Third Person POV: A Writing Group

In this episode, we talk through the writing tools we use, how we give feedback, and how much structure actually helps when drafting a novel. Along the way, we critique chapters dealing with action scenes, character motivation, pacing, consequences, and the problem of a protagonist who may be too reactive.Find the co-hosts on:→JC Bybee at https://jcbybee.com/→Grey Alder at https://greyalderbooks.com/→Tyler Hess on his blog: https://hesstylerblog.com/

Our first-ever Author Spotlight is here! Tyler sits down with Keelin Shafer, author of the Magical Regency Romance series and the upcoming En Garde, to talk writing, creativity, publishing hopes, and the challenge of juggling all the roles an author has to play.The current plan is for an Author Spotlight episode to come out every week. Let us know which authors you'd like to see!Find Keelin at https://www.instagram.com/author_keelin_schafer/And your usual co-hosts:→JC Bybee at https://jcbybee.com/→Grey Alder at https://greyalderbooks.com/→Tyler Hess on his blog: https://hesstylerblog.com/

This week, Third Person POV gets into villain presence, divine intuition, Regency dialogue, hidden spellbooks, the Wild Hunt, and the eternal question of whether writers should outline or just let the chaos goblin drive!Join us at Gem State Comic Con on May 15, 2026, at 4:00 PM for our community panel. We're excited to see you there! Get your tickets here https://sendfox.com/trk/click/096dgk4x/vkoppz6.Find the co-hosts on:→JC Bybee at https://jcbybee.com/→Grey Alder at https://greyalderbooks.com/→Tyler Hess on his blog: https://hesstylerblog.com/

In this episode, we welcome Kim Reid, author of an up-and-coming tale with ink-based magic and a vivid protagonist already embroiled in theater drama. The other guys' pieces are OK, as usual. Kim also talks to us about what it's like to work with a developmental editor. Join us at Gem State Comic Con on May 15, 2026, at 4:00 PM for our community panel. We're excited to see you there! Get your tickets here https://sendfox.com/trk/click/096dgk4x/vkoppz6.Find the co-hosts on:→JC Bybee at https://jcbybee.com/→Grey Alder at https://greyalderbooks.com/→Tyler Hess on his blog: https://hesstylerblog.com/→And Kim Reid on Instagram @kimjoyreid

Episode 9 starts with news about our live Gem State Comic-Con panel, then gets straight into the pain: Jesse’s superhero procedural gets its long-awaited visceral fight scene, Gray’s fantasy chapter raises questions about intent, monsters, and emotional payoff, and Tyler’s submission brings cursed tomes, faerie intrigue, and a dream that may be more real than it seems. We close with one of our best questions yet: what would we tell our younger creative selves?Find the co-hosts on:→JC Bybee at https://jcbybee.com/→Grey Alder at https://greyalderbooks.com/→Tyler Hess on his blog: https://hesstylerblog.com/

Sink your teeth into this LIVE show we did to prepare for our panel at the Gem State Comic Con (Garden City, ID on May 15th, be there or be square). We talk a lot more about what it means to be in a writing group and do short critiques on some new pieces we each wrote for the occasion.

This week, we critique chapters, argue about half measures, talk ourselves into and out of bad metaphors, and somehow end up discussing print costs, fantasy word counts, and the books that made us writers in the first place. If you’ve ever wanted to sit in on a real writers group meeting, this is the chaos for you.Find the co-hosts on:→JC Bybee at https://jcbybee.com/→Grey Alder at https://greyalderbooks.com/→Tyler Hess on his blog: https://hesstylerblog.com/

In this episode of Third Person POV, the group dives into a mix of dark fantasy, paranormal mystery, and superhero storytelling as they critique each other’s latest chapters. Along the way, they talk character motivation, plot progression, worldbuilding, and the value of honest feedback—plus a few rabbit trails, laughs, and writerly tangents.

In this episode of Third-Person POV, the group digs into three very different fiction submissions and ends up in a bigger conversation about what makes characters actually work. They talk through a tense conflict scene between allies, a flashback chapter that unlocks major emotional backstory, and a magic-heavy chapter balancing action with exposition. Along the way, they get into character motivation, the difference between static and dynamic characters, when tropes help or hurt, why flawed characters matter, and how “Mary Sue” characters — or even whole Mary Sue groups — can drain the life out of a story. It’s part critique session, part writing workshop, and part chaotic writer banter.Find the co-hosts on:→JC Bybee at https://jcbybee.com/→Grey Alder on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/greyalder/p/the-shipwrecked?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web→Tyler Hess on his blog: https://hesstylerblog.com/

Three writers work through camera glitches and exhaustion to bring you a stellar writer's group session. They talk craft, razz and raise each other, and get into the nitty gritty of that age-old problem that all writers have experienced: blockage.Find the co-hosts on:→JC Bybee on jcbybee.com→Grey Alder on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/greyalder/p/the-shipwrecked?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web→Tyler Hess on his blog: https://hesstylerblog.com/

In Episode 4, the group critiques three works-in-progress—JC’s Technomancer (Jessica/Darren/Eve), Tyler’s first Layla POV, and Gray’s chapter on the Tangled Man’s Throat and a looming blood feud—then zooms out to talk feedback: beta readers vs editors, finding trusted readers, and taking critique without getting defensive.Find the co-hosts on:→JC Bybee at https://jcbybee.com/→Grey Alder on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/greyalder/p/the-shipwrecked?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web→Tyler Hess on his blog: https://hesstylerblog.com/

So, how do you give feedback? How should you act when you receive it? Your book is your baby; it can be hard to be chill while someone rips it apart in front of your eyes. That's why you need a really great writing group.In this episode, three writers show what an effective critique session looks like. They balance razzing and targeted feedback with laughter and encouragement. If you're trying improve your writing craft, or form your own writing group, this is the podcast for you.They also dig into:-concrete over abstract details-imagery-pacing-mysteryFind the co-hosts on:→JC Bybee on jcbybee.com→Grey Alder on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/greyalder/p/the-shipwrecked?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web→Tyler Hess on his blog: https://hesstylerblog.com/

So, how do you give feedback? How should you act when you receive it? Your book is your baby; it can be hard to be chill while someone rips it apart in front of your eyes. That's why you need a really great writing group.In this episode, three writers show what an effective critique session looks like. They balance razzing and targeted feedback with laughter and encouragement. If you're trying improve your writing craft, or form your own writing group, this is the podcast for you.They also dig into:-setting emotional stakes-Describing characters, environments, and magic systems-pacingFind the co-hosts on:→JC Bybee on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07RC91VPS?ccs_id=0e9381f4-8f89-4b62-b653-19846c7b1892→Grey Alder on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/greyalder/p/the-shipwrecked?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web→Tyler Hess on his blog: https://hesstylerblog.com/

Dear Writer, giving and receiving feedback can be hard. Haven't you ever wished you could watch someone else's writing group to see how they do it?In this pilot episode, three writers show what an effective critique session looks like. They balance razzing and targeted feedback with laughter and encouragement. If you're trying improve your writing craft, or form your own writing group, this is the podcast for you.They also dig into:-scene-setting and clarity-sensory cues-handling theme without being heavy-handed-worldbuilding choices that “click”-where AI does (and doesn’t) fit in creative writingFind the co-hosts on:→JC Bybee on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07RC...→Grey Alder on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/greyalder/p/...→Tyler Hess on his blog: https://hesstylerblog.com/