More Stories, Creative Writing Podcast

Podcast Episode 21: What’s the Deal with the MFA?   Choosing to pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree may be the right choice for some, but probably isn't for everyone. Here are my thoughts on the pros and cons of the MFA.   01:39 The fifth anniversary of my blog 03:28 Some of the most popular posts have been centered around the topic of the Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) degree 04:50 My own path to an MFA 07:27 Misgivings and fears about pursuing an MFA 10:10 Every year, thousands of writers have a similar experience to mine: desire for structure, feedback, and community 13:00 Overview of the MFA question: some pros and cons 14:44 There ARE other ways to accomplish most of the same goals, except for an accredited degree 16:10 There is an instinct to rush into an MFA program, but it isn’t always the best option. Which is right for you? 17:29 Consider what you will do AFTER the MFA BEFORE you even start it. 19:10 If you decide the MFA path is the path for you, tackle it with everything you have. Make the most of tha

Episode 20: 15 Tips For Maintaining Creative Rhythm   I believe there is a way to minimize resistance and free us to write more often, and with a higher quality. In speaking with writing students, coaching clients, and other writers, I advocate the idea of creative rhythm.    01:07 Today’s topic: Maintaining Creativity 02:12 The idea that writing is harder than someone thought it would be is the onset of resistance. (Reference to Episode 3) 02:58 “Creative Rhythm” helps minimize resistance, helps us write more often, and with better quality. (Reference to The Accidental Creative) 05:15 Violating the ideas of creative rhythm leads to stagnation and “writer’s block”. 06:40 Element 1: Focus (Do what works and eliminate what doesn’t/Nothing “out there” is more important than what you are working on/Establish an understanding of priorities and objectives) 08:18 Element 2: Beneficial Relationships (Seek out new sources of inspiration and reinforce those relationships you already have/Have a core group for creative

Episode 19: Finding Quality Writing Instruction (This episode features the dulcet tones of a snoring beagle...)   In this episode I look at various options and opportunities for direct instruction of creative writing.   00:38 Welcome, Happy New Year, How’s it going with you? (Resolutions suck) 02:38 Many listeners may find themselves looking for quality writing instruction and facing doubt about our writing abilities. 04:00 Indirect vs. Direct instruction 04:37 Can writing (or any other art) actually be TAUGHT? 05:30 Do you know a single major league baseball player who never had a parent or coach teach them the fundamentals?  06:42 Direct instruction of writing leads to improvement. (Including the golf analogy...) Instruction is breaking the elements down so they can be examined and applied. 08:28 The importance of outside feedback to the writer, accountability, and wisdom outside oneself. 09:28 Who can benefit from direct creative writing instruction? 10:07 Anyone who feels overwhelmed by all the books and

Show Notes: In this episode, I wrap up 2014 and look forward to 2015 by taking just a minute or two to review the past year.    Your Legacy of Words: The Workbook Main Page - Description and Buying options Amazon Barnes and Noble   Best of the year links: Episode 3: Resistance is Futile Episode 5: Writers are Just Better People Episode 8: Fall Into Submissions In-Betweener #1: Short Fiction Reading - Things He Wasn’t Supposed to Do   The interviews: Episode 6: Conquering the Conference with Confidence Episode 7: This One Character I Know Episode 11: Fallen Angels, Runaway Truck Ramps, and Kickstarter Campaigns Episode 14: Poetry for Non-Poets   More Stories Podcast Links: ▪www.MoreStoriesPodcast.com ▪Subscribe or listen via iTunes ▪Subscribe or listen via Stitcher ▪RSS feed, for those who use RSS to subscribe   Other Eric Sheridan Wyatt links: ▪My author page on Amazon. ▪My blog, Stories I Read, Stories I Tell ▪My homepage, Words Matter Creative Writing ▪Words Matter on Facebook   ▪Words Matter on Twitter 

Show Notes: In this episode, I contemplate wishes, and how our desires for something can be either detrimental, or harnessed into positive action.    00:30 Welcome, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. 01:25 This is a season that has always had a special significance for me: as a time of reflection and quiet. 02:25 Even when I was young, Christmas-related anxiousness gave way to quiet anticipation, stillness, and peace.  04:13 If something seemingly insignificant about your life has stuck with you for years and years, you should write about it. It has remained in your thoughts for some reason. 04:55 I considered not posting a podcast this week, but then decided to post, anyway, because you can listen to this whenever YOU are ready. 05:35 Today’s topic: Wishes. We hear a lot about wishes this time of year, both forward-looking wishes, and wishes of regret. 06:49 Most of us expend a lot of energy “wishing”. I’m no different. 09:24 I spend some time thinking about what went wrong, but only enough time to learn so

Show Notes: In this episode I look at two contradictions which are equally true: It is good to have a sacred, set-aside place to pursue your creative work, and it is also good to force yourself into a change of scenery, especially if you are blocked or stymied.   00:38 Intro 02:00 Planning, thinking, or talking about a book does not make a book. Writing does. 03:15 Goal setting and prioritizing in order to keep creative endeavors on task.  04:55 If you don’t have deadlines (from an editor/agent or in a class) you have to find a way to impose self-accountability. 05:45 My procrastination manifests as “doing some other work” besides the hard thing or the difficult thing to write. (Includes a “throw back Thursday” to my college days…) 07:15 I don’t have external pressure, or imposed deadlines, for most of the creative work I most want to do. 07:45 Goal setting, and writing down specific, measurable expectations, is a way to have some accountability. I’m self-imposing deadlines, so another year doesn’t slip by. 0

Show Notes:   In this episode I look at the positives, and negatives, of having too many choices. Freedom to chose from a wide variety of careers, creative projects, or even restaurants allows us to “think outside the box” at times, and find unexpected and exciting new things. But sometimes having too many choices can lead to “decision paralysis” which results in unhappiness, anxiety, and procrastination.   01:45 Every December I find myself looking back at the year, and not making “resolutions” but reevaluating what’s working, what’s not, what new things I need for the new year. 02:33 “Choice overload” or “the paradox of choice” can lead to creative paralysis. The case of 1,100 toilet bowl brushes. 04:40 Keeping a balance between having choices (which is good) and becoming overwhelmed. Sometimes, circumstances weed-out some of our choices for us. That is ok, sometimes.  06:35 Having options can be a positive thing, if we know how to fight against the decision paralysis. 07:10 Self-limiting can help us focus

This week, on the podcast, poet Dominique Traverse Locke joins me for an interview in which we discuss the benefits of reading (and even writing) poetry for those of us who do not consider ourselves poets.   Enjoy! (A treasure trove of links below!!!)   00:43 Welcome! Unplanned week off for Thanksgiving. Hope your week was good. 02:11 Poetry as another way to feed creativity for our main creative focus. 03:50 Mention of two recent blog posts that are on the same topic. (See links below.) 04:40 Bio of Dominique Traverse Locke 06:33 Three quick notes: an odd sound, a clarification, and a correction. 07:51 Start of the interview, a reading from The Goodbye Child, the poem Stories I Tell. 10:10 Who are you, Dominique? A bit about her writing life, including her migration from fiction to poetry. 13:50 Initial thoughts on poetry for non-poets, and “What IS poetry?” (Includes a long-winded section by yours truly…and my negative attitude about poetry.) 18:50 What IS poetry? (In which Dominique finally gets to speak a

Links Varidesk adjustable height desk. More Stories Podcast Episode 9  - Writing Prompts More Stories Podcast Episode 11 - Shawn Smucker, Kickstarter campaigns, etc. Blog Post - Did I Really Write That?   More Stories Podcast Links: www.MoreStoriesPodcast.com Subscribe or listen via iTunes Subscribe or listen via Stitcher RSS feed, for those who use RSS to subscribe   Other Eric Sheridan Wyatt links: My author page on Amazon. My blog, Stories I Read, Stories I Tell My homepage, Words Matter Creative Writing Words Matter on Facebook Words Matter on Twitter    00:36 Welcome and back to the regular podcast schedule. The benefits of planned rest. 04:00 The Varidesk standing desk (variable height desk) is one of my favorite equipment purchases of the last several years. Check the link for more info. 07:00 Congrats to Shawn Smucker for meeting all of his stretch goals for his new book, The Day the Angels Fell. See episode 11 for more information. 09:00 Supporting writers and other creatives that add value to our li

I am, in fact, taking a little pod-casting break this week.   So this is not a normal episode of the podcast.   I thought though, rather than be completely off the radar, I would present to you one of my original stories, a piece of short fiction called, “Things He Wasn’t Supposed to Do.”   It was originally published in 1995, and recently collected in a short-fiction collection I called Five Stories…which is NOT a very original title, but it seemed to fit, since it was a collection of the first five stories I wrote that were published.    If you’d like a copy of the book, you can find more information below.   You can also go directly through my website. There are on that page are also some short videos where I talk about the genesis of each story and a brief excerpt from each, as well as links to BUY the book.   And, if you’d like a FREE pdf copy of the book, all five stories, to read, you can (as of this recording) sign up for my email newsletter or my blog and get a link to a free digital copy of the book

The next episode will be an In-Betweener...I wanted you to know that, and that I will be back with a regular episode (#13) the following week. Thanks so much for listening!!  

More Stories Podcast Links: www.MoreStoriesPodcast.com Subscribe or listen via iTunes Subscribe or listen via Stitcher RSS feed, for those who use RSS to subscribe   Other Eric Sheridan Wyatt links: My author page on Amazon. My blog, Stories I Read, Stories I Tell My homepage, Words Matter Creative Writing Words Matter on Facebook Words Matter on Twitter     Show Notes for Episode 12:   00:36 Welcome! and thanks for the QUADRUPLING of listeners in October compared to September. 02:20 How are YOU getting value from the show? Please let me know how I can improve, and what has already been helpful. 03:56 Diversifying versus specializing content on my blog, podcast, and in other ways. Pros and Cons. 07:52 Fiction writing, and how to use real life situations to inform our fiction. 11:20 Three areas of caution to ensure “real life” doesn’t dictate the rules of my fictional world: Dialogue, plot, and what’s at stake. 15:19 Utilizing techniques and basic elements of FICTION when writing NON-fiction. 17:39 Warnings wh

Episode 11: Fallen Angels, Runaway Truck Ramps, and Kickstarter Campaigns   Author Shawn Smucker joins me on the podcast to talk about the creative process, the differences between writing fiction and writing non-fiction, being rejected by agents and editors, and utilizing crowd-funding options to finance our creative work. It was a great conversation with a number of insightful moments, and I am grateful to Shawn for spending some time with me.    00:35 Intro to the episode 02:08 Start of the Interview, intro to Shawn Smucker 04:10 A little about two memoir, non-fiction books Shawn wrote about his life: Building a Life Out of Words, and Using a Runaway Truck Ramp. 05:52 How does tension and transition in life inform Shawn’s creativity and writing life? 08:30 Finding time (and energy) for personal creative work when you spend so much time writing for others. 11:20 Writing in chunks vs. writing slow and steady. 13:40 Differences between the writing of fiction vs. writing non-fiction. 14:45 Revision and editing

Show Notes: 01:17 What does it mean to me to “help you take your writing to the next level”? 02:50 The “next level” is the next step to becoming a better, more authentic version of myself. 05:00 Two ways fear can be beneficial: it can alert us to danger, it can help us understand we are working on legitimately valuable things. 06:15 Five negative consequences of fear that we don’t confront: it causes us to act in negative ways, it can cause us to perform below our optimum level, fear fuels the engine of resistance, it limits our willingness to interact with others, and it magnifies the perceived consequences of even the smallest failure. 07:58 The Fear of Failure 11:26 Four ways to address the fear of failure, and failure itself, to make both less of a roadblock. 14:28 The Fear of Success 20:45 Some words of encouragement: The cost of not following your artistic impulse, the cost of not pursuing the next level for yourself and your creative work, is too high to allow the fear to win. Begin, even today, to fin

Why are writing prompts so widely used in writing instruction, and are they really helpful? I say, yes, to both, and here's why...   00:36 Welcome! 01:05 A confession 03:34 Dose my online content (podcast, blog, video) address YOUR needs? 04:35 Your input is valued, and I hope you’ll take a few minutes to let me know what you’d like to hear more of. 06:02 Intro to the topic of the day: Using writing prompts and exercises. 07:15 Why are prompts so widely used in writing instruction?  07:21 Prompts are a starting point. 08:24 Prompts provide a point of immediate comparison. 09:26 Prompts can create creative momentum. 10:14 Are prompts actually helpful? 10:38 Writing exercises help us stretch. 11:15 Prompts and exercises help us see our work with new eyes. 12:02 They can help bring a sense of play back into our creative lives. 12:45 Prompts can break free something we didn’t even know existed. 13:57 HERE IS YOUR PROMPT: He saw her, before she saw him. 14:42 Thank you, share, leave feedback, and a brief preview o

Episode 8: Fall Into Submissions I was recently asked to describe my annual process of submitting to literary magazines, and the same person suggested I devote an episode of the podcast to that topic.   In five steps, I break down the essential elements of a submission plan, and talk, just a little, about HOW the process plays out in my own writing world.   00:54 I am so thankful that we have had, in one day, more listeners of the podcast than listened in the first five weeks of the podcast, combined. THANKS!! 01:56 More Stories the creative writing podcast is now available in Stitcher, on various Windows Phone apps, and the new native Windows Phone app, as well as on iTunes. 03:44 Intro to the content of the episode: How I attack my annual submissions of short stories to literary magazines. 05:34 Step One: Have a Plan. A plan is not a vague notion of what you HOPE the end result will be. The plan should be intentional, reasonable, and written down. 09:35 Step Two: Identify the appropriate, potential markets

Links: http://www.jenniejarvis.com http://jarviswrites.wix.com/jenniejarvis#!projects/cm8a http://www.beatingwindward.com     episode archive: www.MoreStoriesPodcast.com subscribe via itunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/more-stories-creative-writing/id908970807?mt=2&uo=4 rss feed: http://morestories.libsyn.com/rss   Show Notes:   When Jennie Jarvis and I spoke in episode six about conferences, I also interviewed her about a book she had written for Beating Windward Press. The book is called Crafting the Character Arc: A practical guide to character creation and development.   In this episode, Jennie and I talk about about her book, what makes it different from other books on character development for writers, and what unique perspective she brings to the idea of improving our fictional characters.    We also delve into the general state of publishing, why properly developed characters can give you and edge, and how the process of proposing and writing a non-fiction, craft-related book is differen

Show Notes   More Stories - The Creative Writing Podcast Hosted by Eric Sheridan Wyatt   Episode 6: Conquering the Conference with Confidence   Resources:   Jennie Jarvis http://www.Jenniejarvis.com Twitter and Facebook: @jarviswrites   5Writers Blog http://www.5writers.com   Florida Writers Association http://www.floridawriters.net   FWA Annual Conference http://www.floridawriters.net/2014_FWA_Conferences.html   Full More Stories Podcast Listing http://wordsmatteresw.com/wp/category/pod-cast/   The Words Matter Blog http://wordsmatteresw.com/wp/blog/       Find What You Want To Hear   0:55 Introduction to interview guest, Jennie Jarvis 1:40 Overview of topics regarding attending a writer’s conference 2:20 Interview begins 2:50 Overview of Florida Writer’s Association and the annual conference 5:20 Who benefits from attending a conference like this? 11:56 What should someone NEW to conferences expect their experience to be like? 13:12 “Conferencing 101” is to help new attendees 15:10 “Networking 101” helps ex

I was inspired by an article a fellow writer friend, Jenny Jarvis, posted to Facebook. The article talks about the benefits that writers get from writing, and it caused me to think about my own work, and some of the things that hinder me from enjoying those benefits. Show Notes: 00:00 - 01:30 Introduction to the episode 01:30 - I explain the reasons I don't (typically) talk about a work in progress 07:00 - I then share about a work in progress, thus breaking the rule I've just explained. But, I do so for a reason. And that reason is YOU, dear listener. 08:50 - A reading from the book-in-progress, tentatively titled, The Letter My Father Left Me. 11:40 - There are parts of that reading that overlap my "real life" experience and my belief that writing matters, and that it has positive, transformative benefits to those of us who write. 16:40 - There is some indication that there is measurable, scientific evidence that writing provides benefits not just to the mind, but also to the body and spirit. 21:00 - Someti

I want this podcast to be an extension of my creative writing classes, my website, and my blog. In this episode, I take a comment/question from a listener and discuss music and writing, lack of enthusiasm, and the importance of community and support systems for writers and other creatives. Show Notes: Intro babbling 00:00 through 02:00 02:04  discussion of music and the impact it has on writing, including mentions of James Taylor, Wally Lamb, and Over the Rhine. My story, "You'll Never Restrain the Longing" was re-titled, "It's Never Quite What it Seems" and my novel-in-progress was renamed from "Of Strawberries and Salvation" to "I Should Love You Less," both of which are inspired by words in Over the Rhine songs. I also briefly talk about using music as a sort of soundtrack during my editing process. 09:01 you can leave a message for me on the website via the "Leave Message" button on the right, and when you do, I can use the message for topics on the podcast. 10:30 Leah from Sarasota left a message about d