Throwback to when Daniel Kraus came on our show to discuss Whalefall! DANIEL KRAUS is a New York Times bestselling writer of novels, TV, and film. His latest novel, Whalefall, received a front-cover review in the New York Times Book Review, won the Alex Award, was an L.A. Times Book Prize Finalist, and was a Best Book of 2023 from NPR, the New York…

Marie Lu is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Legend trilogy and The Young Elites trilogy (and lots of other fabulous books!). She graduated from the University of Southern California and jumped into the video game industry, working for Disney Interactive Studios as a Flash artist. Now a full-time writer, she spends her spare time rea…

EVA DES LAURIERS joins the Lit Service cast to chat about how she approaches writing characters based on her background in psychology and sociology and how authors can approach writing teen characters with authenticity. Eva is the author of YA Romance, I Wish You Would (Holt, BYR). She’s a diehard romantic who holds both an MSW and BA in psychology…

Caitlin chats with Holly Black about building characters and her newest book The Prisoner's Throne. Holly Black is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of fantasy novels, including the Novels of Elfhame, THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLDTOWN, the Spiderwick Chronicles, and her adult debut, BOOK OF NIGHT. She has been a finalist for an Eisner Award and t…

What 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…

Caitlin, 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 EarthBy Caitlin Sangster, Kristen Evans, Cameron Harris, Aliah Eberting

Martha Wells joins to podcast to chat about how to write characters your readers will love. Martha has been an SF/F writer since her first fantasy novel was published in 1993, and her work includes The Books of the Raksura series, The Death of the Necromancer, the Fall of Ile-Rien trilogy, The Murderbot Diaries series, media tie-in fiction for Star…

Margaret 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 c…

Kristen, Caitlin, and Aliah chat about what goes into the middle of a book.By Caitlin Sangster, Kristen Evans, Cameron Harris, Aliah Eberting

We 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.By Caitlin Sangster, Kristen Evans, Cameron Harris, Aliah Eberting

Aliah, Caitlin, and Kristen discuss how to keep writing when the ideas aren't coming.By Caitlin Sangster, Kristen Evans, Cameron Harris, Aliah Eberting

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!By Caitlin Sangster, Kristen Evans, Cameron Harris, Aliah Eberting

Caitlin, 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!By Caitlin Sangster, Kristen Evans, Cameron Harris, Aliah Eberting

By Caitlin Sangster, Kristen Evans, Cameron Harris, Aliah Eberting

Aliah, 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.…

Marissa Meyer joins Caitlin and Kristen to chat about how she approaches an adaptation, how to choose what to keep, what to get rid of, and where she gets inspiration for the unique new worlds and characters that go into her new story. Her newest book, CURSED, the second in the Gilded Duology came out on November 8th, be sure to check the series ou…

Tamsyn Muir joins Kristen and Caitlin to chat about alternative POV choices, non-consecutive timelines, meme culture, Women Who Suck, and all the other fun things that went into the Locked Tomb series. TAMSYN MUIR is the bestselling author of the Locked Tomb Series. Her fiction has won the Locus and Crawford awards, and been nominated for the Hugo …

Chloe 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, Fou…

Stephanie 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 Balla…

Britney Lewis joins the cast to chat about adding surreal elements to our stories in order to better articulate things that words can't quite describe. Britney is the author of The Undead Truth of Us (which just came out!! Get it here!). She has a B.A. in corporate communications with an emphasis in business and art. She strongly supports We Need D…

Erin 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 (Astron…

Jesse Q. Sutanto joins the crew to chat about writing authentic voices for different age groups. Jesse is the author of Dial A for Aunties, The Obsession, and Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit. She has a master’s degree in creative writing from Oxford University, though she hasn't found a way of saying that without sounding obnoxious. The film rights to …

Lit Service was thrilled to chat with Holly Black about how to build a world, characters, and story in a more concise way. We have signed special editions of her adult debut Book of Night in our store. Holly Black is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over thirty fantasy novels for kids and teens. She has been a finalist for an Eisner Awar…

Caitlin, 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 Ti…

V.E. Schwab joins the podcasters to chat about how to build a character who is instantly sympathetic and fits into your story. A big welcome to Victoria “V.E.” Schwab. Schwab is the #1 NYT, USA, and Indie bestselling author of more than twenty books, including the acclaimed Shades of Magic series, the Villains series, the Cassidy Blake series and t…

Kristen 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. …

Actress extraordinaire Liana Tan joins Caitlin for a special reading Caitlin's middle grade fantasy debut, A Baker's Guide to Robber Pie, which is out now! Liana has been involved in all sorts of fun acting projects and is a radio personality in Idaho. You can find her on instagram and follow her cool lifestyle show here. If you want to see the epi…

Tara Goedjen joins the podcast to chat about the do's and don'ts of mixing genres. She's the author of The Breathless and No Beauties or Monsters which is a mystery/paranormal mash up that will make you not want to stop reading. You can find out more about Tara and her books here. To read the chapter we critiqued with all our notes, go here.…

Join 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/…

Hello out there to all you lovely podcast listeners! Thank you so much for your support and for listening during this exciting year! Hope you have lovely holidays and we'll be back in 2022!By Caitlin Sangster, Kristen Evans, Cameron Harris, Aliah Eberting

Adrienne Tooley joins the Lit Service cast to chat about why magic makes such a great tool for allegory in stories, especially when it comes to mental health. Adrienne Tooley grew up in Southern California, majored in musical theater in Pittsburgh, and now lives in Brooklyn with her wife, six guitars, and a banjo. In addition to writing novels, she…

Morgan Rath, senior publicist at Macmillan Children's publishing, joins Caitlin this week to talk about what a publicist actually does, what authors can expect while working with one, and things authors can do on their own or to help a publicist get the word out about your book. No first chapter critique this week! Let us know on social media or e-…

Aliah, 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.By Caitlin Sangster, Kristen Evans, Cameron Harris, Aliah Eberting

Lyndall Clipstone joins the podcast to chat about what gothic romance is and how to write it. Lyndall writes YA Gothic romance about monsters and the girls who like to kiss them. A former youth librarian, she has a Bachelors in Creative Writing and a Graduate Diploma in Library and Information Management and is the author of Lakesedge. Find out mor…

Margaret Owen joins the Lit Service Crew to chat about character stakes, both personal and existential, and how to build them up so your readers minds explode (but not because there are thousands of planet-killing weapons waiting to declare war.) Margaret is the author The Merciful Crow, The Faithless Hawk, and Little Thieves which just barely came…

Ayana Gray joins the Lit Service Crew to chat about the nuts and bolts of building a scene, ways to ground your reader, how to balance different types of interaction on the page and how to know if your scene is interesting. Ayana is the author of (highly anticipated!) YA fantasy Beasts of Prey, and is a lover of all things monsters, mythos, and #Me…

The Lit Service crew does a full cast reading of a chapter from Caitlin's upcoming book, SHE WHO RIDES THE STORM, out September 21, 2021. If you'd like to get a copy of the book, please consider supporting your local independent bookstores! For a signed copy, you can pre-order from The King's English (before September 19th) Or from Anderson's Books…

Bethany C. Morrow and CB Lee join the cast to talk about how to approach writing historical fiction, problems that crop up when writers don't do proper research for the time period and society they are trying to represent and the peoples and cultures that are often left out of the narrative. Bethany C. Morrow is an Indie Bestselling author who writ…

The Lit Service Crew chats about the role of betrayal between characters and how to accomplish it so your reader is both surprised and betrayed as well. If you'd like to see the video version of the episode (and a few other episodes that we've already recorded that aren't available on the feed yet!) check out our Patreon. There are are extra episod…

Jeff Zentner joins the Lit Service cast to chat about poetry, how it can be used in a novel, and how authors who are interested in learning to write poetry (or more poetic prose!) can get started. Jeff Zentner is the author of New York Times Notable Book The Serpent King, Goodbye Days, Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee, and In the Wild Light which …

John Blackham joins Caitlin in talking about constructed languages authors create for their sci-fi and fantasy worlds. Resources and other tidbits John mentions: Caillou clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiSLxeszVCo&ab_channel=tovaeditshttps://www.cnn.com/2021/07/17/health/sunscreen-recall-cancer-wellness/index.html Instant conlang generator: h…

Erin A. Craig joins the podcasters to chat about horror as a genre and how she approaches writing it. Erin is the New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows and Small Favors which will be out July 27th. For more about Erin and her books, visit her website. The chapter we critiqued with all our notes can be found here. To learn m…

Axie Oh joins the podcast to talk about how to create a shiny (or not so shiny!) near future world. Axie is the author of Rebel Seoul, Rogue Heart, XOXO (releasing July 13th), and The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea (Releasing February 2022). Find out more about Axie and her books here. To read the chapter we critiqued with all our notes, go here. If…

Lori M. Lee joins us to chat about what it's like to work with a smaller publisher (compared with some of her other publishing experiences). What kind of publisher are you interested in working with? Lori is the author of The Gates of Thread and Stone series (Skyscape/Amazon), Forest of Souls and it's sequel Broken Web (Page Street), and Pahua and …

Liselle Sambury joins the Lit Service crew to chat about how to use subplots to flesh out our stories (and where to find them!). Liselle is a Toronto-based Trinidadian Canadian author. Her brand of writing can be described as “messy Black girls in fantasy situations.” She works in social media and spends her free time embroiled in reality tv becaus…

Katherine Cowley joins the Lit Service Crew to chat about why adaptations, both of fairy tales and other stories people love, are so common, and how to approach writing one so it becomes your own story. To learn more about Katherine and her new book The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet, check out her website. The first chapter we critique with all o…

We chatted with Erin Beaty about the closing of Imprint/Macmillan and Simon Pulse and what happens to books that are orphaned because the imprint that acquires your book closed or your editor moves, leaves the business. To find out more about Erin and her books, check out her website. Here's the first chapter we critiqued! To find out how to suppor…

Erin Beaty joins the Lit Service crew to teach them a new word (it's pronounced AnagNORisis, if you were wondering.) which is the moment when a character realizes the truth of the situation they're in or who they are or that another character is not who they thought they were. Erin Beaty is the author of The Traitor's Circle Trilogy (and provides m…

Lisa Maxwell joins the Lit Service cast to talk about injecting your setting with that special something that makes it interactive and immersive, almost like an additional character in the story. Lisa is the NYT bestselling author of The Last Magician, The Devil’s Thief, The Serpent's Curse, and Unhooked. She grew up in Akron, Ohio, and has a PhD i…

Tricia Levenseller joins Caitlin Sangster and Kristen Evans to live critique a few queries. Tricia Levenseller is the author of the Daughter of the Pirate King duology, Warrior of the Wild, The Shadows Between Us, and forthcoming Blade of Secrets. She writes young adult high fantasies with heavy romantic subplots. You can find more about Tricia and…