This is a podcast explicitly about the craft of writing—except when it’s not.For these “Fanning Out” bonus episodes, Ted is joined by his videographer pal Matthew Simmons not to talk about things they’ve made but rather to revel in the work of others and what it can teach us.Like the show’s regular episodes, it’s a celebration of human creativity (or something that sounds 57 percent less corny). Here, they’re just doing it from the perspective of fans, and they’re going beyond books and writing to dive into TV, movies, music, and whatever else they can credibly find an excuse to discuss.There are categories. There are digressions. And today, there is the season seven finale of Seinfeld, officially called “The Invitations” but forever remembered as that time where, yes, they really did kill George’s fiancée. Plus: The Oscars! Information for requesting transcripts as well as more details about Ted and his books are available on his website, <a href='https://www.thetedfox.com/'>thetedfox.com</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;This is a podcast explicitly about the craft of writing—except when it’s not.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For these “Fanning Out” bonus episodes, Ted is joined by his videographer pal Matthew Simmons not to talk about things they’ve made but rather to revel in the work of others and what it can teach us.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Like the show’s regular episodes, it’s a celebration of human creativity (or something that sounds 57 percent less corny). Here, they’re just doing it from the perspective of fans, and they’re going beyond books and writing to dive into TV, movies, music, and whatever else they can credibly find an excuse to discuss.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;There are categories. There are digressions. And today, there is the season seven finale of &lt;em&gt;Seinfeld&lt;/em&gt;, officially called “The Invitations” but forever remembered as that time where, yes, they really did kill George’s fiancée. Plus: The Oscars!&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Information for requesting transcripts as well as more details about Ted and his books are available on his website, &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.thetedfox.com/'&gt;&lt;em&gt;thetedfox.com&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

This is a podcast explicitly about the craft of writing—except when it’s not. For these “Fanning Out” bonus episodes, Ted is joined by his videographer pal Matthew Simmons not to talk about things they’ve made but rather to revel in the work of others and what it can teach us. Like the show’s regular episodes, it’s a celebration of human creativity (or something that sounds 57 percent less corny). Here, they’re just doing it from the perspective of fans, and they’re going beyond books and wri...

Fanning Out: Seinfeld’s ‘The Invitations’

Ted is joined by Shobha Rao, the author of the short story collection An Unrestored Woman and the novels Indian Country and Girls Burn Brighter. Shobha has won the Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Fiction and was a Grace Paley Teaching Fellow at The New School. Girls Burn Brighter was long-listed for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and was a finalist for the California Book Award and the Goodreads Choice Awards.Shobha’s best writing tip? It involves figuring out when to let a piece of writing (or an entire novel) go—and what that actually looks like in practice.Learn more about Shobha and her books at <a href='https://www.shobharao.com/'>shobharao.com</a>. Information for requesting transcripts as well as more details about Ted and his books are available on his website, <a href='https://www.thetedfox.com/'>thetedfox.com</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Ted is joined by Shobha Rao, the author of the short story collection &lt;em&gt;An Unrestored Woman&lt;/em&gt; and the novels &lt;em&gt;Indian Country&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Girls Burn Brighter&lt;/em&gt;. Shobha has won the Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Fiction and was a Grace Paley Teaching Fellow at The New School. &lt;em&gt;Girls Burn Brighter&lt;/em&gt; was long-listed for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and was a finalist for the California Book Award and the Goodreads Choice Awards.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Shobha’s best writing tip? It involves figuring out when to let a piece of writing (or an entire novel) go—and what that actually looks like in practice.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Learn more about Shobha and her books at &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.shobharao.com/'&gt;&lt;b&gt;shobharao.com&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Information for requesting transcripts as well as more details about Ted and his books are available on his website, &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.thetedfox.com/'&gt;&lt;em&gt;thetedfox.com&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Ted is joined by Shobha Rao, the author of the short story collection An Unrestored Woman and the novels Indian Country and Girls Burn Brighter. Shobha has won the Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Fiction and was a Grace Paley Teaching Fellow at The New School. Girls Burn Brighter was long-listed for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and was a finalist for the California Book Award and the Goodreads Choice Awards. Shobha’s best writing tip? It involves figuring out when to let a piece o...

Shobha Rao on Not Becoming Attached

A separate description for a trailer episode feels a little silly, so here’s the transcript instead.--Hi, my name is Ted Fox, and I’m the author of the novels Schooled and Date Week. And for close to three years, I’ve been the host of this podcast, which up ‘til now has been called Working Drafts.I’ll be honest with you: It’s been fun. I’ve gotten to talk with a lot of fellow writers about their work, with a focus not so much on their finished products but more the process they go through to get there.If you’ve listened to all or most or even one of those episodes—thank you.Maybe the biggest takeaway has been that there’s no one “right” way to write. We all have our go-to moves as well as the things that just don’t work for us the way they do for others. And sometimes what works for one project doesn’t work for the next.But. As I’ve had these conversations, I realized there is one part of my process that I carry from book to book. It might not be for everyone. But it is my best writing tip.So in January 2026, I did a solo podcast about it. And that got me thinking: What if I kept talking to other writers about the craft of writing, but specifically through the lens of asking them to share their best writing tip?I liked the idea so much I’ve changed the name of the show. Working Drafts is now My Best Writing Tip. It’s the same feed, and new episodes will continue to published each month on the 15th.All episodes, both of the new and previous iterations of the show, are available on my website, <a href='https://www.thetedfox.com/'>thetedfox.com</a>, and most places you get your podcasts.I’d say “wherever you get your podcasts,” but that’s probably still not true. Information for requesting transcripts as well as more details about Ted and his books are available on his website, <a href='https://www.thetedfox.com/'>thetedfox.com</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;A separate description for a trailer episode feels a little silly, so here’s the transcript instead.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;--&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hi, my name is Ted Fox, and I’m the author of the novels &lt;em&gt;Schooled&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Date Week&lt;/em&gt;. And for close to three years, I’ve been the host of this podcast, which up ‘til now has been called &lt;em&gt;Working Drafts&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I’ll be honest with you: It’s been fun. I’ve gotten to talk with a lot of fellow writers about their work, with a focus not so much on their finished products but more the process they go through to get there.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you’ve listened to all or most or even one of those episodes—thank you.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Maybe the biggest takeaway has been that there’s no one “right” way to write. We all have our go-to moves as well as the things that just don’t work for us the way they do for others. And sometimes what works for one project doesn’t work for the next.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But. As I’ve had these conversations, I realized there is &lt;em&gt;one&lt;/em&gt; part of my process that I carry from book to book. It might not be for everyone. But it is &lt;em&gt;my&lt;/em&gt; best writing tip.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;So in January 2026, I did a solo podcast about it. And that got me thinking: What if I kept talking to other writers about the craft of writing, but specifically through the lens of asking &lt;em&gt;them&lt;/em&gt; to share &lt;em&gt;their&lt;/em&gt; best writing tip?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I liked the idea so much I’ve changed the name of the show. &lt;em&gt;Working Drafts&lt;/em&gt; is now &lt;em&gt;My Best Writing Tip&lt;/em&gt;. It’s the same feed, and new episodes will continue to published each month on the 15th.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;All episodes, both of the new and previous iterations of the show, are available on my website, &lt;a href='https://www.thetedfox.com/'&gt;thetedfox.com&lt;/a&gt;, and most places you get your podcasts.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I’d say “wherever you get your podcasts,” but that’s probably still not true. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Information for requesting transcripts as well as more details about Ted and his books are available on his website, &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.thetedfox.com/'&gt;&lt;em&gt;thetedfox.com&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

A separate description for a trailer episode feels a little silly, so here’s the transcript instead. -- Hi, my name is Ted Fox, and I’m the author of the novels Schooled and Date Week. And for close to three years, I’ve been the host of this podcast, which up ‘til now has been called Working Drafts. I’ll be honest with you: It’s been fun. I’ve gotten to talk with a lot of fellow writers about their work, with a focus not so much on their finished products but more the process they go through ...

My Best Writing Tip Trailer

In this solo pod, Ted offers up his absolutely, positively, one-and-only best writing tip (how’s that for some attempted SEO optimization?).Plus an update about the next couple months of the show.Information for requesting transcripts as well as more details about Ted and his books are available on his website, <a href='https://www.thetedfox.com/'>thetedfox.com</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;In this solo pod, Ted offers up his absolutely, positively, one-and-only best writing tip (how’s that for some attempted SEO optimization?).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Plus an update about the next couple months of the show.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Information for requesting transcripts as well as more details about Ted and his books are available on his website, &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.thetedfox.com/'&gt;&lt;em&gt;thetedfox.com&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

In this solo pod, Ted offers up his absolutely, positively, one-and-only best writing tip (how’s that for some attempted SEO optimization?). Plus an update about the next couple months of the show. Information for requesting transcripts as well as more details about Ted and his books are available on his website, thetedfox.com. 

My Best Writing Tip

Ted is joined by Alice Florence Orr of Podcast Review, who also just so happens to be a novelist. Her work has been featured in publications including Extra Teeth, The Independent, Scottish Review, Barley Magazine, and The Dillydoun Review. She was awarded The Sloan Prize in 2021 and was shortlisted for the Scottish Book Trust’s New Writers Award in 2023.And while Ted can attest Alice is a great person to talk with about podcasting, this conversation centers on the two works of fiction she has in progress, in particular a novel called The Nobody. What started as a thought experiment exploring the headspace of a young woman choosing to defend a disgraced actor has become a multi-POV story wrestling with the alluring, the confusing, and the toxic aspects of Hollywood.Alice and Ted talk about overheard conversations as a writing device, the challenge of sustaining compelling plots, and balancing market realities with staying true to your voice and vision. They also discuss how the act of writing itself is the only thing a writer can truly control and the wisdom of attaching your identity to the title of “artist” or “writer” to begin with. Learn more about Alice and her work at <a href='https://www.aliceflorenceorr.com/'>aliceflorenceorr.com</a>. Information for requesting transcripts as well as more details about Ted and his books are available on his website, <a href='https://www.thetedfox.com/'>thetedfox.com</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Ted is joined by Alice Florence Orr of &lt;em&gt;Podcast Review&lt;/em&gt;, who also just so happens to be a novelist. Her work has been featured in publications including &lt;em&gt;Extra Teeth&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;The Independent&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Scottish Review&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Barley Magazine&lt;/em&gt;, and &lt;em&gt;The Dillydoun Review&lt;/em&gt;. She was awarded The Sloan Prize in 2021 and was shortlisted for the Scottish Book Trust’s New Writers Award in 2023.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And while Ted can attest Alice is a great person to talk with about podcasting, this conversation centers on the two works of fiction she has in progress, in particular a novel called &lt;em&gt;The Nobody&lt;/em&gt;. What started as a thought experiment exploring the headspace of a young woman choosing to defend a disgraced actor has become a multi-POV story wrestling with the alluring, the confusing, and the toxic aspects of Hollywood.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Alice and Ted talk about overheard conversations as a writing device, the challenge of sustaining compelling plots, and balancing market realities with staying true to your voice and vision. They also discuss how the act of writing itself is the only thing a writer can truly control and the wisdom of attaching your identity to the title of “artist” or “writer” to begin with. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Learn more about Alice and her work at &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.aliceflorenceorr.com/'&gt;&lt;b&gt;aliceflorenceorr.com&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Information for requesting transcripts as well as more details about Ted and his books are available on his website, &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.thetedfox.com/'&gt;&lt;em&gt;thetedfox.com&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Ted is joined by Alice Florence Orr of Podcast Review, who also just so happens to be a novelist. Her work has been featured in publications including Extra Teeth, The Independent, Scottish Review, Barley Magazine, and The Dillydoun Review. She was awarded The Sloan Prize in 2021 and was shortlisted for the Scottish Book Trust’s New Writers Award in 2023. And while Ted can attest Alice is a great person to talk with about podcasting, this conversation centers on the two works of fiction she h...

Plotting Through Multiple POVs

There’s no one “right” way to write. All writers have our go-to moves as well as the things that just don’t work for us the way they do for others. And what works today isn’t guaranteed to work tomorrow. But most of us do have something we carry from project to project. This is a show about those somethings, as novelist Ted Fox (SCHOOLED, DATE WEEK) talks with other writers about the craft of writing through the lens of a specific question: What’s your best writing tip? *Note: From May 2023 to January 2026, this podcast was called Working Drafts.

My Best Writing Tip

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