This is KAMWylant and you are listening to the one hundred thirty-first episode of the Word Play

podcast. We've been having a

relatively mild winter here in Western Nebraska but it's still so cold for my

tastes. I am determined to stay warm this winter so I've been adding to my writing uniform. In addition to my lucky

fuzzy blue writing slippers, I'm adding fingerless gloves, a fleece hat, scarves, sweaters, and toasty toes,

these warm little packets you stick in your shoes.

I'm thinking all that should hold me over until summer.

I'm finally cut up on all the projects that didn't get done in December and I'm enjoying

clocking some serious mileage on the big

project staring me down, namely editing and rewriting. I'm still having a lot of fun with

Dreamlanders rewrite. Just reached my 25% edit, which is demanding its own set of adjustments, including cutting

a few chapters that have become irrelevant.

As soon as that's out of the way, I can power on to the inciting event.

Two surefire symptoms of a static character. The latest post in the video series on my blog

points out the pitfalls of characters who fall short of dynamism

and reveals two ways to diagnose how you're doing with your character.

You can watch the video on my blog at wordplay-K-M-Yland, that's W-E-I-L-N-D,

dot blog spot. New videos are posted every Wednesday and now I hope you

enjoy this week's podcast how I learn to write and how you can too.

You know that moment when in the middle of a brilliant novel you drop the book into your lap, stare at the ceiling, and wonder why God chose to get this novelist with effortless talent

while you're left slogging in the trenches

of writers block and clunky sentences.

...