{"podcast":{"title":"The Indy Author Podcast","slug":"the-indy-author-podcast-1109171","podcast_index_feed_id":1109171,"rss_url":"https://theindyauthor.libsyn.com/rss","website_url":"http://theindyauthor.com/","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/1/2/c/0/12c01403d3a11a6616c3140a3186d450/TIAP_Image_Libsyn-20260225-6n7obk28hq.png","author":"Matty Dalrymple, The Indy Author","episode_count":346,"summary":"The Indy Author Podcast is for writers who are serious about both the craft of writing and the business of publishing — whether you're working toward your first book or building on an established career. Every week, host Matty Dalrymple talks with authors, editors, marketers, and publishing professionals about what's actually working right now. Topics span the full range of the writing life: developing compelling characters and tighter plots, navigating indie and traditional publishing paths, running effective book marketing campaigns, building an author platform, working with AI tools, writing short fiction and memoir, managing the business side of an author career, and much more. With hundreds of episodes in the catalog featuring guests from across the publishing world — from debut authors to bestsellers, indie publishers to Big Five veterans — there's something here for writers at every stage of their journey. Named one of the 10 Best Podcasts for Authors by Dale L. Roberts, and recognized five years running by Writer's Digest as one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers. Hosted by Matty Dalrymple, author, publishing consultant, and founder of The Indy Author platform.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-28T22:19:02.235113+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-indy-author-podcast-1109171"},"episode":{"title":"Writing Better Characters with the Big Five Personality Traits with Kat Caldwell - #343","slug":"writing-better-characters-with-the-big-five-personality-traits-with-kat-caldwell-343","published_at":"2026-07-07T09:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-indy-author-podcast-1109171/writing-better-characters-with-the-big-five-personality-traits-with-kat-caldwell-343","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-indy-author-podcast-1109171","url":"https://theindyauthor.libsyn.com/writing-better-characters-with-the-big-five-personality-traits-with-kat-caldwell-343","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/theindyauthor/TIAP_343_Kat_Caldwell_Episode_LIBSYN.mp3?dest-id=386964","summary":"Matty Dalrymple talks with Kat Caldwell about WRITING BETTER CHARACTERS WITH THE BIG FIVE PERSONALITY, including what the five traits are and how they function as a spectrum rather than fixed categories; why a character's \"need\" is really about the unconscious ways their personality causes hurt to the people they love; how to use the Big Five as a diagnostic tool when your story feels like something's off; and why a satisfying character arc means growth and not a 180-degree reversal. Interview video at https://www.youtube.com/@TheIndyAuthorPodcast/podcasts Show notes at https://www.theindyauthor.com/episodes-all and on Substack @TheIndyAuthor. If you find the information in this video useful, please consider supporting The Indy Author! https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple Kat is a novelist and short story writer and loves to teach fiction. She writes love stories in several genres including historical romance, contemporary romance, and contemporary fiction. Kat is the creator of the Pencils&amp;Lipstick podcast, a podcast for writers with author interviews, craft talk and insight into the publishing world. In between conducting interviews for her podcast and writing, you can find Kat traveling the world, reading, or volunteering with her church—always with a cup of cold brew close by. Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with THE SENSE OF DEATH; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. More at mattydalrymple.com. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she's learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST.…","meta_description":"Matty Dalrymple talks with Kat Caldwell about WRITING BETTER CHARACTERS WITH THE BIG FIVE PERSONALITY, including what the five traits are and how they fun…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2819,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-indy-author-podcast-1109171/episodes/writing-better-characters-with-the-big-five-personality-traits-with-kat-caldwell-343/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-indy-author-podcast-1109171/writing-better-characters-with-the-big-five-personality-traits-with-kat-caldwell-343.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}