This Moments with Morrigan episode explores the importance of planning the opening of your story around reader engagement. Morrigan analyzes the introduction paragraph of five best selling books to elucidate how authors set readers up to ask questions that serve the overall setting, theme, and characterization of the story.  Like a great book, this episode may have a hidden surprise!

Semi-Sages of the Pages

Moments with Morrigan: Questioning the Hook

Join the Semi-Sages of the Pages for our Halloween Hangover including costumes, games, and we'll announce the winner of our 100 word Horror Story competition!

Halloween Hangover Show

In this episode, Theresa shares tips and tricks for creating memorable dialogue to improve your writing craft.

Theresa's Semi-Sode: Writing Dialogue

Social media can be a great resource, way to connect with others, build a community, and see uplifting stories. It can also be a huge time sink, is full of bullies and trolls, and can cause anxiety. With this conflagration of contradictions, how do we find balance? As an author, do you need to have a social media presence? And if so, why and how much? Listen in as we discuss all this and more. 

Episode 17: Molly Talks about Social Media Algorithms

Think the journey of your book ends once it's available for purchase? You may want to hear what Semi-Sage Sarah has to share about her advice of steps to take after your book is launched.

After Your Launch

Listen in as we discuss what author services might be worth spending money on. This is a part 2 where we discuss: hiring a audiobook narrator, attending conferences and writing seminars, Publisher's Marketplace, & writing programs like Scrivener. Note - we are not sponsored by any of these services. If you want to know our take on more services, go listen to Episode 15 where we discuss - hiring editor(s), cover art, concept art, marketing, web design, and more! You worked hard for your money, spend it on valuable things!

Episode 16: Worth it or Worthless - Part 2

We've all heard the advice thrown around to "Write What you Know", but does that mean if I don't have a degree in Aerospace Engineering I can't write about airplanes? Molly digs deep into the core issue behind this advice and strategies for finding & addressing authenticity issues in your writing.

Molly Explains: Write What You Know

Everywhere you look as a writer, there's someone trying to sell you something with the promise that it'll help you achieve your dreams. Some of these services, depending on your situation, are worth. Others, completely worthless. Don't waste your money on things you don't need or that won't bring back value. In this episode, we discuss paying for editors, websites, marketing, and more. Listen in as the Semi-Sages talk about our own mishaps and successes.

Episode 15: Worth it or Worthless - Part 1

Procrastination got you down? This semi-sode explores some thoughts from the ancient Greeks and Romans about the agony of delaying the inevitable, as well as, some advantages and disadvantages. Morrigan includes advice from comic Jerry Seinfeld while exploring four steps to turn regular, boring procrastination into the new and improved positive procrastination, or maybe it's just four steps to getting stuff done. Either way, we hope you like it. 

A Moment With Morrigan Positive Procrastination

Theresa and Morrigan interview Nicole Zelniker, author of Mixed and Last Dance. Join us as Nicole shares her experiences celebrating diversity in both nonfiction and fiction.   

Interview with Nicole Zelniker

Join Theresa as she discusses how to build great secondary or supporting characters in your works!

Theresa's Semi-Sode: Supporting Characters

We dug into our vault for this one to share with you the story of how Sarah met her hero, Alan Rickman. Forgive us for the audio at times, this episode was recorded in late March before we had perfected remote podcast recording.

Bonus Episode - Sarah Meets her Hero

Watch out for predators! Here's a couple of life-lessons from Semi-Sage Sarah Faxon in the hope that these will help you avoid some author pitfalls. 

Avoiding Author Pitfals

Listen in as we interview Science Fiction writer Kurt Pankau. We'll discuss topics such as the short story market, his approach to reading slush piles, and more writing craft. Link mentioned in the episode: thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com

Episode 14: Interview with Kurt Pankau

When someone starts talking about hooks, what do they mean? What are the different types of hooks out there? And, most importantly, how do you write a compelling hook for your book? This episode has concrete strategies to help you craft the perfect book hook and get people invested in your story.

Molly Explains: Hooks

The writing podcast where we don't know where we're going...but we're having an adventure! The four semi-sages are women who write primarily speculative fiction. Join them as they explore the ever-evolving world of writing and publication.

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Semi-Sages of the Pages

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