Writing on Caffeine

In this episode, Jonathan and Ragan discuss what makes up a good protagonist (THE HERO!). They also dive into some of their favorite (and least favorite) protagonists and why they love or hate them.

In this episode we discuss what makes up a good antagonist. We also dive into some of our favorite (and least favorite) antagonists and why we love or hate them.

In this episode, Jonathan and Ragan (and Avery) attempt to plot a new novel live. We dive into world-building, character-building, motivations, magic-systems, and merpeople genocide. We thought it wo…

In this episode, Jonathan and Ragan discuss music and writing. First, we have to clear up exactly what that means, and then we embark on all the aspects: listening to music while writing or reading a…

In this episode, Jonathan and Ragan discuss magic systems. We talk (again) about Brandon Sanderson's laws of magic, and then we apply those laws to the magic found in various books, including The Hob…

In this episode, Jonathan and Ragan discuss book formats (i.e., hard cover, paperback, audio, ebook, etc.). They discuss the pros and cons of the various formats as well as what are their favorite fo…

In this episode, Jonathan and Ragan discuss the impact of worldview on writing fiction. Is it possible to write without a worldview? Should we leverage our worldview to create more compelling stories…

In this episode, Jonathan and Ragan discuss point of view in writing fiction. There are generally four points of view: first person, second person, third person (limited), and third person (omniscien…

On this episode, Jonathan and Ragan interview author Austin C. Brown. Austin lives in Pensacola, FL with his wife and three children. He has written a memoir about the adventures of a postal worker, …

In this episode, we discuss what is involved in developing believable characters. Who to write complex versus flat characters. How to develop a character over the course of your novel. Should you use…

In this episode, we look at the 2023 New Year and make some resolutions about our writing. Basically, we are going to try to finish these novels! We also discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of wh…

In this episode, we talk about world-building. Writing fiction involves placing characters into a world. What does that world look like? Is it modern-day Earth? Is it Medieval Europe? Is it some alie…

In this episode, we discuss the intricacies of writing dialog, including some of the difficulties we have encountered in our own writing.

In this episode, we discuss how authors plan and write books. Specifically, we talk about the difference between plotters and pantsers. Plotters are authors who plan out their novels and outline the …

In this episode, we discuss writing accountability. One of the most difficult aspects of writing a book is the simple task of getting words on the page. Just write! In order to set ourselves up for s…