The Writer's Climax

In this episode, Megan and Grace are starry eyed, bushy tailed, and a little bit competitive at the start of NaNoWriMo 2021, but will their joy last through this marathon month of writing? At the very least, they are on brand for the month and are getting this episode out a week late - oops! -What we're reading: Tokyo Ueno Station by Yu Miri | Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney | Supernavigators by David Barrie | The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers -What we're listening to: History of Julius Caesar by Jacob Abbott on the Free Audiobooks Podcast, https://open.spotify.com/show/6R76Hw6GPIX8AnFXE9UtWf?si=a6e16d75bae641e9 -Beyoncé national anthem press conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQxHSHsCpGo -Learn about NaNoWriMo: https://nanowrimo.org/ -Writing prompt: Do your NaNoWriMo writing! -Submit your story: https://www.thewritersclimax.com/contact/ or thewritersclimax@gmail.com -Follow TWC on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewritersclimax -Support TWC on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewritersclimaxpodcast -Audio: Track: Will You Be Mine (feat. Karemann) — Broke in Summer [Audio Library Release] | Music provided by Audio Library Plus

In this episode, we celebrate Megan getting her first piece of fiction published in High Shelf Magazine! We talk about what it looks like to submit work, why to submit work (or why not), and how grueling the marketing process can be for writers. We end on a high note, with three pieces of advice for all writers heading into NaNoWriMo this month. If you're embarking on the journey of NaNo, join our https://discord.gg/CNMdgkXdqx (Discord channel)! And set up a profile on https://nanowrimo.org/ (NaNoWriMo) (let's be friends

In this week's episode, Megan and Grace sit down with Amber Loutfi, one of the authors of the upcoming book, Sentimental Health, which is a collaboration of poetry and art between Amber, Neeltarni Pratap, and Iizzie Loutfi. We dive into collaborating across mediums and countries, finding inspiration by staying true to your feelings, and the process of self-publishing (dimensions are important!). Get Sentimental Health on Amazon on November 1, 2021 and follow them on Instagram - @sentimental.health. -What Amber is reading: The Guest List by Lucy Foley -Story prompt: Thriller | Sweet potato butter | Dancing -Submit your story: https://www.thewritersclimax.com/contact/ or thewritersclimax@gmail.com -Follow TWC on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewritersclimax -Support TWC on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewritersclimaxpodcast -Meet the creatives behind Sentimental Health: Lead writer & illustrator: Amber Loutfi (She/Her) is a British/Syrian writer and actor based between London and the US. She grew up in Kuwait and studied biology and screenwriting at university. She is passionate about human rights, mental health awareness and women's empowerment. She loves to bake, attend comedy shows and raise her Labrador Retriever and three chickens. She has two book deals for a novel and children's trilogy series and is a passionate poet. Lead illustrator: Isabella Loutfi (She/Her) is a British/Syrian illustrator and graphic designer, based in London. She also grew up in Kuwait, is trained in hair styling and makeup, and is an experienced photographer. She is passionate about health and fitness, mental health awareness and preserving the arts. She enjoys city photography and is a maths enthusiast. Writer and illustrator: Neeltarni Pratap (She/Her) is Indian/American actor, writer and illustrator, based between Delhi and the US. She is a champion for animal rights and the preservation of the environment. She enjoys caring for her clowder; Pushkin, Shifu, Lulu, Butter and Goji, filmmaking and creating artwork for her online store. She makes hand-poured vegan candles and is a big fan of vegan cake. -Audio: Track: Will You Be Mine (feat. Karemann) — Broke in Summer [Audio Library Release] | Music provided by Audio Library Plus

TW: Drug addiction. In this week's episode, Grace and Megan try to get in the spooky season spirit while setting their NaNoWriMo goals, reading their recent writing, and briefly discussing...dung beetles? Yep. Dung beetles. -What we're reading: Supernavigators by David Barrie | The Push by Ashley Audrain -Join our NaNoWriMo Discord community!: https://discord.gg/rUtQemzCkC -NaNoWriMo: https://nanowrimo.org/ -Listen to L.Dre: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6gWGD0yeQYobb2sq0LUr7k?si=mbkoc95EQpWq-liwE7Tm9Q -Writing prompt: Spooky | Scaring Someone | Rainbow -Submit your story: https://www.thewritersclimax.com/contact/ or thewritersclimax@gmail.com -Follow TWC on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewritersclimax -Support TWC on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewritersclimaxpodcast -Audio: Track: Will You Be Mine (feat. Karemann) — Broke in Summer [Audio Library Release] | Music provided by Audio Library Plus

In this week's episode, Megan and Grace host their very first *drumroll please* GAME SHOW! Grace quizzes Megan on her favorite aspects of the fantasy genre - from the Chosen One trope to types of dragons - all in the name of understanding your genre. -What we're reading: The Bad Art Friend by Robert Kolker -Story Prompt: Fantasy | Slaying a Dragon | Mellon -Submit your story: https://www.thewritersclimax.com/contact/ or thewritersclimax@gmail.com -Follow TWC on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewritersclimax -Support TWC on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewritersclimaxpodcast -Audio: Track: Will You Be Mine (feat. Karemann) — Broke in Summer [Audio Library Release] | Music provided by Audio Library Plus

In this week's episode, we talk about desire! Ooh la la! We get into the depths of character desire, the difference between a core desire and a surface-level desire, and how desire propels our narratives forward. In this episode we mention: The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne https://lithub.com/inventory/ (Inventory) by Carmen Maria Machado Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado https://www.thenegroartist.com/product-page/look-black-boy-digital-album (Look, Black Boy) by Caleb Rainey https://open.spotify.com/album/3xzrjHUrvC4vloCKgpRREF?si=XLxdX-QaRdSmRSqOFMjkyg&dl_branch=1 (Depression Holders and Secret Keepers) by Kelsey Bigelow The Julius Caesar Podcast on Spotify Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi -Submit your story: https://www.thewritersclimax.com/contact/ or thewritersclimax@gmail.com -Follow TWC on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewritersclimax -Support TWC on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewritersclimaxpodcast -Audio: Track: Will You Be Mine (feat. Karemann) — Broke in Summer [Audio Library Release] | Music provided by Audio Library Plus

In this episode, Megan and Grace share snippets from their work-in-progress! We're scared and uncomfortable and we're doing it anyway. Grace shares a scene from one of our favorite characters, Gellar, as they turn over their shift at the oscillation. Her work is evocative and grounded in setting. She takes us away to another fantastical world. Megan reads from a scene in the collective (and royal!) "we." This snippet is far into the future and explores what the world might look like in 2070. Works mentioned in this episode: "Inventory" by Carmen Maria Machado, which you can https://lithub.com/inventory/ (read here). -Submit your story: https://www.thewritersclimax.com/contact/ or thewritersclimax@gmail.com -Follow TWC on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewritersclimax -Support TWC on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewritersclimaxpodcast -Audio: Track: Will You Be Mine (feat. Karemann) — Broke in Summer [Audio Library Release] | Music provided by Audio Library Plus

In this week's episode, Grace and Megan interview their first guest author - Gerard Duncan Jr.! They discuss what getting a PhD in poetry is like, emotional processing, and hear some of Gerard's work. Gerard Duncan Jr. is a poet from Walla Walla, WA and his work has been published in Northwest Boulevard. He is currently working on his PhD in Poetry at the University of Southern Mississippi where he's exploring Modernism, Romaticism, Surrealism, and the relationship between music and poetry. Gerard loves playing the guitar, reading comic books, doing crossword puzzles, and collecting Funko Pops. -What we're reading: Surrealist Manifesto by Andre Breton | Some Trees by John Ashbury | Various works by René Char | The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop: How to Decolonize the Creative Classroom by Felicia Rose Chavez -Story prompt: Pantoum Poem | Bubbling | GGs (good game) -Learn about the structure for pantoums: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/pantoum -Submit your story: https://www.thewritersclimax.com/contact/ or thewritersclimax@gmail.com -Follow TWC on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewritersclimax -Support TWC on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewritersclimaxpodcast -Audio: Track: Will You Be Mine (feat. Karemann) — Broke in Summer [Audio Library Release] | Music provided by Audio Library Plus

In this episode, Megan and Grace face the debate that's not actually a debate: plotting vs. pantsing. Yes, they already named a previous episode that. No, they didn't actually talk about it then. But they do this time! Will their different approaches tear them apart? No, but cicadas might. -What we're reading: A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza | Anthropocene Fictions by Adam Trexler | The Mom of Bold Action by George Saunders | Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi | Ctrl-Alt-Destroy Podcast on Realm -Story prompt: Screenplay | Vacuuming | Calendar -Submit your story: https://www.thewritersclimax.com/contact/ or thewritersclimax@gmail.com -Follow TWC on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewritersclimax -Support TWC on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewritersclimaxpodcast -Audio: Track: Will You Be Mine (feat. Karemann) — Broke in Summer [Audio Library Release] | Music provided by Audio Library Plus

In this episode, Megan and Grace are thrilled to tell you about their new structure for season two of the pod and what they've been working on. Get ready for more writing chit-chat, discussions with other authors, and even *gulp* readings from their own work. -Learn more about Stop Line 3: https://www.stopline3.org/ -What we're reading: The Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson | Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi | How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Imbue | A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza -Writing prompt: Paranormal Romance | Bathing | Boink -Submit your story: https://www.thewritersclimax.com/contact/ or thewritersclimax@gmail.com -Follow TWC on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewritersclimax -Support TWC on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewritersclimaxpodcast -Audio: Track: Will You Be Mine (feat. Karemann) — Broke in Summer [Audio Library Release] | Music provided by Audio Library Plus

Megan and Grace are back from summer break with some exciting changes for season two of the Writer's Climax, all made to focus more on their, and hopefully your, favorite thing: writing! -Follow TWC on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewritersclimax/ -Support TWC on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewritersclimaxpodcast -Audio: Track: Will You Be Mine (feat. Karemann) — Broke in Summer [Audio Library Release] | Music provided by Audio Library Plus

In this episode, Megan and Grace discuss the second half of Infinite Country. We talk about the mastery of Engel as she humanizes her characters and addresses some of the most systemic issues in our country. It's a lot to unpack, so bear with us! We're also transitioning to a season-based podcast, which means this is the final episode of season one! Stay tuned for the return of The Writer's Climax Season Two in July. Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writersclimaxpodcast/ Join our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewritersclimaxpodcast Contact Nick Heys for audio engineering: whitemountainaudio@gmail.com

Welcome to (the beginning & the end) of #MayNoWriMo! In this episode, we talk about the beginning of this month-long voyage into a fast and shitty first draft, while also recognizing the rate at which writing will become more difficult this month (spoiler: the rate was rapid-fire). We also talk about the tools we use for our writing projects and how to get started and stay inspired. And of course, we gush about how much we *love* our #MayNoWriMo community. They are the best and we are so thankful to every writer that's showed up to the page this month. Join our writing community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewritersclimaxpodcast Check out Scrivener: https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview Listen to our Story Grid podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-writers-climax/id1551193139?i=1000516965679 Link to NaNoWriMo: https://nanowrimo.org/ Join our #MayNoWriMo Discord channel: https://discord.gg/KqXeHFJfr4

Buckle up, folks. In this episode, Megan and Grace get righteously angry. Content warning: racism, sexual abuse, animal abuse Infinite Country by Patricia Engel is a power-packed novel about a family who leaves their home in Bogota to pursue the American Dream. But when they wake up, six months and one day later, on foreign soil, they launch themselves into undocumented status. We talk about so many political issues surrounding immigration as well as the notion of America. Our systems are broken and Engel crafts the brokenness with the kind of poise and precision we can all learn from. This week's writing prompt: Spoetry (a poem comprised of content from a spam e-mail) ha! Find a charity that works with refugees and immigrants: https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=4665

In this episode, Megan and Grace don't know the roll-out of their own podcast and think it's May 4th. This is a time-traveling episode! Not really. But we do talk about other trippy topics like: #MAYNOWRIMO, our very own month-long writing sprint to get a shitty-and-fast first draft of our books onto the page. Where do ideas come from? How do we generate characters? How in this wild and raucous world do you plot a novel? We discuss all this and more in episode 17. Learn more about NaNoWriMo: https://nanowrimo.org/ Support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/thewritersclimaxpodcast Join our #MayNoWriMo community on Discord: https://discord.gg/KqXeHFJfr4 Need audio editing? Contact Nick Heys: whitemountainaudio@gmail.com

In this episode, Grace and Megan discuss the second half of The Lost Apothecary. It. Was. A. WHIRLWIND. Murder accusations, jumping off bridges, solved mysteries, and our favorite: gaslighting. This book has it all! Tune in as we discuss the effectiveness of three main characters, the benefits of moving back and forth in time, and what we (specifically *Megan*) didn't quite love. We also choose our next book club pick, Infinite Country by Patricia Engel. This week's prompt: Historical fiction - making peace - together Read Megan's story: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/05/04/gallivanting-across-the-multiverse-by-megan-walsh/ Read Grace's story: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/05/04/a-flight-of-peace-by-grace-olscamp/ Join our writing community on Patreon (it's poppin'!): https://www.patreon.com/thewritersclimaxpodcast Submit your short stories: https://thewritersclimax.com/contact/ Need audio editing? Contact Nick Heys...he the best!: whitemountainaudio@gmail.com Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/writersclimaxpodcast/

In this episode, we talk about *so many* aspects of the writing life like finding and applying for fellowships, stepping into new projects, and where ideas come from. We also pitch and pick our next book club pick, Infinite Country by Patricia Engel. Grace and Megan have decided to do their own version of NaNoWriMo in May! If you're interested in writing a quick, barebones, 50,000-word draft with us, you can join our Discord channel this month for free: https://discord.gg/YAE7AUz8 Next week's prompt: Sci-fi - cleaning up a mess - elusive Grab a copy of Infinite Country by Patricia Engel here: https://amzn.to/3nsxZl5 Annie flash fiction story: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/02/08/finding-annie-in-manhattan-by-megan-walsh/ Poets & Writers: https://www.pw.org/ Submittable: https://www.submittable.com/ Miami Emerging Writers Fellowship: https://www.miamibookfair.com/fellowships/ NYC Midnight: http://www.nycmidnight.com/ Fishtrap Fellowship: https://fishtrap.org/summer-fishtrap/yearlong-workshop/ Sharma Shields: http://www.sharmashields.com/ National Novel Writing Month (NaNo): https://nanowrimo.org/ Discord link for MayNoWriMo: https://discord.gg/YAE7AUz8 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewritersclimaxpodcast Megan's Short Story: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/04/27/the-problem-with-pool-boys-by-megan-walsh/ (https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/04/27/the-problem-with-pool-boys-by-megan-walsh/) Grace's Short Story: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/04/27/the-kings-court-by-grace-olscamp/ (https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/04/27/the-kings-court-by-grace-olscamp/)

In this episode, Grace and Megan talk about the first half of The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner. We discuss character development and the role empathy plays in creating characters with dark secrets. We also talk about writing a multiple POV book and the pros and cons of writing a novel that goes back and forth in time, told from multiple viewpoints. Also, how badass women are *in general*. Support us on Patreon and join our community of readers and writers here: https://www.patreon.com/thewritersclimaxpodcast Buy a copy of The Lost Apothecary here: https://amzn.to/39tCnub Read Megan's poem here: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/04/19/aftermath-by-megan-walsh/ (https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/04/19/aftermath-by-megan-walsh/) Read Grace's poem here: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/04/20/sleep-by-grace-olscamp/ This week's prompt: Sci-Fi - Cleaning up a mess - Elusive We do participate in an affiliate program and books purchased through our links do give us a small kickback. Thanks for supporting us!

Ever have trouble plotting? Can't figure out why your book isn't working? Want to get ahead of the editorial game? The Story Grid Method by Shawn Coyne has been a game-changer for both Megan and Grace. While Megan's still getting the hang of it, Grace's story grid is what type-a dreams are made of. Listen along as we discuss the various ways The Story Grid has helped us develop our novels and why we swear by it before starting our second drafts. Join our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewritersclimaxpodcast Check out The Story Grid Method by Shawn Coyne here: https://storygrid.com/ You can also check out his podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/story-grid-podcast/id1049406375 Grab a copy of The Lost Apothecary: https://amzn.to/39tCnub Read Grace's short story here: Read Megan's short story here: https://thewritersclimax.com/?p=293 Submit your character story here: https://thewritersclimax.com/contact/ This week's prompt: Poetry - Longing - Daisy

CW: Eating disorders, disordered eating, racism In this episode, we talk about the intensities of Jayne's ED, the sporadic relationship between Jayne and her family, and the character development of our favorite Yolk characters. We also talk about plot: when are there too many plot points? Could this book have done with a little less chaos? Tune in to find out! Plus, we pitch and pick our next book! Next week's story prompt: A 500-1,000 word short story with the character from last week's character sketch ED Resources: -National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ -National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) https://anad.org/ Join our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewritersclimaxpodcast Snag a copy of The Lost Apothecary here: https://amzn.to/39tCnub (https://amzn.to/39tCnub) Read Grace's character sketch: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/04/06/character-sketch-by-grace-olscamp/ Read Megan's character sketch: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/04/06/character-sketch-by-megan-walsh/ Submit your own character sketch: https://thewritersclimax.com/contact/

What does it mean to be a writer? How can you stay committed to your writing projects? In this episode, we talk about our writing projects and the natural upheaval that comes with writing something that's book-length and years-long. We also talk about launching our Patreon! If you want a dedicated space to talk about our current book club pick or an online writing community, consider supporting us and gaining access to our private writing and reading communities! Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewritersclimaxpodcast Check out Brandon Sanderson Stormlight Archives Series: https://amzn.to/31wAUPp Read Megan's story here: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/03/30/between-realms-by-megan-walsh/ Read Grace's story here: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/03/30/wheels-of-the-mind-by-grace-olscamp/ Buy Blindness by Jose Saramago: https://amzn.to/2QJfNqY (https://amzn.to/2QJfNqY) **We are part of the Amazon Affiliates program which means every time you purchase through our links we get a small percentage of the profit. Thank you for supporting us!

CW: Eating disorders, racism What are the repercussions of perfectionism? How do you form an identity? What does it mean to be human? In this episode, Megan and Grace discuss the first 200 pages of Yolk, a young adult novel by Mary H.K. Choi. In this roller-coaster of a novel, we follow our narrator and protagonist, 20-year-old Jayne, as she grapples with life in New York City. After her sister's cancer diagnosis, Jayne tries to navigate even more: identity fraud, an eating disorder, and the lies that have prevented her from living more fully and authentically. Danielle's Website: https://storybrookeismyhome.wordpress.com/ Labrinth on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2feDdbD5araYcm6JhFHHw7?si=weXn5U3jQgiXKlsf7b9e4A Grace's story: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/03/23/my-type-by-grace-olscamp/ Megan's story: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/03/23/musical-theory-by-megan-walsh/ Story prompt: Magical realism - discovering - individual

First things first: we're updating our episode structure! We'll now publish two writing-specific episodes each month and two book club episodes each month. In this episode, we talk about abandoning projects and characters. Megan has decided to *gasp* abandon her current project. Which really means she's putting it on her hard drive where it will torment her endlessly until she eventually returns to it. Grace talks about cutting characters out of her book and the ever-popular term, "Murdering your darlings." We both advocate for having too much information, description, characters, and plot holes to deal with and excavate during the editing phase. Here's a link to Megan's favorite Magic Eight Ball: https://eightball.tridelphia.net/ This week's writing prompt: Young adult - listening to music - digital Read Grace's short story here: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/03/16/fantasy-double-hitter-by-grace-olscamp/ Read Megan's short story here: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/03/16/the-land-of-skiddlysit-by-megan-walsh/ Purchase your copy of Yolk: https://amzn.to/2MWUFMy (https://amzn.to/2MWUFMy) Purchase Luster by Raven Leilani: https://amzn.to/3rpSIqK **We are part of the Amazon Affiliates program, so every time you make a purchase through our links you help support this podcast!

In this episode, we finish out The Midnight Library! One of the biggest takeaways: we're not only important in our own lives, but in the lives of those we interact with. Our small connections can have a major impact on the people around us. As writers, we also discuss the importance of tenses in our own stories (and spoiler: our own lives!) and when and why to introduce characters into the narrative. Writing prompt: Soap opera - slapping someone - power Read Grace's short story here: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/03/09/and-the-winner-is-by-grace-olscamp/ Read Megan's short story here:

In this episode of The Writer's Climax, we talk about the second third of The Midnight Library! Grace and Megan discuss the different lives Nora leads and how disappointing sex sent her back to the midnight Library. (Not a sex podcast....) We also talk about the luxury of nature (and how much we love the climate specificity of Nora's journey into the Arctic!), other universe-hoppers, and the many complexities of mental health. And regrets: how do we remedy them and essentially lighten the load? Writing prompt: Fantasy - breaking a spell - portal Read Grace's story here: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/03/03/words-kant-espresso-by-grace-olscamp/ Read Megan's story here: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/03/02/in-praise-of-the-american-dream-by-megan-walsh/

Oh that long-sought idea: control! In this episode, we come to terms with what we do and don't have control over and what constitutes these aspects of control over our own lives *especially* as it relates to Nora Seed. We also talk about the idea of perspective and how it can ultimately shift and shape our ideas, our lives, and the people we love. "Every time you choose not to choose, you're still choosing something." All of this with a sprinkle of existential crisis surrounding infinity theory. This week's writing prompt: Satire-taking a photograph-rugby Read Grace's short story here: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/02/22/sweet-tooth-by-grace-olscamp/ Read Megan's short story here: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/02/08/finding-annie-in-manhattan-by-megan-walsh/ Thanks for supporting our pod!

Have you ever felt like you were in a never-ending draft vortex? Have problem characters you don't know how to deal with? Realized your book started about 25,000 words after you *actually* started your book? You're not alone! In this episode, we dive into some of the nitty-gritty aspects of writing longer works of fiction and how writing shorter works can break you out of the swirly-twirly spiral of existential writing crisis. There's good stuff too! Fun characters we've discovered, how to hack your own writing system, and the power of being part of a writing community. A gentle reminder to our listeners: Every sentence makes you a better writer; every draft makes you a better writer. NYC midnight: http://www.nycmidnight.com/ Jane Friedman (has worked in the publishing industry for 20 years): https://www.janefriedman.com/ First Pages Contest: https://www.firstpagesprize.com/ Dune: https://amzn.to/3ansDCO Anxious People: https://amzn.to/2Zotsoo Midnight Library: https://amzn.to/2NuedrA House on the Cerulean Sea: 100 Years of Solitude: https://amzn.to/3tZD4Et Read Megan's short story: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/02/08/two-swift-shots-by-megan-walsh/ Read Grace's short story: https://thewritersclimax.com/2021/02/08/trouble-walked-in-by-grace-olscamp/ This week's writing prompt: Contemporary Fiction - Walking - Indifferent **We are part of the Amazon Affiliates program, so every time you make a purchase through one of our links, we get a small percentage of the sale. Thanks for supporting us!

In this episode, we talk about the final pages of Addie Larue and the fast-clip of those last chapters. We absolutely loved all the celebrity references (Beethoven, Sinatra, Voltaire) and Addie learning to embrace the power she's created over the last 300 years. There were also some things we didn't love....so tune in to find out! This week's writing prompt: Western - Ordering a drink - Invisible NYC Midnight competitions: http://www.nycmidnight.com/

The most important thing we learn in this episode is that GRACE WAS RIGHT. On multiple occasions! We also talk about how much we *loathe* Luc and our hopefulness for both Addie and Henry. Also, what's the meaning of Henry's watch? Watch the 13th documentary here: https://youtu.be/krfcq5pF8u8 Read Grace's writing prompt: http://thewritersclimax.com/2021/01/28/they-always-knew-by-grace-olscamp/ Read Megan's writing prompt: http://thewritersclimax.com/2021/01/27/exploits-of-a-tire-turner-by-megan-walsh/ **we use Amazon Affiliates and may receive a small commission when you use our links! Thanks for supporting us!

Join your hosts, Grace Olscamp and Megan Walsh, as we discuss recent book releases, what makes a story succeed, and our own joys and tribulations as we write our own forthcoming debut novels!

"Never make deals with the gods after dark." This week Grace and Megan discuss the first 160-pages of The Invisible Life of Addie Larue. Our conversation dives into the essence of our MC, stubborn, willful, and passionate Addie. We also discuss Henry, Luc, Estele, and what it would be like to live three-hundred-years with little to no human connection. In this episode we mention: The King's English Bookshop: https://www.kingsenglish.com/ She-Ra And The Princesses of Power: https://www.netflix.com/title/80179762 Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (highly recommend for all writers and creators!): https://amzn.to/2Mu2icG Read Grace's short story here: http://thewritersclimax.com/2021/01/28/they-always-knew-by-grace-olscamp/ Read Megan's short story here: http://thewritersclimax.com/2021/01/26/echo-chamber-by-megan-walsh/ **we use Amazon Affiliates and receive a portion of proceeds when you use our links!

In our first episode, we talk about the writing process, what this podcast is all about, and how we're going to structure the show! If you're interested in: detailed book analysis, the trials and tribulations of being a writer, and unexpected dog noises...this is the podcast for you! We also make our pitches for the first book club pick. And choose the first of many writing prompts. Get your copy of Addie Larue here: https://amzn.to/2YnB3Dh If you're interested in A Burning by Megha Majumdar: https://amzn.to/3pups1f Check out Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey: https://amzn.to/3iVve9u Writing prompt: Climate Change Fiction - Building Something - Unsubstantiated **we use Amazon Affiliates and receive a portion of proceeds when you use our links!