The First Editing Podcast

Whether you’re a fiction writer or professional editor, this series is for you!

To build a series of intense moments and make readers feel they are living the experience, there must be tension in every scene. While conflict is the action that is actually happening in a scene. A physical fight, an argument, a battle to win a race. Conflict keeps readers engaged in the story. 

Discover how to use the element "Tension vs Conflict" in a fiction story and how you can improve your writing now.

PS. 

Follow us on YouTube to get the full 38 Story Elements Educational Series. We release a new episode each week! 

You can watch the video here: https://firstediting.com/Tension-vs-Conflict-with-Kristina-Stanley

Whether you’re a fiction writer or professional editor, this series is for you!

Grabbing the reader’s attention with a great scene hook will keep them reading the story. Evaluate each scene opening and determine if there is an entry hook. 

Leave the reader wanting more—and they'll start the next chapter! Evaluate the ending of each scene and determine if there is an exit hook. 

Discover how to use the element "Entry and Exit Hooks" in a fiction story and how you can improve your writing now.

PS. 

Follow us on YouTube to get the full 38 Story Elements Educational Series. We release a new episode each week! 

Watch the video here.

Whether you’re a fiction writer or professional editor, this series is for you!

Leaving a reader adrift is never a good idea. The start of a new scene means the POV has changed, the setting has changed, or the time has changed, hence every scene must be anchored in POV, setting, and time.

Discover how to use the element "How Anchor a Scene" in a fiction story and how you can improve your writing now.

PS. 

Follow us on YouTube to get the full 38 Story Elements Educational Series. We release a new episode each week! 

You can watch the video here.

Whether you’re a fiction writer or professional editor, this series is for you!

Having a scene name will help you determine the purpose of the scene and quickly find scenes you want to work on.

Discover how to use the element of Scene Name in a fiction story and share how you can improve your writing now.

PS. 

Follow us on YouTube to get the full 38 Story Elements Educational Series. We release a new episode each week! 

It’s impossible to keep track of the emotional arc of a character without knowing how each scene affects that character. As the editor, you’ll check if the scene had a positive or negative impact on the character.

Discover how to use the Scene Impact on POV Character of a fiction story and share how you can improve your writing now.

Watch it here: https://firstediting.com/Scene-Impact-on-POV-Character-with-Kristina-Stanley

If there is nothing at stake, then the goal is not strong enough and there won't be tension in the scene. Your client may not have thought this deeply about each scene, and you may trigger their imagination by asking what happens if the POV fails at achieving their goal.

Discover how to use the What if the Goal Fails of a fiction story and share how you can improve your writing now.

Watch it here: https://firstediting.com/What-if-the-Goal-Fails-with-Kristina-Stanley

Linking the goal to the plot will make characters believable. This element enables you to recommend where your client can trim or intensify scenes.

Discover how to use the Goal Related to Plot of a fiction story and share how you can improve your writing now.

You can watch the video here: https://firstediting.com/Goal-Related-to-Plot-with-Kristina-Stanley

We relate the internal goal of the POV character to a character weakness. The weakness will hinder the character and is something they must overcome.

Discover how to use the POV Goal Internal of a fiction story and share how you can improve your writing now.

Watch the vide here: https://firstediting.com/POV-Goal-Internal-with-Kristina-Stanley

The POV goal is what the POV character wants during a scene. Goals drive the story forward. If a character doesn't have a goal, then what are they doing?

Discover how to use the POV Goal of a fiction story and share how you can improve your writing now.

The point of view character for a scene is a promise to readers that they will experience that scene from that character's perspective. Your role is to check your client is consistent with POV characters and that they are using POV effectively.

Discover how to use the Point of View of a fiction story and share how you can improve your writing now.