The Story Craft Cafe Podcast

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.

Fireside Chat: Building Story Bibles | SCC 257

When writing a series, or even a standalone books, doing some prework can not only make you job as a writer easier, it can even ensure that your readers will have a better experience with your books. How do you go about it, and how can this addition to your process make you a better story teller?

Fireside Chat: Subverting Tropes | SCC 256

Trope has become a dirty word in some writing circles, but the truth is that tropes are the building blocks of genre fiction. So, how do you keep your writing consistent with reader expectations (using tropes), while also allowing you to tell a story that is fresh and exciting? This is what we'll explore next to the fire. Come join us!

Ramping Up Tension With Contained Thrillers With Taylor Adams | SCC 255

TAYLOR ADAMS is the author of several acclaimed thrillers, including The Last Word, Hairpin Bridge, and No Exit. No Exit has been published in thirty-two languages and is a Hulu Original film. Adams lives in Washington State.
Revered by authors and readers alike for his singular cinematic intensity and the tenacious, unforgettable characters who drive it, Adams plunges us deep underground in this harrowing tale of a caving expedition gone horribly wrong. Blending the terrifying confinement of The Descent with the psychological complexity of a domestic noir, the novel follows two friends who discover that the darkness inside the cave is matched only by the secrets they brought with them. 
The story centers on Tess, a shy and claustrophobic legal assistant struggling to make ends meet, who finally succumbs to pressure from her best friend, Allie, to join her on a trip deep underground. Their lives have taken drastically different paths since high school: while Tess scrapes by, Allie has become a confident, globe-trotting travel influencer. Tess reluctantly agrees to this spelunking trip, suppressing her fears for the sake of their friendship. 
When the pair arrives at the cave mouth, their adventure quickly turns sinister. They encounter a stranger in the dark—a man who claims to be a fellow caver but whose behavior becomes threatening. When the bold, take-no-prisoners Allie confronts him before setting off with Tess, the situation simmers, paranoia brews, and danger soon follows: Tess finds herself separated, trapped in a narrow crawl space hundreds of feet beneath the surface, fighting a desperate battle for survival against the elements and a relentless aggressor.
Twenty-four hours later, as Tess recounts her ordeal from a hospital bed, a detective reveals shocking new information about Allie’s past. These revelations force Tess to question everything she thought she knew about her best friend and suggest that the brutal attack in the deep was far from random. 
Adams’s writing is suffocatingly tense, expertly utilizing the atmospheric setting of the cave to ratchet up the suspense. The narrative taps into primal fears of confinement, while exploring themes of survival, betrayal, and the complex, often envious nature of friendship. 
HER LAST BREATH is a tour de force of suspense that will leave readers gasping for air. Fans of the high-octane pacing of Adrian McKinty and the twisting, character-driven mysteries of Riley Sager will find themselves captivated by this relentless ride.

Fireside Chat: Taking A Whisp Of An Idea And Turning It Into A Story | SCC 254

Writing a book is hard work, but hard work can be satisfying and fun. Having an idea and knowing where that idea is going can sometimes be the easy part. We've all heard the trite question, "where do your ideas come from?" asked of every author we've come to respect and admire. But here's the truth: Ideas are EVERYWHERE. The bigger, and most important, question is: How do you take that whisp of an idea and turn it into an actionable PLAN? Hank and Abby explore this topic on this week's Fireside Chat.

Using Prequels To Add To Your Worlds With Lincoln Child | SCC 253

Preston & Child, the New York Times bestselling author duo known as Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child individually, are at the top of their game. Their writing has been praised as “consistently exciting and never predictable” (Associated Press) and “[there’s] nothing else like them” (Washington Post).
 PENDERGAST: The Beginning joins Pendergast as a brazen rookie under the supervision of Special Agent Chambers. While investigating a gruesome crime in the Mississippi bayou, they uncover a string of grisly, ritualistic killings that defy any known serial killer profile. With Pendergast’s brilliance and unorthodox methods, they solve the case and find the killer… and that is when the true horror begins.