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Transcript: In the age of “it’s not that deep” and anti-intellectualism running rampant on social media, let’s talk about theme in storytelling. And we don’t have to get super philosophical or nitpicky about details to do that. I know, I know—when you hear “theme,” you might flash back to high school English class, where it
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Transcript: Pop quiz! What is the most important thing a story needs? It’s not strong characters, intriguing settings, or a fantastical concept. It’s conflict, the drama, the stakes, the throwdowns, the heartbreaks. We need to make our characters struggle, even suffer, and we do that through conflict. Here’s the deal: that really cool character you
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Transcript: Whenever I ask my students what plot is, almost every time, they tell me: “The plot is the story.” Of course, I don’t say that to them, but it does go through my head every time. For many writers, the difference between story and plot might seem obvious. But for people new to the
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A few weeks ago, I was talking with a group of writers mixed with people who wanted to write. The people who wanted to write were amazed that the writers had managed to take the leap and put pen to paper, and even more so for some of us to have finished an entire manuscript.
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A couple of weeks ago, I randomly had the idea to start a memoir, which would be crafted through a series of essays. At first, I didn’t know what I wanted it to be about, just that I wanted to write one. But as I started narrowing down my ideas and writing out some scenes
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Transcript: Over the past couple of years, it has become unmistakably clear to me that there are too many writers out there writing for the main, and perhaps only, goal of getting published. Listen, it’s great if getting published is ONE of your writing goals, but for it to be your only goal? That’s why
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Transcript: Ah, the query trenches, the deepest darkest pit of despair that a writer will ever face. A time of mental anguish with no foreseeable end, and when that long-awaited end does come, will it change your life and writing career for the better or crush your soul into a fine pile of dust? The
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Transcript: Now, here me out, what if I told you that resting is part of the writing process? That pausing your novel, your blog, your poetry… doesn’t mean you’re failing as a writer. It means you’re human. Hi, I’m C. Sloan Lewis, your virtual writing coach, and in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, I
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Transcript: Has anyone else noticed how most writing advice is geared toward the negative? Posts and videos like “Fix Bad Writing” and “Why Your Characters SUCK” (the word suck almost always in all caps for some reason…). They paint this picture that if you aren’t writing in the exact way the writing advice suggests, then
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Transcript: Let’s be real. Some days it feels like the world is unraveling. The news is heavy, the future uncertain, and that little voice in your head says: Why am I even writing right now? Who cares about stories when everything else feels like it’s falling apart? If you’ve felt that—pause. Take a breath. You’re
C. Sloan Lewis | Your Virtual Writing Coach 