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Fiction Writing Made Easy

#101: First Chapter Analysis: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Fiction Writing Made Easy

Savannah Gilbo

Education, Fiction, Writing Tips, Arts, Bestseller, Writing, How To, Author, Writing Community, Books, Novel, How To Write Fiction, Writing Fiction, Writer, How To Write A Book

4.91.5K Ratings

🗓️ 25 July 2023

⏱️ 56 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In today’s episode, Abigail K. Perry and I take a deep dive into the first chapter of Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Here’s a preview of what we talk about:

[05:38] A very quick summary of the first chapter

[13:37] A macro analysis of the first chapter using 7 key questions from Paula Munier's book The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings


[43:08] A micro analysis of the scene within the chapter using the "5 Commandments of Storytelling" from The Story Grid


[52:50] Final thoughts and episode recap

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Transcript

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0:00.0

Real quick, my five-day live challenge called Unlock Your Story is about to begin.

0:04.7

We're about to shut down enrollment and get started on September 28th,

0:08.5

so I wanted to give you one last chance to head over to SavannahGilbo.com forward slash

0:13.3

challenge to save your seat before your chance is gone. If writing a novel has been a dream of yours

0:18.0

for a while or something on your to-do list that you'd really like to check off,

0:22.2

then join me inside the Unlock Your Story Challenge, where I'll help you develop the four

0:26.4

foundational elements of a working story idea. A plot that hooks interest at protagonists

0:30.8

with a compelling goal, conflict with high stakes, and a theme with heart in just five days.

0:35.6

It's only $47 to join, but the doors are closing very, very soon. You can either

0:40.2

head to savannagilbo.com forward slash challenge to sign up, or you can find me on Instagram

0:45.1

at savanna.gilbo and send me a DM with the word challenge. If you DM me the word challenge,

0:50.1

I will send you a link with all the details you need to join. Hope to see you there.

0:54.0

If we talked about the word attitude because it's not what most people would assume,

0:58.8

it's just don't let them be neutral. So let them have their biases there. You know,

1:03.5

part of the reason why I think the voice works so well here is because Marcellus notices

1:07.8

different things, pays attention to different things, and Tova's, you know, the one talking

1:11.9

about her back popping and things that only Tova would say or think about.

1:17.4

Welcome to The Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast. My name is Savannah Gilbo, and I'm here to

1:22.3

help you write a story that works. I want to prove to you that writing a novel doesn't have to

1:26.8

be overwhelming. So each week I'll bring you a brand new episode with simple, actionable,

1:32.0

and step-by-step strategies that you can implement in your writing right away. So whether you're

1:36.6

brand new to writing or more of a seasoned author looking to improve your craft, this podcast is

...

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