Elizabeth and Angie discuss what we LOVE about writing. Because, why not? The conversation also touches on how much we retrain of what we hear v. what we teach, Ellen Sussman’s Rule of Three, thinking about what’s going to happen next in a story, the joy of learning, the pleasure of getting swept up in the story you are creating, entertaining yourself, aspects of pre-writing, the advantage of boredom and reveries, being a wierdo and not worrying about it, deep focus, paying attention, pruning (not prose but fruit trees), taking the train to Reno, nonsense writing, morning writing, editing, napping, and writing to get clarity about what you think. But there’s more! We also talk about what we hate about writing, about shame, about the beginning and end of writing, about being edited, about the critical voice and negotiating with sanbateurs and the benefits and life-saving aspects of having life coaches. Finally we touch on Kim Addanizio, Franz Kafka, and Oliva Coleman’s Oscar speech. It’s a rich half hour. Join us!

“It is not necessary that you leave the house. Remain at your table and listen. Do not even listen, only wait. Do not even wait, be wholly still and alone. The world will present itself to you for its unmasking, it can do no other, in ecstasy it will writhe at your feet.” –Franz Kafka

Story Makers is a podcast that features in-depth conversations with accomplished writers, filmmakers and industry experts about story craft, technique, habit and survival–everything you need to know to stay inspired, connect to your creativity, find others’ wonderful stories and your own success.

The hosts:

Elizabeth Stark is a published, agented novelist and distributed filmmaker who teaches and mentors writers at BookWritingWorld.com.

Angie Powers is a distributed filmmaker and published short story writer with an MFA in creative writing and a certificate in screenwriting from UCLA who teaches story structure at BookWritingWorld.com.