In Episode Twelve we had a chance to catch up with Natania Barron, a founding editor at GeekMom and a novelist. We learned a lot about her process and her secret obsession, world-building on Pinterest.

In Episode Thirteen we discussed a problem which happens to many new writers. They break their characters to make a plot arc work the way they intended. This can be much more disappointing to the reader than it is to the author. We talk about why it doesn’t work and what to do about it.

Blogging can be a great way for a new writer to increase their audience and improve their writing skills. James Floyd Kelly and I discuss the ins and outs of blogging for somebody else on today’s Novel Ideas.

This week James and I talk about using social media as an author. Everyone says an author needs to have a social media presence, but why? What is the purpose? How do you use social media as a marketing tool?

So we tried to record our usual Novel Ideas podcast last week but the internet had other ideas. However, that didn’t mean we left our subscribers high and dry. If you subscribe to our iTunes or Stitcher feeds we gave you a nice little audio extra. Last week I did a talk for the Tigard Library here in the Portland, Oregon, metro area. I was asked to present on building an indie writing career, and I turned the talk into a rather sobering look at the changes that have overtaken indie publishing in the last six months. With a future that is not nearly as bright as it was a year ago, what can an indie writer do to stay ahead of the curve? (Go here to get the episode on iTunes.)

This week we got back to business. James and I rerecorded last week’s disaster. We talked about the effects of stories on readers: Does a strong call to adventure leave us mere mortals feeling less able to grow up? You can listen in below.