The Story Craft Cafe Podcast

How to Start Writing a Novel — Live Fireside Chat for Plotters & Pantsers | SCC 267

So, you want to write a novel. The question is, where on earth do you start?
Come hang out for a live Dabble Writer Fireside Chat about what to think about BEFORE you start writing that book. We're taking your questions in real time. Plotter, pantser, or anywhere in the middle. Everyone's welcome!
Hi, I'm Abby. I'm a middle-grade author, and I run the writing community at Dabble, the novel-writing software built for real writers. And my partner in crime is Hank, who's done this whole book-writing thing more than 20 times, now. 
 We'll be talking through the stuff no one tells first-time novelists. The pre-writing questions that actually matter, and the traps we wish we'd avoided. 
Bring your questions. No question is too basic! That's the whole point.
WHAT WE'LL COVER-Premise vs. idea. Do you actually have a book yet?-Plotter or pantser (and why "a little of both" is a perfectly real answer)-What pre-writing actually means, and what you can skip-How to tell if your idea wants to be a novel (or something else)-The stuff that stops first-time writers before Chapter 1
ABOUT DABBLE WRITERDabble is novel-writing software built by writers, for writers. Outline, draft, revise, and track your whole story in one place. Try it free for 14 days: https://www.dabblewriter.com/pricing
JOIN THE COMMUNITYWeekly pep talks and writing sprints, craft breakdowns, and the occasional reminder to just write the ding dong book already! Join us here: https://www.dabbleu.com/feed
#howtowriteanovel #writingcommunity #amwriting #firstnovel #plotterorpantser #writingtips #novelwritingtips #writingabook #writingadvice #fictionwriting #dabblewriter #prewriting #writerslife

Get A Story Checkup With The Dialogue Doctor Jeff Elkins | SCC 266

Does your dialogue feel flat? Do all your characters sound a little too much alike? Bring it to the Dialogue Doctor.
Join Jeff Elkins (author, editor, and host of the Dialogue Doctor Podcast) for a live craft session on dialogue. We're talking how to make every conversation pull its weight, how to build character voices readers can tell apart on the page, and how to turn a scene of people talking into a scene readers can't stop reading.
Bring the dialogue scene that's been giving you trouble. Bring the character whose voice won't stick. Bring your questions.
WHAT WE'LL LIKELY COVER-How to structure dialogue so it moves the scene forward-How to build character voices that don't blur together-How to show emotion through dialogue without going purple-How to hook readers from the first line of a conversation-Audience questions and story-specific checkups
ABOUT JEFFJeff is the founder of the Dialogue Doctor and host of the Dialogue Doctor Podcast. He's the author of 11 novels, 2 works of nonfiction, and more than 100 short stories. He's worked with hundreds of authors online and edited more than ten full manuscripts. When Jeff talks dialogue, working writers listen.
ABOUT DABBLE WRITERDabble is novel-writing software built by writers, for writers. Outline, draft, revise, and track your whole story in one place. Try Dabble free for 14 days. No credit card required. www.dabblewriter.com
SUBSCRIBE FOR MOREMore live events like author interviews, workshops, and Fireside Chats.
Happy writing!
#writingdialogue #howtowritedialogue #dialoguedoctor #jeffelkins #charactervoice #writingworkshop #writingcraft #writingcommunity #amwriting #novelwriting #fictionwriting #dabblewriter #dialogueinfiction

Bringing Your Series To The Point of 'All Is Lost' with Jim Butcher | SCC 265

Jim Butcher, author of the Dresden Files, Codex Alera, and the Cinder Spires, joins us live on Story Craft Cafe to talk about the hardest moment in any series. The "All Is Lost" beat. The point where everything your protagonist has built comes apart, right before the climax.
We're asking Jim how he lands this beat across a long-running series (one that started over 20 years ago and is still going). How does "All Is Lost" work in book 4 vs. book 14? When do you hold back, and when do you scorch the earth? And how do you keep raising the stakes without breaking the story you've built?
Grab coffee. Bring your craft questions. This is a live recording of the Story Craft Cafe podcast.
WHAT WE'LL COVER-What the "All Is Lost" moment is, and why you can't skip it-How to build to it in a single novel vs. across a full series-Jim's approach to plotting the Dresden Files across 17+ books-How to raise series stakes without breaking the story you've built-Writing from deep inside a long-running world
GUEST BIOJim Butcher is the author of the Dresden Files, the Codex Alera, and a new steampunk series, the Cinder Spires. His resume includes a laundry list of skills which were useful a couple of centuries ago, and he plays guitar quite badly. An avid gamer, he plays tabletop games in varying systems, a variety of video games on PC and console, and LARPs whenever he can make time for it. Jim currently resides mostly inside his own head, but his head can generally be found in the mountains outside Denver, Colorado. Jim goes by the moniker Longshot in a number of online locales. He came by this name in the early 1990's when he decided he would become a published author. Usually only 3 in 1000 who make such an attempt actually manage to become published; of those, only 1 in 10 make enough money to call it a living. The sale of a second series was the breakthrough that let him beat the long odds against attaining a career as a novelist. All the same, he refuses to change his nickname.
ABOUT STORY CRAFT CAFEStory Craft Cafe is Dabble's podcast for writers who take their craft seriously and their vibes casually. We bring in working authors, editors, and industry pros to get into the stuff that makes stories work. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
ABOUT DABBLE WRITERDabble is novel-writing software built by writers, for writers. Outline, draft, revise, and track your whole story in one place. Perfect for series writers juggling multiple books, timelines, and character arcs. Try it free for 14 days: https://www.dabblewriter.com/
FOLLOW ALONGSubscribe to this channel for more author interviews and live craft conversations.

Fireside Chat: Celebrating Four Years of DabbleU Campus! | SCC 264

Come join Hank and Abby for this walk down DabbleU memory lane, as they talk about finding your people in this crazy, noisy online world!
https://dabbleu.com
 

Ask Me Anything with Steve Beaulieu | SCC 263

Join Hank as he hosts Steve Beaulieu for an Ask Me Anything, all about writing and publishing. We talked about genre fiction, what is and is not working in publishing at the moment, long term mindset and much more. 

Developmental Editing and Twig, with Joe Bunting | SCC 262

We hosted a free live training Thursday, April 9 at 10 am Eastern (watch the replay here) all about developmental editing, one of the most important (and most overlooked) parts of the editing process. 
The training was with WSJ bestselling author and book coach, Joe Bunting, who will be talking about how to get the most out of the revision process, plus the dev editing tools that can make the process faster.
In the training, Joe will cover:
What developmental editing really is (and why it matters so much)
When your manuscript is ready for developmental editing
How to find the right developmental editor for your book
The pros and cons of traditional developmental editing
How Twig can help you get your book ready for publication
And so much more

Using AI tools to make your writing stronger with Keith Manley | SCC 261

Keith Manley is a pastor, musician, and an avid author who found his writing and output skyrocket when he discovered a process for using AI tools to enhance his creative output. He is an advocate for using tools that keep you squarely in the driver's seat and at the helm of your creative endeavors.
 
The AI-Assisted Author: My Real Workflow for Writing, Designing, and Publishing with Claude, ChatGPT and Amazon KDP
 
https://www.keithmanley.com/index.html

Fireside Chat： Bridging The Gap Between The Writer You Are And The Writer You Want To Be | SCC 260

Most of us get into writing because we love the way stories sound and how they make us feel. What happens when you finish pouring your heart into something you are passionate about just to read what you've written and realize that what you imagined just doesn't live up to where your talent currently lives? How can you brige that gap and become the writer you've always seen yourself as? Join us as we talk it out LIVE.

Dabble’s 60-Day Novel Challenge: Finale with Doug! | SCC 259

Did  you win our 60 day Novel Challenge? Need a tune up this summer? Join us for the epic wrap up show and relive the 60 day glory, or use this as motivation to write a new novel this summer.
 

Incorporating Sly Humor In A Modern Twisty Thriller With Elizabeth Arnott | SCC 258

Elizabeth Arnott is an award-winning writer and journalist and has written critically acclaimed historical fiction as Lizzie Pook. Her work—covering everything from true crime to Arctic exploration—has featured in publications including The Sunday Times, National Geographic, The New York Times Book Review, and The Guardian. She lives with her husband and their young daughter in London, where she spends far too much time drinking iced coffee and watching serial killer shows.