A podcast about writing - from start to finish

You only get one chance to make a first impression. Title your book wrong, and you may lose out on potential readers. Is your title intriguing enough? Is it too similar to others? Does it fit within your genre? In Read more

Pop culture references are a fun way to build on a character, setting, and world within your story. Yet too many references can ruin your reader’s suspension of disbelief. So, where’s the line? How much is too much? In this Read more

What’s in a name? Character names can allow readers to peer into and gather insight into what makes them tick. Does your protagonist need an epic name? How about your villains or secondary characters? Russ and Tim get into naming Read more

Symbolism is yet another tool in the author’s toolkit for enhancing a story. Whether it be big-picture themes, character behaviors, or a setting, symbolism is a great way to enrich a reader’s experience. In this episode, Russ and Tim chat Read more

Backstory is essential to establishing who your characters are and the decisions they’ll make in your story, but how much is too much? In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss backstory, how they approached it for their first novels, and Read more

Writing your first novel is hard, but is writing a second novel any easier? In this episode, Russ and Tim chat about how to plan a new project, when to stop researching and start writing, and why their approaches have Read more

Knock, knock… no, we won’t do that to you. In this episode, Russ and Tim discuss writing with humor, how they approach it in their works, the different types of humor authors can use, and when to use it.

In this episode, Russ and Tim are joined by Michael Bahler, a New Jersey-based writer whose short fiction and nonfiction have appeared in The New York Times, Glimmer Train, Nerve, and many others, including the Brooklyn Rail. He joins us Read more

Have you ever read a book and thought the end wasn’t particularly satisfying? Well, you’re not alone! In this episode, Russ and Tim explore common Act III pitfalls, why they can make your final act fall flat, and how to Read more

Why are scene transitions important? Not ony to they ground the reader in POV, setting, and time. They can change mood and create pacing that keeps a reader engaged. In this episode Russ and Tim get into their own approaches Read more