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© Soman Chainani
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Hosted by worldwide bestselling authors Victoria Aveyard (RED QUEEN series, REALM BREAKER series) & Soman Chainani (THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD & EVIL series), PLOT TWIST takes you behind the scenes of the biggest swings in our careers. Victoria’s TEMPEST, her very first novel for adults, an epic pirate fantasy… and Soman’s YOUNG WORLD, a red-hot young adult political thriller. Each week, we pull back the curtain of our creative process and give you our hot takes on thorny issues in publishing and entertainment, answer your mailbag questions, plus pitch plot twists we want to see in real life. New episodes every Thursday.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
28 Episodes
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Soman and Victoria break down what an editor does — and more importantly, shouldn’t do. Also they commiserate over what to do on days where you don’t feel like writing. Soman wants to gain his weight back, and Victoria wants more time to actually read books.Theme of the Week (07:07)Goals of the Week (14:39)Industry Nonsense (22:15) Reader Mailbag(48:05)Plot Twists in Real Life (53:54)Pup Twist (56:35) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Soman and Victoria forecast the disturbing future of professionally produced content. Also they discuss rewriting first drafts and what really sells books. Victoria is working on her secret project, and Soman wants to repeat his Smackdown Spectacular at every tour stop for YOUNG WORLD. Theme of the Week (06:48)Goals of the Week (14:50)Industry Nonsense (28:05) Reader Mailbag(43:13)Plot Twists in Real Life (52:55)Pup Twist (57:15) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Soman and Victoria debate why women are so much harder on each other in publishing and entertainment. They also break down editing strategies and bemoan overdone character traits in books. Soman wants to launch a matchmaking service and Victoria wants to know the secret to perfect hair.Theme of the Week (04:00)Goals of the Week (09:34)Industry Nonsense (18:56) Reader Mailbag(36:19)Plot Twists in Real Life (46:35)Pup Twist (51:26) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Soman and Victoria discuss the taboo relationship between authors and critics — and cautionary tales where either side crossed the line. They also debate the explosion of special editions and how they determine what project to take on next. Victoria wants to put TEMPEST to sail, and Soman wants Dua Lipa’s back up dancers.Theme of the Week (06:39)Goals of the Week (17:33)Industry Nonsense (25:21) Reader Mailbag(44:55)Plot Twists in Real Life (52:11)Pup Twist (57:51) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Soman and Victoria consider whether authors themselves have become part of the book package in the new content economy. Also they discuss how to find the best agent for your book and if it’s possible to switch genres after having success. Soman wants to go back to the farm, and Victoria is ready for a writers’ retreat.Theme of the Week (05:47)Goals of the Week (10:44)Industry Nonsense (26:55) Reader Mailbag(44:44)Plot Twists in Real Life (53:32)Pup Twist (55:30) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Soman and Victoria debate whether fandom is good for society or the sign of deeper decline. They also reveal what they talk about with readers at the signing table and how to manage multiple character POVs. Victoria’s closet got invaded, and Soman’s AI problems have him wanting to go back to the 90s again.Theme of the Week (06:12)Goals of the Week (12:54)Industry Nonsense (25:16) Reader Mailbag(48:05)Plot Twists in Real Life (56:36)Pup Twist (59:43)SPONSORS Goals of the Week is sponsored by Wordsmith Workshops. This week’s Industry Nonsense is sponsored by First Draft Pro. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Soman and Victoria present their radically different philosophies on book tour — and debate which one is better. Also they answer questions about physical appearance in books and fantasy contraceptives (really). Soman wants to teleport back to 1997, and Victoria wants Americans to get better at striking.Theme of the Week (04:50)Goals of the Week (15:46)Industry Nonsense (28:55) Reader Mailbag(49:21)Plot Twists in Real Life (55:30)Pup Twist (58:11)This week’s Industry nonsense is sponsored by First Draft Pro.First Draft Pro offer! Use code PLOTTWIST20 (Valid until December 31, 2025) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Soman and Victoria tackle one of the most controversial questions looming over every artistic medium. Also they talk about when you should copyright your work and how to find the right freelance editor or consultant. S is finishing a chapter of his new fantasy novel post-YOUNG WORLD, and Victoria wants to go Soman Mode.Show notesTheme of the Week (02:56)Goals of the Week (10:33)Industry Nonsense (24:14) Reader Mailbag(46:00)Plot Twists in Real Life (54:51)Industry Nonsense is sponsored by First Draft Pro.Additional sponsorship by the Starrett System, created by The Ready State. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Soman and Victoria find the thin line between con and artist. Also they debate their favorite couples in literature and how to figure out if a literary agent is credible. Victoria is buckling up for her European tour, and Soman wants to be Nomi from Showgirls. Theme of the Week (02:40)Goals for the Week (15:15)Industry Nonsense (28:28) Reader Mailbag (44:42)Plot Twists in Real Life (52:59)Pup Twist (59:54)Industry Nonsense is sponsored by First Draft Pro.Additional sponsorship by the Starrett System, created by The Ready State. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Soman and Victoria debate the difference between a good idea and a great one that’s worth writing. They also sort through the different kinds of characters and ways to avoid clunky exposition. Soman is getting very wet recreating an iconic Taylor Swift photo, while Victoria wants her payout from the AI companies!Theme of the Week (03:13)Goals for the Week (12:55)Industry Nonsense (24:31) Reader Mailbag(44:43)Plot Twists in Real Life (51:33)Pup Twist (56:51)Goals of the Week is sponsored by Wordsmith Workshops.Industry Nonsense is sponsored by First Draft Pro.Additional sponsorship by The Ready State. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Soman and Victoria debate the line between fandom and parasocial relationships, not just between authors and fans but also between authors. Plus, they try to determine when it’s time to take your artistic career “seriously” and if authors should be thinking about TV and film adaptations while writing. V has thoughts turning fanfic into original novels, and Soman wants to coach a college tennis team.Theme of the Week (02:33)Goals of the Week (13:25)Industry Nonsense (28:36) Reader Mailbag(52:34)Plot Twists in Real Life (56:48)Pup Twist (59:31)Goals of the Week is sponsored by Wordsmith Workshops.Industry Nonsense is sponsored by First Draft Pro.Additional sponsorship by The Ready State. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! Soman’s next book, YOUNG WORLD, is available for preorder with an insanely cool preorder gift. This week, Victoria and Soman discuss how the book became Soman’s mad-quest Noah’s Ark – and what to expect from his neon-color, mixed-media, genre-buster. You can pre-order YOUNG WORLD at: revoltingyouth.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Soman and Victoria wonder whether an artist can overproduce, using TSwift as a case study. Also they break down the art of writing transition scenes and how to decide on what POV to use. Victoria has to clean her office and Soman wants kids to know about life before smart phones.Theme of the Week (03:50)Goals for the Week (12:01)Industry Nonsense (28:34) Reader Mailbag(47:26)Plot Twists in Real Life (52:58)Pup Twist (56:06) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Title: Can You Handle The Truth About Your Work? (Taylor’s Version)Soman and Victoria debate whether we’ve gotten too soft in how we handle feedback, both on and off the page. Also they discuss whether or not an author needs a college degree and if publishers are responsible for policing plagiarism. Soman is about to start the YOUNG WORLD preorder campaign and Victoria wants to make sure you aren’t sharing your location on Instagram.Show notesTheme of the Week (04:17)Goals for the Week (13:06)Industry Nonsense (26:17) Reader Mailbag (47:59)Plot Twists in Real Life (53:48)Pup Twist (57:39) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Soman and Victoria discuss whether good writing is nature or nurture. Also they discuss when is the right time to reach out to agents and how to avoid cliches. Victoria has a lot of errands to run, and Soman wants publishers to bid for writers like AI companies do for researchers.Show notesTheme of the Week (02:45)Goals for the Week (10:28)Industry Nonsense (21:13) Reader Mailbag(41:17)Plot Twists in Real Life (51:31)Pup Twist (53:52) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Soman and Victoria discuss the tricks of staying healthy as a professional artist. Also, they discuss celebrity ghostwriting and how not to fall out of love with your work mid-stream. Soman is launching a new coaching lab for teenagers, and Victoria wants to freeze time.Theme of the Week (03:31)Goals for the Week (12:58)Industry Nonsense (27:21) Reader Mailbag(47:59)Plot Twists in Real Life (53:06) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Soman and Victoria discuss when fan fiction crosses the line into grift. Also they answer questions about whether authors really need to be on social media and whether they like to plot out their stories or improvise as they go. Victoria has a big battle scene to rewrite, and Soman has a brand new addition to his family.Show notesTheme of the Week (04:50)Goals for the Week (13:13)Industry Nonsense (23:52) Reader Mailbag h(45:24)Plot Twists in Real Life (53:16) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week on the podcast Victoria and Soman discuss the tension between the love of making art and the need to make money. Also they discuss questions about using sensitivity readers and whether they read other authors' books while writing. Finally, Soman opens up to Victoria about a plot twist he wished he could have seen coming. (Trigger warning: Pet loss.)Theme Of The Week02:33Goals Of The Week09:07Industry Nonsense15:52Reader Mailbag34:53Plot Twists In Real Life43:15 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Soman and Victoria discuss whether being physically attractive helps an author get ahead. Also they talk about world building in writing and how they react to being recognized in public. Soman is trying to level-up his tennis and Victoria wants a movie about the Blue Angels.Show notesTheme of the Week (01:26)Goals for the Week (11:04)Industry Nonsense (22:02) Reader Mailbag(40:20)Plot Twists in Real Life (45:35) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Soman and Victoria discuss the paradox of loving the book -- and rejecting the author. Also they talk duologies vs. trilogies and the hazards of publishing under your legal name. Victoria is trying to power through her edits, and Soman thinks he should play Evita.Show notesTheme of the Week (02:46)Goals for the Week (12:33)Industry Nonsense (20:06) Reader Mailbag (35:05)Plot Twists in Real Life (43:16) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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