10.1K
Downloads
331
Episodes
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
Jan 17, 2024
Jan 17, 2024
18 min
Welcome to our 200th episode of The Write Focus.
Yippee! We made it farther than I ever anticipated, 200 episodes and into Season 5, and we still have more episodes ahead. AND it’s all thanks to our listeners, who motivate us to keep offering more and more.
Over our 200 episodes, we’ve covered craft with plot and characters, process with sentence craft, productivity with challenges, and tools for writers.
This episode is an update to an old post, a Blast from the Past, with new insights to make it up-to-date. For those of us raised on western story-telling and conflict and characters, this method will seem an about-face. It works best for shorter tales—stories and novellas rather than novels and epics. As we analyze it, you’ll see the reason I say that.
The next two weeks will have another look back at a plotting method from the early days of The Write Focus. The Plot 7 is not a plot structure. Instead, it’s a method for writers to develop quickly the skeleton of a novel or novella. Let’s call it a Process. After a season on craft, it’s time we looked at process. Oh, and it’s a strong way to supercharge your productivity after a season of disruptions and distractions, totally suitable after the holiday season.
So, without more rattling on, let’s look at our Blast from the Past, Kishotenketsu.
TIMINGS
- 00:00 Welcome
- 00:40 Introduction
- 02:33 Kishotenketsu
- 06:15 Example 1 from Sanyo Rai
- 09:15 Example 2 from Nils Odlund
- 12:50 Analysis
- 16:30 Last Words / Closing
Total Run Time :: 18:15
LINKS
Sanyo Rai story = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kish%C5%8Dtenketsu
Nils Odlund story = https://mythicscribes.com/plot/kishotenketsu/
Ebook
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0838PTN49
https://books2read.com/u/bOJK6K
Link to a paperback 8 x 10 bundle for plot / characters / branding / sentence craft, called Discovering Your Writing https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08691892S
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 Your Plot, from host M.A. Lee’s guidebook of the same name.
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. Available is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook and templates from the Discovering Characters
- Available Now: worksheet templates and a video trailer script for Discovering Your Author Brand.
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.)
Jan 10, 2024
Jan 10, 2024
24 min
It’s the last official episode for Discovering Plot and the final 2 stages of the greatest plot structure for writers, the Archetypal Story Pattern.
While many of us have our favorite plot structure, all the ones that I’ve analyzed and taught cannot match the adaptability and flexibility of the ASP. Hopefully, with the variety of discussed plots, many writers will see the value of the ASP.
In this episode, we have Stages 11 and 12.
Stage 11 is the Resurrection of the Evil (and of our Protagonist). This is the culminating battle between the protagonist and the antagonist, and we writers have four tasks in this stage to give our readers a satisfactory ending. For readers, endings lead to the next story—which is our writing goal. Yes, even in romantic comedies or literary fiction, we have battles. We’re writers; think metaphorically!
Stage 12 is called Return with the Elixir. This is our triumphant protagonists drinking with the gods to celebrate victory.
We’ll have three more episodes before we call this Discovering Plot series complete, done and dusted. For now, it’s on with the episode.
TIMINGS
- 00:00 Welcome
- 00:39 Introduction
- 02:05 Stage 11: Dual Enemies of Evil and Self
- 02:58 Three Examples with Three Lessons
- 09:55 Four Points of the Resurrection
- 16:35 Stage 12: Drinking with the Gods
- 17:20 The Return / The Elixir
- 21:52 Final Points
- 22:50 Last Words / Closing
Total Run Time: 24:31
LINKS to the Ebook
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0838PTN49
https://books2read.com/u/bOJK6K
Link to a paperback 8 x 10 bundle for plot / characters / branding / sentence craft, called Discovering Your Writing https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08691892S
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 Your Plot, from host M.A. Lee’s guidebook of the same name.
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. Available is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook and templates from the Discovering Characters
- Available Now: worksheet templates and a video trailer script for Discovering Your Author Brand.
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.)
Jan 3, 2024
Jan 3, 2024
27 min
Welcome to the 5th season of The Write Focus, the podcast for writers of all types, newbies and veterans and everyone in-between. Our FOCUS is productivity, process, craft, and tools.
We are justifiably proud of achieving this 5th season. We started in 2020, that dreadful year, so good things do come from bad ones. Apart from our yearly hiatus in the hectic Decembers, we haven’t missed a weekly episode. This week, we officially open this season with Episode 198. How is that for meeting deadlines? OOO, OOO, OOO
We start our 5th season with the first of the last episodes on the greatest plot structure in the world, taken from our host M.A. Lee’s craft guide Discovering Plot.
In this episode, we delve into Stages 9 and 10 of the 12-Stage Archetypal Story Pattern, Greatest Plot Structure in the World.
Stage 9 is the protagonist’s Reward for surviving the trials and the dark ordeal. Our main characters still have a difficult journey ahead, yet Stage 9 gives a respite.
Then we descend to Stage 10, the Road Back, seemingly straightforward but still tricksy, still twisty, still dangerous.
This wave-like up-and-down pattern of events all through the Archetypal Story Pattern creates pacing and tension. The writers offers rewards to keep the readers from tumbling off the journey. The troubles continue to offer angst and suspense for reader engagement.
Don’t make the mistake of cheap thrills and unthinking, uncaring sacrifices now that you’ve brought the reader this far. Love has an emotional reward. Danger and death have consequences. Justice cannot be totally blind. Not for the reader. AND Not for us, the satisfied writer who wants to keep writing, not burn out and burn up our love of story-telling.
TIMINGS
- 00:00 Welcome
- 00:39 Introduction
- 03:03 Stage 9 / Joy after Darkness
- 07:44 Ordeal vs. Reward
- 09:20 The Difficult Reward
- 11:53 Stage 10 / Driving to Destiny
- 13:04 Driving with the Old Desired Dear
- 19:28 How to Find the Right Road Back
- 25:20 Last Words / Closing
- TOTAL TIME = 27:00
Examples from Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter series), Jane Austen’s Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice, 13th Warrior by Michael Crichton, The Crown, Castaway film with Tom Hanks, and Tolkein’s Return of the King.
LINKS
Invocation of Blood, from 13th Warrior :: https://youtu.be/qQekqWha7fg
Links to the Ebook
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0838PTN49
https://books2read.com/u/bOJK6K
Link to a paperback 8 x 10 bundle for plot / characters / branding / sentence craft, called Discovering Your Writing https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08691892S
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 Your Plot, from host M.A. Lee’s guidebook of the same name.
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. Available is the Enter the Writing Business Workbook and templates from the Discovering Characters
- Available Now: worksheet templates and a video trailer script for Discovering Your Author Brand.
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.)
Dec 26, 2023
Dec 26, 2023
6 min
“Amber Dreams”, chapter 5
Sailing with Mystery is available as an audiobook from M.A. Lee and Writers Ink Books. Visit M.A. Lee (maleebooks.blogspot.com) for more information.
Dec 26, 2023
Dec 26, 2023
Dec 26, 2023
Dec 26, 2023
20 min
“Amber Dreams”, chapter 2
Blackmail threatens a young bride when her secret diary is stolen. Her marriage of convenience is threatened if the contents are revealed to her new husband and his autocratic mother.
Can Isabella recover the diary before the bride loses all hope?
. ~ . ~ . ~ .
Sailing with Mystery is a collection of short stories in the Into Death series. The Write Focus host M.A. Lee offers these audio selections as a Merry Christmas for the TWF listeners.
Dec 26, 2023
Dec 26, 2023
16 min
Mystery and peril are dangerous shipmates for an ocean voyage.
While travel presents opportunities to meet new friends and see new places, Isabella Tarrant also encounters puzzling crimes and dangerous intrigue as she sails from England to India.
“Amber Dreams”, chapter 1
Blackmail threatens a young bride when her secret diary is stolen. Her marriage of convenience is threatened if the contents are revealed to her new husband and his autocratic mother.
Can Isabella recover the diary before the bride loses all hope?
. ~ . ~ . ~ .
Sailing with Mystery is a collection of short stories in the Into Death series. The Write Focus host M.A. Lee offers these audio selections as a Merry Christmas for the TWF listeners.
Dec 6, 2023
Dec 6, 2023
16 min
Stage 8 is the second of the two most important stages of the Archetypal Story Pattern, the greatest plot structure in the world. Many would say that it is the most important stage.
We’ve reached the Ordeal, the Dark Moment, the greatest trial for our protagonist, the point closest to Death—the near loss of a love, a goal or dream almost destroyed, a job or status at an explosive moment that could prove fatal if one more horrid mistake occurs.
While the Ordeal is not the ultimate battle, it is all-important, for our protagonist and our antagonist.
Before we delve into Stage 8 a word on the rest of December. With all the hectic holiday events, The Write Focus takes December off and will resume on the first Wednesday of the New Year. Our Discovering Plot series has two more episodes to explore the last 4 stages. We’ll start the New Year and Season 5 with those.
It’s hard to believe this little podcast is entering its 5th season. Thanks to all of our listeners who keep us going!
Do stop by after Christmas for a little audio Christmas gift from our host M.A. Lee.
Now, let’s face the Ordeal.
TIMINGS
- 00:00 Welcome
- 00:30 Introduction
- 02:12 Stage 8
- 04:09 Persuasion as an example
- 07:10 13th Warrior as an example
- 09:09 Antagonists
- 11:27 Deathly Hallows as an example
- 13:07 Key Juxtapositions
- 15:05 Last Words / Closing
Total Run Time = 16:47
Examples from Jane Austen’s Persuasion, Michael Crichton’s 13th Warrior, and JK Rowling’s Deathly Hallows
Direct Link to the Blog https://thewritefocus.blogspot.com/2023/12/stage-8-greatest-plot-structure.html
Links to the Ebook
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0838PTN49
https://books2read.com/u/bOJK6K
Links to a paperback 8 x 10 bundle for plot / characters / branding / sentence craft, called Discovering Your Writing https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08691892S
Trailer https://youtu.be/hTVQn92kNBk
Nov 29, 2023
Nov 29, 2023
21 min
Stage 7 is the first of the two most important stages of the Archetypal Story Pattern. It is the Approach to the Inmost Cave and sets up events and character dynamics for the crucial Stage 8, the Dark Moment or the Ordeal.
The Inmost Cave is the location of the Ordeal, the point where our protagonist comes closest to Death. That could the loss of love, of a motivating goal or dream, of a job or status, an intellectual pursuit, or physical death.
We writers want to lead straight into the Ordeal, but we do our readers a disservice when we don’t give equal attention to the big build-up of the Approach to that Dark, Fearsome Cave.
Let’s get to it.
TIMINGS
- 00:00 Welcome
- 00:39 Introduction
- 01:33 Stage 7A
- 04:15 Ongoing Transformation
- 06:00 Resurrecting the Desired Dear
- 10:11 Jam Today
- 11:33 Stage 7B / What is AND isn’t a Cave?
- 15:03 The Inmost Cave and its Darkness
- 17:28 Personal Darkness
- 19:41 Last Words / Closing
Total Run Time = 21:24
Examples from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the films 13th Warrior and Raiders of the Lost Ark, Tolkien’s The Hobbit, and William Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
Direct Link to the Blog https://thewritefocus.blogspot.com/2023/11/stage-7-discovering-plot-series.html
Links to the Ebook
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0838PTN49
https://books2read.com/u/bOJK6K
Links to a paperback 8 x 10 bundle for plot / characters / branding / sentence craft, called Discovering Your Writing https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08691892S
Trailer https://youtu.be/hTVQn92kNBk