
381. How High Stakes Settings Can Create High Stakes Situations, with Emily Listfield
From Writing and Editing by Jennia D'Lima
April 30, 2026 · 30 min · Episode 381
About this episode
Emily Listfield discusses the cultural obsession with elite private schools and how they can create high stakes situations in storytelling.
Send us Fan Mail Author and editor Emily Listfield discusses the cultural obsession with elite private schools, why this is the perfect setting to build tension or expose secrets, and what can set your characters apart from the traditional private school archetypes. ▬ Swing by Emily's website and get your hands on a copy of Reasons to Lie: https://www.emilylistfield.com/ Learn more about Emily on her socials: https://www.instagram.com/emilylistfield/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-listfi...
People in this episode
Host: Jennia D'Lima
Guest: Emily Listfield
Topics covered
- high stakes settings
- elite private schools
- tension building
- character development
- cultural obsession
Keywords
- high stakes
- private schools
- tension
- secrets
- character archetypes
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Reasons to Lie, Instagram, LinkedIn
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