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

Turning to Story Substack

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.

Remember to join the Turning to Story Substack for extra resources and a wonderfully curious community of writers!

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].

You can also reach us on Instagram!

Turning to Story Instagram

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.

The end... or is it? Nothing sticks with readers quite like an epic ending, so Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith analyze what it takes to write a showstopper of an ending. From dedicated acts of change to mentors returning for one last piece of advice, these tactics will make sure your ending is one readers will talk about for ages.

Endings: The Good, the Bad, and the Insanely Great

Writing Resources:

Be Your Own Mentor

Manuscript Academy

The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

Got a scene that has all the plot and dialogue, but it still falls flat? Struggling to figure out what makes a chapter less memorable than others? Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith talk about how to write scenes that maximize screen time and purpose. Keep your reader turning pages as we discuss how to make boring scenes better!

Critique Partner Resources:

QT Critique

Have an astounding and a jaw-dropping ending, but the points between are hazy? Don't worry! Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith discover what can make the middle of your story just as memorable. From writing clearly defined goals to using side plots to work for your character growth, they've got you covered!

Also, listeners have sent in the following resources for finding a writing community:

SCWBI

r/YAWriters

Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith discuss the role and craft of side characters who leave us with the best punchy one-liners. Together, they unlock some interesting concepts about the power of carefully written side characters.