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#605 How To Give Your Story Order & Power! – Interview with Steven James

By Joyce Glass | Complete

Episode #605 The Write Hour, How To Give Your Story Order & Power! Interview with Steven James, Story Blender Podcast, Causality, Synapse, Steven James, Publishing, Writing Journey, Book Marketing, Social Media, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, Marketing my book, How to grow Platform, Platform, How do I write a book, Book Coach, Writing Coach, Editor, Writing, Book, blogging, Editing, how to start a book, The Write Coach

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Top Tips From The Write Coach​

✍️  ​What is causality and how can it improve your stories?

✍️  ​Keep your readers in your story. 

✍️  ​Do you want your readers to ask why?

“Print out what you're working on and don't edit
only from a computer screen.
~ Steven James ~

What is causality? Can it improve your story? 

Steven James shares an overlooked fiction technique needed in your nonfiction stories!

Causality is the chain holding a story together. 

Everything that happens in a story is caused by the thing that precedes it. Therefore, a novel/story moves forward from cause to effect, not effect to cause

Causality Example:


Greg sat bored in the writers' workshop. He began to doodle. He’d heard all this stuff before. Suddenly he gulped and stared around the room, embarrassed, when the teacher called on him to explain cause-and-effect usage.

As it all stands, at least seven events occur in the paragraph above, and none are in their proper and logical placement in the text. Here they are in the order in which actually happened.

  1. Greg sits in the workshop.
  2. He realizes he’s heard all this before.
  3. Boredom
  4. Doodling
  5. Getting called on
  6. Embarrassment
  7. Gulping and staring around the room.

Each event causes the one to follow it. (Incidentally, since readers will be able to tell from the context he was bored and embarrassed, we don’t need to tell them.) Here it is, untangled.

Greg sat in the writers' workshop. He’d heard all this stuff before and began to doodle. When the teacher called on him to explain cause-and-effect usage, he gulped and stared around the room.

The old adage “show don’t tell” applies in the case of causality. When you go from effect to cause, you’re telling (writing something and then explaining it) rather than showing (rendering the scene as it unfolds).

Remember, you don’t want to tell readers something and then explain why it happened. Rather, you’ll want to render the scene so the forward movement of the story isn’t lost and readers don’t have to constantly flip mentally backward for an explanation of, or motivation for, events.

Excerpt from Story Trumps Structure. Used with permission by Steven James.

​How To Give Your Story Order & Power! Interview with Steven James #605 -> Listen to The Write Hour with Joyce Glass, Tips From #TheWriteCoach #TheWriteHour 

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Check out Steven James' newest release!
Click on image to learn more about Synapse!

"A complex and riveting thriller that invites you to ponder
the deepest questions of existence while at the same time 
leaving you on the edge of your seat.”

—JAMES L . RUBART, FIVE-TIME CHRISTY AWARD WINNER

Meet Steven

​​​​​​​Steven James is the critically-acclaimed author of seventeen novels. He has served as a contributing editor to Writer’s Digest Magazine and is the author of the groundbreaking book Story Trumps Structure as well as the guidebook used by thousands of novelists, Troubleshooting Your Novel, both from Writer’s Digest Books. Publishers Weekly calls him “[a] master storyteller at the peak of his game.” When he’s not working on his next novel, Steven teaches Novel Writing Intensive retreats across the country with New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni. 

 

Episode Highlights: 

01:36  Intro
02:05  Tell us about you and your journey to becoming a writer.
05:42  Tell us briefly about your most current novel releasing in October - Synapse.
07:32  Explain what causality is in fiction, and how it applies in nonfiction.
08:14  Causality Examples
17:55  How do you break the rules in writing? (in reference to Story Trumps Structure - How To Write Unforgettable Fiction by Breaking the Rules)
23:48  Tell us about your writing time… Do you have a consistent time you wrote? Do you write daily? What worked for you and what are some things that do not work for you?
26:52  What words of advice and encouragement do you have for new writers or someone who struggles to write their book?

Links Mentioned In This Episode: 

​www.StevenJames.net - Find out more about his latest release​
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www.TheStoryBlender.com - Steven’s Podcast​
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Follow Steven James On Twitter and Facebook at @readstevenjames

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About the Author

Joyce Glass, The Write Coach, helps writers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners use the power of story to connect with clients. People may not remember what you say, but they will remember your story. Joyce takes her clients through the book writing process from the idea of a writing a book to the finished manuscript. Many people become overwhelmed at the thought of writing a book or in the process.  Joyce loves to help her clients break it down into manageable steps. Some people start multiple books, and never finish. Joyce helps you reach the finish line.

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