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Successful writing requires The Write Focus. Hosted by M.A. Lee with occasional forays from Remi Black and Edie Roones, we focus on productivity / tools / craft / process for fiction and nonfiction, entertainment and academic writing.
Episodes
Wednesday Apr 05, 2023
Wednesday Apr 05, 2023
For writers, teams offer greater opportunities than a single protagonist or antagonist.
We are not limited to character’s perspective throughout the writing. We can have two who alternate or a group of characters whose diverse perspectives open a wider opportunity for conflict and tension.
Writers can have a lot of fun with teams. We can build a book or a series around a team. We can follow a single protagonist and the team through a series OR have a single protagonist with a changing team OR have alternate team members serve as the protagonist.
Teams give options … and every writers love options.
CONTENTS
- 0:38 Intro to Team Roles
- 2:36 Basics of Teams (*My apologies for my poor attempt at 4 Chinese art terms.)
- 6:46 4 Team Members ~ Alpha / Beta / Gamma / Delta
- 9:09 Team Members in Conflict
- 12:04 Conflict Reactions of Team Members
- 16:10 3 Leadership Styles
- 18:03 10 Team Roles ~ the Skeleton
- 20:55 Peck vs. Pack
- 21:57 Peck
- 24:13 Self-Selection of a Group
- 25:10 Pack
- 26:36 Closing
LINKS
Flow by Cyrus Molavi https://www.amazon.com/Flow-Classic-Achieve-Happiness-Introduction/dp/0712657592
Discovering Characters can be purchased at these links:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y7LYK19
https://books2read.com/u/3RJrZB
Discovering Your Writing, a bundle of four writing craft books, is available here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08691892S
View the Trailer: https://youtu.be/hTVQn92kNBk
Thanks for listening to The Write Focus.
We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.
Our current focus is Discovering Characters. We’re bookcasting!
Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr
- You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Just up is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook.
- Templates from the Discovering Characters series are also there.
For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com .
Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.
If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)
Wednesday Mar 29, 2023
Wednesday Mar 29, 2023
Continuing Last Episode’s Focus on the Couple Bond / Relationships
Relationships of Choice are built in three stages. The bond between a couple is not driven solely by instinct or chemical pheromones. It is not mere attraction of the eyes. The links of the bond are formed by more than common association.
An enduring Relationship of Choice requires three parts, occurring in stages. It’s a Tripod, and each leg, built one after the other, becomes dependent on the other.
Contents
- 0:40 :: Introduction
- 1:20 :: The Tripod / What Creates Enduring Love?
- 2:52 :: Stage 1
- 5:30 :: 4 Steps to Attraction
- 8:24 :: Stage 2
- 11:25 :: Opposites Do Attract
- 12:28 :: Stage 3
- 14:23 :: Traps that Destroy Devotion
- 15:59 :: To Love Deeply and Well
- 17:10 :: Closing
LINKS
Women who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes https://www.amazon.com/Women-Who-Run-Wolves-Archetype/dp/0345409876
Discovering Characters can be purchased at these links:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y7LYK19
https://books2read.com/u/3RJrZB
Discovering Your Writing, a bundle of four writing craft books, is available here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08691892S
View the Trailer: https://youtu.be/hTVQn92kNBk
Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.
Our current focus is Discovering Characters. We’re bookcasting!
Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr
- You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Just up is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook.
- Templates from the Discovering Characters series are also there.
For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com .
Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.
If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)
Wednesday Mar 22, 2023
Wednesday Mar 22, 2023
Marriage by Contract rather than Choice. Matchmakers. Divorce.
Contracted Relationships, the legal contract of the Marriage Ceremony, and the Dissolution of the Marriage Contract is the focus of this episode as we venture into the Relationship section of Discovering Characters.
Couples and the bonds that change individuals into couples are the focus of the first two episodes. Then we look at Team Roles, Allies, and more.
For now, Couples in a Contract (and the wife as chattel ... grrr).
Content
- 0:39 :: Introduction
- 1:07 :: Opening / The Couples Bond
- 2:27 :: Contract vs. Choice / Matchmakers
- 5:20 :: Relationships of Choice > Uncommon
- 5:30 :: Marriage = Property Transfer / A Legal Contract
- 8:45 :: Breaking Relationships
- 12:00 :: Closing
Discovering Characters can be purchased at these links:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y7LYK19
https://books2read.com/u/3RJrZB
Discovering Your Writing, a bundle of four writing craft books, is available here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08691892S
View the Trailer: https://youtu.be/hTVQn92kNBk
Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.
Our current focus is Discovering Characters. We’re bookcasting!
Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr
- You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Just up is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook.
- Templates from the Discovering Characters series are also there.
For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com .
Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.
If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)
Wednesday Mar 15, 2023
Wednesday Mar 15, 2023
In our look at Jungian archetypes for primary characters, we have four that are the most unexpected of all.
These four can become surprising protagonists. As antagonists, they seem pathetic--until we realize that we deal with these conflict-creators every day of our lives.
It’s the 4 Last but not Least Primaries.
Contents
- 0:39 Intro
- 1:12 Opening
- 1:54 Everyman / Victim
- 3:27 Lover / Stalker / Siren / Seducer
- 6:13 Innocent / Willfully Blind
- 7:47 Trickster / Fool
- 12:19 Closing
Total Run Time = 14:03
Discovering Characters can be purchased at these links:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y7LYK19
https://books2read.com/u/3RJrZB
Discovering Your Writing, a bundle of four writing craft books, is available here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08691892S
View the Trailer: https://youtu.be/hTVQn92kNBk
Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.
Our current focus is Discovering Characters. We’re bookcasting!
Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr
- You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Just up is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook.
- Templates from the Discovering Characters series are also there.
For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com .
Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.
If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)
Wednesday Mar 08, 2023
Wednesday Mar 08, 2023
When we study character analyses, we’re often left with the sense that these discussed protagonists and antagonists are masculine rather than feminine. In this episode, we’ll look at women in the leadership position, positive forms as well as negative. Women can burn brightly, illuminating all around them, or can burn themselves up when they fall prey to the worst inside themselves.
We’re looking at women as primary characters, from ancient days to the present. You may wish to reference our previous episode on $ Types of Leaders: Alpha / Beta / Gamma / Delta.
(You may consider these four leadership episodes and think “no update for trans or nonbinary?” Well, whether a character is trans or non-binary, that character will still fall into one of these dichotomous truths from primitive days to now.)
Contents
- 0:39 Intro
- 1:25 Bright Lights
- 2:47 Ancient Days
- 4:30 Queen Alpha / B*tch
- 5:30 Counselor Beta / Courtier
- 6:07 Non-Conformist Gamma / Little Miss Independent
- 7:01 Visionary Delta / Missionary
- 8:02 A Woman’s Conflict
- 9:41 Genetic Wiring in Men and Women
- 13:13 Closing
See previous episodes or the blog for Resource Links.
Direct Link to the Blog https://thewritefocus.blogspot.com/2023/02/4-bright-lights-or-hot-messes-disc.html
Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.
Our current focus is Discovering Characters. We’re bookcasting!
Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr
- You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Just up is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook.
- Templates from the Discovering Characters series are also there.
Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.
If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)
Wednesday Mar 01, 2023
Wednesday Mar 01, 2023
Our last episode examined the 4 Classic Hero Leaders who can become protagonists with developed personalities and flaws. Skew them sideways, and they become antagonists.
The same will happen with the 4 Unheroic Heroes that are the focus of this episode: Warrior, Creator, Magician, and Sage … or looking at them as antagonists, Tool, Dreamer, Machiavellian, and Robot.
Contents
- 0:39 Intro
- 1:18 Unheroic Heroes
- 2:46 Warrior / Tool
- 6:06 Creator / Dreamer
- 8:35 Magician / Machiavellian
- 11:28 Sage / Robot
- 14:10 Closing
Direct Link to the Blog https://thewritefocus.blogspot.com/2023/02/4-unheroic-heroes-disc-characters.html
Discovering Characters can be purchased at these links:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y7LYK19
https://books2read.com/u/3RJrZB
Discovering Your Writing, a bundle of four writing craft books, is available here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08691892S
View the Trailer: https://youtu.be/hTVQn92kNBk
Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.
Our current focus is Discovering Characters. We’re bookcasting!
Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr
- You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Just up is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook.
- Templates from the Discovering Characters series are also there.
For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com .
Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.
If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)
Wednesday Feb 22, 2023
Wednesday Feb 22, 2023
Celebration! We’ve achieved 150 episodes since we began podcasting in 2020.
We check-in with new and upcoming releases. Then we launch into this week’s episode.
4 Types of Leaders
Whether protagonist or antagonist, our central character is a leader. The question is What Kind of Leader?
We have the 4 expected types, 4 unheroic heroes, 4 strong women or their polar opposites, and 4 we don’t consider leaders even though they are.
That’s 16 types of leaders. Which one did you want now?
Over the next four weeks, we’ll examine them in detail, starting with the 4 Expected Leaders: Alpha / Beta / Gamma / Delta. We’ll loo at the positive and negative forms.
Contents
- 0:39 Intro
- 4:05 Four Types of Leaders
- 4:48 Alpha-Ruler / Alpha Dog-Tyrant
- 7:45 Beta Seeker / Sycophant
- 10:39 Gamma Destroyer (Rebel) / Nihilist
- 13:28 Delta Protector / Caregiver (Wuss)
- 17:10 Closing
Discovering Characters can be purchased at these links:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y7LYK19
https://books2read.com/u/3RJrZB
Discovering Your Writing, a bundle of four writing craft books, is available here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08691892S
View the Trailer: https://youtu.be/hTVQn92kNBk
Enter the Writing Business https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0848CK3C2 Look for the audiobook on your favorite audiobook retailer. EWBiz is available at over 40 audio retailers.
Inspiration for Writers bundle (Just Start Writing by M.A. Lee, Write a Book in a Month by Remi Black, and Enter the Writing Business by Edie Roones) paperback https://www.amazon.com/dp/1734015985
Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.
Our current focus is Discovering Characters. We’re bookcasting!
Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr
- You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Just up is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook.
- Templates from the Discovering Characters series are also there.
For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com .
Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.
If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)
Wednesday Feb 15, 2023
Wednesday Feb 15, 2023
Boxing Characters helps the writer explore the many sides of their characters … so those characters come alive on the page and don’t change personalities in the center of the story.
After all, the greatest of all writing crimes is to betray the reader by having characters change on them. Plot holes and unsurprising twists can be forgiven when our readers love our characters. Few readers will forgive characters who change their goals and behaviors in the story.
Then how do we create a strong foundation for our characters? We build those foundational blocks by working through various boxes: simple, ticky boxes that create solid walls of personality.
Contents
- 0:39 Intro
- 1:30 Simple Boxes: the Humours and the Enneagram
- 6:03 16 Boxes / the Myers-Briggs
- 8:19 Dichotomous Categories
- 12:45 12 Original Archetypes / Carl Jung
- 18:59 Positive and Negative Duality
- 20:16 Closing
Discovering Characters can be purchased at these links:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y7LYK19
https://books2read.com/u/3RJrZB
Discovering Your Writing, a bundle of four writing craft books, is available here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08691892S
View the Trailer: https://youtu.be/hTVQn92kNBk
Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.
Our current focus is Discovering Characters. We’re bookcasting!
Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr
- You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Just up is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook.
- Templates from the Discovering Characters series are also there.
For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com .
Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.
If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)
Wednesday Feb 08, 2023
Wednesday Feb 08, 2023
What happens when a story idea strikes? If we don’t start with the central character, then very quickly our minds will focus on that single character. Our minds will swirl around a scenario and the character who controls our perspective of that scenario.
Any character can serve as that central focus. We writers decide who will be the focus based on which character is best suited to confront the conflict.
Our characters spin around an interactive conflict with a push-pull synergy. Two characters, opposing each other, will create a story. These two—the solution-finder and the conflict-creator—cannot work alone. We need both to drive the novel.
Who are these two characters? Let’s find out.
Contents
- 0:39 Intro
- 2:42 Protagonist / Hero
- 7:53 The 3 C’s: Choice, Coercion, Compulsion
- 10:31 Antagonist / Villain
- 15:30 4 Shades of Evil
- 17:17 Closing
Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.
Our current focus is Discovering Characters. We’re bookcasting!
Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr
- You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Just up is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook.
- Templates from the Discovering Characters series are also there.
Discovering Characters can be purchased at these links:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y7LYK19
https://books2read.com/u/3RJrZB
Discovering Your Writing, a bundle of four writing craft books, is available here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08691892S
View the Trailer: https://youtu.be/hTVQn92kNBk
For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com .
Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.
If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)
Wednesday Feb 01, 2023
Wednesday Feb 01, 2023
What details do we writers need to manipulate for the readers to see and understand our characters?
This unfolding view, presented in scattered snippets throughout our stories, is Characterization.
Herewith, 6 ways plus 2 pairs to develop your characters (did I just call gin rummy?) as well as a bit on Non-Primary Characters.
Contents
- 0:39 Intro
- 1:13 Characterization
- 2:00 6 types of Characterization
- 8:00 Placeholder vs. True Character
- 9:52 Constant vs. Change
- 12:53 Decisions about Characterization
- 13:19 Non-Primaries
- 18:50 Closing
Discovering Characters can be purchased at these links:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y7LYK19
https://books2read.com/u/3RJrZB
Discovering Your Writing, a bundle of four writing craft books, is available here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08691892S
View the Trailer: https://youtu.be/hTVQn92kNBk
Thanks for listening to The Write Focus. We focus on productivity, process, craft, and tools. Our podcast is for newbies who want to become writing pros and veterans who are returning to writing after years away.
Our current focus is Discovering Characters. We’re bookcasting!
Support the podcast with a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/winkbooksr
- You can find workbooks and templates at Buy Me a Coffee. Just up is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook.
- Templates from the Discovering Characters series are also there.
For more links and resources, visit www.thewritefocus.blogspot.com .
Write to us at winkbooks@aol.com.
If you find value in this podcast, please share with your writing friends or write a review. (We’re small beans. We don’t have the advertising budget of the big peeps. You can make a difference.)