Story Magic

By Golden MayArts Books Leisure Fiction Hobbies

Story Magic episodes

March 05122 - Writing good love triangles
Today, Emily & Rachel talk about love triangles!
What you’ll learn from this episode:
our personal preferences
tying love triangles back to character
avoiding common pitfalls
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: https://www.goldenmayediting.com/arcsmagic
Join Tenacious Writing! With the perfect combo of craft, mindset, and community resources, you will build a writing life that feels sustainable, fulfilling, and fun—without any prescriptions or rules. Learn more: https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/
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/ebgoldenbooks/
28 min
February 26121 - What is the romantasy genre?
Today, Emily & Rachel talk about romantasy!
What you’ll learn from this episode:
expectations of the genre
navigating the vibes
discussing the genre's critique
reading within the genre
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: https://www.goldenmayediting.com/arcsmagic
Join Tenacious Writing! With the perfect combo of craft, mindset, and community resources, you will build a writing life that feels sustainable, fulfilling, and fun—without any prescriptions or rules. Learn more: https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/
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/ebgoldenbooks/
33 min
February 19120 - How do you know when you're done?
Today, Emily & Rachel talk about knowing when your draft/book is done.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
Being confident in your choice
At what point should you get outside feedback
Different paths have different questions to consider
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: https://www.goldenmayediting.com/arcsmagic
Join Tenacious Writing! With the perfect combo of craft, mindset, and community resources, you will build a writing life that feels sustainable, fulfilling, and fun—without any prescriptions or rules. Learn more: https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/
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/ebgoldenbooks/
27 min
February 12119 - To prologue or to not prologue
Today, Emily & Rachel talk about prologues!
What you’ll learn from this episode:
Subjectivity is part of this process and industry
What makes prologues not work
What makes prologues work
How trends change over time
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: https://www.goldenmayediting.com/arcsmagic
Join Tenacious Writing! With the perfect combo of craft, mindset, and community resources, you will build a writing life that feels sustainable, fulfilling, and fun—without any prescriptions or rules. Learn more: https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/
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/ebgoldenbooks/
23 min
February 05118 - Where and when to end a chapter
Today, Emily & Rachel talk about ending chapters!
What you’ll learn from this episode:
Scene vs chapter
Scene structure
Ending in the middle?
SCENE STRUCTURE BLOG: https://goldenmayediting.com/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: https://www.goldenmayediting.com/arcsmagic
Join Tenacious Writing! With the perfect combo of craft, mindset, and community resources, you will build a writing life that feels sustainable, fulfilling, and fun—without any prescriptions or rules. Learn more: https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/
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/ebgoldenbooks/
27 min
January 29117 - How to write in different POVs
Today, Emily & Rachel talk about writing in different POVs.
What you’ll learn from this episode:
Knowing your character well enough to see from their perspective
1st person vs 3rd person perspectives
Tips and tricks for differentiating between your different POVs

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: https://www.goldenmayediting.com/arcsmagic
Join Tenacious Writing! With the perfect combo of craft, mindset, and community resources, you will build a writing life that feels sustainable, fulfilling, and fun—without any prescriptions or rules. Learn more: https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/
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/ebgoldenbooks/
31 min
January 22116 - The brain science behind writer's resistance with Monica Hay
Today, Emily & Rachel talk about the brain science behind resistance with special guest Monica Hay!
What you’ll learn from this episode:
What causes our brains to freeze up when we try to write
Retraining your amygdala
Building neurons that support a writing habit
MONICA HAY's WEBSITE: https://monicahay.com/
MONICA's INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/monicahayauthor/?hl=en
MONICA'S MATCHING PROGRAM: monicahaycoaching.com/matchmaking

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: https://www.goldenmayediting.com/arcsmagic
Join Tenacious Writing! With the perfect combo of craft, mindset, and community resources, you will build a writing life that feels sustainable, fulfilling, and fun—without any prescriptions or rules. Learn more: https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/
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/ebgoldenbooks/
51 min
January 15115 - Writing effective descriptions
Today, Emily & Rachel talk about descriptions!
What you’ll learn from this episode:
What makes a good description?
How character perspective impacts what they see and describe
How character emotions colors and influences description
Tips and tricks
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: https://www.goldenmayediting.com/arcsmagic
Join Tenacious Writing! With the perfect combo of craft, mindset, and community resources, you will build a writing life that feels sustainable, fulfilling, and fun—without any prescriptions or rules. Learn more: https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/
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/ebgoldenbooks/
30 min
January 08 114 - Happy New Year! 2025 Wrap, 2026 Dreams
Today, Emily & Rachel talk about their 2025 years, and what they hope for 2026!
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: https://www.goldenmayediting.com/arcsmagic
Join Tenacious Writing! With the perfect combo of craft, mindset, and community resources, you will build a writing life that feels sustainable, fulfilling, and fun—without any prescriptions or rules. Learn more: https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/
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/ebgoldenbooks/
24 min
November 13, 2025113 - Writing unlikeable characters well
Today, Emily & Rachel talk about unlikeable characters.
What you’ll learn from this episode [insert bullet points]
What does ‘unlikable’ mean, and who decides?
How to make unlikeable characters more likeable
The importance of ideal reader when building complex / morally grey characters
How to create unlikable characters intentionally by giving them purpose
An impromptu A Game of Thrones debate!
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: https://www.goldenmayediting.com/arcsmagic
Join Tenacious Writing! With the perfect combo of craft, mindset, and community resources, you will build a writing life that feels sustainable, fulfilling, and fun—without any prescriptions or rules. Learn more: https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/
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/ebgoldenbooks/
21 min

About Story Magic

From the publisher's feed

Hey fiction writer! Want your readers to stay up until 2am, so engrossed in your story they just can’t put it down? Want to build a successful, fulfilling, and sustainable writing life that works…