The Story Craft Cafe Podcast

storycraftcafe
  • 4.7 (3)
  • Books
  • Updated Weekly

Story Crafters talking about the magic of storytelling and giving you the tools to craft your story. We’re launching a new kind of online writing community. One where we can all find support, encouragement, ideas, and inspiration. A place where we can all write together. A place where we can celebrate failures and successes, find mentors, and work together to get published.

  1. 4d ago

    Protagonists Readers Root For | A DabbleU Writing Craft Series Workshop | SCC 278

    Why do readers stay up until 2 a.m. turning pages? It's rarely because of the plot. It's because they care about the person living through it. In this one-hour writing workshop, Hank Garner breaks down the core principles behind unforgettable protagonists—the characters readers will follow anywhere, even when they aren't always likable. You'll learn how to build characters with emotional depth, compelling motivations, and authentic character arcs that keep readers invested from the first page to the last. In this workshop you'll learn: What a protagonist actually is (and how they're different from your POV character or hero) The three pillars every great protagonist needs: Desire Wound Lie The difference between what your character wants and what they truly need Why readers don't have to like your protagonist—they simply have to be compelled by them How specificity, contradictions, vulnerability, and voice make fictional people feel real How to avoid passive protagonists by giving your characters meaningful choices A simple five-question character test you can use on every novel you write You'll also complete a practical character-building exercise and see how Dabble's Character Notes and Plot Grid make it easy to organize your protagonist's arc from beginning to end. Whether you're outlining your first novel or revising your tenth, this workshop will give you a practical framework you can immediately apply to create protagonists readers won't forget.

  2. Jul 24

    Fireside Chat: What Makes A Great Protagonist? | SCC 277

    Readers don't read your book because of your clever plot. Readers fall in love with your book because of your CHARACTERS. Each book is about a person, and your protagonist is the lightning rod of your book. In this Fireside chat, Hank and Brooke talk about what makes a great protagonist and how to craft characters that bring people back time and again.

  3. Jul 10

    Fireside Chat: Our Favorite Dabble 3.0 Features | SCC 276

    This is an exciting week where we finally get to unveil what's new in Dabble 3.0. Join Abby and Hank as they discuss their favorite new Dabble 3.0 features.

  4. Jul 3

    Story Structure | A Dabble Writing Craft Series Workshop | SCC 275

    Most unfinished manuscripts in the world died somewhere between chapter eight and chapter sixteen. The writer didn't lose interest. They lost the shape of it. The plot started to drift. The scenes started to feel disconnected. The book stalled. This 65-minute workshop is about the shape. The bones of a novel that works — and the structural diagnostic that tells you, every time, which beat in your draft is the one that needs work next. Novelist and writing coach Hank Garner walks through Freytag's Pyramid, why it's incomplete for novels, the modernized six-beat story arc that every working novel hits, the midpoint shift that fixes a sagging middle, and the five most common structural mistakes in first-novel manuscripts. You'll learn: Why "pantsers vs plotters" is the wrong fight — and what both sides get right Freytag's Pyramid, the five-part shape underneath every working drama since the Greeks The six-beat story arc — Hook, Inciting Incident, Rising Action, Midpoint Shift, Climax, Resolution The three-act translation, and why six beats is easier to write than three Three ways to use the midpoint — false victory, point of no return, revelation How to diagnose a sagging middle in 60 seconds Try/fail cycles, yes-but / no-and, and the chapter-end question that earns the page turn Five common structural mistakes — and how to fix each one Try out Dabble free for 14 days and see why it’s the best writing tool on the planet—no credit card required! Visit our website at www.dabblewriter.com to get started. Subscribe to our channel for more live events like author interviews, Writing Sprint Wednesdays, Feedback Fridays, and Fireside Chats. We're all about helping authors hone their craft with engaging, fun, and educational content. On top of all that, Dabble Premium members get access to exclusive content like Craft Q&A Office Hours, Wordsmith Workshops, Deep Dive articles, bonus resources, and guest speaker workshops. Happy writing!

  5. Jun 19

    How to Start a Story | A Dabble Writing Craft Series Workshop | SCC 273

    Most new writers freeze on the first line because they think it has to be brilliant. It doesn’t. The opening line isn’t the point. The opening page is. And the opening page is doing a job. In this 60-minute workshop, novelist and writing coach Hank Garner walks through what an opening actually has to do, the three kinds of hooks that work, and a five-question diagnostic you can run on any opening you’ve ever written. You’ll learn: The lie about first lines that kills more drafts than anything The five jobs every working opening must do Three kinds of hooks — situation, voice, image — and when to use each What to cut and what to keep in your first 250 words The prologue trap and the three legitimate uses A diagnostic you can run on any opening in ten minutes Join us at DabbleU to continue the conversation about this workshop at https://www.dabbleu.com/c/cafe-chats/join-us-today-for-our-dabble-workshop-how-to-start-a-story Try out Dabble free for 14 days and see why it’s the best writing tool on the planet—no credit card required! Visit our website at www.dabblewriter.com to get started. Subscribe to our channel for more live events like author interviews, Writing Sprint Wednesdays, Feedback Fridays, and Fireside Chats. We're all about helping authors hone their craft with engaging, fun, and educational content. On top of all that, Dabble Premium members get access to exclusive content like Craft Q&A Office Hours, Wordsmith Workshops, Deep Dive articles, bonus resources, and guest speaker workshops. Happy writing!

  6. Jun 12

    Fireside Chat: How to start a story | SCC 272

    Beginnings are everything. Not only for starting the journey that you hope the reader takes with you, but the first thing you have to do is HOOK your reader. Want them to go on a journey with you? give them a reason. Join Hank and Abby as they discuss this.

  7. Jun 5

    First Novel Problems Episodes 0 and 1 | SCC 271

    Welcome to First Novel Problems, a brand-new YouTube series from Dabble Writer for anyone who's ever wanted to write a novel and didn't know where to start (or got stuck partway through and gave up). In this introduction episode, meet your hosts: Abby Mathews: Community Manager at Dabble, published middle-grade author, and someone who tried (and failed) to write a novel three times before finally figuring it out Brooke: brand-new to Dabble, brand-new to writing, and signing up to learn the whole process from scratch, on camera, so you don't have to do it alone Here's the idea: every week, Abby teaches Brooke something real about writing a novel, and you get to learn right alongside her. We'll cover plotting, getting unstuck, picking a genre, the "rules" of writing (and when to break them), and all the roadblocks that stop first-time novelists from finishing. It's genre-agnostic (although Brooke will have to pick one!). It's beginner-friendly. And it's built on the idea that if you want to write a book, you ARE a writer—you just need someone to walk you through it! Got a writing roadblock you want us to tackle? Drop it in the comments. Brooke is officially on the hook to ask the embarrassing questions for you. SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss Episode 1, where we get into the real stuff. Try Dabble free: https://www.dabblewriter.com/ Free writing resources at DabbleU: https://www.dabblewriter.com/dabble-u

  8. May 29

    Fireside Chat with Hank and Abby: Characters, the People in Your Head | SCC 270

    Plot gets a lot of attention, but characters are what make people fall in love with your story. Want to write a memorable book? Create characters that your readers want to invite to Thanksgiving, or run from! Join Hank and Abby as they discuss the most important element in your writing, CHARACTERS.

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Ratings & Reviews

4.7
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Story Crafters talking about the magic of storytelling and giving you the tools to craft your story. We’re launching a new kind of online writing community. One where we can all find support, encouragement, ideas, and inspiration. A place where we can all write together. A place where we can celebrate failures and successes, find mentors, and work together to get published.

Information

  • Creator
    storycraftcafe
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    278
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2022 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Story Craft Cafe Podcast

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