STORYBEAST

Welcome to another LEGENDARY episode! Our Legendaries are special guests who are an expert within their area of storytelling. In this episode, Ghabiba Weston and Nadine Flint have the pleasure of interviewing legendary Nadia Saward. Nadia Saward is a Commissioning Editor at Orbit Books and a writer of Fantasy Romance. She has an MA in Creative Writing and lives in London with her husband and perfectly round cat. Their debut novel BEST HEX EVER is slated for release in October 2024. In this episode, you'll hear about: tea, snacks, and smut what makes a good horror the role of streaming services in making horror feel more accessible marketing from an editor perspective unveiling the submission process tips for agents when corresponding with editors pitching considerations and story angles the ins and outs of auctions and pre-empts how to access sales data for comps the value in tropes and content warnings Nadia's advice on pitching with tropes For more storytelling content to your inbox, subscribe ⁠to our newsletter.  Feel free to reach out if you want to talk story or snacks!  A warm thank you to @deore.music for our musical number. You can find more of her creative work on Spotify.  As ever, thank you for listening, Beasties! Please consider leaving a review to support this podcast.  Be brave, stay beastly!

Welcome back to another episode of Storybeast, where Courtney Shack and Ghabiba Weston discuss the transformative power of story. In this episode, you'll hear about: Courtney's emotional landscape of publishing a book Practical and heart-centered self publishing tips Applications Courtney has used to publish LADY OF ROSES AND RUIN Find us on our ⁠website ⁠and on ⁠Instagram ⁠(@storybeastpodcast).  For more storytelling content to your inbox, subscribe ⁠here⁠.   Feel free to reach out if you want to talk story or snacks!   A warm thank you to Deore for our musical number. You can find more of her creative work on Spotify.    As ever, thank you for listening, Beasties! Please consider leaving a review to support this podcast. Be brave, stay beastly!

Welcome back to another episode of Storybeast, where Courtney Shack and Ghabiba Weston discuss the transformative power of story. In this episode, you'll hear about: How Courtney's debut, LADY OF ROSES AND RUIN, got pirated Find Jessica Taylor's blog post on piracy here How Courtney looked into muso and pirate.io to assist with taking down the pirated material Gabi's plan to take the pirates to task A Call To Action: Cursing the Pirates (DM us, we want to see your curses) Find us on our ⁠website ⁠and on ⁠Instagram ⁠(@storybeastpodcast).  For more storytelling content to your inbox, subscribe ⁠here⁠.   Feel free to reach out if you want to talk story or snacks!   A warm thank you to Deore for our musical number. You can find more of her creative work on Spotify.    As ever, thank you for listening, Beasties! Please consider leaving a review to support this podcast. Be brave, stay beastly!

Welcome back to another episode of Storybeast, where Courtney Shack and Ghabiba Weston discuss the transformative power of story. In this episode, you'll hear about: Gabi's definition of "snack characters" A brief-ish digression into venus fly traps--flowers or just fiends? Gabi calls Courtney a snack Gabi talks about how first lines can be used to introduced character and mentions Six of Crows...again. Reader magnets--what they are, how to distribute them, and ideas for your newsletter Our favorite side/snack characters and why we like them Of course, snacks that include pumpkin cookies and a warm brussel sprout salad. Courtney learns something new about Gabi that she should have already known. Find us on our ⁠website ⁠and on ⁠Instagram ⁠(@storybeastpodcast).   For more storytelling content to your inbox, subscribe ⁠here⁠.   Feel free to reach out if you want to talk story or snacks!   A warm thank you to Deore for our musical number. You can find more of her creative work on Spotify.   As ever, thank you for listening, Beasties! Please consider leaving a review to support this podcast.   Be brave, stay beastly!

Welcome back to another episode of Storybeast, where Courtney Shack and Ghabiba Weston discuss the transformative power of story. In this episode, you'll hear: Beastly updates An overview of Season 3 legendaries Gabi bringing back the spicy hope about Courtney's agent and her book release "Getting writing time back" The beginnings of an endless conversation on "butter" from Seven Figure Fiction Courtney's chili recipe from her wedding About friendship (obviously) Find us on our ⁠website ⁠and on ⁠Instagram ⁠(@storybeastpodcast).   For more storytelling content to your inbox, subscribe ⁠here⁠.   Feel free to reach out if you want to talk story or snacks!   A warm thank you to Deore for our musical number. You can find more of her creative work on Spotify.   As ever, thank you for listening, Beasties! Please consider leaving a review to support this podcast.   Be brave, stay beastly!

Welcome to another LEGENDARY episode! Our Legendaries are special guests who are an expert within their area of storytelling. In this episode, Courtney Shack, Ghabiba Weston, and Nadine Flint have the pleasure of interviewing H.M. Long. H. M. Long is a Canadian fantasy writer, author of the HALL OF SMOKE series and THE WINTER SEA series who loves history, hiking, and exploring the world. She lives in Ontario, but can often be spotted snooping about European museums or wandering the Alps. In this episode you'll hear about: The evolution of Hannah's writing career. A loose definition of flintlock fantasy and how Hannah's new book, DARK WATER DAUGHTER, fits into that category. Hannah's discovery writing process, as well as her discovery worldbuilding process. Which of Hannah's characters she would let petsit her beloved dog, Wolfgang. **DARK WATER DAUGHTER debuts July 11th, 2023. If you love flintlock fantasy, weather witches, and Pirates of the Caribbean, this is for you!** You can find us on our website and on Instagram at @storybeastpodcast.  For more storytelling content to your inbox, subscribe here.  Feel free to reach out if you want to talk story or snacks!  A warm thank you to Deore for our musical number. You can find more of her creative work on Spotify.  As ever, thank you for listening, Beasties! Please consider leaving a review to support this podcast.  Be brave, stay beastly!

Welcome to another LEGENDARY episode! Our Legendaries are special guests who are an expert within their area of storytelling. Bianca Marais is the author of three novels, the latest being the bestselling THE WITCHES OF MOONSHYNE MANOR. She's a cohost on the popular podcast, The Shit No One Tells You About Writing, and has won an Excellence in Teaching Award for teaching creative writing through U of T's SCS. In this episode you'll hear about: Bianca's perspective on writing with rage in the face of injustice The concept of "windows and mirrors" when it comes to representation How Bianca has seen herself change over time Bianca's writing process with her agent, Cece Lyra Bianca's take on the writer's arc How "biltong" is not a "bull's tongue." You can find us on our website and on Instagram at @storybeastpodcast.  For more storytelling content to your inbox, subscribe here.  Feel free to reach out if you want to talk story or snacks!  A warm thank you to Deore for our musical number. You can find more of her creative work on Spotify.  As ever, thank you for listening, Beasties! Please consider leaving a review to support this podcast.  Be brave, stay beastly!

Welcome to another LEGENDARY episode! Our Legendaries are special guests who are an expert within their area of storytelling. Today, we are joined by literary agent Suzie Townsend. Prior to joining New Leaf, Suzie graduated film school, earned her Masters of Education, taught high school English, and coached a swim team. In her spare time, she read everything she could, which prompted her move to publishing. She got her start as an intern at FinePrint Literary Management where she was hired as an assistant before making the move to literary agent. She’s been part of the team at New Leaf Literary & Media since its inception in 2012. Suzie represents all brands of children’s and adult fiction. She loves women’s fiction, narrative non-fiction, memoir, and debut fiction. On the children’s side, she is interested in select YA and MG. Suzie loves strong characters and voice-driven stories that break out of the typical tropes of their genres, and she’s always looking for unique new voices in stories. In this episode, you'll hear: about the books that led Suzie to fantasy, including Tolkien and Game of Thrones We learn about Suzie's love of animals and her pets Elements of story that are compelling to Suzie, including her favorite tropes The romantasy wave Sharon Shinn (WARNING: MAJOR FANGIRLING) The #1 thing on Suzie's agent list for anyone querying Compliments to all of Suzie's authors, including Zoraida Cordova and Rebecca Ross The STORYBEAST question for our listeners to think of for themselves (and Suzie's lovely answer to it) You can find us on our website and Instagram at @storybeastpodcast. For more storytelling content to your inbox, subscribe here. Feel free to reach out if you want to talk story or snacks!Special thanks to Deore for our musical number. You can find her on Instagram @deore.music, or more of her creative work on Spotify.As ever, thank you dear listeners. Please consider leaving a review to support this podcast.Be brave, stay beastly.

Welcome back to another episode of Storybeast, where Courtney Shack and Ghabiba Weston discuss the transformative power of story with Summer Beast, Nadine Flint. This episode is all about character POV's and narrative voice.   In this episode:  Courtney brings a dagger There may or may not be a discussion about alpha monkeys We dive into the factors that influence character POV choice and the value of voice We discuss story mediums, publishing categories, and the wisdom of children Nadine gives a teacher's insight into the merits of listening to audio books We discuss micro tension, pacing, and surprise as demonstrated in the TV-show Beef. Ghabiba talks accents, pronunciation, and inclusivity Inedible burritos are given some love You can find us on our website and on Instagram at @storybeastpodcast.  For more storytelling content to your inbox, subscribe here.  Feel free to reach out if you want to talk story or snacks!  A warm thank you to Deore for our musical number. You can find her more of her creative work on Spotify.  As ever, thank you, dear listeners. Please consider leaving a review to support this podcast.  Be brave, stay beastly!

The Beasts are BACK. Welcome to season 2 of Storybeast, where Courtney Shack and Ghabiba Weston discuss the transformative power of story. For the next several months, the co-hosts will be joined by the incredible Nadine Flint as the trio dives into the magic of narrative. You'll hear about:  Who Nadine Flint is The meet-cute for the three friends Scientist Gabi makes it all make sense What it means to "vote for yourself" And some hints about what is to come this season. You can find us on our website and on Instagram at @storybeastpodcast.  For more storytelling content to your inbox, subscribe here.  Feel free to reach out if you want to talk story or snacks!  A warm thank you to Deore for our musical number. You can find her more of her creative work on Spotify.  As ever, thank you, dear listeners. Please consider leaving a review to support this podcast.  Be brave, stay beastly!

Welcome back to another episode of Storybeast, where Courtney Shack and Ghabiba Weston discuss the transformative power of story. This episode is all about uplifting each other when we need the boost and personal tools to keep going. WARNING: episode contains HIGH BANTER.   You'll hear about:  Types of list-making as a means to keep going when in the face of doubt  Empathy and why it matters in story and in life  Abbie Emmons' outlining method and conversation around beacons,  Save the Cat, and strategies for Act 2  Complaints about being a mere mortal  Hints about Season 2  A snack-off that spins into a discussion about what bravery actually means  You can find us on our website and on Instagram at @storybeastpodcast.  For more storytelling content to your inbox, subscribe here.  Feel free to reach out if you want to talk story or snacks!  A warm thank you to Deore for our musical number. You can find her more of her creative work on Spotify.  As ever, thank you dear listeners. Please consider leaving a review to support this podcast.  Be brave, stay beastly.

Welcome back to another episode of Storybeast, where Courtney Shack and Ghabiba Weston discuss the transformative power of story. This episode is all about what makes a "satisfying ending" and what we really mean by that. You'll hear about: An honest discussion between the duo about the difficulties of balancing their lives, storytelling, and friendship with such a time difference.  John Truby's the Anatomy of Genres A discussion on the art of the plot twist Creating excruciating tension by writing your character into a corner and Neil Gaiman's Masterclass on how to write them (and yourself) back out The win-loss balance for your character (and your readers); also, here the roads meet--the intersection of internal character arc and plot How Ghabiba still has feelings about the Vegetarian A hint about a season 2 Legendary (if you listen, it is the person that speaks about writing with rage) Expectations for when this season will end and when the next will begin. The pair also discuss their newsletter goodies--including giveaways, special snacks, and other opportunities for subscribers. Get it here. The winner from the first chapter feedback giveaway will be announced in March. You can find us on our website and on Instagram at @storybeastpodcast. For more storytelling content to your inbox, subscribe here. Feel free to reach out if you want to talk story or snacks! A warm thank you to Deore for our musical number. You can find her more of her creative work on Spotify. As ever, thank you dear listeners. Please consider leaving a review to support this podcast. Be brave, stay beastly.

Welcome back to another episode of Storybeast, where Courtney Shack and Ghabiba Weston discuss the transformative power of story. This episode is all about powering through Act 2! You'll hear about: Ghabiba's "mirror moment" alliteration appreciation. Leigh Bardugo's wisdom on the relationship you have with your story. The allure of shiny story trinkets. Courtney's garlic stew metaphor. A reference to Brandon Sanderson's 3 P's: Promise, Progress, and Payoff. What it means to move story forward and tools that will help you on your way. Story layering to show progress and character arcs. Slappy endings. The new term Courtney will be adding to her mantra book. Ghabiba's dark salad. You can find us on our website and on Instagram at @storybeastpodcast. For more storytelling content to your inbox, subscribe here. Feel free to reach out if you want to talk story or snacks! A warm thank you to Deore for our musical number. You can find her more of her creative work on Spotify. As ever, thank you dear listeners. Please consider leaving a review to support this podcast. Be brave, stay beastly.

Welcome to another LEGENDARY episode! Our Legendaries are special guests that are an expert within their area of storytelling. Samantha M. Bailey is the USA TODAY and #1 nationally bestselling author of WOMAN ON THE EDGE, which has sold in eleven countries to date, and the instant #1 national bestseller, WATCH OUT FOR HER. She is also a journalist and freelance editor; her work has appeared in NOW Magazine, The Village Post, The Thrill Begins, and The Crime Hub, among other publications. Samantha lives in Toronto, where she can usually be found tapping away at her computer or curled up on her couch with a book.  In this episode you'll hear about:  Axes and why you should throw them.  How your writing community can be your family (minus the drama).  Gabi and Sam get real about their heights and own who they are.  Sam inspires us with her never-give-up-on-your-dreams magic spark.  Sam's approach of following your gut and having hope without expectations.  Writing dark stories.  The importance of leaving your mind and entering the real world sometimes (even when you don't want to).  Death by thriller versus death by fantasy (and whether you should send your enemies to Sam's books or Courtney's).  We discover Courtney's talent for creating taglines on the fly.  Sam's existential crisis with chiropractors.  Special mentions include Jennie Shaw; Jami Lynn Hendricks; The White Lotus; Novelist as a Vocation (Murakami); Sam and Gabi fan-girling over the wisdom of Sheena Kamal.  CW: Brief mention of miscarriage.  You can find us on Instagram at @storybeastpodcast. For more storytelling content to your inbox, subscribe here.  Feel free to reach out if you want to talk story or snacks!  Special thanks to Deore for our musical number. You can find her on Instagram or more of her creative work on Spotify. As ever, thank you dear listeners. Please consider leaving a review to support this podcast.  Be brave, stay beastly.

Welcome to another Storybeast LEGENDARY episode! Our Legendaries are special guests that are an expert within their area of storytelling. Faisal G. Binzagr is a creative writer, consultant, and music journalist based in Saudi Arabia. He enjoys storytelling in many forms, whether it's long-form fiction, theatre, poetry, or narrative design for video games.  Since completing his Certificate in Filmmaking from The National Film & Television School in the UK, he has been actively involved in a number of projects across a variety of mediums, including recently delivering his first ‘Storytelling for Video Games’ course. He cherishes any opportunity to tell a great story and offer his unique experiences. He has a particular fondness for narratives that empower others, although his current work in progress is a bleak murder mystery/noir novel set in the Arabian Gulf. In this episode you'll hear about: Boldness in storytelling Faisal's perspective on the crossover of game writing with other modalities of narrative craft The necessity of honesty and boldness (and what that means) for Faisal, Ghabiba, and Courtney Parasites, unicorns and scarab beatles Where to find all of the interesting answers our Legendaries give on Storybeast Special mentions include technology ecosystem builder, AstroLabs, theatre and film producers, IStage, music journal, Everything is Noise, actor, director, singer, and writer, Zaberi, game designer, Mohammed Hashem, and musician, Imran Binzagr. You can find us at www.storybeastpodcast.com or on Instagram at @storybeastpodcast. Special thanks to Deore for our musical number. You can find her on Instagram @deore.music or find more of her creative work on Spotify. As ever, thank you dear listeners. Please consider leaving a review to support this podcast.

Welcome to another Storybeast LEGENDARY episode! Our Legendaries are special guests that are an expert within their area of storytelling. Laura Thomas is a writer, TEDx speaker, and the founder of Next Level Story, where she is a professional editor and ghostwriter. Her first book, The Magic of Well-Being: A Modern Guide to Lasting Happiness, distills masterful advice for living a better life, and her upcoming memoir explores her journey through loss, love, and coming home to herself. You can find her on Instagram @laurathomaswrites. In this episode you'll hear about: What writing a book like The Magic of Well-Being: A Modern Guide to Lasting Happiness is like now for Laura. Story midwifing as a ghostwriter and Laura's perspective on helping others bring their stories into the world. What supports some of us might need to finish a book. Yes, if you're writing, revising, querying, dreaming--this episode will feel like a warm hug. The enduring power of community and connection. You can find us at www.storybeastpodcast.com or on Instagram at @storybeastpodcast.  Special thanks to Deore for our musical number. You can find her on Instagram @deore.music or find more of her creative work on Spotify. As ever, thank you dear listeners. Please consider leaving a review to support this podcast.

Ever wondered how to build atmosphere and what makes a good surprise? Ghabiba and Courtney dig into the concept of surprise and expectation in this follow up to their interview with Maya Chesley.  In this episode:  Courtney and Ghabiba chat about what makes surprises work for them (and when it doesn't). Ghabiba uses Watch Out for Her by Samantha M. Bailey to showcase an example of atmosphere and its contribution to surprise. The description of that house had Courtney begging Ghabiba to read more.  Courtney raves about Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher and the author's use of weaving in unexpected details. It's a short book that packs a punch. The co-hosts talk about blending genres and subverting tropes to create a fresh story. Cozy fantasy? Try Legends and Lattes. Chosen One gone wrong? Try the Art of Prophecy.  Looking to try surprise without writing anything? Try One Night Ultimate Werewolf. Courtney talks about her witch-themed party and the game of deception she played with her guests.  We also make special mention of Kelly Andrew's The Whispering Dark and Netflix's The Mole. Special thanks to Deore for our musical number. You can find her on Instagram or more of her creative work on Spotify. As ever, thank you dear listeners. Please consider leaving a review to support this podcast. You can find us here on our website at www.storybeastpodcast.com or on Instagram. For more storytelling content to your inbox, subscribe here. Please reach out if you want to talk story or snacks. Be brave, stay beastly.

In this episode of Storybeast, co-hosts Courtney and Ghabiba discuss the power and importance of beginnings. You’ll hear about: The dynamic relationship between creating stories and their impact on the creator.  How a good hook reels Courtney in. Examples of good beginnings and how they relate to endings. Special mentions are V.E. Scwhab’s The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, N.K. Jemisin’s the Fifth Season, and Avatar the Last Airbender.  Snacks! DM us on Instagram @storybeastpodcast to hear about the virtues of Buffalo Cauliflower Dip with Courtney or scrap with Ghabiba about what’s better: chocolate or mango. Be brave, stay beastly, and see you next week!

Welcome to another LEGENDARY episode of Storybeast! Our Legendaries are special guests who are an expert within their area of storytelling. In this episode, Ghabiba Weston and Courtney Shack have the pleasure of interviewing legendary Kalla Harris.A full-time daydreamer, KALLA HARRIS has wanted to be an author since she was eight years old--although she's now traded her composition notebooks for a computer. When she's not writing high-stakes young adult books with lots of kissing, you can find her curled up with a good story, perfecting her mac and cheese recipe, or rewatching The Vampire Diaries (Hi, Damon!). Kalla resides in the Upstate of South Carolina with her husband.In this episode, you'll hear about:the inspiration behind the vampires in THE GROUND THAT DEVOURS USthe Vampire Diaries as core lorewhat makes a monster, what makes us humanadvocacy in publishing spaces as a chronically ill writerAaron Warner AndersonHow to change your life without (literally) losing your head The importance of frozen grapesFor more storytelling content to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter.Feel free to reach out if you want to talk story or snacks!A warm thank you to Deore for our musical number. You can find more of her creative work on Spotify.As ever, thank you for listening, Beasties! Please consider leaving a review to support this podcast.Be brave, stay beastly!

Welcome to the first in a three-part series where Ghabiba Weston and Ruth McKell take a deep dive into the fantastic storytelling of ARCANE, Season 2.In this episode, you'll hear about:home made "something" berry jamemotional salience when consuming storyredemption arc essential ingredientsintention vs. consequencethe gift of empathy: redemption through perspective For more storytelling content to your inbox,⁠⁠⁠ subscribe to our newsletter . Feel free to reach out if you want to talk story or snacks!A warm thank you to Deore for our musical number. You can find more of her creative work on Spotify.As ever, thank you for listening, Beasties! Please consider leaving a review to support this podcast.