Fictional Beginnings and Non-Fictional Story Arcs & a Bookseller Recommends Comps
The Shit No One Tells You About Writing
Bianca Marais, Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra
4.8 • 733 Ratings
🗓️ 4 April 2022
⏱️ 69 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In today's Bonus Episode, Bianca chats with Lee Gowan, author of The Beautiful Place about taking twelve years to finish a novel; the process of figuring out when your novel is done; advice on how to find the right beginning; cannibalizing your writing; the importance of knowing where your novel is going, and how cutting things out can help you figure out key parts of your novel.
After which, Bianca chats with Leo Carver, author of The Gardener's Guide to Seeding the Soul, about the process of writing non-fiction; putting a story arc in your non-fiction which lends itself to structure; turning challenging circumstances in life into a positive with creativity; writing a proposal; and transferring frustrations with work, etc. into energy for your creativity.
And finally, Emily Schwab joins us from Book Ends in Winchester, Massachusetts, to suggest comp titles.
Find us on our socials:
Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra
Instagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writing
Facebook: @tsnotyaw
Website: www.biancamarais.com
Lee Gowan can be found at www.leegowan.com
Leo Carver can be found on Instagram at @leo.carver
Book Ends can be found on Instagram at @bookendswinchester
Emily Schwab can be found on Instagram at @paperbookreader
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | It's a new year and time to get fresh eyes on your work in progress. |
| 0:04.8 | Are you looking for beta readers, some of whom might potentially become writing group members |
| 0:09.2 | down the line? |
| 0:10.2 | Are you wanting to be matched up with those writing in a similar genre and or time |
| 0:15.0 | zone so they can critique your work as you critique theirs at the same time? |
| 0:19.5 | Your manuscript doesn't have to be complete to sign up |
| 0:22.1 | for this 3,000 word evaluation. This matchup will be open to registrations from now until the |
| 0:28.5 | 2nd of March with the matchup emails going out on the 3rd of March. Always such an exciting day. |
| 0:35.4 | For more information and to register, go to Bianca Moray.com and go to |
| 0:39.7 | the beta reader matchup tab. And please spread the word, even if you aren't joining the matchup this |
| 0:45.7 | time. The more writers we have signed up, the better the matches will be. Hello from CC. |
| 0:52.6 | I'm so excited to announce an all new class called Starting It |
| 0:56.4 | Right, which is all about how to begin your story in the best place and in the best way. Now, |
| 1:01.6 | this is going to be a four-day class, so come prepared to take lots of notes. We'll cover the different |
| 1:06.9 | types of beginnings and how to choose the best one for your story, how to frame your |
| 1:11.6 | inciting incident in a compelling way, common mistakes writers make when starting a story, |
| 1:17.3 | how to balance exposition and mystery, how to make readers connect with your protagonist, and how |
| 1:23.6 | to make the reader want to turn to the next chapter and so much more. |
| 1:28.3 | And guess what? |
| 1:29.3 | For the first time ever, there will be an interactive component to my class. |
| 1:34.3 | Everyone who is registered will have the option of sending in the opening scene of their work |
| 1:40.3 | for a chance to be critiqued during the webinar. |
... |
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