We're #2, So We Try Harder

August 3rd, 2026  |  Season 10  |  7 mins 1 sec

beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips

Heroes and villains step aside: We're here to talk about your lieutenants, your seconds in command, your BFF, your life partners. What is the purpose of these characters? What are their demographics and what are the characteristics of the best ones?

Family Structures in Science Fiction and Fantasy

July 27th, 2026  |  Season 10  |  8 mins 46 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips

From werewolf clans to alien hives, authors shared the most imaginative and thought-provoking examples of family structures in genre works.

Writing the Sex Scene in Non-Erotic Works

July 20th, 2026  |  Season 10  |  9 mins 5 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips

The good, the bad, and the bumping uglies. Writing a compelling sex scene that moves the plot forward without turning your work into erotica is a balancing act. Where you fade to black depends on your audience and your own writing style. Authors share how to depict "the act" in your writing.

Building a SubPlot

July 13th, 2026  |  Season 10  |  3 mins 56 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips

The more issues the characters face in a novel, the bigger the story feels. Yet the subplot can’t take over the book. Here are 5 tips for writing better subplots.

Balancing Story and Scientific Authenticity

July 6th, 2026  |  Season 10  |  4 mins 48 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips

How getting the science right improves a story, types of science you can use, and aiming your story for the right audience.

Reluctant Heroes

June 29th, 2026  |  Season 10  |  6 mins 2 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips

The reluctant hero: Not every protagonist wants to be the hero of the story. How do doubt and hesitation develop heroic characters, and how does reluctance change over the course of a narrative?

Here are tips on:

• motivations to demur
• ways they're relatable
• favorite tropes

Giving Your Work Away For Fun and Profit

June 22nd, 2026  |  Season 10  |  7 mins 7 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, marketing, writers, writing, writing tips

Everyone loves free stuff, but authors need to pay the bills. Can you make money by giving your work away, and if so, how do you choose what to distribute for free? What tools and metrics can you use to show a publisher or business partner that the work that you give away for free is driving sales?

A Trick for Editing Multiple Points-Of-View

June 15th, 2026  |  Season 10  |  2 mins 40 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, editing, writers, writing, writing tips

I'm still going to push forward with this trick, but it's less effective at times.

How do you do it?

Writing the Alien

June 8th, 2026  |  Season 10  |  5 mins 32 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips

You Get Agency, and You Get Agency – EVERYBODY Gets Agency!

June 1st, 2026  |  Season 10  |  4 mins 1 sec

beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips

In Western culture, we expect our characters to make decisions that have consequences, not just have things happen to them. How do you write a character with realistic agency?