What does a literary agent look for in the sample writing pages of a query? In this special bonus episode, I speak with agent Kathleen Foxx (The Rights Factory) about the 4 criteria she uses to evaluate a submission, her 21-point checklist (which you can get for free), and the importance (or not) of a novel’s opening line. This is an episode you’re going to want to bookmark and share with your writer friends!

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In this bonus episode of Story Nerd, Valerie Francis welcomes Kathleen Fox, an assistant agent with the Rights Factory in Toronto and a talented editor. Kathleen shares her invaluable insights on the traditional publishing process, particularly for first-time authors navigating the query landscape. Discover what agents look for in sample pages, the importance of a compelling opening, and how to make your manuscript stand out. Kathleen emphasizes the significance of voice, tension, and emotional connection in writing, while also shedding light on her personal journey in the industry. This episode is packed with practical advice for writers at all stages of their careers!

Authors often ask us for our advice about publishing models and whether traditional is better, or worse, than indie/self publishing. So this week, we’re bringing you an interview with writer and podcaster, Matty Dalrymple. Matty also happens to be the Campaigns Manager for ALLi (the Alliance of Independent Authors) and she takes us through what she calls the ABCs of the traditional and indie publishing paths. This interview isn’t meant to sway you in one director or another. Rather, we want to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each path, and of course, we want let you know that whichever one you choose, ALLi is an invaluable source of information – much of which is free! – V.

In this special bonus episode, I interview Brian Proctor, a bestselling author in the field of personal development. This might seem like an odd fit for the show until you realize that it’s not our talent or ability that holds us back as writers, it’s our mindset. In this interview we discuss how to conquer procrastination, the truth about manifesting, and the mindset Brian used to become a bestselling author with his very first book. -V.

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This week on Story Nerd, we dive into the transformative power of mindset with bestselling author Brian Proctor. In a captivating conversation, Valerie and Brian explore the parallels between personal development and storytelling, emphasizing the importance of taking consistent action towards our goals. Brian shares his journey of overcoming procrastination and fear, revealing how he became a bestselling author by embracing daily action and a positive mindset. Discover how to set inspiring goals, conquer the terror barrier, and manifest your dreams through focused intention. If you’re a writer struggling with self-doubt or looking to elevate your craft, this episode is packed with practical advice and motivational insights that will ignite your passion for storytelling.

Hey, this is Valerie. I recently had the good fortune to study with Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, Alec Sokolow. (Super cool, right!?) Somehow or other, I got up enough nerve to ask him for an interview and he graciously took 30 minutes out of his day to share with us his pro tips, tricks and advice. Oh, and he lets us in on his secret for writing a dual-protagonist story. Check it out!

The biggest problem facing writers who are trying to understand theory and learn how stories work, is that there is no standard lexicon. This leads to no end of problems…and frankly, arguments. How do we deal with this lack of consensus? Tune in to find out.

We’ve all heard this advice from A-List authors…if we want to be better writers we have to read more. What they don’t tell us is that reading like a writer is an entirely different activity than reading like a reader. In this episode, Melanie explains her approach to reading actively, deeply, widely and consistently.

How are you starting your story, and is your global inciting incident fulfilling its two most important functions? In this episode, Valerie fills you in on the key points you need to know about the Inciting Incident at the global story level and the scene level.

Thanks to you, our fellow story nerds, this little passion project of ours is growing by leaps and bounds. We’re already in 76 countries and are nearing 1,000 downloads per week. And we’re still in our first year! To express our gratitude, we’re introducing new bonus episodes called Story 101. They’ll be your quick reference guide to story theory for those times you need a little refresher. We’ve got your back!