Author

About the Author
Ley is an editor and author of action/suspense novels.

S33E5 – Avoiding the Info Dump: Character Abilities

I think the hardest part of writing anything is getting exposition out easily, without hitting people over the head with it. – Jillian Bell

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S23E2 – Parallel Structure

You wizards are all the same. You speak nonsense while making wise and meaningful faces. – The Witcher

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S18E3 – Time for a Casting Change

My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play in it, for good or evil, before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many. – J.R.R. Tolkien

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S18E4 – Pearls from the Masters: Lee Child

I became a writer not principally because I’m in love with the idea of being a writer, but I’m in love with the idea of entertainment. I just want to entertain people. – Lee Child

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S17E9 – How Do I Learn to Become a Better Writer?

All worthy work is open to interpretations the author did not intend. Art isn’t your pet – it’s your kid. It grows up and talks back to you. – Joss Whedon

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S16E4 – Using the Senses to Connect with Readers

The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes. – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

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NaNoWriMo Writing Roots Giveaway 2020

Hey all, it’s NaNoWriMo! We wanted to a little something special to help encourage our listeners to finish their novels and put what they’ve learned through the podcast to good use. So we’ve decided to do little giveaway. Well, two giveaways, to be precise. This is completely free to you guys just because we appreciate…

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Learning to Break the Rules of Word Count

Word count is a fickle thing. Brandon Sanderson’s Oathbringer weighs in at a hefty 460,000 words. John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is barely 30,000. There are stories across all genres that span from a few hundred to several hundred-thousand words.

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Plotters and Pantsers: Why Most Authors are Both

Plotters. Pantsers. Plantsers, even.  As Harry Potter fans sort themselves into Hogwarts houses, many writers sort themselves into a few different writing styles. Sometimes you’ll hear them called a gardener or architect, but to me this has always felt like a move to be more politically correct. Either way, the motive is the same.  What…

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S13E1 – The Solution to Awkward Dialogue

Dialogue is not just quotation. It is grimaces, pauses, adjustments of blouse buttons, doodles on a napkin, and crossings of legs. – Jerome Stern

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