The Wordslinger Podcast

It's all about the story here.

From award-winning and bestselling author J. Kevin Tumlinson, this weekly podcast explores the stories that shape us into who we are, and shape the world into what it can become. There are interviews with authors and non-authors, deep dives into useful ideas, and solo-slinger episodes that are authentic and real, aimed at giving you the best, most honest advice about life as a writer, creator, and creative entrereneur. Every episode is a story. It's all about the story here.

  1. 2d ago

    Star Trek Forgot the #1 Rule of Writing Characters

    A WORDSLINGER STORY CUT What obligations does a writer have when stepping into an established universe—or writing characters an audience already knows and loves? In this Story Cut, I take a critical look at Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the broader modern Star Trek catalog through the lens of character, continuity, and audience expectations. Strange New Worlds has never been afraid to experiment, but when does experimentation stop serving the story and start forcing established characters to serve the gimmick? Spock is one of the best examples. We know this character. We know his history, values, personality, relationships, and behavior across decades of storytelling. That creates a constraint for anyone writing him—but that constraint can also be one of a storyteller’s greatest strengths. And this isn't just a Star Trek problem. The same principle applies when authors write long-running novel series, inherit someone else's intellectual property, adapt existing characters, or write historical fiction about real people and events. Once an audience knows a character, you aren't starting from zero anymore. Character creates expectations. Expectations create trust. And breaking that trust without earning it can cost you the audience. So how much freedom should writers have with established characters? When does character development become character betrayal? And does respecting canon restrict creativity—or actually make better storytelling possible? Visit the Knovelton Bookshop at knoveltonbooks.com GET 15% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER AT CHECKOUT WITH CODE STORYCUTS TIMECODES: 00:00 What do writers owe established characters? 01:04 Why Strange New Worlds initially worked for me 03:07 The gimmick must serve the character 04:35 Spock, character consistency, and audience trust 05:31 Why the Lower Decks crossover worked 06:17 When experimentation starts overpowering the story 08:41 Character is a constraint—and that's a good thing 11:56 What this means for novelists and historical fiction 13:29 Why inherited franchises can lose their audience 14:25 Surprise vs. breaking audience expectations 15:09 What should writers owe continuity and canon? If you're a writer looking for practical, experience-based guidance on writing, publishing, storytelling, building an author career, and navigating the creative life, subscribe to the Wordslinger channel. This is where we talk honestly about the craft and business of being a writer—and use books, movies, television, and pop culture to figure out what makes stories work. FIND KEVIN: Find Kevin and his books:https://kevintumlinson.com Join Kevin on Substack:https://kevintumlinson.substack.com Wordslinger Podcast home page:https://wordslingerpodcast.com SERVICES FOR AUTHORS: Polish your writing and make it ready for publishing with ProWriting Aid:https://tidd.ly/3NCdlk5 Publish your book to every major retailer online, get your book into print and ebook, and get support the whole way at Draft2Digital:https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Find a virtual assistant to help you market your books (and more!) at AuthorAnchor:https://authoranchor.com #StarTrek #StrangeNewWorlds #Storytelling Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Star Trek Forgot the #1 Rule of Writing Characters
  2. 2d ago

    The Business of Being a Bestselling Author — with J.D. Barker

    A WORDSLINGER PODCAST What does it actually take to build a bestselling author career—and turn writing into a sustainable business? In this episode of the Wordslinger Podcast, I sit down with New York Times bestselling author J.D. Barker to talk about the business behind the books. J.D. has worked with James Patterson, built a career spanning traditional and independent publishing, developed an unusual partnership with Simon & Schuster, co-authored numerous books, and had multiple projects optioned for film and television. We get into the realities of traditional versus indie publishing, why J.D. believes writers need to think like business owners, what James Patterson has taught him about building a scalable author career, how Hollywood book options really work, and why branding matters far more than many authors realize. J.D. also shares his strategy for producing as many as 10–12 books per year through co-authoring, how he has streamlined his publishing operation to support that output, and the quality he believes matters most if you want to build a long-term writing career: tenacity. If you're a writer, author, creator, or creative entrepreneur trying to build a career around your work instead of simply publishing one book at a time, there's a lot to learn from this conversation. J.D.'s newest novel, The First Scarlet Door, releases September 22. Subscribe to the channel for practical, experience-driven guidance on writing, publishing, marketing, creativity, and building a career as an author. If you're serious about your writing and publishing journey, this is the place to be. TIMECODES: 00:00 Welcome to the Wordslinger Podcast 03:51 J.D. Barker joins the show 06:02 Sylvester Stallone and The Fourth Monkey 08:33 How Hollywood book options actually work 11:34 Can authors make money from options alone? 14:09 The First Scarlet Door 15:55 J.D.'s journey from indie to traditional publishing 18:38 Building a new publishing model with Simon & Schuster 20:35 Is traditional publishing changing? 22:14 Should new writers pursue traditional publishing first? 23:43 The danger of publishing a book before it's ready 24:39 Why authors must treat writing like a business 26:22 Building an author career over time 28:14 What publishing can learn from other industries 29:12 Why author branding matters 32:03 J.D.'s co-authoring strategy 33:14 Scaling to 10–12 books per year 35:44 What James Patterson taught J.D. Barker 36:55 The real secret to J.D.'s success Visit the Knovelton Bookshop at knoveltonbooks.com GET 15% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER AT CHECKOUT WITH CODE STORYCUTS FIND KEVIN: Find Kevin and his books: https://kevintumlinson.com Join Kevin on Substack: https://kevintumlinson.substack.com Wordslinger Podcast home page: https://wordslingerpodcast.com SERVICES FOR AUTHORS: Polish your writing and make it ready for publishing with ProWriting Aid: https://tidd.ly/3NCdlk5 Publish your book to every major retailer online, get your book into print and ebook, and get support the whole way at Draft2Digital: https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Find a virtual assistant to help you market your books (and more!) at AuthorAnchor: https://authoranchor.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    The Business of Being a Bestselling Author — with J.D. Barker
  3. 3d ago

    The SECRET to Original Writing

    A WORDSLINGER 10-SHOT What if the secret to original writing is to stop trying so hard to be original? Writers and creators often feel pressure to make everything completely unique—from book covers and story ideas to marketing and branding. But readers don’t necessarily want something they’ve never seen before. They’re often looking for something familiar enough to recognize, but different enough to feel fresh. In this Wordslinger 10-Shot, Kevin explores the idea of being “original within constraints”—using genre expectations, familiar storytelling structures, and creative boundaries as a framework for doing something uniquely your own. You’ll learn why making your book look too different from others in its genre can actually hurt its chances, why “same but different” is such a powerful principle for writers, and how creative constraints can lead to some of your most original work. If you’re a writer, creator, or creative entrepreneur trying to stand out without confusing or alienating your audience, this episode is for you. What constraints have actually made you more creative? Tell me in the comments. Subscribe to Wordslinger for practical, experience-driven guidance on writing, publishing, creativity, marketing, and building a sustainable career as a writer. Visit the Knovelton Bookshop at knoveltonbooks.com GET 15% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER AT CHECKOUT WITH CODE STORYCUTS TIMECODES: 00:00 Stop trying to be original 00:43 The problem with chasing originality 01:24 Why book covers shouldn’t be too different 02:13 Readers want “same but different” 03:13 Originality within constraints 03:49 Using genre expectations creatively 05:02 Experimenting inside the boundaries of genre 05:58 Science fiction, fantasy, and The Worthing Saga 08:00 What expectations are you trying to meet? 08:48 How constraints create originality 09:28 Why boundaries can make you more creative FIND KEVIN: Find Kevin and his books:https://kevintumlinson.com Join Kevin on Substack:https://kevintumlinson.substack.com Wordslinger Podcast home page:https://wordslingerpodcast.com SERVICES FOR AUTHORS: Polish your writing and make it ready for publishing with ProWriting Aid:https://tidd.ly/3NCdlk5 Publish your book to every major retailer online, get your book into print and ebook, and get support the whole way at Draft2Digital:https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Find a virtual assistant to help you market your books (and more!) at AuthorAnchor:https://authoranchor.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    The SECRET to Original Writing
  4. 4d ago

    You Don’t Need Permission to Be a Writer

    A WORDSLINGER 10-SHOT You don’t need an agent, a publisher, an editor, or anyone else to give you permission to be a writer. For years, I waited for someone else to tell me it was okay to take writing seriously. I chased opportunities, worked jobs, paid bills, and kept telling myself that someday I’d finally have enough time to write. But someday doesn’t show up on its own. In this Wordslinger 10-Shot, we’re talking about what it really means to give yourself permission to write, why so many aspiring authors get stuck waiting for validation, and the difference between wanting to be a writer and simply liking the idea of having written a book. We’ll also talk about making writing part of your actual life, Stephen King’s “open-door” approach to writing, why indie publishing has changed who gets to call themselves an author, and why the story that keeps nagging at you may be yours to tell. If you’ve been waiting for someone to tell you that you’re allowed to write the book, consider this your permission. Now go do the work. Visit the Knovelton Bookshop at knoveltonbooks.com GET 15% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER AT CHECKOUT WITH CODE STORYCUTS TIMECODES: 00:00 You don’t need permission to be a writer 00:51 Waiting for someone to validate your writing 01:37 Why “I’ll write someday” doesn’t work 02:22 Stephen King’s open-door approach to writing 03:02 You don’t need an agent or publisher’s blessing 03:28 What indie publishing changed for writers 04:17 Do you want to write—or just have written? 05:30 Why some stories won’t leave you alone 06:44 Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic and where ideas come from 07:41 What happens when you don’t pursue an idea 08:31 AI, authorship, and actually doing the creative work 09:11 Your official permission to write 09:34 Discipline, habits, and making consistent progress 10:16 What keeps you writing? If you’re a writer, aspiring author, indie publisher, or creative entrepreneur trying to build a sustainable creative life, subscribe to Wordslinger. This channel is here to give you practical, experience-tested guidance on writing better books, publishing intelligently, building your author career, and doing the work that moves you forward. FIND KEVIN: Find Kevin and his books: https://kevintumlinson.com Join Kevin on Substack: https://kevintumlinson.substack.com Wordslinger Podcast home page: https://wordslingerpodcast.com SERVICES FOR AUTHORS: Polish your writing and make it ready for publishing with ProWritingAid: https://tidd.ly/3NCdlk5 Publish your book to every major retailer online, get your book into print and ebook, and get support the whole way at Draft2Digital: https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Find a virtual assistant to help you market your books and more at AuthorAnchor: https://authoranchor.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    You Don’t Need Permission to Be a Writer
  5. 5d ago

    The Edit Stack - SPEND NOTHING

    A WORDSLINGER 10-SHOT What if you could build a powerful editing process for your novel without spending thousands of dollars on professional editing? In this episode, I break down what I call my “Edit Stack”—the layered system I use to catch typos, grammar problems, continuity issues, awkward passages, and other mistakes before a book goes out into the world. The key is not relying on one tool, one editor, or one pass. I use multiple layers: built-in spellcheck, ProWritingAid, AI-assisted proofreading, repeated manuscript passes, trusted human readers, and good old-fashioned human judgment. I’ll show you how I use each layer, why I never blindly accept an AI or editor suggestion, how my street team helps me catch errors I missed, and why reading your work aloud can reveal problems your brain simply refuses to see on the page. And here’s the bigger point: even traditionally published books from bestselling authors still contain mistakes. Perfection may not be possible. But a smart editing system can get your manuscript remarkably clean—and indie authors have the advantage of being able to fix errors quickly after publication. If you’re a writer trying to produce cleaner, more professional books without draining your publishing budget, build yourself an edit stack. Visit the Knovelton Bookshop at knoveltonbooks.com GET 15% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER AT CHECKOUT WITH CODE STORYCUTS TIMECODES: 00:00 What is an Edit Stack? 00:46 Layer 1: Spellcheck and ProWritingAid 01:54 Layer 2: Using AI to proofread your writing 02:46 Additional proofreading layers 03:16 Grammarly and optional editing tools 04:22 Using ARC readers and a street team 04:56 How I collect and evaluate reader corrections 06:29 Proofreading vs. developmental editing 07:03 Trusted readers vs. developmental editors 07:47 Why reading your manuscript aloud works 09:00 Creating distance from your writing 09:51 Why I rewrite the previous day’s work 10:47 Why you’ll probably never catch every typo 11:59 The indie author advantage 13:09 Updating ebooks and print editions strategically 13:43 The complete J. Kevin Tumlinson Edit Stack FIND KEVIN: Find Kevin and his books: https://kevintumlinson.com Join Kevin on Substack: https://kevintumlinson.substack.com Wordslinger Podcast home page: https://wordslingerpodcast.com SERVICES FOR AUTHORS: Polish your writing and make it ready for publishing with ProWriting Aid: https://tidd.ly/3NCdlk5 Publish your book to every major retailer online, get your book into print and ebook, and get support the whole way at Draft2Digital: https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Find a virtual assistant to help you market your books (and more!) at AuthorAnchor: https://authoranchor.com If you’re a writer, author, creator, or creative entrepreneur trying to build a sustainable career around your work, subscribe to the Wordslinger channel. This is where we talk honestly about writing better books, publishing them professionally, reaching more readers, building your author business, and creating a career that lasts. Subscribe, leave a comment with your writing or publishing questions, and tell me what you use in your own editing stack. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    The Edit Stack - SPEND NOTHING
  6. Aug 21

    This Is How You Reinvent Spider-Man

    A WORDSLINGER STORY CUT Spider-Man has been rebooted, reimagined, recast, and retold more times than most superheroes could survive. So how do you make him feel new again without losing what made people love him in the first place? In this Wordslinger Story Cuts, I break down Spider-Man: Brand New Day and why I think it may be the best Spider-Man franchise film yet. This movie does something especially smart: It doesn’t waste time explaining everything. We’re dropped directly into Peter Parker’s life, with relationships, history, conflicts, and mysteries already in motion. That use of in medias res and storytelling “open loops” gives the world depth while constantly giving us another reason to keep watching. We’ll talk about Spider-Man’s relationship with the Punisher, why unanswered questions can actually strengthen a story, the importance of clear character motivation, and how a long-running franchise can reinvent itself without abandoning decades of history. Whether you love Spider-Man, the MCU, movies, television, novels, or just great storytelling, there are some powerful lessons here about what keeps an audience invested. Visit the Knovelton Bookshop at knoveltonbooks.comGET 15% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER AT CHECKOUT WITH CODE STORYCUTS 🕷️ IN THIS STORY CUT: 00:00 — Is Brand New Day the best Spider-Man movie? 02:21 — Why Spider-Man’s origin story doesn’t need retelling 04:27 — A darker, grown-up Peter Parker 05:54 — Picking up after No Way Home 06:47 — Spider-Man and the Punisher: instant history 07:39 — Why great stories don’t always start at the beginning 08:35 — The storytelling power of “open loops” 09:29 — How unanswered questions keep audiences watching 10:45 — Paying off a character relationship without explaining everything 12:30 — Why you should leave the audience wanting more 13:04 — Black Widow, cameos, and setting up future stories 14:12 — The problem with unclear villain motivation 15:23 — Peter Parker’s choices, sacrifice, and transformation 17:04 — Reinventing Spider-Man without destroying his history 17:55 — When franchise continuity becomes dead weight 19:06 — Why Brand New Day earns its title 19:52 — Final verdict and lessons for storytellers 📚 FIND KEVIN: Find Kevin and his books:https://kevintumlinson.com Join Kevin on Substack:https://kevintumlinson.substack.com Wordslinger Podcast home page:https://wordslingerpodcast.com 🎙️ SERVICES FOR AUTHORS: Polish your writing and make it ready for publishing with ProWritingAid:https://tidd.ly/3NCdlk5 Publish your book to every major retailer online, get your book into print and ebook, and get support the whole way at Draft2Digital:https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Find a virtual assistant to help you market your books—and more!—at AuthorAnchor:https://authoranchor.com 🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO WORDSLINGER If you’re a writer, author, creator, or storyteller building a career around your work, subscribe to Wordslinger. This is the place for practical guidance on writing, publishing, storytelling, marketing, and building a creative career that lasts. And if you love breaking down what makes movies, television, and novels work—or fail—check out more Wordslinger Story Cuts right here on the channel. #SpiderMan #SpiderManBrandNewDay #Storytelling #Marvel #MCU #WritingTips #Screenwriting #StoryAnalysis #Wordslinger #StoryCuts Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    This Is How You Reinvent Spider-Man
  7. Aug 20

    Why Writers are Abandoning Traditional Publishing

    A WORDSLINGER PODCAST Why are more writers reconsidering traditional publishing—and could we be entering a second indie publishing renaissance? In this episode of the Wordslinger Podcast, Kevin Tumlinson looks at the changing landscape of publishing, from unreliable AI detection and increasingly restrictive publisher policies to the growing opportunities available to independent authors. Writers have more tools, more distribution options, and more ways to reach readers directly than ever before. At the same time, traditional publishing is adding new layers of risk and gatekeeping—including situations where authors can face serious consequences simply because software claims their work was generated by AI. Kevin explains why he has recommitted himself to indie publishing, why he believes quality will ultimately matter more than the tools used to produce a book, and why independent writers may be better positioned than ever to build sustainable careers on their own terms. The conversation also covers audience building, responding to readers and YouTube comments, dealing with trolls and bad reviews, using AI as an assistive tool rather than a replacement for creativity, and building a business flywheel where books, content, audience growth, and revenue reinforce each other. If you're a writer, author, creator, or creative entrepreneur trying to navigate publishing, marketing, technology, and the business of making a living from your work, subscribe to the Wordslinger channel. This is the place for practical, experience-driven guidance to help you write better, publish smarter, grow your audience, and build a career around your creativity. Visit the Knovelton Bookshop at knoveltonbooks.com GET 15% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER AT CHECKOUT WITH CODE STORYCUTS TIMECODES 00:00 The expanding Wordslinger universe 00:51 Wordslinger 10-Shots and Story Cuts 03:12 Building a simpler content-production system 05:06 Creating more reliable revenue streams 06:12 The Wordslinger business flywheel 08:36 Why writers should engage with their audience 09:39 Turning readers into lifelong fans 10:31 Responding to comments and reader email 11:33 Why Kevin stopped worrying about reviews 13:19 Dealing with trolls and negative comments 15:22 How Kevin actually uses AI 16:13 The Wordslinger edit stack 17:06 Being accused of using AI 18:35 Why the AI debate is changing publishing 20:11 Why writers are becoming afraid of traditional publishing 21:12 The danger of unreliable AI detection 21:57 How AI watermarking works 23:57 Rewriting AI-generated text 24:44 The guaranteed way to avoid AI-writing accusations 25:09 Using AI for proofreading and editing 27:39 The risks writers face in traditional publishing 30:33 Is self-publishing entering a new era? 31:47 The return of publishing gatekeepers 32:39 The second indie publishing renaissance 33:34 Why Kevin has recommitted to indie publishing 34:28 Why indie publishing may be the future 35:05 How traditional publishing could damage itself 37:06 Restrictive AI policies and publishing 38:11 Can you really self-publish for free? 38:50 Why publishing is a business 39:40 Quality as the ultimate differentiator 41:12 Why indie publishing methods may win 42:01 Final thoughts and audience discussion 43:05 Where to connect with Wordslinger 45:09 What's coming next FIND KEVIN: Find Kevin and his books:https://kevintumlinson.com Join Kevin on Substack:https://kevintumlinson.substack.com Wordslinger Podcast home page:https://wordslingerpodcast.com Wordslinger on YouTube:https://youtube.com/wordslingerpodcast Kevin is working to move the YouTube channel to:https://youtube.com/wordslingershow SERVICES FOR AUTHORS: Polish your writing and make it ready for publishing with ProWritingAid:https://tidd.ly/3NCdlk5 Publish your book to every major retailer online, get your book into print and ebook, and get support the whole way at Draft2Digital:https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Find a virtual assistant to help you market your books and more at AuthorAnchor:https://authoranchor.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Why Writers are Abandoning Traditional Publishing
  8. Aug 19

    Got a Bad Review? Do NOT Do This

    A Wordslinger 10-Shot! Bad reviews are inevitable. The real question is what you do after you get one. In this Wordslinger 10-Shot, I’m talking about the mistake authors make when a negative review gets under their skin—and why responding, arguing, or trying to “correct the record” usually makes things worse. I recently looked at my own book reviews for the first time in more than a year and found a 2-star review calling one of my books boring. That sent me down a rabbit hole about reviews, trolls, negative comments, and how much attention writers should really give any of them. We’ll talk about why you should almost never respond to a bad review, when reporting a review might actually make sense, why I once deliberately upvoted some of my worst reviews, and why one of the healthiest things you can do as a creator may be to stop reading reviews altogether. And there’s an important flip side: reviews still matter. They provide social proof and credibility for your books, which means authors should absolutely be asking readers to leave them—even if you decide not to read them yourself. If you’re a writer, author, creator, or creative entrepreneur trying to build a career without letting criticism derail you, this one’s for you. What do you think? Do you read your reviews? Have you ever responded to a bad one? Tell me in the comments. And subscribe to Wordslinger for practical, experience-tested guidance on writing, publishing, marketing, building an audience, and creating a sustainable career around your work. Visit the Knovelton Bookshop at https://knoveltonbooks.com GET 15% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER AT CHECKOUT WITH CODE STORYCUTS TIMECODES 00:00 — The reality of negative reviews 01:05 — I found a 2-star review of my book 02:24 — Why I stopped leaving negative reviews 03:14 — Never respond to a bad book review 04:02 — When you should report a review 04:47 — Why I used to upvote bad reviews 05:33 — How 1-star reviews can actually help you 06:46 — Why some successful creators never read reviews 07:32 — Reviews vs. YouTube comments 08:54 — Why book reviews still matter 10:00 — How to get more reviews for your books 10:40 — The simplest review strategy for authors 11:26 — How should writers handle trolls and criticism? FIND KEVIN Find Kevin and his books:https://kevintumlinson.com Kevin’s books:https://kevintumlinson.com/books Join Kevin on Substack:https://kevintumlinson.substack.com Wordslinger Podcast home page:https://wordslingerpodcast.com SERVICES FOR AUTHORS Polish your writing and make it ready for publishing with ProWritingAid:https://tidd.ly/3NCdlk5 Publish your book to every major retailer online, get your book into print and ebook, and get support the whole way at Draft2Digital:https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Find a virtual assistant to help you market your books—and more—at AuthorAnchor:https://authoranchor.com Ernest Dempsey:https://ernestdempsey.com #WritingAdvice #SelfPublishing #IndieAuthors #BookMarketing #AuthorLife #WritingCommunity #Wordslinger Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Got a Bad Review? Do NOT Do This
4.8
out of 5
57 Ratings

About

From award-winning and bestselling author J. Kevin Tumlinson, this weekly podcast explores the stories that shape us into who we are, and shape the world into what it can become. There are interviews with authors and non-authors, deep dives into useful ideas, and solo-slinger episodes that are authentic and real, aimed at giving you the best, most honest advice about life as a writer, creator, and creative entrereneur. Every episode is a story. It's all about the story here.

You Might Also Like