11.27: The Elemental Thriller
Let's get this out of the way up front: in the syntax of elemental genres, the phrase "the element of thriller" is clunky. But we'll say it anyway. We discuss the difference between the drivers in th...
3 Juli 201616min
11.26: Elemental Mystery Q&A
In this episode we field some questions about elemental mystery. Here they are! * How do you balance between two mysteries in the same story? * What types of mysteries can fit well as sub-plots? ...
26 Juni 201619min
11.25: Elemental Mystery is Everywhere
Per our Elemental Genre theme, this week we further explore elemental mystery. Elemental mystery can be found in any work in which our curiosity is what keeps us turning pages. The type of satisfactio...
19 Juni 201617min
11.24: Stakes!
We talk a lot about "raising the stakes" in our writing. When we say "stakes," we're referring to the things that keep our characters involved in the conflict, rather than just walking away and doing ...
12 Juni 201618min
11.23: The Element of Mystery
Mystery may well be the most common element in use, at least in some form or another, across the many bookshelf genres comprising "fiction." We discuss the driving force of elemental mystery, how to e...
5 Juni 201619min
11.22: Examining Unconscious Biases, with Shannon Hale
Shannon Hale joins us at LTUE for a live-audience session in which we explore gender biases, and extrapolate from there to our many other unconscious biases. Our unconscious biases are not just the t...
29 Maj 201620min
11.21: Q&A on Elemental Horror, with Steve Diamond
Steve Diamond joins us for our third and final Elemental Horror episode as we field your questions about this particular building block. Here are the questions we selected from your submissions: * I...
22 Maj 201620min
11.20: Horror as a Subgenre
Steve Diamond joins us again to talk horror, this time about using elemental horror as part of our stories' elemental ensemble. We discuss how the sense of dread can be a page-turning motivation, and ...
15 Maj 201622min
