Wordplay Podcast

Please Welcome Our Newest Member

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:05:01 +0000

As we told you recently, James Dashner’s schedule has forced him to cut back on a few things, and one of them was the Wordplay Podcast. We will miss him. But somehow I suspect we haven’t seen the last of him around here.

We will definitely miss James, but we are so excited to introduce our newest member, Janette Rallison. Jannette is the author of more than ten books and has sold more than a million copies. Her latest book is My Double Life. She is a great author, a really funny person, and a smart as all get out. She might even revel one or more of her secret identities.

Nathan has been sick as a dog but we are hoping to get the next podcasts recorded next week. Please welcome Janette.

My Double Life

We Aren’t Gone

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:05:17 +0000

Thanks for all your great comments asking us to start posting again soon. The bad news is that due to a really busy schedule, James Dashner, will no longer be a regular contributor. We will definitely miss his knowledge and insights. The good news is that after discussing the situation, Nathan Bransford and I have decided to continue the podcast. We are talking to a couple of people about joining us, and we expect to be doing podcasts again by the end of this month. Keep checking back and we’ll keep recording podcasts.

Again, thanks for your support.

Jeff Savage

Ever Have One of Those Weeks

admin — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:57:44 +0000

All three hosts of the Wordplay team have been out of town the past week. So no podcast. But we’ll be back again next week with more advice, news, guests, and contests. Have a great week!

Wordplay Podcast Episode 11: Picture Books With Rick Walton and Anne Bowen

admin — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 06:26:28 +0000

As the snow begins to fall, James and Nathan head for warmer climates. OK, James is actually on tour and Nathan is in new York, leaving Jeff alone at the Wordplay Podcast, where he invites over all his friends, plays the stereo too loud and forgets to do the dishes. Fortunately Rick Walton and Anne Bowen, two amazing picture book authors, show up to discuss all things picture book. The three of us talk about story, length of picture books (turns out size DOES matter), and mistakes beginning picture book authors make.

Post your favorite picture book to win one of Anne’s wonderful books!

Great Halloween stories by the way. Love the idea of just changing costumes! Why didn’t I think of that when I was kid? The winner of The Night Circus is Vic Caswell. Congratulations. E-mail your address to contact@wordplaypodcast dot com to claim your prize.

Wordplay Podcast Episode 10: The Halloween Writer’s House of Terror

admin — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 04:49:12 +0000

Welcome to the Wordplay Halloween Writer’s House of Horrors. Do you dare enter? If so, you will be forced to learn secrets to horrible the Wordplay team has kept them locked away for years. Whose costume was mistaken for Peter Pan? Who chased after kids with a BB gun on All Hallows’ Eve? Who kissed a stranger in a haunted house? These answers and much much more await you. And should you survive finding out which host chooses Billy Beane as his favorite action hero, you will then find yourself joining the hosts on the most terrifying haunts any writer can face.

And tell us your favorite Halloween story and you’ll have a chance to win a copy of The Night Circus.

Speaking of winners. We have several to announce.

First the winners of Kiersten White’s books:

The Paranormalcy winner is Ilima Loomis

The Supernaturally winner is Charlee Vale

Congratulations!

Next, the winner of Aprilynne Pike’s book, Wings is Brooklyn Jensen, who commented:

“To get a signed copy of Wings(which i’ve read and loved!) I’d be willing to go skydiving (Im afraid of hieghts) land, then i would drive 13 hours to go see Aprilynne and get her whatever she wants then i would give her all of my siblings (i don’t want them anyway)and finaly i would eat raw chicken. I hope convinced you.”

Who can argue with siblings and raw chicken?

Last of all, the winner of Chris Grabenstein’s The Smokey Coridor, in our Just for Kids Contest.

First, let me just say that you guys are awesome. Every one of your stories was amazing. You all have incredible imaginations. I laughed, I cried, I shivered with fright. Since everyone did such a great job, you all get honorable mentions. I will send signed Farworld posters to all of you.

And the winner of The Smokey Corridor as judged by our esteemed panel, and my 11 year old son, is . . .

Jeremy Steckler!

E-mail your addresses to contact@wordplaypodcast.com and I’ll get your books sent out.

Wordplay Podcast Episode 9: Aprilynne Pike, Frame of Mind, Networking

admin — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 06:17:54 +0000

NYT bestselling author Aprilynne Pike joins the Wordplay podcast, where we answer the questions:

What two frames of mind do all authors experience?

What will depress James his whole life?

How is asking for a blurb like asking someone to have your children?

This may be our first PG 13 rated episode and you have Aprilynne to blame!

The good news is, you can win a signed copy of Wings, the book that started it all.

Since we couldn’t come up with a new way of picking a winner, we’re leaving it up to you. What would you do to get a signed copy of Wings? Best answer gets the book. Also, don’t forget we are extending our Just For Kids book giveaway to Halloween.

Wordplay Podcast Episode 8: Just For Kids With Chris Grabenstein

admin — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 08:36:08 +0000

Halloween is almost here and the Wordplay crew is in the spirit. Chris Grabenstein joins us as we discuss how to make your writing scary, funny, and just plain entertaining. Then join us for a game of “Can you?” Which of the four authors smokes the other three in getting Neville Noodlenose out of one predicament and into another?

Add your own ending to the story to win Chris’s creepy new book. The Smokey Corridor.

No this podcast isn’t two days late. I er, um, just wanted to give you more time to post your creepy endings. Since I’ve been fighting and cold and might have posted this late, I’m extending the contest until Halloween. Winners from last week will be posted tomorrow morning.

Wordplay Podcast Episode 7: Kiersten White, Beginnings, and Dialogue

admin — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 04:29:57 +0000

Kiersten White, author of Paranormalcy & Supernaturally joins the Wordplay team.

Learn why Kiersten lies to her kids, hides in the garage, and wrote the worst middle grade beginning ever. Oh, and we also discuss how to make your story beginning more gripping and what makes dialogue work.

Also follow Wordplay Podcast (and the Wordplay team!) To win a copy of Paranormalcy and Supernaturally.

Congratulations to last week’s winners:

diana is the winner of a paperback copy of Nightshade

Michael Runyan is the winner of a hardback copy of Wolfsbane

Wordplay Podcast Episode 6: Andrea Cremer–Is Your Story Too Similar to Something Else? Reading While You Are Writing & Dealing With Rejection

admin — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 06:46:55 +0000

For the month of October, we thought it would be fun to have some some paranormal YA and MG authors. This week we have the awesome Andrea Cremer, author of:

Nightshade, Wolfsbane, and the upcoming Bloodrose. In this episode you can learn why a writer should try to break their hand or have a boring job, what the Zeitgeist Lottery is, and which authors can and can't read similar genres to what they are writing at the time. Her rejection stories from Andrea, James, Nathan, and Jeff. (Feel free to weep a little if you must!)

And . . . since we had such a great time giving away Robison Wells' novel, Variant. We're at it again. Cooment on the blog and you are automatically entered to win a paperback copy of Nightshade. If we get at least 30 comments, we'll throw in a hardback of Wolfbane--because we're just that nice. Okay, Andrea is just that nice. We're sort of cantankerous.

Drawing will be done October 9th, 2011.

Check in over the next few weeks when we will have Kiersten White, Aprilynne Pike, and Chris Grabenstein.

Wordplay Podcast Episode 5: Kids Reading Higher Level Books, Finding Time to Write, Outlining, & Writer’s Block

admin — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 08:00:05 +0000

Is it a problem when kids jump right from early reader to YA novels? How in the world can someone with a family and/or a full time job find time to write? To outline or not to outline? And how do you solve the dreaded writers block?

Listen to Jeff, James, and Nathan discuss all this and more, count how many times they can refer to Stephen King, and win this awesome new book that hasn’t even hit bookstore shelves yet!

It's easy to win. All you have to do is comment or tweet a link to the wordplay podcast with the hastag #wordplaypodcast and you are entered. Do both and you are entered twice. We will draw one winner on Sunday, October 2nd. And remember, if you like the show, please tell your friends about us!