You know for all the bitching I did about this (not to you guys, but to everyone else), it turned out REALLY well. I listened to it and I can’t tell you if we were in the same room or not! So a couple show notes. First, we didn’t get to all the questions, but in the next podcast we shall, for sure. I’m not sure if Lipstick got an assignment for this podcast, but I seem to remember something. We mentioned a couple of our cohorts in the podcast world, one of them was “The Dunesteff Audio Fiction Magazine” (hitting that should take you there. Renee also mentioned a short story duo, and that link should show up by hitting this link “Short Story Duo that Renee Mentioned” (oh by the way that was called the Drabblecast … Enjoy our podcast, comment below, AND please support podcasters in general and hit their links … oh and follow me on twitter at @unpubnotdead … I only have 12 now, but you guys can make it 14 or something higher!
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January 26th, 2012 at 8:27 am
God job so far guys! I can’t believe you were in different places! I only got as far as my advice! wonderful! Grin and bear it?! Open the wine before they get there!!! I love you guys!!!!! Renee you guys have a big future!
January 26th, 2012 at 8:23 pm
I’m going to give an honest critique of this podcast; as a listener of many podcasts. This podcast is probably one of the best ones out there. Eric, and I hate to give him credit, brings out the best in everyone he “sits” down with, and Renee was no exception. As a listener of this podcast, I have listened to Renee’s podcasts in the past, but this one really gave a shine to her she never had before. She was more natural and vivid. I loved that you guys incorporated writing into this podcast, leaving some of the more “fun” aspects that that podcast have with Joanna and Jeremy, and to a lesser extent Tacie, who I think is way more serious than the pervious. Renee has spot on advice for people, with both writing advice and the relationship advice. I loved getting into both of these creative minds for an hour. Eric is a great writer, as is Renee, and I think his main problem is that he wears his “unpublished” status as a badge of honor. He has a great voice, and he has interesting things to say. I laughed at his advice for the girl to open the wine “before” her family gets there. I loved to find out that he uses real people’s names in his stories, and I loved to hear that Renee has a thing about putting herself into her characters. This was so insightful. Eric, my advice to you, podcast more, work on your voice, and write more. Renee, my advice to you would be to just keep up the good fight, you’re great. Great podcast, Great blog, I just wish there was more of it.
January 29th, 2012 at 9:54 am
Thanks, Kay and XXX! It was fun to do, but humbling to listen to and hear all of my “you knows”, “uhs” and “kindas”.
Eric and I will do part 2 with the rest of the questions, soon!
January 29th, 2012 at 6:20 pm
great podcast you guys. I was waiting for it, and wasn’t disappointed.
January 29th, 2012 at 7:02 pm
Just listened to the podcast and the only thing I kept thinking is this too isn’t going to be a regular thing, and that tomorrow there will be someone new with Eric. Get used to Joanna, you get Tacie, and then Jeremy, and now you guys. I loved you Renee, but I want these podcasts to happen more, Thats my complaint. As for your “vocal ticks” Renee’ don’t worry about them they were few and were hardly noticed, but it’s an interesting medium to explore? Have fun with the next one! Loved it!
February 5th, 2012 at 3:29 pm
Okay, first of all, GREAT job! The sound was very good and the conversation was awesome, of course! I am already anticipating Part II … 🙂
Renée, I do remember your comment about gymnastics … long time ago, though! FTR, I was never the least bit worried about you becoming one of “those” moms! I agree that parenting questions for you is a great idea, but I am more partial to the writing questions, myself.
Eric, I *am* “ridiculously introspective” in blogging and in real life, but as for fiction? My darling, if you want to ready a sampling of my stuff, all you have to do is ask. 😉
Now, if my notes are right, you wanted me to comment on question #2, and if I’m copying correctly, that would be the one about characters being distinct and not an incarnation of oneself. I’m not sure I’m a good source on the individuality of characters, as one of the comments I received from beta readers of my novels was that my two main characters were not distinctive (one comment only, though), BUT as for incarnations of oneself … I agree that a little bit of a writer finds its way into every character. That’s not to say that the writer IS the character, but the ability to relate to characters is kind of key to making memorable characters. I think this is more about empathy than it is about “being” your character, though. You should be able to feel what your character feels, and feelings, well, kind of universal. So I guess I’m saying I wouldn’t worry about getting bits of yourself into your characters, but I would worry if you felt like every character was entirely you. Then you’d need to back up and figure out how you differ from your characters … are you bolder than this one? Kinder than that one? If all you can see is commonalities, search for differences. I’m betting there in there, maybe they just need to be brought out more.
(I should also add that I would be YET ANOTHER of the last people in the world I would ask for advice. I’d ask my sister, though! Not that that is especially relevant here, so … moving on!)
One or both of ya’ll asked me to comment on using real life as a basis for the experience of your characters. Now, personally, I do that a LOT. It’s usually not a big thing … I keep a notebook and jot down observations (how snow piles up on traffic lights, how the air smells first thing in the morning, whatever). These are the things that find their way into my writing. Bigger things, those I usually pull from “what ifs,” or even writing exercises. If something makes you wonder, doing some free writing can lead to some wonderful ideas … novel ideas, you might say. 🙂
But there are some bigger things I’ve used, too. Take an event like having your gallbladder removed (which I did, two years ago). I gave one of my characters a gallbladder attack when I needed to get her into the hospital. Her experience wasn’t identical to mine, but I knew enough about gallbladder surgery that I didn’t have to research it, so it was easier to write. They do say to “write what you know;” you don’t always have to do that (and shouldn’t!) but sometimes it fits in and works, so why not?
I guess what I’m saying here is that I see no issues with using real life as inspiration, but writing it down exactly as it happened could turn out to be a lot more like technical writing (or a memoir, of course) than fiction, so you also have to consider how your characters would react and what would be different. It has to “fit” into your character’s world and life situation, if that makes sense?
Collaboration … haven’t done a lot of it outside of technical and magazines. But when you have good collaborators, it can be a beautiful thing!
Okay! I think that’s everything and certainly I’ve already written a metric shit-ton more than I planned to, so … carry on! Looking forward to the next installation! (When will that be? DO make it soon!)
Love from Lipstick Lady
February 15th, 2012 at 10:34 am
If all goes as planned, Eric and I will be recording tonight!