Shows
Lit ServiceWriting Disability From Experience with Crystal SeitzCrystal joins Caitlin and Aliah to chat about her experience writing a main character that shares her own disability, and gives some thoughts that could help other authors attempting to do the same.
Crystal mentioned another book in the podcast that features a protagonist with Crohn's disease, though we don't mention the title, we will here: Of Wolves and Stags by Ria Parisi
Crystal Seitz is a young adult contemporary fantasy writer. A Viking at heart, Crystal battles Crohn’s disease and raids libraries for all the books on Norse mythology she can find. She work...2024-10-1720 minLit ServiceHow to Write a Good Haunting with Lily AndersonCaitlin and Aliah chat with Printz Honor winning author Lily Anderson about how to write hauntings and horror, tempering scary stories with humor, and her newest book Killer House Party.
Lily Anderson the author of several novels for young adults including The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You, Not Now Not Ever, and Undead Girl Gang. A former school librarian, she is deeply devoted to Shakespeare, fairy tales, and podcasts. Somewhere in Northern California, she is having strong opinions on musical theater.
More about Killer House Party:
Red Solo cups? Chec...2024-10-0314 minLit ServiceHow to Start Writing a Second DraftWhat do you do once you've finished your first draft? Immediately send it to every agent and publisher you can find contact info for? Put it in a drawer? Maybe something in between. Caitlin, Aliah, and Kristen chat about how they approach a second draft.
Don't forget to check out Caitlin's newest release, He Who Breaks the Earth
2023-06-2112 minLit ServiceHow to Write a Killer EndingCaitlin, Aliah, and Kristen chat about how to approach writing a satisfying and exciting ending.
Don't miss Caitlin's new release from Simon and Schuster, He Who Breaks the Earth
2023-06-0711 minLit ServiceRaising the Action, Raising the Stakes with Margaret OwenMargaret Owen joins Caitlin, Aliah, and Kristen to chat about how to help your action to rise naturally and how to raise stakes.
Margaret is the author of The Merciful Crow, The Faithless Hawk, Little Thieves, Painted Devils which releases May 16th, and A Grimoire of Grave Fates which releases in June.
The "How Dire Is It" chart Margaret mentions can be found here.
2023-05-1016 minLit ServiceWhat Needs to be in the MiddleKristen, Caitlin, and Aliah chat about what goes into the middle of a book.
2023-04-1211 minLit ServiceHow to Stay Excited About Your WritingWe all hit moments where a shiny new project suddenly feels more like work. Aliah, Caitlin, and Kristen discuss strategies that allow the slog to become a little easier.
2023-03-2911 minLit ServiceWhat to Do with Writer’s BlockAliah, Caitlin, and Kristen discuss how to keep writing when the ideas aren't coming.
2023-03-1511 minLit ServiceWhat Needs to Be in a Beginning?Aliah, Cameron, Caitlin, and Kristen discuss what is most important at the beginning of a book and how to go about approaching it in your own stories.
Don't forget to check out our special edition books we've done for past guests!
2023-03-0114 minLit ServiceHow to Start Writing a First DraftCaitlin, Cameron, Kristen, and Aliah chat about how to begin writing and how to overcome some of the difficulties writers struggle with when starting a project.
Don't forget to check out our special editions!
2023-02-1511 minLit ServiceNovel Worthy IdeasAliah, Kristen, Caitlin, and Cameron kick of season seven with a new series on how to write a novel from start to finish beginning with how to come up with a good idea.
For updates and information on upcoming guests, subscribe to our newsletter!
To check out our special editions, go to Caitlin's store.
2023-01-1110 minLit ServiceSpinoffs with Chloe GongChloe Gong joins Aliah and Caitlin to discuss the anatomy of a spinoff, how to approach writing an extension of your own world and stories that still feels familiar while also being new.
Chloe is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights, its sequel Our Violent Ends, and the first in a new duology set in the same world, Foul Lady Fortune. She is a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she double-majored in English and International Relations. Born in Shanghai and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, Chloe is now located in Ne...2022-09-2821 minLit ServiceRomantasy 101 with Stephanie GarberStephanie Garber joins Caitlin and Aliah to chat about "romantasy" and how to make it (or a developing romance in the book you are writing!) really sing. A resource Stephanie mentions, Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes, can be found here.
Stephanie is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of Once Upon a Broken Heart, The Ballad of Never After, and the Caraval trilogy. Her books have been translated into thirty languages. To find out more, you can follow her on social media.
To check out our signed, hand-painted editions of Once Upon a Br...2022-09-1422 minLit ServiceUpping a Story’s IQ with Erin BeatyErin Beaty joins Caitlin, Kristen, and Aliah to talk about how to write stories and characters that are smarter than we are.
Erin was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, which means she can't drive a tractor but won't eat veggies that come from a can.
She graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2000 with a BS in Aerospace Engineering (Astronautics) and German, then served in the fleet as a weapons officer on a combat destroyer and later as an instructor the Center for Naval Leadership.
After a few years as a s...2022-06-2925 minLit ServiceSuspension of Disbelief with Emily X.R. PanCaitlin, Aliah, and Kristen chat with Emily X.R. Pan about magic in contemporary books and suspension of disbelief (as well as throwing down a gauntlet in the never-ending prologue debate!). To find the signed and stenciled edge edition the podcast put together for her new book An Arrow to the Moon, visit our shop.
Emily X.R. Pan is the New York Times bestselling author of THE ASTONISHING COLOR OF AFTER, which won the APALA Honor Award and the Walter Honor Award. It was also a finalist for the L.A. Times Book Prize, longlisted for the...2022-04-1330 minLit ServiceThe Publishing Rollercoaster with Kristen CiccarelliKristen Ciccarelli joins Caitlin, Kristen, and Aliah to talk about how publishing journeys look from the inside and how to manage the rough moments and celebrate the good.
Kristen was born and raised on her grandfather’s grape farm. She spent her childhood running amok through his vineyards and adventuring in the deep, dark woods behind his house. Before writing books full-time, Kristen was an artisanal bread baker, an indie bookseller, and a ceramic artist. Her first novel, The Last Namsara, was an international bestseller and has been translated into 12 languages. Her new contemporary fantasy, Edgewood, released on...2022-03-0128 minLit ServiceBonus Episode: A Deep Dive into ArcaneJoin Caitlin, Kristen, and Aliah as they discuss some of the cool storytelling elements used in Netflix's new series, Arcane.
If you want to read twelve pages of Caitlin and Kristen lauding/arguing/not understanding/beings stupid about some of the things the writers, animators, and others involved did, you're welcome to it: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mQrrDsc9pBwvPFDv_flGj7nELO1UZ9XcQpqtzmrEjjw/edit?usp=sharing
2022-01-1130 minLit Service5.21 Fake PoliticsAliah, Caitlin, Cameron and Kristen talk about constructing fake political intrigue in stories and how to make it interesting and peak amounts of "intrigue-y".
The chapter we critique is here.
Find out how to support Lit Service on our Patreon.
2021-11-1025 minLit Service5.06 The Mentor Always Dies: How to Write Mentor FiguresCaitlin, Kristen, and Aliah chat about the roles mentors take in (mostly!) fantasy and sci-fi narratives, their purpose and the shape of their place in a story.
For the chapter we critique with all our notes go here!
To find out how to support the podcast, go here! (We're about to do a live q&a, so if you want to come as us questions in person, now's the time to join our Patreon!)
For more about the podcast and how you can submit your work for a critique (and our next upcoming...2021-03-2429 minLit Service4.25 Getting Your Characters to Squad UpAliah, Caitlin, and Kristen chat about how to get your characters to squad up.
The chapter we critique can be found here.
Don't forget to check our Patreon for video versions of episodes and other bonus episodes and content!
2020-12-2330 minLit Service4.17 ToneCaitlin, Cameron, and Kristen chat about what tone is and how to utilize it to tell your story to a specific audience or to elicit a specific response in a reader.
2020-08-2633 minLit Service4.16 Perseverance with Darcie Little BadgerDr. Darcie Little Badger joins the Lit Service Crew to talk about how to survive the ups and downs of the publishing world both as an aspiring writer and as a published one.
Darcie is an Earth scientist, writer, and fan of the weird, beautiful, and haunted. Her debut novel ELATSOE will be launching on August 25th and you can find it here.
2020-08-1229 minLit ServiceBonus: Hot Seat Critique with Caitlin and CameronJoin Cameron and Caitlin as they read a past submission out loud and do a live critique as they go. let us know if you like this on social media! If you do, we'll do more of these!
2020-07-2921 minLit Service4.15 Author-Agent Relationships with Holly RootHolly Root, the founder of Root Literary and agent to many a New York Time Bestseller, joins the Lit Service crew to chat about what author-agent relationships look like.
2020-07-1529 minLit Service4.14 Monkey Closets with Samantha HastingsSamantha Hastings joins the Lit Service Crew to talk about how to approach writing a historical romance. Samantha is the author of The Last Word, The Invention of Sophie Carter (which is available for pre-order now! It will be available July 14) which is a Jr. Library Guild Selection. Her next book A Royal Christmas Quandary will arrive October 6, 2020.
2020-07-0131 minLit Service4.13 Bookstagram with Bridget HowardCaitlin, Cameron, Aliah, and Kristen chat with Bridget Howard about building a social media platform.
Bridget owns the bookstagram account @darkfaerietales_ which has over 116,000 followers. She is also part owner of Storygram Tours, a Bookstagram Tour company that has run over a thousand successful instagram tours. She works closely with publishers like Harper, Little Brown, Disney, Macmillan, Scholastic, Random House, and many more on a weekly basis. Storygram has also run tours for many authors such as Kendare Blake, Kerri Maniscalco, Tricia Levenseller, Adrienne Young and others.
2020-06-1732 minLit ServiceBonus Episode: Q&A with Marissa Meyer and DongWon Song2020-06-1217 minLit Service4.12 Collaboration with the Lady JaniesThe Lit Service crew chats with the Lady Janies (Jodi Meadows, Cynthia Hand, and Brodi Ashton, NYT bestselling authors of My Lady Jane, My Plain Jane, and My Calamity Jane) about how to collaborate on a project.
2020-06-0328 minLit Service4.11 Twenty Questions with DongWon SongLiterary agent DongWon Song joins the Lit Service crew to chat about what authors can do to get an agent's attention and why some stories work and some don't.
DongWon Song is an agent at Howard Morhaim Literary Agency representing science fiction and fantasy for adults, young adult, and middle grade readers as well as select non-fiction. He was formerly an editor at Orbit and a product manager for the ebook startup, Zola Books and has taught as an adjunct instructor in the publishing program at Portland State University. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.
2020-05-2036 minLit Service4.10 Keeping it Grounded with Lauren SpiellerLauren Spieller joins the Lit Service Crew to chat about the differences in tension in stakes between grounded, realistic, contemporary novels vs genre fiction.
Lauren is an agent at TriadaUSA, and the author of She's the Worst and Your Destination is on the Left.
If you'd like a first chapter critique from the podcast, be sure to check out our guest schedule and submission guidelines on our website, https://litservicepodcast.wixsite.com/litnation
2020-05-0630 minLit Service4.9 Juggling Multiple POVs with Marissa MeyerMarissa Meyer joins the Lit Service crew to chat about how to make different points of view in a story sound distinct, how to best utilize your different points of view, and how to avoid common pitfalls that go with having more than one point of view character.
Marissa Meyer is the NYT bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles, Heartless, and the Renegades series.
If you would like to see the text of the chapter we critiqued along with all our notes, you can find it on our website, https://litservicepodcast.wixsi...2020-04-2233 minLit Service4.8 Unlikable Characters with Kiersten WhiteKiersten White joins the Lit Service crew to chat about how to help readers identify with and root for characters who aren't exactly shiny white souls.
Kiersten is the New York Times bestselling author of the And I Darken trilogy, the Paranormalcy trilogy, Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales, The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, Slayer, and many other novels.
2020-04-0827 minLit Service4.7 Dispatches from the Closet with Ben GrangeJoin Lit Service for their first socially distanced--wait no, we're almost always socially distanced--episode about how to write good dialogue.
Ben Grange is an agent at the L. Perkins literary agency.
2020-03-2535 minLit Service4.6 It's Complicated with Misa SugiuraThe Lit Service crew chats with Misa Sugiura about creating flawed characters, why we like flawed characters, and how flaws can drive a story.
Misa Sugiura is the author of the award-winning It's Not Like It's A Secret (2017) and This Time Will Be Different (2019)
Our next two guests will be Kiersten White and Marie Rutkoski. If you'd like a first chapter critique from the either of these NYT bestelling authors, check out our submission guidelines here.
2020-03-1132 minLit Service4.5 Layers of Tension with Katherine ArdenThe Lit Service crew chats with Katherine Arden (NYT Bestselling author of The Winternight Trilogy: The Bear and the Nightingale, The Girl in the Tower, and The Winter of the Witch as well as the two middle grade horror books Small Spaces and Dead Voices) about how to create layers of tension in your story in order to keep it from feeling flat.
Sorry about the beeps. We were recording in a new space and . . . well, that's what happens sometimes.
If you'd like a first chapter critique (and to see who we have coming up on...2020-02-2624 minLit Service4.4 Authentic Kid Voice with Tae KellerThe Lit Service Crew chats with middle grade author Tae Keller about how to approach writing from a child's perspective and what we owe to the audience for whom we're writing.
Tae Keller is the author of The Science of Breakable Things and When You Trap a Tiger. She grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she danced hula and subsisted on kimchi and spam musubis. Now, she writes about biracial girls trying to find their voices, and lives in New York City with a multitude of books.
2020-02-1226 minLit Service4.3 Characters Are Like Onions with Rebecca RossRebecca Ross joins the Lit Service crew to chat about layering characters (like onions! Imagine the Scottish accent) and how that relates to plot.
Rebecca is the author of The Queen's Rising, The Queen's Resistance, and the forthcoming Sisters of Sword and Song.
2020-02-0531 minLit Service4.2 Pitch Wars 101 with Sarah NicolasOnline pitching and mentorship contests can be kind of confusing. Sarah Nicolas breaks down Pitch Wars for us.
Sarah Nicolas is a recovering mechanical engineer, library event planner, and author who lives in Orlando with a 60-lb mutt who thinks he’s a chihuahua. Sarah writes YA novels as Sarah Nicolas and romance under the name Aria Kane. Sarah has published both traditionally and independently, and has also worked in the publishing industry as an editorial intern, editorial assistant, publicist, publicity director, cover artist, and art director. Sarah is the current Managing Director for Pitch Wars.
2020-01-2927 minLit ServiceBonus Episode: Reactions to The Rise of Skywalker with Emily DuncanThe Lit Service Crew chats with Emily Duncan about Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and the Mandalorian. Spoilers abound (though not so much on the Mandalorian front!) so be forewarned.
2020-01-2913 minLit Service4.1 I Made It All Up with Emily DuncanThe Lit Service crew chats with NYT Bestseller Emily Duncan about how she approaches researching high fantasy. Emily A. Duncan is the New York Times bestselling author of Wicked Saints. She was born and raised in Ohio and works as a youth services librarian. She received a Master’s degree in library science from Kent State University, which mostly taught her how to find obscure Slavic folklore texts through interlibrary loan systems. When not reading or writing, she enjoys playing copious amounts of video games and dungeons and dragons. She is represented by Thao Le of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary...2020-01-1531 minLit ServiceBonus Episode: Behind the Scenes in Publishing with Tony DanielDue to a recording snafu, we are posting a bonus episode early! Tony Daniel, who is a senior editor at Baen publishing, chatted with the podcasters about some things that go on behind the scenes when it comes to books being acquired and published.
The chapter we critiqued with Rebecca Ross is available on our website with all our notes.
2019-12-2614 minLit Service3.21 Getting Those Hobbits Out the DoorCaitlin, Cameron, and Kristen talk in depth about how inciting incidents relate to character and how people accidentally mess them up.
2019-12-1132 minLit Service3.20 Character is Setting with Tony DanielThe Lit Service Crew chats with Tony Daniel about how to approach building a character and how that interacts with setting.
Tony Daniel is a senior editor at Baen Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster. He is also an award-winning author (a few of his titles: Guardian of Night, Metaplanetary, Superluminal, Earthling, Warpath, and the two Star Trek Original Series novels, Devil’s Bargain and Savage Trade), a co-writer of screenplays for monster movies that appear on the SyFy and Chiller Channels, and the founder, writer, and director of theatrical and audio drama group Automatic Vaudeville, wi...2019-11-2729 minLit Service3.19 How to Not Discover WitchesCameron, Kristen, Aliah, and Caitlin chat about POV usage and how to best make your choices fit the kind of story you want to tell.
2019-11-1328 minLit ServiceBonus Episode: Kate Watson Query and FanX Q&AAnother in our series of query letters that succeeded (and then went on to become published books) Enjoy Kate Watson (author of Seeking Mansfield) reading the query that landed her an agent, and then some questions we answered at Salt Lake ComicCon/FanX this last September.
2019-11-0606 minLit Service3.18 The Emperor King's Assassin with Ben GrangeBen Grange, agent at the L. Perkins agency, joins the Lit Service crew to talk about what "high concept" means, why everyone talks about high concept books, and why it's important to be able to put together a high concept-ish pitch for your book even if it isn't a high concept story.
2019-10-2332 minLit Service3.17 Save the Dragons with Jodi MeadowsCaitlin, Cameron, and Aliah discuss with Jodi Meadows why books need themes, where themes come from, and how to make the ones that creep up on you seem intentional.
Jodi Meadows wants to be a ferret when she grows up and she has no self-control when it comes to yarn, ink, or outer space. Still, she manages to write books. She is the author of the INCARNATE Trilogy, the ORPHAN QUEEN Duology, and the FALLEN ISLES Trilogy (HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen), and a coauthor of the New York Times bestsellers MY LADY JANE and MY PLAIN JANE (HarperTeen).2019-10-0927 minLit Service3.16 Heebie Jeebie Research with Susan R. MatthewsThe Lit Service Crew chats with Susan R. Matthews about seeking out in person experiences that inform the sensory detail, blocking, and the plausibility of your planned plot. Extra points that in person experience gives you the heebie jeebies.
Special welcome to our guest Susan R. Matthews, whose debut novel An Exchange of Hostages was nominated for the 1997 Philip K. Dick Award and for the 1998 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer; She’s since written eight other books in this dystopian space opera series, plus many other books.
If you'd like a first cha...2019-09-2533 minLit Service3.15 Magic Systems 101 (and when to throw them out)The Lit Service crew recorded live at FanX Salt Lake City ComiCon with Sara B. Larson and Kathryn Purdie.
Sara B. Larson is the author of the acclaimed YA fantasy DEFY trilogy (DEFY, IGNITE, and ENDURE) and the DARK BREAKS THE DAWN duology (DARK BREAKS THE DAWN and BRIGHT BURNS THE NIGHT). She can’t remember a time when she didn’t write books—although she now uses a computer instead of a Little Mermaid notebook.
Kathryn Purdie is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Burning Glass series and the forthcoming Bone Crier’s Moon duology...2019-09-1137 minLit Service3.14 The Jack Skellington EffectOur guest, Stacy Whitman, is the founder and publisher of Tu Books, an imprint of Lee and Low that focuses on diverse middle grade and YA books. Stacy was a founding member of the CBC Diversity Committee. She is also currently looking for submissions for their #NewVisionsAward, but submissions close on August 31st, so act fast.
Some media we talk about: Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas.
If you'd like to submit your work for us to critique, you can find our submission guidelines here: https://litservicepodcast.wixsite.com/litnation/submissions
2019-08-2837 minLit Service3.13 The Weeds in Frodo's GardenThis is our fiftieth episode!!! The Lit Service crew discusses when to go "into the weeds" with your writing and when to stay out and summarize
2019-08-1430 minLit ServiceBonus Episode: Query Examples with Nicki Pau PretoNicki Pau Preto, author of Crown of Feathers shares the query that got her an agent along with thoughts from her agent about why it worked.
Nicki Pau Preto lives just outside Toronto, Canada. After getting a degree in visual arts, a masters in art history, and a diploma in graphic design, Nicki discovered two things: she loves to escape the real world, and she isn’t interested in a regular 9-5 life. Luckily, her chosen career covers both. She is represented by Penny Moore at Aevitis Creative Managment.
2019-08-0702 minLit Service3.12 Beta Readers (and how to get them to email you back)Livia Blackburne joins the Lit Service crew to discuss beta readers, who you should ask, and, most importantly, how to politely follow up with them. They also critique a bit of fantasy involving elven warriors, magic, and myths.
2019-07-2528 minLit Service3.11 Contemporary WorldbuildingAs it turns out, writing contemporary novels requires just as much worldbuilding as writing fantasy! Kate Watson and the Lit Service crew discuss the process of researching the real world for your writing.
2019-07-1024 minLit Service3.10 The Horcrux PrincipleCaitlin, Cameron, and Kristen discuss the Horcrux Principle (closely related to the objective correlative) with Lisa Mangum. Enjoy fun jokes, references, and a little Regency romance!
2019-06-2631 minLit Service3.9 Protagging 101People like characters who move, who make decisions, who want things. Caitlin, Cameron, and Kristen discuss how to make this happen on the page.
Books and media we talk about:
Harry Potter
The Hunger Games
Avatar: The Last Airbender
The Great Gatsby
The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
If you'd like a first chapter critique from the podcast, please check out our submission guidelines here: https://litservicepodcast.wixsite.com/litnation/submissions
2019-06-1222 minLit ServiceBonus Episode: Query Examples with Charlie HolmbergCharlie Holmberg reads the query that got her an agent (and some feedback from her agent about why it worked!)
Born in Salt Lake City, Charlie N. Holmberg was raised a Trekkie alongside three sisters who also have boy names. She is a proud BYU alumna, plays the ukulele, owns too many pairs of glasses, and finally adopted a dog. Her fantasy Paper Magician series, which includes The Paper Magician, The Glass Magician, and The Master Magician, has been optioned by the Walt Disney Company. Her stand-alone novel, Followed by Frost, was nominated for a 2016 RITA Award for...2019-06-0502 minLit Service3.8 Brick by Brick (but only the bricks that matter) with Nicki Pau Preto This week we talk to Nicki Pau Preto about how she approaches world building and how to keep yourself from feeling overwhelmed and also how to create a lush secondary world.
Nicki Pau Preto is the author of Crown of Feathers. She lives just outside Toronto, Canada. After getting a degree in visual arts, a masters in art history, and a diploma in graphic design, Nicki discovered two things: she loves to escape the real world, and she isn’t interested in a regular 9-5 life. Luckily, her chosen career covers both.
Some books and medi...2019-05-2930 minLit Service3.7 The Query MonsterCaitlin and Cameron chat with Ben Grange from the L. Perkins agency and Amy Jameson from A+B Works about how to craft the perfect query.
2019-05-1541 minLit Service3.6.5 Bonus Q&A with Charlie Holmberg and Brian Lee DurfeeBonus episode! Listen to our our fabulous guests at FanX (Charlie Holmberg and Brian Lee Durfee) answer questions from the audience.
Charlie N. Holmberg is a Wall Street Journal and Amazon bestselling author, whose debut series, The Paper Magician, has been optioned by the Walt Disney Company. Her stand-alone novel, Followed by Frost, was nominated for a 2016 RITA Award for Best Young Adult Romance, and her novel The Fifth Doll won the 2018 Whitney award for Speculative Fiction. She is a board member for Deep Magic Ezine. Visit her at www.charlienholmberg.com.
Brian Lee Durfee is an...2019-05-0316 min
Lit Service3.6 Surviving your First NovelHave you started a novel you've never finished? Wanted to write a novel and never started? Award winning authors Charlie Holmberg and Brian Lee Durfee join us to talk about their first novels and share tips and strategies for actually finishing.
Charlie N. Holmberg is a Wall Street Journal and Amazon bestselling author, whose debut series, The Paper Magician, has been optioned by the Walt Disney Company. Her stand-alone novel, Followed by Frost, was nominated for a 2016 RITA Award for Best Young Adult Romance, and her novel The Fifth Doll won the 2018 Whitney award for Speculative Fiction. She i...2019-04-2427 minLit Service3.5 Pacing your BackstoryYou have your fabulous main character, their deliciously dark past, their wealth of relationships, habits, memories, and everything else that makes them who they are-- and then you have to write the first chapter. What can you put in, what should you leave out, and how do you make it interesting? Listen in as we discuss how to best drop your back story in a way that is natural and interesting.
Some books and media we talk about:
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
The Last Jedi (movie)
Animorphs...2019-04-0526 minLit Service3.4 Writing from your Heart with Emily R. King
Powerful themes and well-explored issues often make the difference between a good story and a great one. However, many writers struggle to find the balance between exploring issues and sounding "preachy". In this episode, Emily R. King talks with us about how to help our writing have a heart.
Emily R. King is a reader of everything and a writer of fantasy. Born in Canada and raised in the USA, she has perfected the use of “eh” and “y’all” and uses both interchangeably. Shark advocate, consumer of gummy bears, and islander at heart, Emily’s greatest interests ar...2019-03-1519 minLit Service3.3 The Anatomy of a Fight Scene with Tricia LevensellerTricia Levenseller is the author of the Daughter of the Pirate King duology and standalone Warrior of the Wild. She likes to describe her books as young adult alternate–world historical fantasies with heavy romantic subplots.
One thing that a lot of new writers struggle with is writing a good fight scene that moves quickly and makes sense. In this episode, Tricia Levenseller breaks things down to give us ideas on what to pay attention to and how to make our fight scenes have an extra dash of awesome.
Some things we mention on the podcast:
St...2019-03-0127 minLit Service3.2 The Art of Misunderstanding with Kelly Barnhill Kelly Barnhill received the Newbery Medal in 2017, won the World Fantasy Award, the Parents Choice Gold Award as well as many other honors. She is a New York Times bestseller, and the author of THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON, THE WITCHES BOY, IRON HEARTED VIOLET, and THE MOSTLY TRUE STORY OF JACK as well as the novella, “The Unlicensed Magician”.
In this episode, we chat about using misunderstandings between characters as a plot point that rings true rather than frustrating readers.
Check out the text of the submission we critique on our websit...2019-02-1726 minLit Service3.1 The Need for EvilWe're back with an all new season of Lit Service!
Announcement!! We are going to be doing live shows at the Life the Universe and Everything Symposium in Provo, Utah, Saturday February 16th. If you haven't been to a writing conference yet (and you really should go...) this is a relatively inexpensive one, espeically if you are a student. We'd love to meet up and see you at our show!
The last time we tried to talk about writing a good villain on the podcast, we got distracted and talked about the difference between antagonists...2019-02-0228 minLit Service2.20 Horror Elements with Dan WellsFor our final episode of the season we chat with Dan Wells about how to incorporate horror elements into our work. Because Dan is really smart, we let this one go a little long.
Some of the things we mention:
Zero G by Dan Wells (available for free on audible for the month of December!! https://www.audible.com/pd/Zero-G-Audiobook/B07K4VYQ5X)
Holly Black's collective work
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
I Am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells
There's Someone Inside...2018-12-1937 minLit Service2.19 Crucibles with Kathryn Purdie and Ben GrangeBen mentioned during the podcast that this is one of the most important topics for newer writers to learn about. #1 NYT bestseller Kathryn Purdie joins Ben, Caitlin Sangster, Aliah Eberting, Kristen Evans, and Cameron Harris to talk about what it means to put your characters in a crucible in order to increase tension in a story and how to go about doing it.
Some books and movies we mention:
The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
The Office (TV series)
Star Wars
2018-11-3029 minLit Service2.18 Writing Original CharactersLiterary agent Ben Grange joins the Lit Service crew to chat about how to approach writing original characters.
Some things we mention:
The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
Avatar: The Last Airbender
The Scarlet Pimpernell by Baroness Orczy
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway
If you'd like to see the text of the submission we critique, you can find it on our website: https://litservicepodcast.wixsite.com/litnation
If you'd like a first c...2018-11-0928 minLit Service2.17 The Fantastic First Chapter with Ben GrangeThe Lit Service Crew chats with Literary Agent Ben Grange about what goes into a fabulous first chapter and how to approach getting yours into that fabulous category, red flags and things that make Ben pass over people in his query slushpile, and some of our own favorite first chapters.
Some of the things we mention in this episode:
5 Writing Tips: Barbara Kingsolver
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/78305-5-writing-tips-barbara-kingsolver.html
Author Mentor Match http://authormentormatch.com/
Holes by Louis Sachar
Strange the Dr...2018-10-2729 minLit Service2.16 YA Thrillers with Karen M. McManusThe Lit Service Crew chats with Karen M. McManus, author of NYT Bestselling One of Us is Lying, about the rise of the YA thriller and the elements that go into writing a good thriller (and thriller elements that you can apply to any other genre you write.)
Some of the books and other media we mention:
There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins
One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus
Sadie by Courtney Summers
The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas
Little Monsters by Kara T...2018-10-1031 minLit Service2.15 Brainstorming with Ben GrangeThis week the Lit Service crew chats with literary agent Ben Grange about brainstorming techniques.
Some things we mention:
Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans
Struck By Lightning https://beta.prx.org/stories/176346-struck-by-lightning
Cameron's writing deadline game https://4thewords.com/
Fear and Writing, with Emma Newman from the Writing Excuses Podcast https://writingexcuses.com/2018/05/20/13-20-fear-and-writing-with-emma-newman/
If you'd like to see the text of the first chapter we critique, you can find it on our webs...2018-09-1936 minLit Service2.14 Subplots with the Lit Service Crew (reunited!)The Lit Service crew chats about subplots, what they are, how to use them, and when you don't need them. Some of the books and movies we talk about are:
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
Jurassic Park, the movie based on the book by Michael Crighton
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Solo the movie
Infinity War movie
Chuck the TV series
The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski
If you'd like t...2018-09-0531 minLit Service2.13 Improving Your Craft with Rosalyn EvesThis week we chat with Rosalyn Eves about rhetorical devices and how to go about learning and using them (and maybe when not to use them). Some of the things we mention in the podcast worth checking out:
Soundbite from Ira Glass on "The Gap" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbC4gqZGPSY&ab_channel=Getoutthebox1
Slyva Rhetoricae: The Forest of Rhetoric, provided by Dr. Gideon Burton. A list of rhetorical devices with examples: http://rhetoric.byu.edu/
We also mentioned Austenland by Shannon Hale
The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Sch...2018-08-2232 minLit Service2.12 Hanging Lanterns with Ben GrangeBen Grange and the Lit Service Crew chat about what it means to "hang lanterns" in your writing, and how to go about doing it.
Some books we mention: The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater
The Office (the TV show)
Avatar: The Last Airbender
The Belles by Dhionelle Clayton
Moby Dick by Herman Mellville
Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman
Our first chapter critique is about a boy named Cole who is a guardian angel. The text for this submission (including in-line notes by...2018-08-0835 minLit Service2.11 Publishing Models with Charlie Holmberg, Jolene Perry, and Abel KeoghCaitlin chats with Charlie Holmberg (who is published through Amazon's traditional publishing arm, 47 North as well as indie published), Jolene Perry (who has worked with Simon Pulse, Albert Whitman Teen, Entangled, Cedar Fort, as well as indie publishing), and Abel Keogh (Cedar Fort and indie published) about the differences between working with a big publisher, small publisher, and doing it yourself.
Charlie's book that we keep mentioning that just came out is called Veins of Gold, and if you would like to see the beautiful cover, please refer to the video feed on YouTube :)
If...2018-07-2636 minLit Service2.10 Before You Query . . . with Literary Agent Ben GrangeBen Grange from L. Perkins agency joins the Caitlin, Cameron, and Aliah to discuss some things that authors ought to research and think about before they begin querying agents, including awareness of genre, researching agents, word count, titles, and submission guidelines.
This episode is pretty heavy on the agent-businessy side of things. Don't feel like you have to bend over backwards and cut your work to shreds just to meet publishing norms--agents and editors don't want projects that are exactly like everything has come before. These are just some things to think about that will give you...2018-07-1234 minLit Service2.9 Romantic and Sexual Tension with Caitlyn McFarlandGuest Caitlyn McFarland shares her tips and tricks to making the romance in your writing crackle. There are several methods she uses that help authors to avoid romances that start too quickly, escalate too quicly, and allow things to flow naturally.
Check out the submission we critique here: https://litservicepodcast.wixsite.com/litnation
If you'd like a first chapter critique, you can find out submission info on the same website.
2018-06-2732 minLit Service2.8 Characterization2018-06-1334 minLit Service2.7 STEM in YA with Emily SuvadaThe Lit Service crew chats with Emily Suvada about science, technology, engineering, and math, it's importance in literature and how to write it through research, creating believable characters and craft.
Be sure to check out the submission on our website: litservicepodcast.wixsite.com/litnation
That's also where you can find info on how to get a first chapter critique from us.
Some of the books we highlight in this episode:
Jurrasic Park by Michael Crichton
This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada
Cinder by Marrisa Meyer
...2018-05-3035 minLit Service2.6 Plot Twists with Ben GrangeLiterary Agent Ben Grange joins the podcast to tell us why plot twists will make or break your book...but not for every genre. We discuss how to go about setting up plot twists and some ideas as to why the do or don't work for readers.
In this episode we discuss
10 Cloverfield Lane (AGAIN. Anyone see number three?)
The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling
The Chaos Walking Series by Patrick Ness
One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus
The Hunger Games Series by...2018-04-2833 minLit Service2.5 Building TensionThis week Kristen, Caitlin, and Cameron talk about rising tension and how to use it in your writing and announce our special publishing industry professional guest for April. Some books we mention:
Island of the Lost: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World by Joan Druett
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson
American Panda by Gloria Chao
Out of the Dust by Karen Hess
Night Watch by Terry Pratchett
Also, we talk about the movie While You Were Sleeping
Check out our youtube channel if yo...2018-04-1439 minLit Service2.4 Matching Character and Plot with Erin SummerillErin, Caitlin, Cameron, and Kristen chat about how character and plot fit together, and how, as you are engineering your character, to choose flaws and strengths that suit the sort of plot you want to write. Erin talks about the emotional core of a book and how oftentimes conflict is internal rather than external.
Please check out the submission we critque here: litservice.wixsite.com/podcast
If you want to submit your first chapter for us to critique, check out the submission guidelines on our website!
Remember to listen in two w...2018-03-1726 minLit ServiceBuilding Good Writing HabitsIn which Caitlin, Kristen, and Cameron examine the correct pronunciation of the words "latrine" and "Yosemite". We also talk about our own writing habits and how to cultivate the consistent sort of habits both with writing and editing.
Please come visit us on Twitter https://twitter.com/LitService, facebook https://www.facebook.com/LitServicePodcast/ or on instagram https://www.instagram.com/litservicepodcast/
Come visit our fledgling forum, talk about writing, publishing, look for potential critique partners and generally have a good time! https://litservicepodcast.wixsite.com/litnation/forum
If you want to check out t...2018-03-0330 minLit Service2.2 Villains and Antagonists with Sarah McCabeThe Lit Service crew chats about what makes a compelling antagonist or villain with Simon Pulse assistant editor Sarah McCabe.
We highlight some of our favorite examples of antagonists such as Mayor Prentiss from Chaos Walking by Patrick Ness, Jackal and Cassius from Red Rising by Pierce Brown, as well as the choices main characters are forced to make as a result of their interactions with these antagonists.
If you'd like to check out the text of the submission critiqued during the show, it can be found on our website, https://litservicepodcast.wixsite.com/litnation2018-02-1631 minLit Service2.1 YA vs MG with Summer SpenceIn this episode we talk about some changes to the podcast. We have a new website: litservicepodcast.wixsite.com/litnation where you can find our shiny new forum, a place you can chat about your own work and find craft-savvy querying authors like yourself with whom to form writing groups.
We also announce that in two weeks we'll have special guest Sarah McCabe, an editor at Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse. If you'd like a chance to have her give your first chapter a gander, check out the submission guidlines on our website!
Please follow us...2018-02-0232 min
Lit Service1.14 Inciting IncidentsInciting incidents: what they are and how to effectively choose one. Kristen, Cameron, and Caitlin discuss their own writerly inciting incidents (how they started writing) and then talk about they ways inciting incidents affect the rest of the story, specifically using examples from RED RISING by Pierce Brown, THE HATE U GIVE by Angie Thomas, ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doerr, ILLUMINAE by Amie Kaufman and Jay Krisoff, LAST STAR BURNING by Caitlin Sangster, and JURASSIC PARK the old and fabulous movie that Cameron has been fixated on for a few episodes now :)
If...2017-12-1823 min
Lit Service1.13 Romantic Subplots with Erin BeatyRomantic Subplots! The best AND the worst! How do you keep your romantic subplot from feeling like...a plot point? We talk about building relationships in books and how to help your characters come together instead of shoving them together.
We talk exhaustively about the relationships in Maggie Steifvater's THE RAVEN BOYS, Leigh Bardugo's THE SIX OF CROWS, THE WINNER'S CRIME, by Marie Rutkoski, Stranger Things, Firefly and lots of other awesome books and TV shows.
For this week's submission or to submit your own work to be critiqued, check out our website: literarywip.wixsite...2017-12-1135 minLit Service1.12 Plot Types and Formulas with Kate WatsonWant to know where your book fits on a bookshelf? We do too, and so do the agents and editors reviewing your query letters. With guest Kate Watson, we chat about why it's important to know where you fit into your genre and how it can help your writing.
You can find out more about Kate Watson and her books here: http://www.katewatsonbooks.com/
If you're interested in Blake Snyder's Save the Cat beat sheets, you can find them here: http://www.savethecat.com/beat-sheets-alpha
If you'd like to see Jami Gold's be...2017-12-0428 minLit Service1.11 Character Motivation and Stakes with Mckelle GeorgeWith special guest Mckelle George, the Literary WIP team talks about how to make a story move forward by establishing stakes and motivation.
We had some technical difficulties on the recording for this week...so, sorry in advance.
You can check out this week's submission or submit your own work to be critiqued on our website: literarywip.wixsite.com/podcast
2017-11-2723 minLit Service1.10 Tropes with Karen M. McManus and Emily R. KingCaitlin and Cameron talk tropes with Emily R. King, author of THE HUNDREDTH QUEEN and Karen M. McManus, author of ONE OF US IS LYING.
This is our first submission which has officially SURVIVED THE QUERY PROCESS. If you'd like to follow the author's journey now that she's agented, you can follow her on Twitter here: @CassaCassaCassa or check out her website: https://ginger-and-sage.org/
If you'd like to submit your first chapter for some advice on how to attract agent attention, you can check out our submission guidelines here: literarywip.wixs...2017-11-2633 minLit Service1.9 World BuildingThe Literary WIP crew discusses our own approaches to world building during the planning process as well as thoughts on how to keep things consistent and thought out if you are a discovery writer.
You can see the submission featured in this podcast or submit your own work to be critiqued here: literarywip.wixsite.com/podcast
2017-11-2628 minLit Service1.8 Making Promises with Tracey NeithercottCaitlin is up to no good, Cameron works too hard, Kristen makes a mean sweet potato fry and Tracey will not fold laundry for a kingdom. Tracey Neithercott joins the Literary WIP team to discuss what it means to make promises in your first chapters and how to make sure you're making the right ones.
If you want to look at the submission from today, you can find it here: https://literarywip.wixsite.com/podcast/episode-8
If you'd like to submit your work, you'll find guidlines on the Literary WIP website: literarywip.wixsite.com/podcast2017-11-0633 minLit Service1.7 Why and How to Use Concrete DetailsFind out much more about Cameron Harris than he wants you to know! Caitlin, Kristen, Dan, and Cameron chat about what concrete details are and why they're important. We then critique a submission about a boy who has a little trouble with hallucinations.
If you'd like to submit your work for a critique, check out our website: literarywip.wixsite.com/podcast
2017-10-3023 minLit Service1.6 Character Sympathy with Tricia LevensellerCaitlin, Kristen, Cameron, Dan, and Tricia discuss how to make characters sympathetic (and why that's a thing you want to have happen), then critique a submission about a girl who isn't too fussed about super villians destroying her city.
2017-10-2331 minLit Service1.5 Yes, You Really Do Need A Writing GroupCaitlin, Kristen, Cameron, and Dan discuss why writing groups are so helpful, and ways you can avoid having a toxic experience. They then critique a submission about a young man who runs away from home to develop his illegal Lakewalking talent.
You can find today's submission or find out how to submit your own work to be critiqued by the Literary Work In Progress Team on our website: https://literarywip.wixsite.com/podcast
2017-10-1630 minLit Service1.4 Show, Don't Tell with Emily R. KingCaitlin, Kristen, Cameron, Dan and special guest author Emily R. King chat about how to show instead of tell. They then critique a submission in which a young lady stows away on a train only to find out it's a circus train, and the circus knife-thrower needs a new assistant.
2017-10-0926 minLit Service1.3 Pacing with #1 NYT Bestseller Aprilynne PikeCaitlin, Kristen, Cameron, Dan and guest author Aprilynne Pike talk about the do's and don'ts of pacing. They then critique a submission about a girl who has a perfect life, but something terrible is about to happen to her.
2017-10-0224 minLit Service1.2 Point of ViewCaitlin, Kristen, Cameron, and Dan discuss different kinds of point of view and how to stick to them. Then they critique a submission about a world where going out in sunlight after you turn sixteen means you get eaten by ghosts.
2017-09-2528 minLit Service1.1 Where to Start Your NovelCaitlin, Kristen, Dan, and Cameron discuss how to decide where to start your novel. Then they critique a first chapter about a monk who discovers she isn't quite what she thought she was.
2017-09-1723 min