All Episodes

Episode 79: Crime Story, Psychological Thriller, and Tone in Sharp Objects

Episode 78: Reader Trust, Show Don't Tell, and Magic Limits in Fourth Wing

Episode 77: Love Triangles, Secondary Characters, and POV in Fourth Wing

Write a Novel with Rachel

Episode 76: Openings, Soft Magic, and Escalating Stakes in Fourth Wing

Come Plot With Coach Dana

Episode 75: Romantasy, Genre Blending, and High Stakes in Fourth Wing

Episode 74: Genre Contracts, Blank Pages, and the Case for Structure

Episode 73: Tropes, Morally Gray Heroes, and Slow Burn in Tempt Me at Twilight

Episode 72: POV, Found Family, and the Morally Gray Hero in Tempt Me at Twilight

Episode 71: External Conflict, Tropes, and Poppy's Choice in Tempt Me at Twilight

Episode 70: Outsiders, Found Family, and Timeless Tropes in Tempt Me at Twilight

Episode 69: Reader Sympathy, Story Promise, and Making Intentional Tradeoffs in Spinning Silver

Episode 68: Three Forms of Magic, Agency Through Love, and Transformation in Spinning Silver

Episode 67: The Deeper Problem: Escalation, Tension Management, and Slow Build Craft in Spinning Silver

Episode 66: Fairy Tale Foundation, Jewish History, and Multi-POV Craft in Spinning Silver

Episode 65: Why Writing a Novel Is Challenging (And What to Do About It)

Episode 64: Book Two Stakes, Series Escalation, and Worldbuilding in Sin & Magic

Episode 63: Characters, Found Family, and Book Two Growth in Sin & Magic

Episode 62: World Expansion, Relational Stakes, and Romance-First Plot in Sin & Magic

Episode 61: Series Structure, Reader Promise, and the 6-Book Slow Burn in Sin & Magic

Episode 60: Realism, Restraint, and Deep Emotional Stakes in Before I Let Go

Episode 59: Ensemble Cast, Character Depth, and Emotional Stakes in Before I Let Go

Episode 58: Healing, Grief, and Second Chances in Before I Let Go

Episode 57: Second-Chance Romance, Deep Character Work, and Realistic Stakes in Before I Let Go

Episode 56: Core Story, Ensemble Cast, and Transformation in Mistborn

Episode 55: Characters, Wounds, and Transformation in Mistborn

Episode 54: What Mistborn Teaches Writers About Structure, Stakes, and Series Power

Episode 53: How to Build an Addictive Trilogy: Plot and Promise in Mistborn

Episode 52: A Year of Story Deep Dive Podcast

Episode 51: A Year of Characters, Chemistry, and Compelling Casts on Story Deep Dive

Episode 50: A Year of Plots, Pacing, and Page-Turners on Story Deep Dive

Episode 49: A Year of Story, Structure, and Shenanigans on Story Deep Dive

Episode 48: Craft, Comps, and Market Clarity with Story Deep Dive

Episode 47: Climax, Craft, and Character Wounds in Twisted Love

Episode 46: Trauma, Chemistry, and Dark Romance Dynamics in Twisted Love

Episode 45: Power, Pain, and Plot Precision in Twisted Love

Episode 44: Tropes, Trauma, and Transformation in Twisted Love

Episode 43: What Writers Can Learn from the Layers of The Woman in the Library

Episode 42: Building Tension Through Character in The Woman in the Library

Episode 41: Crafting a Fair Play Mystery: Plot Lessons from The Woman in the Library

Episode 40: Misdirection, Motives, and Murder Craft in The Woman in the Library

Episode 39: Romantasy Foundations and Series Strategy in Sin and Chocolate

Episode 38: Crafting Alpha Heroes and Fierce Heroines in Sin & Chocolate

Episode 37: Found Families, Hidden Powers, and Worldbuilding in Sin & Chocolate

Episode 36: Magic, Conflict, and Chemistry in Sin & Chocolate

Episode 35: The Struggle Bus Episode: Outlining, Coaching, and Scaling as a Writer

Episode 34: Exploring Dark Romance Light , Morally Gray MMCs & Craft Lessons in Beautifully Cruel

Episode 33: Morally Gray and Made to Love: Character Deep Dive in Beautifully Cruel

Episode 32: The Power of Obsession and a 28-Day Clock in Beautifully Cruel

Episode 31: Dark Romance, Dangerous Men, and Emotional Depth in Beautifully Cruel

Episode 30: Plot, Promise, and Laugh-Out-Loud Stakes in One for the Money

Episode 29: Building a Cast That Lasts – Characters in One for the Money

Episode 28: Plot, Genre Mashups & Cozy Vibes in One for the Money

Episode 27: Blending Crime, Comedy, and Romance in One for the Money

Episode 26: Coffee Chats & Craft Talk: Innovation, Nonfiction, and the Fantasy of Romance

Episode 25: Mystery, Romance, and Suspense in Cold and Deadly

Episode 24: Character Arcs, Emotional Wounds, and Subtle Conflict in Cold and Deadly

Episode 23: Romantic Structure, Pacing, and Slow Burn Execution in Cold and Deadly

Episode 22: Genre Mashups, Reader Promises, and Slow Burn Romance in Cold and Deadly

Episode 21: Love, Legacy, and Liberation: Storytelling Lessons from Indigo

Episode 20: Crafting Memorable Characters with Layers of Love in Indigo

Episode 19: Setting, Stakes, and Slow Burn Romance in Indigo

Episode 18: Tropes, History, and Emotional Stakes in Indigo

Episode 17: Editor’s Take on Pacing, Stakes, and Genre Mastery in The Whistleblower

Episode 16: Unlikable or Unforgettable? Crafting Gil Peck in The Whistleblower

Episode 15: Mastering Crime Story Arcs with The Whistleblower

Episode 14: Secrets, Scandals, and Structure in The Whistleblower

Episode 13: Coffee Chats & Craft Talk: Romance, Crime, and Creative Process

Episode 12: The Art of Dual-Genre Writing in Dead Until Dark

Episode 11: Unraveling Character Dynamics in Dead Until Dark

Episode 10: Love, Death, and Storytelling Secrets from Dead Until Dark

Episode 9: Mystery, Romance, and High Stakes in Dead Until Dark

Episode 8: Structure, Subplots, and Swoon-Worthy Moments in Things We Never Got Over

Episode 7: Grumps, Sunshines, and Found Family in The Things We Never Got Over

Episode 6: Tropes, Tension, and Plot Mastery in The Things We Never Got Over

Episode 5: Writing Romance That Hooks Readers: Lessons from The Things We Never Got Over

Episode 4: Unlocking Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Episode 3: The Character Study of Alex Stern in Ninth House

Episode 2: Unraveling the Plot of Ninth House

Episode 1: Welcome to Story Deep Dive + Exploring Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo