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The Taylor Stevens Show

by The Taylor Stevens Show

Information and inspiration on writing, publishing, craft, mindset, productivity and making the most of your writing life with New York Times bestselling author Taylor Stevens and indie author Stephen Campbell. This podcast will help you kick writing in the butt one word at a time.

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Episodes

  1. TSS383: A Show Update (and a Gosling story)

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor and Steve discuss summer plans for the podcast, and Taylor shares a gosling update. You can read the results on the Bookbub site here: https://insights.bookbub.com/state-author-newsletters-data/ If you have questions or...

  2. TSS382: How are authors using email newsletters?

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor and Steve discuss the results of a recent Bookbub survey on author newsletters. You can read the results on the Bookbub site here: https://insights.bookbub.com/state-author-newsletters-data/ If you have questions or...

  3. TSS381: Storytelling Lessons From The Screen

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor shares some recent storytelling observations from the screen that can apply to our writing. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can leave your suggestions as comments…

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  4. TSS380: The Paradox of Predictability

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor responds to a listener’s question on predictability. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can leave your suggestions as comments or find our contact information on the...

  5. TSS379: A Discussion of the International Thriller Writers AI Author Survey

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor and Steve discuss the results of the International Thriller Writers AI Author Survey, published on March 14, 2023. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can leave your...

  6. TSS378: Fully formed characters, the importance of theme, and more

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor responds to several more writing-related questions including the importance of theme, fully formed characters, and avoiding preaching in your writing. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to...

  7. TSS377: An Exploration of Character Expectations

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor shares and responds to material provided by author C.A. Newsome that explores reader expectations of characters. C.A. Newsome is the author of the (currently) seven-book Lia Anderson Dog Park Mysteries. You can check…

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  8. TSS376: Setting Aside Projects, Processing Story Ideas, and More

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor responds to several more writing-related questions. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can leave your suggestions as comments or find our contact information on the...

  9. TSS375: Fan Fiction, Constructive Criticism, and More

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor responds to a variety of writing-related questions. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can leave your suggestions as comments or find our contact information on the...

  10. TSS374: Thoughts on Dialogue

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor shares some thoughts on dialogue that you can apply to your stories. Thanks for joining us again this week, and to John for sharing his knowledge with the Taylor Steven’s Show audience. If you have questions or...

  11. TSS373: More on Book and Series Bibles

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor shares some of the feedback and suggestions we had on book and series bibles. Thanks for joining us again this week, and to John for sharing his knowledge with the Taylor Steven’s Show audience. If you have questions or...

  12. TSS372: AI Voice Technology and a Personal Update from Taylor

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, we have a brief discussion on the advances in AI-generated voice technology that can be used for audiobooks, and Taylor shares some updates on her health journey. Thanks for joining us again this week, and to John for sharing...

  13. TSS371: Getting your entire character onto the page

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor responds to a listener message (thanks, Karl!) and shares her thoughts on the importance of being sure you get your entire character onto the page. Thanks for joining us again this week, and to John for sharing his...

  14. TSS370: Do you keep a series bible?

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor and Steve discuss the idea of a series bible and discuss how Taylor keeps track of series information. Thanks for joining us again this week, and to John for sharing his knowledge with the Taylor Steven’s Show audience....

  15. TSS369: What is Suspense?

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor shares her thoughts on a recent book she read and how the story’s suspense and pacing impacted her reading. During the show, Taylor mentions The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand. Thanks for joining us...

  16. TSS368: Make Your Character Description Count

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor shares her thoughts on some ways the use of character description can add grit to the reading experience. Thanks for joining us again this week, and to John for sharing his knowledge with the Taylor Steven’s Show...

  17. TSS367: Chapters, Scenes, and In-Betweens

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor takes a look at story by looking at the different elements we use to build our stories. During the show, Taylor mentions two books, the first was The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand, and the second…

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  18. TSS366: An update and an example of a writer using ChatGPT

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! Taylor is under the weather this week, but we very briefly discussed what we’d planned to talk about and provide a link to the source material, which is below:...

  19. TSS365: What One Thing Do We Want to Accomplish in 2023?

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor and Steve share their major objectives for 2023. Thanks for joining us again this week, and to John for sharing his knowledge with the Taylor Steven’s Show audience. If you have questions or suggestions for future…

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  20. TSS364: What Should Authors Know About The New Artificial Intelligence Tools?

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor and Steve share their thoughts on the value of the new AI (artificial intelligence) tools that have been released recently, including ChatGPT. You can learn more about ChatGPT here. Thanks for joining us again this…

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  21. TSS363: Taylor Responds to a Listener Question on Omniscient Narrators

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor shares her thoughts on writing using an Omniscient Narrator. Thanks for joining us again this week, and to John for sharing his knowledge with the Taylor Steven’s Show audience. If you have questions or suggestions for...

  22. TSS362: An in-depth discussion of genre with John Truby

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! We’re thrilled to have John Truby join us this week for an in-depth exploration of genre. He’s written a book about the subject, The Anatomy of Genres: How Story Forms Explain the Way the World Works, and he and Taylor dig deep into the subject of…

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  23. TSS361: Storytelling Lessons from the Screen and ….

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, shares some insights she’s had from watching the Pennyworth series on HBO Max AND from watching some friends play a story-rich video game. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You...

  24. TSS360: It’s All About Balance

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor responds to an interesting listener question about the timing for introducing a second primary point of view character. Thanks to J.J. for the thought-provoking question. If you have questions or suggestions for future...

  25. TSS359: Taylor Responds to Listener Feedback

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor responds to listener feedback and to online writing comments that she collects. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can leave your suggestions as comments or find our...

  26. TSS358: Opening Lines and Paragraphs

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor shares her thoughts on the importance of opening lines and paragraphs and provides a few specific examples. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can leave your…

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  27. TSS357: The Importance of Character Agency

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor discusses the importance of character agency and how when your characters don’t exhibit agency, the story disappointments. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can leave...

  28. TSS356: Taylor Talks Writing Process

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor discusses her writing process and how it needed to be tweaked in the writing of a new scene. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can leave your suggestions as comments…

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  29. TSS355: What Can Comedians Teach Novelists about Closing Story Loops?

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor and Steve discuss the opening and closing of story loops, and Taylor uses comedians as an example to explain the process. We also discuss comedian Sheng Wang and his show on Netflix…

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  30. TSS354: Including Current Events in Novels

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor and Steve discuss the negatives and positives of including current events in novels. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can leave your suggestions as comments or find...

  31. TSS353: Write What You Know?

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor shares some thoughts on the oft-told phrase “Write What You Know.” If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can leave your suggestions as comments or find our contact...

  32. TSS352: Take Aways from Bouchercon 2022

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor and Steve discuss Steve’s observations on attending several sessions at Bouchercon 2022. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can leave your suggestions as comments or...

  33. TSS351: Establishing Story Reality

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor and Steve use a discussion of two films to consider the importance of establishing story reality. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can leave your suggestions as...

  34. TSS350: Narration vs Internal Dialogue

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, we discuss the difference between narration and internal dialogue, and then dive into our opinions on the mechanics of inner dialogue. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can...

  35. TSS349: Storytelling Observations from the Screen

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor shares some thoughts on storytelling that she’s had while watching shows and movies. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can leave your suggestions as comments or find...

  36. TSS348: A Primer on Prologues

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor shares some in-depth information on prologues provided by Taylor Steven’s Show “Contributor at Large,” author C.A. Newsome. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can…

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  37. TSS347: How to Find, Fix, and Write Your Way Around Plot Holes (Part 4 of 4)

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor concludes this four-part master class on plot holes and the best ways to overcome them in your storytelling. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can leave your...

  38. TSS346: How to Find, Fix, and Write Your Way Around Plot Holes (Part 3 of 4)

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor expands on last week’s show on plot holes and the best ways to overcome them in your storytelling. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can leave your suggestions as...

  39. TSS345: How to Find, Fix, and Write Your Way Around Plot Holes (Part 2 of 4)

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor continues her thoughts on plot holes and the best ways to overcome them in your storytelling. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can leave your suggestions as comments...

  40. TSS344: How to Find, Fix, and Write Your Way Around Plot Holes (Part 1 of 4)

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor shares some thoughts on plot holes and the best ways to overcome them in your storytelling. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can leave your suggestions as comments…

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  41. TSST02: Taylor and Steve Short Takes Episode Two

    In this short show, Steve asks Taylor how we can enhance the emotional impact in scenes. Please let us know if you like more of these ‘short take’ kinds of shows. The post TSST02: Taylor and Steve Short Takes Episode Two appeared first on The Taylor Stevens Show.

  42. TSS343: Taylor on Storytelling

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor shares some thoughts on how she developed as a storyteller. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can leave your suggestions as comments or find our contact information…

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  43. TSS342: To Vague or Not to Vague

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor shares her thoughts on vagueness in description and highlights what specific types of vagueness to avoid. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can leave your suggestions...

  44. TSS341: Character Description That Goes Above and Beyond

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor shares some thoughts on how something as simple as character description can serve multiple purposes in your story. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can leave your...

  45. TSS340: Mental Movies and Reading Comprehension

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor shares some thoughts on how what readers see in their minds impacts their understanding of what they read. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can leave your…

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  46. TSS339: The Philosophy of Story (Part 2 of 2)

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor continues her thoughts on the philosophy of story and how storytellers become illusionists while writing their stories. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can leave…

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  47. TSS338: The Philosophy of Story (Part 1 of 2)

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor shares thoughts on the philosophy of story and how storytellers become illusionists while writing their stories. If you have questions or suggestions for future shows, we’d love to hear from you. You can leave your...

  48. TSS337: Character Inconsistency

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor uses a character on the show True Blood to launch into a discussion on the danger of character inconsistency. She mentions a worksheet available on Patreon, How to Solve Problem Scenes here....

  49. TSS336: A Short Taylor Tale

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, we step away from storytelling advice to hear Taylor’s tale of dealing with banks in this age of diminishing customer service. We’ll be back with more writing advice in next week’s, post-Memorial Day show. She also mentions a...

  50. TSS335: Linking Ideas and More on Effective Communication

    Thanks so much for joining us again this week! In this week’s episode, Taylor and Steve go deeper into the idea of linking ideas together to strengthen storytelling. She also mentions a Patreon story she wrote, which can be found here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/random-musings-66178012 If you...

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Information and inspiration on writing, publishing, craft, mindset, productivity and making the most of your writing life with New York Times bestselling author Taylor Stevens and indie author Stephen Campbell. This podcast will help you kick writing in the butt one word at a time.

HOSTED BY

The Taylor Stevens Show

CATEGORIES

arts books education

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does The Taylor Stevens Show have?

The Taylor Stevens Show currently has 300 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is The Taylor Stevens Show about?

Information and inspiration on writing, publishing, craft, mindset, productivity and making the most of your writing life with New York Times bestselling author Taylor Stevens and indie author Stephen Campbell. This podcast will help you kick writing in the butt one word at a time.

How often does The Taylor Stevens Show release new episodes?

The Taylor Stevens Show publishes regularly with 300 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.

Where can I listen to The Taylor Stevens Show?

You can listen to The Taylor Stevens Show on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts The Taylor Stevens Show?

The Taylor Stevens Show is created and hosted by The Taylor Stevens Show.
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