After you write the scenes that have been living in your head for weeks, months or years, then it's time to get to the real work: the muddy, marshy middle of the book. It's what stalls and sometimes outright stops writers from writing. In this episode of Writing 201, Camille and DJ discuss a couple of techniques to move from scene to scene, getting you out of the mud and to your glorious ending.

Visit https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/marshy-middles-171439632 for the full transcript. You can also join our Patreon for free to enjoy episodes one week early.

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Why would we talk about hooks and first chapters on Writing 201? Because we're not teaching how to write a first line or a first draft, we're talking about their purpose. In this episode of Writing 201, DJ and Camille discuss when it's appropriate to use cliches, how much to cut from (or add to) your first draft and what to do when you're tempted to write and rewrite the beginning.

Visit https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/hooks-and-170754627 for the full transcript. you can also join our Patreon for episodes one week early.

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It's time to talk about climaxes: the big kaboom! The fight at the end of the book. Except it doesn't always have to be a fight. In this episode of Writing 201, Camille and DJ discuss alternatives to climactic fights with the evil big bad and why big, empty fields are unnecessary.

Visit https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/climaxes-169937835 for the full transcript. You can also join our Patreon for episodes one week early.

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DJ hates prologues and stopped reading them altogether years ago. Now, he's convinced Camille. In this episode of Writing 201, DJ and Camille get into the purpose of prologues, what makes a good first chapter, why you should start 'in media res,' and how to start a book quietly while keeping the readers attention.

Visit https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/first-chapters-169442855 for the full transcript. You can also join our Patreon for episodes one week early.

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Does it bother you that every book has a love story? It's driving Camille crazy! In this episode of Writing 201, DJ and Camille discuss why there are so many love story B plots and alternatives to the cliche. What kind of B plots are available to lone characters who don't fall in love? And what about a cast of platonic characters? Let's explore the options!

Visit https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/love-story-as-b-168804325 for the full transcript. You can also join our Patreon for episodes one week early.

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Some people read books to experience the world through another person's eyes, but many of us love to imagine ourselves as the main character. In this episode of Writing 201, DJ and Camille discuss what an audience surrogate is, how authors use them, different types, and why Bella Swan is actually a great example of a well-done audience surrogate.

Visit https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/audience-168054594 for the full transcripts. You can also join our Patreon for episodes one week early.

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Sure, we know descriptions describe a person, place or thing, but what else? In this episode of Writing 201, DJ and Camille discuss flowery vs. minimalist descriptions, how to use descriptions more effectively, invoking a tone, and much more.

Visit https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/descriptions-one-167507075 for the full transcripts. You can also access DJ's Fine Edits Google Doc at this link: https://docs.google.com/document/u/3/d/e/2PACX-1vTTUEv5OkBqc14WoRlbhMCgF2JpI1iZDm4EoBpcykdSREua2sNOQIFFdhzuiJdwKpe7a9hXIzdNEzmd/pub

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Chapters are overhyped. They don't need to be nearly as regimented and important as both authors and readers make them out to be.

In this first episode of Writing 201, DJ and Camille Jones discuss how to use chapters, what they represent and if you even need them.

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