(Getting Started In Screenwriting: A Chat With Script Magazine’s Sadie Dean)

In this episode of “Writer’s Digest Presents,” content editor Michael Woodson chats with author Hilary Leichter, author of Temporary and Terrace Story, about ignoring craft rules, not thinking about your readers, and when to ask yourself what you’re afraid of.

About the Author

Hilary Leichter is the author of the novels Temporary and Terrace Story. She has been a finalist for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, the New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Prize, and her work in Harper’s Magazine won the 2021 National Magazine Award in Fiction. Terrace Story has been named a best book of 2023 by Time Magazine, The New Yorker, The LA Times, Publishers Weekly, and other publications. Hilary teaches at Columbia University and lives in Brooklyn, NY.

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From the Episode

“I have something controversial to say, which is that I don’t think about my readers at all. And I mean that from a place of deep, deep respect. I think that for any book, the only two people that exist on the page are the author and the reader. The characters are not characters. They’re words. There’s no one in a book. There’s just text and paper. If we’re talking about fiction, there’s no one with real feelings. There’s no one with real experiences. The only real with a capital R people are me and whoever is on the other side reading it. And I don’t want the reader to be thinking about me. I want then to be thinking about the book. And so, for the same reason, I don’t think about the reader. And what that looks like in terms of writing is making every decision about what the experience of reading the book would be for a person, but not thinking about the person who’s reading it. And frankly, not thinking about if anyone will ever read it. If it’s liberating for anyone listening to not care about the reader, but to love them. That’s how I feel.”

“I think there is an idea that we are suppose to write about what we know and write about the world that we live in. But the world we live in is constantly changing. And the person you are when your book comes out is five people past the person you were when you wrote it. I think my books are always kind of this arrow shot into the future. I’m always thinking about things that I don’t have or haven’t experienced or am wondering about.”

“I think if you’re worrying about craft rules, or if you’re worrying about anything that isn’t in the world of the thing you’re writing, then I think it’s worth sitting back and asking yourself what you’re afraid of. I think when those voices come in—like, Oh, I can’t write this, or I can’t write something this short, or I can’t write something this long, or This is took much like this other thing that already exists, or anything like that, that’s not really about the thing. you’re writing. I think it’s a signal that youa re circling the red-hot center of whatever you’re writing, and it’s terrifying you. Shifting to like, Well, what am I so afraid of putting on the page? Then the answer to that question is what your book is about a lot of the time.”

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(The Intersection of Personal History and Historical Fiction: A Chat With Sharon Short)

In the first episode of season four of the “Writer’s Digest Presents” podcast, content editor Michael Woodson sits down with Script magazine’s editor-in-chief Sadie Dean to help writers get started in screenwriting.

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Other Resources For Screenwriting

Script Magazine

Script University

SimplyScripts

Script Reader Pro

The Internet Movie Script Database

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(5 Different Types of Podcasts for Writers to Try.)

The average American listens to eight podcasts a week, mostly for entertainment, learning, and diversion—many people enjoy playing their favorite podcasts in the background while engaged in other activities.

According to a 2023 PEW Research Center Survey, 29% of listeners tune in to “stay up to date about current events,” but only one in five listen to podcasts affiliated with actual news organizations. Many claim they enjoy podcasts that offer unique content and hard-to-find perspectives.

The journalism podcasts listed here are independent ventures created by industry professionals, come in a range of formats and styles, and cover different aspects of journalism. They offer commentary on the news media, discuss journalism in history, explore the process of news gathering, and present interviews with working journalists on how they conduct investigations.

5 Great Journalism Podcasts for Writers

Here are five of those valuable, enjoyable, and informative journalism themed podcasts that made the list.

1. The Sharyl Attkisson Podcast

The Sharyl Attkisson Podcast offers insightful, high-quality, in-depth interviews and discussions on news stories, current events, and journalism practices. Recent episodes cover surveillance in the classroom, bias and censorship in the news industry, and how some politicians dodge or even ‘direct’ interviews with the media.

Sharyl Attkisson is a nonpartisan investigative journalist, five-time Emmy Award winner, and recipient of the Edward R. Murrow award for investigative reporting. She’s written three bestselling books: Slanted, The Smear, and Stonewalled. She also hosts the Sunday morning national TV news program Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson.

2. It’s All Journalism

In this weekly podcast, host Michael O’Connell talks to professional journalists about their work, the changing state of digital media, and the latest journalism trends. Past episodes have explored how newsrooms can restore audience trust and how digital video is becoming the go-to platform for delivering local news.

As well as hosting and producing It’s All Journalism, O’Connell is also a field editor with Patch.com in the Washington, D.C., area and produces the Better News podcast for the American Press Institute.

3. Journalism History

This educational podcast delves into the history of mass media in the U.S. and explores unique stories and events from the past. Journalism History was founded in 2018 and is a collaboration between the AEJMC History Division and the Journalism History journal.

The series has covered some fascinating subjects and stories, from journalists in film and an exploration of the early days of television news, to abolitionists’ investigative reporting.

The production team consists of three professional media historians, Teri Finneman, who researches media coverage of women in politics, Nick Hirshon, an expert in the history of New York sports, and Ken Ward, who specializes in the journalism history of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains.

Unfortunately, the podcast is ending its six-year run in December 2024 and is included in this list because of the content’s historical and societal value. It’s vital that we know how journalism, as an industry and craft, has developed over the decades. We also need to hear these insightful stories from the past.

*****

The Writer’s Digest Guide to Journalism is a practical, informative, and well-researched introduction to journalism and its best practices, with actionable advice, tips, techniques, explanations, and anecdotes straight from the field. In this digital guide, writers will learn how to write an effective news piece, skills need to be an effective journalist, outlets for publishing journalism, journalism associations, and so much more. Both inspirational and pragmatic, The Writer’s Digest Guide to Journalism is packed with valuable resources for aspiring journalists.

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*****

4. The Tip Off

The Tip Off is a powerful and gripping UK-based podcast that takes listeners behind-the-scenes of investigative reporting. Told by the journalists involved, we learn about the work that goes into finding and producing a great story and how the process unfolds, from leads and complications, to the ‘tip-offs.’ Investigative journalism takes time, effort, energy, and resources, as well as patience and perseverance. This well-produced podcast is worth a listen if you’re interested in how research is conducted, how leads are pursued by different journalists, the type of stories they tackle, and the wrongdoing exposed.

Maeve McClenaghan, creator, producer, and host of The Tip Off, is a multi-award-winning journalist, an investigative correspondent for the Guardian, and previously worked for the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. She is the author of No Fixed Abode, published by Picador in 2020.

5. The Freelance Journalist 5 Minute Talkshow

This is an entertaining, educational, and informative interview style podcast designed exclusively for freelance journalists and video producers. It’s short and to the point, lasting only 5 minutes. Host Carlos P. Beltran tackles a range of practical topics affecting freelancers, including what it takes to be a freelancer, how to respond if you’re asked to do work for free, and what gear you need to get started as a videographer. He interviews freelancers stationed all over the world, working in various journalistic mediums and genres.

Although short in length, the podcast is packed with useful information and advice that’s easy to absorb. There are also some gems that stick with you. In the Gear episode, guest Neil Brandvold, a photojournalist and filmmaker based in Washington, D.C., reminds listeners that content is king. Rather than agonize over things like what gear to purchase, he advises us to simply focus on telling a good story. Wise words indeed.

Carlos P. Beltran is an award-winning freelance journalist and video producer covering profile and human-interest stories for National Geographic, Discovery Digital Networks, AJ+, The New York Post, The Atlantic, Univision, Fusion, and ABC News.

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Resources:

• https://whatsthebigdata.com/podcasts-statistics/#
• https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2023/04/18/podcasts-as-a-source-of-news-and-information/

The post 5 Great Journalism Podcasts for Writers appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(Designing the Best Book Cover)

In the eighth episode of season three of the Writer’s Digest Presents podcast, content editor Michael Woodson interviews three book influencers about their place in the publishing industry.

From the Episode

“At the end of the day, reviews are for readers, they’re not for authors. So, authors don’t need to be in those review spaces, and I think publishers need to understand that people are embracing honesty. They’re not just going to buy into—one of my least favorite phrases is “over-hyped,” because to me, how would I describe what that is? Because what’s over hyped for someone may be just the right amount of hype to get them to buy it. But, it’s not going to be for everyone, and that’s OK. As long as you’re honest and respectful in your reviews without inviting the author into that space where they could potentially get offended or have their feelings hurt for a moment, that should be celebrated and championed.”—Chip Pons, @booksovrbros

“There are a lot of times where publishers create these deadlines or they’re asking for reviews on things, and it’s just like, I’m doing this for free. I’m doing this for fun. Why are you putting all this pressure on me as if it doesn’t require time and effort for me to really read and enjoy a book? Allow readers the opportunity to really enjoy the books that they’re sending them without all this added pressure and deadlines for things that I’m doing willingly.—Dawnshaeé Reid, @introtoeclecticism

“Just because we didn’t like [a book], it doesn’t mean it was inherently bad or what we’re going to say about it is ‘negative.’ I do think that’s a little bit of a harsh term. It is a really interesting space and I wonder if we all consume bookstagram in a different way from someone who isn’t super involved in the industry. Because we probably all follow a lot of publishers and bookstagrammers exclusively, so I feel like I a lot of times see a lot of the same titles, especially around Tuesdays on pub days. And that kind of thing and that influx can influence the types of books that I might be picking up.”—Janelle Li, @janandthings

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In this episode of “Writer’s Digest Presents,” content editor Michael Woodson leads a roundtable with editor-in-chief Amy Jones, managing editor Moriah Richard, and senior editor Robert Lee Brewer about emotion and conflict in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry—plus stick around for book recommendations at the end of the episode!

From the Episode

“When I pick out a new book, I choose it based on how I want to feel, and that is largely impacted by what I have just finished reading. So, I will either want something that is in the same vein and it’s going to make me feel similarly—so I’ll pick something that I think is going to be similar—or if I’ve read so many heavy books in a row, I’ll say, ‘Alright, it is time to clear my brain. I need something that is for sheer enjoyment or is going to make me feel happy or that will make me laugh.’ So inherently, what I choose next is based on how the characters in the previous book made me feel.”—Amy Jones

“Reading is such a personal and individualized experience that as writers we shouldn’t even consider how we want our readers to feel while they’re reading. I am someone who reads a lot of horror for comfort, but I’m assuming that when these authors are sitting down, they’re not like, ‘I would like Moriah Richard to feel very comforted while reading this book.’”—Moriah Richard

“As a poet, I feel like I’m more of an emotional poet. I try to evoke emotion more than ideas usually. There are times where I’ll just write ideas because I have to get them out of my head, but I think the ones that are more effective and get published are the more emotional ones. I might come into a poem with a certain emotion I’m trying to evoke, but to finish that poem, I have to really get it on a certain metaphor, really focusing in on those concrete images.”—Robert Lee Brewer

“Satire is almost the exception to this conversation, in that satire can be any genre at any point. I think the overall (emotional) expectation with satire is the same—to poke fun or make fun, or to make a statement about sometime. It’s sort of the veil over genre, whatever the genre is.”—Michael Woodson

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The post Evoking Emotion and Conflict in Fiction and Nonfiction appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(I Published 5 Books in 2 Years: Catching Up With Mazey Eddings)

Editor-in-chief Amy Jones and content editor Michael Woodson sit down for a chat with the author about his journey with these stories, the speculative quality of unanswered questions, and more.

From Waubgeshig Rice:

“This book was my chance to look at how Indigenous people could reset their relationship with the land around them and maybe ultimately be liberated by this cataclysm.”

“When you come from a colonizer-displaced people, you’re already out of sight, out of mind, right? So, to be cut off from the world to the south would not be unusual for these people. They would say, OK, we’re being left behind again anyway, so let’s just do what we’re used to and focus on ourselves and our own health and our happiness and our safety and so on. And I think if you look at the history of cataclysmic events and colonization, I think self-containing is a trait of a lot of Indigenous communities to ensure that things can thrive and survive whatever the onslaught of brutality is, whether it’s natural or social or economic or whatever else.”

On time jumps: “When I was mulling over the potential storylines, the first one that comes to mind is ‘Pick it up right after the end of the first book. What happens next, right away?’ But to me, that sort of took on the same kind of tone and atmosphere and was essentially the same kind of story as the first one. It was still the immediate aftermath of the cataclysm, right? And I wanted to try something different just to show farther into the future and to be more speculative on my end—to make it more bonafide speculative fiction.”

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The post Writing Speculative Fiction: A Chat With Waubgeshig Rice appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(How to Adapt a Novel Into a Screenplay)

Now, Eddings is set to publish Late Bloomer, her fifth book in two years; an impressive feat for any author! Here, editor-in-chief Amy Jones and managing editor Moriah Richard catch up with Eddings two years into her publishing career to discuss how her writing has changed, how her perspective on publishing has changed, and her advice for other authors!

From Mazey Eddings:

“I found my sense of community in the romance community and Bookstagram, and I just really leaned into this fun project of writing because I fell in love with it.”

“More and more, life feels a little bit isolating. We’re more connected than ever with social media, but in so many ways—and especially since COVID—there’s been a huge disconnect, or what we view friendship and community as has shifted in a lot of ways. I like to reflect that idea of ‘You can find and form friendships at any point in your life, even when you feel like you’re at your lowest or your worst or your messiest.’ That’s when you find the purest relationships.”

“Embrace the joy of writing as hard as you can, because it will leave you at times—especially when you start developing a financial relationship with your creative work. It really shifts the purity of creation and art to where you start having this internal conversation about monetizing art and people consuming it. It becomes sticky and different, so hold on to your love of it as much as possible, and cherish that, honor that, enjoy that as much as you can. That’s the thing to protect and nurture more than anything else.”

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The post I Published 5 Books in 2 Years: Catching Up With Mazey Eddings appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(Author Advice from 2023 for a Better 2024)

Is it being 100 percent faithful to the source material? Is it making necessary updates to literary classics? Is it including the author in the adapting process? In this episode, Writer’s Digest’s editor-in-chief Amy Jones and content editor Michael Woodson sit down for a chat with Script magazine’s editor-in-chief Sadie Dean about what makes a good adaptation, what makes a bad one, and the times when the adaptation was better than the book.

From the Episode

“I saw the film (The Hours) and I loved it so much that after it was over, I drove across the street to the Barnes & Noble, and the book was on a display table right there with Mrs. Dalloway (by Virginia Woolf), and I bought them both, and it literally changed the course of my life. That’s something I didn’t think about with adaptations—it introduced me to a writer that I wasn’t familiar with before, and it made such an impact on my life.”—Amy Jones

“It’s such a different beast in the TV and film landscape, especially in what you’re allotted on the page. With a novel, you get 300 pages, 500 pages. With a screenplay, we max out at 120 pages, and there’s not a lot of text on that page. You’re only given a limited amount of time and space to really tell that story. So, as an author, you know, ‘I really wish that we could explore Jimmy’s arc here.’ Well, Jimmy’s really not that important in my version of telling this story, but we could take Jimmy’s arc and maybe put it into Sally’s arc and combine these characters. So, that’s the kind of thing you just have to be open to. I think it just makes you a better collaborator, and storyteller, too.”—Sadie Dean

“If a book that I loved gets made into a movie that is so good but so different than the book, I don’t care usually. They get to be two separate things for me that I get to enjoy. I think where people get a little bit caught in, ‘They should have never done this, it can’t be as good,’ … these are two different mediums. If [the adaptation] draws people to the book, that’s awesome. I don’t care that it’s different. It’s being adapted.”—Michael Woodson

Where to Listen

Watch the Episode on YouTube

The post How to Adapt a Novel Into a Screenplay appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(5 Reasons Why Writers Should Consider Podcasting.)

With that being said, let’s dive into some examples of different kinds of podcasts. These podcast types could be any genre and most of them could be combined or altered to create a new unique style or format. It’s a rapidly evolving space that maintains a lot of freedom for individual creators, so don’t be afraid to try something out of the box!

Interview Podcasts

Interview podcasts are what first come to mind for a lot of people who are newer to exploring podcasts. Some of the most popular podcasts in the world follow this format—Armchair Expert, Call Her Daddy, WTF with Marc Maron—as it is easily digestible, keeps each episode fresh, and I think largely because it is reminiscent of formats we are accustomed to on network television and radio.

Typically the host or hosts are already somewhat famous to draw an audience, unless the interview podcast is all about a niche topic, which can draw a medium-sized audience without needing celebrity support. Interview podcasts can be very labor and administratively intensive, but often have the most momentum after launch of any podcast style.

This success often comes from podcast guests sharing the show on their own social media and pulling their audience to you. Interviewing guests from time to time on a podcast that isn’t exclusively interview based can be a great way to gain additional exposure and to network.

Round Table Podcasts

Similar to an interview-style podcast, there are also round table podcasts like the BBC’s In Our Time, NPR’s The Roundtable, and This Week in Tech. These shows use a round table format to achieve an expert driven conversation without the lecture hall feel of a heavy research style history or sociology podcast.

(Best Live Streams, Podcasts, and YouTube Channels for Writers.)

Typically one or two moderators lead the discussion and host the show each week with a different group of participants. Round table podcasts are nearly as popular among listeners as interview podcasts and have the same advantage when it comes to participants sharing episodes with their own social media followings.

Storytelling Podcasts

Storytelling podcasts are some of my personal favorites and are very popular with people who listen while working or who like audiobooks. Podcasts like The Moth (RIP), Beautiful Anonymous, and Normal Gossip give listeners episodes with plot, character, and an emotional arc.

Those three examples are all nonfiction podcasts that share the stories of anonymous everyday people, but there are also wonderful fictional podcast series. Additionally, a large portion of comedy, true crime, and history podcasts use a mostly storytelling style. Popular shows like Two Girls One Ghost and Last Podcast on the Left use a mix of lightly scripted storytelling and comedy to deliver both horror and history. ‘Edu-tainment,’ if you will.

Journalistic Podcasts

News, documentary, and investigative podcasts all fall into this category. Writers with a background in journalism, but a disdain for the schedule one must keep when working in news, can find a happy medium in journalistic podcasting. This is probably the podcast style that requires the most pre-production work (sometimes a literal investigation), but when done well a journalistic podcast can have a huge impact.

(5 Different Forms of Journalism.)

Serial is the most obvious example and was the podcast that created the surge of podcast listenership in America and gave us our appetite for investigative podcasts. Since Serial, we have seen many other podcasts and television series replicate this model—a podcast that investigates and solves crimes in the real world (Up and Vanished, The Trojan Horse Affair, Teacher’s Pet).

We even have multiple fictional TV shows about investigative podcasts that solve crimes. That doesn’t mean every journalistic podcaster needs to be a daring detective—but it is these flashy incidents that have given journalistic podcasting an incredible amount of attention in the last decade.

Recap and Review Podcasts

I know many people (myself included) who listen to recap podcasts instead of watching whatever content is being recapped. Sometimes I want to know what happened in a crime documentary or an episode of Real Housewives, but I don’t want to watch the episode for one reason or another.

Enter recap and review podcasts such as Everyone’s Business but Mine, Reality Gays, Surviving Sisterwives, and Bye Pumkin. Clearly I have an affinity for podcasts about reality TV, but there are plenty of recap and review podcasts about books, movies, documentaries, and serious television shows.

These podcasts have the advantage of tapping into a ready-made audience, since they are essentially piggybacking on other content. That is not a criticism, and hosting a recap or review show is challenging in different ways than other styles of podcasts. These podcasts require hosts with great personalities, a good sense of humor, and a lot of interesting opinions.

These are just examples, so don’t let this list limit your podcast ideas! Think about what content you’d like to deliver, what subjects and format you’d have consistent energy for, and find a podcasting style that works for you and your audience. 

The post 5 Different Types of Podcasts for Writers to Try appeared first on Writer's Digest.

Creating immersive experiences by adapting Jane K. Cleland’s four setting strategies enables you to set the stage for your stories, whether that stage is a gritty city past its prime or a charming small town on the coast—or anything in between. You’ll discover approaches to (1) create longing through juxtaposition of place and desire; (2) select locations that highlight character attributes like athleticism, bravery, or wit; (3) use sensory references to enable readers to fully engage with your locations; and (4) highlight those elements that are unusual, unfamiliar, intriguing, or dramatic.

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If you want more online education, see the full list of WDU courses here.

Listen to the “Writer’s Digest Presents” Finale Now!

How to write a dramedy is more than simply mixing jokes with the tear-jerking moments. Combining comedy and drama is a tight-rope act that, if done wrong, can lead to tonal disparity within your story. But done right and you’ll have your readers going from crying to laughing (and crying laughing) page after page. Editor-in-chief Amy Jones and content editor Michael Woodson sit down with bestselling author Byron Lane (A Star Is Bored, Big Gay Wedding) to chat all about how to write a dramedy.

Ask the Expert: Speculative Fiction with Richard Thomas

This event is a Q&A and “Ask Me Anything” where you can ask Richard your questions about writing, editing, teaching, and publishing. Tips and tricks, dos and don’ts, industry secrets, you name it. If you like, you can even dial up one of your stories that is giving you trouble and ask specific questions about what might be wrong with it and how to fix it! We will be focusing particularly on speculative fiction, but general questions about writing and publishing are welcome as well.

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Enter the Short Short Story Competition!

We’re looking for short fiction stories! Think you can write a winning story in 1,500 words or less? Enter the 24th Annual Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition for your chance to win $3,000 in cash, get published in Writer’s Digest magazine, and a paid trip to our ever-popular Writer’s Digest Conference!

Deadline to enter: December 15, 2023

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