Episodes

2 days ago
2 days ago
We open today's episode with some decent writing updates. After that, we discuss an absolutely awful list of the "most awful authors" of all time. Do not expect a serious conversation from this one!
Follow us @dpwpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Check out Caleb's work at www.calebjamesk.com.

Tuesday Mar 18, 2025
DBS #120: Rediscovering Dead Book Genres
Tuesday Mar 18, 2025
Tuesday Mar 18, 2025
We begin today's episode with some "what if" talk regarding famous writers. For instance, what if Robert E. Howard lived for another 30 or 40 years? How much would his writing style have evolved? What if Stephen King stopped writing in the 1980s? You get the idea.
After that, we cover some defunct (dead) book genres. We discuss whether the mentioned genres are actually dead, why some deserve to be dead, and which ones we want to make a comeback.
You can follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @dpwpodcast
Check out Caleb's work at www.calebjamesk.com.

Tuesday Mar 11, 2025
DBS #119: Editing Woes
Tuesday Mar 11, 2025
Tuesday Mar 11, 2025
Caleb starts today's episode with some trouble he's having reading Ulysses by James Joyce. After that, we sit back, relax, and discuss the numerous obstacles we've encountered from editors when reviewing the edits for our works set for publication.
You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @dpwpodcast
You can check out Caleb's work at www.calebjamesk.com.

Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
#185: Should You Still Read Neil Gaiman And Other Problematic Authors?
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
We begin today's episode with a quick review of "The Monkey, " adapted from the Stephen King short story of the same name.
After that, we go into a deep and nuanced discussion about reading the works of authors who have done terrible things in their personal lives. The main culprit we discuss is Neil Gaiman who has recently come under fire for allegedly assaulting women in the worst ways.
You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @dpwpodcast
You can check out Caleb's work at www.calebjamesk.com.

Tuesday Feb 25, 2025
#184: Solid Tips For Writing Dialogue Better Than Stephen King
Tuesday Feb 25, 2025
Tuesday Feb 25, 2025
We kick things off with a rant about people who boycott art they were never going to purchase in the first place—especially the jerks who try to cancel books even though they don't read.
After that, we settle into a fun discussion about writing good dialogue. This begins with David Foster Wallace's opinion on Stephen King's method for writing dialogue and why Wallace thought King wrote below his capabilities for the sake of quantity over quality.
This leads us to the meat of the matter in how we write dialogue in our work. We give a bunch of great tips and examples from great writers and how they go about crafting realistic dialogue.
You can follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @dpwpodcast
You can check out Caleb's work at www.calebjamesk.com.

Tuesday Feb 18, 2025
BOTM #18: Native Son By Richard Wright
Tuesday Feb 18, 2025
Tuesday Feb 18, 2025
Caleb opens today's episode with a mini (sarcastic) review of "As I Lay Dying" by William Faulkner.
After that, we discuss our Book of the Month, "Native Son" by Richard Wright. We cover the topics of racism, social injustice, class status, and poverty.
You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @dpwpodcast
You can check out Caleb's work at www.calebjamesk.com.

Tuesday Feb 11, 2025
DBS #118: Crime And Punishment And Terrible Writing
Tuesday Feb 11, 2025
Tuesday Feb 11, 2025
We have an extra-long cold open as we discuss some good, bad, and worse news. But that's not what takes so long. Caleb dives into his recent read of Crime and Punishment and shares what he took away from the book.
After that, we discuss the supposed downfall of contemporary fiction and the belief that nearly all modern writing is terrible (not our words). This takes us down an interesting road full of literary potholes made by snobs.
You can follow us @dpwpodcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
You can check out Caleb's work at www.calebjamesk.com.

Tuesday Feb 04, 2025
#183: The Formula For Writing Pulp Stories
Tuesday Feb 04, 2025
Tuesday Feb 04, 2025
In today's cold open, we discuss the AI tool for plot development on Microsoft Word. Things get a bit heated!
After that, we discuss Lester Dent's formula for writing easy-to-sell pulp stories. Things don't go quite as planned, but we do our best to relay the information provided.
You can follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @dpwpodcast
You can check out Caleb's work at www.calebjamesk.com.

Tuesday Jan 28, 2025
#182: What Really Happens When You Enter The Slush Pile
Tuesday Jan 28, 2025
Tuesday Jan 28, 2025
We start with an extra "cold" cold open as Caleb talks about his recent illness and working in frigid temperatures.
After that, we read an AMA from the Editor-In-Chief of Story Magazine and learn about their submission reading practices. We discuss how different publications handle submissions, what we think is fair, and what is absolute garbage. Overall, this is a really informative episode.
You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @dpwpodcast
You can check out Caleb's work at www.calebjamesk.com.

Tuesday Jan 21, 2025
Storycast #4: The Crimson Tower
Tuesday Jan 21, 2025
Tuesday Jan 21, 2025
In today's special Storycast episode, we read The Crimson Tower from L. Stephenson's upcoming short story collection, When Strange Things Bite.
A mythical monster stalks a farming community -- A titan from the stars brings destruction to a small costal town -- A centuries old curse takes hold of a family -- A sea creature hunts a young group of trespassers -- A university professor receives a late-night visit from the dead -- A message board murder mystery is investigated -- An everyday morning takes a turn for the worse -- A sister becomes paranoid of her brother’s disease -- A young witch must gather a few risky ingredients -- A cannibal pays someone an unexpected visit -- A carpenter's daughter demands bloody satisfaction -- A psychopath fights to survive an alien invasion -- A boy is hunted by the devil -- A young boy faces his fear at the dentist.
You can preorder the collection now on Amazon.