In this episode, I'm doing a little countdown of some of the best and most listened-to clips from the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast in 2022. Here's a preview of what you'll hear in the episode: [01:40] Tip #10: Test out your idea by writing a 1-2 sentence summary of your entire story, focusing on the main story thread. [04:15] Tip #9: Create a scene-by-scene roadmap for your entire story (and then pressure-test it!) before you start writing. [07:10] Tip #8: Write (and edit) your story in sce...
Dec 27, 2022•31 min•Ep. 78
In today’s episode, I’m sharing some of the key takeaways I learned from coaching writers in 2022. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:30] Takeaway #1: Don’t be afraid to try new things! Plus, the story of how two different writers tried something new—and had surprisingly good results. [05:10] Takeaway #2: Writing interiority is hard for almost every writer. And in my opinion, it’s not talked about enough. This is something every writer should study more! [08:10] Takeaway #3: Sometimes fast...
Dec 20, 2022•18 min•Ep. 77
In today's episode, I’m sitting down with James Beswick to talk through his incredibly inspiring story of how he finished his first draft in three months. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [03:30] An introduction to James Beswick and how he decided to write a book [05:30] How James carved out writing time in his calendar, while working a full time job [06:30] What James’s Notes to Novel experience was like—and why he decided to enroll in the course in the first place [08:25] How James initial...
Dec 13, 2022•52 min•Ep. 76
In today's episode, I’m covering the conventions of the crime genre. This includes the character roles, settings, and events that need to be present in a crime story in order for it to work and satisfy fans of the genre. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:30] Crime stories are all about the quest to either solve or commit a crime. So, these stories start with a crime, build with an investigation (or a completion of the crime), and end with identifying and bringing the criminal to justice (...
Dec 06, 2022•21 min•Ep. 75
In today's episode, I’m covering the difference between writing in scene versus writing in summary. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:45] Scenes are concrete moments that unfold in real time. Readers “watch” the characters move across the setting, interact with other characters or the setting, and speak as if everything’s taking place in the real world, in real time. [02:55] Summaries happen over a condensed period of time (days, months, years, etc.). They convey ideas, concepts, and info...
Nov 29, 2022•20 min•Ep. 74
In today's episode, we’re going to talk about how to edit your messy first draft without slipping into overwhelm. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:50] The very first thing you should do when you finish a first draft [04:15] A quick overview of the four editing phases, and how breaking your edits down into these phases will help you reduce overwhelm. [05:45] Phase 1: The “Story Level” edit [09:25] Phase 2: The “Scene Level edit” [13:35] How your editing plan might change depending on your...
Nov 22, 2022•24 min•Ep. 73
In today's episode, I’m covering the key scenes that every morality story needs. I’ve also included examples of how they show up in the movie Flight. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [01:45] Morality stories center around a protagonist with a moral compass that’s about to change, for better or for worse. They’re either seeking redemption from past mistakes or they want to silence their inner conscience so they can keep doing selfish things. [03:00] Readers choose these types of stories becau...
Nov 15, 2022•15 min•Ep. 72
In today's episode, I’m sitting down with Stefanie Medrek to talk through her incredibly inspiring story of how she went from having an idea for a story to landing an agent. Here’s a preview of what’s included: [05:00] The exact moment Stefanie had the idea for her story—and how she just knew it wouldn’t let her go until she put pen to paper [08:00] A quick description of Stefanie’s story [09:35] Stefanie’s initial reaction to my advice to throw out all 40,000 of the words she had written, and w...
Nov 08, 2022•45 min•Ep. 71
In today's episode, I'm going to walk you through the conventions of the status genre. I'm also going to show you how these conventions show up in the movie The Devil Wears Prada. Here's a preview of what's included: [01:45] Status stories center around the protagonist’s inner need for respect that manifests as a specific desire to achieve or accomplish something in the external world. [02:55] Readers of status stories want to feel hopeful that the protagonist will succeed. They want to read abo...
Nov 01, 2022•17 min•Ep. 70
In this episode, we're taking a deep dive into the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling. Join me and fellow developmental editor, Abigail Perry, as we nerd out about the seventh book in the Harry Potter series. Here’s a preview of what we talk about: [07:45] A very quick summary of the first chapter [11:40] A macro analysis of the first chapter using 7 key questions from Paula Munier's book The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings [43:30] A micro analysis of the two scen...
Oct 26, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 69
In this episode, we're taking a deep dive into the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling. Join me and fellow developmental editor, Abigail Perry, as we nerd out about the sixth book in the Harry Potter series–here’s a preview of what we talk about: [05:45] A very quick summary of the first chapter [07:15] A macro analysis of the first chapter using 7 key questions from Paula Munier's book The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings [13:45] A micro analysis of the two scene...
Oct 18, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 68
In today’s episode, I’m going to walk you through the pros and cons of indie publishing. Here’s a preview of what you’ll hear in the episode: [01:30] Indie publishing is the pure do-it-yourself publishing path. It's where you, the author, take on ALL the roles of and basically become the publisher of your own book. [02:30] The pros of indie publishing [08:20] The cons of indie publishing [13:20] Final thoughts and episode recap Rate + Review + Follow on Apple Podcasts "I love the Fiction Writing...
Oct 11, 2022•18 min•Ep. 67
In today’s episode, I’m going to walk you through the pros and cons of traditional publishing. Here’s a preview of what you’ll hear in the episode: [01:35] Traditional publishing refers to the established system of submitting a finished manuscript to agents with the goal of getting a book deal with one of the Big Five publishers. [03:00] The pros of traditional publishing [08:45] The cons of traditional publishing [15:20] Final thoughts and episode recap Rate + Review + Follow on Apple Podcasts ...
Oct 04, 2022•18 min•Ep. 66
In this episode, we're taking a deep dive into the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling. Join me and fellow developmental editor, Abigail Perry, as we nerd out about the fifth book in the Harry Potter series! [03:40] A very quick summary of the first chapter [06:25] A macro analysis of the first chapter using 7 key questions from Paula Munier's book The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings [25:00] A micro analysis of the two scenes within the chapter using the "5 Co...
Sep 20, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 65
In this episode, we're taking a deep dive into the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling. Join me and fellow developmental editor, Abigail Perry, as we nerd out about the fourth book in the Harry Potter series: [03:05] A very quick summary of the first chapter [05:50] A macro analysis of the first chapter using 7 key questions from Paula Munier's book The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings [20:30] A micro analysis of the two scenes within the chapter using the "5 Command...
Sep 06, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 64
In this episode, I'm sharing the three contextual elements you'll want to include at the beginning of each one of your scenes. We'll also look at how these three elements show up in the opening of a scene from the novel An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. Here's a preview of the key points: [03:10] Key element #1: Where and when is this scene taking place? [04:35] Key element #2: What is your POV character's mental and emotional state? [08:55] Key element #3: What is your POV character's goal ...
Aug 23, 2022•21 min•Ep. 63
In today's episode, we're going to talk about the key scenes that every crime story needs to have in order to work and to satisfy fans of the genre. Here's a preview of what's included: [01:15] Crime stories are all about the quest to either solve or commit a crime. So, these stories start with a crime, build with an investigation (or a completion of the crime), and end with identifying and bringing the criminal to justice (or not). [02:15] Readers choose crime fiction because they want to follo...
Aug 11, 2022•16 min•Ep. 62
In this episode, we're taking a deep dive into the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling. Join me and fellow developmental editor, Abigail Perry, as we nerd out about the third book in the Harry Potter series: [03:00] A very quick summary of the first chapter [04:50] A macro analysis of the first chapter using 7 key questions from Paula Munier's book The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings [21:00] A micro analysis of the two scenes within the chapter using the "5 Com...
Jul 19, 2022•49 min•Ep. 61
In this episode, we're taking a deep dive into the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling. Join me and fellow developmental editor, Abigail Perry, as we nerd out about the second book in the Harry Potter series: [03:30] A very quick summary of the first chapter [05:30] A macro analysis of the first chapter using 7 key questions from Paula Munier's book The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings [25:00] A micro analysis of the two scenes within the chapter using the "5 Com...
Jul 14, 2022•53 min•Ep. 60
In this episode, we're taking a deep dive into the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. Join me and fellow developmental editor, Abigail Perry, as we nerd out about the first book in the Harry Potter series: [04:30] A very quick summary of the first chapter [07:00] A macro analysis of the first chapter using 7 key questions from Paula Munier's book The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings [38:00] A micro analysis of the two scenes within the chapter using the "5 Comman...
May 25, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 59
In this episode, I'm sharing the 10 most common querying mistakes I see writers make and how to avoid them. Here's a preview of what you'll hear in the episode: [02:45] Mistake #1: Your story isn't 100% ready to send out just yet. [04:25] Mistake #2: Sending your query to the wrong person. [06:15] Mistake #3: Not following the submission guidelines. [08:45] Mistake #4: You forgot to include your metadata. [09:50] Mistake #5: Your word count is too high or too low. [11:10] Mistake #6: The genre o...
May 18, 2022•26 min•Ep. 58
In today’s extra special bonus episode, I'm sharing an interview I did earlier this year with Emma Dhesi for her Be A Bestseller Summit. We talked about genre and how your story’s genre can help you write a story that works. And specifically, we dove into the thriller genre and talked about how the key scenes and conventions of the thriller genre show up in The Silence of the Lambs. This was such a fun event to be a part of because it’s always fun to talk about writing, but also there were 25-30...
Mar 15, 2022•40 min
In today's episode, I'm going to walk you through the conventions of the action genre. I'm also going to show you how these conventions show up in the movie The Hunger Games. Here's a preview of what's included: [01:25] Action stories are about life and death, and good versus evil. They’re about a character who has to rise up, overcome great obstacles, defeat forces of evil, and maybe even save the world. But that being said, these stories aren’t always about superheroes. [02:35] Readers choose ...
Feb 15, 2022•20 min•Ep. 57
In this episode, I'm exploring 5 reasons why readers might stop reading a novel. Here's a preview of what you'll hear in the episode: [01:50] Reason #1: Nothing meaningful happens in the opening pages. [04:15] Reason #2: It’s hard to connect with the point of view characters. [06:30] Reason #3: Readers don’t know what kind of story they’re reading. [09:40] Reason #4: Readers have seen the same thing before. [12:30] Reason #5: Readers don't care what happens next. [15:45] Final thoughts and episo...
Feb 03, 2022•19 min•Ep. 56
In this episode, I'm sharing three tips for writing a first draft in 90 days. Here's a preview of what you'll hear in the episode: [01:35] How one of my Notes to Novel students, Jennifer, wrote a draft in 90 days (after creating a flexible, yet very fleshed out scene-by-scene outline) [04:35] Tip #1: Block out the time and space on your calendar so that you'll actually have the time and space to write a first draft in 90 days. [05:25] Tip #2: Accept that your first draft will be messy, but don't...
Jan 18, 2022•12 min•Ep. 55
In this episode, I'm sharing two of my favorite ways to test out a story idea before you start writing a single word. Here's a preview of what you'll hear in the episode: [01:50] The goal of these two exercises is to find out which foundational pieces of your story still need to be fleshed out. Better to find out now than halfway through a draft! [01:10] Exercise #1: Write a 1-2 sentence summary of your story. Try to capture the WHO, the WHAT, and the WHY of your global story. [04:45] If you don...
Jan 11, 2022•14 min•Ep. 54
In this episode, I'm doing my own little countdown of some of the best and most listened to clips from the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast episodes in 2021. Here's a preview of what you'll hear in the episode: [00:00] Tip #10: The more clear you are about your goals, the better chance of success you’ll have when it comes to accomplishing them. [00:00] Tip #9: Knowing your story’s ideal reader can help you write, edit, publish, and market your book. [00:00] Tip #8: Your point of view character ...
Dec 21, 2021•27 min•Ep. 53
In today’s episode, I'm sharing some of the lessons I learned from coaching writers this year. My hope is that these lessons will help you to keep moving forward with your work in the most efficient way possible. Here's a quick preview: [01:15] Lesson #1: Most writers have trouble with the emotional layers of their stories. We need to properly learn how to convey our character's emotional reactions in order to successfully evoke emotions in readers. [05:00] Lesson #2: It's not always going to be...
Dec 14, 2021•17 min•Ep. 52
In today's episode, I'll walk you through three tips for crafting unforgettable supporting characters . Here's a preview of what's included: [01:15] Supporting characters are any characters that are not your protagonist or your antagonist. In general, each supporting character in your story will either support or thwart your protagonist as they try to achieve their goal. [03:10] Tip #1: Develop your supporting cast of characters just as fully as you would your protagonist and your antagonist. [0...
Dec 07, 2021•13 min•Ep. 51
In today's episode, I'm going to walk you through the beats that make up the end of a story, or the final section of Blake Snyder's Save the Cat! (STC!) beat sheet so that you can efficiently outline (or write) your novel. Here's a preview of what's included: [01:45] A recap of the last three episodes (episodes #47, #48, and #49)/ [03:15] The average novel is about 80k words, and this section (the end) is about 20k of them. If you write 1,500-word scenes, you're looking at about 14 scenes here. ...
Sep 08, 2021•22 min•Ep. 50
