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Planning Episodes

Planning your book can be really useful if you are writing a business or self-help style book, or if your fiction book has lots of characters and a complicated plot.
May 24, 2021

The Pen to Published Podcast

EPISODE 5: THE WRITING PROCESS - PART TWO To plan or not to plan? This episode is all about planning your fiction or non-fiction book, where to begin, and how to nail your plan so that you have a rock-solid platform from which to start writing.

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July 27, 2023

Bonus Petit Pod 5

MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS IN ADULT FICTION In another bonus Petit Pod, the two Alexas discuss whether maps and other illustrations are a good idea in adult fiction or whether they should be kept for children's books.

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Oct. 16, 2023

The Pen to Published Podcast

SERIES 6 EPISODE 3: INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR AND JOURNALIST SUE KITTOW Are you interested in setting up a blog tour to help publicise your book? In this episode, Alexas 1 and 2 talk to author and journalist, Sue Kittow, about her writing and how she...

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Oct. 31, 2023

The Pen to Published Podcast

SERIES 6 EPISODE 5: INTERVIEW WITH REBECCA COLE, AUTHOR AND SENSORY SEWER Rebecca Cole is late-diagnosed autistic and ADHD. As a lifelong sewer, she has worked on the production team for Channel 4's Unique Boutique and was assistant sewing producer on...

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March 6, 2025

Are stories everywhere?

In the first of a brand-new series, the two Alexas chat about the maxim that 'stories are everywhere'. Are they really? Can inspiration be found in just about anything? The answer is YES! But, of course, a single idea doesn't make a whole story. So...

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March 13, 2025

How to start your book well

You've got the idea for your book. You've made some kind of a story plan. You're at the computer or clutching your pen ready to start writing ... But how do you begin a book in the most captivating way? In this second episode of the new series, the...

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March 27, 2025

Writing a satisfying ending

You've started your book with a bang. You've got the middle bit under control. But what about the ending? How will you finish your story in a way that satisfies the reader? Whether you're aiming for a happy, sad, neat or even ambiguous final act, the...

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April 3, 2025

Getting your dialogue right

There's an art to writing brilliant dialogue in a novel - dialogue that truly brings your characters and your story to life. In episode 5, the two Alexas help you understand the craft of creating snappy dialogue that zips along with flare.

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