Do you hear that sound in the distance? The thunder of hooves. Hark! The three biggest monsters you'll face on your publishing journey are here: imposter syndrome, comparison, and loneliness. Don't worry, authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith are to help with a productive vent session and tools to help you prepare for the long, wonderful road ahead.

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You've got your outline, you know your characters, and your aesthetics are ready, but how do you actually sit down and get the words flowing? Authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith talk about their favorite habits for living a creative life. From writing habits to creative mindsets, it all comes down to treating your craft as a worthy obsession!

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Authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith discuss what separates a villain from a hero. Spoiler alert: it's not much! From flawed motivations to meanness, they chat about ways to plot a villain arc that will push your characters and your plot.

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Plot is a chain of events in a story, but what actually links those events together? According to author Lyssa Mia Smith, it's But-So Salsa! Using the South Park writing concept of "but-therefore", Lyssa and Anna Mercier analyze how you can use it to strengthen every single aspect of your story, from internal to external conflict, from antagonists to protagonists.

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This week, authors Lyssa Mia Smith and Anna Mercier and talk everything pitches with award-winning romance author Alexa Martin. From vibes to hooks, from voice to marketing, Alexa covers it all in a way that will help any writer pitch their novel at any stage in their career.

Alexa Martin's Website

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This week, authors Lyssa Mia Smith and Anna Mercier uncover all the secrets (or most of them) to writing great dialogue. Lacking conflict? Characters seem flat? Struggling with info dumps? They key to spicing up your novel might be in what the characters say and how they say it.

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Resources mentioned:

The Key to Writing Freakishly Good Dialogue

George Lucas: King of Wooden Dialogue

Enemies to lovers and dark academia and road trips, oh my! This week, authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith talk all about how to get the most enjoyment from your story using the power of psychology, reader passions, and vibes.

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We're back for a new season, and we're ready to talk craft, publishing, and... Taylor Swift? That's right! Authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith analyze four iconic Taylor Swift songs, searching for pearls of wisdom about writing enchanting stories.

Also, don't forget to join the official Turning to Story Substack where you'll find bonus content, resources, and a community of curious writers!

https://turningtostory.substack.com/

While season one comes to a close, Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith take the opportunity to review some pitfalls writers might fall into early in their journey. How do they do this? In the most humbling and heartwarming way possible: reading their own first books. Tune in for general writing tips all centered around two very emo, high-concept young adult ideas.

Suggestions for next season? Questions for Anna and Lyssa? E-mail us at [email protected].

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Want to write a scene that has readers gluing a box of tissues to their eyes? Desperate to write characters that will steal readers' hearts? The secret isn't just a clever plot or carefully mapped out characters... it's emotion! Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith discuss how to really dig deep and make readers feel things in a way that imprints your book on their heart.