The Write Direction

S02E02 Stressors and Subjugates (with Australian Author Amanda Bridgeman)

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 19:59:46 +0000

Today, I chat with Amanda Bridgeman: about writing novels, screenplays and the suspicion that if she can get all that stuff done while working another job, she might just not be human. We talk about how to juggle the work-life balance, and why you shouldn't be too hard on yourself.

Hope you enjoy it.

Also, if you're looking for more bookish content, I run a YouTube channel where I talk books: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH-OpwqCBGxgQlsEv1CyZRw

You can find Amanda Bridgeman here! https://twitter.com/Bridgeman_Books

Theme music: Sweet Dreams by Lakey Inspired at LoFi-HipHop.com

S02E01 Strigas and Storytelling (with Gabriela Houston - author of The Second Bell)

Fri, 12 Mar 2021 18:35:23 +0000

We are back, and today we're talking to Gabriela Houston about her debut novel with Angry Robot Books, The Second Bell. This stunning story is based in Slavic folklore and mythology.

In today's episode, we talk about writing an updated image of strigas (from Polish folklore), the dark side of putting readers into boxes, and advice for new writers looking to start out.

Hope you enjoy it.

Also, if you're looking for more bookish content, I run a YouTube channel where I talk books: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH-OpwqCBGxgQlsEv1CyZRw

You can find signed copies of The Second Bell at https://www.thebrokenbinding.co.uk/

You can also see Gabriela talk storytelling with Caroline Hardaker here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9VrtdBae7YgWGodbeYIoVg

Theme music: Sweet Dreams by Lakey Inspired at LoFi-HipHop.com

Supersoldiers and Super Writers (with debut author Ginger Smith)

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 19:06:34 +0000

Are you looking for advice on writing and storytelling from professionals who have proven success? The Write Direction is a discussion on writing and storytelling with professional artists about their craft.

This week we're talking to debut author Ginger Smith about her new debut novel The Rush's Edge. We talk about her writing process, and how she went from concept to publication.

Where you can find me:

Discord: https://discord.gg/P4RFMgT

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AG_Macdonald

Ginger's Twitter: https://twitter.com/GSmithauthor

Music: Rising Spirits by Jay Man (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/c/ourmusicbox

Father in the Forest (Writing Fantasy Novels with R. K. Gold)

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 18:45:07 +0000

We are back again with another episode with author R. K. Gold. This time, we're talking about his latest book, Father in the Forest.

Where you can find me:

Discord: https://discord.gg/P4RFMgT

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AG_Macdonald

Michael's Twitter: https://twitter.com/michaeljpryor

Music: Rising Spirits by Jay Man (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/c/ourmusicbox

Space Samurai and Short Storytelling (with John P. Murphy)

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 18:26:54 +0000

John P. Murphy is a Nebula finalist who has written several short stories, two novellas and, most recently his novel Red Noise with Angry Robot Publishing. The story is a blend of Kurosawa-like storytelling with a Deep Space Nine setting. It's a fantastic book, and if you enjoy what he has to say, I highly recommend you check out Red Noise.

Where you can find me:

Discord: https://discord.gg/P4RFMgT

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AG_Macdonald

John's website: https://johnpmurphy.net/

Music: Rising Spirits by Jay Man (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/c/ourmusicbox

Building Worlds with Apricot Scarves (Writing and Publishing with Michael Pryor)

Mon, 02 Nov 2020 13:05:00 +0000

This week's guest is Michael Pryor: an Australian author (the Laws of Magic and Quintaris series to name a couple) who also runs Aurealis: Australia's biggest science fiction/fantasy literary magazine. This was a great chat, and an amazing chance to speak to someone who has managed to be so heavily involved in both the writing and publishing side of the business. A fascinating conversation, and I hope you enjoy.

Where you can find me:

Discord: https://discord.gg/P4RFMgT

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AG_Macdonald

Michael's Twitter: https://twitter.com/michaeljpryor

Music: Rising Spirits by Jay Man (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/c/ourmusicbox

Horror Movies: The Good, The Bad & the So Bad They're Good (Halloween Special with R. K. Gold))

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 20:00:00 +0000

It's Halloween! To celebrate, I decided to do an entire Halloween episode where author R. K. Gold and I discuss scary movies. What makes them good? What makes them bad? What makes them so tremendously bad that they become comedy classics? This is what we attempt to figure out in the funniest podcast I have ever recorded. I hope you enjoy listening as much as we did recording.

Where you can find me:

Discord: https://discord.gg/P4RFMgT

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AG_Macdonald

R. K. Gold's Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorrkgold?lang=en

Music: Rising Spirits by Jay Man (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/c/ourmusicbox

The Weird and Wonderful World of Superheroes (with Rik Hoskin)

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 18:37:23 +0000

Rik Hoskin is a man who has worked in many different publishing mediums from comics and graphic novels (with many of the titans of their genre like Pierce Brown and Brandon Sanderson) to video games and now his latest original novel Bystander 27, which was recently published through Angry Robot Publishing. In this episode we talk about writing comic book stories that feel fresh.

Where you can find me:

Discord: https://discord.gg/P4RFMgT

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AG_Macdonald

Music by Our Music Box (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/c/ourmusicbox

Writing Fresh Stories and Universe Building (with Antoine Bandele)

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 19:00:09 +0000

Today's guest is Antoine Bandele, a writer and publisher with his own YouTube channel. He kinda does it all. And as per usual with this podcast, we kinda talk about it all. We discuss his new book, By Sea & Sky: An Esowon Story, and how he was about to not only create a fresh, unique fantasy, but also how he could create his own publishing house to tell his own stories.

Podcast links:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DiZUzJBqV0yJiTobddhyk

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-write-direction

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-write-direction/id1529206065

Antoine 's Twitter: https://twitter.com/AntoineBandele?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Where you can find me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agmacdonald87/

Captain Moxley's Guide to Writing Pulp Fiction (with Dan Hanks)

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 19:03:43 +0000

Today's guest is Dan Hanks, author of the incredible action adventure novel Captain Moxley and the Embers of the Empire. In this episode we discuss writing, social media marketing, and how to write a killer piece of pulp fiction.

Podcast links:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DiZUzJBqV0yJiTobddhyk

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-write-direction

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-write-direction/id1529206065

Dan's Twitter: https://twitter.com/dan_hanks

Where you can find me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agmacdonald87/

YouTube:

Discord: https://discord.gg/P4RFMgT

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AG_Macdonald

Music by Our Music Box (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/c/ourmusicbox

Funny You Say That (Creating Cartoons, Humour, and Visual Storytelling with Tommy Siegel)

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 19:51:52 +0000

Today's guest is Tommy Siegel, a great cartoonist who completed the insane task of making a series of 500 daily comics. In this episode, we talk about visual storytelling, burnout, when to take advice and when to bend or break it.

Podcast links:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DiZUzJBqV0yJiTobddhyk

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-write-direction

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-write-direction/id1529206065

Tommy Siegel: https://www.instagram.com/tommysiegel/

Where you can find me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agmacdonald87/

YouTube:

Discord: https://discord.gg/P4RFMgT

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AG_Macdonald

Music by Our Music Box (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/c/ourmusicbox

R. K. and A. G. Fix Star Wars (Where Did The Sequels Lose Their Way? with R. K. Gold)

Mon, 21 Sep 2020 17:00:00 +0000

Today's going to be a little different: We're going to talk Star Wars! The sequel trilogy divided fans, and in this episode of The Write Direction, I sit down with author R. K. Gold and talk about how we would fix the sequels together and make a more cohesive story.

R. K. Gold's Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorrkgold

Where you can find me:

Discord: https://discord.gg/P4RFMgT

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AG_Macdonald

Music by Our Music Box (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/c/ourmusicbox

Go Your Own Way In Publishing (The Million Different Ways to Get Published with Sarah Epstein)

Mon, 14 Sep 2020 20:25:48 +0000

Today's guest is Sarah Epstein, author of the Young Adult mystery novels Small Spaces and Deep Water. In this chat, Sarah talks about the unconventional paths she took to get traditionally published, and what she learned from following popular advice.

This was an absolutely fascinating chat and a must listen for anybody who is considering publishing their work.

Sarah Epstein Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahLEpstein

Where you can find me:

Discord: https://discord.gg/P4RFMgT

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AG_Macdonald

Music by Our Music Box (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/c/ourmusicbox

Blood and Dystopias (Writing Dystopian Fiction in 2020 with Chris Panatier)

Mon, 07 Sep 2020 20:49:03 +0000

Are you looking for advice on writing and storytelling from professionals who have proven success?

The Write Direction is a discussion on writing and storytelling with professional artists about their craft.

Today's guest is Chris Panatier: a debut author (The Phlebotomist) and artist. We discuss everything from dystopians, how to use tropes to your advantage, and how to make your heroine a 67 year old working at a mandatory blood drive.

Where you can find me:

Discord: https://discord.gg/P4RFMgT

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AG_Macdonald

Music by Our Music Box (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/c/ourmusicbox

So, You Wanna Self Publish? (Seeing Yourself as a Small Business with SAVY)

Mon, 31 Aug 2020 20:34:29 +0000

Are you looking for advice on writing and storytelling from professionals who have proven success?

The Write Direction is a discussion on writing and storytelling with professional artists about their craft.

Today's guest is SAVY: an amazing author (Sculpt Yourself, One Final Vinyl), a small business champion. She also runs a book and anti MLM YouTube channel. Today's topic is how you as an independently published author can find success by marketing yourself as a small business.

Where you can find me:

Discord: https://discord.gg/P4RFMgT

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AG_Macdonald

Music by Our Music Box (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/c/ourmusicbox

Do You Wanna Build a Story? (Plotting and Pacing with Author R. K. Gold)

Tue, 25 Aug 2020 23:37:50 +0000

Are you looking for advice on writing and storytelling from professionals who have proven success?

The Write Direction is a discussion on writing and storytelling with professional artists about their craft.

For our first episode, we're talking plotting and pacing with R. K. Gold (Author of Beds Are for Flowers and the upcoming Father in the Forest).

Where you can find me:

Discord: https://discord.gg/P4RFMgT

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AG_Macdonald

Music by Our Music Box (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/c/ourmusicbox

The Write Direction

S02E02 Stressors and Subjugates (with Australian Author Amanda Bridgeman)

S02E01 Strigas and Storytelling (with Gabriela Houston - author of The Second Bell)

Supersoldiers and Super Writers (with debut author Ginger Smith)

Father in the Forest (Writing Fantasy Novels with R. K. Gold)

Space Samurai and Short Storytelling (with John P. Murphy)

Building Worlds with Apricot Scarves (Writing and Publishing with Michael Pryor)

Horror Movies: The Good, The Bad & the So Bad They're Good (Halloween Special with R. K. Gold))

The Weird and Wonderful World of Superheroes (with Rik Hoskin)

Writing Fresh Stories and Universe Building (with Antoine Bandele)

Captain Moxley's Guide to Writing Pulp Fiction (with Dan Hanks)

Funny You Say That (Creating Cartoons, Humour, and Visual Storytelling with Tommy Siegel)

R. K. and A. G. Fix Star Wars (Where Did The Sequels Lose Their Way? with R. K. Gold)

Go Your Own Way *In Publishing* (The Million Different Ways to Get Published with Sarah Epstein)

Blood and Dystopias (Writing Dystopian Fiction in 2020 with Chris Panatier)

So, You Wanna Self Publish? (Seeing Yourself as a Small Business with SAVY)

Do You Wanna Build a Story? (Plotting and Pacing with Author R. K. Gold)

Go Your Own Way In Publishing (The Million Different Ways to Get Published with Sarah Epstein)