LA Bourgeois shares her expert opinion on how to find words when you're toeing burnout: Take a break! Read on to find out how. The post Are You Clawing Through the Foggy Depths to Find Words to Entertain, Enchant, Delight? by LA Bourgeois appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone ..read more

The Challenge of Imagining Thrutopias with Jennifer Browdy, Pt. 1 of 2 – How To Write the Future podcast, episode 110 “Human creativity, the amazing thing about it is that we can come up with a thought that’s never been thought before. We have these dreams that come to us that are totally unique and nobody but each one of us can have that particular perspective tied into our life experience and our culture and our location and who we are uniquely.“  – Jennifer Browdy In this latest How To Write the Future podcast episode, host Beth Barany interviews Jennifer Browdy, PhD Professor of Com ..read more

Let’s welcome back Kristin Noland as she shares with us “Impossible Concurrent Actions” Enjoy! *** That’s Impossible! Most fiction authors think nothing is impossible; it’s fiction after all. But there are things that are impossible, even in fiction. One of the top impossibilities I come across when editing is impossible concurrent actions. When I’m editing, I assess each sentence, not just for clarity, conciseness, and rhythm, but for believability as well. Most concurrent actions are presented with an introductory phrase, like “Digging in my bag.” This sets up the rest of the sentence to exp ..read more

Let’s welcome back Laurel Osterkamp as she shares with us “Country Music & Fiction Writing.” Enjoy! *** What do country musicians and fiction writers have in common? Turns out, more than I thought. Recently, I was in Nashville, so I visited The Country Music Hall of Fame. I wasn’t sure how much I’d enjoy it. I didn’t consider myself a country music fan. That said, I’ve always loved Dolly Parton. Who doesn’t? I admire her storytelling abilities so much. Plus, her literacy program, Imagination Library, she sends free books to millions of children worldwide. On her website, she states: “When ..read more

I was pleased to be interviewed by Erica Birtles for her podcast “The Booktribe.” If you like long podcasts, you’re in for a treat! In our interview, we discuss what I love about science fiction, as well as common myths and misconceptions about writing in the science fiction and fantasy genres. We also talk about writer’s block – what to do when it happens and how to overcome it. I share some exercises that have worked for me. Remember, writing can be a gentle exercise. Tune in to hear our full conversation: https://thebooktribe.co.uk/podcast/sci-fi-and-fantasy-writing-world-building-writers-b ..read more

Interview with Michael Kilman, co-author of Build Better Worlds, part 1 of 2 – How To Write the Future podcast, episode 108 “I think if you’re writing truthfully, because that’s what we’re trying to do a lot of times as author, telling a good story, but being honest in our writing and in terms of the human experience, I think it really helps to have some sort of guidepost for how do we build these human experiences?” – Michael Kilman  Following on from the mini series where podcast host Beth Barany delved into the book Build Better Worlds by Michael Kilman and Kyra Wellstrom, in this la ..read more

Let’s welcome back monthly columnist Catharine Bramkamp as she shares with us “Only An Hour.” Enjoy! *** Last month a friend commented that he gave up the theater because it was too much time and work to create a product that only lasted for two hours not including intermission. He is not wrong. But he has forgotten the point of art: the process. Yes, performing art is brief, a minute in the spotlight, a five minute solo (which by the way, is a long time to dance), the infamous walk on part. All the audience sees is a polished performance, as if the artists simply walked onto a stage, or to th ..read more

The Name of the Game is Change – How To Write the Future podcast, episode 107 “I want to encourage you to have it rooted in heart. In fact, I bet you, it already is. What you care about is what you’re writing about. So, Where is the heart in your work?” In “The Name of the Game is Change” episode, novelist and podcaster, Beth Barany, reflects on her two-year anniversary of How To Write the Future podcast and shares what she has learned in the process including her inspiration, tools used, and what’s next for the podcast. Platforms The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts | Buzzsprout | Spo ..read more

Let’s welcome back LA Bourgeois as she shares with us “Are You Overwhelmed By Your Reading List?” Enjoy! *** Me too! Twenty-six paper books (and I don’t even know how many digital ones) still wait for me to crack their covers and discover a new writing technique or another tool for my creativity coaching. More get published each Tuesday. Even more sit in the wings, waiting for me to stumble across them in a wander around a bookstore, newsletter, or blog post. And these lists don’t count the book piles for research and pleasure, the novels and memoirs and nonfiction texts that make me tingle ea ..read more

Let’s welcome back monthly columnist Kelley Way as she shares with us “What Happens to My Website if I Die?” Enjoy! *** Many of us are website owners these days, and websites are one of those assets we would like to see last beyond our lifetime. But will that happen automatically? If not, what must be done to ensure the website continues after death? So, let’s answer the question: what happens to my website if I die? As with most assets, the website will be part of your general estate if no specific action is taken. That means it will pass to your heirs if you have no will or trust or to your ..read more