StoryADay
319 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 20 ratingsWriters write. Professional writers write a lot. The StoryADay May challenge exists to help you learn how much you're capable of writing in a month. The Write Every Day, Not "Some Day" podcast helps you figure out how to keep that commitment up for the rest of your life. Each 10-15 minute episode tackles a particular topic and gives you a writing assignment to complete before the next episode.
Music credit: Alan McPike (http://standardstrax.com)
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Episodes
164 - Michele Reisinger, Finding Success With Short Fiction
April 18, 2020 09:00 - 24 minutes - 25.4 MBIn this conversation with writer Michele Reisinger, we talk about bad advice from writing teachers, her process for placing stories with publications, what a successful writing day looks like, and how she writer in traffic!
163 - Laying The Foundations for StoryADay May
April 11, 2020 17:22 - 17 minutes - 16.2 MBIn which I talk about prepping for StoryADay May and what to do if you're having trouble writing right now.
162 - Premee Mohamed
April 04, 2020 09:00 - 29 minutes - 29.9 MBPremee Mohamed is an Indo-Caribbean scientist and speculative fiction writer whose first novel, "Beneath The Rising" has just been released. But I discovered her through her wonderful short stories. In this conversation we talk about what a good writing day looks like (and what to do on those other days), the inspiration for some of her stories, her writing process and how she organizes her ideas, why short stories are like tattoos, and how the phrase "it's just photons" makes writing easi...
161 - Come and write with me
March 21, 2020 10:06 - 12 minutes - 14.6 MBIn which I talk about the live writing sprints I've been running and the importance of stories in times of stress.
160 - Creativity in a Time of Crisis
March 14, 2020 12:10 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBSo we're in a pandemic. Does that mean we have to stop being creative? Quite the opposite. The world needs more art, right now.
159 - Talking About Creativity And Mental Health with Gabriela Pereira
March 07, 2020 17:06As well as running DIYMFA, Gabriela Pereira often speaks at conferences about issues other than the writing craft, including entrepreneurship and mental illness. Today, we have a frank discussion about Gabriela's history with mental illness as one part of a very full life that also includes running a business, having a family, and being a creative person. We also talk a little about writing emotion when you struggle with your own. (If you need help and live in the US, please text HOME...
159 - Talking About Creativity And Mental Health with Gabriela Pereira
March 07, 2020 17:06 - 36 minutes - 33.4 MBAs well as running DIYMFA, Gabriela Pereira often speaks at conferences about issues other than the writing craft, including entrepreneurship and mental illness. Today, we have a frank discussion about Gabriela's history with mental illness as one part of a very full life that also includes running a business, having a family, and being a creative person. We also talk a little about writing emotion when you struggle with your own. (If you need help and live in the US, please text HOME...
158 - Writing Love & Intimacy with Dr. Lanae St. John
February 29, 2020 10:00 - 26 minutes - 24.4 MBWhat are we really talking about when we talk about sex? Join me for a conversation with sexuality educator Dr. Lanae St. John. We talk about how to portray true intimacy on the page (without any weird noises), how to make consent sexy, and where to find a model for your next villain. LINKS: The Mamasutra - https://www.themamasutra.net/ Read Me: A Parental Primer For 'The Talk' - https://www.amazon.com/Read-Me-Parental-Primer-Talk
157 - Gabriela Pereira from DIYMFA Part 1
February 22, 2020 10:00 - 33 minutes - 33.7 MBWe talk about the pillars of a writing life, why Gabriela wanted to create a do-it-yourself DIYMFA, and that old favorite: Imposter Syndrome. Join me for a wide-ranging conversation with DIYMFA.com's Gabriela Pereira. She is a speaker, podcast host for DIY MFA Radio, and author of the book DIY MFA: Write with Focus, Read with Purpose, Build Your Community. To find out more about DIYMFA's flagship course (enrolling new students now) go to https://members.diymfa.com/sdsd/
156 - What To Do When You're Bored With Your Writing
February 15, 2020 10:00 - 20 minutes - 22 MBSometimes what used to work for us no longer works. In this podcast I talk about the benefits and downsides of your writing commitments, I encourage you to scare yourself, and I revisit the subject of habits, and check in to see how you're getting on. Also: I preview some coming changes to the podcast LINKS: The StoryADay Short Story Framework, in case you want to write a story today but aren't sure how to get started: https://storyaday.org/framework The StoryADay 3 Day Challenge,...
155 - Stop Procrasti-learning and Start Writing
February 08, 2020 15:30 - 12 minutes - 14.9 MBListening and reading are wonderful things, but what if they are holding you back from writing and finishing stories? We learn writing by writing. Isn't it time you stop stalling? LINKS "Listening" by Bob DeRosa on Escape Pod: https://stada.me/listening The 3 Day Challenge: https://stada.me/3dc Don't forget you can tell your Alexa speaker to play the StoryADay Podcast by enabling the skill one time in your Alexa app then saying "Alexa, play the StoryADay podcast"
154 - A System for Delighting Readers
February 01, 2020 10:00 - 17 minutes - 19.4 MBToday I’m going to show you a system for delighting readers (and editors), so that you get great reviews and raving fans who will share your work with other readers who also love what you’re writing. Links: https://stada.me/ssf - The StoryADay Short Story Framework
153 - Skillz
January 25, 2020 15:49 - 17 minutes - 18.9 MBHere at the end of January, I take a mini look back at the first month of the decade and talk about writing habits, reading habits, Alexa skills, Medium and more. [1:20] My Short Story Reading Challenge, The Bradbury Method, my method. [9:30] Good luck to the NYC Midnight contestants [10:00] New ways to access StoryADay content - Medium & Alexa [10:55] 10th Anniversary [11:46] The StoryADay Podcast [14:00] February’s theme at StoryADay and what’s special about Leap Day Links: ...
152 - Reboot Your Writing Resolutions
January 18, 2020 05:00 - 22 minutes - 23.8 MBIt's not a character flaw. If your resolutions have slipped and you haven't kept up all those big plans you made for this year (already!), it's not that you're a loser. It might just be that you haven't built the behaviors into your day in the best way. This week I apply the Fogg Behavioral Method to real writers' problems and help them troubleshoot (and fix!) the most common sticking points. Free downloads: https://stada.me/openingsreport https://stada.me/creativitybundle https:...
151 - Language and Culture with Seumas MacDonald
January 11, 2020 10:00 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MBLanguages evolve from the cultures that produce them, which offers a fertile world for writers to explore, whether you are writing contemporary, realistic fiction or futuristic and fantasy worlds. This week I talk with Seumas MacDonald a linguist and ConLang (constructed languages) expert, about language, culture and how you might think about using linguistics in your fictional worlds. [LINKS] Do you already think about spoken language in your writing? What was your 'aha moment' from t...
150 - Habits, Writing, and the Fogg Behavioral Method
January 04, 2020 16:44 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBTiny Wins (a combination of Tiny Habits and Epic Wins) and how you can use them to reinforce your good habits, along with an explanation of Stanford University researcher BJ Fogg's Behavioral Method -- a framework that explains why we do what we do (and sometimes don't!) LINKS https://storyaday.org/episode150
149 - Looking Back & Looking Forward
December 21, 2019 02:05 - 14 minutes - 15.9 MBIn which I give you a peek into what I'm working on at StoryADay and encourage you to take a clear-eyed look at how far you've come, and what's next for you. LINKS: Annual Review Worksheet: https://stada.me/annualreview
148 - Terrific Titles or How To Hook Your Reader
December 14, 2019 10:00 - 23 minutes - 24.9 MBA title is the sizzle that sells your story, but too many writers still struggle with this important part of the writing process. Today's podcast helps you level up your title game. LINKS: Get the free download: https://stada.me/500titles Get Tobias S. Buckell's It's All Just A Draft (clicking this Amazon affiliate link helps support this podcast) https://amzn.to/2PH31Fu
147 - Let The Yeast Do Its Work
December 07, 2019 15:35 - 6 minutes - 9.24 MBThis week's podcast features a clip from an episode from two years ago, in which I talked about the different cycles in a writing life. And I apologize in advance for making you crave some freshly baked bread...
146 - Voice Assistants with Raphael Schaad
November 30, 2019 10:00 - 18 minutes - 19.8 MBToday I talk with Raphael Schaad about audio and voice assistants and all the opportunities (and pitfalls) for authors. Raphael Schaadt, who works with innovative entrepreneurs who are interested in tapping the power of voice-interaction, talks with me about how writers can take advantage of these powerful new technologies. Would you be interested in a walk-through of this technology? Email me at [email protected] LINKS: Find out more about Raphael Schaad here. What writers ...
145 - Ending Strong
November 23, 2019 16:53 - 17 minutes - 18.9 MBIt can be hard to write endings (So many logistics! So tired from writing the whole story!), but the ending is the thing that sends your reader off into the world feeling good about your story...or deflated because you let them down. In this week's episode I talk about the importance of endings, and a powerful way for you to think about them so you can delight your reader. Also: I talk about StoryADay's writing prompts for November and my impressions of the 2019 edition of the Best Amer...
144 - Mastering The Middle of a Creative Challenge
November 16, 2019 10:00 - 23 minutes - 24.1 MBMindset and specific craft tips are equally important as you approach the chronological AND creative midpoints of any word of art. In this episode I talk about The midpoint of the challenge But what if my story is no good? Why story middles suck Making it suck less Find all the links and resources here: https://storyaday.org/144 Want to write a short story today? Get the StoryADay Short Story Framework: https://stada.me/framework
143 - NaNoWriMo Survival Tips
November 02, 2019 14:55 - 30 minutes - 27.5 MBWhether you're taking part in NaNoWriMo this month or simply trying to keep your rating on track, I have five tips from the trenches of the extreme creativity challenge world. Recommended: The Nature Fix by Florence Williams Bright Line Eating by Susan Pierce Thompson No Plot, Not Problem by Chris Baty Save The Cat Writes A Novel by Jessica Brody Power Nap by Andrew Johnson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXBG1-1zI_E Want to write a short story today? Get the StoryADay Shor...
142 - An Audience Of One
October 12, 2019 09:00 - 15 minutes - 17.2 MBIn which I talk about how writing helped me in the wake of a recent, unexpected loss, and the importance of writing for an audience of one. LINKS Listen to my recent interview on the Unmistakable Creative Podcast: https://stada.me/unmistakable Listen to me talk about short stories on the Kiingo podcast: https://stada.me/kiingo An Audience Of One by Srini Rao: https://amzn.to/2Mroq3w (aff) Want to write a short story today? Get the StoryADay Short Story Framework: https://stada....
141 - Changing Seasons
September 28, 2019 13:11 - 12 minutes - 14.8 MBThere are different seasons in your writing life. Today, I talk about how to navigate the switch from creation mode to 'everything else' mode, along with some tools to ease that transition.
140 - Finishing Your Stories
September 07, 2019 11:00 - 11 minutes - 13.5 MBFresh from the trenches of StoryADay September, a question about how to get to the resolution of a story. Plus: More Julie on the Kiingo.com podcast: https://kiingo.com/blog/short-stories-with-julie-duffy Sign up for daily prompts this September: https://storyaday.org/next-challenge
139 - Your Hero's Journey, as a writer
August 31, 2019 18:32 - 10 minutes - 12.8 MBIt's tough to cross the threshold from the ordinary world to the magical world where you are a writer. I know. And i have some ideas... LINKS StoryADay Superstars: https://members.storyaday.org/join
138 - Top Tips for StoryADay September
August 24, 2019 10:00 - 14 minutes - 13.7 MBAre you ready to write a story a day this September so you can prove to yourself that you CAN make writing a priority, you CAN be more creative, you CAN get unblocked and write stories that amaze yourself and delight readers? I share my top tips for a successful month of extreme writing. Sign up for daily prompts during September at StoryADay.org/next-challenge
137 - Today Is The First Day of the Rest of Your Writing Life
August 17, 2019 15:30 - 20 minutes - 19.2 MBThe StoryADay community shares what they're writing and they're most likely to get that writing-high (you know the one, right?) And in this episode I encourage you to make this last part of 2019 the best of your writing life. This coming week I'm sending out a series of emails with my best tips for creating a fulfilling writing life. Make sure you sign up for that and information about StoryADay September: StoryADay.org/next-challenge
136 - Art Is
August 04, 2019 19:30 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MBDo you give yourself permission to make your art, to write? Do you feel like you have to ask permission? What ripples spread out when you write?
135 - Courage
July 27, 2019 14:43 - 14 minutes - 14.3 MBThis week someone accused me of doing something decadent. It was meant as a joke, but it got under my skin, and It got me thinking about all the things we have to do as writers that might seem decadent to 'normal' people.
134 - Dialogue and Distractions
July 13, 2019 15:03 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBTalking about dialogue, I discovered a rule that can sometimes be broken. Also: procrastination!!
133 - Stepping Onto A Larger Stage
July 06, 2019 09:00 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MBAre you holding yourself back? In this episode, I look at three events that have me thinking about what we all have to gain from doing our creative work with integrity, tenacity and bravery.
132 - Compelling Characters
June 15, 2019 17:01 - 16 minutes - 15 MBReaders can't love your story if they don't love your character. LINKS https://storayday.org/creating-compelling-characters
131 - Celebrate!
June 01, 2019 15:23 - 4 minutes - 2.29 MBA raw, mini episode to celebrate the successful conclusion of StoryADay May 2019 links: Day 31: https://StoryADay.org/2019-05-31 SWAGr for June: https://storyaday.org/swagr-jun-2019/
130 - Short Story Framework
May 25, 2019 09:00 - 16 minutes - 14.8 MBA popular resource at StoryADay is the StADa Short Story Framework. Now it's available to everyone as a download: https://stada.me/framework Also in this episode I talk about the upcoming events at StoryADay after May finishes, including the Critique Week and StoryFest and, of course, StoryADay September! https://storyaday.org/events
129 - Motivation for May
May 11, 2019 12:14 - 23 minutes - 22.1 MB11 days into StoryADay May 2019 and things might not be going quite as you planned, in your writing. In this episode I share some strategies for saving your StoryADay May 2019, and share some feedback from other writers who are engaged in the challenge. Also: I absolve you of any guilt for past writing sins and encourage you to stride into the future with a clean conscience! LINKS: StoryADay/NaNoWriMo Livestream: https://stada.me/ywp-flash Save Our StoryADay emergency post: https:...
128 - Character Counts
April 20, 2019 09:00 - 11 minutes - 11.6 MBThis week I talk about character: how to take the inner journey of your character and show it through external actions.
127 - Finding Support
April 06, 2019 09:00 - 19 minutes - 18.2 MBFinding support for your writing can seem like a weird idea; isn't writing all about one person, alone in their room, listening to their imaginary friends? It turns out that support from other writers (with whom we are absolutely not competing) is a great way to advance your own writing. In this episode I talk about where to find support, how to make the most of it, and how to grow your network in the least-painful way possible, even if you are chronically shy. LINKS This week's wr...
126 - What Is Writing?
March 16, 2019 13:40 - 16 minutes - 16.2 MBIn your writing practice, what counts as 'writing'? Do you give yourself credit for reading time? Revisions? Taking classes? Or do you feel guilty about now being productive when you aren't adding new words to a story? RESOURCES Does Thinking Count As Writing: https://stada.me/think Learning To Make Choices: https://stada.me/choice Writing Prompts - Scenarios: https://stada.me/scenarios Writing Prompts - Word Lists: https://stada.me/wordlists Beyond Word Count: https://stada.me/t...
125 - Goals vs. Reality
March 02, 2019 10:00 - 16 minutes - 15.8 MBSetting writing goals is one thing. Living with them, quite another. This month's theme at StoryADay is Goals Vs. Reality. LINKS: Your invitation to the March Hangout: https://stada.me/319hang Breaking Writers' Block ebook: https://amzn.to/2Xq13My The YouTube version of this podcast: https://youtu.be/QNfeGG6hsPA
124 - Being A Writer
February 16, 2019 18:08 - 16 minutes - 14.8 MBWhat kind of writer are you? What kind of culture do you want to create? What kind of writing life are you aiming for? In this episode I ponder these questions and talk a little about this month's theme of Flash Fiction. And I invite you to share what inspires you, right now: https://stada.me/124 :LINKS: Seth Godin's The Big Sort https://stada.me/g-bigsort Chuck Wending's blog post about writers and day jobs https://stada.me/w-dayjob Story Review: Joan of Arc Sits Naked In Her Do...
123 - When The Writing Stalls
February 02, 2019 13:26 - 18 minutes - 16.6 MBWhat do you do when it's difficult to write? Here's what I did this week. You can find all the links and discussion I talked about, here: https://storyaday.org/when-writing-stalls And here's the Serious Writers' Accountability Group (SWAGr) for Feb 2019: https://storyaday.org/swagr-feb-2019/
122 - A Room Of One's Own
January 21, 2019 00:16 - 15 minutes - 15.4 MBAs a writer, what do you need? Do you need a desk? A room of your own? Scrivener? A pad and paper and something to lean on? The answer is probably 'it depends'. And it's important to figure out what you need, and when. Other writers (often in the form of writers' groups) can help you find your groove as a writer. In this episode I talk about finding your groove, and the value of writers' groups.
121- Happy Hogmanay 2018
December 31, 2018 19:21 - 9 minutes - 9.45 MBIn which I encourage you to celebrate the end/start of the year however makes you happiest! If you want planning docs find them here: https://stada.me/pace If you want to set some goals for January, check in at StoryADay.org on Jan 1 for our SWAGr group. And if your goals are simply to stand in front of the mirror every day and say “I am a writer” (see last podcast for identity), that’s OK too (I suspect if you do that, you’ll end up actually writing). Other resources at StoryADay to...
120 - Identity And Outcomes
December 15, 2018 11:00 - 10 minutes - 10.2 MBShould you focus on your goals (the outcome you want) or your identity ("I am a writer") if you want to succeed? This week I talk about the idea that it is much easier to create a good habit if you see yourself as the type of person who DOES a thing, rather than as someone who wishes they had the ability/time/resources to do a thing. LINKS: Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://stada.me/atomic (Amazon affiliate link) StoryADay Set & Meet Goals post: https://stada.me/pace
119 - Creative Play
November 18, 2018 18:10 - 12 minutes - 11.8 MBEncouraging you to find the creative joy in your writing at this midpoint of NaNoWriMo (or what ever writing challenge has you down), through playfulness. Rekindling Your Writing Excitement Mid-Project On this episode of the StoryADay podcast, Julie Duffy shares advice on how to regain excitement for writing projects that have become daunting or overwhelming, especially in the context of a month-long initiative like NaNoWriMo. She discusses the challenges that appear midway through ...
118 - UnStick Your Writing During NaNoWriMo, Part 2
November 12, 2018 16:00 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBAdvice about how to get unstuck when you still have 30,000 words to write! RESOURCES: Unsticking Yourself thread on Twitter: https://stada.me/unstuck Tony Conaway's article on public readings: https://stada.me/tonytalk Further reading: What To Do When You're Stuck In The Middle of Your Novel, (https://stada.me/wdstuck) from Writer's Digest, with advice from the excellent DIYMFA book by Gabriela Pereira James Scott Bell's book: Write Your Novel From The Middle
117 - Getting Unstuck During NaNoWriMo - Part 1
November 12, 2018 15:58 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MBNaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writers' Month, is well underway. By this point in week two your story might have become a little bit, well, stuck. In these next two episodes I share tips and advice from myself and others about how to get unstuck when you still have 30,000 words to write! Unsticking Yourself thread on Twitter: https://stada.me/unstuck Tony Conaway's article on public readings: https://stada.me/tonytalk Further reading: What To Do When You're Stuck In The Middle of ...
116 - Critique Week Is Back! Oct 21-31
October 20, 2018 15:23 - 13 minutes - 11.9 MBJoin our critique 'week', Oct 21-31 (because wouldn't it be nice if every week had a couple of extra days to get stuff done?) and get access to the Revisions & Critique Mini Course as well as having me and 3 of your peers critique your work. Use the code: octearlybird before noon (EST) on Sunday, Oct 21 to save $20 https://stada.me/crit18