The Jazz Sessions

In 2025, bestselling Martin L. Shoemaker taught The Jazz Sessions, Zoom classes on writing. Once a week for twenty-six weeks, he and his students discussed craft, business, and occasional tributes to his mentors-because his mentors believed in Pay It Forward. Those classes and this book were his chance to pay it forward to you. This book goes into more depth on thirteen of the most popular sessions, emphasizing craft and business... and soul. Table of Contents Introduction. Down, but Not Out Part I: The Craft of Writing Session 1. Dwarves in the Woods Session 2. Panning for Gold: The Bradbury Method Session 3. The South Park Secret Session 4. The Heart of the Story Session 5. Ruthless Consistency: World Building by Accretion Session 6. How I Met Your Story Session 7. How Long Is a Piece of String? Session 8. 12 Things That Aren't Writer's Block Part II: The Business of Writing Session 9. Where Do I Sell This Thing? Session 10. Never Give a Sucker an Even Break Session 11. Oh, Hell, No! Part III: The Soul of Writing Session 12. A Tribute to Barry B. Longyear Appendix: Writing Games. Character Arc Games Prompt Games