We’ll be back in a couple of months with the second half of Season 4, and in the meantime, I have a couple of fantastic bonus episodes for you. When I got a question about how to turn a character idea into a story idea, I knew Lili was the person to answer it. Listeners, you can find Lili on Instagram at @liliwilkinson, or online at her website, where you can learn more about her new book, A Hunger of Thorns - a sapphic, witchy, botanical book about lost girls, and an adventure into an abandoned power plant that’s built on the remains of a magical forest - and her many other works.  Don't ..read more

We’ll be back in a couple of months with the second half of Season 4, and in the meantime, I have a couple of fantastic bonus episodes for you. First up, we're going to hear from James Sutter. James is the co-creator of the Pathfinder and Starfinder roleplaying games—if you’re not a tabletop gamer, they’re similar to games like D&D. He’s also an author, and his latest novel, Darkhearts, came out on June 6th.  Listeners, you can find James on Twitter at @jameslsutter and Instagram at james_l_sutter, or online at jameslsutter.com, where you can learn more about Darkhearts and his other ..read more

I get a lot of questions about co-authoring, and so I'm dedicating the last three episodes of the season to answering them. This week’s question is by far the most frequently asked question I get about co-authoring. What to do when you and your co-author disagree?  You can find a transcript of this episode on my website. You can also sign up for my newsletter there, which is full of information about upcoming releases and events, and my other podcast, Pub Dates, which will take you behind the scenes on my upcoming novel The Isles of the Gods.   ..read more

I get a lot of questions about co-authoring, and so I'm dedicating the last three episodes of the season to answering them. If you missed last week’s episode, it was about the practicalities of preparing to co-author a book. This week, I’m talking about the writing itself. A transcript of this episode is available on my website. You can sign up for my newsletter there, which is full of information about upcoming releases and events, and my other podcast, Pub Dates, which will take you behind the scenes on my upcoming novel The Isles of the Gods.   ..read more

The most frequent questions I get are about how co-authoring works. So I’m going to devote the last three episodes of this season to co-authoring, answering one question each week. This episode kicks us off with some advice on how to set up a co-authoring relationship for success from the outset. A transcript of this episode is available on my website. You can sign up for my newsletter there, which is full of information about upcoming releases and events, and my new podcast, Pub Dates, which will take you behind the scenes on my upcoming novel The Isles of the Gods.   ..read more

My books are famously huge, so I am very intimate with this issue! A long word count isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if it feels like your book is long because the story has gotten away from you, I offer four tips for what you can do about it.  A transcript of this episode is available on my website. You can sign up for my newsletter there, which is full of information about upcoming releases and events, and my new podcast, Pub Dates, which will take you behind the scenes on my upcoming novel The Isles of the Gods ..read more

When you come to a story, you might have a very basic idea of who a character will be. But how do you go about building those characters, making them feel real and engaging, so the reader cares what happens to them? A transcript of this episode is available on my website. You can sign up for my newsletter there, which is full of information about upcoming releases and events, and my new podcast, Pub Dates, which takes you behind the scenes on my upcoming novel The Isles of the Gods ..read more

Let's talk about point of view. What's the difference between first and third person, and how does a novel change depending on which you choose?  A transcript of this episode is available on my website, as well as info about my books and how to sign up for my newsletter. That's also where you can find out more about my new podcast, Pub Dates, which will take you behind the scenes on my upcoming novel The Isles of the Gods ..read more

This week, I am giving you a quick tour through the basics of the three act structure: what it is, why it matters, and why you might want to keep it in mind when crafting your story. A transcript of this episode is available on my website, as well as info about my books and how to sign up for my newsletter. That's also where you can find out more about my new podcast, Pub Dates, which will take you behind the scenes on my upcoming novel The Isles of the Gods ..read more

If you want, or even need, to write, but you're having trouble finding the time, this one's for you. This is a guide for busy people that I hope will help you carve out that time while encouraging you to rest when you need it. You will find the transcript for this episode on my website, as well as info about my books and a place to sign up for my newsletter. That's also where you can find out about my new podcast, Pub Dates, which will take you behind the scenes on my upcoming novel The Isles of the Gods ..read more