Stephanie McKibben, Author
  • Author S.N.McKibben
  • Books
  • A Dirty Blog
  • Author S.N.McKibben
  • Books
  • A Dirty Blog
Picture
Picture

The Writer Dojo Podcast Review

1/20/2022

 

Larry Correia and Steve Diamond team up in a writing podcast that cuts through all the bad advice

Picture

Bottom Line

Love, love, LOVE the Writer Dojo Podcast. 

At first I thought it would be especially good for writer's beginning the craft but there have been some intelligent questions showing this podcast is not all the usual self-pub/writer regurgitation. It's like interviewing two best selling authors that really want to help and know HOW to help writers. 

Getting back to basics is never a waste of time, and the first lucky thirteen episodes is a good ramp up to the fourteenth episode known as Supporter Spectacular! (Round 1). When that fourteenth episode hit, I knew that these two authors were going to help more than just "baby" writers.

It's a really great Podcast. ​

​TRIGGER WARNING FOR FLOOFIES

I've been waiting for a class of podcast to give me more than the usual writing advice found anywhere on the internet. But the niche Writer Dojo serves are writers that want to get paid for their writing.

Yes, there is writing advice on the show, but there is also business advice for writers. Scary things like taxes, money and all things many of the floof crowd doesn't want to hear.

What's a floof? 

Floof's run from the mention of responsibility.
Floof's get hives because they sat 100 yards from a capitalist.
Floof's generally think money should fly into their hand every time they fart.
 
Floofies, you've been warned. Thar be dragon's ahead. 

​BAN PANTSING

​The fourth episode titled Outlining vs Discover completely won me over. It was the episode that puts this podcast in perspective. 

Larry and Steve talked about the difference of Outliners and "Pantsers".

Screw whoever coined the term "Pantser" (and I mean screw in a not happy ending way).

What sounds more sophisticated?

I outline my novels.

OR

I'm a Pantser.

Who ever continues the term "pantsing" needs a serious brow beating. Pantsing sounds like the red-headed, undesirable, un-adopted, illegitimate, step-child way of writing. Stop it. 

Steve Diamond (and I) hate when people call the form of writing without a hardcore, super extended, twenty page outline "pantsing".

I suggest we start a revolution and educate the masses to rename it "Discovery Writing". Because that's really what it is. 

​THE QUESTION I WANT TO ANSWER

I've listened (audible) and read (print & eBook) Larry Correia and the Larry Correia/Steve Diamond and found their stories wonderfully researched. So I take their advice seriously.

But there's the typical question that was asked in the Supporter Spectacular!

"What should I do if I find I don't have a name for [fill in the blank] while discovery writing?" 

Steve and Larry gave the most practical answer and a common one. When a writer comes to a river doesn't know the name, then type "XXX" and continue writing. Don't kittyfoot around. Keep writing the scene. 

Yes. Most cases, do the research later.

But I have another unique way.

Hear out my reasoning.


Sometimes I'm DISCOVERY writing along and it hits me. These characters need to cross a river. For whatever reason, but they do.

But I need to name the river.

Instead of putting XXX, highlighting or making a comment to name it later so that this issue can haunt me I do a halfway that will satisfy my fixation AND satisfy the urge to keep writing.

I set a timer so that I don't go off in la-la land of research (which is an enticing fun place) for about 10 minutes.

DISCLAIMER: Take in mind, in a decade past, I used my google foo for evil and profit so I can research fairly quickly and know where to go and what to search for. In harsh words, amateur googlers bewary. Your results might not be as fast as mine.

SQUREL! 

Oh shoot, I went off topic. Like ya do. 
 
So, I set my timer for 10 minutes because just like going to fairy land returning is easy but don't eat the food.
 
I research real rivers...
and instead of this hockey puck let me show a real world scenario:
 
I need a river name.
I set my timer for ten minutes.
In my research I might find a song, American Rivers, a Pinterest board, a Wikipedia entry, but what I find is the "river of blood".
Wow!
River of blood? Why is it the river of blood?
Come to find out the river of blood is where many bodies have been found!
Oh!
I learn as much history about it
Now my mind has given me a plot string that will change the story for the better. 

And that, ladybugs and germs is the secret!!

Discovery writing sometimes requires research. I think when I get stuck on a name it's because my subconscious is smarter than me. My subconscious KNEW my plot schucked and found the first entry point to latch onto to help my conscious find the right plot.  

If I had written "XXX" and made note to look up river names later, I might have found the river of blood, but I'd have written and gone down a plot path that's not as cool as the River of Blood one I found. Thus, I might not change the story for the better because I didn't have the opening to think differently at the time. 

Just like Larry and Steve say that writing is never wasted, neither is research. The key is to limit the research time with drafting or risk going off on a tangent.

I allocate research time just as I plan writing time while working on my draft. It's made many of my stories way better.

​CONCLUSION

As a gem among a landmass of podcasts I look forward to Writer Dojo every Wednesday. 

Thank you Larry. 
Thank you Steve. 
Thank you dude who helps Larry and Steve do the podcast. 


No floof's were harmed in the making of this article. Not for lack of trying though. Floof's are warned not to read this article. Grammer errors are specifically gone uncorrected so that the unoffical/official copy editors can feel as if they righted a wrong in their OCD, nerve wracking lives for leaving comments that I spelled a colloquialism incorrectly. 
Picture

Comments are closed.
    Welcome to
    The Enclave


    Thanks for taking a look at my little  hodgepodge of a blog. 

    The format and  subjects of my blog has changed through the years as it's my log of S.N.McKibben's writing journey. 

    ​You've now been sufficiently ​forewarned, happy reading!

    RSS Feed


    Categories

    All
    Age Difference Stories
    Anime
    Blood Money
    Book Review
    Book Trailer
    Conferences
    Dark Heart Heroes
    FREE Stories
    Giveaway
    Inside A Writer's World
    Jack The Bodice Ripper
    New Book Release
    Notice Me Senpai
    Pyromage
    Review
    Seducing Sensei
    Snow Blood Comic
    Taboo Fiction
    The Desperate Measures
    The King's Thief
    The Silent Road
    What I'm Watching
    Writers Block Solutions
    Writing Life


    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    January 2022
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012

Privacy Policy
Terms and Conditions
Proudly powered by Weebly
Photo from wuestenigel (CC BY 2.0)