#131: 5 Steps To Start Planning Your Book Series
“The key to making books within a series work is to grow, escalate, and complicate the conflict and stakes from book to book.” - Savannah Gilbo A good book series allows readers to immerse themselves in a world and stay there. But how do you write a series that works? To start, here are 5 steps to help you start planning your book series. Read the blog post here! Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:42] Savannah discusses the the three primary categories of book series—static, dynami...
27 Feb 202434min
#130: How to Craft Romantic Chemistry & Tension Between Characters
“ Flat or boring characters who are underdeveloped are never going to light up a scene, no matter how many tricks you pull.” - Savannah Gilbo If you’re writing romance, the chemistry and tension between your characters can make or break your story. Let’s explore how to create romantic chemistry between two characters in an authentic and compelling way to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Read the blog post here! Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:44] What is chemistry? [03:0...
20 Feb 202425min
#129: Overcoming The Fear Of Marketing With Alexa Bigwarfe
“Work on being a better writer and work on your craft and the other stuff will follow. As long as you have a great book, marketing comes a lot easier.” - Alexa Bigwarfe In today’s brand-new episode, I’m sharing a conversation with Alexa Bigwarfe about how writers can overcome the fear of marketing their books and what you can do right now to kickstart your marketing efforts. Read the blog post here! Here’s a preview of what’s included: [3:55] Where should new writers market their bo...
13 Feb 202443min
#128: What Are Obligatory Scenes And Conventions?
“When a story doesn't include these key scenes and conventions of its genre, it's just not going to work.” - Savannah Gilbo Want a framework for your entire story? Learn what readers expect from a story like yours, and then use these obligatory scenes and conventions as a framework to craft a story that works. Read the blog post here! Here’s a preview of what’s included: [03:47] What are obligatory scenes and conventions (and why are they important)? [06:58] 3 steps to finding the oblig...
6 Feb 202418min
#127: First Chapter Analysis: The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom
“It might seem strange to start a story with an ending, but all endings are also beginnings. We just don't know it at the time.” - Abigail K. Perry In this episode, we’re talking about The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom to see how and why it works. Join Abigail K. Perry and me as we break down this first chapter to see how it hooks our interest and pulls us into the story. Read the blog post here! Here's a preview of what's included: [02:40] Chapter summary: Abigail...
30 Jan 20241h
#126: Save The Cat! Troubleshooting Common Plot Problems With Jessica Brody
“Every time you write something hard, it changes you as a writer, and it makes you a better writer.” - Jessica Brody Today I'm sharing a conversation with Jessica Brody where we talk about some of the most common mistakes writers make when outlining, writing, and editing their books using the “Save the Cat” method. Read the blog post here! Here's a preview of what's included: [02:30] Jessica introduces herself and shares her experience writing fiction using the Save The Cat! plotting meth...
23 Jan 202440min
#125: Novel Writing Pitfalls: Don't Make These 5 Mistakes
“ The purpose of a first draft is not to come up with something that's perfect. Instead, the purpose is to explore your story and get it out of your head.” - Savannah Gilbo Transform your writing as I reveal 5 all-too-common mistakes that plague writers. Learn the savvy strategies to sidestep these blunders and discover my top-notch tips for rectifying them if you've already fallen prey. Read the blog post here! Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:20] Having gratitude for every mist...
16 Jan 202425min
#124: Student Spotlight: 5 Lessons Learned from Notes to Novel (Season 3)
“That's how much my writing's improved. But not just the writing, it's the ease. It's not a struggle when I sit down in front of the laptop to write. Everything just seems a lot easier.” - Morgan Schrock In today's episode, I reached out to some of my Notes to Novels Season 3 students and asked them to share the number one thing they learned about writing a first draft. You're going to get to hear from real writers who are in the trenches, actively working on their novels and I think it'll b...
9 Jan 202429min
