This week, Meagan is away, and Kirk is joined by fantasy author Anne Wells for an in-depth conversation about the emotional craft of fiction writing: how to bring all the feels instead of just pelting readers with plot points and explosions for 300 pages.

We talked about interiority, emotional layering, flawed characters, trauma done well versus trauma...um...not done well, and why you should give readers a chance to breathe (hint: so you can emotionally destroy them again.) Also discussed: horror novels, Soviet bowling alleys, Studio Ghibli, Heath Ledger’s Joker, and the deeply cursed YA Tough Girl archetype.

Anne breaks down how she approaches emotional arcs in her own writing, including the challenge of balancing dread, wonder, longing, and fear. Kirk mostly uses this as an opportunity to realize he now has to go back and rewrite all his books. Again.

No Hot Goss this week (booooo!) but you're gonna love us anyway!

Welcome to Bad Lit Friends. We're glad you're here, even if none of us know what we're doing.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann and Kirk Rafferty.

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Show notes:

Go visit Anne's website and sign up for her newsletter so you can get her free short story!

https://aewells-writes.com

And give Anne a follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/a.e.wells.writes/

Books:

Craft books:

The Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald Maass

Story Genius by Lisa Cron

Kirk's recommended horror reads:

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter

American Rapture by C. J. Leede

Anne's recommended Fantasy read:

Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson