It's back to a bit of Rod Serling advice for "Take a Swing at This", as Dan institutes a dialogue loyalty test, of sorts. Mark rates the podcast "May I Elaborate" (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/may-i-elaborate-daily-wisdom-from-jb-smoov

Street Writers - UPP

May 12th, 2021 8m 57s

Under pressure: yeah, all have way too much of it, but sometimes it can help your writing. Mark discusses how to reach a higher gear by creating a deadline for yourself and writing under pressure, purposely. Dan reads an inspiring paragraph fro

Street Writers - Different Voices

May 5th, 2021 10m 38s

For "Take a Swing at This" Dan turns to master storyteller Rod Serling, and his advice to listen to your characters with your eyes closed to see who's who. (If anybody!) Mark's "They Beat Us To The Punch" is all about Jonathan Lethem's "Gun, wi

Street Writers - Read, read, read

Apr 29th, 2021 9m 23s

Well, you’re reading this: that’s a good sign. Because Mark talks about the need for writers to read. Moves are great, shows are fabulous, podcasts are the bomb, but there’s no substitute for the written word. So read, read, read. Dan then rave

Street Writers - Bring the Love

Apr 21st, 2021 10m 2s

Dan says, bring the love — to yourself. As writers, we’re good at berating ourselves. Well now it’s time to admire what you’re doing this very moment, and to appreciate your commitment to the craft. Mark reads a passage from an amazing f**king

Street Writers - TOD: Text or Die

Apr 17th, 2021 10m 22s

The Master of Acronyms is back! For "Take a Swing at This" Marc lays out the challenge and power of TOD: Text or Die. For "They Beat Us To The Punch" Dan is all over 2034, a new too close for comfort military thriller of a near-future global co

Street Writers - PEA

Apr 7th, 2021 10m 39s

Pity. Envy. Adore. Aka, PEA. Dan discusses how to use the PEA acronym to help shape the characters you create. Mark reads a passage from Quite Ugly One Morning by Christopher Brookmyer that evokes a smoke-filled, aristocratic English club. Dan

Street Writers - First to Third

Mar 31st, 2021 10m 55s

Want to turbo charge your journaling? Go from first to third. Mark discusses the benefits of simply shifting your journal entry from first person (“I feel like ...”) to third person (“He believed that ...”). It provides opportunities to enrich

Street Writers - Kio Stark Pt. 2

Mar 24th, 2021 10m 14s

We're back with Pt. 2 of our interview with writer, instructor, TED Talker and novelist Kio Stark, author of the influential and inspirational "When Strangers Meet: How People You Don’t Know Can Transform You.". In "They Beat Us To The Punch,"

Street Writers - Kio Stark Pt. 1

Mar 17th, 2021 9m 21s

Writer, instructor, TED Talker and novelist Kio Stark joins us on the Street. Among her works, Kio is the author of the influential and inspirational "When Strangers Meet: How People You Don’t Know Can Transform You." In "Take A Swing At This"

Street Writers - Reversals

Mar 10th, 2021 10m 42s

This way? No, back it up, turn it around! That's better. Or so Dan says as he advocates for "Reversals" via this episodes "Take A Swing At This". (With a nod to creativescreenwriting.com) Then Mark's off to other worlds, introducing The Three B

Street Writers — Be Your Audience

Mar 3rd, 2021 10m 10s

"Take A Swing At This" answers the eternal question of where to find your audience with the writing tip to *be* your audience. For “They Beat Us To The Punch”, Mark shares an excerpt from writing and ad giant George Tannenbaum's always excellen

Street Writers - H. Byron Ballard, part 2

Feb 24th, 2021 9m 6s

In the second half of our interview, H. Byron Ballard discusses her infatuation with words, and then reads excerpts from Shakespeare, and from the poem, Invictus. She then discusses her new books: Roots, Branches and Spirits, and Seasons of a M

Street Writers - H. Byron Ballard

Feb 17th, 2021 10m 13s

To say this week’s guest has a rich and diverse background is a gross understatement. We’re thrilled to welcome author, teacher, folklorist, priestess and village witch, H. Byron Ballard. In the first half of our interview, Byron discusses her

Street Writers - TMOC

Feb 10th, 2021 10m 36s

TMOC: The myth of confidence. Mark wonders if writers need to have confidence in their writing — he certainly doesn’t, and he knows so many other writers who struggle with confidence as well. Maybe all the confidence you need is that you’ll wri

Street Writers - Christopher Golden Pt. 2

Feb 3rd, 2021 10m 28s

It's part 2 with best selling author (of many, many things) Christopher Golden! For "They Beat Us To The Punch", Chris reads an amazing excerpt from Joe R. Lansdale's fantastic "The Drive In." (https://www.amazon.com/Drive-B-Movie-Blood-Popcorn

Street Writers - Christopher Golden Pt. 1

Jan 27th, 2021 10m 46s

We're jazzed to welcome best-selling novelist and writer's friend Christoper Golden to the Street. Chris has brought stories to life in every medium — animation, audio, comics, novels — and has a regular spot on the New York Times bestseller li

Street Writers - I’m a Fraud

Jan 20th, 2021 9m 18s

Well, it’s about time. Mark finally admits that he’s a fraud. His writing sucks, his plays are garbage (even the published ones), and how any of his films get into festivals is a joke. Imposter syndrome? Oh yeah, it’s real for Mark. So he share

Street Writers - Cornertalk

Jan 13th, 2021 10m 44s

No matter when this runs, it includes a 2021 greeting and (technically) our first “Take A Swing At This” of the new year: inspired by Lucian James’ (www.lucianjames.com) newsletter, Dan’s shouting at himself in the mirror, creating the Street W

Bob Palmer, part 2

Jan 7th, 2021 9m 34s

Here’s the second half of our interview with Bob Palmer, a top advertising and digital executive who has recently completed his first novel, King of Hearts. Bob talks about writers who have inspired him. He also discusses his book and the busin

Bob Palmer - Part 1

Dec 30th, 2020 9m 38s

This is the first half of our interview with Bob Palmer, a top advertising and digital executive who has recently completed his first novel, King of Hearts. Bob discusses the book, and provides insightful writing tips.

Street Writers - Snowflaking

Dec 23rd, 2020 10m 44s

For a special holiday edition of Street Writers, Dan's "Take A Swing At This" fills the stockings with the joy of Randy Ingermanson's "Snowflake Method" of writing (https://www.advancedfictionwriting.com). In "The Beat Us To The Punch", Mark as

Street Writers - Coffee is for Closers

Dec 16th, 2020 10m 38s

For "Take A Swing At This" Mark channels his inner Alec Baldwin. With "They Beat Us To The Punch", Dan proclaims "This is the way," in admiration of the storytelling skillz of "The Mandolorian." And when it's "Hit Us With Your Best Shot", Dan r

Street Writers - The Guarantee

Dec 11th, 2020 10m 17s

A rock solid guarantee (perhaps by way of the underworld) is Dan's offer to Mark in "Take A Swing At This". Then Mark brings law and order back to writing with a high-five to the five-oh skills of masterful police author Joseph Wambaugh in "Th

Street Writers - Character Driven

Dec 2nd, 2020 9m 47s

Stuck in the middle of a story? Let your characters lead you, step by step, line by line. Mark discusses building story momentum by letting your characters react to the line that was just written, and then react to the next line, and so on. Dan