FRANK TALABER: WRITE SO REAL THEY FORGET THE WORLD

Send us Fan MailWhat makes a reader forget the bath is running and the coffee went cold? We sit down with novelist Frank Talaber to map the exact blend of hooks, humor, and hard research that makes escape inevitable. Frank opens his playbook: how to seize attention on page one, how to layer smell, texture, sound, and light so a scene feels walked through, and why a well-timed joke inside a dark moment can keep momentum alive without breaking tension.We dig into the craft choices that build trust—verifiable details from Victoria, Stanley Park, and Haida Gwaii—so the wild stuff can land: urban legends, paranormal threads, and moral stakes that lead to catharsis. Frank writes to be felt, not just understood, and he measures success in raw reader reactions: laughs out loud, closed-eye cinema, and honest confessions of missed alarms. He believes the good must win, not to tidy life, but to give the journey meaning and the payoff weight.You’ll also hear how short stories become novels, why freewriting unlocks flow, and how walks and the edge of alpha state loosen the mind. Frank shares a new short story collection, awards, and a thriller premise with a chilling “what if” that reads like a film. We compare publishing routes, trim sizes, and cover design, and we tackle AI with a clear-eyed take: useful as a tool, risky as a voice. If you need a practical spark today, try this: write a scene you can smell, end it with a choice, and ask what has to be true for your hero to win.Subscribe for more candid craft talks, share this with a writer who needs a push, and leave a review with your favorite opening line you’ve ever read. Your notes shape future episodes and help this community grow.Join Frank's write group online:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/597136418615865Email: [email protected] Webpage: https://franktalaberpublishedauthor.wordpress.comNovels on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/stores/Frank-Talaber/author/B00UC407R0https://www.amazon.ca/Autumns-Summer-Felicity-Talisman/dp/1738658376 My Novels on Audible https://www.audible.ca/author/Frank-Talaber/B00UC407R0https://www.audible.ca/author/Felicity-Talisman/B0D322DCBRMy YouTube Channel.  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx5ki4gpdokN-9KAIZzu53wIf this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins.Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place.I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power.Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's PodcastJulie's Website