Lit Service

Bonus Episode: Hot Seat Critique with Caitlin and Cameron

To round out the year we're doing one last bonus hot seat critique! We also did a bonus episode with our reactions to the newest season of the Mandalorian now that the last episode finally landed--to listen, head over to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/litservicepodcast

4.25 Getting Your Characters to Squad Up

Aliah, Caitlin, and Kristen chat about how to get your characters to squad up.

 

The chapter we critique can be found here.

 

Don't forget to check our Patreon for video versions of episodes and other bonus episodes and content! 

4.24 Illustration as Narrative with Isaac Stewart

You can find the chapter we critique here

Isaac Stewart joins the Lit Service crew to talk about picture books and illustration and how to get a whole story out of so few words (and how illustrations have to pull their own weight!). We also chat about maps and collaboration between authors and artists.

During the course of his life, Isaac Stewart has had more dreams than there are freckles on his back. When he was eight, he wanted to invent faster-than-light travel. At eleven, he dreamed of being the first person on Mars. At thirteen, he thought there could be nothing better than owning a sled-dog team and winning the Iditarod. Despite these passing obsessions, one dream never left him: He wanted to write and illustrate books. Since then, Isaac has lived in the Philippines as a missionary, graduated with a BFA from BYU, and has worked for two decades in entertainment, video games, and publishing. Though he hasn't yet made it to Mars, he loves to travel and has lived in Germany twice. He currently works for Dragonsteel Entertainment as Brandon Sanderson's art director, and has created many of the maps and symbols related to Brandon's works. Recently Isaac ran a successful Kickstarter for his first children's book, Monsters Don't Wear Underpants. Isaac hasn't yet found the sled dog team of his dreams (he's discovered he prefers warm climates to cold), but he did marry the woman of his dreams. They live in Utah with their four children and two weird cats.

Check out his book here 

Find out more about Isaac on his website here

and Isaac's instagram (which is a delight to follow!) 

For more about how to submit your work for a critique, you can visit our website.

To support the podcast, please check out our Patreon.

4.23 Platonic Relationships

Join the core crew to talk about why having a good range of different kinds of relationships in a story is important and how to do it well.

 

The chapter we critique can be found here.

If you want a critique from us, here are our submission guidelines.

We encourage you to check out our Patreon for extras (like the video version of this episode, extra hot seat critiques, occasional extra episodes, live q&a opportunities, and even a critique group with Lit Service Crew members)--we appreciate your support!

4.22 Balancing Those Plots with Sara B. Larson

Sara B. Larson joins the Lit Service Crew to chat about romantic arcs in YA, why they're so prevalent, and how to balance them against your plot in your own work.

Sara is the author of the Defy Series, the Dark Breaks the Dawn Duology, and the Sisters of Shadow and Light duology (the newest one just hit shelves!!) To learn more check out her website.

If you'd like signed copies of her books, you can get them here (be sure to put in the special instructions that you'd like it signed and to whom).

You can find the chapter we critiqued with all our notes here.

If you'd like a first chapter critique from the podcast or an upcoming guest, check out our submission guidelines.

Please consider supporting us on Patreon! We're going through some growing pains right now, and need some extra help around here (and want to pay that extra help!). We really appreciate your help and that you listen to our dodgy writing advice!!

Bonus Episode: Hot Seat Critique with Caitlin

Caitlin live reads and critiques a submitted chapter, digging into why it isn't quite working (though the concept is pretty fun! A little embarrassed romance goes a long way!). Some episodes Caitlin recommends to think about the questions she brings up: 4:19 with Aminah Mae Safi and 4.11 with DongWon Song

 

If you want to hear more Hot Seat Critiques (and support the podcast!!) check out our Patreon.

4.21 Fantasy Sports with Amparo Ortiz

Debut author Amparo Ortiz joins the Lit Service Crew to talk about why sports in fantasy and how to do it well (even if you don't like sports yourself!). 

Amparo Ortiz was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and currently lives on the island’s northeastern coast. Her short story comic, “What Remains in The Dark,” appears in the Eisner Award-winning anthology PUERTO RICO STRONG (Lion Forge, 2018), and SAVING CHUPIE, her middle grade graphic novel, comes out with HarperCollins in Winter 2022. She holds an M.A. in English and a B.A. in Psychology from the UPR’s Río Piedras campus. When she’s not teaching ESL to her college students, she’s teaching herself Korean, devouring as much young adult fiction as she can, and writing about Latinx characters in worlds both contemporary and fantastical. Her debut novel, BLAZEWRATH GAMES, hits shelves on October 6, 2020 from Page Street Kids.

To view the first chapter we critiqued with all our notes, go here.

For more about Amparo and her books, you can check out her website.

If you'd like a first chapter critique from us, check our submission guidelines here.

4.20 The Proper Care and Management of Plot Twists

The Lit Service Crew chats about how to foreshadow plot twists and what sorts of things to avoid.

If you want a first chapter critique from Lit Service, check out our submission guidelines.

This podcast only happens with help from people like you! To see how you can keep Lit Service Episodes coming (and get some extra content and help with your writing too!) visit our Patreon.

Bonus Episode: Q&A with Aminah Mae Safi

4.19 Romance and Comedy and Characters, Oh My! with Aminah Mae Safi

Aminah Mae Safi joins the Lit Service crew live at Teen Author Bootcamp to chat about how characters make the romcom (and every other story!). Aminah is the author of Not the Girls You're Looking For, Tell Me How You Really Feel, and This is All Your Fault. 

Check out her books here: http://www.aminahmae.com/this-is-all-your-fault-1

Don't forget to take a look at our Patreon for extra content! https://www.patreon.com/litservicepodcast