How to Write Fiction: Alone in A Room With Invisible People TM: How to Write Fiction

How to Write Fiction: How to get story ideas while building a Language and Culture! What can you create with ten sounds and three words? The in-depth start to an entire world! The same with creating a belief like like an every day item is Sentient and Evil! Join Author and Teacher, Holly Lisle, and her daughter (writer and host, Rebecca Galardo) as they spawn ideas that thrill them from just the tiniest of worldbuilding! Special Note: Never were the type to be interested in creating a language? COOL! I (Rebecca) was the same! Please: give it a go anyway. Try it out. It won’t take long and the worst case scenario - you’ve completely a unique writing exercise you don’t have to ever do again and you maybe got a story idea out of it. Your Muse (Right Brain) needs stimulation and the Inner Critic (left brain) is the one telling you "I don't do languages." or "That's not for me." and "You don't need them in your genre/writing/work." Join us in this week’s episode and if you have a question for us join us in the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com and get to typing! After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes! Good reviews help us find more writers like us!

How to Write Fiction: Workshop with Us While We Build Worlds in Around 5 Minutes (or less!) a Piece. Are you the type of write who, like Holly, can spend endless hours - days upon days, weeks upon weeks, and more - world building? Or are you the type of writer, like Rebecca, who ends up writing characters speaking and doing things in a barely there setting? Perhaps you're the type of writer who is a middle grounder, who does some world building but all of these writers can still wonder: have I done enough? Today's episode is all about world building fast. If you tend to overbuild, underbuild or just wonder if you've really done enough, this episode is for you. Even if you're confident in what you've done, this might be a new approach to building stories and worlds that you haven't tried yet. Author and Teacher Holly Lisle and I (host, Rebecca Galardo) walk through prompts from our own brains, surprise prompts from each other and then collaborate on two ideas - creating no less than 6 rich worlds and story ideas in under an hour. Join us in this week's episode and if you have a question for us join us in the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com and get to typing! After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes! Good reviews help us find more writers like us!

How to Write Fiction: Today we cover three different questions our listeners have asked - 1. How Do I Know Which Idea is Better? What happens when the Muse is giving you more than one idea or keeps coming up with different ways your story could go? 2. How do I Hit Word Count without Padding? How do you create target word count goals for individual scenes? 3. Why are you guys always saying you don't play the Name and Shame Game when some people have acted in ways that deserve consequences? Join us in this week’s episode and if you have a question for us join us in the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and get to typing! Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes! Good reviews help us find more writers like us!

How to Write Fiction: How to Find Twists that Fit Your Story Afraid of “anvils and aliens” intruding on your historical romance? Finding your sweet YA has suddenly become horribly R-rated? Maybe you've tossed a few spells into that Sci-Fi book you've been slugging along on. Or perhaps you keep introducing new characters because your Muse says "Oh, here, this guy will TWIST things up!" You know when something you've written doesn't fit, sometimes intuitively and sometimes it's just plain obvious. Coming up with twists that fit the story and the world is not always easy. In fact, most of the time it can be downright difficult. (This week's episode also features a Halloween Story Rebecca left out of the Special Episodes by accident - ENJOY!). Join us in this week's episode and as we answer this question, talking process, Muse, Inner Critic, letting go, limitations and how to chase that damned slippery twist. If you have a question for us join us in the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com and get to typing! After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes! Good reviews help us find more writers like us!

How to Write Fiction: Do you know what your most influential authors have done for you? For your work? In this week's episode Author and Teacher Holly Lisle and I (host, Rebecca Galardo) delve into our top ten (well, okay, it's more than that, sorry) authors and point out why and how they influenced our lives and our work. Join us in this week’s episode and if you have a question for us join us in the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and get to typing! Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes! Good reviews help us find more writers like us!

This year our Halloween Special is a two parter with the second part airing today, on the spookiest of holidays! Happy Halloween to our listeners from your AIARWIP family! We invite you to cozy on up to your listening devices for part one of our Halloween Special! This spooky and spoopy, cute and morbid, heart-warming and heart-ripping extra EXTRA special episode of Alone in a Room with Invisible People is sure to have a story or two fitting your tastes... be they for sweets or gore! Writers and listeners of the podcast have once again given us some wonderful and entertaining stories to behold in our second annual holiday podcast! Enough that you'll be getting one episode today and another on All Hallow's Eve itself! Using Holly’s Free ‘How to Write Flash Fiction that Doesn’t Suck’ course, our authors have submitted their Halloween-themed stories. Beginners and pros alike have joined in to give you over 2 hours of tales of the macabre, scary, goofy, quirky, sad and funny!! There is a story for everyone in this batch, all in bite size, delectable chunks, just like your favorite pieces of Halloween candy! So carve out sometime on Hallowe'en to feast on candy & these stories! Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes! And if you liked what you heard, you can find the Author List (alphabetical by story), links and music in our Show Notes at AloneWithInvisiblePeople.com

We invite you to cozy on up to your listening devices for part one of our Halloween Special! This spooky and spoopy, cute and morbid, heart-warming and heart-ripping extra EXTRA special episode of Alone in a Room with Invisible People is sure to have a story or two fitting your tastes... be they for sweets or gore! Writers and listeners of the podcast have once again given us some wonderful and entertaining stories to behold in our second annual holiday podcast! Enough that you'll be getting one episode today and another on All Hallow's Eve itself! Using Holly’s Free ‘How to Write Flash Fiction that Doesn’t Suck’ course, our authors have submitted their Halloween-themed stories. Beginners and pros alike have joined in to give you over 2 hours of tales of the macabre, scary, goofy, quirky, sad and funny!! There is a story for everyone in this batch, all in bite size, delectable chunks, just like your favorite pieces of Halloween candy! So carve out sometime on Hallowe'en to feast on candy & these stories! Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes! And if you liked what you heard, you can find the Author List (alphabetical by story), links and music in our Show Notes at AloneWithInvisiblePeople.com

How to Write Fiction: A Workshop to Help Add Humor to Your Stories Humorous writing can sometimes seem like a either a born talent or a sudden - sometimes seldom given - gift. It might feel that way when you're plodding along in a scene and something hilarious happens. Rest assured this is your Right Brain - your Muse - and humor is yet another skill you can learn, a muscle you can work out and build over time. In this episode I (host Rebecca Galardo) ask questions from Holly's free worksheets (found in the show notes for this episode at AloneWithInvisiblePeople.com) and Holly's walks us through her plot and different possibilities to add humor. You can listen along and we'd love to see what you'd come up with for Holly's ideas (join us in the forums) or take the worksheet to your current work and see how you can retrofit it. Join us in this week’s episode and if you have any questions for us, join us in the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com and get to typing! After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us.

How to Write Fiction: A Workshop on Creating Story Arcs for Novels You might know how to write a scene, but what about story or plot arcs? How do you tie in those larger story elements within the book while also working on the other parts of the scenes? How do you plan those? How do you include more than just the minimuma scene needs without going overboard with exposition on your larger-than-a-single-scene-level conflicts? This episode was inspired by a great question in the forums after How to Keep Your Scenes on Target. Download the free workshop, print (or save ink and answer the questions with pen in a notebook) and get to writing! Join us in this week’s episode and if you have any questions for us, join us in the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com and get to typing! After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes! Good reviews help us find more writers like us!

How to Write Fiction: This week Author and Teacher Holly Lisle answers a question that is familiar to most of us. What would you tell your younger self? Join us in this week’s episode and if you have an answer for us, join us in the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com and get to typing! Join us in this week’s episode and if you have a question for us join us in the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com and get to typing! After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes! Good reviews help us find more writers like us!

How to Write Fiction: The pitfalls for beginning authors... There are a lot, but Holly has seven that she wanted to cover How do you learn from writers you love without stopping yourself from putting words on the page? How important is the perfect first line when writing first draft? How does revision come into play? Talent VS skill? How is research a pitfall? Why being SAFE is a trap? How is "process" not always "process"? There are a lot of traps to fall into when it comes to the world of writing fiction and even more advice in this episode on how to avoid a handful of them. Join us in this week’s episode and if you have a question for us join us in the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com and get to typing! After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes! Good reviews help us find more writers like us!

How to Write Fiction: Do you find yourself trying to get the outline of a story or novel perfect before you write? Do you feel stuck in a synopsis before beginning your work because you don't have it all figured out... so you don't get to the action writing fiction part? In this week's episode I (host, Rebecca Galardo) and Author and Teacher Holly Lisle discussion outlining as a form of procrastination as well as planning your fiction and where your best ideas come from. We go over how you can tell if you're working or if you're procrastinating, what you can do about it, how you can work with or around outlining stories... and most importantly how to find what works for you. Join us in this week’s episode and if you have a question for us join us in the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com and get to typing! After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes! Good reviews help us find more writers like us!

How to Write: How do I keep my scenes cohesive and get to the point? How do I not lose sight of what the scene is supposed to be? Today I (host, Rebecca Galardo) discuss writing scenes with Author and Teacher Holly Lisle. What is getting in late and leaving early when it comes to scenes? How do you know what to cut and what to leave in? How to you even know what is integral to a scene and what to write in the first place? What are the elements that are absolutely necessary in a scene? Holly's got the answers to these and more! So grab a cup of coffee or tea and join us in this week’s episode and if you have a question for us join us in the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com and get to typing! After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes! Good reviews help us find more writers like us!

How to Write Fiction: When is a pen name or pseudonym in fiction writing a good idea? Can it be bad for your career? And how? There are many good, valid reasons for having a pen name (or several!) and we discuss these. There are good reasons to not have one either. So how do you know if it's right for you? How do you know if it a pen name will help your sales instead of hurting them? In this week's episode, I (host, Rebecca Galardo) discuss the pros and cons of pen names with Holly Lisle, as well as learning from the mistakes she's made over her almost 35 years in writing. Join us in this week’s episode and if you have a question for us join us in the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com and get to typing! After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes! Good reviews help us find more writers like us!

How to Write Fiction: How do I capture the important relationships between both friends or even best friends? Sometimes when we're writing relationships, friendships and best friends in fiction can often feel obligatory and empty. At times when reading or writing, these characters can feel likeeclones of each other - or at the other end of the spectrum, people who would never, ever be even casual aquaintances, which will irritate a reader to no end, unless there is a reason keeping them together. So what can we as writers do to create realistic friendships while maintaining that "they'll never get together - it's not sexual" tone? How important are friendships in fiction? What can we do as the author of the story to create a better book with deeper, more meaningful friendships? Join us in this week’s episode and if you have a question for us join us in the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com and get to typing! After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes! Good reviews help us find more writers like us!

How to Write Fiction: Twists and What They Are When many writers hear the word they think plot twist, or twist ending and that's about it. Did you know that every good, meaningful scene has a twist? Or that every scene should have one? In today's episode Author and Teacher Holly Lisle and I (host, Rebecca Galardo) explain the tricky definition of a "twist" and then go through the 11 Questions you can ask of every single scene to find one. Twists are always about knowing how to ask better questions. This episode contains a spontaneous and live workshop. We each set up three very basic scenes, then work through both the obvious - and boring - options and then create ways to bring about different kinds of twists into play. Join us and learn to find the twist in every single scene you write. Join us in this week’s episode and if you have a question for us join us in the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com and get to typing! After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes! Good reviews help us find more writers like us!

How to Write Fiction: Where to publish and why? Writers worry about pay, sure, but sometimes there is more value in a smaller, non-paying market. How can this be? Answering another question by a listener, Author and Fiction Writing Teacher Holly Lisle gives us the breakdown in today's episode - and it's a big one. You as a writer need to know the values of both paying and free markets. They're not always what you'd expect. There is genuine value in smaller markets that cannot even pay with copies. And there are huge drawbacks to the big paying markets. So join us in this episode and find out what all there is as well as how to stay safe: the things to look for in contracts, how to spot scams and how to make sure the market you're looking at is as good as it seems. Join us in this week’s episode and if you have a question for us join us in the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com and get to typing! Check out our website alonewithinvisiblepeople.com for the Show Notes and transcriptions of the episodes (working from first to last, so it might be a while for this episode). After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes! Good reviews help us find more writers like us!

What are "Book-A-Likes"? How will they help you in the long run? How do they help you with your marketing? To find your readers and make a career out of writing? How do you know what books out there are your book-a-likes without having to read everything in the genre in which you believe you're writing? In today's episode Author/Teacher Holly Lisle and I (host, Rebecca Galardo) discuss this topic in depth - based on a question from a listener. Also, stay tuned for a message about the upcoming 2019 Halloween Special: Listener Edition! Join us in this week’s episode and if you have a question for us join us in the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com and get to typing! After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes! Good reviews help us find more writers like us!

Free downloadable worksheets at AloneWithInvisiblePeople.com. Today's episode is another workshop! You guys asked and Holly delivered. Based on a question from one of our listeners, Holly Lisle and I (host, Rebecca Galardo) discuss how to use your short fiction (flash fiction or short stories) to your advantage. Whether you want to give an existing readership something to chew on while they wait for your next book, start building a readership before your big novel comes out, work on a hard drive zombie, create something new or just do background, this workshop can help you out. So print off the pages, play the episode and share what you got with us in the forums! Join us in this week’s episode and if you have a question for us join us in the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com and get to typing! After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes! Good reviews help us find more writers like us!

The second part on our heavy hitter, PERFECTIONISM. If you didn't listen to last week's episode - Please, go back and listen before you get into this one. Holly and I (host Rebecca) talk about Perfectionism in revision - what this looks like and how it can affect your writing, future and actions. How many times should you revise a novel? What are the essentials to a good story? What are the fears that haunt you during the revision or publication process? Are you worthy and what does that even mean? More importantly, what is the cure for all of this? Join us in this week’s episode and if you have a question for us join us in the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com and get to typing! After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes! Good reviews help us find more writers like us!

Today exactly marks ONE YEAR since our first episode was released! So we take on a heavy hitter. PERFECTIONISM. Holly and I (host Rebecca) have been eager to share this two-parter topic with you! So very many people struggle with Perfectionism in their writing - many are not even aware of it. If you've pined over just the right word, the right description, struggled over the dialogue not being just quite right, the very words stifling your creativity... You might have a problem with perfectionism. This week we talk about a topic brought up in our forums and touch on the upcoming 2nd annual Halloween Special: Listener Edition before we get into the real meat: What is perfectionism, what are the symptoms and why, and what is the cure? So join us in this week’s episode and if you have a question for us join us in the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com and get to typing! After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes! Good reviews help us find more writers like us!

Holly and I (host Rebecca) dive back into the many pages of questions that we’ve gotten (and continue to get) from our listeners while preparing another two parter on a different topic. Today we look at choosing a specific POV and issues with limitations as well as how to describe creatures to readers without exposition or lengthy bits of wordage. These two questions were a lot of fun for us both to answer. So join us in this week’s episode and if you have a question for us join us in the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com and get to typing! After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes! Good reviews help us find more writers like us!

The first in many episodes, (we have over a full year's worth of questions!) Holly and I (host, Rebecca Galardo) start diving into the many pages and pages of questions that we've gotten (and continue to get) from our listeners. This week we cover several topics including motivation on bad days, how to connect with a story you're losing interest in, the ideas we have and where the true value is in them, how to ask yourself the right questions and so much more! So join us in this week's episode and if you have a question for us join us in the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com and get to typing! After the episode: Have something to say? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes! Good reviews help us find more writers like us!

In today's episode we are answer another request - another new worksheet! Many of our listeners have asked for another free worksheet (which can be downloaded with one click at https://www.alonewithinvisiblepeople.com/downloads/) and workshop. Holly uses her current Ohio series as a base and I (Rebecca) worked from scratch but... well, you'll see. So grab the worksheet, dive right in with us and start building your world in 30 minutes! Or more... Or less! After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes! Good reviews help us find more writers like us!

In today's episode we are republishing the much-requested Holly Lisle On Writing - the first three episodes from Holly's original 2006 podcast. Holly covers tips of all kinds: what to look for in an opener, motivational odds for writers looking to publish in the traditional market, how to test accents, tips on the many ideas you'll have and what to do with them while you're working on something else, revision, and begins her talks on trilogies. She pulls examples from her own works as case studies. The regular podcast will return next week (7-2-19). Featuring Spenser the Cat. After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes!

Taming the Wild Middle - How to Prevent (Plot) Explosions Okay, so we listened to a good portion of our audience when they downloaded the episode 'How to Write Middles for Fiction' and then said - I HAVE THE OPPOSITE PROBLEM! So what happens when ideas are coming at you from every angle? What is PACTS and how can it help you tame the runaway beast that has become your novel? How do you narrow it down to just good ideas? What if all of the ideas you are getting are good? Holly and I (host, Rebecca Galardo) discuss the topic of the ever-expanding and growing middle and how you can narrow your focus, what to prioritize on and what you can do with the extra ideas. We also explain why it's a good thing to keep your book lean versus following every thread down each and every path. After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes!

The Summer of Fiction Writing has a lot of writers setting goals and beginning on their paths towards completion! Even if you're listening to this for NaNoWriMo, Script Frenzy, 3 Day Novel or something else, this is fully applicable. This episode covers Follow Through, both as in finishing the even and on taking something with you. What do you take with you after the event? We cover that. In this episode, Holly and I (host, Rebecca Galardo) will discuss not only how to learn from the events, but how to get “paid” by them (and we’re not talking money), how to use objective standards to view your goals and define success as well as know if you're on track? We’ll also go over how to adapt goals, what “bleeding on the page” should be and should not be and how to find your sweet spot within the event. Enjoy the final part of the three-part series, all surrounding event writing! After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes!

The Summer of Fiction Writing has begun! Or perhaps you're listening to this for NaNoWriMo, Script Frenzy, 3 Day Novel or something else. Either way, you're event is under way! How exciting! But how do you know how to define what you need to get done? What about that middle-of-the-run slog? How do you stay focused? In this episode, Holly and I (host, Rebecca Galardo) will discuss the second and biggest part of event writing: process. We'll discuss the most important aspects of the process of EVENT WRITING as well as cover the questions above including keeping the magic and motivation going. We're here for you doing your event! Enjoy this second part of a three-part series, all surrounding event writing! After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes!

Have you ever wanted to do NaNoWriMo? Maybe you've done it and felt like a failure? Maybe you've heard of the 3 Day Novel and you really want to try it. Or you're looking at Holly's Summer of Fiction Writing and wondering what wonderful, amazing thing you can create in three months. In this episode, Holly and I (host, Rebecca Galardo) will discuss the first part of event writing: preparation. We'll discuss what you need to do in order to first decide if an event is for you, how to prep yourself for success, what goals you need to look at, what actions you'll need to take beforehand and more! Enjoy this first part of a three-part series, all surrounding event writing! After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes!

Trad Pub (traditional publication) VS Indie. It's a well known conflict at this point, because there are pros and cons to both. There is the credibility of Trad Pub versus the control of Indie. There is the Publisher handling the marketing, cover and copy versus the writer handling all costs and/or work. But there is more to it than that. In this week's episode Holly and Rebecca discuss what pros and cons are there for both Trad Pub and Indie for both beginning authors and authors already working within the traditional industry. After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes!

What does fighting space pirates have to do with connecting to your Muse? How about climbing on top of a car? And why would you even do that? How about "guilty pleasure" tv, films or music? In today's episode, author and teacher Holly Lisle and I (host, Rebecca Galardo) talk about how we connect with our Muses, what kind of tools are in our different toolboxes and how everything above helps us create new stories, work out story twists, break past those places where we're 'stuck' in the writing and more. We talk about where ideas come from and how to make your own Muse happy. At the end, if you want to see that picture I spoke of, check out the Show Notes for this episode on our website: alonewithinvisiblepeople.com After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes!

Writers want to make their endings powerful, meaningful, satisfying and yet leaving the reader wanting more and more of their works. But many times we're at a loss, especially if something is going wrong with the words on the page. This week Holly and I (host, Rebecca Galardo) go over what differentiates weak endings from strong ones and how you can dissect your own. We provide examples as well as discuss previous works, using these as case studies. If you want to get the ending that doesn't just scratch that itch but has your reader (maybe potential editors) screaming "YES!" listen in to this episode. After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes!

How to Write Middles for Fiction If the beginning is the most intimidating the middle is the slog, the quicksand, the Wall that runners hit. What do I include is still in question. What happens with the conflicts? Where did my steam go? Why am I STUCK? This week Holly and I (host, Rebecca Galardo) go over what differentiates weak middles from strong ones and how you can dissect your own. We provide from-scratch examples as well as discuss previous works, using these as case studies. Most every writer on the planet has hit that Middle Mountain. Do you have a better name for it? Please share. Until then, have a look at what Holly has to say about not just fixing the problem, but getting excited and having fun diving into that middle! After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes!

How to start your book... Oh, jeez! Who doesn't lock up a bit from time to time thinking about the beginning? It can be intimidating thinking about the first page! What do I include? How do I show the world, engage the reader in the conflicts? What is the best way to introduce my characters and get the story rolling? This week Holly and I (host, Rebecca Galardo) go over what differentiates weak beginnings from strong ones and how you can dissect your own. We provide from-scratch examples as well as discuss previous works, using these as case studies. We also discuss briefly a few important topics at the beginning of the episode, especially questions that Holly has once again been getting from listeners regarding the level of education as a limitation on their future as career authors. I think you'll be encouraged. After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes!

Holly has them. I have them. You have them. Everyone has them. We've been in the middle of the zombie apocalypse for as long as there have been writers! The Undead live as ideas stumbling around in the dark corners of your hard drives, starving, searching for life-giving sustenance. This week Holly and I (host, Rebecca Galardo) go over our own zombies, what to do with them, whether you should resurrect them or have mercy and kill them off (remember, the BRAIN!)... and we also have a challenge for you. After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes!

Holly gets asked all the time: "How do you consistently show up to work and get words on the page?" "How do you get to the 'butt in chair' mindset and do it enough to create so many finished works?" "How do you create a routine that gets you progress even on days when the last thing you want to do is write?" This week Holly and I (host, Rebecca Galardo) go over our own writing systems and the processes we use to consistently create. Each step will show you how to find your own way of doing things. Holly breaks down what a writing system is into a clear, manageable sequence of tasks and ideals that will help you apply values and principles into your life to build your own writing system. As you listen, write down your own preferences and ideas. What would make a better environment for you? What would help you stay consistent on an every day basis? After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes!

The much needed follow up on 'How to Write Surprises and Mysteries in Any Genre' is here! Holly takes on a Sci-Fi Romance while I (host Rebecca Galardo) take on a straight genre Romance. The first episode on this topic is pretty much required listening before taking on this one. The following is the basic premise of both of these episodes together: "Have you ever read a book that kept surprising you with twists and turns you didn't see coming but once read you couldn't unsee the clues? How about the opposite - guessed the twist from the start? If you aspire to write great mysteries in your novels and avoid at all costs the obvious surprises, this episode could give you the tools to do just that. I (host Rebecca Galardo) and Author/Teacher Holly Lisle discuss how to plan surprises and mysteries while leaving room for your muse to play. Without over-planning, spontaneous twists that even shock you as the author can come into play! Get the free worksheet on our download page at AIARWIP.com/downloads (no email requested, no obligation whatsoever)." After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes!

Staring at the blank page can be scary, frustrating and it's easy to walk away from writing to do anything that seems easier. Dishes, video games, an entire spring cleaning, taking apart an engine... Who knows. Brainstorming ideas can be fun, invigorating and inspiring! And you don't have to "wait for inspiration" or the "perfect mood" to hit. You can put yourself in that mood very easily. So follow along with Holly and me as we go through 6 of 10 prompts, doing two ideas each from scratch for these prompts and always making sure to cover what Holly refers to as the Four P's. We'd love for you to join us in the forums and share some of your odd, fun, funky, beautiful, heartbreaking or cheerful story ideas! After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes!

Collaborations. It's alien subject for many authors. Even the concept can be a bit foreign. Writing is a solo effort. You're in your mind, working with your characters in your world. Already they can be so hard to control! So what benefit comes from sharing a world, a page, and a cover with another writer? It's not what you're thinking. It has nothing to do with snagging a duo with a bigger name author, gathering up thousands of new readers and the big bucks - in fact, those don't typically work out as expected. Tune in as Holly and I discuss the many pros (and the many cons) of collaborations. It might be just what you needed to hear to convince to write with another person - or to keep your invisible people to yourself. After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes!

From Rebecca: I believe this is a 'must listen to' episode if you are aspiring to write for a living. There are always exceptions to every rule - but the exceptions are few and far between. In this episode we cover the difference between 'Writing to Market' and 'Selling Out' - and how it can vastly affect your writing career. Holly reveals a mistake that she has been committing the entire 30+ years she has been writing professionally and has only just found - one that she believes is the answer to why the majority of her work has never sold as well as expected. She's about to make a big change to her future works and she wants to share this with our listeners in order to reach those with similar goals who might also be making this mistake. If you're looking at dismal sales or piling up rejection slips no matter what you've tried, it could be as simple as what she has found. Could be. Maybe not. As always, this podcast is 100% free. This episode is not an attempt to sell you a system, an ebook, a course, a counseling session, etc. There is no silver bullet, no guarantee - ever - and anyone promising those things is a salesman looking for a buck. Rising tides lift all boats and if you're committing the same writing mistake as Holly, she wants to help. After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes!

Every writer has been there. You are not alone. Even the seasoned pros have their bad days - or weeks. If writing is your dream, a stalemate with the screen is something you can get over. Perhaps it's just a muse strike... but there might be more to it. Maybe there is something amiss with the work itself that is causing your stagnation. Or perhaps it's a personal issue. In this episode Holly and Rebecca discuss various reasons why you might be having a harder time sitting down to get those words written - and what to do about it. After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes!

Scathing crits, passive aggressive comments from a 'friend' or mean-spirited reviews can all rile us up. But what exactly is behind a lot of this? The desire to destroy others. In this episode Holly delves deep into the ever-present 'elephant in the industry' and sets forth her flag in the underground fight for bringing other novelists and writers up - supporting them as your people instead of looking at them as a stepping stone from which to reach the top. Many writers are out there fighting the good fight for themselves and each other. Join us. Be a part of the solution and keep readers coming back for more. After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes!

Sometimes sex or romance - or both - adds to fiction. The question is, when? I (host Rebecca Galardo) and Author/Teacher Holly Lisle discuss when sex and romance adds, when it detracts, and how to write it well. Characters, plot and genre come into play, but so do you. You are the most important part of this. While we describe what sex and romance is to us, that is only our part of the equation. What is it to you and the stories you are itching to tell? After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes!

Have you ever read a book that kept surprising you with twists and turns you didn't see coming but once read you couldn't unsee the clues? How about the opposite - guessed the twist from the start? If you aspire to write great mysteries in your novels and avoid at all costs the obvious surprises, this episode could give you the tools to do just that. I (host Rebecca Galardo) and Author/Teacher Holly Lisle discuss how to plan surprises and mysteries while leaving room for your muse to play. Without over-planning, spontaneous twists that even shock you as the author can come into play! Get the free worksheet on our download page at AIARWIP.com/downloads (no email requested, no obligation whatsoever). After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the FREE forums at HollysWritingClasses.com (no purchase or ownership of courses necessary) and share with us. Share, rate and subscribe for weekly episodes!

The conclusion to the two parter on stereotypes: I (host Rebecca Galardo) and Author/Teacher Holly Lisle discuss stereotypes that we've all seen in fiction: on the page or screen. The Evil Villain, Selfless Hero, Badass Chick, Tough Guy, Angsty Teen, Comic Relief, Henchmen and more. You might have other examples and that's fine! Holly offers a system of questions and answers to show you how YOU can take a stereotype - ANY stereotype - from a bland cliche to a deep, well-rounded character. In Part One we dove into the first few characters. In this episode we speed it up but still show the make up of the stereotypes left on the list, how to look deeper into characters that require more and ways to show their differences. We'll wrap it up with a more concise focus on the process as well as sharing the one rule you'll need to remember when dealing with any character. We also have a brief discussion of specifically using stereotyping and cliches to play with the reader's/viewer's expectations. After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the forums for FREE at HollysWritingClasses.com and share with us!

In this two parter, I (host Rebecca Galardo) and Author/Teacher Holly Lisle discuss stereotypes that we've all seen in fiction: on the page or screen. The Evil Villain, Selfless Hero, Badass Chick, Tough Guy, Angsty Teen, Comic Relief, Henchmen and more. You might have other examples and that's fine! Holly offers a system of questions and answers to show you how YOU can take a stereotype - ANY stereotype - from a bland cliche to a deep, well-rounded character. We'll show you what makes up these particular stereotypes and how to look deeper into characters that require more. Next week, we'll wrap it up with the other half of the examples, the one rule you'll need to remember when dealing with any character and a discussion on how you can use stereotyping and cliches to play with the reader's/viewer's expectations. After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the forums for FREE at HollysWritingClasses.com and share with us!

I, (host Rebecca Galardo) and Author/Teacher Holly Lisle discuss YOUR story and the impact of using what you've lived through - both good and bad - as well as your own beliefs and objective observation in order to create deeper, richer stories. Many writers face the struggle of feeling their story ideas lacking in interest, conflict, mystery or a unique voice. You worry over what you have to say - is even important or interesting? Will anyone care? Holly can help you find a way to connect with your story through life events and then put yourself in the path of having the story come to you. Details in your life matter and even if you think your 'everyday life' holds no magic, look closer. You, your life and perspectives can be unique, you just have to know what to look for. After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com and share with us.

Alone in a Room with Invisible Peopleis a podcast focusing on topics related to writing, revising and publishing fiction. I, (host Rebecca Galardo) and Author/Teacher Holly Lisle talk about worldbuilding again, this time how you as the writer can connect with your creation! Your world can be big or small, set in any genre and at any time - doesn't matter. There are no stipulations when it comes to creating a realistic, living, breathing world. If you're concerned your words will leave readers feeling flat, uninterested and as if the characters are just moving along in a gray, dull blur - have a listen to this episode. Holly can help you to find what's missing, how to bring your worlds to life and - maybe most important - how to create a connection between what you've created and your readers. After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com and share with us.

Learn Your Genre – How to Dissect a Novel You Love I, (host Rebecca Galardo) and Author/Teacher Holly Lisle talk about her method for dissecting good novels - that you love - and breaking them down in order to learn the genre you want to jump into. Whether you are wanting to write in a genre you have always loved or you need to learn a new one relatively quickly, Holly has done both and lays out a clear path to success in this episode. Find out: how to spot the best parts of a genre, when you can leave out bits and how to add what matters to you into your work. Listen to the episode, then hop on over to our site, print out the free worksheets (no email is asked for and there are no requirements or restrictions in order to download them) and get to work! After the episode: Have something to say? A question to ask? Jump into the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com and share with us.

Goal Setting - and Goal KEEPING - for Writing Fiction I, (host Rebecca Galardo) and Author/Teacher Holly Lisle go into Goal Setting and KEEPING for the fiction writer. This is not about breaking out your planners or purchasing a $40 goal setting book or taking an expensive (or free) online course. It's not about vision boards or huge aspirations and big dreams coming true without knowing a single step to get there. This is about finding the right goals, breaking those goals down, getting leverage, setting achievable targets and working towards them consistently, as well as how to reward yourself for reaching them! When everyone is setting lofty year-end goals or scoffing at those "suckers setting New Year resolutions", you can be mindful and strong and achieving wins from Day One. After the episode: Have tips for our listeners on goal setting that have worked for you? Jump into the forums at HollysWritingClasses.com and share with us.