Nick addresses: * What options are available for making income from blogs and Web sites * Why affiliate schemes (cost per acquisition) have been slow to take off in the blogosphere * Where to place ads for best results * What some of the pros and cons of the various options are * Why people click on ads * What you can do to get higher-quality ads * Which strategy is best for most people * How readers feel about Web ads * Which sorts of visitors are likely to click on ads * How to evaluate blog topics for their financial potential * Why selling a blog is tricky * Whether it's possible to make a living from your blog * What Performancing is planning in the way of an ad network for bloggers.

This chapter won second prize in our 2006 first-chapter-of-a-novel contest. "A young widow returns to her Midwestern hometown to pick up the fragments of her life."