Whether your characters live and work in a world that looks like ours, or they travel through a portal to someplace virtually unrecognizable to us, exploring new ways to enter your story universe will help you craft a world that better supports the story you want to tell.
Ep. 137: Strengthen Your Setting
Ep. 136: Resolutions
Ep. 135: Scene and Story Climaxes
Ep. 134: Crisis Questions for Your Scenes
Ep. 133: Progressive Complications for Your Scenes
What are progressive complications? Why do our stories and scenes need them? This week, Story Grid Certified editor Leslie Watts discusses the people, places, things, and events that stand between your characters and their goals within the context of the opening of Anna Ferguson’s YA science fiction novel, The Empire of Saffron.
Ep. 132: Inciting Incidents for Your Scenes
What are inciting incidents? Why do our stories and scenes need them? What are the elements of a solid inciting incident? This week, Story Grid Certified editor Leslie Watts discusses these story event catalysts in the context of the opening of Drew Horstman’s fantasy novel, Nicholas Crumb. The editorial mission encourages you to collect inciting incidents by reading and watching stories—and from your own life.
Ep. 131: Analyzing Your Scenes
Ep. 130: Writing with Abandon with Grant Faulkner
Ep. 129: Essential Action
Ep. 128: How to Take Your Story from Pretty Good to WOW!
Ep. 127: Meeting Reader Expectations for Your Fiction Sales Category
Ep. 126: Second Person Point of View
Episode 49: Awakened: Superhuman Thriller Critique
Episode Description
Leslie & Alyssa critique the opening of CS Manley’s Awakened. They discuss the opening device (amnesia), tension, setting, and the high polishing techniques that will make your writing lean.
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Show Notes
Episode 20: The Walrus of Death Urban Fantasy Critique
In this episode, Leslie and Alyssa critique the opening pages from Steeven R. Orr’s Walrus of Death. They discuss appropriate humor and how it can benefit your story, judicious pruning for a smoother reading experience, setting reader expectations with character appearance, and great hooks.
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Word Count: Approx. 18,150
Published? Not currently.
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Show Notes
Article: How to Write Better Using Humor
Book: Self-Publisher's Legal Handbook by Helen Sedwick
Article: Can You Include Song Lyrics in Your Book?