Lit Match

First Chapters: The Midnight Library (with Book Coach Sharon Skinner)


Listen Later

"Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . . . Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?" — Blurb for Matt Haig's bestselling novel, THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY 

Abigail sits down with certified book coach Sharon Skinner to analyze the first chapter of THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY. This is one of Abigail's favorite reads in 2022 (it published in 2020), and it's also in Abigail's top reads. Sharon also loved THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY, and is an excellent coach to talk to about this book since Sharon specializes in TML's genre, (curio) speculative fiction. 

Join Abigail and Sharon for a first chapter deep dive analysis of Matt Haig's bestselling, award-winning novel! Following the traditional format for these deep dive episodes, Abigail and Sharon discuss how the *prologue in disguise* and first chapter set up expectations for the big picture (using Paula Munier's 7 Key First Chapter Questions from her book THE WRITER'S GUIDE TO BEGINNINGS), and then they zero-in to examine each scene's structure (using Story Grid's scene analysis tools, some of these also used by Robert McKee). 

In addition to the macro and micro analysis, Abigail and Sharon discuss:

  • Curio fiction, what this is and why it's a valuable sub-category in speculative fiction
  • What THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY is really about 
  • Why the POV works well in this novel, and why it wouldn't work if we were too close to Nora's POV
  • Why there is no one way to write (but how to use tips that can help) 
  • Plus, more actionable advice and tips that you can apply to your writing!  
  •  Did you read THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY? What did you think of its first chapter?

      

    Don't forget to read Diane Callahan's article on Tor: What Is “Curio Fiction”? Finding a Name for a Fantastical Subgenre

     

    Connect with us:

    Twitter: @abigailkperry |@SharonSkinner56

    Instagram: @abigailkperry | 

    Website: www.abigailkperry.com  | https://bookcoachingbysharon.com/ | http://sharonskinner.com/ 

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    Lit MatchBy Abigail K. Perry

    • 4.9
    • 4.9
    • 4.9
    • 4.9
    • 4.9

    4.9

    57 ratings


    More shows like Lit Match

    View all
    The Creative Penn Podcast For Writers by Joanna Penn

    The Creative Penn Podcast For Writers

    608 Listeners

    Helping Writers Become Authors by K.M. Weiland

    Helping Writers Become Authors

    963 Listeners

    The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience by Kelton Reid

    The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience

    207 Listeners

    Writing Excuses by Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler

    Writing Excuses

    1,285 Listeners

    The Manuscript Academy by #MSWL

    The Manuscript Academy

    295 Listeners

    Writer's Routine by Dan Simpson

    Writer's Routine

    292 Listeners

    Sarah's Bookshelves Live by Sarah Dickinson | Sarah's Bookshelves

    Sarah's Bookshelves Live

    745 Listeners

    Fiction Writing Made Easy by Savannah Gilbo

    Fiction Writing Made Easy

    1,365 Listeners

    The First Draft Club by By Mary Adkins | Author & Book Writing Coach

    The First Draft Club

    107 Listeners

    The Shit No One Tells You About Writing by Bianca Marais, Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra

    The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

    720 Listeners

    Essential Guide to Writing a Novel by James Thayer

    Essential Guide to Writing a Novel

    359 Listeners

    Writers on Writing by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett and Marrie Stone

    Writers on Writing

    59 Listeners

    Story Magic by Golden May

    Story Magic

    33 Listeners

    Steps to Story by Nicole Meier

    Steps to Story

    39 Listeners

    No Write Way with V. E. Schwab by V. E. Schwab (Author)

    No Write Way with V. E. Schwab

    44 Listeners