Amie Kaufman On Writing

We'll be back in a couple of months with the second half of Season 4, and in the meantime, I have a couple of fantastic bonus episodes for you. When I got a question about how to turn a character idea into a story idea, I knew Lili was the person to answer it. Listeners, you can find Lili on Instagram at @liliwilkinson, or online at her website, where you can learn more about her new book, A Hunger of Thorns - a sapphic, witchy, botanical book about lost girls, and an adventure into an abandoned power plant that's built on the remains of a magical forest - and her many other works. Don't forget that my newest book, The Isles of the Gods, is out now! I hope you love it. You can find a transcript of this episode on my website. You can also sign up for my newsletter there, which is full of information about upcoming releases and events, and my other podcast, Pub Dates, which will take you behind the scenes on The Isles of the Gods.

Creating a magic system that really works takes effort. Every time you think you've got it working, someone points out some what-if hypothetical, and you're back to the drawing board, trying to plug more leaks in your logic bucket. When it does work, though – well, all of us have been swept away at one point or another by the feeling we're truly in another world, and a story full of magic you can believe in is really special. I'm going to give you three questions I ask myself when I'm creating a magic system, using one of my own as a case study. My new book, The Isles of the Gods, is officially out! The Isles of the Gods is a fantasy novel set on the high seas, full of magic, romance, slumbering gods, gangsters' dens and forgotten temples. It's about a sailor girl who ends up saddled with an annoyingly handsome prince, who has to save him, if she wants to save the world. I think you're going to love it. You can find a transcript of this episode on my website. You can also sign up for my newsletter there, which is full of information about upcoming releases and events, and my other podcast, Pub Dates, which will take you behind the scenes on The Isles of the Gods.

The way a character narrating a book—or even just a character whose point of view we share—is going to describe someone they see every day is going to be really different to the way they describe a newcomer. Let's break down some of techniques you can use to describe a familiar character in a way that serves the story and feel true to the person describing them. If you're listening to this in real time, then tomorrow my new book, The Isles of the Gods, will be out. The Isles of the Gods is a fantasy novel set on the high seas, full of magic, romance, slumbering gods, gangsters' dens and forgotten temples. It's about a sailor girl who ends up saddled with an annoyingly handsome prince, who has to save him, if she wants to save the world. If you're listening on release (May 2, 2023), you have a couple of days left to claim the many preorder goodies on offer. If you're going to read it, then make sure you lodge your receipt and get the goods as well. You can find a transcript of this episode on my website. You can also sign up for my newsletter there, which is full of information about upcoming releases and events, and my other podcast, Pub Dates, which will take you behind the scenes on The Isles of the Gods.

All my books are romances. I love them: the yearning, the will-they-won't-they, and sometimes just the how-on-earth-can-they of it. Whether it's a tortured, star-crossed love affair or a cosy romance set somewhere sweet, I'm here for it. Today I'm going to give you three tips I keep in mind when writing my own romances. I have a new book out in just a couple of weeks! The Isles of the Gods is a fantasy novel set on the high seas, full of magic, romance, slumbering gods, gangsters' dens and forgotten temples. It's about a sailor girl who ends up saddled with an annoyingly handsome prince, and has to save him if she wants to save the world. It's my favourite thing I've ever written, and I'm beyond excited that it's finally going to be out in the world—I first started work on this one ten years ago! I particularly want you to know it's coming because if you preorder it, you can head to amiekaufman.com/preorder and claim a variety of thank you gifts that range from character art to signed bookplates to invitations to a virtual Q&A. There's also an annotated first chapter, which will be of particular interest to the writers among you. If you're going to read it, then make sure you lodge your receipt and get the goods as well. You can find a transcript of this episode on my website. You can also sign up for my newsletter there, which is full of information about upcoming releases and events, and my other podcast, Pub Dates, which will take you behind the scenes on The Isles of the Gods.

When I recieved a question on how to create a compelling cast of characters, I knew M.K. England was the person to answer it. M.K. is a pro at building a dynamic ensemble cast, and this episode is jam-packed with their practical advice on how to make sure your cast of characters are all distinct, unique, and play well off each other. Find out more about M.K. at their website. You will find a transcript of this episode on my website , which is also where you can sign up for my new newsletter and find out about my other podcast, Pub Dates, which is taking you behind the scenes on my upcoming novel The Isles of the Gods (you can pre-order it right now).

I get a lot of questions about co-authoring, and so I'm dedicating the last three episodes of the season to answering them. If you missed last week's episode, it was about the practicalities of preparing to co-author a book. This week, I'm talking about the writing itself. A transcript of this episode is available on my website. You can sign up for my newsletter there, which is full of information about upcoming releases and events, and my other podcast, Pub Dates, which will take you behind the scenes on my upcoming novel The Isles of the Gods.

My books are famously huge, so I am very intimate with this issue! A long word count isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if it feels like your book is long because the story has gotten away from you, I offer four tips for what you can do about it. A transcript of this episode is available on my website. You can sign up for my newsletter there, which is full of information about upcoming releases and events, and my new podcast, Pub Dates, which will take you behind the scenes on my upcoming novel The Isles of the Gods.

Let's talk about point of view. What's the difference between first and third person, and how does a novel change depending on which you choose? A transcript of this episode is available on my website, as well as info about my books and how to sign up for my newsletter. That's also where you can find out more about my new podcast, Pub Dates, which will take you behind the scenes on my upcoming novel The Isles of the Gods.

If you want, or even need, to write, but you're having trouble finding the time, this one's for you. This is a guide for busy people that I hope will help you carve out that time while encouraging you to rest when you need it. You will find the transcript for this episode on my website, as well as info about my books and a place to sign up for my newsletter. That's also where you can find out about my new podcast, Pub Dates, which will take you behind the scenes on my upcoming novel The Isles of the Gods.

Welcome to Season 3! To kick us off we have a question about plotters and pantsers. We often say that writers fall on a continuum from plotter at one end, all the way to pantser at the other. What do these terms actually mean and which approach works best? You can find a transcript of this episode at my website, where you can also subscribe to my newsletter, get behind-the-scenes peeks at how I write, and any other news about new books, events or the podcast. You can also submit a question for the podcast on my website. You can find me on Twitter or Instagram. And you can find my new podcast, Pub Dates, wherever you listen to your favourite shows.

Abby Ranger is a brilliant editor. Over the years, she's worked at HarperCollins, Disney-Hyperion, and Scholastic, with a who's who of authors. In fact, she was my editor on my first book, These Broken Stars. She's smart, insightful, and she doesn't just make your current book better - she teaches you to make all of your future books better too. In this episode, she's going to share tips for setting yourself up for success in editing your novel. You can find out more about Abby at her website. I'm thrilled to introduce my new podcast, Pub Dates, a collaboration with my friend (and this show's producer) Kate Armstrong. To hear an introduction to the show, simply search for Pub Dates wherever you listen to podcasts. Make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss episodes when they start dropping in 2022. You can find me at my website – you can subscribe to my newsletter there, for behind-the-scenes peeks at how I write, and any other news about new books, events or the podcast. You can also submit a question for the podcast there. You can find me on Instagram at @AmieKaufmanAuthor or on Twitter at @AmieKaufman.

You can find a transcript of this episode at my website, where you can also subscribe to my newsletter, get behind-the-scenes peeks at how I write, and any other news about new books, events or the podcast. You can also submit a question for the podcast on my website. You can find me on Twitter or Instagram.