Episode 1: Getting Started
What I’m Trying to Say has gone live! In the inaugural episode, WITTScasters Ben, Brian, and Jon discuss what they want out of their own writing, the hurdles of starting a new piece of fiction, Steven...
View ArticleEpisode 2: Balancing Writing and Your Day Job
Ben, Brian, and Jon are back to talk about progress made in their own writing, how to find harmony between writing and doing things that actually make money, Dylan Nice’s story “5/24/2010,” and what...
View ArticleEpisode 3: Point of View
In the third episode of What I’m Trying to Say, the guys talk about their own writing, the importance of Point of View in fiction (one of Jon’s favorite topics) including the nuances of psychic...
View ArticleEpisode 4: Literary Citizenship
In the fourth episode of What I’m Trying to Say, the guys talk about their own writing, the importance of Literary Citizenship, and small things you can do to contribute to the literary community. They...
View ArticleEpisode 5: The Sentence
In a jam-packed episode five, Jon, Brian, and Ben get fired up about sentences. They share some of their favorites, discuss what they like and what they hate in a sentence, and debate the role of the...
View ArticleEpisode 6: Revision
The sixth time is the charm, as WITTScasters Ben, Brian, and Jon trade revisionist histories, talk about the first chapter of Holly Goddard Jones’ novel The Next Time You See Me, and catch each other...
View ArticleEpisode 7: Character
Desire. Sympathy. Three-dimensionality. High school newsletters. The guys tackle the many aspects of character in episode 7. Along with their writing and reading triumphs, they also ruminate on Bob...
View ArticleEpisode 8: Strengths and Weaknesses
In this episode, the WITTScasters try to figure out how to emphasize the strengths of their writing while improving on their weaknesses. Jon waffles on the primacy of plot, Ben searches for the souls...
View ArticleEpisode 9: Networking
What is networking, and does it apply to writers? How can you do it without being a dick? After hashing out a few ideas and reminiscing about a long-ago, epic road trip through the South, the guys...
View ArticleEpisode 10: Art vs. Entertainment
In an artful and entertaining episode, the boys dissect the line between high art and lowbrow, art and entertainment, and they consider whether they are snobs (yes) and whether that matters (doubtful)....
View ArticleEpisode 11: Publishing
Episode 11 brings talk of publishing — how the WITTScasters do it, and much more importantly, why. Brian and Ben also have hard decisions to make in their own writing and Jon has some ‘splaining to do...
View ArticleEpisode 12: Details
The guys dive into the murky world of details in Episode 12. What’s a significant detail? Are sensory details necessary? How do you create strangeness? They also confront different experiences with...
View ArticleEpisode 13: Wild Card
For lucky number 13, the guys have a wild card episode. With no prepared topic, they dive into the world of LSD, where a writer’s material comes from, and what they like and dislike about the Academy....
View ArticleEpisode 14: Apprenticeship
In Episode 14, your favorite literary journeymen try to put the education of an author in context: When does a writer’s apprenticeship start? When does it end? What are you supposed to learn, and when,...
View ArticleEpisode 15: Exit Strategies
Spoiler alert: This week, the WITTScasters talk about endings. How do you write them? What do you want when you read them? Has there ever been a great ending to a comic novel? Plus, Sam Lipsyte’s story...
View ArticleEpisode 16: Sex
In episode 16, the boys talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be with sex in fiction. When does it work? Why is it so hard? And is that really what she said? Also, in-depth...
View ArticleEpisode 18: Dialogue
In an ironic twist of fate, episode 18 brings a dialogue about dialogue. The boys chat about how much characters in dialogue should disagree, what fictioneers can learn from playwrights, and the merits...
View ArticleEpisode 19: Humor
Three guys walk into a virtual barroom… The WITTScasters may be funny, but it turns out they don’t know any jokes. That doesn’t stop them from discussing humor in fiction in episode 19, though. And,...
View ArticleEpisode 21: Writing from Real Life
Based on a true story, Ben, Brian, and Jon discuss what’s off-limits and what’s fair game when it comes to putting the people, places, and events of your real life onto the page. Are the best stories...
View ArticleEpisode 22: Mystery
The real mystery here is how the three yahoos on this podcast got to be experts in mystery. Still, in episode 22, the WITTScasters explore the various types of mystery: mystery of action, mystery of...
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