Posts tagged writing tips
Bonus: Five Writing Lessons from Gotham’s Underworld (Companion to Ep. 278)

In this special bonus episode, we return to the shadowy corners of Gotham to unpack The Penguin — the gritty, character-driven follow-up to The Batman.

Colin Farrell’s Oswald Cobblepot is a study in power, loyalty, and moral decay — and in this breakdown, I explore five key writing lessons from the series

Read More
#292 – Motivation for Writers: Tracking Progress and Learning from Noir Fiction

Welcome to Episode 292 of the Spun Today Podcast! In this episode, host Tony Ortiz dives deep into the writing life, inviting listeners into another motivating free writing session. Tony shares his latest writing stats and candidly discusses the ups and downs of creative consistency, including the struggles of writer’s block and the magic of finding inspiration after unexpected detours. He also offers practical writing tips sourced from Sandra Chwialkowska and Jordan Peele, reminding us why showing up to the page matters and why fun should always be at the heart of our creative process.

Read More

Tony opens up about the challenges of working on his second novel, the importance of letting go of perfectionism, and the power of the so-called “zero-th draft” approach, inspired by N.K. Jemisin’s masterclass on writing. You’ll hear about his ongoing project of translating his book "Make Way for You" into Spanish with a little help from AI, and how tracking writing habits can be both humbling and motivating.

Read More
#275 – Unleashing Creativity: Tips, Tricks, and Motivations from Fellow Writers

Welcome to Episode 275 of the Spun Today Podcast! I’m your host, Tony Ortiz, and today, we're diving back into the archives for a throwback to Episode 175, packed with creative tips and insights to fuel your writing journey. This episode is designed to motivate and inspire writers dealing with challenges like writer's block. We'll explore responses to the creative questionnaire from fellow writers and creatives, featuring contributors like Amy Marcello, Joshua Robertson, Elaine Almonte and more.

Read More
#235 – Free-Writing Session (the editing process, Prologues vs. Flashbacks, The Creative Act and more!)

In this episode I share my Writing stats for March, April & May 2023!  I give you an update on my upcoming short story anthology and how it continues to go with working with my editor.  I share a writing tip that I picked up along the way and I tell you about what I’ve been reading.  Lastly, I read and reflect on a free-writing piece, that can be found at: spuntoday.com/freewriting

Read More
#230 – Free-Writing Session (Going through the editing process, writing the BIG moment and more!)

In this episode I share my Writing stats for February 2023.  I share some insights from my first time experiences with working with an editor on my upcoming short story anthology.  I share a writing tip that I picked up along the way and I tell you about what I’ve been reading.  Lastly, I read and reflect on a free-writing piece, that can be found at: spuntoday.com/freewriting

Read More
#218 – Free-Writing Session (Annie Dillard writing tip, Joyce Carol Oates)

In this episode I share my Writing stats from May thru September of 2022. I share a writing tip that I picked up along the way and I tell you about a Masterclass I’ve been watching. I also read and reflect on a free-writing piece, which can be found at: spuntoday.com/freewriting.

Read More
#201 – Free-Writing Session (Fear of Success, Will by Will Smith)

In this episode I share my November & December 2021 Writing stats as well as my January 2022 Writing stats. I share a writing tip that I picked up along the way and I tell you about what I’ve been reading. I also read and reflect on a free-writing piece, which can be found at: spuntoday.com/freewriting.

Read More
#175 – Tips from Creatives, for Creatives (2)

In this episode I share a throwback montage of 4 Spun Today Questionnaire’s that have been filled out in the past. Why not have a single episode that centralizes all the tips, motivation tools and tricks adopted by fellow Writers and Creatives? If you’d like to partake in filling out your own, check it out at: http://www.spuntoday.com/questionnaire/. Thanks again to Amy Marcello, a person that chose to remain anonymous, Joshua Robertson & Elaine Almonte.

Read More
#145 – Free -Writing Session (RIP Kobe Bryant)

In this episode I share my December 2019 writing stats, my cumulative 2019 yearly writing stats & January 2020 writing stats.  I also share a writing tip that I picked up along the way, I tell you about what I’ve been reading, I reflect on the untimely passing of Kobe Bryant and finally, I read and reflect on a couple of my free-writing pieces, dedicated to Kobe

Read More