Chris and Christy discuss the developmental editing process for Chris’s upcoming book. We talk about our slightly unconventional editing process and how diving more deeply into each point of view character can help build stakes and create a richer, more textured world.

This episode is full of spoilers for Chris’ upcoming novel! So if you don’t want the book spoiled, come back to this one after you read it!

Topics Covered:

• Developmental editing process

• Character development and interiority

• Thematic elements and mood of the book

• World-building

• Feedback and collaboration between writer and editor

We talk about the advantages and pitfalls of writing groups, debate team style! Christy tries to convince Chris, a writing group skeptic, that there are advantages to an author-focused feedback group. We talk about how to get good feedback and how to establish strong, productive relationships with writing partners and groups.

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We chat about where we are in our novel projects. Christy

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We’ve been looking forward to this one for a long time. We finally got to chat with Terry Scheuer (Christy’s dad) about his many concerns around writing and editing.

We cover so much ground in this one, it’s like a writing (and editing) 101 class! Have you ever wondered how editors do their work while still honoring the author’s voice and intention? Terry did! He asked us about it. He also had concerns about the definition of “good” literature. Did you know authors make a “promise” to their readers and that readers get very annoyed when an author doesn’t “fulfill” that promise? Well, we talked about that too--as well as how to be creative and innovative while withing the confines of a genre, and why writing a novel is very different from telling a good story at a bar.

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In this episode, Chris does himself (and Christy) a huge

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The internet isn’t terrible when you ask people to be creative! Chris gives examples of how he has reached out to his social media community and incorporated their feedback into his creative processes.

Chris asked the social media hive-mind to help:

Christy talks about doing research at the Nut Cracker every year. And Chris talks about other things he does that technically qualify as research.

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Chris and Christy talk with Sitong Che about her many creative projects, including a fun and challenging story concept she’s been working on. We discuss multiple approaches to getting to know your main characters, how putting characters in conflict can teach you about your story, and some of the differences between

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Note that there are many potential spoilers for Chris’ new

Christy practices some book coach magic to get Chris to

Christy also talks about the class she recently taught and

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Being able to collaborate is a mindset, so can you collaborate with yourself? More specifically, can letting your characters work things out amongst themselves count as a version of collaboration?

Tangents include how the Scheuer family Thanksgiving kid table changed the course of Chris’ book Host, Anya Lodwig’s ability to set up a joke weeks ahead of time, Rogan’s friend Sam who makes good beer, and why Chris will never be famous (hint: it is not what you think).

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In which, we talk about the pros and cons of self-publishing – and why creative collaboration is central to the self-publishing process.

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