SWRT 276 | Things We Say
Story Works Round Table with Alida Winternheimer | Conversations About Craft
Release Date: 03/09/2023
SWRT 297 | Dialogue
Story Works Round Table with Alida Winternheimer | Conversations About Craft
This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn talk dialogue. We've noticed what may be some poor advice and some frightening trends in dialogue floating around out there. Time to bust some myths and pop some speech balloons! How should dialogue be formatted and how does it differ from interiority and thoughts? When and why does it make sense to honor trusted conventions? How would "experimentation" work in the voice of AI? We draw on the past two Writers Book Club short stories for examples of dialogue, interiority, and narrative point of view. There is a lot of craft to...
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SWRT 296 | Writers Book Club: Chekhov
Story Works Round Table with Alida Winternheimer | Conversations About Craft
This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn discuss Chekhov's story, "The Woman with the Little Dog." You can get the link to read it in the show notes. "Everything that he found important, interesting, necessary, in which he was sincere and did not deceive himself, which constituted the core of his life, occurred in secret from others." -Chekhov Unpack the layers of Anton Chekhov's poignant short story, "The Lady with the Little Dog," in this thought-provoking episode of Story Works Round Table. Alida and Kathryn dissect the narrative's exploration of love, regret, and...
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SWRT 295 | Writers Book Club: Gina Berriault
Story Works Round Table with Alida Winternheimer | Conversations About Craft
This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn discuss Gina Berriault's short story, "The Woman in the Rose Colored Dress." At only 2 1/2 pages, it packs in remarkable sentences, the experience of time passing, incredible subtext in minimal dialogue, and a realistic coming of age story when a girl makes a discovery about her father that shifts her understanding of the world. Get the link in our show notes to read the story yourself. Join my new group coaching session for writers. Get your free discovery call today: Get Alida's musings on life, writing, and the writing life in A...
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SWRT 294 | What Is Genre, Anyway?
Story Works Round Table with Alida Winternheimer | Conversations About Craft
This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida, Carlee, and Robert go deep with the question of what makes a genre a genre? Discover the nuances of crafting stories and targeting the right readership. We dissect the concept of genre as both a craft and marketing tool. It's far more useful to us writers than just a marketing category. Writing to market is often confused with marketing. And what about those of us who strive to be "pure artists," putting categories at the end of the process? Whether you aim to meet or subvert reader expectations, there's more to your genre than meets the eye. ...
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SWRT 293 | Revision with D. Liebhart
Story Works Round Table with Alida Winternheimer | Conversations About Craft
This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn are joined by D. Liebhart. Revision is more than just fixing typos and filling plot holes; it's about delving deep into the heart of the story and ensuring every word, every character, and every twist aligns with the author's vision. D. discusses the challenges she faced revising her award-winning novel, House on Fire, from seeking perfection to knowing when to let go. We talk about the importance of actionable feedback, the dynamics of writing groups, and the critical decision to step away when the process no longer serves the...
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SWRT 292 | Marketing & Community withe Alexa Bigwarfe
Story Works Round Table with Alida Winternheimer | Conversations About Craft
"It's never too early to start thinking about marketing and building your community. It's never too early. It can be too late." Ever thought it's too early to market your book? Think again! Alexa Bigwarfe shares her wisdom on today's Story Works Round Table, in a conversation that's as inspiring as it is informative. Marketing, as Alexa says, is not just about selling books. It's about building relationships with readers, sharing your journey, and creating a platform where your voice can be heard. It's about laying the groundwork for your book to not just exist, but to thrive in a market...
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SWRT 290 | Life to Fiction with D. Liebhart
Story Works Round Table with Alida Winternheimer | Conversations About Craft
This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn discover the compelling intersection of personal experience and fiction on this week's writing podcast. D. Leibhart joins us to share her journey writing her award-winning novel, House on Fire, and the art of turning life into literature. Join us for a conversation about craft and the complexities of writing stories based on personal experiences. Get your ticket to the biggest 4-day, online conference for women authors. Are you ready to get more out of your writing, to grow your writing skills, and get that novel done faster?...
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SWRT 290 | Heroes with Screenwriter Tim Auld
Story Works Round Table with Alida Winternheimer | Conversations About Craft
This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn welcome screenwriter Tim Auld back to the round table to discuss heroes. What makes a hero resonate with an audience? Tim Auld introduces us to the concept of ordinary heroism, a principle that suggests heroes should be inherently inadequate to the challenges they face. It's this inadequacy, this underdog status, that endears them to us and makes their journey emotionally gripping. He illustrates this point with a powerful image: an orangutan striking a crane with a stick, a futile yet emotionally charged act of defiance. It's a...
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SWRT 289 | Scripting Didacticism with Screenwriter Tim Auld
Story Works Round Table with Alida Winternheimer | Conversations About Craft
This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida & Kathryn welcome screenwriter Tim Auld to the Story Works Round Table to discuss the trend in film and literature toward didactic writing, when the (often moral) message of a piece overpowers the story trying to be told. Why is this still happening when audiences are weary of it? What about writing a message-focused story—is there a right way to do it? Are you ready to get more out of your writing, to grow your writing skills, and get that novel done faster? Do you want community, feedback, and mentoring? Check out group coaching for...
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Swrt 288 | Stakes & Agency
Story Works Round Table with Alida Winternheimer | Conversations About Craft
This week, Alida, Robert, and Kathryn discuss the relationship between stakes and agency. How do these aspects of plot and character work together to create forward drive in your story? This episode is from our library. It was previously published as episode 73. Show notes and more at Get Alida's musings on life, writing, and the writing life in A Room Full of Books & Pencils. Are you ready to get more out of your writing, to grow your writing skills, and get that novel done faster? Do you want community, feedback, and mentoring? Check out group coaching for novelists. New sessions...
info_outlineThis week on the Story Works Round Table, Kathryn turns the table on Alida. We talk "things we say," all those bits and bobbles of craft speak that get tossed around but not always defined. What does it mean to be tightly plotted? Does every character need a lie or core wound, and are those the same thing?
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