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
Writing Tips and Writerly Musings on social media
Episodes
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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?
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Science Fiction Has Always Been Political
May 29th, 2023 | Season 6 | 9 mins 39 secs
balticon, beta-reading, books, critique, politics, science fiction, virtual balticon, writers, writing, writing tips
Throughout the history of science fiction and fantasy, creators have used the opportunity for imaginative storytelling to explore issues of their day. From the Twilight Zone to Alien Nation to Mass Effect, what are ways that genre stories have explored the concerns of the world in which they were made?
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Tips For Writing Combat: Where Do You Focus?
May 22nd, 2023 | Season 6 | 10 mins
beta-reading, books, critique, fight scenes, virtual balticon, writers, writing, writing tips
Even veterans and long-time practitioners can have problems writing fights that are both compelling and realistic; how is someone new supposed to keep up? We’ll discuss getting experience with the weapons you’re writing about, how to handle pacing in brawls, skirmishes, and battles, and how to keep the tension high when your protagonists have to survive.
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There's No Target in Middle Earth: The Economics of Fantasy
May 15th, 2023 | Season 6 | 8 mins 52 secs
beta-reading, books, critique, economics, fantasy, writers, writing, writing tips
In your fantasy setting, everything the characters own or interact with has to come from somewhere, from food and drink to durable goods. Let’s talk about how to build a believable material culture for your world.
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Writing For Anthologies
May 8th, 2023 | Season 6 | 5 mins 50 secs
anthologies, beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips
While many writers are publishing novels or sending short stories off to magazines, other writers have found anthologies to be a great space for their work. Why might you want to write for an anthology, 4 tips to get in, and 5 reasons why they might pass on your story.
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Consent Violations and Bystander Intervention
May 1st, 2023 | Season 6 | 16 mins 16 secs
beta-reading, books, conventions, critique, writers, writing, writing tips
From what is a creeper, to avoiding harassment, to how to intervene as a bystander.
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How To Be A Good Moderator
April 24th, 2023 | Season 6 | 12 mins 27 secs
beta-reading, books, conventions, critique, moderator, writers, writing, writing tips
Having attended, at this point, easily over a hundred panels in the last 5 years, I definitely have opinions. And there is one role that can make or break a panel. Whether you’re a writer guest-of-honor on a panel at a convention, or just hosting a dinner party, being a good moderator is highly underrated skill. My favorite panels are where the big names are friendly and informative, and the smaller names are confident with their answers — without anyone talking over each other. And -- I try my best when I'm moderator.
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What Cons Are Looking For In Panelists
April 17th, 2023 | Season 6 | 9 mins 22 secs
beta-reading, books, conventions, critique, panels, writers, writing, writing tips
It's not just what you know, it's how you can communicate it and how well you play with others.
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Everything You Need To Know About Convention Panels
April 10th, 2023 | Season 6 | 11 mins 19 secs
beta-reading, books, conventions, critique, panels, writers, writing, writing tips
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you probably know that I share a lot of notes from “panels”. If you’ve never been to a convention, you may be unfamiliar with panels. If you’ve only been to corporate/work conventions, you might look at them as torturous boredom. Or, at the very least, strictly educational. At their most basic: panels are simply several people, sitting at table, facing an audience, sharing their thoughts on a subject. But, they can be a lot more than that!