Passports and Pacifiers, Friends as Characters, and Writing Tips

Episode 308 is our first episode of the Beyond 300 format to feature a guest host, Alyssa Pressler! Just in time for the arrival of Hannah’s new daughter, we have a practical guide to traveling with family. Plus we have advice on getting to know your characters, community updates, book recommendations, and more.

Today’s Featured Authors:

Kaitlyn Jane Time Stamp: 29:08

Passports and Pacifiers–Traveling the World, One Tantrum at a Time is the true story of two crazy parents traveling with four small children… on a budget.

 Leslie Hooton Time Stamp: 1:01:50

We feature Leslie Hooton’s blog post “My Characters, My Friends” about getting to know your characters as vivid, three-dimensional people.

Community Updates: 

Listen at the timestamp above for updates on the Charlotte writing community, including events from the Charlotte Writers Club, Charlotte Lit, and more.

Coming soon, check out the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation’s Verse and Vino fundraiser!

The Arts and Science Council of Charlotte released an article that gives a wonderful overview of the thriving literary scene in Charlotte. They’ve included local authors to read, plus opportunities for writers to take classes, get funding, and network. And Charlotte Readers Podcast gets a shout-out!

Host Updates:

         Sarah: Over the weekend, I just participated in the Charlotte Writers Club’s 100-year anniversary celebration at the Mint Museum, where I led an interview with Therese Anne Fowler, who you can hear in episode 307 discussing her new book It All Comes Down to This. On October 13th, I’ll be giving a talk at Charlotte Lit about the film industry and the business of screenwriting. Join me if you’d like to hear the process behind my latest film in development!

         Hannah: Hannah is officially on maternity leave, as she just welcomed her baby girl! We’ll still have her stopping by the show over the next few months with some pre-recorded material.

         Landis: Today, on October 11th, I’m speaking to a retirement community and a book club about Deadly Declarations. If you’d like me to come to your book club or community group and talk about how three retirees solve the mystery of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, email me through our contact page. Tomorrow, October 12th, I have an event sponsored by the Charlotte Writers Club North at the public library in Davidson beginning at 6 PM. The event is free–a reading from and discussion of Deadly Declarations and what inspired it.

          Alyssa: Just this past weekend we had an event with local author Malika Stevely who wrote Song of Redemption, which has been very popular the past few months at That’s Novel Books. We love highlighting local authors and hearing them talk about their process.

Book Recommendations: Time Stamp: 17:50

         Sarah recommends: 

         A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler

         A Well-Behaved Woman by Therese Anne Fowler

         Landis recommends:

         Hell and Back by Craig Johnson

Mark West, Storied Charlotte Blog, recommends:

Oblivion by Robin Hemley

Alyssa Pressler, That’s Novel Books, recommends:

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

Lynda Bouchard, Booking Authors Ink, recommends:

Somebody Told Me by Rick Bragg 

From Instagram:

Tammy Euliano recommends The Girl in His Shadow by Audrey Blake

2-Minute Tip: Time Stamp: 55:10

Don’t miss Charlotte Lit co-founder and executive director Paul Reali’s tip about the truth that words will not write themselves, and how to make time to write them.

Writing Tips: 

         How can writers create characters that feel as vivid as real people? From Leslie Hooton’s blog post “My Characters, My Friends,” we get these tips: Time Stamp: 1:01:50

  • Even an interesting story will fall flat without compelling characters.
  • Observe the world with an eye for character development–inspiration is everywhere.
  • Read as much as possible and study how other writers create characters.

         If you want writing tips, we’ve got them–check out our community blog for articles on a wealth of topics. On his blog, Landis offers a primer on all of the subjects we’ve covered, and today we give a rundown of the first ten articles. Time Stamp: 1:14:50

Community Voices:

Rick Pryll shares an elevator pitch for his book.

Takeaways:

We left today’s episode feeling inspired to write, and motivated to overcome some common writing challenges like rejection, self-doubt, and time limitations.

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