Writing Tips and Writerly Musings
with Morgan Hazelwood
About the show
Welcome! If you want to hear writing tips from the big names, the medium names, and everyone else, look no further.
As a blogger, vlogger, and actively querying fantasy author, I am addicted to attending all the writing panels a person could possibly attend at a convention. We're talking about attending upwards of 25 hours of panels in 3 days.
Fortunately for you? I love sharing my copious notes.
But, I also get real. I share my writerly musings: my struggles, my failures, and... hopefully, my writing successes.
Thanks for listening.
- Morgan Hazelwood
Episodes
-
Constructed languages
September 18th, 2023 | Season 7 | 10 mins 29 secs
beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips
From Elvish to Esperanto to Dothraki to Belter -- creating a language for your story isn't just world-building, it's realistic.
-
Fairytale Contract Law
September 11th, 2023 | Season 7 | 6 mins 28 secs
beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips
Fairy tale contract laws are like a force of nature... except there's usually a loophole. What are your favorite fairy tales? What are your favorite loopholes?
-
Spirits Abroad and At Home
September 4th, 2023 | Season 7 | 8 mins 59 secs
beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips
A reminder that Western views on spirits are not universal and an exploration of how myths vary between cultures.
-
World-Building Economics
August 28th, 2023 | Season 7 | 7 mins 21 secs
beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips
Economics is usually seen as a dry topic, full of game theory and calculated systems, but economic systems do not exist in a vacuum. Here are 5 Things To Consider When Designing Future (or Fantastical) Economic Systems
-
Accessible Magic
August 21st, 2023 | Season 7 | 11 mins 31 secs
beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips
In a lot of fantasy and science-fiction, they wave their hands and make magic or tech the “solution” to all disabilities. Let’s explore ways to use magic for accessibility and ways people with different abilities could be better integrated into these stories.
-
Cultures and Their Myths
August 14th, 2023 | Season 7 | 10 mins 53 secs
beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips
What is the basis of myths? And what are some examples of myths that different cultures share -- and those we don't share.
-
Imposter Syndrome: Stranger in a Strange Mind
August 7th, 2023 | Season 7 | 15 mins 42 secs
beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips
What is Imposter Syndrome and how do we fight it?
-
Querying Versus Submitting: What's the Difference
July 31st, 2023 | Season 7 | 10 mins 32 secs
agents, beta-reading, books, critique, publishing, querying, writers, writing, writing tips
If you're trying to get an agent or publisher, you've probably heard these terms. While even many industry professionals can be found using the terms interchangeably, they do actually have different meanings!
-
Novel, Novella, or Short Story
July 24th, 2023 | Season 7 | 6 mins 42 secs
beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips
The size of a story is often dictated by the scope of the idea that spawned it. While some experienced writers can tell from the shape of the concept how long their story will be, it’s often a case of trial and error and years.
-
Choosing Your Perspective: Voice and Points-Of-View
July 17th, 2023 | Season 7 | 8 mins 11 secs
beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips
All writers have a voice and all stories have point-of-view characters -- it's how you bring them together that makes or breaks your story.
-
How To Self-Edit That First Lousy Draft
July 10th, 2023 | Season 7 | 15 mins 39 secs
beta-reading, books, critique, editing, writers, writing, writing tips
All first drafts are lousy. It's part of the process. It's how you fix that first draft that establishes you as a quality writer.
-
Season 7: Trailer
July 3rd, 2023 | Season 7 | 38 secs
beta-reading, books, critique, season7, writers, writing, writing tips
This season, I'm talking a lot about world-building, fairytales, and, of course, the querying process.
-
Balticon 57: Recap
June 26th, 2023 | Season 6 | 20 mins 30 secs
balticon, balticon57, beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips
I think I’m about four naps shy of recovering from Balticon 57, but I’m home and back at work. Despite my multitude of hats, I managed to do it all!
-
There Is No Finish Line: Momentum For Writers
June 19th, 2023 | Season 6 | 12 mins 2 secs
balticon, beta-reading, books, critique, motivation, virtual balticon, writers, writing, writing tips
Experienced writers who have been on the roller coaster for a while know the big secret: you never really “make it.” Just because you’ve sold one book doesn’t mean you’ll sell the next one, and just because you didn’t sell the last one doesn’t mean the next one won’t hit big. Our panel offers tips and strategies for maintaining the will to keep creating.
-
Intro To Self-Publishing
June 12th, 2023 | Season 6 | 11 mins 52 secs
balticon, beta-reading, books, critique, self publishing, virtual balticon, writers, writing, writing tips
So you have a story and you want to publish it yourself? Let’s talk about how to get started, how to get noticed, and when you should pay a professional.
-
Making Painful Edits
June 5th, 2023 | Season 6 | 10 mins 8 secs
beta-reading, books, critique, editing, virtual balticon, writers, writing, writing tips
It’s hard to cut out scenes or characters that you love, but your story may be better off without them. How do you learn to recognize when something has to go, and how do you reconnect any threads that run through the parts you’re removing?