Word Maze - what I'm learning about writing

Pilar Orti
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The second season of Word Maze is all about writing fiction. Join Pilar during NaNoWriMo. Writing, struggling, reading (favourite mode of procrastination) and podcasting her journey. Happy 50k if you're also Nanoing!

  1. 10/27/2019

    Why You Should Take Part in NaNoWriMo (and why I'm pausing this show)

    The last episode of the current season! Pilar talks about what she's gained from taking part in previous NaNoWriMo s  and encourages anyone who's been thinking of writing a novel to try it too. What is NaNoWriMo https://nanowrimo.org/ Community aspect You commit for a month, that might be easier You discover the story I learned to sit and write - at least to sit and start Learn what works, what doesn't Helps you to talk about writing without saying you're a writer Why Pilar is pausing her novel writing and this podcast. If you're looking for podcast help, get in touch via www.pilarwrites.com

    19 min

  2. 08/18/2019

    You Create When You Start Writing

    In today's episode, Pilar talks about: Why she's stuck. How the story's changed once she got writing, and how the idea can develop. What's she learned from Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman What's she's incorporated from Scott King's Story Pitch Here's the link to exporting synopses from Scrivener https://www.scrivenervirgin.com/2018/05/file-compile-export-synopsis/ She also mentions Austin Kleon's clarification of what he means by Show Your Work, in his interview in the What You Will Learn podcast. You can find her Trello board here https://trello.com/b/3LUWiqsc/pilars-board-on-writing-for-word-maze-podcast and you can get in touch with her through www.pilarwrites.com

    19 min

  3. 06/30/2019

    Making a Character Active

    Pilar has realised that all her character was doing was living in the past, but she has a couple of things she's going to try to make the character more active. Following feedback from her writing coach, she now needs to almost go back to the drawing board, but this presents plenty of opportunities to make the piece richer. Plus: Thinking Remote: Inspiration for leaders of distributed teams is now out in audiobook format.

    21 min

  4. 06/02/2019

    Writing Fiction vs Writing Non-Fiction

    You'd think it's obvious, but it's taken Pilar quite a while to realise the main difference between writing a non-fiction book and writing a novel.  Pilar recommends Anne Janzer's excellent book on writing non-fiction, "Writing to Be Understood: What Works and Why".  A little bit of progress on Pilar's own editing the novel.  Check out the Trello board for book recommendations https://trello.com/b/3LUWiqsc/pilars-board-on-writing-for-word-maze-podcast and Pilar's website for more info www.pilarwrites.com

    12 min

  5. 05/19/2019

    Why Do We Write?

    Why do we write? I struggled so much during the re-write that I almost threw it all away and gave up this "I want to write fiction" thing. Why I didn't: I hate dropping stuff before giving it a proper go - that's why I went to drama school I'm learning a lot I know that what I'm doing is hard, so if I get through it, or almost there, it will be amazing I'm paying for the process! I still don't know why we write / create art 2. Really glad I put the work in, because apparently, the writing has improved. Now the problem is the story, but that's ok, because that's fun. Now I've gone back to previous writing and seen how much MORE rewriting I need to do... Still hard, I need to find the truth! Which means spending more time developing the relationship between Paula and Miguel- but always with that thread of suspense-is this a good thing to be happening? I don't want to write a love story... 3. The new opening, bringing the sounds to life; the sound routines, the breaking of them; the sounds from her neighbours Description through point of view. If you are also struggling with writing description that is relevant and reveals character, check out Episode 14.5 from Writing Excuses: Viewpoint as Worldbuilding 4. Twitter rocks- I needed the word for "shutters", tweeted, and got some options with minutes.

    14 min

  6. 05/05/2019

    Do Not Wait for Inspiration, Bad Habits and Dialogue

    Pilar updates listeners on her writing retreat and how it's difficult to explain to people who don't write that writing is not driven by inspiration. She shares her struggle with technique and the bad writing habits she's discovered. This episode's wisdom is on using dialogue as exposition, borrowed from Into the Woods by John Yorke. For book recommendations: https://trello.com/b/3LUWiqsc/pilars-board-on-writing-for-word-maze-podcast And to find out more about me and get in touch: www.pilarwrites.com

    15 min

  7. 03/24/2019

    Working through Feedback

    I've finally received some feedback, at a micro and macro level. Lots to think about regarding character, supporting characters and the level of trauma the character is carrying with her at the beginning of the story, and what's triggered by the inciting incident. I recommend episode 456 of the Helping Writers become Authors podcast. https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/podcasts/ For book recommendations: https://trello.com/b/3LUWiqsc/pilars-board-on-writing-for-word-maze-podcast And to find out more about me and get in touch: www.pilarwrites.com

    17 min

  8. 03/17/2019

    Not Writer's Block but Writer's Discomfort

    Today I share how I'm struggled to write a scene which was hard for the character to go through.  The writing journal has been very useful in identifying where I need to pay attention to next in the story. How shall I incorporate all the subplots into the ending?   Check out all the books I talk about in my Trello board https://trello.com/b/3LUWiqsc/pilars-board-on-writing-for-word-maze-podcast And get in touch through www.pilarwrites.com

    19 min
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The second season of Word Maze is all about writing fiction. Join Pilar during NaNoWriMo. Writing, struggling, reading (favourite mode of procrastination) and podcasting her journey. Happy 50k if you're also Nanoing!

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