Write On SC

A child of the 80's, SL Harby grew up playing Dungeons & Dragons and classic video games. An only child, he was bitten early by the reading bug, cutting his teeth on the masters of modern fantasy. His days were spent inside the worlds created by Howard and Lieber, Moorcock and Tolkien. A perpetual Jersey boy, SL Harby lives in northwestern New Jersey with his wife and muse, Jessica and their bad ass rescue dog, Tellulah. Visit www.ReadSLHarby.com for fiction, reviews, creator interviews and more!

Nick Roberts is the award-winning author of Anathema, The Exorcist's House series, Mean Spirited, and several others. His works have been translated into multiple languages, becoming international bestsellers and garnering the attention of Hollywood. He’s a member of the Horror Writers Association, a doctoral graduate from Marshall University, and currently resides in South Carolina with his wife and three children. He talks with Rex about his career.

The last time we did this topic was way back in 2021 here’s the link to Episode 130. We think maybe we’ve learned something since then. Born out of the “be mean to your characters” necessity, “what could be meaner than making your characters make decisions, do something, take responsibility, and live with consequences of their actions?” this linkthis linkHow do you do it? Check out this link (summary below): Read more on the blog

Finding the right event, getting the vendor license, and packing all your stuff to go over there and sell is all part of the prep. The South Carolina Artisan license can be found at the SC Department of Revenue (link). Some expected costs: Table ($50-200), vendor license (maybe), travel -- if you have an LLC, you can consider all of these business expenses. Some preparation consideration: Table aesthetics - what will get people's attention? How can you display your logos and branding? What props will you use to lure people? Rex has foam boards of the book covers, Kasie has QR code displays. Rex has a foam baby eating a rat, it was a Halloween store buy. What giveaways will you have? We've used candy and we've used stickers. Match the stickers to the event. Book display stands are available at Amazon and the foam board displays will have theirs in the purchase price. Some of the vendors we mentioned for giveaways: DiscountMugs.com, VistaPrint, 24HourWristBands.com Tote bags - people walk around with the bags and advertise for you. This is a good onsite investment. Book pricing can and should be related to the people at the event. Consider charging what you think the people will pay. All the authors charging the same thing may not sell anything. But when Rex charges what he thinks the people will pay, he undercuts the other authors. Volume is what matters here, he says, so the more books you can put out in the world the better. How to present yourself at the table: look professional, a jacket and a nice shirt, something relevant for the event, put out a select number of books so that people can peruse them individually. Engage with people, talk to them, don't be nervous. Know something about the subject. Read more on the blog

Heather has been with us before. She visited back on Episode 261: Edit Like a Pro. Here are some details about Heather: Heather Harris-Bergevin is an author whose business, Barrow Editing, is based in Columbia, South Carolina. She, her three children, two cats, and a happy pitbull spend most of their time fighting entropy. Her own poetry books are published with By Common Consent Press, and she has an upcoming children’s picture book with Lucky Rabbit Press, based in Columbia, SC.

We always talk about how to promote your book and this week I attended (as a speaker) the Business Boot Camp for the Women in Publishing Summit team where all we talked about was authorprenuership. But there’s more to this literary life than just self-promotion. There’s a give-back element that we call literary citizenship and if you can learn to enjoy it, you can really profit from it. Five years ago, we talked about this as taking the easy way out by doing anything but writing. In 2021, we touched on the topic as it related to Paying Your Writerly Dues. And last week in our quest for inspiration, we suggested some of these activities to channel your creative vibes. This time we’re taking a list from the Executive Director of the Pat Conroy Literary Center, Jonathan Haupt, who presented on the topic at last week’s Joy of Writing conference for the SCWA. We’re going to expound upon each of these topics on the air. No segments today, just working the list: Read more on the blog

We always talk about how to promote your book and this week I attended (as a speaker) the Business Boot Camp for the Women in Publishing Summit team where all we talked about was authorprenuership. But there’s more to this literary life than just self-promotion. There’s a give-back element that we call literary citizenship and if you can learn to enjoy it, you can really profit from it. Five years ago, we talked about this as taking the easy way out by doing anything but writing. In 2021, we touched on the topic as it related to Paying Your Writerly Dues. And last week in our quest for inspiration, we suggested some of these activities to channel your creative vibes. This time we’re taking a list from the Executive Director of the Pat Conroy Literary Center, Jonathan Haupt, who presented on the topic at last week’s Joy of Writing conference for the SCWA. We’re going to expound upon each of these topics on the air. No segments today, just working the list: Read more on the blog

We’re in the dog days of summer which can lead to a slow, reluctance to turn to the screen or the page and get new stories generated. Why do we feel this? What can we do about it? This writer offered a few tips and tricks: Our AI answers also suggest immersing yourself in the world. But being intentional about it is what matters. Don’t just move through the world, observe and record what you’re seeing and let those observations light the fuse to new stories. Segment 2 Let’s talk about creativity as an inspiration. Do you watch other stories? Veer into nonfiction books? See concerts or artwork? Some image or phrase might inspire you to write the backstory or the what-happened-next. Sometimes movies can have a side character that makes you want to write what that character might be doing otherwise. Can you be spontaneously inspired? What are the results of such experiences? Novels? Short stories? Segment 3 Planned writing exercises? Yes, please. Some prompts might start a new story or inspire a character or longer work. I like a writing prompt exercise but sometimes others’ prompts are dumb. Where do you get writing prompts? Google AI. For real. Just ask it for writing prompts for adult writers. Otherwise you’ll get a bunch of elementary school prompts like “how was your summer vacation?” Read more on the blog

It’s been a while since we did the grab bag thing. Here are some place to start but we’re sure to wander off and just riff a bit. I asked Gemini “What are Writers asking AI?” Some writers are worried about AI. They ask: On X: One writer asked, what are you writing that no one seems to want? – i.e. the MSWL for agents and publishers may not include your WIP. Read more on the blog

This blog gives a quick summary of all seven sins and some examples of how to use them. So reading it might mean you don’t need our seven episodes but how about come along for the ride anyway? The Seven Deadly Sins (this link) in Roman Catholic theology, are the seven vices that spur other sins and further immoral behavior. First enumerated by Pope Gregory I (the Great) in the 6th century and elaborated in the 13th century by St. Thomas Aquinas. The sins are: We’ve done these before (episodes 151-157), but it’s been a while and this time we’re going to sharpen the focus on the sins as potential stakes-raising behaviors. This week’s focus is Lust. When we did this in Episode 155, I was writing novels with a good bit of sex in them. Weirdly, that hasn’t changed. In fact, the motivation of Lust is even more relevant to my vampires who are equally motivated by thirst. Last time we started here: What is lust? According to Wikipedia: Lust is a psychological force producing intense desire for an object, or circumstance while already having a significant other or amount of the desired object.[1] Lust can take any form such as the lust for sexuality (see libido), money, or power. It can take such mundane forms as the lust for food (see gluttony) as distinct from the need for food. It is similar to but distinguished from passion, in that passion propels individuals to achieve benevolent goals whilst lust does not. Going straight to the source, Christianity.com gives us this: Lust is essentially to crave something, usually associated with worldly desires of sexual intent or material possessions. Lust has as its focus gratifying oneself, which often leads to toxic actions to fulfill one’s desires without consideration of the consequences. Lust springs forth from selfishness and greed. Lust is considered a sin because it puts physical, human impulses above Godly or spiritual pursuits. Not unlike greed, lust is insatiable and similar to pride, is focused on the individual, not the betterment of family or community. Are there any benefits to lust? Read more on the blog

The Seven Deadly Sins (this link) in Roman Catholictheology, are the seven vices that spur other sins and further immoral behavior. First enumerated by Pope Gregory I (the Great) in the 6th century and elaborated in the 13th century by St. Thomas Aquinas. The sins are: We’ve done these before (episodes 151–157), but it’s been a while and this time we’re going to sharpen the focus on the sins as potential stakes-raising behaviors. According to DeadlySins.com Pride is excessive belief in one’s own abilities. It interferes with the acceptance of God’s grace and is the sin from which all others are born. It’s also called vanity. So let’s unpack that. Read more on the blog

It’s been the summer of the Seven Deadly Sins series. This blog gives a quick summary of all seven sins and some examples of how to use them. The Seven Deadly Sins (this link) in Roman Catholictheology, are the seven vices that spur other sins and further immoral behavior. First enumerated by Pope Gregory I (the Great) in the 6th century and elaborated in the 13th century by St. Thomas Aquinas. The sins are: What is sloth? This link is “What is sloth and why is it worse than laziness?” and here’s what the author says: “The sin of sloth is a bit deeper than laziness, and that subtlety is found in the thing that keeps us bound up: fear.” How does fear affect sloth? The dark side here is the lack of motivation or a person’s choice to accept the easy way, the lowest risk, by doing nothing. The Bible calls out idleness or failure to think toward the future and plan for it. Slothf Read more on the blog

It’s been the summer of the Seven Deadly Sins series. This blog gives a quick summary of all seven sins and some examples of how to use them. The Seven Deadly Sins (this link) in Roman Catholic theology, are the seven vices that spur other sins and further immoral behavior. First enumerated by Pope Gregory I (the Great) in the 6th century and elaborated in the 13th century by St. Thomas Aquinas. The sins are: What is wrath? Anger? Hate? Straight to the source, Christianity.com says this about wrath: Wrath can be summarized as strong vengeful hatred or resentment. The warnings of wrath in Christianity arise from the consequences of vengeance in human relations. We can become consumed by rage and revenge to the point of acting irrationally and immorally. This is the wickedness of wrath and why it is included as a deadly sin. Some books where wrath plays a critical role (link): ItCarrieWrath is a “sneaky” sin because it can simmer for years before a character takes action. It can also fuel microaggressions and show itself only in a slow drip, not a tornado invasion. ProWriting Aid’s series on character traits is useful (we’ve used it the last two episodes). They list these as possible causes of anger or wrath (link): Read more on the blog

We took last week off for the holiday weekend but we’re back this week to finish the Seven Deadly Sins series. Remember we did this one before, but it’s been a couple of years. This blog gives a quick summary of all seven sins and some examples of how to use them. The Seven Deadly Sins (this link) in Roman Catholic theology, are the seven vices that spur other sins and further immoral behavior. First enumerated by Pope Gregory I (the Great) in the 6th century and elaborated in the 13th century by St. Thomas Aquinas. The sins are: Like I said, we’ve done these before (episodes 151-157), but it’s been a while and this time we’re going to sharpen the focus on the sins as potential stakes-raising behaviors. This week’s focus is Gluttony. What do we know about gluttony? Let’s ask AI. Gluttony is often associated with overeating, but it can also refer to overconsumption, such as drinking too much or bingeing on Netflix. A gluttonous character may prioritize their own pleasure and satisfaction over their health or responsibilities, and may struggle with self-control and moderation. A primary goal for the gluttonous is comfort, and they may seek an overabundance of any item that's pleasurable to achieve constant pampering. Some examples of gluttony in literature include: Read more on the blog

The Seven Deadly Sins (this link) in Roman Catholic theology, are the seven vices that spur other sins and further immoral behavior. First enumerated by Pope Gregory I (the Great) in the 6th century and elaborated in the 13th century by St. Thomas Aquinas. The sins are: We’ve done these before (episodes 151–157), but it’s been a while and this time we’re going to sharpen the focus on the sins as potential stakes-raising behaviors. DeadlySins.com gives us this definition: “Envy is the desire for others’ traits, status, abilities, or situation.” It happens when one is convinced others are smarter, luckier, more attractive, or better than themselves. The punishment is to be put in freezing water in the afterlife. Also according to DeadlySins.com, “medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas said of Envy: “Envy according to the aspect of its object is contrary to charity, whence the soul derives its spiritual life… Charity rejoices in our neighbor’s good, while envy grieves over it.” (2, 36, ad 3)” What kinds of characters are envious? What kinds of envy are there? What famous characters have acted on envy to upend a protagonist’s efforts? Read more on the blog

This blog gives a quick summary of all seven sins and some examples of how to use them. So reading it might mean you don’t need our seven episodes but how about come along for the ride anyway? The Seven Deadly Sins (this link) in Roman Catholic theology, are the seven vices that spur other sins and further immoral behavior. First enumerated by Pope Gregory I (the Great) in the 6th century and elaborated in the 13th century by St. Thomas Aquinas. The sins are: We’ve done these before (episodes 151–157), but it’s been a while and this time we’re going to sharpen the focus on the sins as potential stakes-raising behaviors. This week’s focus is Greed. According to deadlysins.com “Greed is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. It is also called Avarice or Covetousness.” In the Summa Theologiae, Medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas said Greed: “it is a sin directly against one’s neighbor, since one man cannot over-abound in external riches, without another man lacking them… it is a sin against God, just as all mortal sins, inasmuch as man contemns things eternal for the sake of temporal things.” (2, 118, ad 1) According to SimplyCatholic.com: Greed: the desire for and love of possessions. “Sin … is a failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods” (No. 1849). The literary trope is the miser and some of the most well-known misers are (link) Silas Marner, Ebenezar Scrooge, and Shylock. BUT, greed isn’t always about miserliness. Sometimes it’s about the accumulation of wealth or power (link). Read more on the blog

We once did an episode on the character’s core wound and what’s occurred to me lately in my reading is that the core wound makes a really good secret. Something the character isn’t willing to admit to himself. Charlie started watching Ted Lasso and in a recent episode he told his wife she didn’t need to keep trying to be happy with him. He let her go. I think the secret he was keeping – and something that made him a really compelling character – is that he knew he couldn’t optimism his way out of that situation. He couldn’t believe his way through it. His core value – the power of positive thinking – doesn’t always work. So, today’s topic: What secrets are your characters keeping? Which ones are really dangerous? Which ones aren’t? Let’s start with why your character should be hiding something. This article suggests secrets can add tension to the story, can give your characters a chance to grow, and add depth and complexity to the story. Where does the depth and complexity come from? The secret should be connected to the character’s goal. The depth comes in secondary and third-layer reasons for what they’re trying to do. Does the secret make it harder to achieve the goal? It can also add complexity to the mission if the secret affects the character in a certain way – does thinking of it make them sick? Make them sad? When will the character come clean? Choosing the time to reveal the secret is critical. It should be a choice the character has to make – revealing the secret will move the plot in a specific direction. Read more on the blog

We’ve seen non-linear storytelling sometimes without knowing it. This article does a great job explaining what linear stories are: In a linear narrative structure, the viewer finds it facile to comprehend the way the narrative is moving. This is mostly because the viewer is naturally fed with all the information required to process whatever is happening on screen. And then explaining what non-linear stories do: However in a non-linear narrative structure, the viewer has to use his head in order to connect the dots. Non linear narrative structures are usually adopted to build suspense, to create tension or generally to create a sense of mystery within the spectator. The most crucial aspect of a non-linear narrative structure is that the narrative does not adhere to the norms of a generalized method of storytelling. In other words, in a non-linear narrative structure, there is no hard and fast rule to strictly follow a chronology. Some types of non-linear narratives: Read more on the blog

Since last episode we worked on non-linear, this week we’re on the linear conversation. Linear Storytelling (from this link) Linear storytelling, the conventional and time-tested approach, follows a chronological sequence. It presents events in a straightforward manner, adhering to a clear cause-and-effect progression. This structure provides a sense of order, enabling audiences to follow the narrative with ease. A classic example of linear storytelling is the hero’s journey, where the protagonist embarks on a transformative adventure that unfolds in a linear fashion, from initiation to resolution. Advantages of Linear Storytelling (from this link) 1. Clarity: Linear storytelling offers a straightforward and easy-to-follow narrative structure. It provides clarity to the audience, allowing them to comprehend the story’s progression without confusion. 2. Emotional Buildup: The chronological sequence allows for a natural buildup of tension, emotion, and suspense. This gradual development creates a powerful emotional impact on the audience, drawing them deeper into the story. 3. Traditional Appeal: Linear storytelling aligns with the traditional storytelling format, making it a familiar and comforting experience for many audiences. It caters to a sense of expectation and satisfaction derived from a well-structured narrative. Read more on the blog

Have we ever done a show on May the 4th? Yes. Way back in 2019 we were 41 episodes into this journey and working through the hero’s journey (perfect timing) so we did a little May the Fourth be With You in that episode (link here). So today we’re going to focus on Star Wars, not just sidebar it, and talk about worldbuilding (like this episode) and apprentice-mentor relationships (like this one) and writing in existing lore (like this episode). So what is Star Wars? Here’s an entire YouTube channel dedicated to explaining Star Wars to you. With 4,028 videos. Yep. The basics are - there’s a sith lord that wants to take over the galaxy and does and builds a strict and evil empire. What’s a sith? Someone extra powerful with the darkside of the force. What’s the Force? It’s an energy that lives in and all living things in the galaxy and it’s wielded like magic by the Jedi. Who are the Jedi? They’re knights meant to protect the galactic senate (the rule making body of a democratic republic) - a body of equal representation for every star system that is thrown over by the sith lord. The story began for all of us in 1977 with Episode IV: A New Hope. In this movie, we meet Luke Skywalker, son of a deceased Jedi knight thrust into a hero’s journey. We have a special guest in the studio this week, Hollie Whitener. They don’t give PhDs in Star Wars but if they did, this kid would be halfway there. We’ll see where the conversation takes us. Everything is fair game. Read more on the blog