Creative Writing Career

Latest Episodes:

Fantasy Author Brian D. Anderson, The Godling Chronicles Apr 25, 2016

Show notes

Justin first came across Brian through a BookBub ad Brian was running with his The Godling Chronicles. The covers were amazing, and drew Justin in right away (it didn’t hurt that Justin has a book called Land of Gods, and the idea of exploring gods in fiction intrigues him).

With that in mind, Justin, Stephan, and Kevin discuss writing fantasy, marketing fantasy (to include how to get on BookBub), and finding amazing cover art.

Brian’s amazon author profile:

Brian D. Anderson was born in 1971, and grew up in the small town of Spanish Fort, AL.. It was through the trials and tribulations of growing up in small town America that he stumbled upon his true calling. Supreme ruler of the world, and history's most beloved Super Villain. For years he scoured the globe for a base of operations. His first choice - an abandoned missile silo in the Mohave Desert - was too far beyond his meager budget of $16.89. And as the owner had a VERY big gun, and Anderson only an empty soda bottle, a violent takeover of the facility was not a prudent course of action. Ultimately, he settled for a tree hut on the Island of Yap where to this day he plans and plots, biding his time until the moment is ripe for his master plan to unfold.
And he also writes books.

You can learn more at :

BrianDAndersonbooks.com
http://briandandersonbooks.blogspot.com https://www.facebook.com/#!/AuthorBrianDAnderson

Brian’s books:

http://www.amazon.com/Brian-D.-Anderson/e/B00684NQ4E/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1461593617&sr=8-1

One More Story Games with Jean and Blair Leggett Apr 18, 2016

Show notes

Jean and Blair were kind enough to chat with us about their story engine, StoryStylus. It's a great new tool for creating story games, allowing writers to jump in, use assets in the system (art, etc.) or with their own pictures, to create interactive games with choices. It's not all mystery or romance, either. They are doing some fun vampire games, Shakespeare, you name it - whatever you want to create.

When we asked about the art in place, they said they have some, but it is in beta and more is coming soon. Also, animations are not currently possible.

About One More Story Games:

For us, the story comes first. We've been working on developing our storytelling platform with a team of gamers, geeks, storytellers (and programmers!) to work towards a community for collaborative story game creation.

With StoryStylus, you'll be able to create living, breathing interactive story worlds with photographs, videos, and audio. But most importantly, people will get to experience rich narrative, make decisions that impact their experience of the story and dive deeper into the storyteller's imagination.

StoryStylus is currently in open beta for storytellers.

https://onemorestorygames.com

Follow Jean on Twitter: @JeanLeggett

And don't forget that the show is brought to you by the books 30-Day Author and Creative Writing Career 2 - because you all continue to purchase these books, this podcast is possible. Thank you!

Creative Writing Career Audiobook First Five Minutes Apr 15, 2016

Show notes

Here's the first five minutes of Creative Writing Career book 1 - a book for aspiring writers of movies, tv, books, and video games.

The Book:

Want to be a writer of video games? A screenwriter? A novelist? This book will guide you as you position yourself for a career as a writer.

Based on a lifetime of struggling to make it as a creative writer, "Creative Writing Career: Becoming a Writer of Movies, Video Games, and Books" is a guide for aspiring writers to help them position themselves in an extremely competitive field. The book includes information on the writing process and ways to improve one’s craft, but mostly focuses on how to get discovered and where to concentrate energy in the meantime. The content of the book is supplemented by writer interviews, featuring some incredibly gifted people who share the wisdom they have gained. With writing, as with most aspects of life, I have chosen to rely on those with demonstrated wisdom to move ahead. This book presents that wisdom for the reader to do the same.

Includes interviews with the following:
• Stephan Bugaj (Pixar and beyond)
• Jerri Bell (O-Dark-Thirty Managing Editor)
• Anthony Burch (Borderlands 2)
• Kelly Ann Jacobson (Cairo in White)
• Joshua Rubin (Assassins Creed 2)
• Tomiko Breland (Editor with Zharmae)
• Allen Warner (Ninja Boy)
• Joyce Lee (Paper Words)
• Will Wight (the Traveler's Gate trilogy)

And many more!

Select Reviews:
"You are virtually sitting at a round table, drinking a pint of brewski, while picking the brains of a group of hungry writers, directors, authors, publishers, editors and even entities from the comic book and video game industry (or rather Justin is, we just get the benefit of it!) as their careers blossom right before our faces."
Melvin Smith

You can also get the eBook by signing up for my newsletter (starter edition) or on Amazon and other channels.

Audiobook on Audible (free with a trial, AudibleTrial.com/CreativeWritingCareer.

Garrett Robinson on Diversity in Fiction and YouTube Author Channels Apr 11, 2016

Show notes

Garrett Robinson is a fantasy author known for incorporating diversity in his fantasy, and not letting gender stereotypes overrun his stories as they so often do in fiction (and especially fiction). He shares what he's doing with his title LEGENDARY with the story studio Sterling & Stone, and how he's making an awesome fantasy series.

He also stresses the importance of authors doing YouTube channels, because most authors won't be able to do it. They are just too shy or whatever other excuse they can come up with - and he even says his YouTube author channel actually converts better than his mailing list!

Some books discussed include Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, Name of The Wind, and more! Awesome fantasy time.

Garrett's website.

Garrett's YouTube Channel.

Stealing & Stone.

And don't forget that the show is brought to you by the books 30-Day Author and Creative Writing Career 2 - because you all continue to purchase these books, this podcast is possible. Thank you!

Using Short Fiction and Films to Further Your Career Apr 05, 2016

Show notes

In this episode, the gang discusses how they have used short fiction and what it has taught them. For example, Kevin is posting short stories on his blog recently. He's been getting some great feedback from his followers (and you can check them out too, at http://kevintumlinson.com/blog.

Justin is also toying with posting his short fiction at www.JustinMSloan.com, and both Justin and Stephan have had experience with short films.

Short fiction can be a great way to experiment with the craft, and filming a short can be extremely educational. Tune in to see what these guys have learned from the process.

Want to support the Creative Writing Career podcast? Great, it's because of you we can keep the show going. Support us by donating at Patreon.com/CWC or by purchasing Creative Writing Career 2 and 30-Day Author.

Teaching Screenwriting and Making Movies with Neil Landau Mar 28, 2016

Show notes

Neil Landau is the screenwriter of such movies as Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead and Tad the Lost Explorer. He also teaches at the UCLA MFA program as well as in the UCLA professional program.

He shares some thoughts on the MFA program versus the professional program, advice on getting in, and more.

Out of 500 applicants, the MFA is taking 40 this year. So it's a bit competitive. It's a 2 year degree program, and is the terminal degree if you want to teach. The professional program is split between features and television (which the MFA program will be doing eventually).

From the cohosts, Stephan and Justin both did the UCLA professional program (and Stephan did the advanced program), so feel free to reach out if you have questions!

Neil has also written several books about writing, to include 101 Things I Learned in Film School and The Screenwriters Roadmap. In this episode, he further delves into the current television industry and how to break in.

Tune in or all this and more!

Want more about Neil?

His website - http://www.neillandau.com/

His IMDb profil - http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0484475/

Publishing with Tor and Small Presses, with Lawrence Schoen Mar 21, 2016

Show notes

Justin and Kevin were able to talk with Lawrence Schoen about his awesome new book with Tor, Barsk: The Elephants' Graveyard. But there's so much more that Lawrence had to share with us, including publishing with a small press, as well as running one.

If you're curious about Barsk (which sounds amazing), and want to pursue a career as an author, tune in.

Lawrence holds a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology, was a college professor for 10 years, and currently works as the director of research for a mental health & addiction services medical center. He's one of the world's foremost authorities on the Klingon language. He also runs Paper Golem, a speculative fiction small press. And he's a certified hypnotherapist.

His fiction draws on his professional expertise, and it's no surprise to find themes of language, memory, and cognition throughout his work. There's a generally light and humorous tone to most of his fiction, and his style has frequently been described as harkening back to a simpler time in SF. He's been nominated for the Campbell Award for Best New Writer, the Hugo Award for Best Short Story, three times for the Nebula Award for Best Novella. This year he received a Nebula Award nomination for Best Novel for BARSK: THE ELEPHANTS' GRAVEYARD.

Lawrence's Amazon page.

Writing Non-fiction and More, with Honoree Corder Mar 14, 2016

Show notes

Kevin fist met Honoree at one of the Sterling & Stone events, and they've been besties ever since. Honoree writes non-fiction and more, including her book Prosperity for Writers and the accompanying journal.

Honoree talks how to make a living from writing. While everyone defines being a prosperous writer, Honoree defines it as making enough to live off of from solely your writing. This should be a goal for all of us writers.

Honorée Corder is an authorpreneur, business coach, and serial entrepreneur who helps people clarify their visions and turn them into reality. She empowers others to dream big and go for what they truly want.

Success is simple and not always easy. Honorée's books provide the real-world, time-tested strategies she's used herself and with her clients, so you can get to your next level faster, easier, and with less effort and stress. While she doesn't promise the world, she gives her step-by-step advice to you in a straight-forward, no-nonsense fashion you can use today to get the results you want tomorrow.

In her spare time, she watches too much television, loves to read, travel, learn languages, hang out with her family, and talk about herself in the third person.

Honorenter link description hereee's Amazon Author Page.

Prosperity for Writers.

Follow her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

Making it in Screenwriting, with Martin Kunert Mar 07, 2016

Show notes

Martin Kunert is a screenwriter who has written for both film and television. His credits include Fear (a TV show he started), Renegade Force, and more.

Martin talks about how he got his start, his advice for getting established today (which follows the common advice of going TV when starting out). TV, while it's still growing, has the advantage of being much more writer-friendly.

He also talks about approaching other writers' work to direct, writing on spec, and more!

Martin's IMDb page.

Screenwriting Advice from Edward Ricourt (Now You See Me; Jessica Jones) Feb 29, 2016

Show notes

Edward Ricourt got his spec read out of college, when he met Boaz Yakin. This led to Edward writing a horror script and going to film school at NYU.

(Boaz, by the way, is interviewed in our book, Creative Writing Career 2)

It was when Edward wrote "Year 12" that he really got his big break, and got into the Marvel Writer's Program (with Nicole Perlman, who wrote Guardians of the Galaxy).

Listen to the podcast to hear the rest of the story, and what Edward recommends for getting established, approaching film festivals such as the Austin Film Festival, and how he got on Jessica Jones and now Wayward Pines.

Edward's IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3242689/

Now You See Me

Jessica Jones

Wayward Pines

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Lawrence's Amazon page.

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