The podcast that gives you quick tips to make your writing and your writing life better.

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This week, think about what makes you accept or reject the invitation of the first page.Reading rec: BAD ASIANS, by Lillian Li.

134: What Makes You Reject a First Page?

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This week, it&#39;s time for your novel to get some self-care.Reading recommendation: THE KEEPER by Tana French.

133: 5 Nice Little Things You Can Do for Your Novel

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This week, we&#39;re flipping the script on who gets to be the hero of your story.Reading recommendation: TOKYO EXPRESS by Seicho Matsumoto.

132: Let an unlikely hero have their day

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This week, make your story&#39;s problems personal for your characters.Reading recommendation: THE COLONY by Annika Norlin.

131: Make it Personal

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This week, remembering what you love and why you write.Reading recommendation: THE TRANSIT OF VENUS, by Shirley Hazzard.

130: Only Write it if You Love It

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This week, flip the script on power in your scene.Reading recommendation: THE RED GROVE, by Tessa Fontaine.

129: Reconsider what Power Means

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This week, a bold prescription for a common problem.Reading recommendation: STONE YARD DEVOTIONAL, by Charlotte Wood.

128: Cut the first half of what you write

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This week, put on your deerstalker hat and be a detective for your story. Reading rec: THE TEN-YEAR AFFAIR, by Erin Somers.

127: Be a Detective for a Day

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This week, we&#39;re going with our gut.Book recommendation: A GUARDIAN AND A THIEF, by Megha Majumdar.

126: Trust Your Story Instincts

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This week, try printing out your story in a different way, and you&#39;ll be amazed by what magic can happen.Reading rec: A Guardian and a Thief, Megha Majumdar

125: Print Your Story Out Differently, and Something Magic Happens

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This week, talking about the power of staying in place and riding out the creative challenge.Book recommendation: HAMNET, by Maggie O&#39;Farrell.

124: Put Your Butt in the Chair

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We&#39;re talking about endings this week — and how most writers tend to charge past where their story&#39;s natural ending truly lies.Reading rec: BOG QUEEN, by Anna North.

123: Most Writers Write Past Their True Ending

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This week, we&#39;re discussing whether Lorrie Moore was right when she said &#34;life will disappoint you&#34; is the theme of all great literature.Reading rec: ALL THINGS UNDER THE MOON, by Ann Y.K. Choi.

122: Life will Disappoint You

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This week, we&#39;re thinking about how everyone&#39;s story is more complex than we think, and every character deserves nuance in your story.Reading rec: FOX, by Joyce Carol Oates.

121: Everyone's Story is Complex

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This week, discover how complex everyone&#39;s story is — and how even peripheral characters in your story have their own lives to live.Reading recommendation: FOX, by Joyce Carol Oates.

121: Make everyone's story more complex

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This week, imagine yourself in the room that really matters in your story.Reading recommendation: Your Steps on the Stairs, Antonio Munoz Molina.

120: Imagine Yourself in the Room

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My favorite reads of 2025. Were any of these your favorites?

119: My Favorite Reads of 2025

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This week, we&#39;re talking about narrative filtering, and how much of it you can lose to make your story better.Book recommendation: FLASHLIGHT, by Susan Choi.

118: Cut "I thought"

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This week, turn your narrator&#39;s eye outward and see the world around them.Reading recommendation: THE ROSE FIELD, by Philip Pullman.

117: Turn the Eye Outward

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This week, cut out the weakest part of every paragraph, and your story or novel will sing.Book recommendation: HEARTWOOD, by Amity Gaige.Like us on Apple Podcasts and help us grow!

116: Cut One Weak Sentence from Every Paragraph