Matty Dalrymple talks with Brenna Bailey-Davies about STORY FIRST, GENRE SECOND: LESSONS FROM ROMANTASY FOR EVERY WRITER, including why genre works best as a marketing tool rather than a creative constraint, how to signal genre in your first chapter without over-promising on tropes, the danger of trope-stuffing and why narrative should drive genre decisions, what genre-bending fiction offers in the age of AI-generated content, the pros and cons of writing to a hot genre trend, and how editors bring a unique perspective to publishing strategy.

Watch the interview on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/TIA326YT

Show notes, including extensive summary and transcript, at www.theindyauthor.com/show-notes/326-brenna-bailey-davies

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Brenna Bailey-Davies is an editor and writer based in Mohkínstsis (Calgary), Alberta, Canada. Through her company Bookmarten Editorial, she specializes in editing science fiction, fantasy, and romance, focusing on stories with queer representation. She also writes SFF and contemporary romance novels under the pen name Brenna Bailey.

Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with THE SENSE OF DEATH; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she's learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors; her articles have appeared in Writer's Digest magazine. She is a Partner Member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Matty Dalrymple talks with Tiffany Yates Martin about why reveals are one of the most powerful yet mishandled tools in fiction, techniques for concealing and timing information using POV, structure, and reader assumptions, the dangers of being too cryptic or too obvious, how beta readers can diagnose whether your reveals are working, and a practical checklist for crafting reveals that are intrinsic to the story.

Interview video at https://www.youtube.com/@TheIndyAuthorPodcast/podcasts

Show notes, including extensive summary and transcript, at www.theindyauthor.com/show-notes/325-tiffany-yates-martin

If you find the information in this video useful, please consider supporting The Indy Author!

https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple

Tiffany Yates Martin has spent more than thirty years as an editor in the publishing industry, working with major publishers and New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling and award-winning authors, as well as indie and newer authors. She is the author of Intuitive Editing: A Creative and Practical Guide to Revising Your Writing and the novel The Fantasy Makers. FoxPrint Editorial has been named one of Writer's Digest's Best Websites for Writers for three years running. She leads seminars and workshops for conferences and writing organizations across the country and contributes craft and publishing articles to numerous industry outlets.

Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with THE SENSE OF DEATH; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she's learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors; her articles have appeared in Writer's Digest magazine. She is a Partner Member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Matty Dalrymple talks with Jennifer Probst about WRITING ENSEMBLE CASTS THAT KEEP READERS HOOKED, including strategies for developing believable character relationships and chemistry, balancing primary and secondary characters in series fiction, keeping relationship arcs consistent across books, and practical craft tips for writing complex casts that keep readers engaged.

Interview video at https://www.youtube.com/@TheIndyAuthorPodcast/podcasts

Show notes, including extensive summary, at https://www.theindyauthor.com/episodes-all

If you find the information in this video useful, please consider supporting The Indy Author!

https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple

Jennifer Probst wrote her first book at twelve years old. She bound it in a folder, read it to her classmates, and hasn't stopped writing since. She holds a masters in English Literature and lives in the beautiful Hudson Valley in upstate New York. She is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over fifty books in contemporary romance fiction. She was thrilled her book, The Marriage Bargain, spent 26 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Her work has been translated in over a dozen countries, sold over a million copies, and was dubbed a "romance phenom" by Kirkus Reviews.

Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with THE SENSE OF DEATH; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she's learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors; her articles have appeared in Writer's Digest magazine. She is a Partner Member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.