Ted is joined by Marc S. Perlman, whose debut novel, The Riddle of the Trees, was published this March, more than a decade after he first conceived of it while biking through the Belavezskaya Forest from Poland to Belarus.Marc gives us an overview of the book, an espionage thriller, and the role that place played in inspiring its writing before offering his best writing tip, which he first heard articulated by the legendary Ken Follett and involves the strategic sprinkling of unresolved details. Marc also shares a pretty great use for some loose-leaf paper and a calendar during the outlining stage.Learn more about Marc and his work at <a href='https://marcsperlman.com/'>marcsperlman.com</a>. More information about Ted and his books is available on his website, <a href='https://www.thetedfox.com/'>thetedfox.com</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Ted is joined by Marc S. Perlman, whose debut novel, &lt;em&gt;The Riddle of the Trees&lt;/em&gt;, was published this March, more than a decade after he first conceived of it while biking through the Belavezskaya Forest from Poland to Belarus.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Marc gives us an overview of the book, an espionage thriller, and the role that place played in inspiring its writing before offering his best writing tip, which he first heard articulated by the legendary Ken Follett and involves the strategic sprinkling of unresolved details. Marc also shares a pretty great use for some loose-leaf paper and a calendar during the outlining stage.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Learn more about Marc and his work at &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://marcsperlman.com/'&gt;&lt;b&gt;marcsperlman.com&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;More information about Ted and his books is 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 Marc S. Perlman, whose debut novel, The Riddle of the Trees, was published this March, more than a decade after he first conceived of it while biking through the Belavezskaya Forest from Poland to Belarus. Marc gives us an overview of the book, an espionage thriller, and the role that place played in inspiring its writing before offering his best writing tip, which he first heard articulated by the legendary Ken Follett and involves the strategic sprinkling of unresolved deta...

Marc S. Perlman on Leaving Things Unresolved (Temporarily)

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 71 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 James Bond movie franchise: the good, the bad, and the ugly—not to mention the unexpected, the uncomfortable, and one all-timer of a video game.More information about Ted and his books is 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 71 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 James Bond movie franchise: the good, the bad, and the ugly—not to mention the unexpected, the uncomfortable, and one all-timer of a video game.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;More information about Ted and his books is 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 71 percent less corny). Here, they’re just doing it from the perspective of fans, and they’re going beyond books and wri...

Fanning Out: The James Bond Franchise

Ted is joined by Marie Ellis, a Sunday Times number 1-bestselling ghostwriter and editor for books as well as the founder of the boutique content agency Muse. When she’s not working with clients on nonfiction projects, she’s applying her 15-plus years of experience to her own novelistic pursuits.After taking us inside the world of a professional ghostwriter, Marie shares her best writing tip, which involves mapping out where she’s going ahead of time, in part because it helps her find some unexpected gems along the way. Learn more about Marie and her work at <a href='https://www.musecontent.co.uk/'>musecontent.co.uk</a>. More information about Ted and his books is available on his website, <a href='https://www.thetedfox.com/'>thetedfox.com</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Ted is joined by Marie Ellis, a &lt;em&gt;Sunday Times&lt;/em&gt; number 1-bestselling ghostwriter and editor for books as well as the founder of the boutique content agency Muse. When she’s not working with clients on nonfiction projects, she’s applying her 15-plus years of experience to her own novelistic pursuits.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;After taking us inside the world of a professional ghostwriter, Marie shares her best writing tip, which involves mapping out where she’s going ahead of time, in part because it helps her find some unexpected gems along the way. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Learn more about Marie and her work at &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.musecontent.co.uk/'&gt;&lt;b&gt;musecontent.co.uk&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;More information about Ted and his books is 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 Marie Ellis, a Sunday Times number 1-bestselling ghostwriter and editor for books as well as the founder of the boutique content agency Muse. When she’s not working with clients on nonfiction projects, she’s applying her 15-plus years of experience to her own novelistic pursuits. After taking us inside the world of a professional ghostwriter, Marie shares her best writing tip, which involves mapping out where she’s going ahead of time, in part because it helps her find some u...

Marie Ellis on Mapping and Outlining

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! More information about Ted and his books is 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;More information about Ted and his books is 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>. More information about Ted and his books is 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;More information about Ted and his books is 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

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

Details

Recent Episodes