I am so excited to share this week's episode as each of these conversations was so much fun to record. Edan has been on the show before, but I wanted to have her back to talk about her love of writing difficult characters within the framework of her latest novel, Woman No. 17. Edan delights in creating tension by revealing her character's flaws for the reader's view and puts these characters in situations sure to highlight these flaws and bring them to a head. So many books create tension through plot and action, but the suspense in Edan's books is just as much about pushing flawed characters to their edge, all the while leaving us asking "Oh my god, what will they do now??"
Jim Butcher has written so many novels that I wouldn't be shocked to learn that he doesn't sleep at all. He admitted that he has trouble keeping track of the exact details of former books after having revised them numerous times, so he relies on his fanbase Wiki to keep track, a detail I found both charming and extremely practical. In addition, we dove into the beauty of throwing your characters into sticky situations and the necessity to write scenes so things go from bad to worse. This chat helped me feel much braver about putting my character into tough spots to see how she will navigate rocky territory.
I hope both these conversations inspire you to investigate the less savory corners of your story and take your books into riskier places. May we all send our characters down a dark alley, metaphorically, after taking both of these writers' advice!
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#136: Writing When Life Happens | Caroline Wright
#135 :: Writer as Company of One | Paul Jarvis
#134 :: Writing Intimidating Characters | David Gillham
#133 :: Writing Confessions | Caroline Donahue
#132 :: Bullet Journaling for Writers | Ryder Carroll
#131 :: Intentions for the Year Ahead | Susannah Conway
#130 :: How to Write Science Fiction | Mary Robinette Kowal
#129 :: I Miss You When I Blink | Mary Laura Philpott
#128 :: It Takes a Village | A.J. Jacobs
#127 :: Mining History for Science Fiction | Ada Palmer
#126:: How to Work With an Editor | NY Book Editors
#125 : Writers, Keep Your Day Job | Sarah St. Vincent
#124 :: Your Book as an Audiobook | Rachel Fulginiti
#123 :: Hacking NaNoWriMo | Tasha Harrison
#122 :: The Importance of Trying | Alexandra Franzen
#121 :: The Library Book | Susan Orlean
#120 :: Using Tarot for Writing | Jessa Crispin
#119 :: How to Write a Good Story | Simon Van Booy
118 :: Writing through Grief | Allie Rowbottom
#117 :: How to Write Nonfiction | Joanna Penn
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