Needs More Words

A podcast about writing and reading, because we're all stuck on something. Hosted by Vicki Martin and Margaret Hanson.

#41 - Tropes 05/06/2022

#41 - Tropes In this episode, we discuss tropes we love, tropes we don't love, and how tropes are useful in our own writing. Also, apologies for the sound of Vicki's chair throughout the episode - she'll be finding a new place to sit for the next one (which will hopefully go up in a more timely manner too!) Links: - TV Tropes: Support the podcast: Follow us on Twitter @needsmorewords Check out our website: needsmorewords.com Email us: [email protected] /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/23028908

#40 - Writing Goals 2022 03/15/2022

#40 - Writing Goals 2022 We check in on our 2021 writing goals, set some new ones for 2022 and tell you all about the Needs More Rainbow reading challenge! Support the podcast: Follow us on Twitter @needsmorewords Check out our website: needsmorewords.com Email us: [email protected] /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/22450250

#39 - Favourite Books of 2021 01/15/2022

#39 - Favourite Books of 2021 In an annual tradition (albeit a bit later than usual), we discuss our favourite fiction, non-fiction, and graphic novels/comics that we read in 2021. Also be sure to check out Margaret's short story, "Frankenstein was the Scientist," in issue #20 of Polar Borealis: http://polarborealis.ca/currentback-issues/ Links: - Goodreads list of our favourite books: - Rogue Podron Mission 20-11: Head-tail Etiquette with Alexander Freed: - Witchermania by Sophie from Mars: Support the podcast: Follow us on Twitter @needsmorewords Check out our website: needsmorewords.com Email us: [email protected] /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/21781481

#38 - Q&A & NaNoWriMo 12/24/2021

#38 - Q&A & NaNoWriMo We answer listener questions and talk about NaNoWriMo... and then post the episode weeks after NaNo ends /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/21592448

#37 - Writing Prompts (aka the Cursed Episode) 09/30/2021

#37 - Writing Prompts (aka the Cursed Episode) After an unexpectedly long break, we're back with an episode all about writing prompts: what they are and how we approach using them. Also, it's the last week to get questions in for our Q&A episode. Links: NYC Midnight: https://www.nycmidnight.com/ Furious Fiction: https://www.writerscentre.com.au/furious-fiction/ The First Line Literary Journal: Story Plot Generator Pro: Support the podcast: Follow us on Twitter @needsmorewords Check out our website: needsmorewords.com Email us: [email protected] /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/20658734

#36 - Goodreads 09/02/2021

#36 - Goodreads We discuss how we use review website Goodreads to enhance our reading life /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/20343308

#35 - Secondary Characters 08/01/2021

#35 - Secondary Characters Our look at characters ends and we've saved the best for last: the secondary characters. Also, remember to send in questions for the upcoming Q&A episode! Links: Music in the opening is Secondary Characters, from the musical [title of show]: TV Tropes: Five-Man Band: Trope Talk: Five Man Band: Support the podcast: Follow us on Twitter @needsmorewords Check out our website: needsmorewords.com Email us: [email protected] /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/19994774

#34 - Antagonists 07/15/2021

#34 - Antagonists Following up on our protagonist episode, we talk about the antagonists who oppose them! LINKS The Parking Level: The Wrong Counter: https://yubsie.tumblr.com/post/655922097031397376/the-a-new-dawn-wrong-counter Support the podcast: Follow us on Twitter @needsmorewords Check out our website: needsmorewords.com Email us: [email protected] /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/19816427

#33 - Protagonists 06/26/2021

#33 - Protagonists Our three part series on characters kicks off with... the protagonist! /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/19611731

#32 - Writing Slumps 06/04/2021

#32 - Writing Slumps We discuss writing slumps, why we don't like them and strategies to get out of them. LINKS: Support the podcast: Follow us on Twitter @needsmorewords Check out our website: needsmorewords.com /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/19350125

#31 - Canada Reads 2021 05/15/2021

#31 - Canada Reads 2021 We discuss our thoughts on this year's battle of the Canadian books. LINKS Canada Reads: Support the podcast: Follow us on Twitter @needsmorewords Check out our website: needsmorewords.com /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/19113269

#30 - Star Wars 04/01/2021

#30 - Star Wars In which we are a Star Wars podcast! Sidways's video on Rogue One's music: And the trouble with TRoS's music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_8-dWSLDWI Support the podcast: Follow us on Twitter @needsmorewords Check out our website: needsmorewords.com /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/18575126

#29 - Writing Challenges 03/11/2021

#29 - Writing Challenges We discuss some of the things we don't like to write about and how to do it anyway when we have to. Support the podcast: Follow us on Twitter @needsmorewords Check out our website: needsmorewords.com /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/18277448

# 28 - On the Naming of Characters (or Sometimes Cats) 02/20/2021

# 28 - On the Naming of Characters (or Sometimes Cats) We discuss different approaches and challenges for giving all those fictional people names so they aren't all Man #1. LINKS: Behind the Name: https://www.behindthename.com/ Nameberry: https://nameberry.com/ Last name generator: Medieval Name Database: http://dmnes.org/ Support the podcast: Follow us on Twitter @needsmorewords Check out our website: needsmorewords.com /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/18018881

#27 - Favourite Writing Tools 01/30/2021

#27 - Favourite Writing Tools We discuss some of our favourite tools that we use in our writing! LINKS Scrivener: Evernote: 4theWords: referral code: NLHSZ23062 Grammarly: Validation (aka AO3): Buy us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/needsmorewordspodcast /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/17746487

#26 - 2021 Writing Goals 01/14/2021

#26 - 2021 Writing Goals We celebrate a new year and say good riddance to 2020 by setting some writing goals. /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/17546642

#25 - Favourite Books of 2020 12/24/2020

#25 - Favourite Books of 2020 In an annual tradition, we discuss our favourite fiction, non-fiction, and graphic novels/comics that we read in 2020. /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/17324573

#24 - NYC Midnight Round 3 12/11/2020

#24 - NYC Midnight Round 3 In this episode, we talk about two stories we wrote using the same NYC Midnight prompt: comedy / trophy room / a manual. Links: Usability Test by Vicki: Isn’t It Neat by Margaret: Support the podcast: /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/17161304

#23 - First Drafts 11/24/2020

#23 - First Drafts We talk about our process for first drafts in short and long fiction and all the terrible things we do to get something worth revising. LINKS: KoFi: /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/16931324

#22 - Bird by Bird 11/06/2020

#22 - Bird by Bird We take a look at classic craft book Bird by Bird and discussion what advice did and didn't work for us. LINKS Bird by Bird: /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/16703171

#21 - NaNoWriMo Prep 10/16/2020

#21 - NaNoWriMo Prep In a less super-sized episode, we discuss our projects for NaNoWriMo 2020 and what prep work we're doing leading up to November. Links: 9 Point Plot Dot: Vicki’s character sheet: The History Chicks Episode 9: Gilded Age Heiresses: The Writer’s Block Tarot: Le Beau Monde Tarot: /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/16427504

#20 - Our Genres: Science Fiction 10/01/2020

#20 - Our Genres: Science Fiction We take a look at another of our favourite genres: science fiction. Surprise, we have a lot to say about this one too! Links: Support us on Ko-Fi: /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/16232783

#19 - Canada Reads 2020 09/10/2020

#19 - Canada Reads 2020 We discuss Canada Reads 2020, the annual battle of the books run by CBC. Links: - Canada Reads: - Trailer for Trickster: /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/15954449

#18 - Deep Dive: The Rock Garden 08/13/2020

#18 - Deep Dive: The Rock Garden We take a close look at "The Rock Garden", a short story written by Vicki. LINKS: The story: NYC Midnight: YeahWrite Diefenbunker Museum: How To Cake It: Bernadette Banner: /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/15594656

#17 - Anthologies 07/12/2020

#17 - Anthologies We discuss anthologies as a good way to read short fiction and a market for publishing it. LINKS 4 the Words: (use referral code NLHSZ23062) We Shall Be Monsters: Jennifer Lee Rossman on Twitter: Horror Tree (market listing): Papercat Press (market roundup): /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/15172805

#16 - Adaptations 06/26/2020

#16 - Adaptations We're back from a bit of a break with a new episode, looking in the art and sometimes horror of adaptations. Links: Lost in Adaption by Dominic Noble: Lindsay Ellis' review of The Hobbit, part 1: Lessons from the Screenplay, Arrival: Memories from my TV/Movie Experience by Rick Riordan: /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/14973173

#15 - Where We Get Our Ideas 05/21/2020

#15 - Where We Get Our Ideas We tackle the classic writing question of "Where do you get your ideas?", complete with looking at how an idea evolves into a story. LINKS Renaissance Virtual Convention: Evernote: Old World: /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/14506250

#14 - Our Genres: Fantasy 05/07/2020

#14 - Our Genres: Fantasy We take a deep dive into one of our favourite genres: fantasy. Apparently it's something we have a lot to say about. /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/14316704

#13 - We Don't Have a Plan (Pantsing) 04/23/2020

#13 - We Don't Have a Plan (Pantsing) In the second part of our examination of plotting vs pantsing, we discuss how things go off outline. LINKS The Pants Song from Be More Chill: Stephenie Meyer Discusses Jacob: /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/14108765

#12 - We Have a Plan (Plotting) 04/09/2020

#12 - We Have a Plan (Plotting) The first of a two-part look at plotting vs pantsing. In this episode, the dream of having an outline lives. /episode/index/show/needsmorewords/id/13912943

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