Your First Fifteen Pages

In this episode, we talk with Robert Bailey, the author of the incredibly successful McMurtrie and Drake Legal Thrillers, published through Thomas & Mercer.  Join us to hear all about Robert's tumultuous path to publishing.  

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Up to this point, all the topics we’ve covered apply to both fiction and nonfiction.  In this episode, we’ll talk about how writing fiction diverges from writing nonfiction.  There plenty for nonfiction writers to take away from all the episodes but this show is all about the memoir and nonfiction.

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In this episode, we talk about the 7 Deadly Sins of World Building based on an article by Charlie Jane Anders and we go through the elements of setting.  

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Does your story begin in a kitchen or on a suburban street?  Is it set in a dystopian world you have to create or is it set on a plantation in the pre-Civil War South?  Some of these settings require very little detail to conjure an image of place in the reader’s mind.  Others require the writer to create a world using specific language and details.  In this episode, we’ll talk about setting and world-building and how to use each to elevate your story.  

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In this episode, we talk story arcs and other ways to organize you story.  And help you discover ways to use arcs and organizing devices to create a better, more coherent narrative.

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In this episode, we discuss the three types of plot.  Mini Plot, which is driven by a character's internal conflict.  The Hero’s Journey, which takes your characters on a quest.  Anti-Plot, which breaks all the Rules.  We’ll discuss how to know which plot best for your story and how plot helps you to keep your novel on track and meet the expectations of your readers.

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Whether you are writing literary fiction or historical fiction, police procedurals or YA, before readers will fully invest in reading your story, to get them past those crucial first fifteen pages, you need to show the reader WHY they are reading.  In this episode, we discuss how you find the WHY of your story and how that becomes the basis for your inciting incident. 

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In this episode, we talk about why you need to read to be a better writer.  We discuss books on craft and how to identify and read the books in your genre to learn from the authors who have come before.  Reading for craft is one of the most powerful tools in your writing toolbox.

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Every murder mystery has a dead body.  Every thriller a villain.  Every love story a meet cute.  And, every genre has elements that readers expect to find in stories billed as a particular genre.  In this episode, we’ll talk about genre — what genres are, why its important to find yours and what the conventions are for each.  Hint: to get an agent or editor interest in your story or help readers find your self-published book, you need to know your genre.

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In this episode, we talk about audience and why it is important to define your audience and set goals for your book before you begin writing. 

For detailed show notes, worksheets, mini classes and more, go to our Patreon page at patreon.com/yourfirstfifteenpages and subscribe!  And for more about the process Sandra uses to guide writers check out Your First Fifteen Pages: An agent's guide to writing a book editors will publish and readers will buy!  Available on Amazon.

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