winey writers

find your person to word spew at. — Writing a Novel

how do you write a novel? we're still trying to work it out, and as we hit new stages of writing our books we take to the pod once again with an update on the processes and tips that are working for us — from music, to location, to writing chronologically, and the value of daydreaming. 

have you ever listened to bardcore? — Audiobooks

this episode, we discuss audiobooks using our perspective as both readers and writers. What are the benefits of audiobooks verses paperback? What expectations would we have if our work was being narrated? And the long-standing debate: is listening to audiobooks considered reading?
more importantly, Harry listens to a snippet from an audiobook that brings him to tears and Abby introduces him to the magic of bardcore. 

Abby's just lost a toe! — What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera

Welcome to #2 of the WineyWriters Book Club!
This episode we review What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera. We describe this novel as a cutesy, coming-of-age, gay romance in New York about two boys who fall in love...for the time being. Join our honest conversation as we discuss the importance of own voice representation in novels, character, plot, and pop culture references that do not age well.

the punks confuse me. — Genres We Don't Write

as writers, we are happily wedded to the romance and fantasy genres (with no divorce in sight), but this episode we take to the pod to discuss the genres we don't write: historical, sci-fi, crime, and literary. 

less of an overwhelming, steaming pile of shit. — Writing First Drafts

we are in the pits of writing hell, and so this episode we discuss what it's like to be writing our very first novels. We sat down to chat about the consumption of media whilst writing and how this impacts the words on the page -- but this quickly turns into a conversation about first drafts: the blocks we run into, the holes we fall through, and the methods we use to get back on track. 

let me buy some new shoes, i'll stand corrected. — Currently Reading

we're a third of the way into 2024 (oh god), and so that calls for another reading wrap-up!
this episode, we discuss the books we've read recently, what we're reading right now, and what we hope to read soon. These discussions include but are not limited to the following titles: Seducing My Brother-in-Law by Shae Michaels, the ACOTAR series by Sarah J. Maas, The Red Palace by June Hur, The Last Sun by K. D. Edwards, and works of fanfiction.

unfortunately, Virginia Woolf is dead. — The Romance Novel

this episode, we talk all things romance and romance novels. This includes conversations about twenty-first century dating culture, love languages, our favourite and least favourite romance tropes, and the romance novels that cause us to giggle and kick our feet. 

a metaphor for the roasting and murdering of coffee beans. — Book Pet Peeves

this episode we discuss our bookish pet peeves and the things that send a book straight to our DNF pile. From bad covers, to terrible tropes, to boring POVs — and characters releasing a breath they didn't know they were holding — we, as usual, have plenty to whine about. 

supernatural in the sense of dragons and goats — Fantasy Fiction

this episode we chat (...tangent) about our absolute favourite genre – fantasy. We discuss definitions of the genre, what we love and loath when reading a fantasy novel, and share some of the novels we read as kids that turned us into fantasy fanatics. 

no pickles being tickled here. — 1 Star Book Reviews

this episode, we read 1 star reviews of some of our favourite novels and discuss whether we agree or disagree with the review. Should The Fellowship of the Ring be called The Fellowship of the CockGobblers instead? Did The Song of Achilles really put Harry in a reading slump? And why does Abby have beef with Watership Down?