The Story Craft Cafe Podcast

Writing Thrillers That Feel Like Real Life With Blaine Lee Pardoe | SCC 246

Blaine Pardoe is an award winning New York Times bestselling author who lives in Spotsylvania, Virginia. He is the author of numerous science fiction, military history, true crime, horror, and business leadership books. He is considered one of America's best writers about the Great War. His books have been published in six languages and he has been a featured speaker at the U.S. National Archives, the United States Navy Museum, and has appeared on numerous television and radio programs.

Dabble’s 60-Day Novel Challenge: Weekly Live Q&A Show 11/26/25 | SCC 245

Welcome to the 60-Day Novel Challenge Live Show. It’s your place to ask questions, get unstuck, and stay motivated throughout the 60-Day Novel Challenge!
Each week during the challenge, we go live to:Answer your questionsTroubleshoot common writing roadblocksShare tips to help you plan, draft, and finish your novelHighlight upcoming challenge events and writing sprints
This week, we're wrapping up our novels by discussing the third act and reflecting on all the effort you've put in so far. Plus, we answer all your burning questions!
Still need to join the challenge?It’s free! And if you sign up for a free trial of Dabble and connect it to your 60-Day project, we’ll extend your trial until the end of the Challenge, all with no credit card required!Join the Challenge: https://www.dabbleu.com/feedDabble Free Trial: https://www.dabblewriter.com/
Let’s write that novel—together!
#AmWriting #60DayNovelChallenge #WritingCommunity #NaNoWriMo #DabbleWriter

Dabble’s 60-Day Novel Challenge: Weekly Live Q&A Show 11/20/25 | SCC 244

Welcome to the 60-Day Novel Challenge Live Show. It’s your place to ask questions, get unstuck, and stay motivated throughout the 60-Day Novel Challenge!
Each week during the challenge, we go live to:Answer your questionsTroubleshoot common writing roadblocksShare tips to help you plan, draft, and finish your novelHighlight upcoming challenge events and writing sprints
This week, we're talking about the second half of act two: the midpoint and second plot point, and what those mean for your character. Of course, we're answering all your burning questions, too.
Still need to join the challenge?It’s free! And if you sign up for a free trial of Dabble and connect it to your 60-Day project, we’ll extend your trial until the end of the Challenge, all with no credit card required!Join the Challenge: https://www.dabbleu.com/feedDabble Free Trial: https://www.dabblewriter.com/
Let’s write that novel—together!
#AmWriting #60DayNovelChallenge #WritingCommunity #NaNoWriMo #DabbleWriter

Dabble’s 60-Day Novel Challenge: Weekly Live Q&A Show 11/13/25 | SCC 243

Welcome to the 60-Day Novel Challenge Live Show. It’s your place to ask questions, get unstuck, and stay motivated throughout the 60-Day Novel Challenge!
Each week during the challenge, we go live to:Answer your questionsTroubleshoot common writing roadblocksShare tips to help you plan, draft, and finish your novelHighlight upcoming challenge events and writing sprints
This week, we're looking at the thrilling things you want to harass your protagonist with: the rising action, subplots, and the antagonist!
Still need to join the challenge?It’s free! And if you sign up for a free trial of Dabble and connect it to your 60-Day project, we’ll extend your trial until the end of the Challenge, all with no credit card required!Join the Challenge: https://www.dabbleu.com/feedDabble Free Trial: https://www.dabblewriter.com/
Let’s write that novel—together!
#AmWriting #60DayNovelChallenge #WritingCommunity #NaNoWriMo #DabbleWriter

Dabble’s 60-Day Novel Challenge: Weekly Live Q&A Show 11/06/25 | SCC 242

Welcome to the 60-Day Novel Challenge Live Show. It’s your place to ask questions, get unstuck, and stay motivated throughout the 60-Day Novel Challenge!
Each week during the challenge, we go live to:Answer your questionsTroubleshoot common writing roadblocksShare tips to help you plan, draft, and finish your novelHighlight upcoming challenge events and writing sprints
This week, we're talking about the first act: ordinary world, inciting incident, and the first plot point.
Still need to join the challenge?It’s free! And if you sign up for a free trial of Dabble and connect it to your 60-Day project, we’ll extend your trial until the end of the Challenge, all with no credit card required!Join the Challenge: https://www.dabbleu.com/feedDabble Free Trial: https://www.dabblewriter.com/
Let’s write that novel—together!
#AmWriting #60DayNovelChallenge #WritingCommunity #NaNoWriMo #DabbleWriter

Dabble’s 60-Day Novel Challenge: Week Four - Preparing for 50k in a Month! (Live Discussion and Q&A) | SCC 241

Welcome to the 60-Day Novel Challenge Live Show. It’s your place to ask questions, get unstuck, and stay motivated throughout the 60-Day Novel Challenge!
Each week during the challenge, we go live to:Answer your questionsTroubleshoot common writing roadblocksShare tips to help you plan, draft, and finish your novelHighlight upcoming challenge events and writing sprints
This week, we're looking at theme, Dabble's Plot Grid, and how to set ourselves up for writing success next month!
Still need to join the challenge?It’s free! And if you sign up for a free trial of Dabble and connect it to your 60-Day project, we’ll extend your trial until the end of the challenge, all with no credit card required!Join the Challenge: https://www.dabbleu.com/Dabble Free Trial: https://www.dabblewriter.com/
Let’s write that novel together!
#AmWriting #60DayNovelChallenge #WritingCommunity #NaNoWriMo #DabbleWriter

Dabble’s 60-Day Novel Challenge: Week Three - Writing Conflict (Live Discussion and Q&A) | SCC 240

Welcome to the 60-Day Novel Challenge Live Show. It’s your place to ask questions, get unstuck, and stay motivated throughout the 60-Day Novel Challenge!
Each week during the challenge, we go live to:Answer your questionsTroubleshoot common writing roadblocksShare tips to help you plan, draft, and finish your novelHighlight upcoming challenge events and writing sprints
This week is all about conflicts. External conflict, internal conflict, and why these two things matter so dang much.
Still need to join the challenge?It’s free! And if you sign up for a free trial of Dabble and connect it to your 60-Day project, we’ll extend your trial until the end of the challenge, all with no credit card required!Join the Challenge: https://www.dabbleu.com/Dabble Free Trial: https://www.dabblewriter.com/
Let’s write that novel together!
#AmWriting #60DayNovelChallenge #WritingCommunity #NaNoWriMo #DabbleWriter

Building A Lasting Career As A Fantasy Author With R. A. Salvatore | SCC 239

As one of the fantasy genre's most successful authors, R.A. Salvatore enjoys an ever-expanding and tremendously loyal following.
His books regularly appear on The New York Times best-seller lists and have sold more than 30,000,000 copies. Salvatore’s most recent original hardcover, The Two Swords, Book III of The Hunter’s Blade Trilogy (October 2004) debuted at # 1 on The Wall Street Journal best-seller list and at # 4 on The New York Times best-seller list. His books have been translated into numerous foreign languages including German, Italian, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Turkish, Croatian, Bulgarian, Yiddish, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Czech, and French.
Salvatore's first published novel, The Crystal Shard from TSR in 1988, became the first volume of the acclaimed Icewind Dale Trilogy and introduced an enormously popular character, the dark elf Drizzt Do'Urden. Since that time, Salvatore has published numerous novels for each of his signature multi-volume series including The Dark Elf Trilogy, Paths of Darkness, The Hunter's Blades Trilogy, and The Cleric Quintet.
His love affair with fantasy, and with literature in general, began during his sophomore year of college when he was given a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings as a Christmas gift. He promptly changed his major from computer science to journalism. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Fitchburg State College in 1981, then returned for the degree he always cherished, the Bachelor of Arts in English. He began writing seriously in 1982, penning the manuscript that would become Echoes of the Fourth Magic. Salvatore held many jobs during those first years as a writer, finally settling in (much to our delight) to write full time in 1990.
The R.A. Salvatore Collection has been established at his alma mater, Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, containing the writer's letters, manuscripts, and other professional papers. He is in good company, as The Salvatore Collection is situated alongside The Robert Cormier Library, which celebrates the writing career of the co-alum and esteemed author of young adult books.
Salvatore is an active member of his community and is on the board of trustees at the local library in Leominster, Massachusetts. He has participated in several American Library Association regional conferences, giving talks on themes including "Adventure fantasy" and "Why young adults read fantasy." Salvatore himself enjoys a broad range of literary writers including James Joyce, Mark Twain, Geoffrey Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dante, and Sartre. He counts among his favorite genre literary influences Ian Fleming, Arthur Conan Doyle, Fritz Leiber, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien.
Born in 1959, Salvatore is a native of Massachusetts and resides there with his wife Diane, and their three children, Bryan, Geno, and Caitlin. The family pets include three Japanese Chins, Oliver, Artemis and Ivan, and four cats including Guenhwyvar.
When he isn't writing, Salvatore chases after his three Japanese Chins, takes long walks, hits the gym, and coaches/plays on a fun-league softball team that includes most of his family. His gaming group still meets on Sundays to play.

Dabble’s 60-Day Novel Challenge: Week One - The Big Picture (Live Discussion and Q&A) | SCC 238

Welcome to the Thursday Live Q&A Show. It’s your place to ask questions, get unstuck, and stay motivated throughout the 60-Day Novel Challenge!
Each week during the challenge, we go live to:Answer your questionsTroubleshoot common writing roadblocksShare tips to help you plan, draft, and finish your novelHighlight upcoming challenge events and writing sprints
This week, we're talking genre, plot brainstorming, and worldbuilding!
Still need to join the challenge?It’s free! And if you sign up for a free trial of Dabble and connect it to your 60-Day project, we’ll extend your trial until the end of the challenge, all with no credit card required!Join the Challenge: https://www.dabbleu.com/Dabble Free Trial: https://www.dabblewriter.com/
Let’s write that novel together!
#AmWriting #60DayNovelChallenge #WritingCommunity #NaNoWriMo #DabbleWriter

Critique Partner Best Practices With Julie Artz | SCC 237

Julie Artz helps status quo busting writers slay their doubt demons and get their stories reader-ready. She is an Author Accelerator-certified Founding Book Coach and a sought-after writing instructor and speaker. She regularly contributes to Jane Friedman and Writers Helping Writers, and is an instructor for AuthorsPublish. A consummate social justice minded story geek, Julie lives by an enchanted river in Fort Collins, Colorado with her husband, two naughty furry familiars, and two college-aged children who occasionally manifest.
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@julieartz
Substack: https://julieartz.substack.com
Is Your Story Reader-Ready? Take the quiz to find out: https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/68599ba553e03200150eff41 
This month, I'm running my FREE critique parnter matching service, CP Meet Cute. Join the fun at https://www.julieartz.com/cp-meet-cute by October 24 and get paired with like-minded writers before the year is out!