Story Magic

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about indie publishing and the author journey with Emilia Emerson. What you’ll learn from this episode: what it's like to be an indie author the chaos writing process writing characters with mental health issues EMILIA's WEBSITE: https://www.emiliaemerson.com/ Pre-order His Tesoro now: https://a.co/d/inaF4wj Ready to make readers so in love with your charac...

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about answering a listener question about perfectionism and the idea of doing it wrong. What you’ll learn from this episode: developing confidence for finishing an entire book how to learn with all the overwhelming resources out here managing the stress of perfectionism Ready to make readers so in love with your characters they can’t stop biting their nails in antici...

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about returning from an unplanned hiatus. Ready to make readers so in love with your characters they can’t stop biting their nails in anticipation?  Grab The Magic of Character Arcs free email course: http://www.goldenmayediting.com/arcsmagic Join Tenacious Writing! With the perfect combo of craft, mindset, and community resources, you will build a writing life that...

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about choosing scene POV. What you’ll learn from this episode: 4 questions to determine the most impactful POV sometimes you just need to choose! weaving character into scene structure   Ready to make readers so in love with your characters they can’t stop biting their nails in anticipation?  Grab The Magic of Character Arcs free email course: www. goldenmayediting.c...

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about procrastination! What you’ll learn from this episode: Procrastination and perfectionism are two sides of the same coin The fear at the heart of procrastination Examining and bringing awareness to the block The role of rest   FOR THE PROCRASTINATOR by Amie McNee:  https://www.amiemcnee.com/non-fiction/p/stzcg9ak09l5jtdrgj892rnlxsy64c   Ready to make readers so i...

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about the versatility of the writing process. What you’ll learn from this episode: Is it useful to define ourselves by plotter versus pantser The theory of craft versus the application of craft “Thinking things up” versus “Getting things down” How process changes season to season, book to book   THE ARTIST'S WAY by Julia Cameron:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/01431...

Today, Emily & Rachel talk with author Brit KS. What you’ll learn from this episode:  Brit KS's process of developing her world and characters How book 2 is different than book 1 All the support that makes the writing journey possible     Buy RAISE HELL by Brit KS:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKTYK2V5?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_R2VA0B9XDX024RG1VYTT Brit KS website:  https://britks.com   Ready...

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about how fear is at the heart of perfectionism with guest Jocelyn Lindsay. What you’ll learn from this episode: what might  really be causing your writers block how perfectionism comes back to fear mindset shifts to navigate around perfectionism learning how to be brave when it feels unsafe     Jocelyn's website:  https://www.jocelynlindsay.com/ Jocelyn's...

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about a little rant about the self-publishing vs traditional publishing debate. What you’ll learn from this episode: how deciding what publishing path is a business decision busting some common myths about self-publishing it's okay to own your dream Ready to make readers so in love with your characters they can’t stop biting their nails in anticipation?  Grab Th...

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about character thoughts, and whether they're show or tell. What you’ll learn from this episode: What internal processing (or interiority) actually is How to use internal processing on the page The balance between showing thoughts and telling them Tips to incorporate in your pages    SHOW, DON'T TELL DEMYSTIFIED WORKSHOP:  https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/s...

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about using character movement to "show" on the page. What you’ll learn from this episode: Showing character movement without going overboard Incorporating meaning into movement Questions to dive deeper into movement + meaning Tips to incorporate in your pages    SHOW, DON'T TELL DEMYSTIFIED WORKSHOP:  https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/show-tell-worksho...

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about the three layers of "show!"  What you’ll learn from this episode:  Showing the action in a scene Showing what things mean to characters Showing emotions without stating them How to dive into each of the three layers and incorporate them in your prose SHOW, DON'T TELL DEMYSTIFIED WORKSHOP:  https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/show-tell-workshop With...

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about updates from our personal lives and the Golden May business! Subscribe to our email list:  https://goldenmayediting.com/subscribe Check out our 1:1 coaching program:  https://goldenmayediting.com/storymagic/ Ready to make readers so in love with your characters they can’t stop biting their nails in anticipation?  Grab The Magic of Character Arcs free email cour...

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about how we hate the word "should!" What you’ll learn from this episode: How to reframe the 'shoulds'  Bringing awareness to your thoughts Changing the obligation/guilt/shame mindset  Podcast mentioned: Good Inside with Dr. Becky episode How to Keep House while Drowning with KC Davis Ready to make readers so in love with your characters they can’...

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about setting goals without shame. What you’ll learn from this episode: How to determine whether your goals are from self-love or self-shame Shift your mindset away from "not enough-ness"  Develop goals from self-love Pair your mindset with your goal-setting Ready to make readers so in love with your characters they can’t stop biting their nails in anticipa...

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about LGBTQ+ representation with guest host Sam Cameron. What you’ll learn from this episode: The balance between "getting it right" and perfectionism Actionable steps you can take to include more diverse characters Whether or not to stay in your lane Determining whether your manuscript is LGBTQ+ inclusive Resources mentioned:   Writing With Color -  https:...

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about the art of self-editing with guest host Tiffany Grimes. What you’ll learn from this episode: What is self-editing? Common missteps authors make during this process Strategies and techniques to make editing less overwhelming How to ensure the heart of your story remains strong throughout editing Check out Tiffany's comprehensive self-editing course,  Revisi...

Today, Lewis & Rachel talk about static and/or flat arcs. What you’ll learn from this episode: What static and flat arcs are What static/flat arcs actually do and why they're important How to create static arcs that work + tons of examples!  Mastering Character Arcs by Lewis Jorstad Lewis' Website:   https://thenovelsmithy.com/ Ready to make readers so in love with your characters th...

Today, Lewis & Rachel talk about NaNoWriMo behind the scenes. What you’ll learn from this episode: NaNo check in Different experiences doing this challenge Revisiting your mindset, your self-belief, and your values  GET YOUR TICKET TO OUR WORKSHOP:   https://thenovelsmithy.com/renew-reflect/ Ready to reframe your writing? Join us on December 3rd (updated date!) for Renew, Reflect, Write! With...

Today, Lewis & Rachel talk about creating consistency in our routines. What you’ll learn from this episode: The difference between consistency and sustainability  Creating harmony between your brain and your body Addressing the root cause of your inner critic Beginning to shift mindset GET YOUR TICKET TO OUR WORKSHOP: https://thenovelsmithy.com/renew-reflect/ Ready to reframe your writing? Joi...

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about stakes and why they're important. What you’ll learn from this episode: what stakes really are stakes vs goals vs motivations external and internal stakes how to develop them   Ready to make readers so in love with your characters they can’t stop biting their nails in anticipation?  Grab The Magic of Character Arcs free email course: www. goldenmayediting.c...

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about secondary characters. What you’ll learn from this episode: What's a secondary character?  The purposes of secondary characters Tips and tricks for building super strong secondary characters   Other links mentioned in the episode:  Emotional Conflict Square:  https://www.sophiepembroke.com/3-ways-a-conflict-square-can-fix-your-romance-novel/ Our Blog on sec...

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about low stakes stories.  What you’ll learn from this episode: What is a low stakes story?  Why low stakes stories are growing as a new genre Story point messages and low stakes stories How to make a low stakes story work for you     Ready to make readers so in love with your characters they can’t stop biting their nails in anticipation?  Grab The Magic of Character...

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about how to come up with ideas you actually like. What you’ll learn from this episode: Reaching the root cause of why you don't like that idea Understanding your inner critic voices Ways to manage perfectionism and fear of rejection How to move forward   Ready to make readers so in love with your characters they can’t stop biting their nails in anticipation?  G...

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about tips to trick your inner perfectionist (aka separating thinking from implementing). What you’ll learn from this episode: how perfectionism can lead to paralysis  mindset to overcome perfectionist tendencies exercises and tips to implement into your writing process Ready to make readers so in love with your characters they can’t stop biting their nails in antici...