Today, Emily & Rachel talk about internal goals.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• What are internal goals and why your characters need them
• How to create relatable and understandable characters
• How to use internal goals to bring depth and dimension to your characters

 

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.com/arcsmagic

If you enjoyed Story Magic, please rate, review and follow on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to this podcast!

Follow us on social media!

Rachel: https://www.instagram.com/bookcoachrachel/

Emily: https://www.instagram.com/emilygoldenbooks/

Join us on February 25th, 2026 at 12pm EST for our FREE + live masterclass called Fix Your Novel! In this class, we’ll show you how to identify these 5 common problems in your own work, and give you next steps and TONS of resources to get started fixing them with confidence. All you have to do is register to save your spot at https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/fixyournovel! See you there!

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about scene structure!

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• what a scene really is
• how scenes break down into 4 major components
• tying character arcs and plot to scenes
• linking scenes across your story
• special offer for Scene Structure Simplified, our new workshop!

 

Enroll in Scene Structure Simplified: https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/sceneworkshop

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.com/arcsmagic

If you enjoyed Story Magic, please rate, review and follow on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to this podcast!

Follow us on social media!

Rachel: https://www.instagram.com/bookcoachrachel/

Emily: https://www.instagram.com/emilygoldenbooks/

Join us on February 25th, 2026 at 12pm EST for our FREE + live masterclass called Fix Your Novel! In this class, we’ll show you how to identify these 5 common problems in your own work, and give you next steps and TONS of resources to get started fixing them with confidence. All you have to do is register to save your spot at https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/fixyournovel! See you there!

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about when and why to table a story.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• how to know if/when you should table a story
• why it might be the right time
• why tabling a story is NOT a failure
• what you can learn from the process

 

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.com/arcsmagic

If you enjoyed Story Magic, please rate, review and follow on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to this podcast!

Follow us on social media!

Rachel: https://www.instagram.com/bookcoachrachel/

Emily: https://www.instagram.com/emilygoldencoach/

Join us on February 25th, 2026 at 12pm EST for our FREE + live masterclass called Fix Your Novel! In this class, we’ll show you how to identify these 5 common problems in your own work, and give you next steps and TONS of resources to get started fixing them with confidence. All you have to do is register to save your spot at https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/fixyournovel! See you there!

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about descriptive characterization.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• how to intentionally characterize your characters
• adding meaning and relevance to descriptions
• how less is often more

 

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.com/arcsmagic

If you enjoyed Story Magic, please rate, review and follow on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to this podcast!

Follow us on social media!

Rachel: https://www.instagram.com/bookcoachrachel/

Emily: https://www.instagram.com/emilygoldencoach/

Join us on February 25th, 2026 at 12pm EST for our FREE + live masterclass called Fix Your Novel! In this class, we’ll show you how to identify these 5 common problems in your own work, and give you next steps and TONS of resources to get started fixing them with confidence. All you have to do is register to save your spot at https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/fixyournovel! See you there!

Today we have a recording of an Instagram live discussion between Emily and actor / creative coach Corrie Legge where they discussed when art is worth doing in a world that feels like it's on fire.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• why art is important
• how to reconcile creating in the midst of global unrest and climate crisis
• all about Emily's teenage and college years! (Corrie is one of her oldest BFFs)

You can learn more from Corrie and her coaching programs and services at https://www.creatingwithcorrie.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/creatingwithcorrie/.

Want to watch the original Live video? You can find it here!

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.com/arcsmagic

If you enjoyed Story Magic, please rate, review and follow on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to this podcast!

Follow us on social media!

Rachel: https://www.instagram.com/bookcoachrachel/

Emily: https://www.instagram.com/emilygoldenedits/

Join us on February 25th, 2026 at 12pm EST for our FREE + live masterclass called Fix Your Novel! In this class, we’ll show you how to identify these 5 common problems in your own work, and give you next steps and TONS of resources to get started fixing them with confidence. All you have to do is register to save your spot at https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/fixyournovel! See you there!

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about staying true to your humanity.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• How we bring our whole selves to the writing process
• No one can ask you to diminish your true self
• You do not need to change yourself to fit someone else's preferences

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.com/arcsmagic

If you enjoyed Story Magic, please rate, review and follow on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to this podcast!

Follow us on social media!

Rachel: https://www.instagram.com/bookcoachrachel/

Emily: https://www.instagram.com/emilygoldenedits/

Join us on February 25th, 2026 at 12pm EST for our FREE + live masterclass called Fix Your Novel! In this class, we’ll show you how to identify these 5 common problems in your own work, and give you next steps and TONS of resources to get started fixing them with confidence. All you have to do is register to save your spot at https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/fixyournovel! See you there!

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about our favorite plotting tool: pivot point plans!

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• Character plans
• Linking story goals to pivot plans to scene goals
• Using plans to establish arcs
• How to implement on the plotter vs pantser spectrum

Pivot Point Plan graphic with extra example from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

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.com/arcsmagic

If you enjoyed Story Magic, please rate, review and follow on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to this podcast!

Follow us on social media!

Rachel: https://www.instagram.com/bookcoachrachel/

Emily: https://www.instagram.com/emilygoldenedits/

Join us on February 25th, 2026 at 12pm EST for our FREE + live masterclass called Fix Your Novel! In this class, we’ll show you how to identify these 5 common problems in your own work, and give you next steps and TONS of resources to get started fixing them with confidence. All you have to do is register to save your spot at https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/fixyournovel! See you there!

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about how writing is work.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• How writing is takes energy, even if it feels fulfilling
• We need to take breaks to recharge and refill the well
• Not filling every single day with writing
• Resting without guilt

Special links: 

Gauri Yardi - https://www.gauriyardi.com/

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski

 

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.com/arcsmagic

If you enjoyed Story Magic, please rate, review and follow on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to this podcast!

Follow us on social media!

Rachel: https://www.instagram.com/bookcoachrachel/

Emily: https://www.instagram.com/emilygoldenedits/

Join us on February 25th, 2026 at 12pm EST for our FREE + live masterclass called Fix Your Novel! In this class, we’ll show you how to identify these 5 common problems in your own work, and give you next steps and TONS of resources to get started fixing them with confidence. All you have to do is register to save your spot at https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/fixyournovel! See you there!

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about slow writing!

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• why you feel the need to write fast
• how slow writing can actually result in better stories
• Addressing why you might be writing slowly
• Tools for addressing the things holding your writing process back

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.com/arcsmagic

If you enjoyed Story Magic, please rate, review and follow on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to this podcast!

Follow us on social media!

Rachel: https://www.instagram.com/bookcoachrachel/

Emily: https://www.instagram.com/emilygoldenedits/

Join us on February 25th, 2026 at 12pm EST for our FREE + live masterclass called Fix Your Novel! In this class, we’ll show you how to identify these 5 common problems in your own work, and give you next steps and TONS of resources to get started fixing them with confidence. All you have to do is register to save your spot at https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/fixyournovel! See you there!

Today, Emily & Rachel talk with guest Kristen Kieffer about creating in sequence.

What you’ll learn from this episode

• What does it mean to create in sequence?
• What happens when you create outside of sequence
• The creative fulfillment pyramid
• Finding fulfillment in your writing practice

 

Check out more of Kristen's work! 

Wildmaking

KristenKieffer.co

 

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.com/arcsmagic

If you enjoyed Story Magic, please rate, review and follow on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to this podcast!

Follow us on social media!

Rachel: https://www.instagram.com/bookcoachrachel/

Emily: https://www.instagram.com/emilygoldenedits/

Join us on February 25th, 2026 at 12pm EST for our FREE + live masterclass called Fix Your Novel! In this class, we’ll show you how to identify these 5 common problems in your own work, and give you next steps and TONS of resources to get started fixing them with confidence. All you have to do is register to save your spot at https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/fixyournovel! See you there!