What the heck is a minisode?
This week’s topic
Resources
1. What the heck is a minisode?
Happy 1st minisode, Turning to Story!
For the next few weeks, while we refill our creative wells, we’re dropping shorter episodes—minisodes, if you will—focusing on singular aspects of craft. We derived these topics from listener questions and suggestions (which you can submit here). These minisodes still have the fun and casualness you’ve come to expect from us, but we’re attempting to reign in our tangents juuuust a smidge.
These accompanying newsletters will tell ‘ya the topic, any accompanying resources, and send you on your merry way! For those commitment phobes out there, this is an ideal situationship for you: shorter listening and even shorter reading. We don’t want you to get sick of us (we’re looking at you, Edward).
2. This week’s topic
This week’s topic is the third rail. Learn more about the emotional hook of your story, and what happens when you don’t ground your story to this electric line of emotion.
3. This week’s resources
The term “third rail” comes from Lisa Cron’s STORY GENIUS: HOW TO USE BRAIN SCIENCE TO GO BEYOND OUTLINING AND WRITE A RIVETING NOVEL (BEFORE YOU WASTE THREE YEARS WRITING 327 PAGES THAT GO NOWHERE). Yes, that is the full title. Yes, Lisa Cron does not mince words. It was a seminal reading for both of our writing journeys, and we can’t recommend it enough.
We refer, once again, to Ashley Winstead’s lovely books. Lyssa couldn’t remember the title of one she used as an example, but it’s Fool Me Once.
Lyssa made a 7 layer plot dip for Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Mist and Fury, including a third rail column for the main character, Feyre. You can access it below, but SPOILER ALERT: If you haven’t read it, it will spoil the entire book. Also, it is very much a quick draft and not a flawless plot dip. Lyssa did this to study Feyre’s emotional journey in particular, so much of the plot is viewed through that lens. If you have questions, ask, and we will explain!
That’s it for today! We hope you enjoy our first minisode. Have a suggestion for a future topic? Reply in the comments, to this email, or shoot us a message.