Today, Emily & Rachel talk about how we hate the word "should!"

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• How to reframe the 'shoulds' 
• Bringing awareness to your thoughts
• Changing the obligation/guilt/shame mindset 

Podcast mentioned: Good Inside with Dr. Becky episode How to Keep House while Drowning with KC Davis

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

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/

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about setting goals without shame.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• How to determine whether your goals are from self-love or self-shame
• Shift your mindset away from "not enough-ness" 
• Develop goals from self-love
• Pair your mindset with your goal-setting

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

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/

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about LGBTQ+ representation with guest host Sam Cameron.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• The balance between "getting it right" and perfectionism
• Actionable steps you can take to include more diverse characters
• Whether or not to stay in your lane
• Determining whether your manuscript is LGBTQ+ inclusive

Resources mentioned: 

Writing With Color - https://writingwithcolor.tumblr.com/

Writing The Other - https://writingtheother.com/

Check out Sam's work!

Sam's website: https://truantpen.com/

Take Sam's Quiz: "Is my manuscript LGBTQ+ inclusive?" - https://truantpen.com/lgbtq

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

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/

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about the art of self-editing with guest host Tiffany Grimes.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• What is self-editing?
• Common missteps authors make during this process
• Strategies and techniques to make editing less overwhelming
• How to ensure the heart of your story remains strong throughout editing

Check out Tiffany's comprehensive self-editing course, Revisions Alchemy, and don't forget to use code STORYMAGIC for $500 off!

Tiffany's website: https://www.burgeondesignandeditorial.com/

Tiffany's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/burgeondesignandeditorial/

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

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/

Today, Lewis & Rachel talk about static and/or flat arcs.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• What static and flat arcs are
• What static/flat arcs actually do and why they're important
• How to create static arcs that work
• + tons of examples! 

Mastering Character Arcs by Lewis Jorstad

Lewis' Website: https://thenovelsmithy.com/

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

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/

Today, Lewis & Rachel talk about NaNoWriMo behind the scenes.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• NaNo check in
• Different experiences doing this challenge
• Revisiting your mindset, your self-belief, and your values 

GET YOUR TICKET TO OUR WORKSHOP: https://thenovelsmithy.com/renew-reflect/

Ready to reframe your writing? Join us on December 3rd (updated date!) for Renew, Reflect, Write! With these amazing classes and the roundtable with our incredible coaches, you’ll learn to rewire your brain and create a gentle writing routine that actually gets you closer to your writing dreams.

Lewis' Website: https://thenovelsmithy.com/

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

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/

Today, Lewis & Rachel talk about creating consistency in our routines.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• The difference between consistency and sustainability 
• Creating harmony between your brain and your body
• Addressing the root cause of your inner critic
• Beginning to shift mindset

GET YOUR TICKET TO OUR WORKSHOP: https://thenovelsmithy.com/renew-reflect/

Ready to reframe your writing? Join us on November 18th for Renew, Reflect, Write! With these amazing classes and the roundtable with our incredible coaches, you’ll learn to rewire your brain and create a gentle writing routine that actually gets you closer to your writing dreams.

Lewis' Website: https://thenovelsmithy.com/

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

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/

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about stakes and why they're important.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• what stakes really are
• stakes vs goals vs motivations
• external and internal stakes
• how to develop them

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

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/

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about secondary characters.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• What's a secondary character? 
• The purposes of secondary characters
• Tips and tricks for building super strong secondary characters 

Other links mentioned in the episode: 

Emotional Conflict Square: https://www.sophiepembroke.com/3-ways-a-conflict-square-can-fix-your-romance-novel/

Our Blog on secondary characters: https://goldenmayediting.com/function-secondary-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

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/

Today, Emily & Rachel talk about low stakes stories. 

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• What is a low stakes story? 
• Why low stakes stories are growing as a new genre
• Story point messages and low stakes stories
• How to make a low stakes story work for you 

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

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/