The Smarter Artist

LIES! You DO have time to write. Today, Johnny talks some simple things you can do to create extra time in your schedule. But in truth, you aren’t adding time at all. You’re freeing it up. When you understand how Parkinson’s Law works against you, you can also turn it around to work FOR you. Don’t spend another minute talking about how you don’t have time! The post SA387 You Have the Time if You Make the Time appeared first on Sterling & Stone.

Every hero needs a great knockdown off their high horse, and a deep, dark secret is a great way to do that. Today, Sean talks about some great ways to make your hero’s world turn on its head. From discovering your father sees hooker because you’re the call girl who shows up at his door to realizing your married to a serial killer, dark secrets will make your story amazing. The post SA386 Unseat Your Hero with a Terrible Secret appeared first on Sterling & Stone.

Everyone wants to be a writer. But you need to answer a question: Why are your books worth reading? Why are you different? Why are you better? You need to find your unique selling point. Once you identify this, you’ll be better able to break through the flood of self-publishing that’s currently in the market. The post SA385 Why Are Your Books Worth Reading? appeared first on Sterling & Stone.

As storytellers and artists in general, we should give our characters a strong sexual identity. This doesn’t mean sex, but who your character is. Sean explains how you can ‘future-proof’ your stories, especially with the world changing as it currently is. This isn’t just about giving your characters a quirk; sexual identity, paired with other traits, is how you make a character real. The post SA384 Give Your Characters a Strong Sexual Identity appeared first on Sterling & Stone.

We’re not going to give you a simple, formulaic answer because there are several things to consider. Today, Johnny talks about the questions you need to ask yourself before you choose the genre you want to write in. From stylistic to knowledge and desirability to knowing your why, you must be honest with yourself and not rely on anyone to answer this question for you. The post SA383 What is the Best Genre to Write In? appeared first on Sterling & Stone.

Everyman is a term we throw around, but what does it really mean? An ‘everyman’ is the average Joe. He’s not special, perfect, at the top of the food chain, or anything like that. It someone we can all relate to. Today, Johnny talks about what makes a good everyman, and how not to screw one up. The post SA382 What is an Everyman? appeared first on Sterling & Stone.

Your tone or mood can take a drama and make it a comedy, romance, or even a thriller. Today, Sean talks about how you can take a story’s beats and change the tone to get a totally different version. Consider all the different takes on the Batman franchise, even from way back in the 60s. It’s the same basic story, just very different styles. The post SA381 Change your Story Mood or Tone appeared first on Sterling & Stone.

What’s a red herring? It’s a clue or piece of information that is nothing more than a misdirection. Today, Johnny talks about how we come across red herrings in real life, and how it can and should be mirrored in art. Every clue your hero finds shouldn’t lead him to his goal. That would be boring, for you and your reader! The post SA380 The Red Herring Explained appeared first on Sterling & Stone.

Hold the silly jokes… tent poles are very important! We’re using the term with story in mind, and whether you’re a plotter or pantser, you should keep them in mind, too. Today, Johnny talks about tent poles, how they help your reader stay interested in your story, and how to plan them well to prevent too much down time in your flow. The post SA379 What Are Tent Poles? appeared first on Sterling & Stone.

There’s a simple quote from William Faulkner every author should take to heart: “Read, read, read.” Today, Sean talks about what his take on the quote is, and while some of it is obvious, he digs into how he’s put his reading to practical use in making his self-publishing career a success. The post SA378 Why You Need to READ, READ, READ appeared first on Sterling & Stone.

Everyone talks about enhancing productivity, but it’s hard to know what will work for you. Today, Johnny talks about what took him from fast to light speed, and it’s probably something you already have at home… a kitchen timer. He explains how he uses it with Scrivener’s word count to up his productivity and quick staring at blank pages. The post SA377 Use a Timer to Write Faster appeared first on Sterling & Stone.

Are you a hard-working Smarter Artist? Well of course you are but even the hardest working among us need to take a breather every now and then. In this episode, guest host C. Steven Manley suggests some ways to take a little stress out of your day and help you find just the right amount of distraction to make your work feel fresh. The post SA376 Take a Break Already appeared first on Sterling & Stone.

Many people agree: the second act is the hardest to write. In the beginning, you have discovery and excitement. At the end, you have velocity. But the middle can be a wasteland. Today, Sean talks about why the second act is challenging, how to combat it, and simple things you can do to prepare and keep yourself motivated. The post SA375 Why the Second Act is Hardest and How to Make It Easier appeared first on Sterling & Stone.

The idea of casting characters is something we’ve referred to very often on our various podcasts and in our books. Today, Johnny gives a solid overview of how you can be very practical in creating your characters to help you and your collaborators remember appearance and personality. Here’s an example: this character is Daniel Day Lewis as Bill the Butcher in Gangs of New York. The post SA374 Try Casting Your Characters appeared first on Sterling & Stone.

Pantsers and plotters are the dogs and cats of the writing world. They can’t coexist, right? Maybe not. In this episode, I explore the creative freedom of being flexible not just in the narrative itself but also in how you approach your writing at its most basic level. Don’t be a monolith, who only plots or only pantses. Be like a flexible piece of clay that adapts to each unique project coming along the writer’s journey. The post SA373 Flexibility as an Author with Jamie Davis appeared first on Sterling & Stone.

If you want to self publish, then you need to take the business side of your dream seriously. While you probably don’t need to draft an entire org chart with you in every role, you do need to know the different realms of being an indie author. Today, Johnny shares an overview of where you should direct your efforts until you’re ready to hire someone to help you. The post SA372 You Are Your Own COO appeared first on Sterling & Stone.

As a writer, it’s impossible not to insert yourself into your stories. But as a responsible storyteller, you can’t put your character on a soapbox if it doesn’t hold true to that characters. In other words, don’t preach! It turns readers off. Today, Sean gives you some step-by-step advice to deal with this common problem writers and authors have. The post SA371 Why Your Character Should Never Stand on a Soapbox appeared first on Sterling & Stone.

Many artists navigate by ‘feel.’ This often leads to fear paralysis, causing the artist to create nothing at all. Today, guest host C. Steven Manley explores the definition of art, and when an artist should and should not pay attention to their feelings. There are some feelings you MUST ignore, and this is the selective apathy you must embrace. The post SA370 The Art of Selective Apathy appeared first on Sterling & Stone.

You might already be a successful smarter artist, but there’s something missing in your life: a mentor. Sure, you can keep treading water, but you won’t truly grow until you have ideas and observations from the outside, especially in the form of a mentor. Today, Sean talks about the benefits of having a mentor, and how to find one. The post SA369 Why Every Smarter Artist Needs a Mentor appeared first on Sterling & Stone.

How many people in your life are perfect? How many people try to be and it annoys you to no end? Today, Johnny talks about how the best characters are aren’t perfect. Sometimes good people do bad things and bad people do good things; that’s life. Your story should reflect life because it will resonate more strongly with your readers. The post SA368 Make Your Characters Real Instead of Perfect appeared first on Sterling & Stone.