Start Writing

Start writing is a craft-focused podcast dealing with the art of telling stories. We look at the structure of plots, characters, worlds, scenes, word choice, and every other detail that goes into writing great novels.

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Episodes

Wednesday Aug 23, 2023

SW 135 INT Author of STAR WARS, HALO, STARCRAFT, HITMAN, and MASS EFFECT novels, William C. Dietz, explains HOW TO WRITE IN SOMEONE ELSE’S WORLD

Wednesday Aug 23, 2023

START WRITING Podcast: “How to write in someone else’s world,” an interview with William C. Dietz, author of Star Wars, Halo, StarCraft, Hitman, and Mass Effect novels!

“DAMN FINE SPACE OPERA!” — James Wolfhampton

Get your copy of STARCHILD today! http://starchild1.jwashburn.com
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I’m a fan of the StarCraft videogames, and I recently read a spin-off novel called HEAVEN’S DEVILS. I had somewhat low expectations, so I was pleasantly surprised and even impressed. William C Dietz delivered vivid characters, great descriptions, and a thoughtful, smart story. It was also fun to go on a new adventure with some of my favorite characters, including Jim Raynor and Tychus Findlay—as they’re getting their start as Space Marines.

So I reached out to Mr Dietz, and we discussed a couple of interesting insights for aspiring authors. The first centers around writing in other “IPs.” IP stands for intellectual property, and in this context, that means a world and its characters. Bill Dietz has written in a lot of famous IPs that are not his original creations, including Star Wars, Halo, StarCraft, Hitman, and Mass Effect. He tells how he got started doing this and about the highs and lows that come with this sort of work-for-hire.

The second main insight is this: He started in the traditional publishing world, and now he has a strong presence in indie publishing too. I asked him which of these two he preferred, and his answer surprised me.

This was such a fun interview. I am so impressed with his humility. I was also intrigued by his final admonition to all of us listeners.

Before we start, I wanted to make a personal comment. When I was a kid, I was so obsessed with the Jedi Knight video games that I even checked out the audio dramatizations of that story from the local library and listened to them with my older brother (who I wrote about in Stealing Indiana Jones). But it has been so long since then that I actually forgot! Well, it turns out that these novelizations were written by William C Dietz. So you’ll hear me say something in this episode that makes me sound like I was unfamiliar, but after recording this episode, I looked them up, I relistened, and all the memories came flooding back. It was a ton of fun to relive that part of my childhood. I also checked out the cool artwork of the book versions and those are impressive as well.

Okay, I’ve said enough. Here’s our START WRITING interview with William C Dietz on How to write in someone else’s world.
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WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE (with cool visuals): https://www.youtube.com/@JWashburnauthor

LISTEN ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PLATFORM: https://kite.link/start-writing
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WILLIAM C. DIETZ LINKS:

Email: william@williamcdietz.com
Website: https://williamcdietz.com

World War III: https://amzn.to/45e8JUQ
Crickets: https://amzn.to/3KMnw0I
William C. Dietz books: https://amzn.to/47BVPBv

Douglas Reeman books: https://amzn.to/45fPmuu
Franz Kafka books: https://amzn.to/3E86Cpm
Mark Twain books: https://amzn.to/3E6tbel
Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl: https://amzn.to/3YDFl7X
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If you have questions, EMAIL US: pleasestartwriting@gmail.com

Support us on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/StartWritingPodcast
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BUY OUR BOOKS!

JOSEPH BENDOSKI: https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Bendoski/e/B06XX7LYKL

J WASHBURN: http://library.jwashburn.com
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“Warning” by Beat Mekanik (Johnathon M. Horner), sourced from the Free Music Archive, is licensed under Creative Commons BY 4.0.

Wednesday Aug 02, 2023

SW 134 INT Write your novel AFTER WORK, an interview with B.C. Walker, author of THE MEADOWLARK

Wednesday Aug 02, 2023

Thursday Jul 20, 2023

SW 133 INT Character Arcs in Nonfiction with NYT Bestselling author of OUTLIVE, Bill Gifford

Thursday Jul 20, 2023

Wednesday Jun 14, 2023

STEALING INDIANA JONES audiobook first half (1:23) by J Washburn

Wednesday Jun 14, 2023

AUDIBLE: http://stealingindyaudio.jwashburn.com/
KINDLE: http://stealingindy.jwashburn.com/
NEWSLETTER: http://theinformant.jwashburn.com/
EMAIL: me@jwashburn.com

SW SPECIAL
STEALING INDIANA JONES: An essay on inspiration and death and how George Lucas hijacked the greatest stories of our time.
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“[Stealing Indy] will pique your intellect and break your heart.” — James Wolfhampton

In 1990, a six year old boy stole something from his neighbors.
A small book.
The ultimate Indiana Jones treasure—a Grail Diary.
It promised everlasting life, but because it was stolen, the little boy didn’t dare tell his older brother—his mentor—what he’d done.
In 2020, thirty years later, that older brother passed away.
Stealing Indiana Jones is the true story of these two boys and how they discover a monstrous secret: that George Lucas stole his ideas for both Star Wars and Indiana Jones. As they struggle to make sense of what this horrifying truth means for all of us fans, they find redemption along the way. Their story explores inspiration and how great stories come to life. It examines, without shying away, disillusionment and innocence doomed to die. Their story is a salute to the loss of childhood and to the loss of life.
Stealing Indiana Jones is a journey through the 90s, a glimpse of boyhood and fandom, and it’s filled with both heartbreak and heroism.
Most importantly, it is a quest to uncover the secret behind all great stories—
The secret of immortality.
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WATCH ON YOUTUBE (with cool visuals): https://youtu.be/-MypAgsronQ

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If you have questions, EMAIL US: pleasestartwriting@gmail.com
Support us on PATREON! https://www.patreon.com/StartWritingPodcast

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Buy our books!

JOSEPH BENDOSKI: https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Bendoski/e/B06XX7LYKL
J WASHBURN: http://library.jwashburn.com/

Wednesday Jun 07, 2023

SW 132 INT Rob MacGregor, author of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Wednesday Jun 07, 2023

Subscribe to THE INFORMANT to get a free copy of STEALING INDIANA JONES! http://theinformant.jwashburn.com
Buy Stealing Indiana Jones on Kindle: http://stealingindy.jwashburn.com
Buy Stealing Indiana Jones on Audible: http://stealingindyaudio.jwashburn.com
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WATCH ON YOUTUBE (with cool visuals): https://youtu.be/vY3Q0CpGEWw
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Rob MacGregor wrote the novelization of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and we discuss how he added depth to that story than you don’t see in the film.
Then we talk about the 6 original Indiana Jones novels that he wrote at a breakneck speed, 4 months apiece.
He tells a funny story about how two Indiana Jones fans were pestering him with mail!
We discuss how he had an influence on the creation of the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles but never got credit.
He tells us how George Lucas sent instructions on what Rob was allowed to write in the Indiana Jones universe. He had to fight Disney to get his due royalties once Lucasfilm was sold to them.
Indiana Jones has a vision quest in Rob’s novels, and it turns out Rob based that on a personal experience.
He’s also written some significant nonfiction about the paranormal, true life stories about everything from alien encounters to contacting the dead. Incidentally, he hosts a podcast called the Mystical Underground, which also covers these topics, and it’s a bit of an understatement to call him an expert.
https://themysticalunderground.com https://www.instagram.com/robmacgregor16/ https://amzn.to/44NmxWp Rob's books on Amazonhttps://indianajones.fandom.com/wiki/Rob_MacGregor
https://amzn.to/3Bknqs4 Peter Benchley, author of Jawshttps://amzn.to/3I5O6k6 Carlos Castaneda, Teachings of Don Juanhttps://amzn.to/3Mjoum7 Prophecy Rock, Rob MacGregor’s award winning book

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If you have questions, EMAIL US: pleasestartwriting@gmail.com
Support us on PATREON! https://www.patreon.com/StartWritingPodcast

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Buy our books!

JOSEPH BENDOSKI: https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Bendoski/e/B06XX7LYKL
J WASHBURN: http://library.jwashburn.com/

Wednesday May 03, 2023

SW 131 INT ”Is Indiana Jones allowed to time travel?” with Max McCoy

Wednesday May 03, 2023

Start Writing interview with author Max McCoy:
CAN INDIANA JONES TIME TRAVEL?

Subscribe to THE INFORMANT to get a free copy of STEALING INDIANA JONES! http://theinformant.jwashburn.com

Buy Stealing Indiana Jones on Kindle: http://stealingindy.jwashburn.com
Buy Stealing Indiana Jones on Audible: http://stealingindyaudio.jwashburn.com

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WATCH ON YOUTUBE (with cool visuals): https://youtu.be/Ac1czjZ2-F4

In this episode, we ask questions of Max McCoy, author of four Indiana Jones novels, including The Philosopher’s Stone, The Dinosaur Eggs, The Hollow Earth, and The Secret of the Sphinx! He is also the author of numerous westerns, including the Ophelia Wylde fantasy/mystery series.

MAX McCOY LINKS:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3KYfFNW
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authormaxmccoy
Website: http://www.maxmccoy.com
News Articles: https://kansasreflector.com/author/max-mccoy
Professor: https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1086091
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If you have questions, EMAIL US: pleasestartwriting@gmail.com

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Buy our books!

JOSEPH BENDOSKI: https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Bendoski/e/B06XX7LYKL
J WASHBURN: http://library.jwashburn.com/

Wednesday Apr 05, 2023

SW 130 INT Rennie Saunders talks SHUT UP & WRITE!

Wednesday Apr 05, 2023

SW INT 130 Rennie Saunders talks SHUT UP & WRITE
In this episode, we talk to Rennue Saunders, founder of Shut Up & Write, and organization designed to give writers camaraderie and motivation to complete their writing goals.
Watch the interview video here: https://youtu.be/RGKwlIEBmpM

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LET’S BE FRIENDS:
If you have questions, EMAIL US: pleasestartwriting@gmail.com
Support us on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/StartWritingPodcast
And buy our books!
JOSEPH BENDOSKI: https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Bendoski/e/B06XX7LYKL
J WASHBURN: http://library.jwashburn.com

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REFERENCES:
https://www.shutupwrite.com
https://shutupwrite.com/prompts
https://shutupwrite.com/challenges/free-association-challenge

Milford Writing Workshop Rules
Pale Angel by Rennie Saunders
Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany
Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth by Buckminster Fuller

Wednesday Mar 01, 2023

SW SPECIAL J‘s Beginner‘s Guide (part 10) EDITING TOGETHER

Wednesday Mar 01, 2023

SW SPECIAL J‘s Beginner‘s Guide (part 10) EDITING TOGETHER
WATCH ON YOUTUBE (with cool visuals): https://youtu.be/wsDodceAOqg
Episode 10 of A BEGINNER'S GUIDE to Writing a Novel teach about getting feedback from peers and readers. First, Raiders of the Lost Ark is an excellent example of how to cut all but the best stuff. The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time shows us that the mundane can be made magical with very small tweaks. Harry Potter Illustrated has tons of typos, which means it’s okay to not have perfect copyediting. The different levels of editing are CONTENT, CHAPTER, and COPY editing. J believes content editing is by far the most important. His ideal writing group is one that trades full-length manuscripts, not chapters. You can sign up to be a J Washburn beta reader at http://betareader.jwashburn.com. Give your readers just two instructions: Let me know what you think and feel as you go, and I’ll call you when you finish. J gives his copy editors direct access to the manuscript. All early readers are given an ebook and instructions on how to share their highlights. J shares the list of questions he asks his readers. Don’t get discouraged, but do ask for really candid advice, even if it hurts. In the end, you’re the artist and get to decide what to do. Draft your covers and titles as early as you can. (Or, bump this over into the marketing phase.)
P.S. It’s stream of CONSCIOUSNESS!
P.P.S. I’m sorry I had a cough and that it’s so choppy!
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If you have questions, EMAIL US: pleasestartwriting@gmail.com
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Buy our books!
JOSEPH BENDOSKI: https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Bendoski/e/B06XX7LYKL
J WASHBURN: http://library.jwashburn.com/

Wednesday Feb 01, 2023

SW SPECIAL J‘s Beginner‘s Guide (part 9) EDITING ALONE

Wednesday Feb 01, 2023

SW SPECIAL J‘s Beginner‘s Guide (part 9) EDITING ALONE

WATCH ON YOUTUBE (with cool visuals): https://youtu.be/dcrIFhpq6HY

Episode 9 of A BEGINNER'S GUIDE to Writing a Novel teaches you how to be a damn fine editor. We talk about when you should NOT be editing. The different levels of editing are CONTENT, CHAPTER, and COPY editing, and we review examples of each of these. J edited STARCHILD one last time (and added a chapter!) before sending the book to his audiobook narrator. We take a forensic examination of book edits (The DaVinci Code adapted for Young Adults and the Anatomy of Peace 4th edition) to see what the pros change. Editing is a careful balance between being too clear and too obscure—go too far either direction and you’ll lose readers. Finally, you should make your book perfect before sending it for other to see (as we’ll talk about in the next episode).

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If you have questions, EMAIL US: pleasestartwriting@gmail.com

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Buy our books!

JOSEPH BENDOSKI: https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Bendoski/e/B06XX7LYKL

J WASHBURN: http://library.jwashburn.com/

Tuesday Nov 01, 2022

SW SPECIAL J’s Beginner’s Guide (part 8) SUBPLOTS (Joe’s favorite episode)

Tuesday Nov 01, 2022

SW SPECIAL J‘s Beginner‘s Guide (part 8) SUBPLOTS (Joe’s favorite episode)

WATCH ON YOUTUBE (with cool visuals): https://youtu.be/HOYNat1l03Y

Episode 8 of A BEGINNER'S GUIDE to Writing a Novel teaches you how to do subplots. First, we review PLOT CLOCKS. Then we look at a model called SUBPLOT RAINBOWS. We follow along with how J.K. Rowling outlined the Order of the Phoenix. We see how the innovative MUSICAL PLOT STAFF works for organizing multiple viewpoints. And finally, we look at three short tips, which are (1) get a good editor, (2) start with the smallest plottable story chunk, and (3) keep the plot personal (not epic).

If you have questions, EMAIL US: pleasestartwriting@gmail.com

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Buy our books!

JOSEPH BENDOSKI: https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Bendoski/e/B06XX7LYKL

J WASHBURN: http://library.jwashburn.com/