I Need a Hero: Writing an Active Protagonist
An active protagonist drives the story. Meaning? Your main character should want specific outcomes and fight for them. That’s where the conflict in the story comes from: everything that fights back. For tips on activating the hero of your story, read on.
Episode 24: Mindy McGinnis, YA Author
Mindy McGinnis, mystery, suspense, thriller author and dog haver, joins the Good Story Podcast to talk about her upcoming work with James Patterson, shit-shoveling, book snobbery, and showing characters' humanity.
Writing Female Characters
Writing female characters can be harder than you expect, as a writer, but it’s important to get right. There are some blind spots that many of us—men and women alike—have when it comes to crafting compelling female characters.
Episode 18: Patricia Faithfull and Rick Williams, Aspiring Writers
A conversation about "The Emotion Thesaurus" as well as writing tools in general and whether human input can ever be replaced by tools.
How to Write a Novel Synopsis
One of the most difficult parts of submitting a manuscript or query to an agent or publisher is figuring out how to write a novel synopsis. That task is different every time and for every book. Just like the task of writing each book is different and calls upon different skills, crafting a synopsis for each manuscript is different, as well.
Episode 23: Jonathan Auxier, Writer of Strange Stories for Strange Kids
NYT Bestselling young adult and middle-grade author Jonathan Auxier joins Mary Kole to discuss visual writing, worldbuilding, and how different media use dialogue to create action.
Raising the Stakes
Raising the stakes is a great way to sew tension in your story, and fear of failure is something everyone can relate to. The constant battle between running toward the goal while running away from the alternative will keep readers engaged and invested in your characters. Know how to identify your stakes and when to make them bigger.
How to Organize Your Writing
If you’re a beginning writer, you may be wondering how to organize your writing. Working on a novel means you’ll have lots of bits and pieces to keep track of: character and setting notes, plot outlines, reference photos, versions of your manuscript, notes to yourself, quotes and inspiration to keep you going when the going gets tough...yikes!
Episode 16: Laura Sebastian, YA Fantasy Author
A conversation with YA fantasy author Laura Sebastian (ASH PRINCESS, out now from Delacorte) all about worldbuilding.
Writing Young Adult Characters
Young adult characters are incredibly dynamic. Their worlds are bigger, larger than life. There's always something behind any big feelings in middle grade and young adult that fosters a relationship between the character and the audience. And that is super crucial in the young adult genre.
How to Be a Good Critique Partner
Tips for how to be a good critique partner and how to contribute to your writing community. Learn how to give writing critique here.
A Million Bad Words
In order to write, you have to WRITE! Spending time learning theory, taking classes, and reading books are beneficial, but ultimately it is practice that will make you a better writer. Learn how a million bad words can turn into a good story.
Make Writing Resolutions That Stick
Winter is the perfect season to establish your writing resolutions and form the habits that will lead to better productivity. There is so much you could accomplish in the year ahead! Read on for tips on how to develop—and crush!—your writing resolutions.
How to Deal With Negative Criticism
Many writers struggle with how to deal with negative criticism. Not all writing feedback you receive in your lifetime will be “constructive criticism”. Some of it may feel like straight-up criticism criticism, or worse, destructive criticism. Ouch! Here are some thoughts on bouncing back from a devastating writing critique, and what to do next.
Episode 31: Lisa Stringfellow, Middle-Grade Fantasy Author
Lisa Stringfellow discusses her debut novel set in the Caribbean, “A Comb of Wishes.” She talks through her long journey from draft to finished book—plus plans for Book 2—and shares craft and industry tips she’s learned along the way.
Writing Your Debut Novel with Benjamin Roesch
Benjamin Roesch joins us to talk about his debut novel—but not his first novel—published with LGBTQ+ young adult indie publisher Deep Hearts. We talk about turning short stories into a novel, coming of age fiction, and being an older debut writer.
When is a Manuscript Finished?
Tips on looking at your work with clarity so you can determine your personal "done," as well as what to do when you reach that finish line.
Writing Descriptions
Dust motes swirling in the gloom are enchanting, but do you really need to describe them in detail? Let’s look at some guidelines for writing descriptions so you can quench your thirst for gorgeous imagery without sacrificing the pacing of your story.
Episode 32: J.C. Geiger, YA Author & Mixtape Creator
Tune in for a chat with Mary Kole's long-time friend in the children's publishing space, YA Author J.C. Geiger. He tells all about how he made an epic mixtape with music no one's heard before (and met his heroes in the process), and talks about writing young adult characters, the future of post-pandemic fiction, and—of course—the power of music.
What Is a Sensitivity Reader?
There is a lot of controversy in the writing world about sensitivity readers, so what is a sensitivity reader? What does a sensitivity reader do? Learn more about this specializing writing and editing role here.