Ekta Garg is the host of the Biblio Breakdown creative writing podcast. Here, she shares some of the top tips she’s given writers on that podcast.
by editor Ekta Garg
Biblio Breakdown is the brainchild of author Ryan Campbell (who writes as r.r. campbell). It was a semi-regular feature on his writing podcast collective called The Writescast Network.
In early 2020, Ryan and I discussed me doing an episode for Biblio. He was so gracious in giving me the opportunity to try it out, and from there it became an organic extension for me to be the main Biblio Breakdown podcaster for Writescast.
Toward the end of the year, Ryan made the difficult decision to shut down Writescast. By that time, I’d caught the podcasting bug. I’d actually been considering doing a podcast for a few years but didn’t know what I would podcast about or how it would all come together.
Ryan let me cut my teeth on Biblio, so by the time he said Writescast would cease airing new episodes I asked him if I could take over Biblio Breakdown and start doing it on my own author website. Once again, gracious person that he is, he gave me his blessing to do it.
The Idea Behind My Creative Writing Podcast
The idea behind Biblio Breakdown is simple: I pick a writing theme and use a recently-released novel to showcase how that writing theme plays out. I use examples directly from the book. Then I offer writing exercises for others to try it out in their own work.
I’ve enjoyed so many rewards from doing Biblio Breakdown. Connecting with the authors of books I’ve enjoyed and helping to spread the word about their amazing work has been fun. I’ve learned a lot about writing myself. And I’ve discovered a knack for picking out writing themes and coming up with exercises to match.
With each episode it gets a little easier, and I’m thrilled that I can use this avenue as another way to support and give back to the writing community.
Writing Tips from My Creative Writing Podcast
Here are some tips from some of the books I’ve examined so far:
Creative Writing Tip 1. Cultivate Patience
In Where the Crawdads Sing, the 2018 debut literary novel from Delia Owens, dozens of passages exhibit lyrical, captivating writing. The kind that takes patience to produce. In order to have that kind of patience, you need to cultivate it.
Take 10 minutes to sit and listen to your surroundings. If the weather is nice, go outside. (Read about “What Famous Writers Know About Walking.”)
Even if you’re inside, a house is never completely quiet. The refrigerator hums. Kids in online school in another room are chatting with teachers. Don’t let your thoughts intrude; just listen and take in what you can.
Now spend 10 minutes recording what you observed, even if it’s just in words or phrases. Taking that time to sink into the moment is often what produces memorable writing.
Creative Writing Tip 2. Convey the Mood
Setting the mood for a story is about how the specific story elements make a person feel. In her 2020 gothic novel, The Ancestor, author Danielle Trussoni sets up that old-fashioned haunted feeling by describing shadows and scenes in a castle at night.
It’s important to pay attention to everything in a scene that conveys the mood you want to impart. Look at the time of day and how people are interacting with one another (cheerful; disdainful; etc.)
Word choice is also important. If someone glances at a character, that’s different from glaring at them. Think about what various words convey and how that reinforces the mood you want to set.
Creative Writing Tip 3. Info Dumps Can Be Good
Info dumps, when used with skill and precision, are a good thing. I know, right? Completely flies in the face of every writing expert ever. But Chris Hauty in his January 2021 political thriller Savage Road uses information dumps with aplomb, and he does them in just the right places and moments so we don’t feel like they’re info dumps.
If you’re doing it intentionally and can pinpoint the specific reason why you’re using that much back story, you can get away with anything.
Creative Writing Podcast: Short Story Tips from a Short Story Judge
1. The Short Story Has to Be a Complete Story
A successful short story has to be a complete story. It has to make the reader feel like s/he knows everything they need to know about the characters and the plot by the end. This is a little tricky when you leave the ending somewhat ambiguous, but I’d argue that even the stories that leave ambiguity still feel complete.
An easy way to test this is to ask yourself, “If I knew nothing more about these characters and their situation than what is here on the page, would it be enough to satisfy most of my curiosity about them?” If the answer is yes, then your story is complete. If the answer is no, then maybe the story needs a little work. Asking writing friends and/or informal beta readers to read your work will help with this.
I realize, of course, that there are plenty of short stories that break this rule. Some of our most beloved works of fiction/prose break all conventions. But if you find a story that breaks rules, you have to examine what it did well because it definitely did something outstanding. It delivered to readers in such a way that it doesn’t matter what rules get broken.
2. Short Stories Are About Stunning Moments
Also, for me personally, short stories are about stunning moments. A book has pages and pages to bring you around to a particular viewpoint, a particular plot twist, or a pointed conclusion. Short stories don’t have that kind of luxury or time, which is what makes them so challenging to write well.
That can also be a blessing. You don’t have to spend chapters on character or plot development. You can just zero in on one moment or a day or maybe a week and tell readers what changed for the characters and how they reacted. You’re in, you’re out, and you’re done.
I really enjoy a short story that can make a couple of things shine. Here are some examples and what I loved about them:
In this first example, it was the audacity of the characters’ beyond-belief commitment to living off the land. (https://buttoneyereview.com/2021/01/09/pray-by-anthony-lee-hamilton/)
Here it was the heartache of not being able to conceive and how that permeates everything in a woman’s life. (http://www.cheappoplit.com/home/2021/1/9/magic-of-spices-sudha-balagopal)
This last one shows the brilliance of micro fiction—coming at you with two emotional gut punches in a handful of words.(https://101words.org/box-baby/)
3. Make One or Two Things Stand Out
Whatever you choose to write about, try to make one or two things stand out. Make sure all the story elements are there—the tension and conflict; a complete plot (beginning, middle, and end); a character who changes in some way or who exhibits the effect of a change that we get to witness—and then, over a series of revisions, find a way to make at least one or two of those elements shine.
Work on the plot and deliver something unexpected, like in “Box Baby,” or show readers a character who will push boundaries, as with “Pray.” Don’t be afraid to let your imagination run free. You can always revise and tone things down later. You can’t revise a blank page.
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Since her start in niche publishing in 2005, Ekta Garg has written and edited about everything from healthcare to home improvement to Hindi films. She became a freelance editor in 2011 to cement her belief that words have the power to change people and the world.
A moderator for two online writing groups and a writing contest judge, Ekta also hosts Biblio Breakdown, a podcast where she examines book themes to offer writing exercises. Ekta reads and reviews at least one book a week (and plans to increase that when the kids go off to college.) She also manages The Write Edge and its extension blogs of original fiction, book reviews, and parenting adventures.
Outside of writing and editing Ekta spends time with friends (the ones other people can see) and counts her many blessings, which include a loving husband and two beautiful daughters who astound her on a regular basis.
For more information about Ekta and her work, please see her website or connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.
Featured photo by Keira Burton from Pexels.