All Episodes
John Helps You Write Better — 300 episodes
Don't fear the tropes and cliches
I've been sick. Have a podcast episode.
You need to start AND finish AND finish what you start.
You're going to need to learn to take a punch.
Why do you want to rush? What's the hurry?
And why exactly are you using AI?
Separate your character from your plot
Local royalty vs global royalty AKA Who's the most specialest person?
Global global versus local global - Worldbuilding and scale
Have you been complicating your world-building?
We never know what we're doing or where we're going, and that's fine.
Answering 27 questions from webnovelists and new writers
You and your voice and trying to be like other authors
How are you feeling about your progress?
Let's talk about beats and scenes
What the hell happened to Superman in the Superman movie?
And now, a word for co-authors
How's that fantasy going?
What do you think you're doing?
How Do I Make A Plot? (Audio from A Plot Building Session)
Why are you waiting?
Just start.
The anti-pants system of writing
The #1 excuse of pantsing.
Pantsing is making it harder for you to succeed, here's why
Why Pantsing is Bad, part 1
You should be reading critically
At and To and With
"New" and "experienced" are labels that don't matter
Can you connect with someone else?
The audio-only re-do of the Writers Chat for 11-19
How's that voice going?
Are you asking questions in your exposition?
11-12-24 Writers Chat
How familiar are you with your genre?
You don't have to reinvent the wheel
We all face stairs.
Some disjointed thoughts on art and no one seeing it
Don't forget to connect to your reader
What kind of backstory are you writing?
What kind of outline are you using?
Your character operates with logic
Some options for the symphony of your opening
Are you really sure about opening your work with dialogue?
I still don't want you worrying about pacing.
What you need to know about tension and release
The return of the Writers Chat 10-17
You should put some good out into the world.
No, I don't want you to worry about pacing.
Big and little character goals
When was the last time you celebrated a win?
Installing and uninstalling software in your head
What you believe
The danger of 77.63
How to build an action scene
How to build better dialogue and tension
The switch you have to flip in your head
To do lists, Costco, and your writing
Talking about haves and have nots (sort of)
Please do not watch the new Matlock
Warcraft and Writing, part 2
Warcraft and Writing, part 1
Answering "Where do I start?" part 3
BONUS!! What are people looking for in your first pages?
Answering "where do I start" part 2
Answering "Where do I start", part 1
Are you "professional" ?
The help goes where the help needs to go
Asking for help makes a difference
Why you don't need Nano part 2
Why you don't need NaNoWriMo, part 1
Please put your ego down a little. It's getting in the way.
WORKSHOP AUDIO - What you need to know about Publishing
WORKSHOP AUDIO! How to Build Characters
Who's a good writer?
A challenge for those of you about to publish traditionally
What to do when your expectations aren't met
The Writers Chat for 7.30
What to look for in a writing community or writing space
Don't rush to your end goal
How To Build An Audience
Please ask questions
Are you sure you need a SFW account and an NSFW account?
Is serialization right for you?
You have to do your best
Control your mind, not the reader
Let's talk about plot twists.
4 Mistakes You Might Be Making With Your Plot
How about a marketing tip?
Are you reading carefully?
I need you to try marketing
How to write a book in less than forever
Say No To Hyperbole
So ... about that conference...
Hey, it's time to stop pants-ing
No, you don't want to be a short story writer
I'd like you to swim upstream
Rejection is a part of this whole endeavor
Don't let the naysayers stop you
Yes, you really need an editor, not just software
You prepare as you go
About those 100 things you've started and never finished...
Get It Out Of Your Head If You Want It To Become Real
I'm making a thing!
I need you to stop only making up your story and start feeling it too
Make progress in writing by writing just one sentence
My Dinner With Capitalism
Theme, Part 3: Why theme needs to matter to you as a writer
5 Things To Be A Successful Writer (listen to me when you need a boost)
Theme, Part 2: Why themes matter in publishing
Theme Part 1: What is it, where does it go?
You need structure. I'm sorry, you just need to learn some writing basics.
How to Organize Your Story
What happened to the craft of writing lately?
Is a comic writer a "real" writer?
Your characters need to be challenged
More stuff is not necessarily cooler.
Even more writing exercises to help you write better
Please stop making diss tracks against yourself.
How to organize your own continuity (landscaper edition)
How to deal with continuity and big messes of story
I have a few thoughts about X-Men 97
Everything You Might Want To Know About Writing A Scene
Rejection is what you make of it.
Doubt happens, here's what you can do about it.
A quick note about TikTok
Give your characters some goals to help the reader feel like things matter
Listen to this if you want help describing things in writing
Don't change your art to "what sells"
There are two boxes you can fill with your attention.
Join you character in the moment to help your show/tell problems.
The value in being yourself when you market your work
Gambits for your narrative
Plot, plot, plot, plot
Your narrative and your feet
The episode with the mud puddle story
Does that (fill-in-the-blank) really help me?
5 Elements Of A Scene
Are you paying attention, part 2
Are you paying attention?
You're good enough to do better.
There isn't a wrong way to outline
6 more writing exercises for you
A quick note to writers on TikTok looking for advice
How do you know when you have enough detail?
INTERVIEW WITH AN AUTHOR!! Erin Lodes has a book, you should read it
A writing exercise about stakes
Your Guide to Stakes
I've got some vulnerability exercises for you today.
This is an episode where I encourage you to be vulnerable.
Don't worry, you're an artist.
Can we talk about your worldbuilding?
A few words about show and tell and putting a movie in the reader's mind
We need to have a few words (and a tool) about theme
David Milch has a different way of thinking about characters.
We're going to talk about talking.
Would you like 6 writing exercises?
How to describe things.
It's important to change focus from time to time.
A chatless Writers Chat for 3.5
Talking about questions and diving boards
When I get stuck, should I write something new?
Perfect is dull.
Think about your characters and your reader
A low-key chill Writers Chat for 2.27
One of the most dangerous things ever.
What's your age again?
A story about someone in their own way
A comprehensive and varied Writers Chat for 2.20
Talking about bad habits.
Here's why you should care
Who's in charge here?
A very heartfelt Writers Chat for 2.14.
BYOB - Be Your Own Boss
You, your publisher, and marketing
And now, a message from a sick day.
Looking for the interconnectedness of all your creative things.
The Writers Chat of 2.6 where I remembered to record audio
A quick trip down a nerdy memory lane.
Don't let words be fast food
Creativity is risky, do it anyway
Not quite a whole Chat, but it's pretty good.
Bringing your past up to your present for your future
Marketing is a conversation, so be a person
Every Sentence Is A Camera Part 3: Part 5: Exposition and Description
Every Sentence Is A Camera Part 3:: Part 4:: Voice (long title!)
Every Sentence Is A Camera 3: Part 3: Mood
A thankfully problem free-ish Writers Chat for 1.23
Every Sentence Is A Camera 3, Part 2: Pacing
Every Sentence Is A Camera 3, part 1: Dialogue
Do your best work.
Your premise can be a shovel, it's okay
A Writers Chat without music but still a good one for January 16th
About that George Carlin AI thing...
After a conversation I had with a writer who loves AI...
An update about episodes this week
Listen to this if your family doesn't "get" you
Have you thought about editing lately?
Remind me why we listen to booktube?
Everything you might possibly want to know about themes.
Opening 2024 with a delightful Writers Chat
A great episode to start 2024 with
Get ready for 2024 with this episode
How are your expectations doing?
Having a voice and using it
The pre-end-of-year housekeeping episode
What to do when something you believed about yourself isn't true
How to build threat and make characters work a little
The action-packed final Writers Chat of 2023 (see you in 2024)
Setting goals that you'll actually accomplish
Here are 2 things I'd like you to stop doing at the end of the year
BONUS EPISODE!! Give this to writers who are struggling with traditional publishing
Why does it matter how fast you're going?
How to set some goals that aren't ridiculous
A packed full of thought Writers Chat for 12.12
Work on yourself to work on your goals
Amazon is a company town
Listen to this one if you're worried what people will say about what you're writing
Two editorial philosophies
A technically imperiled Writers Chat for 12.5
No, you STILL don't want AI involved
The trouble with reviews and hostages
The problem with publisher nonsense, part 2
The problem with unacceptable publisher nonsense, part 1
The one question Chat from 11.28
Setting Goals vs Settling
Don't handwave your big payoff away
A music-less Chat for 11.21
Don't overthink your reviews.
How Andor Can Help You Write Better
A word about growth and evolution
Let's talk about superfans, part 2
Let's talk about superfans, part 1
The Writers Chat of 11/14, the one you've been waiting for
How's your safety net looking?
Have you looked at your expectations lately?
How do you spend your time?
Sometimes it's okay to do different
A fun-filled Writers Chat for 11.7
A story about some puppets
The problem with puzzling vs plotting vs pantsing
Answering a question about character movement
How does your writer garden grow?
A particularly vulnerable but not necessarily spooky Writers Chat for 10.31
Impressionism vs realism in writing styles
Listen to this if you're worried that you're taking too long or you're not good enough as a writer
A very believe-in-yourself installment of the Writers Chat for 10.24
What's your relationship with time like?
Listen to this episode when you feel like you're out of options.
BONUS CHAT QUESTION - What's the action economy look like?
What does "good" mean?
Let's talk about 5 MS-stakes (get it?) you're possibly making in your writing.
A very writer-facing Writers Chat for 10.17
Focus, focus, focus
Can we say a few words to and about our fears?
Art and Audience, part 5: how to engage
Art and Audience, part 4: The Terms Of Service
Art, Audience, and the Relationship: Speaking Up
A riotous and personally fulfilling Writers Chat for 10.10
Art and relationships, part 2: Common Ground
Art and relationship, part 1
Is your work 100 pounds?
Give yourself permission to market your work
Why no one should care about your spaceship
A technically challenged Writers Chat for 10.3
Feed your artist, don't starve them
4 kinds of Newsletters You Need To know
Just be a person who writes, not a "Writer"
Find the limits of your fears
Bad doesn't mean not good enough
A bold new one question Writers Chat for 9.26
And now, a word about a thing I do...
Writing is hard, don't give up
let's talk about writing rituals
No your reader isn't stupid
It's not clickbait, but here are 3 words you can cut from your MS.
A very marketing oriented Writers Chat for 9.19
Why do you get stuck on your failures?
How do you measure success?
Oh heavens no, don't be unrealistic (gasp!)
Saying more about "writing what you know"
Your voice is your greatest tool for your work
It's so important that you're curious
Marketing Day 5: How To Market Effectively
Marketing Day 4: A Marketing Strategy For You
A congested Writers Chat for the week of 9-6
Marketing Day 3: marketing as an opportunity
Marketing Day 2: Marketing isn't sleazy
Marketing Day 1: Marketing is a Conversation
So you want to build a world for your story...
A contemplative and honest Writers Chat for 8/29
Let's dive back into Fantasy
The power hour-ish Writers Chat of 8.22
It's important that you say something.
How are you taking care of yourself?
A question about titles and originality
Why are you in a hurry?
The Writers Chat of 8.15: A Chat of business and design
The power of a feedback loop
So let's talk about customers real quick....