As I record this, a hurricane is sideswiping my city, so if the power stays on, we’ll continue our literary conflict series and discuss, aptly enough, Character versus Technology. We’re also catching up on the Internet Archive court case.

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• OpenAI looks to shift away from nonprofit roots and convert itself to for-profit company
• Update: How to Tell Internet Archive to Remove Your Books - The Authors Guild
• Authors Guild Applauds Final Court Decision Affirming Internet Archive's Book Scanning as Copyright Infringement - The Authors Guild
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The Writing Break cafe is open, so let’s gather on the Overthinking Couch to discuss the literary conflict of Character vs Supernatural.

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Welcome back. After last week’s discussion about character vs nature, I hope you managed to work some weather into your current work in progress. In this episode we’re discussing character vs society. The Writing Break cafe is open, so let’s grab a drink and settle into the Overthinking Couch. 

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We’re discussing publishing news today, including what’s trending in books. We’re also talking about the fascinating literary conflict of character versus nature.

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• Generative AI reduces the collective diversity of novel content
• Report Finds Customer Traffic Rising at Barnes & Noble
• Shelf Awareness for Friday, July 12, 2024 | Shelf Awareness
• K-lytics Historical Fiction Market Report
• K-lytics Sports Romance Report
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The literary conflict of character versus character seems simple enough, right? Two characters are pitted against each other in some way. This clash can be physical or mental, but it’s best when it’s a bit of both . . . or a lot of both.

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Today we are talking about the literary conflict known as character versus self.

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Whether or not you seek to avoid conflict in real life, avoiding conflict in your writing will make for a boring book.

For the first half of this season we are covering conflict as a literary device and taking a close look at the seven different types. I’ll offer examples, I’ll discuss how conflict should guide your story, and I’ll explain how more than of these conflicts can be at play within your manuscript. 

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• Has the DEI Backlash Come for Publishing? - The Atlantic
• WSJ | Kindle is the new must-have accessory (again)
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I discuss the new format for the show moving forward and how I talk myself out of having imposter syndrome.

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Thank you to everyone who filled out the Listener Feedback Survey. I am in the process of reviewing and revising the show’s format accordingly, but there is still a little bit of time to complete our survey and tell me what to do. Check the show notes for a link to the survey, and remember that all responses are anonymous and highly appreciated. For now, it’s review time again.

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• Writing Break Listener Feedback Survey - Please complete this survey.
• The Art of the Mini Sales Pitch: How to Subtitle Your Book So People Will Read It ‹ Literary Hub
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Today we are wrapping up our series on how to write better than AI and insisting on our cup of stars. Please remember to fill out the Writing Break survey. The feedback we're receiving is changing the format of the show. Thank you!

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• Association of American Literary Agents - Association of American Literary Agents
• K-lytics Fantasy Romance Report and Market Seminar Video
• Warner Music Loses Appeal In Supreme Court Case Over Copyright Infringement
• Sights and Insights from the 2024 U.S. Book Show
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Music licensed from Storyblocks:

“More Jam Please” by Raighes Factory

"Sideway Love (Backtrack)" by Yagull Music

"Tropical Dance" by Sondé