DPW Podcast #229: How To Fix Bad Writing And A Secret Book Club

Comic scene with three readers, giant pencil, KRAKOOM, SMASH, FIRE, and speech bubbles about staying quiet.

Meet
Our Hosts

Caleb James K.

Caleb James K. is the former Editor-in-Chief of the literary journal, Drunken Pen Writing, and the host of the DPW Podcast. He’s also a fiction writer, poet, and aspiring novelist.

Spencer Church

A former aspiring comic book artist, Spencer is the cohost of the DPW Podcast as well as a short story writer and avid reader.


In today’s cold open, we read from Edmund Spenser’s epic fantasy poem, The Faerie Queene. We also discuss the Arthurian language used and why the work is so difficult to read.

After that, we settle down and talk about bad writing and ways to fix it! We cover an article on the subject from http://www.aliventures.com, which gives some great examples of bad writing and tips on how to fix it. Of course, we share some of the things we’ve learned over the years and how we go about crafting stories.

Finally, after the outro music, we have a secret book club for you! And no, Spencer is not involved in this one. It’s the brand new Book Creepers Club!

#231: Esquire's Top Horror Books Of 2026 – Drunken Pen Writing Podcast

We kick off today's cold open by officially announcing our October Book of the Month, "The Buffalo Hunter Hunter" by Stephen Graham Jones. We also bring up some disturbing AI news going around and what it might mean for us writers.  After that, we go into a new list by Esquire naming their top horror novels to read for Halloween. You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @dpwpodcast. You can check out Caleb's work at http://www.calebjamesk.com. 
  1. #231: Esquire's Top Horror Books Of 2026
  2. BOTM #26: IT
  3. A Murakami Minute: 1Q84 Book Three
  4. #230: Literary Masterpieces That Actually Suck
  5. A Murakami Minute: 1Q84 Book Two

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