Libsyn Directory

EP 471 - Fear in Storytelling with Becca Puglisi

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Release Date: 04/24/2026

EP 486 - Seeing The World Metaphorically with Melissa Heathers

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this episode Mark interviews Melissa Heathers, author and host of The Book Crawl. Prior to the main content, Mark welcomes new patrons, and shares a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report. Links of Interest: (Use code STARKDIRECT at checkout to save $4.00. Patrons, check the post on Patreon.com/starkreflections for the post dated June 12, 2026 for your special 67% off coupon) (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) (AI Voice Generation -...

EP 485 - On Failure, Mistakes, and the Gift of Getting It Wrong

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this solo episode Mark reads Chapter 5 (The Beautiful Mess: On Failure, Mistakes, and the Gift of Getting It Wrong) from his book STARK REALITIES: Stacked-up Lessons Every Writer Needs to Know About the Business of Writing and Publishing. Prior to the main content, Mark welcomes new patrons, and shares a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report. Links of Interest: (Use code STARKDIRECT at checkout to save $4.00. Patrons, check the post on Patreon.com/starkreflections...

EP 484 - Serializing a Novel on Substack with Matty Dalrymple

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this episode Mark talks to Matty Dalrymple about her recent experience serializing a never-before-published new novel on Substack. Prior to the main content, Mark welcomes new patrons, shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report. In the interview, Mark and Matty talk about: How long Matty has been a writer, a podcaster, and a consultant to indie authors The 52 days Matty has been experimenting with serialization...

EP 483 - Author Branding with Jessica Sorentino

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark interviews Jessica Sorentino, an author brand strategist with more than a decade of experience helping writers and thought leaders connect with their audiences in meaningful, lasting ways. Prior to the main content, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report. In the interview, Mark and Jessica talk about: What an author's brand is and how to determine what that brand is A technique of visualizing a...

EP 482 - Outlining for Novelists Who Don't Outline with Paul Austin Ardoin

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this episode Mark interviews Paul Austin Ardoin about his new book OUTLINING FOR NOVELISTS WHO DON'T OUTLINE. Prior to the interview Mark shares a person update and a word from this episode's sponsors. This episode is sponsored by Author Nation, being held in Las Vegas Nov 13 through 14, 2026 Learn more about Author Nation and register at . In the interview Mark and Paul talk about: Paul's previous non-fiction book for writers FROM ZERO TO FOUR FIGURES Mark's offer of gifting 3 copies of FROM ZERO TO FOUR FIGURES by buying them from Paul and/or a local bookshop for listeners based...

EP 481 - Becoming A Creative Luminary with Voice Actor Laura Holley

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this episode Mark interviews Laura Holley, a Utah-based voice actor and speculative fiction writer whose passion for storytelling began with her first stage performance at seven years old. Prior to the main content, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report. In the interview, Mark and Laura talk about: Laura getting into theatre in the second grade and the first role that she played The power of playing a...

EP 480 - Rambling Reflections From The Road: Returning From Camping & Vitamin N

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this episode Mark shares a solo reflection recording pm his return from a couple of nights spent camping on the shores of Lake Huron at Point Farms Provincial Park. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a brief personal update (which includes a segment from Joanna Penn's latest episode of The Creative Penn Podcast) and a word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by Author Nation, being held in Las Vegas Nov 13 through 14, 2026 Learn more about Author Nation and register at . In his reflection Mark considers the idea of the value of nature/simplicity when recharging. He asks...

EP 479 - The Keyboard Is My Favorite Fidget Toy with Premee Mohamed

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this episode Mark interviews Premee Mohamed, a Nebula, World Fantasy, Ignyte, Locus, and Aurora award-winning Indo-Caribbean scientist and speculative fiction author based in Edmonton, Alberta. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by the with Suzy Vadori. In this weekly show, Suzy brings you writing techniques, best practices, motivation, inspirational stories from real live authors out there making it in the world, and actionable advice that can help you turn that book...

EP 478 - Stark Realities Excerpt: The Pinocchio Problem

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

This episode features an excerpt from Chapter 1 of Mark's book STARK REALITIES: Stacked-up Lessons Every Writer Needs To Know About The Business of Writing and Publishing. The chapter is called "The Pinocchio Problem." Prior to the main content Mark shares a brief personal update and a word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by the book STARK REALITIES: Stacked-up Lessons Every Writer Needs To Know About The Business of Writing and Publishing. The Truth About Building a Writing Career With No Sugarcoating, Just Real Talk. The Honest, practical guide that every writer...

EP 477 - Rambling Reflections From The Road to StokerCon

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this solo episode recorded while driving between Waterloo, Ontario and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on his way to attending StokerCon, a horror writer conference, Mark shares some reflections on his dual life as an author-supporting industry representative and a horror author. This episode is sponsored by Author Nation, being held in Las Vegas Nov 13 through 14, 2026 Learn more about Author Nation and register at . Links of Interest: (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) The introductory, end,...

More Episodes

Mark interviews Becca Puglisi about the new book THE FEAR THESAURUS which she co-authored with Angelea Ackerman.

Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word from this episode's sponsor.

This episode is sponsored by the Show, Don't Tell Writing Podcast with Suzy Vadori. In this weekly show, Suzy brings you writing techniques, best practices, motivation, inspirational stories from real live authors out there making it in the world, and actionable advice that can help you turn that book you’re writing into the bestseller you know deep down that it can be.

In their interview, Mark and Becca talk about:

The Descriptive Thesaurus series and how The Fear Thesaurus is book 11 in this series
How Becca and Angela are trying something new this year with their latest release - selling it direct before making it available on all the various retail channels
The fear that came in the process of putting this book together
How there's not a lot out there about character fears
The human needs that become impacted because of past trauma, and what a person fears and tries to avoid
The way so many of these experiences connect directly to a character's fear and ultimately their character development in your writing
Looking at healthy/normal responses versus trauma inspired or unhealth/abnormal responses
How fears can cross over from something normal and unremarkable to another thing that becomes an overblown reaction
The way this book is a great accompanying text to the Emotional Would Thesaurus
Looking at how fear plays into story
A bit of a background behind the series and the first book: The Emotion Thesaurus
The common element of "show, don't tell" that runs through all of their books
The authors' hope is that the entries in the book gives them ideas that they can take, modify and apply to the specifics of their characters
How their previous book The Emotion Amplifier ties in beautifully to this book
A character's greatest fear versus an everyday fear
The way that fear is a great way to mobilize the reader's connection to the story
The breakdown of fears and the way the book is laid out
Selling this book directly on their Shopify store on April 15, 2026 before launching it to all the other retailers a month later
The Fear Hub available at their website when they order the book off their direct store
The overall website of Writers Helping Writers and the great 20+ years of resources that reside there, including free resources and downloads and handouts
Combining one's gifts with the things one is passionate about
The origin story of how Becca and Angela first met and decided to collaborate on The Emotion Thesaurus
Advice Becca would share with beginning writers based on her more than twenty years as a writer and almost twenty years of helping other writers

After the interview Mark reflects on several different things related to his conversation with Becca.

Links of Interest:

Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and best-selling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and other resources for writers. Her books have sold over 1.4 million copies and are available in multiple languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers—a powerhouse online resource for authors that's home to the Character Builder and Storyteller's Roadmap tools.

The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

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