The Story Craft Cafe Podcast

A Fantasy Legend Pushes The Genre Into The Future With Terry Brooks | SCC 137

TERRY BROOKS was born in Illinois in 1944. He spent a great deal of his childhood  and early adulthood dreaming up stories in and around Sinnissippi Park,  the very same setting for Running with the Demon. He received  his undergraduate degree from Hamilton College, where he majored in  English Literature, and went on to earn his graduate degree from the  School of Law at Washington & Lee University.
A writer since high school and heavily influenced by William Faulkner, it took him seven years to finish writing The Sword of Shannara, which published in 1977. It became the first work of fiction to ever appear on the New York Times trade paperback bestseller list, where it remained for over five months.
He published The Elfstones of Shannara in 1982 and The Wishsong of Shannara in 1985, both bestsellers.
Since that time, he has written numerous novels in the Shannara,  Landover, Word/Void, and Viridian Deep series, including being hand-selected by George  Lucas to write the novelization of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, which hit #1 on the New York Times bestseller list.
Terry Brooks lives with his wife Judine in the Pacific Northwest and on the road meeting his fans.
SOMETIMES THE MAGIC WORKSTo read an autobiography of Terry Brooks, please discover his memoir and writing guide, Sometimes the Magic Works.

Let’s Write A Book Chapter 3 | SCC 136

This book is a hands-on manual for crafting your story, and we hope you enjoy working through it.  This book has been split into two distinct parts to help you in your writing journey. Part One is all about the things you should be doing before you even get started on a draft or an outline. In this first part, I’m going to be covering the foundational knowledge of a book: what a book is, figuring out your genre and subgenre, and more. I’ll also be talking about the mindset of a writer, what you need to write your book, and where you’ll be writing. Finally, I’ll wrap up Part One with the basics of plotting and planning. Just the idea of planning might make some of you groan, so chill out for a second, because I have ways of outlining and structuring for those who love to plan and those who absolutely hate it.  Part Two is where we get to the good stuff: writing your first draft. I’ll go over the key elements of a kickass book, as well as the more technical stuff like point of view, active and passive voice, and more. Together we’ll do a deep dive into what it takes to make the perfect plot, compelling characters, and tantalizing themes. And I’ll even help you out with ways to actually get your book written (again, it’s a long, sometimes difficult journey) and what to do when you encounter setbacks like the dreaded writer’s block. Don’t worry, it’s not as scary as it sounds.

Let’s Write A Book Chapter 2 | SCC 135

This book is a hands-on manual for crafting your story, and we hope you enjoy working through it.  This book has been split into two distinct parts to help you in your writing journey. Part One is all about the things you should be doing before you even get started on a draft or an outline. In this first part, I’m going to be covering the foundational knowledge of a book: what a book is, figuring out your genre and subgenre, and more. I’ll also be talking about the mindset of a writer, what you need to write your book, and where you’ll be writing. Finally, I’ll wrap up Part One with the basics of plotting and planning. Just the idea of planning might make some of you groan, so chill out for a second, because I have ways of outlining and structuring for those who love to plan and those who absolutely hate it.  Part Two is where we get to the good stuff: writing your first draft. I’ll go over the key elements of a kickass book, as well as the more technical stuff like point of view, active and passive voice, and more. Together we’ll do a deep dive into what it takes to make the perfect plot, compelling characters, and tantalizing themes. And I’ll even help you out with ways to actually get your book written (again, it’s a long, sometimes difficult journey) and what to do when you encounter setbacks like the dreaded writer’s block. Don’t worry, it’s not as scary as it sounds.

Let’s Write A Book Chapter 1 | SCC 134

This book is a hands-on manual for crafting your story, and we hope you enjoy working through it. 
 
This book has been split into two distinct parts to help you in your writing journey. Part One is all about the things you should be doing before you even get started on a draft or an outline. In this first part, I’m going to be covering the foundational knowledge of a book: what a book is, figuring out your genre and subgenre, and more. I’ll also be talking about the mindset of a writer, what you need to write your book, and where you’ll be writing. Finally, I’ll wrap up Part One with the basics of plotting and planning. Just the idea of planning might make some of you groan, so chill out for a second, because I have ways of outlining and structuring for those who love to plan and those who absolutely hate it. 
 
Part Two is where we get to the good stuff: writing your first draft. I’ll go over the key elements of a kickass book, as well as the more technical stuff like point of view, active and passive voice, and more. Together we’ll do a deep dive into what it takes to make the perfect plot, compelling characters, and tantalizing themes. And I’ll even help you out with ways to actually get your book written (again, it’s a long, sometimes difficult journey) and what to do when you encounter setbacks like the dreaded writer’s block. Don’t worry, it’s not as scary as it sounds.
 

Writing Delicious Cozy Mysteries With Jessa Maxwell | SCC 133

 The Golden Spoon: A Novel
“This delicious combination of Clue and The Great British Bakeoff kept me turning the pages all night!” —Janet Evanovich, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Only Murders in the Building meets The Maid in this darkly beguiling locked-room mystery where someone turns up dead on the set of TV’s hottest baking competition—perfect for fans of Nita Prose, Richard Osman, and Anthony Horowitz.
Every summer for the past ten years, six awe-struck bakers have descended on the grounds of Grafton, the leafy and imposing Vermont estate that is not only the filming site for “Bake Week” but also the childhood home of the show’s famous host, celebrated baker Betsy Martin.
The author of numerous bestselling cookbooks and hailed as “America’s Grandmother,” Betsy Martin isn’t as warm off-screen as on, though no one needs to know that but her. She has always demanded perfection, and gotten it with a smile, but this year something is off. As the baking competition commences, things begin to go awry. At first, it’s merely sabotage—sugar replaced with salt, a burner turned to high—but when a body is discovered, everyone is a suspect.
A sharp and suspenseful thriller for mystery buffs and avid bakers alike, The Golden Spoon is a brilliant puzzle filled with shocking twists and turns that will keep you reading late into the night until you turn the very last page of this incredible debut.
When you click a link on our site, it might just be a magical portal (aka an affiliate link). We're passionate about only sharing the treasures we truly believe in. Every purchase made from our links not only supports Dabble but also the marvelous authors and creators we showcase, at no additional cost to you.

From Journalist to Twisty Thriller Author With Peggy Townsend | SCC 132

Peggy Townsend is longtime newspaper reporter who has won multiple state and national awards for her work. She has chased a serial killer through a graveyard at midnight, panhandled with street kids, and sat on a mountaintop with woman who counted her riches in each morning's sunrise. She has rafted rivers, come face-to-face with a grizzly bear and, twice, lived in her van for seven weeks while traveling across the country. She divides her time between the Central Coast of California and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Taking A Passion For Storytelling To The Top Of The NYT Bestseller List With Robyn Carr | SCC 131

Robyn Carr was a young mother of two in the mid-1970s when she started writing fiction, an Air Force wife, educated as a nurse, whose husband’s frequent assignment changes made it difficult for her to work in her profession. Originally from Minnesota, they lived in all four corners of Texas, Alabama, Florida, California, Utah, Arizona and Nevada. Little did the aspiring novelist know then, as she wrote with babies on her lap, that she would become one of the world’s most popular authors of romance and women’s fiction, that 11 of her novels would earn the #1 berth on the New York Times bestselling books list.
Robyn’s A Virgin River Christmas scored her first New York Times success in 2008 and since then, the Las Vegas author’s novels have spent nearly 250 weeks on that prestigious list. Amazingly, sales of her books in digital and print have risen with each successive novel. Her 20-book Virgin River series alone has netted more than 13 million copies. That series’ sixteenth title, Bring Me Home for Christmas, scored the #1 slot not only on the New York Times list but on two others as well—Publishers Weekly and Barnes and Noble.
Proof of Robyn’s international popularity is also in the numbers. Robyn Carr titles have collectively sold over 27 million copies and have been translated into 19 languages in 30 countries.
As a sign of the significant contributions Robyn has made to the genre, the Romance Writers of America, the trade association representing 10,200 members who write romance and live in 35 countries, awarded Robyn the 2016 Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award.
“I discovered romance novels when doctors instructed me to stay down and keep my feet up during a complicated pregnancy,” Robyn said. “A neighbor brought me ten paperbacks a week to read. And I was hooked. I started to write them, but it wasn’t an easy ride. After critiquing my third manuscript at a writers’ conference, one novelist suggested I find something to do for which I had talent. Fortunately, I ignored her and persevered. I was first published in 1978, with an historical titled Chelynne, but it took me 30 years to score that first New York Times placement.”
In April 2016, What We Find debuted in hardcover for MIRA Books and launched Robyn’s new bestselling Sullivan’s Crossing series. Set in the heart of the beautiful Rocky Mountains, What We Find explores the healing powers of rural Colorado in a story of fresh starts, budding relationships and one woman’s journey to finding the happiness she’s long been missing. Any Day Now, Sullivan’s Crossing book #2, was a New York Times bestseller and reached #1 on the Publisher’s Weekly bestseller list. The Family Gathering, book #3, was a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller. Robyn’s women’s fiction novels also rank on bestseller lists. The New York Times and USA Today bestseller, The Life She Wants, October 2016, finds a woman humbly cleaning up after herself, paying her dues and rediscovering herself after poor decisions she made earlier in life. The Publisher’s Weekly bestseller, The Summer That Made Us, is a beautifully woven story about the complexities of family dynamics and the value of strong female relationships. All of Robyn’s books are about strong women
Next up for Robyn: Robyn is now living her dream of writing one stand-alone women’s fiction and one contemporary romance per year. The fourth Sullivan’s Crossing novel, The Best of Us debuted on the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists in Jan. 2019. The View from Alameda Island, Robyn’s 2019 women’s fiction novel is about a woman, on her twenty-fourth wedding anniversary, who decides to leave her perfect-on-the-outside-life.
Robyn has fallen in love with the beautiful Nevada desert and unrivaled spectacle of Las Vegas where she resides. Her children are grown—her son is an orthopedic surgeon; her daughter, a police captain. Robyn says that, in addition to reading her novels and making snide remarks about how she’s used family scenarios to her advantage, they have made her a happy grandmother.

Planning Your Author Career Like A Pro With A. N. Sage | SCC 130

A.N. Sage is a bestselling, award-winning author of mystery and fantasy novels. She has spent most of her life waiting to meet a witch, vampire, or at least get haunted by a ghost. In between failed seances and many questionable outfit choices, she has developed a keen eye for the extra-ordinary. 
A.N. spends her free time reading and binge-watching television shows in her pajamas. Currently, she resides in Toronto, Canada with her husband who is not a creature of the night and their daughter who just might be. 
A.N. Sage is a Scorpio and a massive advocate of leggings for pants.
When you click a link on our site, it might just be a magical portal (aka an affiliate link). We're passionate about only sharing the treasures we truly believe in. Every purchase made from our links not only supports Dabble but also the marvelous authors and creators we showcase, at no additional cost to you.
Join us on our YouTube channel!
 

AI Tools For Writers: Prewriting With Claude.AI | SCC 129

In this video we explore how writers can use Claude.AI to explore the prewriting process. We go from simple idea to fully fleshed out outline. By the time we're finished, we will be ready to start drafting a mystery novel, with the confidence of a writer with a plan.
Here's the document with our prompts and responses. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PD_Kt6X4yTgaHGwCRlnaKSWNkM2cSZ7i/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=115873910777981292642&rtpof=true&sd=true

Publishing Novellas In The Thriller Market With Peter Swanson | SCC 128

The Christmas Guest: A Novella
PETER SWANSON is the New York Times bestselling author of nine previous novels, including The Kind Worth Killing, winner of the New England Society Book Award, and finalist for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger; Her Every Fear, an NPR book of the year; and Eight Perfect Murders, a New York Times bestseller and Kirkus Reviews book of the year. His books have been translated into thirty languages, and his stories, poetry, and features have appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction, The Atlantic Monthly, Measure, The Guardian (UK), The Strand Magazine, and Yankee magazine. He lives outside of Boston, where he is at work on his next novel.
When you click a link on our site, it might just be a magical portal (aka an affiliate link). We're passionate about only sharing the treasures we truly believe in. Every purchase made from our links not only supports Dabble but also the marvelous authors and creators we showcase, at no additional cost to you.