Podcast appearances and mentions of Gail Carriger

What makes a character so compelling that readers will forgive almost anything about the plot? How do you move beyond vague flaws and generic descriptions to create people who feel pulled from real life? In this solo episode, I share 15 actionable tips for writing deep characters, curated from past interviews on the podcast. In the intro, thoughts from London Book Fair [Instagram reel @jfpennauthor; Publishing Perspectives; Audible; Spotify]; Insights from a 7-figure author business [BookBub]. This show is supported by my Patrons. Join my Community and get articles, discounts, and extra audio and video tutorials on writing craft, author business, and AI tools, at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn This episode has been created from previous episodes of The Creative Penn Podcast, curated by Joanna Penn, as well as chapters from How to Write a Novel: From Idea to Book. Links to the individual episodes are included in the transcript below. In this episode: Master the ‘Believe, Care, Invest' trifecta, how to hook readers on the very first page Define the Dramatic Question: Who is your character when the chips are down? Absolute specificity. Why “she's controlling” isn't good enough Understand the Heroine's Journey, strength through connection, not solo action Use ‘Metaphor Families' to anchor dialogue and give every character a distinctive voice Find the Diagnostic Detail, the moments that prove a character is real Writing pain onto the page without writing memoir Write diverse characters as real people, not stereotypes or plot devices Give your protagonist a morally neutral ‘hero' status. Compelling beats likeable. Build vibrant side characters for series longevity and spin-off potential Use voice as a rhythmic tool Link character and plot until they're inseparable Why discovery writers can write out of order and still build deep character Find the sensory details that make characters live and breathe More help with how to write fiction here, or in my book, How to Write a Novel. Writing Characters: 15 Tips for Writing Deep Character in Your Fiction In today's episode, I'm sharing fifteen tips for writing deep characters, synthesised from some of the most insightful interviews on The Creative Penn Podcast over the past few years, combined with what I've learned across more than forty books of my own. I'll be referencing episodes with Matt Bird, Will Storr, Gail Carriger, Barbara Nickless, and Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer. I'll also draw on my own book, How to Write a Novel, which covers these fundamentals in detail. Whether you're writing your first novel or your fiftieth, whether you're a plotter or a discovery writer like me, these tips will help you create characters that readers believe in, care about, and invest in—and keep coming back for more. Let's get into it. 1. Master the ‘Believe, Care, Invest' Trifecta When I spoke with Matt Bird on episode 624, he laid out the three things you need to achieve on the very first page of your book or in the first ten minutes of a film. He calls it “Believe, Care, and Invest.” First, the reader must believe the character is a real person, somehow proving they are not a cardboard imitation of a human being, not just a generic type walking through a generic plot. Second, the reader must care about the character's circumstances. And third, the reader must invest in the character's ability to solve the story's central problem. Matt used The Hunger Games as his primary example, and it's brilliant. On the very first page, we believe Katniss's voice. Suzanne Collins writes in first person with a staccato rhythm—lots of periods, short declarative sentences—that immediately grounds us in a survivalist mentality. We care because Katniss is starving. She's protecting her little sister. And we invest because she is out there bow hunting, which Matt pointed out is one of the most badass things a character can do. She even kills a lynx two pages in and sells the pelt. We invest in her resourcefulness and grit before the plot has even begun. Matt was very clear that this has nothing to do with the character being “likable.” He said his subtitle, Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love, doesn't mean the character has to be a good person. He described “hero” as both gender-neutral and morally neutral. A hero can be totally evil or totally good. What matters is that we believe, care, and invest. He demonstrated this beautifully by breaking down the first ten minutes of WeCrashed, where the characters of Adam and Rebekah Neumann are absolutely not likable, but we are completely hooked. Adam steals his neighbour's Chinese food through a carefully orchestrated con involving an imaginary beer. It's not admirable behaviour, but the tradecraft involved, as Matt put it—using a term from spy movies—makes us invest in him. We see a character trying to solve the big problem of his life, which is that he's poor and wants to be rich, and we want to see if he can pull it off. Actionable step: Go to the first page of your current work in progress. Does it achieve all three? Does the reader believe this is a real person with a distinctive voice? Do they care about the character's circumstances? And do they invest in the character's ability to handle what's coming? If even one of those three is missing, that's your revision priority. 2. Define the Dramatic Question: Who Are They Really? Will Storr, author of The Science of Storytelling, came on episode 490 and gave one of the most powerful frameworks I've ever heard for character-driven fiction. He explained that the human brain evolved language primarily to swap social information—in other words, to gossip. We are wired to monitor other people, to ask the question: who is this person when the chips are down? That's what Will calls the Dramatic Question, and it's what he believes lies at the heart of all compelling storytelling. It's not a question about plot. It's a question about the character's soul. And every scene in your novel should force the character to answer it. His example of Lawrence of Arabia is unforgettable. The Dramatic Question for the entire film is: who are you, Lawrence? Are you ordinary or are you extraordinary? At the beginning, Lawrence is a cocky, rebellious young soldier who believes his rebelliousness makes him superior. Every iconic scene in that three-hour film tests that belief. Sometimes Lawrence acts as though he truly is extraordinary—leading the Arabs into battle, being hailed as a god—and sometimes the world strips him bare and he sees himself as ordinary. Because it's a tragedy, he never overcomes his flaw. He doubles down on his belief that he's extraordinary until he becomes monstrous, culminating in that iconic scene where he lifts a bloody dagger and sees his own reflection with horror. Will also used Jaws to demonstrate how this works in a pure action thriller. Brody's dramatic question is simple: are you going to be old Brody who is terrified of the water, or new Brody who can overcome that fear? Every scene where the shark appears is really asking that question. And the last moment of the film isn't the shark blowing up. It's Brody swimming back through the water, saying he used to be scared of the water and he can't imagine why. Actionable step: Write down the Dramatic Question for your protagonist in a single sentence. Is it “Are you ordinary or extraordinary?” or “Are you brave enough to love again?” or “Will you sacrifice your principles for survival?” If you can't answer this with specificity, your character might still be a sketch rather than a person. 3. Get rid of Vague Flaws, and use Absolute Specificity This was one of Will Storr's most important points. He said that vague thinking about characters is really the enemy. When he teaches workshops and asks writers to describe their character's flaw, most of them say something like “they're very controlling.” And Will's response is: that's not good enough. Everyone is controlling. How are they controlling? What's the specific mechanism? He gave the example of a profile he read of Theresa May during the UK's Brexit chaos. Someone who knew her said that Theresa May's problem was that she always thinks she's the only adult in every room she goes into. Will said that stopped him in his tracks because it's so precise. If you define a character with that level of specificity, you can take them and put them in any genre, any situation—a spaceship, a Victorian drawing room, a school playground—and you will know exactly how they're going to behave. The same applies to Arthur Miller's Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman, as Will described it: a man who believes absolutely in capitalistic success and the idea that when you die, you're going to be weighed on a scale, just as God weighs you for sin, but now you're weighed for success. That's not a vague flaw. That's a worldview you can drop into any story and watch it combust. Will made another counterintuitive point that I found really valuable: writers often think that piling on multiple traits will create a complex character, but the opposite is true. Starting with one highly specific flaw and running it through the demands of a relentless plot is what generates complexity. You end up with a far more nuanced, original character than if you'd started with a laundry list of vague attributes. Actionable step: Take your protagonist's flaw and pressure-test it. Is it specific enough that you could place this character in any situation and predict their behaviour? If you're stuck at “she's stubborn” or “he's insecure,” keep pushing. What kind of stubborn? What kind of insecure? Find the diagnostic sentence—the Theresa May level of precision. 4. Understand the Heroine's Journey: Strength Through Connection Gail Carriger came on episode 550 to discuss her nonfiction book, The Heroine's Journey, and it completely reframed how I think about some of my own fiction. Gail explained that the core difference between the Hero's Journey and the Heroine's Journey comes down to how strength and victory are defined. The Hero's Journey is about strength through solo action. The hero must be continually isolated to get stronger. He goes out of civilisation, faces strife alone, and achieves victory through physical prowess and self-actualisation. The Heroine's Journey is the opposite. The heroine achieves her goals by activating a network. She's a delegator, a general. She identifies where she can't do something alone, finds the people who can help, and portions out the work for mutual gain. Gail put it simply: the heroine is very good at asking for help, which our culture tends to devalue but which is actually a powerful form of strength. Crucially, Gail stressed that gender is irrelevant to which journey you're writing. Her go-to examples are striking: the recent Wonder Woman film is practically a beat-for-beat hero's journey—Gilgamesh on screen, as Gail described it. Meanwhile, Harry Potter, both the first book and the series as a whole, is a classic heroine's journey. Harry's power comes from his network—Dumbledore's Army, the Order of the Phoenix, his friendships with Ron and Hermione. He doesn't defeat Voldemort alone. He defeats Voldemort because of love and connection. This distinction has real practical consequences for writers. If you're writing a hero's journey and you hit writer's block, Gail said, the solution is usually to isolate your hero further and pile on more strife. But if you're writing a heroine's journey, the solution is probably to throw a new character into the scene—someone who has advice to offer or a skill the heroine lacks. The actual solutions to writer's block are different depending on which narrative you're writing. As I reflected on my own work, I realised that my ARKANE thriller protagonist, Morgan Sierra, follows a hero's journey—she's a solo operative, a lone wolf like Jack Reacher or James Bond. But my Mapwalker fantasy series follows a heroine's journey, with Sienna and her group of friends working together. I hadn't consciously chosen those paths; the stories led me there. But understanding the framework helps me write more intentionally now. Actionable step: Identify which journey your protagonist is on. Does your character gain strength by being alone (hero) or by building connections (heroine)? This will inform every plot decision you make, from how they face obstacles to how your story ends. 5. Use ‘Metaphor Families' to Anchor Dialogue and Voice One of the most practical techniques Matt Bird shared on episode 624 is the idea of assigning each character a “metaphor family”—a specific well of language that they draw from. This gives each character a distinctive voice that goes beyond accent or dialect. Matt explained how in The Wire, one of the most beloved TV shows of all time, every character has a different metaphor family. What struck him was that Omar, this iconic character, never utters a single curse word in the entire series. His metaphor family is pirate. He talks about parlays, uses language that feels like it belongs in Pirates of the Caribbean, and it creates this incredible ironic counterpoint against his urban setting. It tells us immediately that this is a character who sees himself in a tradition of people that doesn't match his immediate surroundings. Matt also referenced the UK version of The Office, where Gareth works at a paper company but aspires to the military. So all of his language is drawn from a military metaphor family. He doesn't talk about filing and photocopying; he talks about tactics and discipline and being on the front line. This tells us that the character has a life and dreams beyond the immediate scene—and it's the gap between aspiration and reality that makes him both funny and believable. He pointed out that a metaphor family sometimes comes from a character's background, but it's often more interesting when it comes from their aspirations. What does your character want to be? What world do they fantasise about inhabiting? That's where their language should come from. In Star Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a spiritual hermit, but his metaphor family is military. He uses the language of generals and commanders, and that ironic counterpoint is part of what makes him feel so rich. Actionable step: Assign each of your main characters a metaphor family. It could be based on their job, their background, or—more interestingly—their secret aspirations. Then go through your dialogue and make sure each character is consistently drawing from that well of language. If two characters sound the same when you strip away the dialogue tags, this is the fix. 6. Find the Diagnostic Detail: The Diagonal Toast Avoid clichéd character tags—the random scar, the eye patch, the mysterious limp—unless they serve a deep narrative purpose. Matt Bird on episode 624 was very funny about this: he pointed out that Nick Fury, Odin, and eventually Thor all have eye patches in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Eye patches are done, he said. You cannot do eye patches anymore. Instead, look for what I'm calling the “diagonal toast” detail, after a scene Matt described from Captain Marvel. In the film, Captain Marvel is trying to determine whether Nick Fury is who he says he is. She asks him to prove he isn't a shapeshifting alien. Fury shares biographical details—his history, his mother—but then she pushes further and says, name one more thing you couldn't possibly have made up about yourself. And Fury says: if toast is cut diagonally, I can't eat it. Matt said that detail is gold for a writer because it feels pulled from a real life. You can pull it from your own life and gift it to your characters, and the reader can tell it's not manufactured. He gave another example from The Sopranos: Tony Soprano's mother won't answer the phone after dark. The show's creator, David Chase, confirmed on the DVD commentary that this came from his own mother, who genuinely would not answer the phone after dark and couldn't explain why. Matt's practical advice was to keep a journal. Write down the strange, specific things that people do or say. Mine your own life for those hyper-specific details. You just need one per book. In my own writing, I've used this approach. In my ARKANE thrillers, my character Morgan Sierra has always been Angelina Jolie in my mind—specifically Jolie in Lara Croft or Mr and Mrs Smith. And Blake Daniel in my crime thriller series was based on Jesse Williams from Grey's Anatomy. I paste pictures of actors into my Scrivener projects. It helps with visuals, but also with the sense of the character, their energy and physicality. But visual details only take you so far. It's the behavioural quirks—the diagonal toast moments—that make a character feel genuinely alive. That said, physical character tags can work brilliantly when they serve the story. As I discuss in How to Write a Novel, Robert Galbraith's Cormoran Strike is an amputee, and his pain and the physical challenges of his prosthesis are a key part of every story—it's not a cosmetic detail, it's woven into the action and the character's psychology. My character Blake Daniel always wears gloves to cover the scars on his hands, which provides an angle into his wounded past as well as a visual cue for the reader. And of course, Harry Potter's lightning-shaped scar isn't just a mark—it's a direct connection to his nemesis and the mythology of the entire series. The rule of thumb is: if the tag tells us something about the character's interior life or connects to the plot, it's earning its place. If it's just there to make the character visually distinctive, it's probably a crutch. Game of Thrones takes character tags further with the family houses, each with their own mottos and sigils. The Starks say “Winter is coming” and their sigil is a dire wolf. Those aren't just labels—they're worldview made visible. Actionable step: Start a “diagonal toast” notebook. Every time you notice something strange and specific about someone's behaviour—something that feels too real to be made up—write it down. Then gift it to a character who needs more texture. 7. Displace Your Own Trauma into the Work Barbara Nickless shared something deeply personal on episode 732 that fundamentally changed how I think about putting pain onto the page. While starting At First Light, the first book in her Dr. Evan Wilding series, she lost her son to epilepsy—something called SUDEP, Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy. One day he was there, and the next day he was gone. Barbara said that writing helped her cope with the trauma, that doing a deep dive into Old English literature and the Viking Age for the book's research became a lifeline. But here's what's important: she didn't give Dr. Evan Wilding her exact trauma. Evan Wilding is four feet five inches, and Barbara described how he has to walk through a world that won't adjust to him. That's its own form of learning to cope when circumstances are beyond your control. She displaced her genuine grief into the character's different but parallel struggle. When I asked her about the difference between writing for therapy and writing for an audience, she drew on her experience teaching creative writing to veterans through a collaboration between the US Department of Defense and the National Endowment for the Arts. She said she's found that she can pour her heartache into her characters and process it through them, even when writing professionally, and that the genuine emotion is what touches readers. We've all been through our own losses and griefs, so seeing how a character copes can be deeply meaningful. I've always found that putting my own pain onto the page is the most direct way to connect with a reader's soul. My character Morgan Sierra's musings on religion and the supernatural are often my own. Her restlessness, her fascination with the darker edges of faith—those come from me. But her Krav Maga fighting skills and her ability to kill the bad guys are definitely her own. That gap between what's mine and what's hers is where the fiction lives. Barbara also said something on that episode that I wrote down and stuck on my wall. She said the act of producing itself is a balm to the soul. I've been thinking about that ever since. On my own wall, I have “Measure your life by what you create.” Different words, same truth. Actionable step: If you're carrying something heavy—grief, anger, fear, regret—consider how you might displace it into a character's different but emotionally parallel struggle. Don't copy your exact situation; transform it. The emotion will be genuine, and the reader will feel it. 8. Write Diverse Characters as Real People When I spoke with Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer on episode 673—Sarah is Choctaw and a historical fiction author honoured by the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian—she offered a perspective that every fiction writer needs to hear. The key message was to move away from stereotypes. Don't write your American Indian character as the “Wise Guide” who exists solely to dispense mystic wisdom to the white protagonist. Don't limit diverse characters to historical settings, as though they only exist in the past. Place them in normal, contemporary roles. Your spaceship captain, your forensic scientist, your small-town baker—any of them can be American Indian, or Nigerian, or Japanese, and their heritage should be a lived-in part of their identity, not the sole reason they exist in the story. I write international thrillers and dark fantasy, and my fiction is populated with characters from all over the world. I have a multi-cultural family and I've lived in many places and travelled widely, so I've met, worked with, and had relationships with people from different cultures. I find story ideas through travel, and if I set my books in a certain place, then the story is naturally populated with the people who live there. As I discuss in my book, How to Write a Novel, the world is a diverse place, so your fiction needs to be populated with all kinds of people. If I only populated my fiction with characters like me, they would be boring novels. There are many dimensions of difference—race, nationality, sex, age, body type, ability, religion, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, class, culture, education level—and even then, don't assume that similar types of people think the same way. Some authors worry they will make mistakes. We live in a time of outrage, and some authors have been criticised for writing outside their own experience. So is it too dangerous to try? Of course not. The media amplifies outliers, and most authors include diverse characters in every book without causing offence because they work hard to get it right. It's about awareness, research, and intent. Actionable step: Audit the cast of your current work in progress. Have you written a mono-cultural perspective for all of them? If so, consider who could bring a different background, perspective, or set of cultural specifics to the story. Not as a token addition, but as a real person with a real life. 9. Respect Tribal and Cultural Specificity Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer on episode 673 was emphatic about one thing: never treat diverse groups as monolithic. If you're writing a Native American character, you must research the specific nation. Choctaw is not Navajo, just as British is not French. Sarah described the distinct cultural markers of the Choctaw people—the diamond pattern you'll see on traditional shirts and dresses, which represents the diamondback rattlesnake. They have distinct dances and songs. She said that if she saw someone in traditional dress at a distance, she would know whether they were Choctaw based on what they were wearing. She encouraged writers who want to write specifically about a nation to get to know those people. Go to events, go to a powwow, learn about the individual culture. She noted that a big misconception is that American Indians exist only in the past—she stressed that they are still here, still living their cultures, and fiction should reflect that present reality. I took a similar approach when writing Destroyer of Worlds, which is set mostly in India. I read books about Hindu myth, watched documentaries about the sadhus, and had one of my Indian readers from Mumbai check my cultural references. For Risen Gods, set in New Zealand with a young Maori protagonist, I studied books about Maori mythology and fiction by Maori authors, and had a male Maori reader check for cultural issues. Research is simply an act of empathy. The practical takeaway is this: if you're going to include a character from a specific cultural background, do the work. Use specific cultural details rather than generic signifiers. Sarah talked about how even she fell into stereotypes when she was first writing, until her mother pointed them out. If someone from within a culture can fall into those traps, the rest of us certainly can. Do the research, try your best, ask for help, and apologise if you need to. Actionable step: If you're writing a character from a specific culture, identify three to five sensory or behavioural details that are particular to that culture—not the generic version, but the real, researched, lived-in version. Consider hiring a sensitivity reader from that community to check your work. 10. Give Your Protagonist a Morally Neutral ‘Hero' Status Matt Bird was clear about this on episode 624: the word “hero” simply means the protagonist, the person we follow through the story. It's a functional role, not a moral label. We don't have to like them. We don't even have to root for their goals in a moral sense. We just have to find them compelling enough to invest our attention in their problem-solving. Think of Succession, where every member of the Roy family is varying degrees of awful, and yet the show was utterly compelling. Or WeCrashed, where Adam Neumann is a narcissistic con artist, but we can't look away because he's trying to solve the enormous problem of building an empire from nothing, and the tradecraft he employs is fascinating. As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, readers must want to spend time with your characters. They don't have to be lovable or even likable—that will depend on your genre and story choices—but they have to be captivating enough that we want to spend time with them. A character who is trying to solve a massive problem will naturally draw investment from the audience, even if we wouldn't want to have tea with them. Will Storr extended this idea by pointing out that the audience will actually root for a character to solve their problem even if the audience doesn't actually want the character's goal to be achieved in the real world. We don't really want more billionaires, but we invested in Adam Neumann's rise because that was the problem the story posed, and our brains are wired to invest in problem-solving. This connects to something deeper: what does your character want, and why? As I explore in How to Write a Novel, desire operates on multiple levels. Take a character like Phil, who joins the military during wartime. On the surface, she wants to serve her country. But she also wants to escape her dead-end town and learn new skills. Deeper still, her father and grandfather served, and by joining up, she hopes to finally earn their respect. And perhaps deepest of all, her father died on a mission under mysterious circumstances, and she wants to find out what happened from the inside. That layering of motivation is what turns a flat character into a three-dimensional one. The audience doesn't need to be told all of this explicitly. It can emerge through action, dialogue, and the choices the character makes under pressure. But you, the writer, need to know it. You need to know what your character really wants deep down, because that desire—more than any external plot device—is what drives the story forward. And your antagonist needs the same depth. They also want something, often diametrically opposed to your protagonist, and they need a reason that makes sense to them. In my ARKANE thriller Tree of Life, my antagonist is the heiress of a Brazilian mining empire who wants to restore the Earth to its original state to atone for the destruction caused by her father's company. She's part of a radical ecological group who believe the only way to restore Nature is to end all human life. It's extreme, but in an era of climate change, it's a motivation readers can understand—even if they disagree with the solution. Actionable step: If you're struggling to make a morally grey character work, make sure their problem is big enough and their methods are specific and interesting enough that we invest in the how, even if we're ambivalent about the what. 11. Build Vibrant Side Characters Gail Carriger made a point on episode 550 that was equal parts craft advice and business strategy. In a Heroine's Journey model, side characters aren't just fodder to be killed off to motivate the hero. They form a network. And because you don't have to kill them—unlike in a hero's journey, where allies are often betrayed or removed so the hero can be further isolated—you can pick up those side characters and give them their own books. Gail said this creates a really voracious reader base. You write one series with vivid side characters, and then readers fall in love with those side characters and want their stories. So you write spin-offs. The romance genre does this brilliantly—think of the Bridgerton books, where each sibling gets their own novel. The side character in one book becomes the protagonist in the next. Barbara Nickless experienced this firsthand with her Dr. Evan Wilding series. She has River Wilding, Evan's adventurous brother, and Diana, the axe-throwing research assistant, and her editor has already expressed interest in a spin-off series with those characters. Barbara described creating characters she wants to spend time with, or characters who give her nightmares but also intrigue her. That's the dual test: are they interesting enough for you to write, and interesting enough for readers to demand more? As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, characters that span series can deepen the reader's relationship with them as you expand their backstory into new plots. Readers will remember the character more than the plot or the book title, and look forward to the next instalment because they want more time with those people. British crime author Angela Marsons described it as readers feeling like returning to her characters is like putting on a pair of old slippers. Actionable step: Look at your supporting cast. Is there a side character who is vivid enough to carry their own story? If not, what could you add—a specific hobby, a distinct voice, a compelling backstory—that would make readers want more of them? 12. Use Voice as a Rhythmic Tool Voice is one of the most important elements of novel writing, and Matt Bird helped me think about it in a technical, mechanical way that I found really useful. He pointed out that the ratio of periods to commas defines a character's internal reality. A staccato rhythm—lots of periods, short sentences—suggests a character who is certain, grounded, or perhaps survivalist and traumatised. Katniss in The Hunger Games has a period-heavy voice. She's in survival mode. She doesn't have time for complexity or qualification. A flowing, comma-heavy style suggests someone more academic, more nuanced, or possibly more scattered and manipulative. The character who qualifies everything, who adds sub-clauses and digressions, is a different kind of person from the character who speaks in declarations. This is something you can actually measure. Pull up a passage of your character's dialogue or internal monologue and count the periods versus the commas. If the rhythm doesn't match who the character is supposed to be, you've found a mismatch you can fix. Sentence length is the heartbeat of your character's persona. And voice extends beyond rhythm to the words themselves. As I discussed in the metaphor families tip, each character should draw from a distinctive well of language. But voice also encompasses their relationship to silence. Some characters talk around the thing they mean; others say it straight. Some are self-deprecating; others are blunt to the point of rudeness. All of these choices are character choices, not just style choices. I find it useful to read my dialogue aloud—and not just to check for naturalness, but to hear whether each character sounds distinct. If you could swap dialogue lines between two characters and nobody would notice, you have a voice problem. One practical test: cover the dialogue tags and see if you can tell who's speaking from the words alone. Actionable step: Choose a key passage from your protagonist's point of view and read it aloud. Does the rhythm match the character? A soldier under fire should not sound like a philosophy professor at a wine tasting. Adjust the ratio of periods to commas until the voice feels right. 13. Link Character and Plot Until They're Inseparable Will Storr made the case on episode 490 that the number one problem he sees in the writing he encounters—in workshops, in submissions, even in published books—is that the characters and the plots are unconnected. There's a story happening, and there are people in it, but the story isn't a product of who those people are. He said a story should be like life. In our lives, the plots are intimately connected to who we are as characters. The goals we pursue, the obstacles we face, the same problems that keep recurring—these are products of our personalities, our flaws, our specific ways of being in the world. His framework is that your plot should be designed specifically to plot against your character. You've got a character with a particular flaw; the plot exists to test that flaw over and over until the character either transforms or doubles down and explodes. Jaws is the perfect example. Brody is afraid of water. A shark shows up in the coastal town he's responsible for protecting. The entire plot is engineered to force him to confront the one thing he cannot face. Will pointed out that the whole plot of Jaws is structured around Brody's flaw. It begins with the shark arriving, the midpoint is when Brody finally gets the courage to go into the water, and the very final scene isn't the shark blowing up—it's Brody swimming back through the water. Even a film that's ninety-eight percent action is, at its core, structured around a character with a character flaw. This is the standard I aspire to in my own work, even in my action-heavy thrillers. The external plot should be a mirror of the internal struggle. When those two are aligned, the story becomes irresistible. Will also made an important point about series fiction, which is where most commercial authors live. I asked him how this works when your character can't be transformed at the end of every book because there has to be a next book. His answer was elegant: you don't cure them. Episodic TV characters like Fleabag or David Brent or Basil Fawlty never truly change—and the fact that they don't change is actually the source of the comedy. But every episode throws a new story event at them that tests and exposes their flaw. You just keep throwing story events at them again and again. That's a soap opera, a sitcom, and a book series. As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, character flaws are aspects of personality that affect the person so much that facing and overcoming them becomes central to the plot. In Jaws, the protagonist Brody is afraid of the water, but he has to overcome that flaw to destroy the killer shark and save the town. But remember, your characters should feel like real people, so never define them purely by their flaws. The character addicted to painkillers might also be a brilliant and successful female lawyer who gets up at four in the morning to work out at the gym, likes eighties music, and volunteers at the local dog shelter at weekends. Character wounds are different from flaws. They're formed from life experience and are part of your character's backstory—traumatic events that happened before the events of your novel but shape the character's reactions in the present. In my ARKANE thrillers, Morgan Sierra's husband Elian died in her arms during a military operation. This happened before the series begins, but her memories of it recur when she faces a firefight, and she struggles to find happiness again for fear of losing someone she loves once more. And then there's the perennial advice: show, don't tell. Most writers have heard this so many times that it's easy to nod and then promptly write scenes that tell rather than show. Basically, you need to reveal your character through action and dialogue, rather than explanation. In my thriller Day of the Vikings, Morgan Sierra fights a Neo-Viking in the halls of the British Museum and brings him down with Krav Maga. That fight scene isn't just about showing action. It opens up questions about her backstory, demonstrates character, and moves the plot forward. Telling would be something like: “Morgan was an expert in Krav Maga.” Showing is the reader discovering it through the scene itself. Actionable step: Look at the main plot events of your novel. For each major turning point, ask: does this scene specifically test my protagonist's flaw? If not, can you redesign the scene so that it does? The tighter the connection between character and plot, the more powerful the story. 14. The ‘Maestra' Approach: Write Out of Order If you're a discovery writer like me, you may feel like the deep character work I've been describing sounds more suited to plotters. But Barbara Nickless gave me a beautiful metaphor on episode 732 that reframes it entirely. Barbara described her evolving writing process as being like a maestra standing in front of an orchestra. Sometimes you bring in the horns—a certain theme—and sometimes you bring in the strings—a certain character—and sometimes you turn to the soloist. It's a more organic and jumping-around process than linear writing, and Barbara said she's only recently given herself permission to work this way. When I told her that I use Scrivener to write in scenes out of order and then drag and drop them into a structure later, she was genuinely intrigued. And this is how I've always worked. I'll see the story in my mind like a movie trailer—flashes of the big emotional scenes, the pivotal confrontations, the moments of revelation—and I write those first. I don't know how they hang together until quite late in the process. Then I'll move scenes around, print the whole thing out, and figure out the connective tissue. The point is that discovery writers can absolutely build deep characters. Sometimes writing the big emotional scenes first is how you discover who the character is before you fill in the rest. You don't need a twenty-page character worksheet or a 200-page outline like Jeffery Deaver. You need to be willing to follow the character into the unknown and trust that the structure will emerge. As Barbara said, she writes to know what she's thinking. That's the discovery writer's credo. And I would add: I write to know who my characters are. Actionable step: If you're stuck on your current chapter, skip it. Write the scene that's burning in your imagination, even if it's from the middle or the end. That scene might be the key to unlocking who your character really is. 15. Use Research to Help with Empathy Research shouldn't just be about factual accuracy—it's a tool for finding the sensory details that create empathy. Barbara Nickless described research as almost an excuse to explore things that fascinate her, and I feel exactly the same way. I would go so far as to say that writing is an excuse for me to explore the things that interest me. Barbara and I both travel for our stories. For her Dr. Evan Wilding books, she did deep research into Old English literature and the Viking Age. For my thriller End of Days, I transcribed hours of video from Appalachian snake-handling churches on YouTube to understand the worldview of the worshippers, because my antagonist was brought up in that tradition. I couldn't just make that up. I had to hear their language, feel their conviction, understand why they would hold venomous serpents as an act of faith. Barbara also mentioned getting to Israel and the West Bank for research, and I've been to both places too. Finding that one specific sensory detail—the smell of a particular location, the specific way an expert handles a tool, the sound of a particular kind of music—makes the character's life feel lived-in. It's the difference between a character who is described as living in a place and a character who inhabits it. As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, don't write what you know. Write what you want to learn about. I love research. It's part of why I'm an author in the first place. I take any excuse to dive into a world different from my own. Research using books, films, podcasts, and travel, and focus particularly on sources produced by people from the worldview you want to understand. Actionable step: For your next piece of character research, go beyond reading. Watch a documentary, visit a location, talk to someone who lives the experience. Find one sensory detail—a smell, a sound, a texture—that you couldn't have invented. That detail will make your character feel real. Bonus: Measure Your Life by What You Create In an age of AI and a tsunami of content, your ultimate brand protection is the quality of your human creation. Barbara Nickless said that the act of producing itself is a balm to the soul, and I believe that with every fibre of my being. Don't be afraid to take that step back, like I did with my deadlifting. Take the time to master these deeper craft skills. It might feel like you're slowing down or going backwards by not chasing the latest marketing trend, but it's the only way to step forward into a sustainable, high-quality career. Your characters are your signature. No AI can replicate the specificity of your lived experience, the emotional truth of your displaced trauma, or the sensory details you've gathered from a life of curiosity and travel. Those are yours. Pour them into your characters, and they will resonate for years to come. Actionable Takeaway: Identify the Dramatic Question for your current protagonist. Can you state it in a single sentence with the kind of specificity Will Storr described? Is it as clear as “Are you ordinary or extraordinary?” or “Are you the only adult in the room?” If you can't answer it with that kind of precision, your character might still be a sketch. Give them a diagonal toast moment today. Find the one hyper-specific detail that proves they are not an imitation of life. And then ask yourself: does your plot test your character's flaw in every major scene? If you can align those two things—a precisely defined character and a plot that exists to test them—you will have a story that readers cannot put down. References and Deep Dives The episodes I've referenced today are all available with full transcripts at TheCreativePenn.com: Episode 732 — Facing Fears, and Writing Unique Characters with Barbara Nickless Episode 673 — Writing Choctaw Characters and Diversity in Fiction with Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer Episode 624 — Writing Characters with Matt Bird Episode 550 — The Heroine's Journey with Gail Carriger Episode 490 — How Character Flaws Shape Story with Will Storr Books mentioned: The Secrets of Character: Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love by Matt Bird The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr The Heroine's Journey by Gail Carriger How to Write a Novel: From Idea to Book by Joanna Penn You can find all my books for authors at CreativePennBooks.com and my fiction and memoir at JFPennBooks.com Happy writing! How was this episode created? This episode was initiated created by NotebookLM based on YouTube videos of the episodes linked above from YouTube/TheCreativePenn, plus my text chapters on character from How to Write a Novel. NotebookLM created a blog post from the material and then I expanded it and fact checked it with Claude.ai 4.6 Opus, and then I used my voice clone at ElevenLabs to narrate it. The post Writing Characters: 15 Actionable Tips For Writing Deep Character first appeared on The Creative Penn.

“Apparently, the idea of holiday celebrations cheered up everyone, even werewolves.” In this episode of Fictional Hangover, Amanda, Claire and SuperFan Annie talk about kittens and pink slurps, playing spot the wicker chicken, shipping Byall, the perfect amount of pining, a hairy American pickle, and the correct placement of a ponytail in their discussion of Romancing the Werewolf by Gail Carriger.

Gail Carriger and Piper J. Drake discuss preferred qualities in a travel tote. But first! Gail and Piper answer a sensitive listener question with honest recommendations, frank discussion, and travel whammy stories. Note: This episode has been rescued from the limbo of episodes lost in unexpected hiatus and was recorded over a year ago, possibly two. Piper's Tote Ultra slim laptop backpack with a section with a grid of elastic bands for organization Gail's Tote A rigid sided, small tote that fits under any underseat space for US or EU travel Gadgets! Piper's Recommedation: Period panties Gail's Recommendation: Heavy flow pads for delicate skin such as U by Kotex Shoutouts! Gail's Shoutouts: Old Fashioned Cupcake by by Sagan, Sagan Piper's Shoutouts: Love Destiny (บุพเพสันนิวาส) – – –  Special thanks to Kelly for editing this episode! Thanks for listening. Travel smart. Pack the snacks!  – – –  Get your question featured on an episode by saying hi on social media:       Facebook.com/20minDelay      @20minDelay      @PiperJDrake      @GailCarriger Use the hashtag: #20mindelaypodcast

Gail Carriger and Piper J. Drake discuss the massive life challenges that drove us into unintended hiatus before diving enthusiastically into discussing our top 5 foods on the go, specifically foods we either pack to go on adventure or foods we immediately look for upon arrival at our destination. Gail's Top 5 Hard Boiled Egg Chocolate Soy Milk Trader Joe's Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats (in and out of stock) Cheetos (or Chex Mix) Onigiri Piper's Top 5 Hard Boiled Egg Protein Powder - shoutout to Boba Tea Protein  Tofu  Tinned Fish Yokult Drinkable Yogurt Gadgets! (or coping mechanisms) Perfume - Gail's been exploring scents that bring her joy. Piper now plans to introduce Gail to a Thai based perfumes: Butterfly Thai Perfumes Lipcare - Piper's been exploring lip glosses and lip balms from Korean, Japanese, and Thai beauty brands.  Gail loves lip oils, recommending brands like Versed. – – –  Special thanks to Kelly for editing this episode! Thanks for listening. Travel smart. Pack the snacks!  – – –  Get your question featured on an episode by saying hi on social media:       Facebook.com/20minDelay      @20minDelay      @PiperJDrake      @GailCarriger Use the hashtag: #20mindelaypodcast

“I'm perfectly able to read, Major! It's amazing what you can find in bookstores these days.” In this episode of Fictional Hangover, Amanda and Claire talk about keeping shame in a box, how ladies love libraries and wearing all top hats all the time in their discussion of How to Marry a Werewolf by Gail Carriger.

This week I share an amazing lecture Martha Wells gave on AI characters in science fiction stories. Quite often these stories involve the enslavement of sentient beings. She gives us a lot of food for thought and shares a little about the origins of her beloved character, Murderbot. I also talk (very) briefly about the heroine's journey.LinksCheck out my novel, Critical Balance.Have you read Critical Balance? Please leave a review on Amazon.LinksSubscribe via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.Support the show on Patreon.Donate to the show.Follow me on Bluesky.Join my Discord server.Email me.Call My Voicemail: 951-465-5391Check out my YouTube channel.Join my Book Club, now on Discord.A Few Notes on the Culture by Iain M. BanksStart The Culture series with Consider Phlebas or The Player of GamesStart The Murderbot Diaries with All Systems RedMurderbot showAncillary Justice by Anne LeckieThe Heroine's Journey by Gail Carriger

“I should like to be corrupted! What else are vampires good for?” In this episode of Fictional Hangover, Amanda and Claire talk about a wicker chicken full of lesbians, rodgering with a side of gertruding, and solving for the missing X in their discussion of Romancing the Inventor by Gail Carriger.  

Gail Carriger and Piper J. Drake briefly check back in regarding their unplanned hiatus to assure listeners of their (imminent) return. – – –  Special thanks to Kelly for editing this episode! Thanks for listening. Travel smart. Pack the snacks!  – – –  Get your question featured on an episode by saying hi on social media:       Facebook.com/20minDelay      @20minDelay      @PiperJDrake      @GailCarriger Use the hashtag: #20mindelaypodcast

“You're a hedgehog smuggler. A chicken transport hedgehog smuggler.”   In this episode of Fictional Hangover, Amanda and Claire talk about welcoming old friends, looking for the best snacks, having large attriglutes, and manifesting Custard Protocol short stories in their discussion of Meat Cute by Gail Carriger.

“I say, this may be Egypt, but trailing about with dead cats - not the done thing." In this unedited episode of Fictional Hangover, Amanda and Claire talk about straight up murder, John Wick vibes, a cocky but dead Italian, and starting a petition for Custard Protocol short stories, and/or boobs, feet and this bloody economy in their discussion of The Curious Case of the Werewolf That Wasn't by Gail Carriger.

In this bonus episode of Fictional Hangover, Amanda and Claire talk with Gail Carriger, author of the Parasol Protectorate, about emo's Egyptian beginnings, walking into a closet of meatsuits, being a chronic re-reader, Paul Rudd's vampire origin story, and getting pancakes for the table.

“It takes a pack to raise a child.”   In this episode of Fictional Hangover, Amanda and Claire talk about suffering unexpected consequences of wearing hats, learning not to bring a baby to a vampire fight!, experiencing panicked panting with new hair for the evening, and discussing how one should not ride the aristocracy in their discussion of Timeless, Parasol Protectorate book the fifth by Gail Carriger, featuring the author for Would You Rather.

Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. This episode features our conversation with best-selling SFF author Gail Carriger. Gail discusses her writing career, her non-fiction title, The Heroine's Journey, and how she started out as a traditionally-published author before going indie (and finding much success in the indie space)! Bestselling author Gail Carriger joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her writing career and her new non-fiction book, The Heroine's Journey. Gail started out as a traditionally published author, but once she got a taste of indie publishing she absolutely loved it. Her newest book, The Heroine's Journey, takes a look at the storytelling device by the same name and how it appears throughout the literary canon and pop culture. Gail also talks to us about her writing process, the fate of the publishing industry, and what happened when she stopped running ads for three months.  Learn more on Gail's website, check out Gail's Resources for Writers, and grab a copy of The Heroine's Journey!

"Oh, doesn't that just take the sticky pudding?"   In this episode of Fictional Hangover, Amanda and Claire talk about popping their necks and compressing their spines for fashion, kicking pain-in-the-ass sisters out of the dirigible and, most importantly, how a rip roaring rampaging robotic octopus is more believable than not needing to pee in their discussion of Heartless, Parasol Protectorate book the fourth, by Gail Carriger.

“I may be soulless, gentlemen, but I assure you I am faithful.” In this episode of Fictional Hangover, Amanda and Claire talk about mustaches and octopuses, using the French rationale, kissing (with consent), and hats and secrets in their discussion of Blameless, Parasol Protectorate book the third, by Gail Carriger.

“This is no Shakespearian melodrama; this is the 1870s.” In this episode of Fictional Hangover, Amanda and Claire talk about embellishing their hats Ivy style, having a Twilight Breaking Dawn moment, creating feelings in others that they themselves don't understand, and if you know you know in their discussion of Changeless, Parasol Protectorate book the second, by Gail Carriger.

“To put the pudding in the puff: she had retreated to the library, her favorite sanctuary in any house, only to happen upon an unexpected vampire.”   In this unedited episode of Fictional Hangover, Amanda, Claire and SuperFan Annie talk about speaking in italics, understanding the assignment with hats and being attacked by pink fuzz, not being opposed to cannibalism, a huge herculean homHUNKulus, and how Miss Gail brings people together in their discussion of Soulless, Parasol Protectorate book the first, by Gail Carriger.

In this episode of Creative Chats, novelist and storyteller Douglas A. Burton joins us and opens up about exploring archetypal designs and the hero's journey, sharing invaluable insights and experiences that will ignite your creative spirit.  3 Key Takeaways:

Mark interviews Gail Carriger about her writing life, her journey through publishing, analytics, the careful curation of her author brand, being a hybrid author and so much more. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word from this episode's sponsor. Learn more about this self-publishing/WIDE-publishing focused cruise. In the interview Mark and Gail talk about:- How honored Mark is to learn that Gail listens to the Stark Reflections Podcast Gail's branding phrase of "Gail Carriger writes books that are hugs" and the various experiments she's done with that over the years Always being a person who wrote, or had a passion for writing Reading The Lord of the Rings as a child and deciding to craft her OWN ending for the story Growing up in a "commune" environment with a bunch of poets Gail's career as an academic when her first traditionally published book (Soulless) came out and took off The challenge/dare to herself of wanting to write a genre-blending/cross-genre tale of something that she would enjoy as a reader Negotiations taking a long time because Gail dug in her heels on specific contract clauses Her agent investigating a back-door deal with another publisher who offered her 3X the deal the first was looking at and was willing to adjust the right of first refusal clause The vision that the publishers had that Soulless was the beginning of a series (despite Gail believing, when she first wrote it, that it was a stand-alone) Having a two-book contract and then writing a cliffhanger at the end of the 2nd book in order to grease the wheels of a contract for other books Gail's love-affair with spreadsheets and the fact she reads all 56 pages of her royalty reports One of the main reasons she became an indie author was her ability to have direct access to data about her sales and her readers Gail's cautionary note to authors that with a "right of first refusal" a publisher is allowed to take their time with that offer, which can significantly delay an author's forward-movement plans The possible "rights grab" that a publisher might do even if it's not something within their regular publishing plans How growing up Gen-X and being a non-native to computers and the internet has resulted in an abundance of caution about digital, computers, the world wide web, how she is presented on the internet, etc. Gail's recommendation to test the waters in self-publishing with short stories first Nerding out with Mark about the "old days" of self-publishing and podcasting Being a social scientist by training and loving analytics and spreadsheets Pinging her rabid fan base and testing things all the time Gail's A/B testing on whether it's better to put a newsletter signup link at the front of a book or the end of the book, or both Ensuring that her author brand is not diluted with author business stuff that she's known for from other authors and industry insiders Talking to her readers constantly to continue to stay in the loop on insights The importance, when communicating to your readers to use the same language that they're used to Learning that her readers tend to not have a distinction between libraries and bookstores - that many of them see them under the same umbrella of a place they go to see what books are on display Confirming the reports that "word of mouth" is, by a landslide, the way that most readers find out about new books and new authors to read The value of a recommendation from another author in a newsletter or on social media The challenges of book blurbs A podcast that Gail recommends: Reading Glasses - and that authors should subscribe and listen to it in order to understand the language that readers use The deliberate curation and creation of the Gail Carriger persona, including her love of wearing retro outfits The side benefit of being able to be a fan at conventions, etc when "out of uniform" and how she's rarely recognized when not sporting that specific "look" A little bit about Gail's book THE HEROINE'S JOURNEY The next book for writers that Gail is working on called GOING HYBRID, structured to help established and existing traditionally published authors to learn the indie publishing landscape And more . . .   After the interview Mark reflects on several different topics that came up in the conversation, including contract clauses, being incognito, and Gails's suggesting for testing the self-publishing waters.   Links of Interest: Gail Carriger Website ScribeCount (Mark's Affiliate Link) DropCap Marketplace  Use coupon STARK20 to get 20% off Cruising Writers Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections How to Access Patreon RSS Feeds An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard   Gail Carriger writes books that are hugs, mostly comedies of manners mixed with steampunk, urban fantasy, and sci-fi (plus cozy queer joy as G. L. Carriger). These include the Parasol Protectorate, Custard Protocol, Tinkered Stars, and San Andreas Shifter series for adults, and the Finishing School and Tinkered Starsong series for young adults. Also nonfiction: The Heroine's Journey. She is published in many languages, has over a million books in print, over a dozen New York Times and USA Today bestsellers, and starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Kirkus, and Romantic Times.   The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This week Ines and Leslye tackle how to bring stories to a close with a deep dive on story endings. We dive into character arcs, open doors (and windows!), and resolutions. BOOKS MENTIONED Write Your Novel from the Middle by James Scott Bell: https://amzn.to/4a6NaqQ Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi: https://amzn.to/44v2TPn  One Stop for Writers: https://onestopforwriters.com/emotions  The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope: https://amzn.to/4btzGXe Save the Cat by Blake Snyder: https://amzn.to/4abpK3A  Save the Cat Goes to the Movies by Blake Snyder: https://amzn.to/4bpDJUm  Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody: https://amzn.to/3xf7TFV The Heroine's Journey by Gail Carriger: https://amzn.to/3WuZD4t That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming: https://amzn.to/3WuZwG5   Ines' Substack where she breaks down Marvel movies according to the Five Part Finale https://ineswrites.substack.com/p/5-part-finale-of-the-incredible-hulk   Check out Margie Lawson's courses: https://www.margielawson.com/lecture-packets/  Sign up for author Nalini Singh's newsletter to receive fan service here: https://nalinisingh.com/ Want the official Psy-Changeling Reading Order? Click here: https://nalinisingh.com/books/psychangeling-series/   Want to learn worldbuilding from Leslye? Sign up here: https://learn.myimaginaryfriends.net/ Want to learn story structure from Ines? Sign up here: https://ineswrites.com/PTP Get ready for Shield of Winter, coming in 1 week! Grab your copy to read along: https://amzn.to/4b6r34L    Find the hosts online at: L. Penelope: https://lpenelope.com/  Ines Johnson: https://ineswrites.com/  Credits: "Moonlight Hall" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.

Wild Wild West Con 12 Strength of Heart: Finding the Romantic Hero Who is Right for You Recorded live at Wild Wils West Con 12 1pm FRI • Ballroom E Our hosts Madame Askew, The Grand Arbiter, and Gail Carriger Finding a partner is a real chore, but not if you are looking in the pages of a book! Join Madame Askew, The Grand Arbiter, and Gail Carriger as we discuss the pros and cons of different romantic heroes and maybe find a new protagonist to read in bed. Madame Askew   https://www.facebook.com/MadameAskew https://www.patreon.com/MadameAskew/posts https://linktr.ee/MadameAskew     https://www.twitch.tv/madameaskew   The Grand Arbiter https://www.facebook.com/groups/522050192054255/user/100057617898056/ https://www.patreon.com/MadameAskew/posts https://www.twitch.tv/teagrandarbiter   Gail Carriger https://www.facebook.com/gailcarrigerllc https://gailcarriger.com/ http://gailcarriger.com/chirrup - Miss Carriger's newsletter has new release exclusives, sneak peaks, gossip, giveaways, and more.   Thank you Wild Wild West Con Guests, Staff, Volunteers and Panelists for an amazing Con and weekend full of new and olf friends and family! We love you guys! For more on WWWC check out: https://www.wildwestcon.com/ The Wild Wild West Con Community Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/273200786672134 The WWWC Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/events/473015638010102 Please support our shows at www.patreon.com/cppn and even join us in some games! Also keep an eye at the new things on our now affiliated Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/creativeplayandpodcast Also follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CreativePlayandPodcastNetwork Would you be interested if we hosted D&D and Edge of Empire games on Roll20 for you to join? Email us at Creativeplaypodcastnet@Gmail.com  

Do you like historical fiction and romance? Your mind may be blown by how these two prolific authors spice it up by adding, comedy, Steampunk, futurism, fairies and horses.  And, you'll get some great advice on protecting your books in the publishing world.

This week Gail Carriger returns to the show to talk about DIVINITY 36, DEMIGOD 12, and DOME 6, all out now! We cannot say enough how formative Gail has been to Beyond The Trope over the years. It's been a joy and a privilege becoming friends with her. Find out more about Gail at https://GailCarriger.com. Mentioned in this episode: The Tattered Cover Hachette Book Group Orbit Publishing Little, Brown and Company Subterranian Press IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK by James Baldwin Dave Wolverton Dave Farland J. D. Robb Nora Roberts Iain M. Banks G. L. Carriger V. E. Schwab

In this episode, we're exploring an exciting trend of narratives featuring strong heroines who rescue themselves, and the supportive heroes who love them for it.  Gone are the days of damsels in distress waiting for a hero; today's romance stories are about empowered women charting their own destinies, creating community, and finding partners who respect and admire their strength.    Want to read Ines' single mother Cinderella story? Grab Pumpkin: a Cindermama story here: https://amzn.to/3RoCFc4   Our favorite Cinderella retellings and books/movies that follow this theme are: Ever After: https://amzn.to/3SXKTct  Penelope: https://amzn.to/3T4xGhY  Frozen: https://amzn.to/3SZrfwY  Working Girl: https://amzn.to/47vxYCY  Disney's Cinderella: https://amzn.to/3ux0zcz  Amazon's Cinderella: https://amzn.to/47RwEub  Brandi's Cinderella: https://amzn.to/49VAfsL  If the Shoe Fits: https://amzn.to/40UNEgI  Graceling by Kristin Cashore: https://amzn.to/3ux0OV1  Rafe by Rebeka Weatherspoon: https://amzn.to/47wAh8Y  The Twilight Saga, particularly Book 4: https://amzn.to/47PrkHG  Hermione in the Harry Potter series: https://amzn.to/3RfSHFe  Jane Eyre the book: https://amzn.to/3ReHcxT  Jane Eyre with Michael Fassbender: https://amzn.to/4a67xpt  Jane Eyre with Toby Stephens: https://amzn.to/47RwUt9  Wide Sargasso Sea is not a Cinderella retelling, but a prequel to Jane Eyre: https://amzn.to/3QYpPjk    You should have Theodora Taylor's 7 Figure Fiction in your library to make sure you butter up those Universal Fantasies: https://amzn.to/3Gei6su    Also check out her Romance List for a complete breakdown of the Cinderella trope: https://amzn.to/3Ge14Lp    Want to learn more about the Heroine's Journey by Gail Carriger? You can read it here: https://amzn.to/49Wwtzn   Interested in the Save the Cat plotting method? Here's the book: https://amzn.to/3uzsKaT    James Scott Bell talks about the Mirror Moment in Write Your Novel From the Middle: https://amzn.to/47qQU67    Want to learn worldbuilding from Leslye? Sign up here: https://learn.myimaginaryfriends.net/   Want to learn story structure from Ines? Sign up here: https://ineswrites.com/PTP Get ready for Mine to Possess, coming in 2 weeks! Grab your copy to read along: https://amzn.to/40SBchm    Find the hosts online at: L. Penelope: https://lpenelope.com/  Ines Johnson: https://ineswrites.com/    Credits: "Moonlight Hall" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.

Author Gail Carriger is known for comedy-of-manners fantasy like the Parasol Protectorate or Finishing School. But she also is a huge fan of K-pop and has worked it into her Tinkered Starsong series.Featuring Tom Merritt and Gail Carriger.Visit Gail Carriger's site for more information about them!My 90 Year Old Dad Likes Kpop & This Says Something About Living Long & Joyfully10 Songs Behind the Tinkered Starsong Series & Why – The Divine Kpop Playlist (BTS, GOT7, BTOB)10 Great Kpop Singers & Why They're Inspiring (Tinkered Starsong Character Influences) Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/a-word-with-tom-merritt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does Twitter sell books? Do book tours improve sales? How do readers actually find authors in the first place? Across a fifteen-year-career, NYT best-selling author Gail Carriger talks about hitting list, collecting data on her readers, and walking away from bad book/film deals. Check the show notes to gain access to a wealth of info and author assistance, via her incredibly detailed blog. ###Show Notes And Links (written by Gail herself!)Website = gailcarriger.comResources tab for authors on Gail's websitehttps://gailcarriger.com/resources/#writersA book option does not a movie make:https://gailcarriger.com/2015/09/28/on-the-unlikelihood-of-options-becoming-films/The discoverability data blog post (psw = backdoor) https://gailcarriger.com/2023/05/11/new-reader-discoverability-data/Gail uses data and experience to predict Amazon's behavior around books for the next 3 years (psw = backdoor)https://gailcarriger.com/2023/02/27/amazonchanges/How to use Wordpress plugin Redirection to track your activities online so you know if your promo efforts are effectivehttps://gailcarriger.com/2016/12/09/redirection/##See website for full notes!

Gail Carriger and Piper J. Drake chose chaos a couple of months ago, going off script with no structure to discuss trip planning for Thailand! Note: at the time this episodes airs, Gail and Piper will already be in Thailand, so check their social media for live updates of their trip or stand by for future episodes recorded in Thailand! It's happening, dear listeners. Brace yourselves. The approach: have a home base in Bangkok, working and writing during the week and taking day trips or venturing beyond Bangkok for weekend jaunts. The objective: work anywhere. Piper will also be working day job! On US time! Thus practicing a biphasic sleep schedule.  The philosophy: we're enjoying the lifestyle, the digital nomad experience, and we're very likely to be back. Coordination and Planning shared Google doc for asynchronous notes on our travel destination and questions Travel Buddies - it's a trio of friends with a combination of shared interests and contrasts packing prep Researching desired foods to seek out and try, making lists! Key Questions We Asked Each Other what kinds of things do you want to do? what kinds of sight seeing do you enjoy? what travel vaccines do we need? – – –  Special thanks to Kelly for editing this episode! Thanks for listening. Travel smart. Pack the snacks!  – – –  Get your question featured on an episode by saying hi on social media:       Facebook.com/20minDelay      @20minDelay      @PiperJDrake      @GailCarriger Use the hashtag: #20mindelaypodcast

Gail Carriger and Piper J. Drake discuss things that just don't make it into the suitcase or carry on, things we often forget to bring along on travel. But first! Where have Gail & Piper been? Piper did a stay-cation in Seattle, hosting Piper Mommy and her brother with his wife: Chihuli Garden and Glass, conveyer belt sushi, ASEAN Street, and more... Gail Often Forgets: Socks Bathing Attire incl. swim cap, goggles, bathing suit Update all apps/download entertainment media Refrigerated items Piper Often Forgets: Swimsuit Second pair of pants Alternate shoes: casual flats Jewelry Gadgets: Gail's gadget: tested the Flight Flap Piper's gadget: in search of a new hair styling device more compact than the T3 curling iron Shoutouts: From Piper: Bitter Medicine by Mia Tsai From Gail: Unconquerable Sun by Kate Eliott – – –  Special thanks to Kelly for editing this episode! Thanks for listening. Travel smart. Pack the snacks!  – – –  Get your question featured on an episode by saying hi on social media:       Facebook.com/20minDelay      @20minDelay      @PiperJDrake      @GailCarriger Use the hashtag: #20mindelaypodcast

Gail Carriger and Piper J. Drake discuss their coping methods when there are travel delays long and short, but especially long. But first! Where have Gail & Piper been? Gail & Piper had a writing retreat together in Honolulu (February 2023) and Gail experienced major travel whammy! Piper's Coping Mechanisms: Have the airline app on my phone, so I can get boarding updates without having to hear the announcements Find the quiet spots in the airport, such as a gate that does NOT have a flight boarding any time soon Find a restaurant with power outlets for food and power Pack a tennis ball for physical therapy   Gail's Coping Mechanisms: Looking for a nicer sit down restaurant Chair massage or nail salon Do some shopping - duty free or otherwise Migrating sleep kit to carry on Gadgets: Gail's gadget: back up battery charger with key chords with all the adapter ends Piper's gadget: selection of ear buds (Apple Air Pods) for noise cancelling Shoutouts: Gail's Tinkered Starsong series  Piper's Wings Once Cursed & Bound – – –  Special thanks to Kelly for editing this episode! Thanks for listening. Travel smart. Pack the snacks!  – – –  Get your question featured on an episode by saying hi on social media:       Facebook.com/20minDelay      @20minDelay      @PiperJDrake      @GailCarriger Use the hashtag: #20mindelaypodcast

This was recorded back in July, but time and things and travel got away with me.  Actually what happened was the fact that I can't spread podcast production across more than one day. If I do, I will forget it needs to be finished. It's not great spending 4+ hours to produce and upload 2 shows, but if I don't, one will fall by the wayside. ADHD brain for the win.  We will be back in september, hopefully with lots of amazing ditch digging.  August 10, 2023 | Season 9 Ep 9 | murverse.com Copyright 2023, Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License

Veronica has been in Canada for a year, and the best book in Canada is about Marie Antoinette. Tom ate some breaded hairtail and is excited about Gail Carriger's K-pop post. Plus, we announce the September book and give a few non-spoilery thoughts about Ninth House.

Hey HBs! Kiran and Lynn Camden are here! They started as listeners and now, years later, we're great friends! They're also long-time besties. We recap Trashed by Mia Hopkins and WE LOVED IT. It's told compeltely from the hero's POV which, Lynn points out, puts him on a "heroine's journey" a la Gail Carriger in a way we've never seen. The characters are vivid, the prose is complex, and the spice is SPICETACULAR. Y'all. Read this book.Bonus Content: the awkwardness of audiobooks with pals, The Heroine's Journey by Gail Carriger, *Bing Boong Bong* Health Inspector Times with Kiran, feeling extreme voyeuristic bangxiety, and so much more!Lady Loves: Mel: do you think you have a brown thumb? You probably just need some tools! Mel just discovered mini plant sun lamps for her indoor plants that you stick into the soil and OMG the difference! Lynn: Vitamin D! Are you feeling down? Vitamin D could help! And maybe a PEOPLE sunlamp! Kiran: First Aid Beauty Bump Eraser Scrub and Ingrown Hair Pads! Do you love the beach, but hate the bikini shave situation? Check this stuff out! Lifechanging. Also, Mel needs to add Bush Balm to this list. Heard it's amazing!Books Rec'd In the Ep: Imagine You and Me by Lynn CamdenLC Venus for some top notch one handed readsWhat Comes After by Blair LeighMead Mishaps series by Kimberly LemmingMoira Scott books! She writes paranormal and contemporary DELIGHTS.**The above includes affiliate links, which means if you buy a book after clicking on one of our links, a tiny portion of the sale will go to support the podcast (without costing you anything extra)!**Make sure to check out Mel's new podcast Bonkers Romance! Subscribe! Rate! Review! Tell all your friends :)Get more content on PATREON!!Sign up for our Newsletter! MERCH! Teepublic, Chicaloo Kate, RedbubbleInstagram: @heavingbosomsTwitter: @heaving_bosoms

Streamed live, July 10, 2023 Below are some affiliate links that support indie bookstores and may benefit me financially with no cost to you. S9 Ep8 Horny chaotic god energy is what we're all about in today's Ditch Diggers, "Data Wonking with Podmother Gail Carriger" where Gail joins us to talk about sifting through data in self publishing. It is some heady stuff, and we discuss tying your self worth to "bad" data and more! Gail Carriger: 30:30 (ish): My sense of failure will kick in when a reader says I love Gail Carriger. And I didn't know she had a new book out, that's when I feel like I failed at my job. I am an author, that's the one job I had is to make sure that people who liked me can read my new books, right? That's it. Transcript Let's Get Weedy Twitter doesn't kiss well When you have a new book out, your main job is to make sure your existing fans know. We

Gail Carriger and Piper J. Drake discuss dressing for flights and travel. But first! Where have Gail & Piper been? Gail has a new car. Piper went on a food quest. Gail's Fashion Choices for Flight: A lot of cashmere Warm hoodies with good pockets (usually men's) Sweat pants / joggers with pockets (usually men's) High waisted, wide leg vintage pant WITH POCKETS Coat (dictated by weather forecast at destination) Additional layers: cashmere hat, gloves, scarf (sometimes silk) Piper's  Fashion Choices for Flight: Lots of layers Wearing the heaviest shoes of the trip Compression socks - knee high in flight, thigh high at the hotel Compression camisol Tech fabric: moisture wicking, breathable High waisted jeans Additional layers: super light, but warm shawl. Alpaca poncho. Gadgets: Piper's gadget: compression socks Gail's gadget: warm, fuzzy socks Shoutouts: Piper's Patreon for monthly short stories, bonus scenes, epilogues. Gail's website for the travel section. – – –  Special thanks to Kelly for editing this episode! Thanks for listening. Travel smart. Pack the snacks!  – – –  Get your question featured on an episode by saying hi on social media:       Facebook.com/20minDelay      @20minDelay      @PiperJDrake      @GailCarriger Use the hashtag: #20mindelaypodcast

Gail Carriger and Piper J. Drake discuss how they plan and enjoy both work and fun on location. But first! Where have Gail & Piper been? Murder cabin, on a lake. Mystery dog. Heat resistant frogs in the hot tub, and some not so heat resistant. Much writing was accomplished - either in communal area, or privately when dictating. Then to a nice hotel in Spokane. Bull dog regular at the hotel bar. Piper's Plans: Changing up the writing retreat dynamic with 2 pro authors and 2 pre-published authors. Going for the fun and productive balance. Writing. High priority! Lots of walking: on the beach or through a park, or along Waikiki streets Food! Looking for those fusion dishes Speech patterns and local dialects Gail's Plans: Writing. Priority #1 Swimming, either in the ocean or in the pool High hopes for health benefits in water: ocean, pool, hot tub Food! Fresh fruit, in particular Increased creativity and productivity Gadgets: Piper's swimwear: tankini designed for curvy girls - sized by bra size with underwire support, also a sarong/towel Gail's swimwear: tankini or one piece, retro design. Travels with goggles & swim cap. Waffle towel. Both: Sunscreen! Shoutouts: The Red Scholar's Wake by Aliette de Bodard, also mentioned The Tea Master and the Detective – – –  Special thanks to Kelly for editing this episode! Thanks for listening. Travel smart. Pack the snacks!  – – –  Get your question featured on an episode by saying hi on social media:       Facebook.com/20minDelay      @20minDelay      @PiperJDrake      @GailCarriger Use the hashtag: #20mindelaypodcast

This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Gail Carriger, author of DIVINITY 36. About DIVINITY 36: Phex is a barista on a forgotten moon. Which is fine – he likes being ignored and he's good at making drinks. Until one day an alien hears him singing and recruits him to become a god. Now Phex is […] The post Episode 581-With Gail Carriger appeared first on The Functional Nerds.

Matt joins us to discuss what he read for the February book club prompt. 00:00 - Book challenge updates from MoMBl regulars and listeners The February Prompt: Read a book about filmmaking of film history. 00: 9:56 - Matt talks about Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex-Drugs-and-Rock 'N Roll Generation Saved Hollywood. 00:45: 18 - Sam talks about Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War. 01:03:30 - Tessa talks about Hollywood Harmony: Musical Wonder and the Sound of Cinema. The March Prompt: Read a book that takes place over the course of fifty or more years. 01:13:35 - The Romance Reading Sub-Challenge: The Bodyguard by Katherine Center, Souless by Gail Carriger, and The Lotus Palace by Jeannie Lin. Elyse's link for all the films mentioned in Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: https://letterboxd.com/chicken__tendi/list/easy-riders-raging-bulls-filmography-1967/ Join our discord community here: https://t.co/VXKe87hY6g

My guest this week is author Piper J Drake. Piper is a prolific romance author who puts the saucy into all of our favorite SFF subgenres. She's written a pair of suspense series in True Heroes and Safeguard, the science fiction Triton Experiment series, the paranormal London Shifters series, and many standalone novels and short stories. She has a new contemporary fantasy series, Mythwoven, coming in April 2023 with the first book Wings Once Cursed and Bound. Piper is also the cohost of the 20 Minute Delay podcast with Gail Carriger.Piper and I spend WAY too much time talking about food and tea before moving on to the tropes of the romance genre and the way she's used them in her own writing. We also chat about Piper's childhood love of science fiction and fantasy, the origin of her pseudonyms, and the challenges presented by moving between genres. Enjoy my conversation with Piper Drake!You can find Piper on her website or Twitter.Find Brian McClellan at his website, on Twitter and Instagram, or find his books on Amazon, direct from his bookstore, or wherever books are sold!Don't forget to support the show on Patreon, or pick up some swag on Redbubble. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gail Carriger and Piper J. Drake discuss their plans for 2023 and related travel plans. But first! Where has Piper been? Piper was a guest author at Dragonsteel MiniCon in Salt Lake City. She chats with Gail about the pros and cons of managing an author table in an Exhibitor Hall or Dealer's Room solo. Gail's Hopes and Plans: Discussing the state of the travel industry and avoiding holiday travel Scheduled for 4 to 5 events in the beginning of 2023 and anticipate 1 or 2 more by end of the year Would like to schedule at least 1 teaching workshop Potentially a joint book signing with Piper - TBD Piper's Hopes and Plans: Only 2 cons booked for 2023 at the time of recording: ApollyCon and Dragonsteel MiniCon 1 writing retreat scheduled, would like to schedule 2 or 3 more through 2023 (small, just a few authors) Book Launch events for WINGS ONCE CURSED & BOUND scheduled at several bookstores in the Seattle area as well as a few larger Comic Cons - TBD Potentially a joint book signing with Gail - TBD Piper is picking back up day job activities, her parallel career. Travel related to day job is also TBD. Gadgets: Gail's gadget pick is a 22 inch rolling, "spin-ny" 4 wheeled suitcase Piper's gadget is a Zojirushi Travel Mug with Tea Leaf Filter Shout-outs: Gail is sharing more insight in her newsletter Piper is sharing behind-the-book and bonus content in her newsletter – – –  Special thanks to Kelly for editing this episode! Thanks for listening. Travel smart. Pack the snacks!  – – –  Get your question featured on an episode by saying hi on social media:       Facebook.com/20minDelay      @20minDelay      @PiperJDrake      @GailCarriger Use the hashtag: #20mindelaypodcast

Gail Carriger and Piper J. Drake discuss how they are updating their author business strategies moving forward and how that impacts travel. But first! Where has Gail been? Gail went to Wild Wild West con this past year. She was reminded that the desert can get quite cold, depending on time of day/year. She had to take the risk and pack a large checked-bag. One of the delights of a steampunk event - really fun masks! Gail's Business Considerations: split between cons with high costume packing needs versus teaching engagements / writing retreats packing the backup outfit in your carry-on the value of including a QR code on your swag/merchandise always have a physical newsletter sign up page with pen,  and include the QR code to newsletter sign up on the physical sign up sheet for those who like to sign up digitally Piper's Business Considerations: Redoing all the travel kits to accommodate must-bring technology: a travel blood pressure device and wearing an Oura ring to monitor heart rate, plus increased daily medications New vertical banner design. Compact, but adds weight, which means checked luggage. Planning packed luggage weight for economy class (about 50lbs) versus the frequent flyer status privileges (First Class about 70lbs) Signage with QR code to purchase books digitally Piper will be using a signature stamp from now on for all book signings and events, due to her medical challenges. Piper is considering investing in event-exclusive signature stamps. Gadgets: Piper's gadget is a 7 day / 3x a day medication storage Gail's gadget pick is a Ziploc Twist N Loc Food Storage container Shout-outs: Brandon Sanderson and Intentionally Blank Piper's upcoming release Wings Once Cursed & Bound – – –  Special thanks to Kelly for editing this episode! Thanks for listening. Travel smart. Pack the snacks!  – – –  Get your question featured on an episode by saying hi on social media:       Facebook.com/20minDelay      @20minDelay      @PiperJDrake      @GailCarriger Use the hashtag: #20mindelaypodcast

The Novel: Hunted (Kink Camp #1)The Author: A. AndersThe Guests: Cassi, Keegan, & Christina, co-hosts of My Worst DateThe Synopsis: My desires…I'm afraid. I want things – to escape, to run, to be caught, held down and… I've come here to find the thing to quench my most sensual fantasies.When I see him - I know. He's brutal and made of stone. An artist with his hands who keeps everyone at arm's length. He's the one I want – I need.May be my downfall.I'm not a man you play with. I gave up on finding a partner years ago.But now I see her. Innocent. Beautiful. Temptation. I want to possess her as much as I want to protect her from myself.I am the king here, but once she's gone? I'll be a man alone once again.Now that I have her. I have to find a way to keep her – forever. Show Notes:- I might be biased, but Aries is the almighty- Meet my pod-sisters, My Worst Date- Is she your roommate... or are you in a relationship?- Cum in a jar? Hear more in the "Major Cringe" episode of My Worst Date- Revisiting previous MWD and Boobies & Noobies episodes: Poison or Protect by Gail Carriger and Stocking Stuffers by Erin McLellan (00:12:45)- A brief synopsis for today's read: Hunted (00:15:58)- Kinky, but not as kinky as expected?- Realism does NOT mean less sexy- Yes, it's sexy... but it's also sooooo well written!- Who's paying for your loft apartment and therapy sessions?!- A quick word on the POV and consistency (00:38:05)- A small preview of the next book in the series...- But would you do it in the woods? - A few steamy sexcerpts... plus SEVERAL questions! (00:43:55)- Heart, Humor, & Heat Ratings (00:53:16)- Get kinky with me... don't FIX me.Books & Other Media Mention- Poison or Protect by Gail Carriger (aka "button porn")- Stocking Stuffers by Erin McLellan (Hallmark Christmas... but with sex toys)- The Salacious Players Club series by Sara Cate- "New Girl"- The Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by Anne RiceOther News:- The 12 Days of Boobsmas begins December 1st. Get ready to stock those TBR lists with all the holiday romances!- Purchase my DEBUT holiday novella, Meet Me in Los Feliz now!! Links:Follow Boobies & Noobies on Twitter, Instagram, & Facebook @boobiespodcast, on TikTok @b00biespodcast, and check out our blog, merch, and more on our brand new Boobies & Noobies website. 

Gail Carriger and Piper J. Drake discuss their technology upgrades, respectively, and how they impact their travels But first! Where has Piper been? Piper compares and contrasts a trip to Salt Lake City last year with a planned trip to Salt Lake City this year. Last year involved gaming and cooking, immediately followed by a trip to Orlando for Piper Dad. This year, Piper is again gaming and cooking and a guest author at Brandon Sanderson's Dragonsteel Mini-Con. Then she's heading to the East Coast for family gathering over Thanksgiving. Gail's Technology Upgrades: Scrivener mini iPad & bluetooth keyboard Macbook Pro & wired keyboard & wired mouse Piper's Technology Upgrades: iPad Pro & bluetooth keyboard MacBook Air Maingear Custom Gaming PC & wired keyboard & wired mouse Gadgets: Gail's gadget is a Soundcore Libtery 3 ear buds Piper's gadget is Samsung Galaxy Buds Shout-outs: Brandon Sanderson Dan Wells Intentionally Blank – – –  Special thanks to Kelly for editing this episode! Thanks for listening. Travel smart. Pack the snacks!  – – –  Get your question featured on an episode by saying hi on social media:       Facebook.com/20minDelay      @20minDelay      @PiperJDrake      @GailCarriger Use the hashtag: #20mindelaypodcast

“All will be well, young people of quali-tay. Stick to your tea.”   In this episode of Fictional Hangover, Amanda and Claire talk about how Pistons are raccoons but not all raccoons are Pistons, how nobody wants a hairy pickle, and how Agatha is hiding behind the fern! in their discussion of Manners and Mutiny by Gail Carriger, featuring Miss Gail for Would You Rather.

In this bonus episode of Fictional Hangover, Amanda and Claire talk about the Great British Bake-off, heights, flaws becoming strengths, examining the romance genre, how we never discount the grandmas, book hugs, taking adaptations literally, and a YA space opera with author Gail Carriger.

Gail Carriger and Piper J. Drake discuss things each of them hoard when they travel. But first! Where has Gail been? Impromptu reunion and abbreviated writing retreat to the Boston area. Reasons for traveling carry-on only whenever possible. Piper is mildly concerned regarding Gail's shoe choices for this trip. Piper's Hoard-able Items: Clean napkins and tissues Hotel disposable (not cloth) laundry bags Hard boiled eggs Condiments (tiny jams and tiny ketchups) - especially ones Piper hasn't encountered before Shoe polish, because steampunk-y boots Hotel toiletries, if they are nifty and high quality Gail's Road Trip thoughts: Baggies (including hotel laundry bags, shopping bags, etc.) Snacks to go from ... a buffet Condiments (especially mayonnaise, hot sauce, tiny jams, etc.) Hotel toiletries, if they are nifty and high quality Pain killer packets Gadgets: Gail's gadget is a large plastic bag to use as a poncho for luggage Piper's gadget is space saver or compression bags – – –  Special thanks to Kelly for editing this episode! Thanks for listening. Travel smart. Pack the snacks!  – – –  Get your question featured on an episode by saying hi on social media:       Facebook.com/20minDelay      @20minDelay      @PiperJDrake      @GailCarriger Use the hashtag: #20mindelaypodcast

Gail Carriger and Piper J. Drake discuss travel by car as an option to get to where one is attempting to go. But first! Where have Gail and Piper been? Both Gail and Piper were in North Carolina, BUT they were not in North Carolina at the same time. Piper shares a few tips for handy things to have in case one becomes ill while traveling and Gail adds her thoughts for a medical kit. Piper's Road Trip Thoughts: Summer of 2022 air travel issues resulted in a lot of travel vloggers recommending the road trip option, whenever possible Enjoys a road trip with at least one other person, and loves the option to include Corbin the Corgi in the trip. Make frequent stops and keep circulation going. A brief admiration of people living the "van life" but wouldn't want to try it for too long of an extended trip. Gail's Road Trip thoughts: Can sit a 6 to 8 hour flight with no problem but finds a few hours in a car to be quite boring. Would not opt to embark on a lone road trip. Memories of experiencing New Zealand via "van life" Gadgets: Gail's gadget is a portable charger, ultra slim Piper's gadget is a solar rechargeable power bank – – –  Special thanks to Kelly for editing this episode! Thanks for listening. Travel smart. Pack the snacks!  – – –  Get your question featured on an episode by saying hi on social media:       Facebook.com/20minDelay      @20minDelay      @PiperJDrake      @GailCarriger Use the hashtag: #20mindelaypodcast

“Even a crafty little thing like you can't change the inevitable.”   In this episode of Fictional Hangover, Amanda and Claire talk about a magician's assistant and a mad hatter, dangling soap, excessive flirting, a train heist and the chattering, the chattering!! in their discussion of Waistcoats and Weaponry by Gail Carriger.

“I'd rather be loyal than right.”   In this episode of Fictional Hangover, Amanda and Claire talk about eyebrows and ear wiggling, swooning over the chimney sweep, and responsibility versus being responsible in their discussion of Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carriger.

Gail Carriger and Piper J. Drake discuss international travel considerations. *This episode was recorded in April 2022. We had encountered technical difficulties and had to await a new motherboard, but we are back! But first! Where has Piper been? Piper joined authors K Tempest Bradford and Alethea Kontis for almost the full month of December in Egypt, visiting both Cairo and Luxor with Horus Rising Tours. Gail's international travel thoughts: Holding off on international travel due to varying testing and quarantine requirements Carefully research and get appropriate travel vaccinations (not just COVID) Piper's international travel thoughts: More locations around the world are implementing changes to tourism and increasing precautions for preservation and conservation of natural destinations Travel vaccinations and protective masks were things Piper already did pre-COVID pandemic Long haul flights wearing masks is absolutely doable, not just for protection from allergens and viruses - Piper's introduction to masks in flight was in 2008 on a flight to Japan as a "personal humidity device" GoogleFi and/or Google Voice worked well to communicate with travel companions.  Gadgets: Gail's gadget is a magnetic card wallet/holder Piper's gadget is an Insta360 GO 2 – – –  Special thanks to Kelly for editing this episode! Thanks for listening. Travel smart. Pack the snacks!  – – –  Get your question featured on an episode by saying hi on social media:       Facebook.com/20minDelay      @20minDelay      @PiperJDrake      @GailCarriger Use the hashtag: #20mindelaypodcast

Gail Carriger and Piper J. Drake discuss travel by sea as Piper prepares to board a cruise again for the first time in years. But first! Where have Gail and Piper been? Gail and Piper had a small writing retreat together in Vegas, while BTS was in Vegas for concert performances, and the two of them did not go to the concerts or even interact with the "Vegas Experience" - they wrote. A lot. And they ate a lot of food, mostly from off the strip, particularly some very good Thai food. Travel by Sea - Tips, Tricks, and Considerations: Piper prefers the larger cruise ships, because she is less effected by motion sickness on these Writing Excuses Writing Workshop and Retreat on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Food - all the food - any time.  As long as food is not wasted, order all the entrees! All the desserts! Piper and Gail often get dishes to share so they can enjoy more variety without getting too full Piper tends to avoid the crowds and only goes to the pools and hot tubs on port days when most other passengers are off the ship But! Take into consideration health and safety protocols There's something to be said about everything taken care of for you (especially food), so you can focus on writing Gail has experience with shorter cruises on river boats and catamarans. Gail is a tour group guide's nightmare, because she will inevitably wander away from the group Both agree writers are tour guide nightmares when it comes to random, chaotic questions Both also agree cruise ships are great setting inspiration for space ships or murder mysteries Gail's Gadget Pick! Travel Chopsticks: aluminum, screw-together, portable chopsticks like these  Piper's Gadget Pick! Portable Charger (not a power strip) - extra powerful with 2x USB-C and 2x USB-A ports like this Razer Wall Charger. Note: This is not a battery pack. Extra Shoutouts: Piper's novella is available exclusively in the Happily Ever After Collective starting September 2022 – – –  Special thanks to Kelly for editing this episode! Thanks for listening. Travel smart. Pack the snacks!  – – –  Get your question featured on an episode by saying hi on social media:       Facebook.com/20minDelay      @20minDelay      @PiperJDrake      @GailCarriger Use the hashtag: #20mindelaypodcast