Loading...

Please wait

Podcast

Loading...

OndaCast© 2026 OndaCast. All rights reserved.

Help Contact Terms Privacy Copyright DMCA About Radio Guide Embed Player

Waves Explore Library Vibes Podcasts Audiobooks

Essential Guide to Writing a Novel - Podcast | OndaCast

Podcast

Back to Podcasts

Essential Guide to Writing a Novel

Podcast ShowPodcasten-us

Essential Guide to Writing a Novel

Fiction's job is to entertain. A main way to entertain is to be bold with our plot. Here are thoughts on how to avoid the dull in our plot and how to create a story that keeps readers turning the pages. Also, how to invent strong metaphors and similes. And avoiding overly-precious, self-conscious writing. Support the show

195 episodes•0 subscribers•0 Total Listens

Episode Playlist

50 episodes

Episode 145 - Bringing our settings to life.

Dec 27, 2024•—

Episode 145 - Bringing our settings to life.

Episode 146 - How to make our character unforgettable.

Jan 3, 2025•—

Episode 146 - How to make our character unforgettable.

Episode 147 - Make sure it's important and make it short.

Jan 10, 2025•—

Episode 147 - Make sure it's important and make it short.

Episode 148: A magical way to end one scene and begin another.

Jan 17, 2025•—

Episode 148: A magical way to end one scene and begin another.

Episode 149 - How masterful writers use details.

Jan 24, 2025•—

Episode 149 - How masterful writers use details.

Episode 150 - How to deliver a surprise in the story.

Jan 31, 2025•—

Episode 150 - How to deliver a surprise in the story.

Episode 151 - Mad Magazine, and techniques for riveting dialogue.

Feb 7, 2025•—

Episode 151 - Mad Magazine, and techniques for riveting dialogue.

Episode 152 - How the masters create their settings.

Feb 14, 2025•—

Episode 152 - How the masters create their settings.

Episode 153 - A legendary novelist's lesson for us writers.

Feb 21, 2025•—

Episode 153 - A legendary novelist's lesson for us writers.

Episode 154 - Learning from the masterful writer Edna Ferber.

Feb 28, 2025•—

Episode 154 - Learning from the masterful writer Edna Ferber.

Episode 155 - The single most important ingredient in an unforgetable story.

Mar 7, 2025•—

Episode 155 - The single most important ingredient in an unforgetable story.

Episode 156 - How to write the fast start.

Mar 14, 2025•—

Episode 156 - How to write the fast start.

Episode 157 - How we writers can create a world.

Mar 21, 2025•—

Episode 157 - How we writers can create a world.

Episode 158 - A lifetime's writing advice reduced to one minute.

Mar 28, 2025•—

Episode 158 - A lifetime's writing advice reduced to one minute.

Episode 159 - A surefire way to generate plot, the sidekick.

Apr 4, 2025•—

Episode 159 - A surefire way to generate plot, the sidekick.

Episode 160 - Should our story have a theme?

Apr 11, 2025•—

Episode 160 - Should our story have a theme?

Episode 161 - Ways to give readers what they want.

Apr 18, 2025•—

Episode 161 - Ways to give readers what they want.

Episode 162 - The state fair plotting technique.

Apr 25, 2025•—

Episode 162 - The state fair plotting technique.

Episode 163 - The benefits of an underdog.

May 2, 2025•—

Episode 163 - The benefits of an underdog.

Episode 164 - Design our cover? And the masters on setting details.

May 9, 2025•—

Episode 164 - Design our cover? And the masters on setting details.

Episode 165 - The rule of exceptions.

May 16, 2025•—

Episode 165 - The rule of exceptions.

Episode 166- Showing our character's thoughts.

May 23, 2025•—

Episode 166- Showing our character's thoughts.

Episode 167 - Revealing our character by the setting.

May 30, 2025•—

Episode 167 - Revealing our character by the setting.

Episode 168 - Making our first sentence sparkle.

Jun 6, 2025•—

Episode 168 - Making our first sentence sparkle.

Episode 169 - How to find a surefire plot.

Jun 13, 2025•—

Episode 169 - How to find a surefire plot.

Episode 170 - Writing the crowd scene. And guilt and pride.

Jun 20, 2025•—

Episode 170 - Writing the crowd scene. And guilt and pride.

Episode 171 - Top ten list of bad advice for writers.

Jun 27, 2025•—

Episode 171 - Top ten list of bad advice for writers.

Episode 172 - Our first fifteen pages.

Jul 4, 2025•—

Episode 172 - Our first fifteen pages.

Episode 173 - The magic of dialogue.

Jul 11, 2025•—

Episode 173 - The magic of dialogue.

Episode 174 - How to ruin our story's first sentences.

Jul 18, 2025•—

Episode 174 - How to ruin our story's first sentences.

Episode 175 - Writing funny dialogue.

Jul 25, 2025•—

Episode 175 - Writing funny dialogue.

Episode 176 - Inventing a fabulous title.

Aug 1, 2025•—

Episode 176 - Inventing a fabulous title.

Episode 177 - The description double duty technique.

Aug 8, 2025•—

Episode 177 - The description double duty technique.

Episode 178 - How to make readers laugh.

Aug 15, 2025•—

Episode 178 - How to make readers laugh.

Episode 179 - The critical writing techniques all in one episode.

Aug 22, 2025•—

Episode 179 - The critical writing techniques all in one episode.

Episode 180 - The critical distance between the reader and the action.

Aug 29, 2025•—

Episode 180 - The critical distance between the reader and the action.

Episode 181 - A critical difference between scene and summary.

Sep 5, 2025•—

Episode 181 - A critical difference between scene and summary.

Episode 182 - Things to think about as we write the end of our story.

Sep 12, 2025•—

Episode 182 - Things to think about as we write the end of our story.

Episode 183 - A key to making our sentences forceful.

Sep 19, 2025•—

Episode 183 - A key to making our sentences forceful.

Episode 184 - Skipping the dull stuff in our plot.

Sep 26, 2025•—

Episode 184 - Skipping the dull stuff in our plot.

Episode 185 - The keys to musical writing.

Oct 3, 2025•—

Episode 185 - The keys to musical writing.

Episode 186 - Showing--not telling--what a character is thinking.

Oct 10, 2025•—

Episode 186 - Showing--not telling--what a character is thinking.

Episode 187 - Giving readers what they want.

Oct 17, 2025•—

Episode 187 - Giving readers what they want.

Episode 188 - How to make our writing fun.

Oct 24, 2025•—

Episode 188 - How to make our writing fun.

Episode 189 - Start as close to the end as possible.

Oct 31, 2025•—

Episode 189 - Start as close to the end as possible.

Episode 190 - The right way to leave red herrings.

Nov 7, 2025•—

Episode 190 - The right way to leave red herrings.

Episode 191 - Do we know enough to write the first sentence?

Nov 14, 2025•—

Episode 191 - Do we know enough to write the first sentence?

Episode 192 - Plotting: the importance of conflict, crisis, resolution.

Nov 21, 2025•—

Episode 192 - Plotting: the importance of conflict, crisis, resolution.

Episode 193 - Plotting: go big or go home.

Nov 28, 2025•—

Episode 193 - Plotting: go big or go home.

Episode 194 - How to invent a strong plot.

Dec 5, 2025•—

Episode 194 - How to invent a strong plot.

You May Also Like

OndaCast© 2026 OndaCast. All rights reserved.

Help Contact Terms Privacy Copyright DMCA About Radio Guide Embed Player

Waves Explore Library Vibes Podcasts Audiobooks