Presenting the Premise
Craft, Marketing, Writing, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea Kristen Overman Craft, Marketing, Writing, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea Kristen Overman

Presenting the Premise

A series of things happening doesn’t make a story. Without a clear premise, readers have no idea what to expect from the story or why they should keep reading. Here's how to establish your premise from the start.

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Writing Quotes To Motivate and Inspire
Writing, Novel Draft, ER/CB Draft, Freelance Draft, Memoir Draft, Nonfiction Draft, Picture Book Draft, Short Story Draft, ER/CB Outline, Freelance Outline, Memoir Outline, Nonfiction Outline, Novel Outline, Picture Book Outline, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea Amy Holland Writing, Novel Draft, ER/CB Draft, Freelance Draft, Memoir Draft, Nonfiction Draft, Picture Book Draft, Short Story Draft, ER/CB Outline, Freelance Outline, Memoir Outline, Nonfiction Outline, Novel Outline, Picture Book Outline, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea Amy Holland

Writing Quotes To Motivate and Inspire

Pithy writing quotes can motivate and inspire with just a few words. We’ve put together some of our favorites to keep you motivated when the going gets tough.

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Writing Under a Pseudonym
Community, Writing, Marketing, Audience, Novel Idea, Freelance Idea, ER/CB Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea, ER/CB Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Novel Publishing, Picture Book Publishing, Short Story Publishing Guest User Community, Writing, Marketing, Audience, Novel Idea, Freelance Idea, ER/CB Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea, ER/CB Publishing, Freelance Publishing, Memoir Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Novel Publishing, Picture Book Publishing, Short Story Publishing Guest User

Writing Under a Pseudonym

Many authors write under a pseudonym, also known as a pen name. If you think writing under an alias is in your future, here are some criteria to help you decide. I’ve also got some tips on how best to come up with one.

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Episode 11: Erin Entrada Kelly, Middle Grade Author
Marketing, Market, Audience, Novel Publishing, Novel Draft, Novel Idea, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Idea, ER/CB Publishing, Nonfiction Draft, Nonfiction Idea, Nonfiction Publishing, Picture Book Idea, Picture Book Draft, Picture Book Publishing Mary Kole Marketing, Market, Audience, Novel Publishing, Novel Draft, Novel Idea, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Idea, ER/CB Publishing, Nonfiction Draft, Nonfiction Idea, Nonfiction Publishing, Picture Book Idea, Picture Book Draft, Picture Book Publishing Mary Kole

Episode 11: Erin Entrada Kelly, Middle Grade Author

An interview with middle grade author and Newbery medalist Erin Entrada Kelly, where we discuss writing outside your lived experience.

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Marketing Your Book With Emily Enger
Marketing, Market, Audience, Novel Publishing, Picture Book Publishing, Memoir Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Freelance Publishing, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea, ER/CB Draft, Freelance Draft, Memoir Draft, Novel Draft, Nonfiction Draft, Short Story Draft, Picture Book Draft Mary Kole Marketing, Market, Audience, Novel Publishing, Picture Book Publishing, Memoir Publishing, ER/CB Publishing, Nonfiction Publishing, Freelance Publishing, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea, ER/CB Draft, Freelance Draft, Memoir Draft, Novel Draft, Nonfiction Draft, Short Story Draft, Picture Book Draft Mary Kole

Marketing Your Book With Emily Enger

Book Marketer and PR Coach Emily Enger joins Mary to talk about some of the aspects of the writing process that might leave a yucky taste in our mouths. Tune in for actionable tips and insights into a publicist and marketer's side of the publishing world.

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Tips for Writing Theme
Craft, Writing, Novel Draft, Novel Idea, Picture Book Draft, Picture Book Idea, Memoir Draft, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Draft, Nonfiction Idea, Freelance Draft, Freelance Idea, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Idea Amy Holland Craft, Writing, Novel Draft, Novel Idea, Picture Book Draft, Picture Book Idea, Memoir Draft, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Draft, Nonfiction Idea, Freelance Draft, Freelance Idea, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Idea Amy Holland

Tips for Writing Theme

The act of writing theme is an important ingredient in storytelling, but it doesn’t have to resound with Meaning-with-a-capital-M. In fact, theme works best when it’s subtle and even open to interpretation. Here are three tips that’ll help you incorporate theme into your story.

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40 GOOD IDEAS FOR BOOKS to Get You Inspired
Writing, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Short Story Idea Rhiannon Richardson Writing, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Short Story Idea Rhiannon Richardson

40 GOOD IDEAS FOR BOOKS to Get You Inspired

Uncap those pens, pop open those PCs, and crack your knuckles. It’s time to dive into good ideas for books, and how to brainstorm. Good Story Company is here to help you stay inspired with our quirky list of good ideas for books.

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Moralizing in Books
Craft, Writing, Novel Draft, Picture Book Draft, ER/CB Draft, Nonfiction Draft, Memoir Draft, Freelance Draft, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Novel Idea, Short Story Idea, Picture Book Idea Mary Kole Craft, Writing, Novel Draft, Picture Book Draft, ER/CB Draft, Nonfiction Draft, Memoir Draft, Freelance Draft, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Novel Idea, Short Story Idea, Picture Book Idea Mary Kole

Moralizing in Books

Think twice before you moralize in your book. Ditch "sharing is caring!" and go for a more nuanced message. Here's how.

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Who Is My Target Audience?
Audience, Market, Writing, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Memoir Idea, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Short Story Idea Amy Wilson Audience, Market, Writing, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Memoir Idea, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Short Story Idea Amy Wilson

Who Is My Target Audience?

Thinking about a “target audience” can sound cold and impersonal, especially for writers who are pouring their hearts into a manuscript. After all, it’s not like we’re lining readers up, eyeing the red circles painted on their torsos, and lobbing our books at them. Or are we?

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Episode 27: Roz Morris, Ghostwriter and Writing Coach
Marketing, Market, Audience, Memoir Draft, Memoir Editing, Memoir Idea, Memoir Outline, Memoir Publishing, Memoir Submission, Nonfiction Draft, Nonfiction Editing, Nonfiction Idea, Nonfiction Outline, Nonfiction Publishing, Nonfiction Submission Mary Kole Marketing, Market, Audience, Memoir Draft, Memoir Editing, Memoir Idea, Memoir Outline, Memoir Publishing, Memoir Submission, Nonfiction Draft, Nonfiction Editing, Nonfiction Idea, Nonfiction Outline, Nonfiction Publishing, Nonfiction Submission Mary Kole

Episode 27: Roz Morris, Ghostwriter and Writing Coach

Roz Morris and Mary dive into the mechanics of storytelling and discuss how to connect with your audience—whether you're writing someone else's story or you're telling your own.

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Episode 22: Kelly Madrone, Award-Winning Writer and Ghostwriter
Marketing, Market, Audience, Memoir Draft, Memoir Editing, Memoir Idea, Memoir Outline, Memoir Publishing, Memoir Revision, Memoir Submission, Nonfiction Draft, Nonfiction Editing, Nonfiction Idea, Nonfiction Outline, Nonfiction Publishing, Nonfiction Submission Mary Kole Marketing, Market, Audience, Memoir Draft, Memoir Editing, Memoir Idea, Memoir Outline, Memoir Publishing, Memoir Revision, Memoir Submission, Nonfiction Draft, Nonfiction Editing, Nonfiction Idea, Nonfiction Outline, Nonfiction Publishing, Nonfiction Submission Mary Kole

Episode 22: Kelly Madrone, Award-Winning Writer and Ghostwriter

Ghostwriter Kelly Madrone joins us to talk about writing as someone else, modulating a professional potty mouth, and creating a story arc in memoir.

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Episode 32: J.C. Geiger, YA Author & Mixtape Creator
Marketing, Craft, Writing, Character, Novel Draft, Novel Editing, Novel Idea, Novel Outline, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Editing, ER/CB Outline, ER/CB Idea, ER/CB Submission, ER/CB Publishing, Nonfiction Draft, Nonfiction Editing, Nonfiction Idea, Nonfiction Outline, Nonfiction Publishing, Nonfiction Submission Mary Kole Marketing, Craft, Writing, Character, Novel Draft, Novel Editing, Novel Idea, Novel Outline, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Editing, ER/CB Outline, ER/CB Idea, ER/CB Submission, ER/CB Publishing, Nonfiction Draft, Nonfiction Editing, Nonfiction Idea, Nonfiction Outline, Nonfiction Publishing, Nonfiction Submission Mary Kole

Episode 32: J.C. Geiger, YA Author & Mixtape Creator

Tune in for a chat with Mary Kole's long-time friend in the children's publishing space, YA Author J.C. Geiger. He tells all about how he made an epic mixtape with music no one's heard before (and met his heroes in the process), and talks about writing young adult characters, the future of post-pandemic fiction, and—of course—the power of music.

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How to Write Diverse Characters (And, Also, Are You Qualified?)
Craft, Nonfiction Draft, ER/CB Draft, Freelance Draft, Novel Draft, Picture Book Draft, Short Story Draft, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Nonfiction Idea, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea Joiya Morrison-Efemini Craft, Nonfiction Draft, ER/CB Draft, Freelance Draft, Novel Draft, Picture Book Draft, Short Story Draft, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Nonfiction Idea, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea Joiya Morrison-Efemini

How to Write Diverse Characters (And, Also, Are You Qualified?)

Wondering how to write diverse characters? Many writers aspire to create worlds that look like a true fusion of personalities and cultures, religious beliefs, and ethnicities. How do we create art that imitates the life we are striving for?

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The Core of a Story with Roz Morris
Writing, Character, Audience, Craft, Novel Idea, Novel Draft, Novel Publishing, Novel Outline, Novel Editing, Memoir Draft, Memoir Editing, Memoir Publishing, Memoir Idea, Freelance Draft, Freelance Idea, Freelance Publishing, Nonfiction Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea, Memoir Outline Mary Kole Writing, Character, Audience, Craft, Novel Idea, Novel Draft, Novel Publishing, Novel Outline, Novel Editing, Memoir Draft, Memoir Editing, Memoir Publishing, Memoir Idea, Freelance Draft, Freelance Idea, Freelance Publishing, Nonfiction Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea, Memoir Outline Mary Kole

The Core of a Story with Roz Morris

Writer, writing teacher, ghost writer, and general literary icon Roz Morris joins Mary Kole for an interview on the Good Story Speaker Series. They dive into the mechanics of storytelling and discuss how to connect with your audience—whether you're writing someone else's story or your telling your own.

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Writing An Authentic Memoir with Kelly Madrone
Memoir Draft, Memoir Editing, Memoir Idea, Memoir Publishing, Memoir Revision, Memoir Submission, Memoir Outline, Nonfiction Draft, Nonfiction Editing, Nonfiction Idea, Nonfiction Outline, Nonfiction Publishing, Nonfiction Submission Mary Kole Memoir Draft, Memoir Editing, Memoir Idea, Memoir Publishing, Memoir Revision, Memoir Submission, Memoir Outline, Nonfiction Draft, Nonfiction Editing, Nonfiction Idea, Nonfiction Outline, Nonfiction Publishing, Nonfiction Submission Mary Kole

Writing An Authentic Memoir with Kelly Madrone

Award-winning writer and ghostwriter Kelly Madrone joins us to talk about writing as someone else, modulating a professional potty mouth, and how to create a nuanced story arc in memoir.

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Books That Teach Life Lessons
Writing, Craft, Audience, Picture Book Idea, Picture Book Draft, ER/CB Idea, ER/CB Draft, Novel Idea, Novel Draft, Nonfiction Draft, Nonfiction Idea Mary Kole Writing, Craft, Audience, Picture Book Idea, Picture Book Draft, ER/CB Idea, ER/CB Draft, Novel Idea, Novel Draft, Nonfiction Draft, Nonfiction Idea Mary Kole

Books That Teach Life Lessons

Books that teach life lessons are fine...as long as you don't clobber readers over the head with your theme. So how do you weave a message into your story without being too obvious?

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Brighten Even The Foggiest Story Idea
Craft, Critique, Market, Writing, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea, ER/CB Outline, Freelance Outline, Memoir Outline, Nonfiction Outline, Novel Outline, Picture Book Outline Joiya Morrison-Efemini Craft, Critique, Market, Writing, ER/CB Idea, Freelance Idea, Memoir Idea, Nonfiction Idea, Novel Idea, Picture Book Idea, Short Story Idea, ER/CB Outline, Freelance Outline, Memoir Outline, Nonfiction Outline, Novel Outline, Picture Book Outline Joiya Morrison-Efemini

Brighten Even The Foggiest Story Idea

Story ideas don’t always come easily, but sometimes we get glimmers that turn into a list of foggy ideas. How do we decide which new idea to run with? And how do we take steps to make it shine?

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Episode 6: Gail Carson Levine, Historical and Fantasy Author
Craft, Novel Draft, Novel Idea, Novel Editing, Novel Outline, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Editing, ER/CB Idea, ER/CB Outline, ER/CB Publishing, ER/CB Submission, Nonfiction Draft, Nonfiction Editing, Nonfiction Outline, Nonfiction Publishing, Nonfiction Submission, Nonfiction Idea, Memoir Draft, Memoir Idea, Memoir Editing, Memoir Outline, Memoir Publishing, Memoir Submission Mary Kole Craft, Novel Draft, Novel Idea, Novel Editing, Novel Outline, Novel Publishing, ER/CB Draft, ER/CB Editing, ER/CB Idea, ER/CB Outline, ER/CB Publishing, ER/CB Submission, Nonfiction Draft, Nonfiction Editing, Nonfiction Outline, Nonfiction Publishing, Nonfiction Submission, Nonfiction Idea, Memoir Draft, Memoir Idea, Memoir Editing, Memoir Outline, Memoir Publishing, Memoir Submission Mary Kole

Episode 6: Gail Carson Levine, Historical and Fantasy Author

Historical and fantasy author Gail Carson Levine interviews with Mary Kole. She shares thoughts on the writing process, world-building, and her latest book, A Ceiling Made of Eggshells.

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