Welcome back to Write-Handed! In this episode, host AJ is joined by special guest Angela for an engaging, spoiler-conscious book review of Ashley Elston's hit thriller. First Lie Wins.

Episode Summary: Evie Porter is a woman with a charming boyfriend, a picturesque life, and a completely fabricated identity. A ghost from her past named Lucca suddenly surfaces and threatens to tear down everything she has built. Evie is forced into a tense, dangerous game of cat-and-mouse to protect her carefully curated existence.

Literary Discussion & Thematic Points:

· Deception and Construction of Identity: Aj and Angela examine how the novel treats identity not as an innate truth, but as a performance. We explore the psychological weight of multiple aliases and what it means when survival requires total reinvention.

· Structural Pacing and Narration: We break down Elston's use of non-linear storytelling, shifting timelines, and unreliable narration, analyzing how these elements keep the reader off-balance and actively participating in the puzzle.

· Class, Wealth, and Power Dynamics: The discussion continues by tackling the underlying motifs of privilege and control. We challenge the motivations behind the criminal underworld and the thematic cost of trying to outrun one's past.

Join us for a breakdown of twists, turns, and character psychology!

New episodes every See you NEXT Tuesday!

Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, or your favorite platform.

Contact us:

Email: ajknightaj@gmail.com

AJ Knight Novels on Amazon: AJ Books

Webpage: AJ Knight Site

Twitter: @AJKnight3

InstaGram: ajknightauthor

Produced by Whining Dog Productions LLC: WDPLLC2026@gmail.com

TikTok: @wdpllc

Welcome back to Write-Handed! Join cohosts AJ and Kyle for a chilling, thought-provoking deep dive into Shirley Jackson’s iconic 1948 short story, "The Lottery."

Episode Summary: Set on a clear, beautiful summer morning, a small American village gathers eagerly in the town square for their annual tradition. Children collect smooth stones into piles while adults exchange casual neighborhood gossip, waiting for Mr. Summers to bring out the infamous, battered black box. As the slips of paper are drawn, the festive mood shatters into horror when the Hutchinson family is chosen. The results culminate into a brutal, ritualistic stoning that exposes the dark underbelly of unquestioned conformity.

Literary Discussion & Thematic Points:

• The Danger of Blind Tradition: AJ and Kyle analyze how Jackson uses the townspeople’s routine compliance to critique the unthinking adherence to ancient customs. The surprising twist that highlights the dangers of doing things "just because it's always been done that way."
• The Banality of Evil: We discuss the jarring juxtaposition between the cheerful, sunlit setting and the horrific violence that follows, highlighting how ordinary, kind-hearted people can easily participate in atrocities under the guise of community ritual.
• Scapegoating and Mob Mentality: The conversation explores how quickly community bonds fracture when individual survival and superstition take over, transforming neighbors into executioners in an instant.

Tune in as we dissect the psychological brilliance, enduring legacy, and shocking twists of one of the most famous short stories in American literature!

New episodes every See you NEXT Tuesday!

Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, or your favorite platform.

Contact us:

Email: ajknightaj@gmail.com

AJ Knight Novels on Amazon: Escaping Injustice, Escaping the Butcher, and Escaping Revenge AJ Books

Webpage: AJ Knight Site

Twitter: @AJKnight3

InstaGram: ajknightauthor

Produced by Whining Dog Productions LLC: WDPLLC2026@gmail.com

TikTok: @wdpllc

In this episode of Write-Handed, we confront the art of creating suspense. It is the essential literary device that keeps readers turning pages and audiences on the edge of their seats. Suspense relies on anticipation, building tension by forcing the audience to wonder or care about what will happen next. We explore the foundational techniques writers use to construct compelling narrative tension in books and film.

• Foreshadowing: Writers plant subtle hints early in a story to suggest crucial events to come. In The Departed, constant near-misses with surveillance and covert phone transmissions foreshadow the inevitable unraveling of undercover identities.
• Dramatic Irony: Suspense intensifies when the audience possesses critical knowledge that the characters lack. In The Silence of the Lambs, Clarice Starling stumbles in the darkness-filled basement, however the audience clearly see through Buffalo Bill's eyes because he is wearing night-vision goggles.
• Pacing: The speed of the story can dictate an audience's emotions. By slowing down a crucial moment, tension can be built by focusing on specific details or a character’s thoughts. Likewise, speeding up the pace, promotes urgency or heart-pounding excitement.
• The Cliffhanger: Cutting off a scene or chapter at a high-tension climax leaves crucial questions unanswered, forcing the audience to stay engaged to discover the outcome.
• Withholding Information: Gradually dropping clues while keeping key answers hidden encourages audiences to piece together the mystery alongside the characters. In The Departed, tension reaches its peak when Colin and Billy finally come face-to-face, as subtle clues on the desk reveal that their secret identities have been exposed.

Tune in to learn how to apply these techniques to your own storytelling and keep your audience hooked from start to finish!

New episodes every See you NEXT Tuesday!

Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, or your favorite platform.

Contact us:

Email: ajknightaj@gmail.com

AJ Knight Novels on Amazon: AJ Books

Webpage: AJ Knight Site

Twitter: @AJKnight3

InstaGram: ajknightauthor

Produced by Whining Dog Productions LLC: WDPLLC2026@gmail.com

TikTok: @wdpllc