Bonus: How Rowling Used Plot Catalysts to Keep Readers Engaged (A Sneak Peek From My Book!)

Would you believe me if I said social media could make you a better writer? If you’re shaking your head NO, you’ll want to check out this episode. My guest, Lara Ferrari, is an Instagram marketing specialist who has helped hundreds of writers grow engaged communities of readers online (and have FUN while doing it). In this episode, she’s sharing how you can use social media to increase your creativity and motivation, get reader input and feedback, do market research, and find the accountab...

10 Sep 202441min

Earlier this year, I published my first book, The Story Grid Masterwork Analysis Guide to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone—and I learned soooo much about book marketing. Tune into this episode to hear the ten surprising lessons I learned from my first book launch, including things like: [03:10] What I learned about asking for Amazon reviews—and how asking for favors was the most uncomfortable part of the book launch process for me[04:30] A look behind the scenes at my marketing plan...

3 Sep 202418min

Do you ever wish you could see a behind-the-scenes look at how other people write? In this episode, you’ll get to hear directly from five of my Notes to Novel students as they share how they brainstormed, outlined, and wrote their books inside the Notes to Novel course. I asked each of them to share the biggest thing that helped them get to “The End” of their drafts, and that’s exactly what they’re sharing with you today. In the episode, you’ll hear things like: [01:50] How fast draftin...

27 Aug 202425min

As someone who’s worked with hundreds of authors, I see people making the same mistakes over and over and over again. Mistakes that are easily avoidable once you know they’re mistakes. In this episode, I’m sharing some of these mistakes. Specifically, the 10 things that will NOT make you a better writer—and oh boy is it a juicy episode! In it, you’ll hear me talk about: [01:27] Why waiting until you feel more “ready” to write is actually one of the worst things you can do (and spoiler alert:...

20 Aug 202432min

“I think your story has a genre identity crisis. That’s probably why you’re not getting responses from agents.” ← That’s what I told my new friend, Jac Sahlin, about the duology she’s currently querying. Tune into this episode to hear Jac and I talk through her query letter and first five pages—and to hear my thoughts on why she hasn’t received any requests from agents. Although Jac isn’t technically a client of mine, our conversation will give you a peek behind the scenes into what it’s lik...

13 Aug 20241h 20min

“How many scenes are in the Diagon Alley chapter of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone?” Believe it or not, this is one of the most frequently asked questions I get from writers when they hear I’ve written a book breaking apart this mega best seller scene by scene. And it’s a valid question! This chapter was the hardest chapter for us to analyze when putting together The Story Grid Masterwork Analysis Guide to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. But this week, Abigail K. Perry and I ...

6 Aug 202447min

How did Rowling deliver on the life-and-death stakes an action story requires, but in a way appropriate for middle-grade readers? How did she consistently weave together the external plot and Harry’s character arc in such a way that they’re inseparable? Tune into this episode to hear Abigail K. Perry and I talk through the plot structure of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone using the Story Grid’s Five Commandments of Storytelling. Yep, we’ve broken down the beginning, middle, and end of ...

1 Aug 202437min

Rowling is a master at weaving the external plot with Harry’s internal character arc—and using the external plot events to help Harry grow and change. In this episode, you’ll hear Abigail K. Perry and I talk through the big-picture plot structure of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone using the Story Grid’s Five Commandments of Storytelling. We’ll also discuss how this story fits in the Action Genre Framework and how Rowling adapted that framework to suit a middle-grade audience. ⭐ Rate +...

30 Juli 202417min