Have you ever wanted a safe way to seek revenge? In this captivating episode of The Novelry on Writing, join our writing coaches and bestselling authors Kate Riordan and Anissa Gray as they delve into the dark side of writing and how you can use your shadow side to fuel your fictional stories. They discuss embracing your dark side, stressing out your characters, and provide examples from novels you can use as inspiration for your own writing. 

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Chapters

00:00 - Introduction

01:58 - Tip #1: Look within 

04:40 - Tip #2: Stress test the characters

07:24 - Tip #3: Throw rocks at your character

08:46 - Tip #4: Examples from novels

13:02 - Tip #5: Seek revenge 

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Guest Bios

Kate Riordan

Kate Riordan is the bestselling author of seven novels, including The Heatwave, a Richard and Judy Book Club pick and Apple Fiction Chart No.1. Her historical novel The Girl in the Photograph was a Sunday Times bestseller described as a must-read for fans of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca.

Anissa Gray

Anissa Gray’s debut novel, The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls, was one of the most anticipated reads of 2019 from Vogue, Vanity Fair, the Washington Post, Bustle, and Cosmo. It was a top pick for Indie Next, Library Reads, and Barnes & Noble Discover and was selected for the Marie Claire book club. It has been optioned for TV by Gabrielle Union for Sony Pictures Television. Her second novel, Life and Other Love Songs, was named a most anticipated book by TIME, Essence, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution, and was praised by the New York Times.

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Resources

Check out these blog posts for more insight on how to use your shadow side in your writing:

How To Raise the Stakes in Your Story

Writing Fiction: How Dark Can You Go?

Kate Weinberg on Writing Unlikeable Characters

Read the full episode transcript here!

For one-on-one help writing your novel, join us on a creative writing course at The Novelry today. Sign up for courses, coaching and a community from the world’s top-rated writing school.

Share this episode! 

Have a question? Email us at [email protected].

All writers learn from other writers, even the greats. Write your novel with motivation and support from The Novelry. Sign up! Your story starts here...

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Connect with The Novelry

Official Site: https://thenovelry.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenovelry 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenovelry/

Twitter: https://x.com/thenovelry

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheNovelry

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Show description

Learn how novels work from publishing’s top experts at The Novelry, the world’s #1 school for writers. Hosted by our bestselling writing coaches and publishing editors, this podcast is a practical, helpful guide to writing novels for every genre. Enjoy inside tips and tricks to make your writing a joyful experience while building your expertise in writing craft.

With new topics every week, there is always something to learn at The Novelry, the world’s top-rated fiction writing school with more 5* reviews from writers than any other creative writing course.

What is your reader reading to find out? No matter your genre, readers love a bit of mystery and tension on the page. Unlock your suspenseful story with five key insights from The Novelry author and writing coach Amanda Reynolds and editor Sorcha Rose. Learn how to pull in the reader, keep up the pace, create engaging characters, and leave your readers with a satisfying end.

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Chapters

00:00 - Introduction

01:22 - Tip #1: Pull in the reader

05:15 - Tip #2: Keep up the pace

09:35 - Tip #3: Create characters to root for 

15:13 - Tip #4: Breadcrumb trail

20:10 - Tip #5: Satisfying endings 

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Guest Bios

Amanda Reynolds 

Amanda Reynolds is the bestselling author of psychological suspense novels, with six published to date. Her number one ebook bestseller, Close to Me, was adapted in 2021 into a major TV series starring Connie Nielsen and Christopher Eccleston. Close to Me, described as ‘dramatic psychological suspense for fans of Liane Moriarty,’ was published by Headline in 2017. Lying to You followed in 2018 and The Hidden Wife in 2019. Amanda’s psychological thrillers have been translated into multiple languages and been praised for their gripping, unsettling and twisty plots. Amanda’s fourth novel, The Assistant, was published by Boldwood Books in April 2023 with The Wife’s Secret and Her Husband’s Lie following in 2024.

Sorcha Rose

Before joining The Novelry, Sorcha Rose edited and acquired manuscripts at Hodder & Stoughton, a division of Hachette, home to authors including John Grisham, Stephen King, Sophie Hannah, Erin Kelly, Will Dean, B.A. Paris, Vaseem Khan and Lucy Score.

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Resources

Check out these blog posts for more insight on how to unlock suspense in your writing:

5 Tips for Writing a Detective Novel Series

C.L. Taylor on Standing Out in a Crowded Genre

The Inciting Incident (and How to Crack It)

How To Raise the Stakes in Your Story

Read the full episode transcript here!

For one-on-one help writing your novel, join us on a creative writing course at The Novelry today. Sign up for courses, coaching and a community from the world’s top-rated writing school.

Share this episode! 

Have a question? Email us at [email protected].

All writers learn from other writers, even the greats. Write your novel with motivation and support from The Novelry. Sign up! Your story starts here...

.

Connect with The Novelry

Official Site: https://thenovelry.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenovelry 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenovelry/

Twitter: https://x.com/thenovelry

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheNovelry

Show description

Learn how novels work from publishing’s top experts at The Novelry, the world’s #1 school for writers. Hosted by our bestselling writing coaches and publishing editors, this podcast is a practical, helpful guide to writing novels for every genre. Enjoy inside tips and tricks to make your writing a joyful experience while building your expertise in writing craft.

With new topics every week, there is always something to learn at The Novelry, the world’s top-rated fiction writing school with more 5* reviews from writers than any other creative writing course.

Every writer gets stuck while drafting a novel. Don’t panic! It’s part of the creative process. In this podcast, authors and The Novelry writing coaches Gina Sorell and Colleen Oakley present five simple and reliable techniques to push past a writing slump and crush your word count.

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Chapters

00:00 - Introduction

02:33 - Tip #1: Don’t panic

05:48 - Tip #2: Get moving 

09:55 - Tip #3: Use music

12:51 - Tip #4: Put it away 

18:42 - Tip #5: Change environments 

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Guest Bios

Gina Sorell

Gina Sorell is the author of The Wise Women (HarperCollins), a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, Good Morning America Buzz Book, a People Magazine Best New Book Pick, and Washington Post Summer Selection. Her debut novel, Mothers and Other Strangers was a Refinery29 and Self Magazine Best Book Pick.

Colleen Oakley

Colleen Oakley is the USA Today bestselling author of The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise, The Invisible Husband of Frick Island, You Were There Too, Close Enough to Touch and Before I Go. Her books have been translated into more than 21 languages, optioned for film, and have received numerous accolades, including the French Reader’s Prize and Georgia Author of the Year.

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Resources

Check out these blog posts for more insight on how to push past the writing slumps:

100 Writing Prompts to Kick-Start Your Writing

How to Create a Plot Diagram for a Smooth Writing Journey

Writing Tips for Neurodivergent Authors

5 Ways to Keep the Words Coming

Keep Going: Hannah Kaner on Writing Resilience

Read the full episode transcript here!

For one-on-one help writing your novel, join us on a creative writing course at The Novelry today. Sign up for courses, coaching and a community from the world’s top-rated writing school.

Share this episode! 

Have a question? Email us at [email protected].

All writers learn from other writers, even the greats. Write your novel with motivation and support from The Novelry. Sign up! Your story starts here...

Connect with The Novelry

Official Site: https://thenovelry.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenovelry 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenovelry/

Twitter: https://x.com/thenovelry

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheNovelry

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Show description

Learn how novels work from publishing’s top experts at The Novelry, the world’s #1 school for writers. Hosted by our bestselling writing coaches and publishing editors, this podcast is a practical, helpful guide to writing novels for every genre. Enjoy inside tips and tricks to make your writing a joyful experience while building your expertise in writing craft.

With new topics every week, there is always something to learn at The Novelry, the world’s top-rated fiction writing school with more 5* reviews from writers than any other creative writing course.

Romantasy is a genre that has taken the publishing world by storm with titles like Fourth Wing and ACOTAR flying off bookstore shelves. Whether you’re writing romantasy or just a fan of magic and make-outs, authors and The Novelry writing coaches Bea Fitzgerald and Ella McLeod are here to unpack the keys to turning up the heat in your story. In this extra spicy episode of The Novelry on Writing, learn how to raise the stakes, create characters who yearn deeply, and how to wisely use tropes to write a book readers will fall in love with. 

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Chapters

00:00 - Introduction

01:44 - Tip #1: Raise the stakes

05:05 - Tip #2: Use tropes wisely

09:02 - Tip #3: Romance beats

13:14 - Tip #4: Lean in

15:17 - Tip #5: Romance arcs

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Guest Bios

Bea Fitzgerald

Bea Fitzgerald is a Sunday Times bestselling, award-winning author. Her debut novel, Girl, Goddess, Queen, was published to rave reviews including five-star write-ups in the Telegraph, Glamour and Culturefly. It went on to become the bestselling YA hardback debut of 2023. Girl, Goddess, Queen won Romance Novel of the Year 2024 at the RNAs and has been shortlisted for numerous other awards including the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, the Young Adult Book Prize, and the Books Are My Bag Readers Awards.

Ella McLeod

Ella McLeod is a Branford Boase-nominated author whose debut novel, Rapunzella, Or, Don’t Touch My Hair, was published in July 2022 with Scholastic and in June 2024 with Little Bee in the U.S.A. Rapunzella received rave reviews in Kirkus, the Irish Times, the Guardian, and a star review in Foreword Magazine. Her second novel, The Map That Led to You, was published in June 2024 and is a pirates-and-mermaids swashbuckling adventure story full of queer romance and radical self-acceptance.

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Resources

Check out these blog posts for more insight on how to write a gripping romantasy novel: 

What is Romantasy?

Get Writing With These Inspiring Fantasy Writing Prompts

Seven Best Fantasy Settings For Your Novel

Read the full episode transcript here!

For one-on-one help writing your novel, join us on a creative writing course at The Novelry today. Sign up for courses, coaching and a community from the world’s top-rated writing school.

Share this episode! 

Have a question? Email us at [email protected].

All writers learn from other writers, even the greats. Write your novel with motivation and support from The Novelry. Sign up! Your story starts here...

.

Connect with The Novelry

Official Site: https://thenovelry.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenovelry 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenovelry/

Twitter: https://x.com/thenovelry

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheNovelry

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Show description

Learn how novels work from publishing’s top experts at The Novelry, the world’s #1 school for writers. Hosted by our bestselling writing coaches and publishing editors, this podcast is a practical, helpful guide to writing novels for every genre. Enjoy inside tips and tricks to make your writing a joyful experience while building your expertise in writing craft.

With new topics every week, there is always something to learn at The Novelry, the world’s top-rated fiction writing school with more 5* reviews from writers than any other creative writing course.

Stale dialogue can cause a reader to set a book aside in just a few lines. Learn how to craft dialogue that captivates readers with The Novelry writing coach and New York Times bestselling author, Tara Conklin, and The Novelry senior editor Nic Caws. Explore how your dialogue can be realistic without imitating exactly how people speak, how to convey emotions through showing and not telling, and tips to avoid info-dumping in your dialogue. 

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Chapters

00:00 - Introduction

01:44 - Tip #1: The dialogue conundrum 

03:34 - Tip #2: Focus on the speaker’s intent

07:04 - Tip #3: Don’t info-dump

13:09 - Tip #4: Show your character

17:47 - Tip #5: Read the dialogue aloud 

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Guest Bios

Tara Conklin

Tara Conklin is the New York Times bestselling author of three novels, personal essays, and short stories. Her books have been selected by Read with Jenna, the Today Show Book Club, Barnes & Noble Book Club, Target Book Club, as a No.1 IndieNext Pick and other accolades. Her work has been translated into eight languages. She is based in Seattle.

Nic Caws

Before joining The Novelry, Nic was Senior Commissioning Editor at Headline, part of Hachette, with a particular focus on their boutique romance imprint Headline Eternal, the publishing home of bestselling authors such as Sarah Adams, Erin Sterling and Mariana Zapata.

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Resources

Check out these blog posts for more insight on how to write engaging dialogue: 

How to Write Dialogue in Fiction

Show, Don’t Tell

Exposition in a Story

Read the full episode transcript!

For one-on-one help writing your novel, join us on a creative writing course at The Novelry today. Sign up for courses, coaching and a community from the world’s top-rated writing school.

Share this episode! 

Have a question? Email us at [email protected].

All writers learn from other writers, even the greats. Write your novel with motivation and support from The Novelry. Sign up! Your story starts here...

Connect with The Novelry

Official Site: https://thenovelry.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenovelry 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenovelry/

Twitter: https://x.com/thenovelry

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheNovelry

.

Show description

Learn how novels work from publishing’s top experts at The Novelry, the world’s #1 school for writers. Hosted by our bestselling writing coaches and publishing editors, this podcast is a practical, helpful guide to writing novels for every genre. Enjoy inside tips and tricks to make your writing a joyful experience while building your expertise in writing craft.

With new topics every week, there is always something to learn at The Novelry, the world’s top-rated fiction writing school with more 5* reviews from writers than any other creative writing course.

World-building can be a challenge for writers of all experience levels and genres. Join authors and The Novelry writing coaches Piers Torday and Tasha Suri for writing tips to take the world-building in your story to new dimensions. Discover how to develop worlds using your main character and learn how grounding your story in history can give your world heft and weight. Ultimately, it is worthwhile to write something that you find fun! Begin with what you find interesting and exciting to build a world you’ll be happy to escape to again and again. 

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Chapters

00:00 - Introduction

02:03 - Tip #1: Start with character

06.55 - Tip #2: Bring in the fun

10:50 - Tip #3: Use breadcrumbs 

15:56 - Tip #4: Draw from history

20:58 - Tip #5: The ripple effect

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Guest Bios

Tasha Suri

Tasha Suri is the award-winning author of the Books of Ambha duology (Empire of Sand and Realm of Ash) and the epic fantasy trilogy The Burning Kingdoms. Empire of Sand was rated by TIME magazine as one of the best fantasy novels of all time.

Piers Torday

Piers Torday is the award-winning and bestselling author of seven books for children dubbed ‘the new master of children’s fiction’ by The Times.

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Resources

Check out these blog posts for more insight on how to build fantastical worlds: 

Worldbuilding: Who, What, Where, Why & How

The Three Secrets to Writing Historical Fantasy

Seven Best Fantasy Settings For Your Novel

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Read the full episode transcript!

⁠Share this episode!⁠ 

For one-on-one help writing your novel, join us on a creative writing course at The Novelry today. Sign up for courses, coaching and a community from the world’s top-rated writing school.

Have a question? Email us at [email protected].

All writers learn from other writers, even the greats. Write your novel with motivation and support from The Novelry. Sign up! Your story starts here…

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Connect with The Novelry

Official Site: https://thenovelry.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenovelry 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenovelry/

Twitter: https://x.com/thenovelry

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheNovelry

.

Show description

Learn how novels work from publishing’s top experts at The Novelry, the world’s #1 school for writers. Hosted by our bestselling writing coaches and publishing editors, this podcast is a practical, helpful guide to writing novels for every genre. Enjoy inside tips and tricks to make your writing a joyful experience while building your expertise in writing craft.

With new topics every week, there is always something to learn at The Novelry, the world’s top-rated fiction writing school with more 5* reviews from writers than any other creative writing course.

Have you ever delayed going to bed because you had to stay up to read one more chapter of a book? And then another chapter? Join authors and The Novelry writing coaches Melanie Conklin and Heather Webb for five simple and practical tips to create page-turning stories that will keep your readers up at night. They dive into character yearning, raising the stakes, and giving your characters secrets to make a reader want to know more. 

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Chapters

00:00 - Introduction

01:49 - Tip #1: Yearning

04:22 - Tip #2: Put a life on the line

08:52 - Tip #3: Pile on the trouble

12:40 - Tip #4: Create mystery 

14:44 - Tip #5: Vulnerability

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Guest bios

Melanie Conklin

Writing coach Melanie Conklin is the award-winning author of five middle-grade books for children and the winner of the International Literacy Association Teacher’s Choice Award.

Heather Webb

Heather Webb is the USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of ten novels with 23 years of coaching experience.

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Resources

Check out these blog posts for more insight on how to create page-turning stories.

A. A. Dhand on Writing a Page-Turner

How To Raise the Stakes in Your Story

What To Do if You’ve Got Too Much Plot

Read the full episode transcript!

For one-on-one help writing your novel, join us on a creative writing course at The Novelry today. Sign up for courses, coaching and a community from the world’s top-rated writing school.

Share this episode here!

Have a question? Email us at [email protected].

All writers learn from other writers, even the greats. Write your novel with motivation and support from The Novelry. Sign up! Your story starts here...

.

Show description

Learn how novels work from publishing’s top experts at The Novelry, the world’s #1 school for writers. Hosted by our bestselling writing coaches and publishing editors, this podcast is a practical, helpful guide to writing novels for every genre. Enjoy inside tips and tricks to make your writing a joyful experience while building your expertise in writing craft.

With new topics every week, there is always something to learn at The Novelry, the world’s top-rated fiction writing school with more 5* reviews from writers than any other creative writing course.

In this inaugural episode of The Novelry on Writing, writing coaches Alice Kuipers and Mahsuda Snaith describe the different types of self-sabotage that can plague writers and how to overcome these obstacles to find joy in your writing. Be kind to yourself, write a messy first draft, and enjoy the writing journey. It’s not supposed to be easy, but it is supposed to be fun! For a deeper dive into this topic, check out Alice’s blog post, How to Overcome Self-Sabotage for Writers.

Share this episode!

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Guest bios

Alice Kuipers

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Resources

Writing Tips for Neurodivergent Authors

5 Ways to Keep the Words Coming

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Read the full episode transcript!

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