Street Writers - No Cliches

You can collect needles; you can stack hay. But using "a needle in a haystack" -- or any other cliche -- in your writing? Puhlease. Nothing can bring your writing down like cliches. Here's how to avoid them. Dan then raves about an excerpt from Tom Junod writing about Mr. Rogers. And Mark describes a mini documentary, The Brooklyn Buddhist, that he created with Buddhist Teacher Josh Korda that's on the film festival circuit.

Street Writers - Greg Monaco Pt. 2

We’re still swinging fistfuls of words with fellow writer Greg Monaco. Part 2 of our interview/conversation/sparring gets into his “They Beat Us To The Punch”, a paean to ad great Howard Gossage (https://ashley-pollak.squarespace.com). And for “Hit Us With Your Best Shot”, Greg gets into the making of his “On The Road With Monaco” video series (https://youtu.be/1VDhaD5G4Zk), as well as a new project that melds his storytelling skills with west coast meditation — a transformational experience that creates a conversation with your Future Self. Learn more about Greg and his work at letsgomonaco.com Liking what you hear? Leave a review. Subscribe! And invite new listeners to join in: https://anchor.fm/streetwriters Hit us up with questions, comments, whatever you got at: streetwriters.podcast@gmail.com And send us an audio message so we can get your comments in future episodes: https://anchor.fm/streetwriters/message #amwriting #writing #keepwriting #writingtips #creativity #productivity #streetwriting

Street Writers - Greg Monaco Pt. 1

We invite creative leader and personal branding master Greg Monaco to take it the Streets. In part 1 of this 2-parter, he hits us with his version of “Take A Swing At This” — a full on keyboard ranting to get the words rocking and rolling. Learn more about Greg and his work at his site, letsgomonaco.com Liking what you hear? Leave a review. Subscribe! And invite new listeners to join in: https://anchor.fm/streetwriters Hit us up with questions, comments, whatever you got at: streetwriters.podcast@gmail.com And send us an audio message so we can get your comments in future episodes: https://anchor.fm/streetwriters/message #amwriting #writing #keepwriting #writingtips #creativity #productivity #streetwriting

Street Writers - Education or Inspiration?

Education and inspiration. You need both to keep the words flowing and your writing projects moving forward. Yet finding the balance between how-to-write content and and great writing that inspires you can be tough—should you be reading Stephen King on Writing or Stephen King? Mark and Dan discuss how the balance differs for everyone, and they warn against going down the wormhole of spending too much time learning about writing and not enough time actually writing. Dan raves about the concept and writing behind the text game, Lifeline. And Mark talks about getting his 1-minute film (starring Dan) in a fun Toronto micro-film festival, Just A Minute, Toronto.

Street Writers - Fill that Pipeline

Want an incentive to get through what you’re writing now? Have your next writing project lined up right behind it. Want to shrug off a rejection letter on your current project? Get entrenched in your next one. That’s what filling the pipeline is all about, and that’s how writers stay in it for the long run. Dan is jealous of, and inspired by, a wonderful excerpt on writing by philosopher and Zen master, Alan Watts. Writer/director Mark and actor Dan recap a fun and eye-opening shoot of their latest film, Classmates.

Street Writers - David Quinn Pt. 2

We’re still slugging it out (in the best of ways) with writer David Quinn — scribe of comics, film, kid's books and industry. In Part 2 of our episode/interview with him… David’s view on “They Beat Us To The Punch” is thoughtful and scary as he introduces us to The Creepy School Bus — https://youtu.be/bLaAWSKuKTw. Prepare to be weirded out and jealous! And in “Hit Us With Your Best Shot” he reveals the genesis of his children’s book, “Go To Sleep, Little Creep” (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1101939443/) a lullaby for kids and monsters everywhere that is eerie and sweet and continues to find fans in every venue he takes it to. Find more of David at his blog: https://inwalkedquinn.com Liking what you hear? Bring in some new listeners by sharing out this link: https://anchor.fm/streetwriters Let's not travel the Street alone. Tell us your ideas for “Take A Swing At This” — and let's feature your WIP on “Hit Us With Your Best Shot”! Let's connect and get you on the mic: streetwriters.podcast@gmail.com And send us an audio message so we can include your comments in future episodes: https://anchor.fm/streetwriters/message #amwriting #writing #creativity #productivity

Street Writers - David Quinn Pt. 1

Another writer gets down to the street level of writing with us, as we invite David Quinn to get on the mic. David’s known for his prolific career in comics (Faust, Ghost Rider, Dr. Strange, Vampirella and many more). His professional credits extend onto the stage, film and blue chip corporate communications as well. In Pt. 1 of our time together, he “Takes A Swing At This” with a unique spin on Write Now, Fix Later. (Trust us, you will be chanting “Jargon, jargon, jargon!” after this one.) Check out David at his blog at https://inwalkedquinn.com And check out his new children’s book, Go To Sleep, Little Creep at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1101939443/ Dig what you hear? Help boost our audience by sharing out this link: https://anchor.fm/streetwriters Let's not travel the Street alone. Tell us your ideas for “Take A Swing At This” — and let's feature your WIP on “Hit Us With Your Best Shot”! Let's connect and get you on the mic: streetwriters.podcast@gmail.com And send us a...

Details, Details

We all know where the devil is ... in the details. Dan explains how adding detail to your writing brings it to life. The details are how you paint a picture with your words, how you fight past tropes, and how you bring your own style to your writing. Dan then quotes a writer with his own powerful style (as well as a flawless hook shot), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. And Mark reads from a beautiful rejection letter (yep, a contradiction in terms).

Street Writers - Changing Gears

Like a finely tuned Tesla, your writing speed should vary based on your project. Sometimes you want to zoom through a segment, and sometimes you want to slow down and enjoy the view of your words. Mark discusses varying your writing speeds. Dan is jealous of an interactive role-playing, decision-making game that showcases well developed characters. And Dan discusses ramping up his writing speed for a video scripting assignment.

Get it out there

You’ve pondered, produced and polished—now it’s time to publish. Dan discusses the many ways to get your work out into the world: social media, blogs, and content sites like Medium. Mark praises author Colin Harrison, and also discusses shooting his new film.