EPISODE 20 "I is for INTERVIEWS"

Authors Morgan St. James, Dennis N. Griffin and Eric James Miller have given and conducted many interviews on radio, TV and in print. 

There is a big difference between boring questions with flat answers and those that grab the listener's attention. If you have never given an interview, this show is for you. And, guess what? Even if you have, this show is still for you! 

How do you make your answers interesting? 

What about the way you speak or write? 

                                                                           How much is too little or too much? 

And, if you are the interviewer, how do you develop questions that aren't the run of the mill ones?
 
Beginning in October, Writers Tricks of the Trade will be adding interview segments, so this is the perfect time to present a show like this. Visit http://writerstricksofthetraderadio.blogspot.com for more information about upcoming interviews.

WRITERS TRICKS OF THE TRADE YOU TUBE CHANNEL

UPDATE

Several episodes of the Blog Talk Radio show have now been uploaded. 

Every show is filled with tons of helpful hints, some fun stories and more. So, tune in now and tune in often.

It's easy to pick the ones you want to listen to. It will be appreciated if you share the link on social media for your writer friends.

For starters, how about listening to the most recent one - REVIEWS, THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY.

More and more of the episodes will be uploaded until all 19 of the current ones are also on You Tube. 

Plus there will be more. In addition to our regular programming, we are kicking off an interview format in October, and the interviews will also be on this channel as well as other videos.

Here is the link to the channel: http://bit.ly/1Mqjnw7

EPISODE 19 - REVIEWS - THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

Reviews—the good, the bad and the ugly.  

August 12, 2015  6:00pm PDT/ 9:00 EDT

Authors need them, but sometimes the reviews are less than glowing. Whether deserved or not, those one and two star reviews are like a punch to the gut and we’ll be discussing a little about that as well easy techniques for giving good reviews yourself. Picture your worst nightmare has come true. The book you thought would be a smash hit got a bad review. Does that mean the world will come crashing down around you? Maybe yes, and maybe no.

EPISODE 18 - DRAWING PICTURES WITH WORDS

Listen Live or to the Podcast at your convenience

HOLLOW WORDS vs VIBRANT IMAGES ~ DO YOU USE WORDS TO DRAW PICTURES FOR YOUR READERS?

Wednesday, July 22 4:00pm PDT/7:00EDT
Click the SHOW DIRECTORY page for the direct link to the show and all past shows.

Hosts Morgan St. James, author of 14 books, and Eric James Miller, author and President of Writers of Southern Nevada, discuss one of the key elements in writing fiction---the art of drawing pictures with words using artful, rhythmic prose.

"The trick is to also make it simple and direct. This technique of using words to trigger a mental image is a variation of show, don’t tell."
Language that is too sophisticated, complex or gimmicky, or long blocks of flat narrative sometimes called a laundry list, often trigger inattention instead of creating a visual experience.

Writers Tricks of the Trade Volume 5, Issue 4

Writers Tricks of the Trade Volume 5, Issue 4



The latest issue just published. Download your copy.

Writers Tricks of the Trade

Writers Tricks of the Trade The CORRECTED July-August issue of the FREE Writers Tricks of the Trade eZine.

EPISODE 17 - MISTAKES WRITERS MAKE

EPISODE 17
THE TRICK IS TO RECOGNIZE BLOOPERS AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT

Sometimes it’s what you AREN’T doing, rather than what you ARE doing. On this show we’ll discuss both. Pitfalls  could become prat- falls -- you know those dramatic, stumbling falls actors sometimes take in comedies, which is something we definitely don't want to do. We'll talk about mistakes in the craft - things like grammatical or punctuation errors, and mistakes in the business of writing. 

EPISODE 16 - FINDING YOUR IDEAL FIRST READER

WHO SHOULD YOU ASK 

 TO READ YOUR MANUSCRIPT?

Feedback from“first readers” is extremely helpful. They generally aren’t professional editors. Some may be published writers and it is good for the group of first readers to also include readers who are not writers.

 Like most things that involve someone’s opinion, however, there is a hitch. Morgan St. James, Dennis N. Griffin and Eric James Miller will delve into things that make an ideal first reader...and it isn't your Aunt Agatha who thinks everything you write is a masterpiece. What do you need to consider?

EPISODE 15 - DON'T GET STUCK IN A WRITER'S RUT

BREAKOUT! HABIT CAN BE YOUR WORST ENEMY

Upcoming broadcast - June 10, 2015

Did you know that habit can be your worst enemy? It doesn’t matter if you write fiction, nonfiction or poetry—writers pretty much base everything upon their own imagination and experiences. Our imagination is triggered by things we’ve seen, learned or actually lived through. In the beginning, we have a basket full of ideas just waiting to be developed, but eventually we work our way through most of them. Then what? How to come up with fresh scenarios and characters? 

Are you a creature of habit?

Do you take the same route from place to place whenever you travel between certain destinations? Do you have favorite restaurants and limit yourself to what you know and love on their menu? Is there a style that defines you? Do you only read favorite authors?

Authors Morgan St. James, Dennis N. Griffin and Eric James Miller offer tips and techiniques to break out of your rut.

EPISODE 14 - USING CHARACTERS PROFESSIONS IN UNUSUAL WAYS

HOW CAN A CHARACTER'S PROFESSION WORK FOR ME AS A WRITER?

Selecting professions for your characters, and deciding how they would act under a given set of circumstances, is one of the most important decisions a fiction writer can make. 

• Will they respond in a way normally expected of someone trained to do what they do? 

• Will they go “over-the-top” or perform in a scared or devious manner? 

Each reaction might become the basis for an entirely different story. However, once the theme choice is made, even if they act strangely, unexpectedly or inappropriately, the character still operates under the umbrella of their profession, whether it is positive or negative.  

EPISODE 13 - MARKETING YOUR SELF-PUBLISHED BOOK WITH GUEST JON D'AMORE

HOW DID JON D"AMORE PROPEL "THE   BOSS ALWAYS SITS IN THE BACK" INTO A BEST SELLER?

"Actually I’d known for more than two decades that I had the desire and ability to write...it’s just that New Jersey wasn’t the place to do it. So, I drove to L.A.—and stayed. As soon as I got there, I began to write. I didn’t stop until the manuscript and screenplay for “The Boss ALWAYS Sits in the Back” were finished. With manuscript and screenplay in hand, it was time to decided what to do next. Should I query agents, hope a publisher would snap it up, then maybe see it in publication within three to five years? Or, do what so many were doing at that time, and become my own publisher? That’s the route I chose."