The Write Note
You don’t have to be an author to enjoy the entertaining and informative discussions on THE WRITE NOTE. Through tips, tricks, picks, reviews, and recommendations we explore all aspects of writing, storytelling, and the written word’s impact on pop culture. Hosted by indie authors J Ryan Fenzel and Keira F Jacobs, THE WRITE NOTE delivers a wide-ranging slate of writing topics and author conversations, all enhanced by the father/daughter, GenX/GenZ, male/female, seasoned/newbie perspectives of the hosts. The Write Note drops new episodes on the first Wednesday of each month.
Picking the Perfect Character Name
In this episode we discuss the importance and power of character names and share tips and tricks to pick the perfect one for your story.
Highlights:
01:25 What’s in a name?
02:45 Character is King: Cool Name Edition
08:52 Names matter
10:37 Match the name to your setting
16:54 Match the name to your story’s tone
18:29 Examples of good tone matches
22:25 Vader is your father
23:42 Tips to pick the perfect name
29:05 Cast Cohesion: A Study in Bones
33:36 Name resource tidbits
Talkin' Tropes: The Horror Story
In this episode we discuss a list of 13 tried-and-true tropes that make the horror genre…horrifying.
Highlights:
02:50 Trope or cliché?
04:16 Character is King: Horror Story Edition
11:07 Presenting our 13 horror story tropes
14:49 Dreams and found footage
20:22 Splitting up
25:10 Mysterious neighbor
27:10 Janet, Jamie, and Psycho
29:05 The bad guy that won’t die
32:12 One. Last. Scare.
Want to dig deeper beyond our 13 tropes? Check out this article from Writer's Digest where they list 21 popular horror tropes. (Click link below).
Wri...
5 Manuscript Must-Haves to Query an Agent
In this episode we share insider information to bring you the 5 must-have elements your manuscript submission package needs to query a literary agent.
Highlights:
01:16 Our inside informant in the lit agent world
01:55 Character is King: Proven Worthy Edition
08:40 Must-Have 1: Proper Word Count
11:44 Must-Have 2: Comparative Titles
13:20 Must-Have 3: Clear Concise Pitch
15:21 Must-Have 4: First Pages Matter (A lot)
18:25 Must-Have 5: Share Your Numbers
The Copy Edit Companion: 13 Tips for Editing Your Manuscript
In this episode we share 13 editing tips to make your manuscript lean and mean.
Highlights:
01:51 Do you enjoy editing your work?
03:00 Character is King: Editor Edition
10:26 First Step: Take a break from your MS
13:28 Weed out clutter, weak verbs, and repetition
18:22 Hone your precision (sentence efficiency)
19:56 He said/She said (attribute tags)
24:10 The oldest rule in the book: Show Don’t Tell
26:31 Passive voice makes you sound scared
31:00 Sentence flow: Make a literary melody
American Lit 250: The Top 10 Greatest American Authors
In this episode we reveal our list of the Top 10 Greatest American Authors to celebrate America 250.
Highlights:
01:58 Preamble Ramble
06:20 Character is King: All-American Edition
11:40 Top-10 Greatest American Authors Kick-off
14:03 He defined the American Detective genre
16:16 I don’t write science fiction…I write fantasy
22:18 Architect of the modern short story
28:31 Meaning in the silences
31:28 Serious but satirical
Lyrically Speaking, Vol. 7: The Two Sides of Love
In this episode we look at the two sides of love through the lyrics of songs filled with joy, desperation and despair in Volume 7 of our Lyrically Speaking series.
Highlights:
01:34 Nothing inspires like love
04:50 Character is King: Love Song Edition
10:31 Big drama out of nothing at all
14:44 It’s electrifying
18:11 She’s not wishing him well
22:44 The saddest song in the world
26:07 This love is killing me
31:03 This and that (and it all comes back)
Action! (Tips to Write Awesome Action Scenes)
In this episode action speaks louder than words as we share writing tips to craft awesome action scenes that elevate the impact of your story and lock in reader engagement.
Highlights:
01:12 The pivotal action scene
02:12 Character is King: Action Editon
08:10 Make the action mean something
11:33 Keep up the pace
13:50 The 3 pitfalls of writing action
18:25 Add sensory
21:35 Add personality
24:05 Think like a film editor
27:14 I busted a chair across his teeth
30:40 Hood slidin’ like Bo Duke
Worldbuilding
In this episode we share key elements you need to develop to create a custom-made world for your story.
Highlights:
01:24 Why worldbuilding is essential
03:33 Character is King: World Builder Edition
07:00 Your story’s foundation (6 key elements)
07:31 Geography – Real world, New world, Authenticity
11:23 Make significant settings memorable (examples)
12:45 Physics – Rules of Nature, Magic, Technology
17:24 Climate – Seasons, Weather, Character Impact
20:40 Culture – Customs, Class, Politics, Occupations
24:25 History – Deep past, Major events, Need to Know
27:10 Religon – Poly/Mono, Influence on Society,
28:20 Thi...
Shakespeare's Enduring Impact
In this episode we hail The Bard himself, William Shakespeare, and celebrate the enduring impact his writing has had on Western literature and entertainment for over 400 years.
Highlights:
01:30 The Titan of Western Literature
04:45 Character is King: Shakespeare Edition
12:03 Shakespeare in Led Zeppelin - Merchant of Venice (Act 2, Scene 7)
14:28 Shakespeare in Wonka - Romeo and Juliet (Act 2, Scene 2)
16:20 We happy few - Henry V (Act 4, Scene 3)
17:18 Something Good from Nothing - King Lear (Act 1, Scene 1)
20:53 Double Double - Macbeth (Act 4, Scene 1)
22:46 The...
The Goldberg Prompt (A Writing Exercise)
In this episode we share a creative writing exercise that teaches authors how to avoid the predictable and unleash the vivid.
Episode Highlights:
01:27 The Goldberg Prompt
02:42 Setting up the exercise
03:30 An example run-through
04:23 Resulting verb-driven sentences
Smashing Writer's Block
In this episode we take on writer’s block and share tried & true strategies to break through the wall and get those words flowing again.
Episode Highlights:
01:44 Character is King: Communication Problem Edition
08:45 The 4 types of Writer’s Block
12:42 Level 1 Treatment: Overcoming the variants
18:45 Level 2 Treatment: Manage the writing process
24:00 Set a clear intent for your writing session
26:23 Movement is medicine
30:51 Level 3 Treatment: Kickstarters
31:08 Develop a character
33:16 Start in the middle
36:22 Genre swapping
39:22 Caffeine
Lyrically Speaking, Vol. 6: Yuletide Traditions
It's our annual Christmas Special! Join us as we unwrap a Yuletide edition of our Lyrically Speaking series to discuss the lyrics of classic Christmas songs and the stories behind the music.
Highlights:
01:38 What is the oldest Christmas Song?
05:35 Character is King: Yuletide Tradition Edition
11:40 Somewhere in My Memory
16:09 The Man with the Bag
21:04 ‘Zat You, Santa Claus?
25:14 The Snow Miser/Heat Miser Song
31:53 The Christmas Song
36:49 Underneath the Tree
Anatomy of the Short Story
In this episode we examine the key elements that make up a great short story, and we share a collection of classic tales to illustrate the power of the format.
Episode Highlights:
01:30 What a short story does best
03:27 Character is King: Short Story Edition
10:08 Six key literary elements of the short story
17:44 A training ground for the writer’s “long game”
22:10 Story Example 1: A Good Man is Hard to Find
26:45 Story Example 2: Trace
30:07 Story Example 3: The Telltale Heart
33:10 Story Example 4: The Star
35...
Conspiracies of Literature & Film
In this episode we expose weird and whacky conspiracy theories from the literary, film, and music worlds and reveal the secrets “they” don’t want you to know.
Episode Highlights:
02:55 “Paul is Dead” catches fire
06:47 Character is King: Conspiratorial Edition
12:45 Theory 1 - She doesn’t exist
15:12 Theory 2 - Witches Boo
18:10 Theory 3 - It’s not her, it’s him
21:26 Theory 4 - Who’s your daddy?
24:40 Theory 5 – Lennon and the King
28:18 Theory 6 – Back to the North Pole
More Idioms, More Origins
In this episode we present a new collection of classic idioms and share the histories and origins that made them timeless expressions of speech.
Episode highlights:
03:00 Coffee badging and three sheets
06:15 Character is King: Idiomatic Expression Edition
12:03 A very southern idiom
14:40 Lost in translation
17:19 Born of a Scottish proverb
21:00 Benson Boone and Rick Springfield
23:25 The Thatched Roof Theory
26:20 Novel uses of a bullet
29:06 Honorable Mentions
Beach Read Blueprint
In this episode we break down the elements and genres that make up a great beach read novel, and we share our Top 5 list of titles that pair perfect with sun and sand.
Episode highlights:
01:40 Choose your Beach Read wisely
02:10 Character is King: Beach Edition
11:14 The Blueprint: 6 Key Elements & 3 Prime Genres
16:07 Top 5 List of Great Beach Read Novels
22:12 The 48-hour book
26:57 A prime beach read
Talkin' Taglines
In this episode we take a close look at taglines. From big business to blockbusters to books we discuss how these brief blurbs of exposition just might be the most valuable marketing tool ever devised and share key tips to on how to craft an effective tagline for your novel.
Episode highlights:
02:08 What is a tagline?
04:25 Novel examples
08:55 The key to writing a tagline for a book
12:40 Character is King: Tagline Edition
17:16 Tagline Tag
21:05 Early morning aliens
Lyrically Speaking, Vol. 5: The Musical
In this episode we roll out Volume 5 of our Lyrically Speaking series and celebrate the musical. Join us as we explore the lyrics of classic showtunes from Broadway and beyond in this fun retrospective.
Episode highlights:
02:56 What makes a musical?
07:22 Character is King: The Musical Edition
14:52 Brown paper packages
19:05 The greatest negotiation
23:38 Sit down!
30:49 Minutes turn to hours
35:35 Tell me more
41:20 Three meals a day
Chasing MacGuffins with The Write Note
In this episode we examine the MacGuffin, its history, popularization, and use in modern storytelling. We also share our Top 5 list of all-time great MacGuffins.
Episode highlights:
01:29 What is a MacGuffin?
08:27 Character is King: MacGuffin Edition
13:15 The Top 5 list of all-time great cinema MacGuffins
14:39 I know something you don’t
18:09 It’s all in the plans
21:00 To infinity…
23:50 The stuff that dreams are made of
26:00 Like an addiction
Happily Ever After with Carrie Anne Noble
In this episode YA fantasy author Carrie Anne Noble joins us to discuss folklore, fairy tales, and how she finds new stories to tell. Carrie reveals behind-the-book details about her new novel THE SPRINGBORN, and shares the impact that her debut novel, THE MERMAID’s SISTER, had on her life. And for a little bonus content, Keira and I discuss the path she took to get her novel KEEPER OF THE LIGHT from publisher signing to pub date.
Episode highlights:
02:33 Keira’s fairy tale: Publishing KEEPER OF THE LIGHT
11:20 Character is King: Enchanted Edition
18:17 ...
Action, Integrity, and Taylor S Newport
In this episode Christian author Taylor S Newport joins us to discuss her debut into the thriller genre, the perfect balance of action and integrity, and the potential to be prolific.
Episode highlights:
02:56 Astounding accomplishments of youth
04:25 Character is King: Exceptional Youth Edition
10:45 Welcome Taylor S Newport
12:53 Thrills and integrity
17:13 Writing fast and crafting a cliffhanger
20:11 A writing editor or an editing writer?
26:20 Being somewhat prolific
Taylor S Newport Official website
Writing & Resolution: The Top 5 Resolutions for Writers in 2025
In this episode we ring in the New Year with a Top 5 list of resolutions for writers to engage and improve their craft in 2025.
Episode highlights:
02:41 Who originated the idea of New Year’s Resolutions?
05:58 Character is King: Great Resolve Edition
12:25 The Top 5 list of resolutions for writers
13:10 Correspondence course
15:30 Own it!
18:05 Life gets in the way
22:12 Immersive days
23:49 The REAL reward of writing
Lyrically Speaking, Vol. 4: Christmas Again!
In this episode we bask in the glow of the holiday season and explore the lyrics of a collection of classic Christmas songs and share the untold stories behind the music.
Episode highlights:
02:00 How many Christmas songs are there?
05:27 Character is King: Special Christmas Edition
11:06 A merry little song
16:02 Keira’s intro to Christmas
20:37 The hymn once banned by the Catholic Church
26:33 Christmas wrapped up in a bow
31:20 A stolen song and A Very Special Christmas
36:41 A Broadway Christmas tune
42:17 Merry Christmas from The Write Note
Past Perfect with Diana Rubino
In this episode Amazon Bestselling author Diana Rubino joins us to discuss how a love for history has inspired her to write nearly 20 historical romance and biographical novels.
Episode highlights:
01:17 Past is more than prologue
04:41 Character is King: Historic Edition
14:00 Welcome Diana Rubino
19:22 Finding comfort in biographies
23:22 Who killed President Kennedy?
28:55 Love conquers all
35:54 Feeling the weight of history
40:50 Around the World in 80 Meals
45:02 Josephine Earp: Sassy Lady of History
Keira's Breaking News
In this special episode Keira shares big news about her writing career.
Episode highlights:
01:19 Keira’s big news
02:51 A Smyth’s Quill – The story that landed a contract
04:24 Oliver-Heber Books: The Terms
07:05 Writing under a deadline
08:30 The best part of OHB (so far)
Judging by the Cover with Dineen Miller
In this episode author and graphic artist Dineen Miller joins us to discuss creating the perfect book cover and shares the allure of writing romantic comedies.
Episode highlights:
01:10 Judging a book by the cover
05:57 Character is King: Artistic World Edition
11:29 Welcome Dineen Miller
13:40 The evolution of graphic art technology
17:14 Cover market awareness is vital
20:48 Weighing in on AI
26:30 What is the job of your book cover?
33:39 The allure of writing romantic comedies
39:06 Moments Matter – Laughter Lingers
42:15 Writing from a male perspective
It Was All A Dream (or Was It?)
In this episode we examine the most controversial story-ending trope ever devised. It was all a dream…or was it? We look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of employing this trope and play a game of “Neat” or “Cheat” with some famous dreamy endings.
Episode highlights:
01:35 Nailing the end of a story
02:40 It was all a dream…or was it? - The controversial trope
09:46 Character is King: Dreamy Edition (or is it?)
13:26 Neat or Cheat
13:58 A dream-sharing masterpiece
18:18 Was Dickens deceptive?
20:41 The great escape…or was it?
26:40 A trai
Lyrically Speaking, Vol. 3: Summerween Songs
In this episode we celebrate Summerween with a creepy collection of songs and the stories that made them scary. From the Stones to the X-files. From a gypsy to a howling crooner, we cover some spooky, cooky, ground.
Episode highlights:
01:25 Keira Returns!
01:55 What is Summerween?
06:00 Character is King: Summerween Edition
10:55 From a certain perspective
14:18 A gypsy, a potion, and a cop
16:33 A wonderful song with a creep X-factor
21:15 A paranoid song
25:00 A happy song made creepy
30:07 Screaming a song...
Getting Psyched with Kara Quinn
In this episode we welcome author and poet Kara Quinn to discuss the long and winding path she took to find a literary agent. Kara also shares the challenges she faced when she took on the all-consuming task of writing a psychological thriller.
Highlights:
01:35 Kara’s Poem
03:02 Character is King: Poetic Edition (abbreviated)
04:55 Welcome Kara Quinn
05:57 The long path to find an agent
11:00 Query tools and tips
13:15 Good rejections
17:10 St. Augustine & the chemical structure of Serotonin
21:35 What Happened to Vivian Bell – The elevator pitch.
28:27 Kara the creepy weirdo
34:03 A cherished writing e...
The Long-Lost Art of the Jingle
In this episode we examine the long-lost art of writing advertising jingles and recognize the copywriters and creative directors who crafted the most memorable songs from commercial advertising’s golden era. Along the way, we revisit classic commercial tunes.
Episode highlights:
01:20 From song to sonic tagline
03:38 A jingle that went to Billboard’s No. 2
06:14 Nutty
07:13 Broadway Branding
08:11 It does it all in 30 seconds
09:17 Insidious tune
10:19 The unity of sweet effervescence
The Importance of Premise
In this episode J Ryan and Keira discuss the importance of creating an engaging premise when crafting a story and share their Top-3 list of story examples having an awesome premise.
Episode highlights:
01:25 What if?
02:53 The components of a great premise
04:50 Character is King: Clever Premise Edition
10:35 Amazing amber idea
12:59 Rewarding heroics
16:08 Strange
19:40 Boarding
22:13 A bunch of firsts
24:39 Again and again
27:10 Fun fact
The Origins of Idioms
This episode is a horse of a different color as J Ryan and Keira take a deep dive into idioms. Join their exploration of how these beloved expressions of speech have permeated our culture and day to day lives and learn the amazing history and origin of some of their favorites.
Episode highlights:
01:55 What is an idiom?
03:50 Our verbal culture (Tribal Knowledge)
05:35 Character is King: Idiom Edition
12:50 Let it whip
16:25 The “All” of something
18:35 Siriusly?
21:10 Couldn’t be more different
22:38 Boxing, jumpin...
Unraveling Fate with Kara Douglas
In this episode, J Ryan and Keira welcome romance & fantasy author Kara Douglas to discuss the tropes of love, unraveling fate, and making magic. Kara also shares her key to social media book promotion and how she gets advanced copies of her books into readers hands.
Episode highlights:
01:20 Blending Genres
03:45 Character is King: Mixed Genre Edition
09:59 Welcome Kara Douglas
10:47 Lunaria’s theme
13:35 Fitting in the fantasy
17:05 Inspiration in Ireland
21:50 Pantser vs Plotter
26:15 Why Alice In Wonderland?
29:05 Kara’s social media advice
35:55 Unraveling the ARC process
One Conversation with Luana Ehrlich
In this episode, J Ryan and Keira welcome USA Today bestselling thriller and suspense author Luana Ehrlich to discuss the secret of being a prolific writer, the challenge of juggling multiple series characters, and the art of intertwining faith with thrills and chills.
Episode highlights:
01:15 What makes a prolific author?
05:45 Character is King: Long Running Series Edition
11:17 The lost era of appointment TV
13:43 Welcome Luana Ehrlich
17:45 It blew their minds
20:01 The origin of Titus Ray
26:02 Weaving in the faith
30:54 The pros, cons, and humor of First Person POV
36:45 Finding a voice for your hero (in audiobooks)
<...Lyrically Speaking, Vol. 2: Christmas Songs
In this second installment of the Lyrically Speaking series, J Ryan and Keira shine a festive light on classic Christmas songs and explore the lyrics that make the holidays bright. Along the way, they share not-so-well-known stories behind these beloved tunes and reveal a 400-year-old mystery surrounding one cherished Christmas carol.
Episode highlights:
02:14 Holiday inspiration and irony
03:24 Character is King: Christmas Edition
09:20 A picture postcard of Christmas—with morbid edges?
13:20 What other type of Christmas is there?
17:47 A toe-tapping celebration of Santa Claus
22:37 An ancient manuscript recorded by a King
28:28 The exuberance of youth…and an...
Breaking Down Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling
In this episode, J Ryan and Keira take a deep dive into Pixar Studio's 22 Rules of Storytelling, examining each rule and sharing examples of how they are executed in popular films and in their own writing projects. They also unveil Pixar's unique corporate creative process, "The Pixar Braintrust," and discuss how it came to be.
Episode highlights:
03:33 George Lucas, Steve Jobs, ILM & the birth of Pixar
05:59 The Pixar Braintrust
08:06 Character is King: Pixar Edition
14:53 Diving into the 22 Rules of Storytelling
18:07 When do you see the theme in your work?
24:17 The End is the beginning…and the...
Just the Facts and a Little Faith with Dony Jay
In this episode, J Ryan and Keira welcome author Dony Jay to discuss writing action-packed spy thrillers from a Chistian perspective. Dony also shares his insights into police procedurals, and how his 20-year career as a police investigator has prepared him to write his new crime thriller series.
Episode highlights:
01:52 How much of ourselves do we put in our fiction?
07:20 FRAK!
09:40 Character is King: Law Enforcement Edition
16:37 Welcome Dony Jay
17:56 Fiction with Conviction
21:18 Breaking the curse (word)
24:56 What do crime & mystery authors get wrong?
33:12 Writing facts vs writing fiction
37:45 Dony’...
Thrillin' Out with Jack Arbor
In this episode, J Ryan and Keira welcome thriller author Jack Arbor to discuss his action & espionage series The Russian Assassin, the weight of Cold War history, and the challenge of crafting a lovable anti-hero. The conversation also delves into the business side of independent publication and the benefits of cultivating an extensive Beta Reader network.
Episode highlights:
02:58 Growing up during the Cold War – A brief history
07:48 Did you feel the doom? - Anxieties of a new generation
10:06 Character is King: Cold War Edition (Technicality ahead!)
17:22 Welcome Jack Arbor
20:04 Creating Max Austin
24:20 ...
Lyrically Speaking, Vol. 1
In this episode, hosts J Ryan and Keira dive into the world of music to discuss how the structure and conventions of the modern pop song provides fertile ground for excellent writing, and they share their favorite examples of stellar lyrics from songs over the past 70 years.
Episode highlights:
02:41 Structure, constraints, and good writing
05:36 Character is King: Music Edition
12:55 A masterclass of concise writing
17:30 Wait, the song is about that?
21:29 A band transforms
24:40 Correcting the record on a tortured artist
28:05 A self-deprecating character study
32:50 The song is the same, you’re the one who changed
Globetrotting with Kristy Lynae Moore
In this episode contemporary romance novelist Kristy Lynae Moore joins J Ryan and Keira to talk about travel adventures, life on a ranch, and a fascination for a particular Kingsman. Kristy also discusses how she discovered and fell in love with the art of typography, and shares her biggest challenge with independent publishing.
Episode highlights:
01:25 Do you like to travel?
02:57 Overselling the Mona Lisa
05:11 Character is King: Travel Edition
09:31 Welcome Kristy Lynae Moore
11:27 What to leave in, what to leave out
15:57 Splitting time between writing, typography, and motherhood
17:32 Immortalizing the Exs
19:33 Crushing on...
