This is K.M. Wyland and you are listening to the 200 ninth episode of the wordplay podcast.

I am having so much fun with my steampunk work and progress storming.

So far it's on track to be the fastest first draft I've ever read in four months. I think 11 months was my

previous record and most of my first drafts end up taking upwards of a year to a

year and a half so this one has been a bit of a whirlwind for me. It's been great though.

The fact that the entire book takes place in the month of August means it's been a great story to write during the summer.

The writing has fueled my enjoyment of the season,

and the season has fed back into my writing.

If I continue on track, I'm thinking

I should be finished with this draft towards the end of next month.

How to Shock Readers in a good way.

The latest post in the video series on my blog offers two steps and a three-part test for creating the kind of story

surprises that will have readers applauding. To watch it, visit my website at

www. Helping Writers Become W.W.

W.com. New videos are posted every Wednesday.

And now on a related note, I hope you enjoy this week's podcast.

Five ways to write a killer plot twist. I love plot twists. Mistaken

identities, sneaky plans, slide a hand, it's all awesome.

Nothing makes me happier than a story that pulls the rug out from under me

and shows me that my perception of the story up to that point

is nowhere near as cool as the reality.

But by the same token nothing annoys me more than a story that fools me and then laughs at

...