Welcome to Writing 201, where we discuss subjects beyond the first draft of your book. If you are looking for tutorials on how to write a first line, what an outline is or why you should include character flaws, you'll have to look elsewhere. This is a podcast for those looking to bring their writing to the next level. If you've written your first book (or your second, third or fourth!) and want more than the same advice all over the internet intended for beginners, you've found the right place.
Join author DJ Jones and ghostwriter Camille Jones, co-founders of Colloquy Publishing, in weekly discussions about how and when to use cliches, the pros and cons of stories with a cast of characters, the nitty gritty of descriptions, and much, much more.
For more info, further discussion and to keep up with the Joneses, follow them @Colloquypublishing on Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube and Patreon.
Episode Notes
Many newer writers have a fantasy of writing a book once, perfectly, and never having to go back to revise. But in this episode of Writing 201, DJ and Camille dispel that fantasy by discussing the concept of a mutable document and how a switch in mindset to changing your manuscript as many times as you need is the best thing you can do for your book.
Visit https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/mutable-document-174108336 (https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/mutable-document-174108336) for the full transcript. you can also join our Patreon for free to enjoy episodes one week early.
Follow us @colloquypublishing on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colloquypublishing/ (https://www.instagram.com/colloquypublishing/)
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/colloquypublishing.bsky.social
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561253546888 (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561253546888)
1 Nov 2026
S1E11 - Cast of Characters
Episode Notes
Have you ever felt like a book has too many characters? It might be because the author had a hard time managing their cast of characters! In this episode of Writing 201, Camille and DJ discuss the difference between a cast and group of characters, what questions you should be asking yourself when deciding to write a cast or not, and what DJ really thinks about fantasy naming conventions.
Visit https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/cast-of-173414335 (https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/cast-of-173414335) for the full transcript. You can also join our Patreon for free to enjoy episodes one week early.
Follow us @colloquypublishing on:
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/colloquypublishing.bsky.social
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colloquypublishing/ (https://www.instagram.com/colloquypublishing/)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561253546888 (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561253546888)
26 Oct 2026
S1E10 - Rules Are Meant to Be Known
Episode Notes
Have you ever tried cooking a new recipe and decided to make a substitution or skip a step and then wondered why the recipe didn't come out right? That's the same with writing. In this episode of Writing 201, DJ and Camille discuss why it's so important to know the rules before you break them. They cite well-known rule breakers like Picasso and Anthony Burgess (author of A Clockwork Orange) as a warning to over-confident authors to learn, just as they did, that the rules are meant to be known in order to intentionally break them.
Visit https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/rules-are-meant-172755204 (https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/rules-are-meant-172755204) for the full transcript. you can also join the Patreon for free to enjoy episodes one week early.
Follow @colloquypublishing on:
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/colloquypublishing.bsky.social
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colloquypublishing/ (https://www.instagram.com/colloquypublishing/)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561253546888 (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561253546888)
19 Oct 2026
S1E9 - Editing in Peaks and Valleys
Episode Notes
Have you noticed that most of your editing artifacts can be found in the most engaging parts of your book? That's because you were too engrossed in the story to see them! In this episode of Writing 201, DJ and Camille discuss techniques to help you keep a fresh lens through your eighth, ninth and twenty-seventh edits.
Visit https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/editing-in-peaks-171901956 (https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/editing-in-peaks-171901956) for the full transcript. You can also join our Patreon for free to enjoy episodes one week early.
Follow us @colloquypublishing on:
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/colloquypublishing.bsky.social
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colloquypublishing/ (https://www.instagram.com/colloquypublishing/)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561253546888 (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561253546888)
11 Oct 2026
S1E8 - Marshy Middles
Episode Notes
After you write the scenes that have been living in your head for weeks, months or years, then it's time to get to the real work: the muddy, marshy middle of the book. It's what stalls and sometimes outright stops writers from writing. In this episode of Writing 201, Camille and DJ discuss a couple of techniques to move from scene to scene, getting you out of the mud and to your glorious ending. 
Visit https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/marshy-middles-171439632 (https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/marshy-middles-171439632) for the full transcript. You can also join our Patreon for free to enjoy episodes one week early.
Follow us @colloquypublishing on:
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/colloquypublishing.bsky.social
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colloquypublishing/ (https://www.instagram.com/colloquypublishing/)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561253546888 (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561253546888)
4 Oct 2026
S1E7 - Hooks and Cliches
Episode Notes
Why would we talk about hooks and first chapters on Writing 201? Because we're not teaching how to write a first line or a first draft, we're talking about their purpose. In this episode of Writing 201, DJ and Camille discuss when it's appropriate to use cliches, how much to cut from (or add to) your first draft and what to do when you're tempted to write and rewrite the beginning.
Visit https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/hooks-and-170754627 (https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/hooks-and-170754627) for the full transcript. you can also join our Patreon for episodes one week early.
Follow us @colloquypublishing on:
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/collquypublishing.bsky.social
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colloquypublishing (https://www.instagram.com/colloquypublishing)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561253546888 (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561253546888)
28 Sept 2026
S1E6 - Climaxes
Episode Notes
It's time to talk about climaxes: the big kaboom! The fight at the end of the book. Except it doesn't always have to be a fight. In this episode of Writing 201, Camille and DJ discuss alternatives to climactic fights with the evil big bad and why big, empty fields are unnecessary.
Visit https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/climaxes-169937835 (https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/climaxes-169937835) for the full transcript. You can also join our Patreon for episodes one week early.
Follow us @colloquypublishing on:
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/colloquypublishing.bsky.social
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colloquypublishing (https://www.instagram.com/colloquypublishing)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561253546888 (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561253546888)
20 Sept 2026
S1E5 - First Chapters and Prologues
Episode Notes
DJ hates prologues and stopped reading them altogether years ago. Now, he's convinced Camille. In this episode of Writing 201, DJ and Camille get into the purpose of prologues, what makes a good first chapter, why you should start 'in media res,' and how to start a book quietly while keeping the readers attention.
Visit https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/first-chapters-169442855 (https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/first-chapters-169442855) for the full transcript. You can also join our Patreon for episodes one week early.
Follow us @colloquypublishing on:
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/colloquypublishing.bsky.social
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colloquypublishing/ (https://www.instagram.com/colloquypublishing/)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561253546888 (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561253546888)
13 Sept 2026
S1E4 - Love Story as B Plot
Episode Notes
Does it bother you that every book has a love story? It's driving Camille crazy! In this episode of Writing 201, DJ and Camille discuss why there are so many love story B plots and alternatives to the cliche. What kind of B plots are available to lone characters who don't fall in love? And what about a cast of platonic characters? Let's explore the options!
Visit https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/love-story-as-b-168804325 (https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/love-story-as-b-168804325) for the full transcript. You can also join our Patreon for episodes one week early.
Follow us @colloquypublishing on:
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/colloquypublishing.bsky.social
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colloquypublishing/ (https://www.instagram.com/colloquypublishing/)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561253546888 (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561253546888)
6 Sept 2026
S1E3 - Audience Surrogates
Episode Notes
Some people read books to experience the world through another person's eyes, but many of us love to imagine ourselves as the main character. In this episode of Writing 201, DJ and Camille discuss what an audience surrogate is, how authors use them, different types, and why Bella Swan is actually a great example of a well-done audience surrogate.
Visit https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/audience-168054594 (https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/audience-168054594) for the full transcripts. You can also join our Patreon for episodes one week early.
Follow us @colloquypublishing on:
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/colloquypublishing.bsky.social
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colloquypublishing/ (https://www.instagram.com/colloquypublishing/)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561253546888 (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561253546888)
30 Aug 2026
S1E2 - Descriptions
Episode Notes
Sure, we know descriptions describe a person, place or thing, but what else? In this episode of Writing 201, DJ and Camille discuss flowery vs. minimalist descriptions, how to use descriptions more effectively, invoking a tone, and much more.
Visit https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/descriptions-one-167507075 (https://www.patreon.com/ColloquyPublishing/posts/descriptions-one-167507075) for the full transcripts. You can also access DJ's Fine Edits Google Doc at this link: https://docs.google.com/document/u/3/d/e/2PACX-1vTTUEv5OkBqc14WoRlbhMCgF2JpI1iZDm4EoBpcykdSREua2sNOQIFFdhzuiJdwKpe7a9hXIzdNEzmd/pub (https://docs.google.com/document/u/3/d/e/2PACX-1vTTUEv5OkBqc14WoRlbhMCgF2JpI1iZDm4EoBpcykdSREua2sNOQIFFdhzuiJdwKpe7a9hXIzdNEzmd/pub)
This podcast is powered by Pinecast (https://pinecast.com).
16 Aug 2026
S1E1 - Chapters
Episode Notes
Chapters are overhyped. They don't need to be nearly as regimented and important as both authors and readers make them out to be.
In this first episode of Writing 201, DJ and Camille Jones discuss how to use chapters, what they represent and if you even need them.
This podcast is powered by Pinecast (https://pinecast.com).
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