Working Writers

Pete Aldin & Bryan Chaffin
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Practical conversations about writing, publishing, and building a career as a working writer.

Episodes

  1. 15h ago

    Writer’s Productivity Toolkit: Mindset, Environment, Software, and Habits

    How can writers get more done when life keeps getting in the way? In this episode of Working Writers, Pete and Bryan explore writing productivity through four key areas: mindset, environment, software, and habits. From finding the right writing space to making the most of limited time, they share practical strategies for building a writing process that works for you. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:52 MESH: Four Keys to Writing Productivity 01:37 Mindset: Getting Out of Your Own Way 04:57 Finding People Who Support Your Writing 06:58 Treat Your Writing Like a Job 08:37 Environment: Finding Your Ideal Writing Space 11:03 Different Spaces for Different Tasks 14:29 Making the Most of Limited Space 15:23 Can a Change of Scenery Break Writer's Block? 19:49 Finding Time and Space to Write 21:27 Software: Choosing the Right Writing Tools 22:47 How Scrivener Helps Bryan Stay Productive 25:54 Getting More Out of Microsoft Word 27:50 Use What Works for You 29:29 Eliminating Digital Distractions 32:45 Habits: Building a Sustainable Writing Practice 33:42 Making the Most of Spare Minutes 35:05 Scheduling Time to Write 37:40 Building Writing Momentum 39:41 Small Progress Still Counts 40:01 Editing Counts as Writing, Too 41:28 Separating Your Creative and Editing Mindsets 42:58 Final Thoughts Links Referenced in This Episode: Scrivener https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview Obsidian https://obsidian.md/ On Writing, by Stephen King https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Memoir-Craft-Stephen-King/dp/1982159375/geektells-20 Bird by Bird, by Anne Lammott https://bookshop.org/p/books/bird-by-bird-some-instructions-on-writing-and-life-anne-lamott/7937cf657650025e Write or Die https://thewritepractice.com/write-or/ Working Writers #11 - Things We Wish We'd Known When We Started Writing https://youtu.be/Ak2AxBAjjZc Working Writers #4 - Scrivener vs. Word: Debating the Merits https://youtu.be/5CpFXA3uBnk Follow Working Writers Working Margins Newsletter https://workingwriters.io/newsletter/ Threads https://www.threads.com/@workingwritersshow Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/workingwritersshow.bsky.social Instagram https://www.instagram.com/workingwritersshow/ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@WorkingWritersShow⁩ Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, Working Writers may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

    Writer’s Productivity Toolkit: Mindset, Environment, Software, and Habits

  2. Nov 3

    Things We Wish We’d Known When We Started Writing

    What do we wish we’d known when we started writing? In this episode of Working Writers, Pete and Bryan share hard-earned lessons about finding critique partners, surviving the submission process, navigating revisions, and budgeting for publication. From overcoming writer’s block to accepting that everything takes longer than expected, they explore the advice we’d give our younger writing selves.

    Things We Wish We’d Known When We Started Writing

  3. Oct 27

    Plotters Are Pantsers, Too

    Pete Aldin and Bryan Chaffin tackle the old plotters-versus-pantsers divide and ask whether the distinction is really as clear as writers make it out to be. Along the way, they explore getting unstuck, taming sprawling drafts, genre expectations, and why sometimes the best way forward is to step outside your usual writing process. Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:32 Are Plotters Really Pantsers? 09:08 Can a Pantser Become a Plotter? 16:15 Too Many Subplots and POVs 22:40 Know Your Genre’s Expectations 28:53 Know the Rules Before You Break Them 32:59 Getting Unstuck by Changing Your Process 37:28 Outro Links Referenced in This Episode: Working Writers Episode 5: Every Writer Needs Critique Partners https://workingwriters.io/2026/10/06/are-writing-competitions-worth-it/ Hugo Awards definitions/categories https://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-categories/ Follow Working Writers Working Margins Newsletter https://workingwriters.io/newsletter/ Threads https://www.threads.com/@workingwritersshow Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/workingwritersshow.bsky.social Instagram https://www.instagram.com/workingwritersshow/ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@WorkingWritersShow

    Plotters Are Pantsers, Too

  4. Oct 20

    What to Cut, Keep, and Change: A Live Fiction Edit

    Bryan and Pete offer up a live edit of one of Pete’s dark fantasy stories, working through the prose one sentence at a time. Along the way, they explore tightening sentences, cutting unnecessary words, trusting your reader, and what writers can learn from talking through an edit instead of simply accepting or rejecting changes. Chapters 00:00 Introductions 02:24 The Resurrection of Timaeus 03:38 Tightening the Prose 09:20 When to Push Back on an Edit 13:30 Trust Your Reader 20:15 Reordering a Sentence 23:30 When Good Writing Could Be Better 32:25 Worldbuilding Without Explaining 36:10 The Value of Talking Through an Edit 38:28 Outro Follow Working Writers Working Margins Newsletter https://workingwriters.io/newsletter/ Threads https://www.threads.com/@workingwritersshow Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/workingwritersshow.bsky.social Instagram https://www.instagram.com/workingwritersshow/ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@WorkingWritersShow

    What to Cut, Keep, and Change: A Live Fiction Edit

  5. Oct 13

    What Should You Write Next?

    Pete Aldin and Bryan Chaffin explore how writers can choose what to work on next when too many possibilities lead to analysis paralysis. They also discuss BookBub Featured Deals, what they can do for book sales, and Pete’s recent success with the platform. Chapters 00:00:00 Introductions 00:00:26 What Should You Write Next? 00:03:25 Pete’s Writing Career So Far 00:07:47 Five Possible Writing Projects 00:15:37 Bryan Coaches Pete Through the Decision 00:23:14 Getting Past Analysis Paralysis 00:25:14 Does BookBub Actually Work? 00:30:31 Getting a BookBub Featured Deal 00:34:33 Outro Links from This Episode: Pete Aldin https://petealdin.com/ Pete Aldin's Library https://petealdin.com/library/ The Envoys Universe/Third Contact https://petealdin.com/the-cuset-dchc-universe/ Accidental Intelligence https://geektells.com/accidental-intelligence BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/ BookBub Featured Deal https://www.bookbub.com/partners/featured_deals BookBub Featured Deal Requirements https://www.bookbub.com/partners/featured_deal_requirements Kobo https://www.kobo.com/ Nick Snape https://www.nicksnape.com Follow Working Writers Working Margins Newsletter https://workingwriters.io/newsletter/ Threads https://www.threads.com/@workingwritersshow Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/workingwritersshow.bsky.social Instagram https://www.instagram.com/workingwritersshow/ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@WorkingWritersShow

    What Should You Write Next?

  6. Oct 6

    Are Writing Competitions Worth It?

    Pete Aldin and Bryan Chaffin explore whether writing competitions are worth entering, from the benefits of awards and feedback to the realities of judging and rejection. They also discuss what writers can learn by becoming judges themselves—and why a strong opening matters when your book is competing for attention. Chapters 00:00 Introductions 00:22 Are Writing Competitions Worth It? 05:33 The Benefits of Entering Competitions 09:20 Winning, Placing, and the Value of Recognition 15:43 How Novel Competitions Are Judged 19:14 Why Your Opening Has to Be Strong 24:05 Subjectivity, Rejection, and Managing Expectations 29:29 Why Writers Should Become Judges 36:30 Outro Links from This Episode: 2026 Readers' Favorite International Book Award Contest https://readersfavorite.com/2026-award-contest-winners.htm#accidental-intelligence Self-Published Science Fiction Competition https://spsfc.space/ SPSFC Judging Application https://spsfc.space/application-forms/ Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off https://www.marklawrence.buzz/2018/06/the-official-self-published-fantasy.html Austalasian Shadows Awards https://australasianhorror.com/australian-shadows-awards/ Follow Working Writers Working Margins Newsletter https://workingwriters.io/newsletter/ Threads https://www.threads.com/@workingwritersshow Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/workingwritersshow.bsky.social Instagram https://www.instagram.com/workingwritersshow/ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@WorkingWritersShow

    Are Writing Competitions Worth It?

  7. Sep 29

    Make Your Characters More Interesting

    Pete Aldin and Bryan Chaffin explore how to make your characters more interesting, from finding unexpected flaws and contradictions to challenging your assumptions about who they are. They discuss techniques for pushing beyond obvious character choices, making protagonists as compelling as their supporting cast, avoiding stereotypes, and using real-world observations to create characters who feel distinctive and alive. Chapters: 00:00 Introductions 00:20 Are Great Characters Discovered or Designed? 01:20 Basing Characters on Real People 08:04 Designing vs. Discovering Characters 11:15 Exercises for Creating Better Characters 25:58 What Line Won’t Your Character Cross? 27:58 Playing Against the Mood of a Scene 32:25 When Side Characters Outshine Your Protagonist 41:12 Avoiding Stereotypes 51:20 Outro Links from This Episode: AJ Saxsma's Trauma as Engine Workbook (The Name that Bryan Couldn't Think of—mentioned at 25:58) https://andrewverse858.gumroad.com/l/wwkql Donald Maass's Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook https://www.amazon.com/dp/158297263X/ Follow Working Writers Working Margins Newsletter https://workingwriters.io/newsletter/ Threads https://www.threads.com/@workingwritersshow Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/workingwritersshow.bsky.social Instagram https://www.instagram.com/workingwritersshow/ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@WorkingWritersShow

    Make Your Characters More Interesting

  8. Sep 22

    Every Writer Needs Critique Partners

    Pete Aldin and Bryan Chaffin discuss why every writer needs good critique partners—and how to find them. They explore what makes a critique relationship work, why different partners bring different strengths, how to give and receive useful feedback, and why critiquing someone else’s work can make you a better writer. Plus, they look at how many outside readers a manuscript needs and the value of seeking perspectives beyond your usual circle. Chapters: 00:00 Introductions 00:20 What Is a Critique Partner? 04:47 Different Critique Partners, Different Strengths 11:20 How to Find Critique Partners 17:44 Building Your Critique Network 22:47 Why Critiquing Makes You a Better Writer 27:22 Critique Etiquette and Building Trust 32:34 How Many Critique Partners Do You Need? 39:25 Why Human Feedback Matters 40:09 Getting Perspectives Outside Your Bubble 42:47 Outro Links from This Episode: AbsoluteWrite Water Cooler https://absolutewrite.com/forums/index.php Follow Working Writers Working Margins Newsletter https://workingwriters.io/newsletter/ Threads https://www.threads.com/@workingwritersshow Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/workingwritersshow.bsky.social Instagram https://www.instagram.com/workingwritersshow/ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@WorkingWritersShow

    Every Writer Needs Critique Partners

  9. Sep 15

    Scrivener vs. Word: Debating the Merits

    Pete Aldin and Bryan Chaffin present the writing Battle Royale: Scrivener vs. Word. They break down the relative merits of both apps, from drafting and organizing a novel to editing, collaboration, and publishing. Which tool does what better—and which one belongs in your writing workflow? Chapters: 00:00:00 Introductions 00:00:14 Why Bryan Writes in Scrivener 00:10:24 Why Pete Switched to Word 00:15:07 Editing and Working with Feedback 00:17:32 Formatting and Publishing with Scrivener 00:29:54 Collaboration, Snapshots, and Workflow 00:37:34 Publishing and Final Thoughts 00:47:50 Outro Links from This Episode: Scrivener, by Literature & Latte https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview Word, by Microsoft https://word.cloud.microsoft/en-us/ Follow Working Writers Working Margins Newsletter https://workingwriters.io/newsletter/ Threads https://www.threads.com/@workingwritersshow Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/workingwritersshow.bsky.social Instagram https://www.instagram.com/workingwritersshow/ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@WorkingWritersShow

    Scrivener vs. Word: Debating the Merits

  10. Sep 8

    Why Every Author Needs a Writing Group

    Pete Aldin and Bryan Chaffin dig into writing and critique groups: why they matter, what writers can learn from critiquing other people’s work, and how the right group can make you a better writer. They also talk about online versus in-person groups, finding writers who share your level of commitment, recognizing when a group isn’t right for you, and more. Chapters: 00:00 Introductions 00:56 Why Writers Need Writing Groups 06:28 Learning by Critiquing Other Writers 11:58 What Different Writers Bring to a Group 15:32 The Online Writing Workshop 17:50 Online vs. In-Person Writing Groups 23:06 Writing Groups Might Come with Networking Opportunities 36:30 Writing Group Etiquette and Group Dynamics 44:53 How to Find Your Writing People 47:48 Outro Links from This Episode: Note: Some links below are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Critique.org https://critique.org/ Online Writing Workshop https://sff.onlinewritingworkshop.com/ Follow Working Writers Working Margins Newsletter https://workingwriters.io/newsletter/ Threads https://www.threads.com/@workingwritersshow Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/workingwritersshow.bsky.social Instagram https://www.instagram.com/workingwritersshow/ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@WorkingWritersShow

    Why Every Author Needs a Writing Group
  • 10 Episodes

About

Practical conversations about writing, publishing, and building a career as a working writer.

Information

  • Creator
    Pete Aldin & Bryan Chaffin
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Working Writers
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    Working Writers