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Introduction "When I talk with someone on background...I am not asking for the source to provide me with statements that I can quote in my story. I am just talking with someone who knows more about a topic than I do and is willing to tell me what some of the big issues are." —Dean Nelson in Talk to Me: How to Ask Better Questions, Get Better Answers, and Interview Anyone Like a Pro "On background" is a journalism term meaning the information provided by a source can be published, but not attributed to them by name. “On background, a senior official said the policy is under review.” “On background, a senior epidemiologist described challenges in collecting accurate infection data.” “On background, several government officials said the negotiations are at a standstill.” Journalists use “on background” conversations to understand the world before they publicly explain it. Fiction writers can use the same approach to understand a world before inventing what's inside it. Table of the Contents What "On Background" Means for Fiction Writers Why Fiction Writers Need "Background Thinking" What Background Reveals That Surface Research Cannot Fiction Writers and Journalists Want Different Things Books and Writers Worth Further Reading Into Conclusion What "On Background" Means for Fiction Writers The idea of background for journalists is usually in preparation for a bigger interview for a big story. Journalists use background conversations to understand: systems cultures tensions vocabulary emotional stakes contradictions No matter the genre, a percentage of all six of the above have a place in fiction stories. A fiction writer researching firefighters, divorce attorneys, ER nurses, casino workers, indie wrestlers, or city council politics don't only need accurate (Googleable) details. Beyond accuracy, writers need: what insiders joke about what they never publicly say what annoys them what they fear what everyone pretends is normal On background interviews reveal to the writer what angle the story wants to take. Talking to people about your research topic helps shape the story little by little and gives ideas you couldn't have conceived without them. Why Fiction Writers Need "Background Thinking" Can you google a nurse's daily tasks? Sure. But when you talk to a nurse, they can describe sneakers squeaking at 3am, charting while crying, and eating peanut butter crackers over a trash can. Can you ChatGPT what a detective does? Sure. But when you talk to a detective, they can describe the smell of wet drywall in abandoned houses, the silence after a raid, or how nobody finishes coffee during a homicide week. Fiction writers should research like literary journalists and write like emotional historians. Google gives data. Conversations give texture. What you tend to miss with surface-level research isn’t the data/information. Google can't tell you how people talk when they’re tired. Or what gets joked about instead of explained. Or the way institutions sound when they’re stretched too thin. The little tells that nobody writes down anywhere, but everybody inside the world immediately recognizes. What Background Reveals That Surface Research Cannot Most weak research focuses on correctness. Things like what tools there are, the terminology, chronology of the practice, certain uniforms, and applicable geography. Which...yeah you ought to be accurate but your readers aren't picking up your book because they love reading dictionaries. Fiction writers can learn from journalists in how they acquire their information. They learn to listen for friction: what frustrates insiders where systems fail what people resent what people normalize what they refuse to plainly say The above points will give your story immersive, emotional, context. Here's an example: A hospital procedural superficially researched gives writers: medical jargon triage systems realistic equipment Background-style research gives writers: nurses hiding in supply closets to cry residents forgetting what month it is cafeteria politics the soundscape of overnight shifts dark humor as emotional survival Without this kind of background thinking, fiction can end up technically correct but emotionally thin. Everything is in the right place, but nothing feels like it’s been lived in. The dialogue works, the details check out—but the world doesn’t breathe the way real ones do. Fiction Writers and Journalists Want Different Things Journalists must go through a more rigorous phase of fact-checking and verifying. And for good reason. They report facts with feelings. They owe their readers factual fidelity. Fiction writers? They get feelings from facts. They owe their readers a transformation. 80,000–120,000 words of facts alone doesn’t create a novel. 80,000–120,000 words of emotion, character drive, and human truth does. Journalists must correctly quote and organize five people into separate entities. Fiction writers can combine five real people into one character. Journalists must chronologically and accurately represent timelines. Fiction writers can compress and expand as needed for their characters. At a certain point, background research stops feeling like research. It becomes "noticing" and "observing." You begin paying more attention to what people don’t say than what they do. Once that switch flips, it changes how you listen to everything. Books and Writers Worth Further Reading Into Journalism / Interviewing Craft Talk to Me: How to Ask Better Questions, Get Better Answers, and Interview Anyone Like a Pro by Dean Nelson My core inspiration. Strong on preparation, listening, and interview psychology. The New Journalism by Tom Wolfe Essential for understanding how reporting techniques influenced literary storytelling. The movement emphasized scenes, dialogue, and immersive observation. The Art of the Interview by Lawrence Grobel Frequently recommended among longform interviewers. Good on conversational rhythm and trust-building. Telling True Stories: A Nonfiction Writers’ Guide from the Nieman Foundation at Harvard University (Edited by Mark Kramer and Wendy Call) is a 2007 anthology edited by Mark Kramer and Wendy Call. The book compiles insights from distinguished journalists and nonfiction writers on the craft and ethics of narrative journalism. Fiction Writers with Journalism/Reporting Influence Joan Didion: Observation, implication, silence, cultural reading. Gay Talese: Famous for immersive reporting and status-detail observation. Ted Conover: Participatory immersion reporting. Excellent model for fiction-world research. Jess Walter: Former journalist whose fiction retains strong observational realism. Katherine Boo: Shows how deep reporting uncovers narrative structure naturally. Conclusion Dean later says "This may sound complicated, but we let background information inform our questions even when we aren't working on a story. If you know that a friend of yours is dating someone, but the person who told you made you swear you wouldn't tell, you will probably say to your friend something like, "So are you seeing anyone?" You already know the answer because you got it on background, but now you can ask follow-up questions." Most writers already know how to gather information. We Google. We bookmark. We rabbit-hole ourselves into tabs about police procedure, horse anatomy, court systems, regional slang, train schedules, and whatever else our stories suddenly demand at 1:14 in the morning. But “on background” thinking is less about collecting facts and more about collecting human residue. (lol) The things people say without realizing they said them. The pauses. The workarounds. The exhaustion. The rituals. The strange little details nobody thinks are important because they’ve lived beside them for too long. The above is the immersive material that readers remember. Texture. Pressure. Atmosphere. Contradiction. The feeling that a world existed before the reader arrived and will keep existing after they leave. The deeper you go into conversations, the more you realize most stories are not hiding in dramatic revelations. Where are they? Hiding in side comments, evasions, workplace jokes, awkward silences, and things people assume are too ordinary to mention. Nothing is too ordinary for a fiction writer. Find the stuff that feels lived in. In Part Two of this On Background Series, I want to get practical with this approach: how to follow tangents, what to listen for, how to notice friction inside conversations, and how to build a fiction researcher’s notebook that actually helps you find stories instead of just facts. Bringing my stories to the foreground with some background, Katherine Arkady

Introduction: Rejection Happens (To All of Us) If you’re a writer, you will get rejected. Hate to tell you, but I say this not to deter you from your writing dreams, but to welcome you to the club! Every published author you admire has a stack of “No, thanks” letters tucked somewhere. Some of us have entire email folders dedicated to them. I have an email specifically for submissions. It's got the occasional request, but it's otherwise heavily saturated with form rejections saying "Thank you but not for me." When I got my first form rejection, it was okay. Sure, not for them, alright, onto the next. But then more came in and I was starting to feel like a fear was coming to fruition. A fear of "I'm not good enough." Luckily, the forums I visit have assured me and many other writers that this is a regular occurrence. The changes are slim! Let me tell you in this blog post: Rejection doesn’t mean your work has no value—it means that you’re in "the arena" and doing the work. So here we are, together, in a space where we can be honest about how much it stings—and how we can recover. Section 1: The Sting is Real First things first: let’s not pretend that rejection doesn’t hurt. It 120% f*&%@ing does. It can bring disappointment, self-doubt, and that a creeping sense of burnout. Sometimes, it’s a "cold" form letter. Other times, it’s a carefully worded personal note that still says “no.” Occasionally, it’s the worst of all: silence. It’s okay (and ideal) to call rejection what it is—a kind of loss. You poured time, hope, and vulnerability into a piece, and the door closed. That deserves validation. Naming it helps us move through it instead of letting it fester. You put in the work. Full stop. Sure, now you have to put in more work, but YOU'RE IN THE ARENA. Section 2: Let Yourself Feel It Don't leap over the hurt or run away or avoid it. Self-care means making space to feel it first. Don’t rush to revise or submit elsewhere right away if your chest still aches. Ideas for processing: Journal it out. Pour your feelings onto the page—rage, sorrow, doubt. No one else needs to read it. You're a writer, this should be easy. You can burn it if you like. Or drown the pages. Or shred them. Or bury them. (You always have options) Venting session. Talk to a trusted writer friend who gets it. Or a non-writer friend who’s willing to listen. Or even your emotional support cat who didn't sign up for any of this but would listen to you for hours if it meant he got the good catnip. Take a break. Step away from the page for a bit. A walk, a nap, a weekend escape to a quiet town where some friends live—it all counts. Section 3: De-shame the Game It's a numbers game. In the publishing world, your precious Magnum Opus is transformed into a number on a long list in a group of lists on a database of folders. AspiringAuthor.com has an eye opening article: 21 Debut Author Statistics: The Real Odds of Getting Published. Read at your own risk because the reality can be jarring. But it's a reality you must be aware of as a writer! You can do all you possibly can to make your manuscript perfect. But, according to the article and Wordsrated: From the remaining 5% of high-quality manuscripts left for consideration, most are still rejected due to timing, similar books on their list, or the state of the market. From this, I'm able to feel a little better than there are just tings out of my control and I can't fixate on them. Furthermore, Lit Hub has an affirming article on 20 Famous Writers on Being Rejected. Jennifer Egan's quote in a 2010 interview with Christopher Cox stood out to me: [When I was a reader for The Paris Review,] I learned how many writers there were out there, and it was terrifying! But I also learned not to take the process too seriously. I figured that if I, a nobody in an un-airconditioned East Village apartment (batches of manuscripts were sent to me there), had the power to reject the slush pile, I couldn’t worry too much when my own stuff was rejected. It may have made me more resilient . . . and it definitely spurred me to submit to lots and lots of places at once, and not be so precious about it. Don't be so precious about it! Your writing comes from your soft heart, your squishy brain, and the deepest depths of your soul. Those are sacred places. The arena of submissions is not a sacred place. It's cut throat, the odds are against you, and you have everybody and their cousin giving an opinion. What is this "arena" I've been alluding to in this post? It has to do with a favorite speech of mine. I have a screenshot of the text as my lock screen. Theodore Roosevelt delivered this speech entitled “Citizenship in a Republic” at the Sorbonne in Paris on April 23, 1910. The speech is popularly known as “The Man in the Arena.” It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. So, reader, let me assure you that a rejection is proof that you are in the arena. Even if you fail you fail daring greatly. And you only fail when you give up! So don't give up, friend. Keep at it. Rebuild. But how? worldfuturefund.org Section 4: Rebuild Gently Now I'm not saying that all of this is just in your head. But it starts in your head! And we at Takes One to Write One always promote mental health. You may have seen folks in socials post about their rejection therapy in asking things that they normally wouldn't. While that's useful, allow me to explain something a little more peer-reviewed: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Here’s a quick primer on the six core processes of ACT: Acceptance: You accept that you’ll have a range of thoughts or emotions that can be positive, negative or anything in between. You just got a rejection email and feel embarrassed, angry, and defeated. Instead of pushing those feelings away or pretending they don’t matter, you pause and say, “Of course I’m disappointed. I really wanted this.” You allow the emotion to be there without needing to “fix” it or shame yourself for feeling it. Cognitive defusion: You detach or distance yourself from negative thoughts and beliefs. You see a thought as a passing event instead of a truth that drives your actions. When the thought pops up—“I’m a terrible writer”—you label it: “I’m having the thought that I’m a terrible writer.” You might even say it out loud in a silly voice or write it down to break its power. That thought still exists, but you’re not treating it as fact anymore—just noise. Being present: Your focus is on how you feel in the moment. You minimize planning for future “what ifs” so you can see more of what’s happening around you. Instead of spiraling into “What if I never get published?,” you close your eyes and ground yourself: What do I hear right now? What does the chair feel like under me? What am I working on today, just for today? You return to the writing itself—this sentence, this page, etc. Self-as-context: You see yourself as a whole person with an identity. You aren’t solely defined by your experiences, thoughts or feelings. You remind yourself: “I’m not just a writer who got rejected today. I’m also a friend, a (pet) parent, a reader, a learner. I’m growing. I’ve had good writing days and I’ll have more.” You step back and see your identity as broader than this moment of pain. Values: You set your own standards that you want to live up to. These values are yours and not driven by the influence of others. You write because you care about storytelling, truth, humor, justice, imagination—or whatever else lights you up. Rejection might sting, but you ask: “Does this change what I value?” Probably not. You recommit to those values even when external validation is missing. Committed action: You make changes that help you meet your goals. These goals should align with your values. After sitting with your feelings and revisiting your “why,” you decide to revise that rejected piece—or start a new one. You set a small, doable goal for the week: “I’ll submit one story,” or “I’ll write for 20 minutes a day.” The action is gentle, but forward-moving—and it honors what matters to you. How does this help protect your confidence while staying honest? The main benefit of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is psychological flexibility. This means you can recognize how your emotions play a role in your life, but you don’t feel overwhelmed by them. Revisit your “why”—affirm your purpose and voice: Ask: Why did I start writing in the first place? What do I want readers to feel or know? What do I get from writing, regardless of publication? Section 5: Strategic Steps Forward Once you’ve felt the sting and given yourself space to recover, it’s time to think practically. Rejection doesn’t have to mean the end for your piece. It just means you have a decision to make about what comes next. Decide what to do with the piece: Revise: Was there feedback you want to address? Or, with fresh eyes, do you see ways to strengthen it? Resubmit: Not all rejections mean “this is bad.” Sometimes it’s just “not right for us.” Consider sending it elsewhere, maybe even without changes. Shelve for now: It’s okay to set it aside. Rest can give you distance and insight. Shelving doesn’t necessarily mean giving up. You're just letting letting things marinate. YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF WHAT HAPPENS NEXT! There’s no wrong answer here. Consider joining a writer’s group or accountability circle. Matter of fact, read my post on Self Care for Writers: Finding Other Writers. Take these strategic steps as an act of hope. By doing so, you say: I’m not done. I still believe in my work. I’m going to keep going. Conclusion: Keep the Door Open If you take only one thing from this, let it be this: rejection isn’t a verdict on your talent or your worth. It’s one editor’s “not right now.” It’s one agent’s “not for me.” It’s one journal’s “we don’t have room.” It’s never “you’re not good enough to be a writer.” The only writers who don’t get rejected are the ones who stop submitting. And you’re not going to stop. Because you have something to say. So feel the sting. Let yourself process it. Learn what you can. Then keep the door open. Open to growth. Open to new drafts. Open to new markets. Open to possibility. I invite you to share your own rejection recovery tips or stories in the comments below! Keep writing. We need your voice, Katherine Arkady

Introduction Bad date? Get out of Dodge. Toxic workplace? Get out of Dodge. Awkward family dinner? Time to get out of Dodge. "Get out of Dodge" is an American idiom meaning to leave a place or situation quickly, usually to avoid danger, trouble, or an uncomfortable situation. Sometimes it can be gussied up with additions like "Get the hell out of Dodge." But why Dodge? Why not any other car? (Get out of Lincoln? Get outta Volvo?) Why not any other town? And how did one frontier city become shorthand for escape? Table of the Contents The Real Dodge Behind the Saying Section 1: How the Phrase Became Popular Section 2: Why the Phrase Still Works Section 3: What Writers Can Learn From It Mini Writing Game Conclusion The Real Dodge Behind the Saying Idioms are so fun, aren't they? A cultural playbook of where we've been and where we're going. Sometimes, we go very fast and as means to escape. Sometimes, specifically back in the 1870s, folk hang around for a while. Like in Dodge City Kansas, a famous cattle town in the Great American Frontier. It was named after Fort Dodge which was named after General Grenville Dodge. It was originally meant to be a rancher stop for cattle operations. A bar opened up to quench the thirst of Fort Dodge soldiers. A railroad arrived to bring in business. Dodge City experienced tremendous growth from 1883-1884 when new competitors for the cattle trade came through. All the good, in adjacent thinking with Newton's Third Law of Motion, has a bad. Despite all of the above, Dodge City was possibly more known for their less than becoming aspects. Gambling halls, saloons, violence, brothels and generally rowdy energy. There was a bullfighting ring. There was a bloodless war in 1883. There was a splenic fever/anthrax epidemic in the area. Gunsmoke didn't really help with the look, either. So even in a place where the cows come home, the humans were looking to leave. Ford County Kansas Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Dodge City Highlighted Dodge City in 1878 Section 1: How the Phrase Became Popular Now, unlike sayings that originate from the people or culture of a town, "Get out of Dodge" originated through the Culture o' Pop. The widespread audiences were able to faction off and add more gumption to the spread. Check out this Google chart of when "get out of Dodge" became popular and see the below media that happened around that time. The Main Offender: Gunsmoke (1955-1975) "Cooter" (S01 E27) 00:11:46 : Because if you don't keep out of my affairs, 00:11:50 : Pate will kill you. 00:11:54 : He will? 00:12:03 : All right, Pate. 00:12:05 : Get out of Dodge. 00:12:12 : I ain't done nothing, marshal. 00:12:17 : Kill him, Pate. 00:12:35 : He's not even gonna try. 00:12:42 : I'm not some half-drunk cowboy, am I, Pate? "How to Kill a Friend" (S04 E11) 00:24:24 : Here it is. 00:24:26 : You know something... 00:24:29 : I don't care... 00:24:32 : not no more. 00:24:51 : Get out of Dodge. "The Gun" (S16 E09) 00:33:13 : Randall is, uh, neither a liar nor a coward, Mr. Pascoe. 00:33:17 : But this is hardly the, uh, time or the place. 00:33:23 : Pascoe. 00:33:30 : Get out of Dodge. Tonight. 00:33:33 : Freight boy, I'll let you know when and where. And quite literally so many more episodes than the above W. (2008) 01:38:47 : Now, I don't care what happens now. 01:38:49 : How many damn votes we do or don't get in the U.N. 01:38:53 : Come Monday morning, 10 a.m., 01:38:56 : I'm giving Saddam and his two sons 48 hours 01:38:59 : to get out of Dodge, okay? 01:39:00 : Indeed. 01:39:02 : All right. 01:39:05 : Everybody in agreement then? 01:39:07 : Yes, sir. Thelma & Louise (1991) 00:58:00 : And, get the hell out of Dodge, yeah. 00:57:48 : "You've got a great story to tell friends." 00:57:50 : "If not, well, you got a tag on your toe. You decide." 00:57:54 : It's as simple as that. 00:57:57 : Then I'd just slip on out. 00:58:00 : And, get the hell out of Dodge, yeah. 00:58:05 : My goodness. 00:58:06 : You were sure gentlemanly about it. 00:58:09 : I've always believed that done properly... 00:58:12 : ...armed robbery doesn't have to be a totally unpleasant experience. It has transformed past the original to become minced with fun additions like: Gravity Falls "Weirdmageddon: Part 1" (S02 E18) 00:14:15 : I gotta get out of Time Dodge. The Shield "Rap Payback" (2006 , S05 E06) 00:03:01: Turf's been neutral since Antwon's crew slithered out of Dodge. Side Note: Many phrases feel ancient but became mainstream through radio, film, and television: Bite the Bullet During (traumatic) battlefield surgery, soldiers were said to bite the bullet to endure the pain, a phrase that likely originated from military practices before anesthesia (super traumatic). It was later popularized through war films like The Longest Day (1962) and Western television dramas that dramatized courage in the face of hardship. Reading the Riot Act Teachers and authorities have long reprimanded misbehaving groups, a practice formalized in the British law of 1714 known as the Riot Act, giving rise to the phrase "reading the riot act." It entered mainstream language through early 20th-century radio dramas and films, including comedies like Our Gang (1922-1944) which showcased stern lectures to unruly children. [Fun Fact: the series was sold to MGM and rebranded into 1950's The Little Rascals] Cash Cow The term originally drew from farming metaphors describing a cow that reliably produces milk. It became a figurative expression for a lucrative, dependable source of profit, widely popularized in the 1980s and 1990s through television business reporting on programs such as 60 Minutes and coverage of Hollywood franchises that funded riskier projects. Section 2: Why the Phrase Still Works It's not a viral saying like "Very demure, very mindful, very cutesy" that everybody quickly becomes aware of and then suddenly nobody uses. It's been here. But why is it staying? It’s visual. A picture is immediately painted. One can see in their mind's eye a dusty street, the scrape of boots on wooden sidewalks, somebody running away, or a standoff because this town isn't big enough for the two of us. Not many of us have been to Dodge City, but the idiom is cinematic nonetheless. That's why traction has been gripped in media. The mental imagery is instant and evocative, making it easy for writers, directors, and speakers to convey “move fast” or “escape danger” in a single line. It’s flexible. While it originated in the context of danger or imminent trouble, the phrase has morphed into a broader tool of expression. You can use it to describe anything: burnout at work (“I need to get out of Dodge before another meeting”) awkward social encounters (“He started talking politics, and I knew it was time to get out of Dodge”) Its versatility keeps it alive across decades because it’s never tied to a single literal meaning. It adapts to the speaker’s needs. It sounds good. Just speak it and enjoy that mouth feel. /ɡɛt aʊt əv dɑdʒ/ in IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) It's got a good rhythm with hard consonants and a strong stress pattern. It's "sticky" in conversation, scripts, and headlines. If you think about it: phrases that survive tend to feel good on the tongue. It implies agency. Unlike idioms that depict helplessness (“caught between a rock and a hard place”), this one puts the speaker/protagonist/MC in charge. Nobody is waiting for a rescue. They are making a choice and taking action! Trouble is left behind! Empowering idioms are always appreciated. Section 3: What Writers Can Learn From It 1. Specificity Makes Stories Memorable Naming a place, showing its quirks, and grounding your story in details gives readers something to remember. Specifics scale because one well-chosen detail can make a story feel universal. 2. Setting Shapes Voice Characters’ language and choices (even and especially in pop culture) can carry the weight of the world they inhabit. Let the setting inform how your characters think, speak, and behave. 3. Conflict Springs from Place Writers can use setting as a natural source of tension. Let location generate stakes and challenges for your characters instead of forcing conflict from nowhere. Plus, a lot of the time the place helps you create conflict you wouldn't have been able to conceive on your own. 4. Language Encodes History Phrases like “get out of Dodge” carry decades of culture, tension, and narrative in a few words. Dialogue and idioms can hint at background, social norms, or world history without the heavy exposition. 5. Small Places Can Explore Big Ideas Even a frontier town can reveal universal human truths: struggle, courage, ambition, fear, and resilience. You don’t (necessarily) need a huge, epic setting to tackle themes that matter. Mini Writing Game Conclusion “Get out of Dodge” lasted because it does more than a simple phrase usually does. It tells a mini story that gives the speaker and listener some agency. Place, danger, urgency, and escape are all packed into four syllables. It’s a reminder that even the quirkiest corners of history like an 1870's rowdy frontier town, a 1950s TV show, and a pop culture riff can teach writers and speakers something lasting. So next time you're leaving a wild west town, removing yourself from a terrible date, or avoiding a long meeting, in true frontier spirit, don’t just talk about it—get out of Dodge. Getting out of dodge myself, Katherine Arkady

Participate as the main character in this interactive fiction titled "Missing 'The Forest' for the Tree," a stoner comedy where you're home from a hard day's work only to find that you're out of weed! Do you call a friend? Do you go to a party? Do you get through the night free of any spoilers from The Forest? Choose your own adventure! "Missing The Forest for the Tree" Interactive Fiction Participate as the main character in this interactive stoner comedy. You're home from a hard day's work only to find that you're out of weed! Do you call a friend? Do you go to a party? Do you get through the night free of any spoilers from The Forest? Start below and see where the story takes you! All you have to do is choose... This project was made possible with Twine . Twine is an open-source tool for telling interactive, nonlinear stories. No coding knowledge necessary, though you can can extend your stories with variables, conditional logic, images, CSS, and JavaScript. Twine publishes directly to HTML, so you can post your work nearly anywhere—like this website! Better yet, anything created with Twine is completely free to use any way you like, including commercial purposes. Learn more at twinery.org

Explore some "procrasti-writing" resources like polls, short stories, and interactive fiction to inspire you creativity and keep your writing fun! Procrasti-Writing Resources Writers are going to procrastinate. These resources are activities close enough to the general act of writing that you could convince yourself that you were "pretty much writing" this whole time. Writer-Centric POV Playlists You crave that authentic character inspiration and the vibes for storytelling need to be immersive. You, as a writer, have to feel it! Each of my playlists is tailored to achieve the energy of those emotions and understand those nuances to the real-life experience. FIND IDEAL ENERGY *Some* Books I Read While Researching… Properly writing about a topic requires properly researching the basics, the not so basics, and the culture of your chosen topic. Below are topics that I've studied and *some* of the following books I've read within that topic. Always always ALWAYS look to your local library for educational tools! TAKE A PAGE OR TWO Polls and Questionnaires Practice for your memoirs with some insightful polling and questions about your own writing experience. Readers: there are activities for your pretty eyes to gaze upon, too! Explain to your physical body what goes on in your spiritual head. Answer the questions and feel productive! ANSWER TO EXPERIENCE Interactive Fiction Participate as the main character in this choose-your-own-adventure-style interactive fiction titled "Missing The Forest for the Tree," a stoner comedy where you're home from a hard day's work only to find that you're out of weed! Do you call a friend? Do you go to a party? Do you get through the night free of any spoilers from The Forest? DIVE INTO THE STORY

Writing well-rounded characters starts with real insights. Listen to Takes One to Write One, where guests share their experiences to inspire your stories and the characters in them! Takes One to Write One Podcast: Real Stories for Writing Authentic Characters I'm Katherine Arkady and I’m a writer. However, my characters are everything but. While research gives me information about their jobs and lifestyles, it doesn’t give me the first-hand experience needed to write a well-rounded character. So I created this podcast where I invite people on to talk about their jobs, their hobbies, or their beliefs, because it Takes One to Write One. Subscribe to Takes One to Write One for bi-weekly insights so you can write authentic, well-rounded characters through interviews and real-life stories.