Join us at the Story Works Round Table for a fascinating discussion with YA authors K.T. Angelhart, Tricia Copeland, and C.C. Robinson as they explore the nuances of young adult fiction and the importance of character development. We talk about the universal appeal of Young Adult Fiction, the importance of relationships with teenage protagonists, and how to build the thematic resonance of young adult fiction.
Join us at the Story Works Round Table for an insightful conversation about Memoir with special guests Candace MacPhie author of Finding Color, Randi-Lee Bowslaugh author of Good-bye too Soon, Dr. Roger Leslie author of Light Come Out of the Closet, and Michael Hingson author of Live Like A Guide Dog. From taking a piece of your own life and crafting it into a story, to the challenges of examining your life in such a vulnerable way, discover how to craft a compelling story from your own experiences.
Writers are naturally students of human nature. How can we develop our characters if we aren’t naturally curious about people? We three writers find ourselves putting our friends, family, neighbors, even strangers under our version of the microscope. What do we–and our stories–gain as observers of human nature? Where does our authenticity come from as writers? Is there a method to our madness?
Do creative writers truly need to sweat grammar, punctuation, & more? The answer may be obvious, but not why, how, & what to do about it. Today, Alida, Kathryn, & Robert dive into the nitty gritty of exceptional writing and carry it through to a “full stop.”
This week at the Story Works Round Table, we cover one of Kathryn’s current pain points: when description doesn’t happen while drafting and how to get it done in revision. The role of description is much richer in your story than you may think.
Previously aired as episode #125.
This week Alida, Robert, & Kathryn continue discussing what we’re reading now and why we chose it. Why would a successful, beautifully-written book lose readers? What niche mystery has Robert excited to read more?
This week, we return the subject of what we’re reading now. We get into not only the titles we’re into, but what makes them work and maybe not work as well as they could. We have a variety of reasons for what we choose to read beyond “pleasure” and the books are not all in our genres. You might be surprised by which popular and award-winning novel we dissect. How did you feel about All…?
This week on the Story Works Round Table, we talk about “those bits tacked on at the end of a story to explain everything…” Wait, who said that? We discuss the epilogue and dig into our favorite epilogue to love and hate at the end of the Harry Potter series. What did you think of it? Have you written epilogues to your novels? Let us know in the comments.
This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida, Kathryn, & Robert dissect the prologue. Can you be for or against prologues? When do writers do them wrong? And how do you do them right? As with so many of our Round Tables, we start out with something that seems so simple, yet find ways to sink our teeth into a juicy discussion!
Want to be part of the conversation? Good.
We’re having an Ask Us Anything episode in the near future. Just head over to iTunes and leave us a review. Pose your craft question in your review and we’ll address it on the episode!
This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida, Robert, & Kathryn talk pacing. Isn’t it about word count and how quickly readers turn the pages? You know, that old chestnut, the Beach Read? It’s about the need to know what’s coming next, the reader’s desire to keep being drawn into and through the story. But it’s also about the ebb and flow of action, not an overall speed, but a rhythm that allows for ups and downs, quick and slow movements. Make the pace of your story organic to your character’s experience. Do not think of pace in terms of speed, but in terms of the reader’s experience of your story.
Enjoy this unpacking of this seemingly simple topic, pacing, and join the conversation at our Story Works Writers Facebook group.
This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida, Robert, & Kathryn talk about reconnecting with a work-in-progress that has been shelved for a looooong time. Robert has returned to a manuscript after four years. Anyone who has been more than “resting” a manuscript will benefit from Robert’s process and today’s discussion.