Advancing Authors: Writer Coaching

If you want to make writing a daily habit, or a significant part of your lifestyle, it’s important to prioritize it. In this episode, learn what a priority is, what it isn’t, and some of the common pitfalls you can avoid.

Read the blog: https://www.blockbusterya.com/post/how-to-make-writing-a-priority

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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP

Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner

Jingle:

Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

A theme is a statement that your story makes about life. A strong theme can make a difference between a story that resonates and one that is easily forgotten. By choosing the right statement and using it to link everything in your story together, your story will stick in readers' minds long after they put your book down.

In this lesson, we'll cover:

- Why a strong theme is so important. 

- How to identify the theme in the story you're working on. 

- Examples from popular book series. 

- How to use your theme to connect everything in your story. 

Download the worksheet to create a strong theme for your novel at https://www.blockbusterYA.com/post/theme

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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP

Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner

Jingle:

Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

With everything going on in the world – most of us still in quarantine due to COVID-19, many people fighting against atrocities and even fighting for their lives, and other global issues – it can be hard to find the energy to be creative. I recorded this podcast a few weeks ago when quarantine was the biggest issue for many of us in North America, but a lot has changed since then. While the podcast refers to living in quarantine, the teachings apply to any time of upheaval. I hope that wherever you are and whatever you are going through, you can apply some of this thought-work to help you get through.

Read the blog: how-to-write-during-a-time-when-it-s-hard-to-be-creative

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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP

Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner

Jingle: Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

A plot twist gets people talking about a book. It’s what makes readers gasp aloud, tell their friends, and re-read the story after they’ve finished.

As a writer, it seems hard to come up with a great twist that readers don't see coming. But it doesn't have to be complicated! Let's look at the anatomy of a twist and how we can use proven patterns to add one (or several) to your novel.

In this lesson, we'll cover:

Download the Plot Twist brainstorming guide at https://www.blockbusterya.com/post/plot-twists

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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP

Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner

Jingle:

Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

A lot of writers are afraid of getting negative reviews, and it holds them back from reaching their true potential. Negative reviews are going to happen, but here’s why you don’t have to fear them.

Read the blog at: https://www.blockbusterya.com/post/negative-reviews

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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP

Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner

Jingle:

Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

With your book's tent poles in place, it's time to build your complete story outline! This 12-step storyboard is an exclusive Blockbuster YA formula based on years of writing education and experience in the literary and film industries. By using these 12 key moments as your plot's foundation, your story will hook readers from the start and leave them satisfied.

We'll cover:

Download the storyboard deck and fill it out for your plot at https://www.blockbusterYA.com/post/storyboard-deck

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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP

Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner

Jingle:

Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Most YA authors think they need to be motivated or excited to write, but what happens when you don't feel that way? In this episode, learn what emotion can act as a sustainable fuel to power your writing.

Read the blog at https://www.blockbusterya.com/post/motivation

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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP

Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner

Jingle:

Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Your audience in 2020 is a tough sell. Readers demand cleverly structured stories, tight plots, and meaningful character transformations. It's no longer enough to write a novel using the basic idea that a plot has three acts. This is why Hollywood writers and bestselling authors have spent so much time analyzing what makes the best stories so great, coming up with plot formulas and models like The Hero's Journey, The Beat Sheet, and others. (These, by the way, are amazing resources and we highly recommend them!)

As a writer, you need to outline your story before you begin if you want your book to be the best it can be. Our next two lessons will help you build a plot that will resonate with readers, agents, and publishers. This podcast episode focuses on the four main parts of your story that are crucial to building a satisfying character arc. We'll cover:

Download the Blockbuster Plot Arcs worksheet at blockbusterYA.com/post/bestselling-plot-structure

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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP

Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner

Jingle:

Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

You’ve got a great idea for a story. Heck, maybe you have a dozen great ideas. You want more than anything to bring them to life – to see them at the front of the bookstore or maybe even on the big screen – so why isn’t your manuscript done? Is it because of your time-sucking day job?  Fear or uncertainty in your plot? Finding yourself on Netflix? 

The list can go on and it seems like there is a neverending list of reasons why writing is hard or even impossible. 

In our first life coaching podcast, we'll dive into the hidden problem that's stopping you from writing and take the first step in overcoming your mental block. 

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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP 

Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner 

Jingle: 

Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod 

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama 

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

A logline is your one-line pitch of what your story is about. It's the first sentence you should write and the thing you should put on a sticky note as you flesh out your manuscript. It acts as a hook you can use to pitch to agents, publishers, and readers, plus it helps you stay on track as you write your first draft.

In this lesson, we'll help you build a logline that sells. Use the worksheet to build your own logline based on a proven formula used in Hollywood, which you'll be able to use to pitch your story and set yourself up to write a blockbuster novel.

This podcast episode will cover:

Download the Logline Builder Worksheet at blockbusterYA.com/materials

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© Blockbuster YA Author Coaching LLP

Created and produced by Tiana Warner and Stephanie Warner

Jingle:

Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/