Two Hearts and One Braincell: Cassidy Carson & JT Hume Amateur Hour

After a few "doom and gloom" episodes with the related drop-off in listenership, we announce the end of the podcast because we each discover a hill we will die on (kidding).

But seriously, folks, we dive into the Language of Love and the culture of a relationship, and how we as writers bring all of this to our works in progress. We're talking about communication, gestures, and habits that are unique to each relationship.

We use real-life examples of our parents' marriages as well as our own. We also cite Pride and Prejudice, Romeo and Juliet, Georgette Heyer, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

CC watched TED Talks by author Elizabeth Gilbert of "Eat, Pray, Love" fame as a means to break through her writer's block, and her videos inspired us to talk about the source of a writer's inspiration. We knocked down a series of dominos and ended up with the question: Are some writers divinely inspired by God to write their works, or is creativity the result of the happenstance of physiological neurons and flashes of genius?

We included a "Philosophy of Religion" class, the Baha'i' Faith, our conscience, and the one or many faces of God.

Episode 131 is more free form than usual since we start with Labor Day, muddle around Burning Man, and end up talking at length about the Indiana Jones franchise.

Throughout this podcast was the sense and idea of nostalgia. The movie-going experience has changed much in our lifetimes, though we wouldn't say it necessarily has evolved. We also acknowledge that we are not the target audience we used to be. Even so, we feel the impact of entertainment was lost as movies were moved from a dark room with one bright screen to home-centric entertainment systems (streaming services and video games).

Dunno if we can be "right or wrong" in something that is unique to all of our personal experiences, but we do have opinions from our chairs on the porch as we watch over our lawn.

We spoil Indiana Jones and discuss the challenges of the home of Burning Man (CC used to live out there).

The endless saga of our flooded basement gives us fodder for this week's podcast. Long story short: we're sore.

We talk about how the natural process of aging and Life takes a physical toll on our quality of life, and how we as writers can use these experiences to shape our characters. We also discuss how we can learn more about conditions where we have no firsthand experience. Notable examples would be the use of scooters in supermarkets and childbirth.

Episode 129 is about the authors who inspired and shaped us as adults and writers, and who happen to be women.

How's this for a murderer's row:

Agatha Christie (left)

Louisa May Alcott (right)

Jane Austen

Georgette Heyer

Carolyn Keene

Anne McCaffery

Ann Rice

JK Rowling

Alice Walker

Harper Lee

Margaret Mitchelle

Madeline L'Engle

Diana Gabaldon

Amy Tan

Audrey Niffenegger

So many more we could have mentioned.

We spoil "Murder on the Orient Express" and "Clue" (the movie).

We also discussed Hurricane Hillary, our feral cat, and the toxic wastedump known as our basement.

Episode 128 is about that great beast called "screenwriting" and how it is a different, yet similar craft to writing a book. There's the external visual representation versus the internal written word, but there's also the complex collaboration, visuals, and the outside influences (re: the studios) that change the original product into what you see on the big and small screen. It's a fascinating process.

We spoil:

Angels and Demons

Star Wars

Spider-Man

Batman

We update our EPA Superfund Site codenamed "our basement," talk about our WIPs, and discuss our deer for what is probably the last time.

Is George Lucas good or lucky?

What's going on with Episode 126 of our writers' podcast? The better question is what isn't going on with this podcast.

We start off with the premise that an epiphany is part of the writer's toolchest, but it's an unreliable tool. Yes, the initial idea of a book can be classified as one, but what happens after you start writing and developing characters and plot? We have ideas on how to create and use epiphanies in your writing.

There's also a discussion on how long you should take to write a book. Spoiler: CC has been working on hers for over ten years and I started mine in 2022. They might appear in 2024.

Also the usual junk drawer updates:

Deer

Basement

Weather

WIPs

Killing characters

Free book giveaway

Yeah, we joined mainstream and social media in debating Barbie in our podcast, but we went in a different direction with the history of gender-based books and roles.

We start in the mass market publishing in the beginning of the 20th Century ("dime store novels") through the "Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew" type books of the Fifties. We work our way into Women's Lib and ERA, and we talk about how the Barbie movie is portrayed in social media.

Also:

-Our WIPs

-Happy Birthday

-Deer Update

-WGA and the SAGAFTA strikes

Episode 123 is all about the our new furry friends. More specifically, we talk at length about how we can't help but assign human emotions and actions to those in the animal kingdom (the word I can't say or spell to save my life is "anthropomorphism").

Also:

- Our current WIPs & Boring Characters

- Nanowrimo & Camp Nano

- Setting writing goals and boundaries

- Run the dishwasher twice!

- Our maternity ward

We're packing a lot of good writing stuff in this one, not to mention a bit of risk. Are we right or wrong?

Episode 121 is started slow, but evolved into something interesting and complex.

We talked about about our minimal efforts on our works in progress. The challenges for CC is finding the time to hit the keyboard. My challenge is I'm making things up as I go along, so I think I created a readable adventure, but not a viable ending. If you're in a similar situation, we have ideas.

We put togethere a mailbox yesterday. Gently speaking, it was our usual comedy of errors.

The main gist of the podcast was about the challenge of writing about events we have not experienced first hand, including COVID, Gettysberg, Pearl Harbor, and the 1917 pandemic. One of those things we actually did experience in the last couple of weeks, but for the most part, we writers are challenged when we want to include the feel and taste of times gone by.

We also spent time on how folks in the past got swept up in events through herd mentality, and how sometimes the best books are those who stand in front of the tanks.

Episode 119 is our examination about setting fiction in places where the writer has never traveled. CC uses a great example of space to illustrate the challenge. We talk about the tools we use to overcome this barrier.

The podcast is back after a two-week hiatus due to JT driving to the East Coast and back to see his sister. Today's episode is all about that eleven-state tour (NV, UT, WY, NE, IA, IL, IN, OH, PA, MD, DE, and back). For those scoring at home, JT drove over 5,500 miles.

Also:

Happy Mother's Day to all who celebrate and should be celebrated! This week, we spent most of the podcast bragging about our kids, but we also debated a fair amount trying to crack the tough nut of Time.

Question: how do you find the time to write? Even as empty nesters, CC and I struggle to set aside time to work on our WIP. We bounce around some ideas and plans.

Bonjour! Today's writer's podcast is all about the City of Lights: Paris, France. We were lucky to spend more than a week discovering the wonders of Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, the Champs-Élysées, and a thousand places in between. From the Paris Metro to a famous graveyard. We walked along the Seine and took a long boat ride on the Seine, yet we barely scratch the surface of this wonderous city.

From a writer's POV, we learned about communication gaps, French culture and history, and whether there was any truth to certain French stereotypes. Plus we visited Victor Hugo's bedroom and Oscar Wilde's tomb.

For Carson City's Mark Twain Days, we went to a writers' workshop on Nevada and came away with interesting perspectives and ideas. CC might even have a new story to tell.

Episode 114 of the "helping writers write" podcast touches on messages to our younger selves. What we have learned and what would we say to ourselves if we could go back in time. "Never give up" is the obvious advice, but the rest is not so obvious.

Also discussed:

-Paris (France)

-Mark Twain

-Our Basement

-Retirement

-Significant Birthdays

-Going to College

-Our current WIPs

And the real reason they made you take algebra in high school. It wasn't a waste of time!

Been a low and slow day at the CC and JT Amateur Hour where "we help writers write" because Spring has finally sprung. Woo!

We talked about the craft of writing last week, which is the technical aspect of grammar, editing, and publishing. These are universal to all books.

What is not universal is the creative process or the art of writing, so today's podcast is all about pulling words from our brains and getting them on the screen. CC and I compare and contrast our respective styles as we talk about our current works in progress.

Shorter: we podcast on making the sausage.

Episode 112 of our writer's podcast tackles Spring Cleaning, the ritual of opening the windows, letting in the fresh air, and getting your house organized.

For writers, it's about the craft of writing: organizing your manuscripts, filing documents in their proper folders, and reorganizing your brain for the next manuscript.

Also discussed: our basement (sigh), France, Mark Twain in Nevada, and the artist's right to change their work.

For those of us at certain age, we recall when Rod Serling spoke of the dimension of mind. Episode 111 of our "writer's podcast for writers" dives into the mind as we discuss "reality vs. memory." They're often not the same thing.

We use a fender bender that CC and I saw firsthand this week. Even though it happens a few feet from us, we took away different perceptions of the event.

We also provide updates on our individual works in progress which we hope to publish this year, plus the weekly weather and water report.

Another polyglot of a podcast from the Worldwide Headquarters where "we like to help writers write."

We discussed writing comfort zones, and how writers like to stick to familiar troupes and character because they over a rich source of inspiration. John Grisham and his love for the Deep South is specifically mentioned, as is my books of Nevada.

We push our own buttons (again) of the complex subject of social media and the increasing amount of overhead dedicated to advertise our works, almost to the point where we have to sacrifice writing time in lieu of advertising. A difficult balance.

We wrap things up with a chat about dialogue and context, and we mention how people mostly listen to others to respond versus really listening to each other (it makes more sense in the podcast). We discuss some ideas on how writers can improve their dialogue in their books.

All this and more from the Podcast Where Production Values Go to Die. Literally. We hope you enjoy. Take care.

Another podcast, another joint therapy session.

Northern Nevada is being pummeled by waves of rain and snow, and some of it overflowed into our basement. CC and I talk it out to get perspective and context, and as a means to reduce our stress.

Also discussed:

-Writing as an escape
-Getting yourself into writing mode.
-Memories and context.
-Word games with kids.
-Cochlear implants.
-Rain and snow and rain and snow.
-How we'd love to hear back from you.

Trigger: I use a naughty word (a naughty Irish word, that is).

We clearly had things on our minds in this week's writers podcast:

-Snow.
-So much snow.
-The Northern Nevada Floods of 1997.
-Heated sidewalks at the Nevada Legislature.
-Our respective works in progress.
-Staying focused on the story at hand and not getting sidetracked.
-So much respect for veterinarians and their teams.

We wrap it up with a dive into the taxes that writers must consider every year. We're not experts and do not mean to imply we have the answers, but we do share some thoughts on the subject. (PS: do your research and talk to a CPA.)

We still clock in at less at thirty minutes, so it's perfect for your commute from Reno to Carson City! 

Time for another CC and JT Amateur Hour "where production values go to die." We like to help writers write.

The past is always present and grips us all in more ways than one. CC and I discuss how to fold the past into your writing.

We talk about the Hume Museum. Peggy the doll there has been handed down through generations, and her wooden friends come from overseas.

"The podcast where production values go to die" is more discombobulated than usual in this episode. We started talking about the value of developing routines and habits to establish comfort zones for writing. That's valuable stuff, but we somehow segued into the importance of fan fiction. 

We have a lot of respect for these artists, especially for middle and high schoolers who write and put themselves out there for (sometimes) very harsh criticism.

Not much to reports on our personal works in progress, though Charlie (pictured) plays a key role in my WIP.

CC and I meander all over the map in this week's podcast about Love. We agree, and we agree to disagree, but we're fairly safe in saying there are no absolutes other than "Love is Love." 

We hope you have it all figured out for yourself because listening to this podcast, you can tell we are clearly clueless.

We discuss "the doldrums," which we define as a normal interruption in the creative writing process. You have a story, but you don't what to with it or which direction to take it. 

We're going through this ourselves. We have some ideas on what got us there and what it will take to get us moving again.

We also chat about our gift to you on Valentines Day and current events.

We struggled this week with "the big reveal": the completely out-of-the-blue plot twist. Does it take the reader out of the story? Does it improve the plot? Does it change a "routine" experience into a memorable one for all the right reasons?

Thoroughly spoiled: "The Crying Game" and "Murder on the Orient Express."

CC and I chat about what may be the most important emotional tool for a writer. We need a lot of moxie to get a book from a random idea floating in the ether to a real live book. 

We talk about the challenges of believing in yourself, plus we give some ideas in how to keep believing in yourself.

There's the usual updates about our works in progress, and we make a big announcement about our next book.

In today's Amateur Hour, CC and I discuss the books that took us from childhood reading to adult fiction, and the impact they continue to have on us as adults.

We chat about sump pumps, our works in progress, and "From Tundra to Tiara," as well as our plans for the future.

Our 99th podcast, and we're almost done with another cycle of writing-editing-publishing a book with "From Tundra to Tiara" being released tomorrow, Monday, January 9. 

We talk at length about what we learned from our collaborative effort in writing a book, along with the challenges of contrasting writing styles and the English language itself.

We segue over to the biggest roadblock for independent writers: getting the word about our new book. Marketing is pushing that big rock up the mountain with no certainty that our efforts or money are producing good results (but we keep pushing).

We cite Sisyphus, Ernest Hemingway, Herman Wouk, and Billy Mack from "Love Actually" in this podcast (no spoilers). There's a range of characters for you.

We started 2023 with a power and internet outage from a humungous storm that knocked out services for a hundred-plus square miles in Northern Nevada. We're finally back on line, so here is the delayed second chapter of your future favorite Netflix/Hallmark cozy romantic movie. 

Ah, "the horror of the holidays are upon us," as my grandfather used to say. One common theme, no matter your culture or beliefs, are the strong emotions we feel during these days. CC and I remember two of our strongest Christmas memories, and we use them to illustrate how to transcribe those memories into prose.

Jam-packed podcast where we talked about my completed space epic and how it differs from the three modern eponymous sci-fi adventures. Lots of talks about techno-babble and characters. If you're writing one, or considering writing one, here are some great ideas.

Our single brain is on display in this podcast because we wandered all over the writer's landscape today, starting with writing posture, segueing to mojo and frame of mind, and ending with a chat about writers spending money. We did learn that CC and I had different elementary school experiences. Have a listen!

Writing believable dialogue is one of the biggest challenges in prose because "dialogue is character," and characters are what drive our books. We discuss dialogue at length with examples from famous movies, and we provide ideas on how to improve your own written dialogue (spoiler: "listen").

A little bit longer post for this week's podcast.

Tomorrow starts the presale of our new book on Amazon. This week, we discuss kicking off our marketing campaign tomorrow (Monday, November 21) with all sorts of plans and incentives. We're doing the title reveal this week and the cover reveal next week. 

The biggest challenge will be navigating through the uncertainty of social media, which may disappear without warning. Here's our plans to push this book:

We chat about writing about the holidays, why Hollywood keep making holiday movies, and why people keep watching them. Themes include family, winter, and love.

Minor spoilers of Love Hard, Die Hard, and others.

Writing about politics can be rewarding and challenging, but it's easy to get lost in the weeds. CC and I give you ideas about how to focus on the story at hand without going too far off track.

We talk about our current works in progress, Nanowrimo, graphic design, and the upcoming holidays. Pretty good podcast this week, if I do say so myself. 

A short one this week on our updated marketing plan, changing of the seasons, retirement, our WIPs, and the importance of routine. 

We came to the conclusion we use podcasting as an excuse to drink coffee.

Have a listen and y'all take care of yourselves, you hear? TIA LYL

We got around to rerecording Settings Part 2, the one where we define how a setting can overwhelm the characters in your book. We're talking about an event that obliterates the routines and comfort zones of your characters. We give thoughts on this genre, starting with highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of your characters as they are changed by the setting.

This week we chat about Robert Frost's "Road Not Taken" (apologies to Mr. Frost for mangling the quote in the podcast). With CC and I being of a certain age, we have a better perspective of our interests and skills. What careers would we have picked had we the chance to do things over again? And what were our childhood choices for jobs?

We go down this path because we're engaging our imaginations and "what if's," both being essential writers' tools. Are you in your chosen career path? What would you have done different "if you knew then what you know now?"

Also discussed is JT's last week with his long-time day job and our in-depth editing sessions we're having over our current work in progress.

We gave ourselves an on-air (and mutual) anxiety attack in this week's podcast as we talked out our plans for the rest of the year. We didn't know how much we have going on until we turned on the microphone!

The big part of the podcast was Content Editing. We got the draft back from our editors on our joint project, and we learned that we did indeed have plot holes that need smoothing over before we can return the draft for their next deep dive. We talk about how we created those holes and how we'll fix them.

Another major portion was a deep dive into our Nanowrimo project we'll be doing in November. We have ideas and thoughts, and we'll be hopefully organizing them in a few weeks into a coherent draft.