Turning to Story
Episodes
58: Creating a Romantic Universe
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're joined by romance author supreme--Emily Charlotte whos debut, Heart Check, has earned well-deserved praise and some pretty amazin...
57: The Story Genius Method
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith go back to basics with a deeper look at the Story Genius method by Lisa Cron. We're talking ch...
56: Interiority
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith talk all about the character's inner world. How many thoughts should you convey on the page? H...
55: Character Introductions
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith tackle character introductions. It's not as simple as simply describing the hot main character...
54: Prose: Specificity, not Pretty-ficity
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week, authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith dive into line edits to analyze what makes truly great prose. The trick is specificity not pretty-...
53: The Relationship Tax Part 2
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
That's right! This week, authors Lyssa Mia Smith and Anna Mercier return to finish exploring the tax that all relationships should have in order t...
52: Romance Takes Cost
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Think of your favorite bookish relationship, romantic or not. Why do you love them so much? The Hound and Arya. Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma. Sh...
51: Layers Not Complexity
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We're back and ready to live, laugh, and learn in a whole new year. This week, join authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith as they discuss how t...
50: Romance: The KISS Method
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you've been with us for a while, you might recall our episode on romance arcs. Well, we've got a treat for you! There's more to creatin...
49: Setup and Payoff
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do you avoid an overly complicated plot? How do you write a plot twist so good readers will scream? It's as simple as setting up story beats a...
48: Emotional Energy
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, author Lyssa Mia Smith puts on her psychology hat to lead us through emotional energy. It's sometimes more important to understand what...
47: Character Development with Clare Osongco
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're turning to the wisdom of character creator extraordinaire, Clare Osongco! We're talking maximizing various POVS, digging deep...
46: Perfect Beginnings
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, join authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith as they discuss what three main elements make the perfect beginning of any story.Turning to S...
45: Fast Drafting for Slow Writers
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The wait is over, folks! Author Lyssa Mia Smith is here to report on how the Turning to Story practices worked for her as she fast drafted a project. ...
44: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's season 5! We're back! We're... talking characters again! Join authors Lyssa Mia Smith and Anna Mercier as they discuss how to use Maslow's Hierar...
43: Conflicting Goals
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith, tackle how to maximize conflict using opposing character goals. What the heck does that mean? It...
42: The Power of Prose
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're breaking down the art of good prose; specifically, how it delivers the promise of the premise. We're talking sentence lengths...
41: Specificity: A Lit Agent's Craft Secret
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Listen, we could tell you all day what it takes to make a query and a novel sparkle, but why not hear it from a star agent like Michaela (Mike) Whatna...
40: Writing Romantic Intimacy
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, romance author Ruby Barrett teaches Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith all about intimacy. From kissing to open-door spice, she shares the te...
39: Stakes and Stuckholds
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You've got your outline and character arcs ready, but the draft isn't drafting! What do you do?! Never fear. This week, authors Anna Mercier a...
38: The Key to Success with Of the Publishing Persuassion
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have we got a treat for you! Authors and fellow podcasters Angela Montoya and Melanie Schubert from Of the Publishing Persuasion join us for a chat ab...
37: Transferable Skills
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're always told that no writing goes to waste, but what does that actually mean?! Well, authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith have got you co...
36: Putting Your Characters Through Hell
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As writers, it's our job to create engaging, dynamic, and precious characters... and then torture them until they complete their character arc! Re...
35: Magic Systems
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We said magic systems deserved their own episode, so we delivered! How do you create a magic system that tantalizes your readers, maxes out vibes, and...
34: Underlying Fantasy
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You know we love tropes on Turning to Story. Cuddling for warmth. Touch-starved. Enemies to lovers. Butwhyare those tropes so darn good? This week, au...
33: Worldbuilding
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do you create a world that leaps from the page? What about one readers will print t-shirts and fanart of? This week, authors Anna Mercier and Lyss...
32: Crafting Strong Character Choices
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Betray their family? Leave home for an adventure? Reveal that your skin sparkles in the sunlight to the girl you love? This week is all about characte...
31: Therapy for Characters
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Grab a warm cup of tea, a cozy blanket, and prepare to take your characters to therapy! This week, Lyssa Mia Smith puts on her psychologist hat to gui...
30: Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith uncover the secrets of Pixar's powerful writing. It starts with internal conflict and ends with ja...
29: Feedback
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Writing is hard, and the way we present and learn from feedback can make it easier! This week, authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith cover some do'...
28: Four Corner Opposition
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Want to know a trick for writing compelling side characters? What about a trick for mapping character change? And how about something that helps you g...
27: Plot Twist Reversals
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What makes the perfect twist? Just when your reader thinks they have it all figured out, how do you turn them in a different direction? Reversals! Fro...
26: The List Every Romance Needs
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're tackling our favorite topic: romance! Authors Lyssa Mia Smith and Anna Mercier discusses the list every crackling romance needs to ma...
25: Writing the Perfect Scene
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're back for a third season of deep dives on craft, vampire jokes, and fun surprises! This week, we dive into what makes a scene perfect, and we're ...
Surviving Publishing: When Publishing Bites Back
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Congratulations, Campers! You made it to the final week of the surviving publishing boot camp. To celebrate, authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith ...
Surviving Publishing: Action Plans for Writing Dreams
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
While dreams are events we cannot control, that doesn't mean that we can't work toward them. This week, authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smi...
Surviving Publishing: Dreams vs. Goals
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How do you avoid feeling like trash in the writing industry? We wish there was a simple answer, but we can offer something: knowing the difference bet...
Surviving Publishing: Discipline of Writing
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Alright, Campers! Now that you've got your ideal writerly life designed, what actually gets the word written? Discipline! This week, authors Anna ...
Surviving Publishing: Your Ideal Writerly Life
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week of summer camp is all about treating yourself as the amazing writer you are. Authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith chat about ways to cre...
Surviving Publishing: Arrival Fallacy
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's week one of the Summer of Surviving Publishing here at Camp Turning to Story, and we're covering the arrival fallacy. Sometimes we believ...
Summer of Surviving Publishing
19 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Query trenches got you down? Submission woes really making you doubt yourself? Terrified about that option book? Never fear! Authors Anna Mercier and ...
Minisode 9: AMA Part Two
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith wrap up the minisodes segment with another AMA! How to decide which novel to query? How do you pit...
Minisode 8: AMA Part One
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As the minisodes come to a close, we answer questions posed by Team Curiosity. Which author would we love to have on the podcast? Is the publishing sk...
Minisode 7: Crafting the Query
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What makes a query sparkle? What makes an agent request based off a small 300 word pitch? Never fear, author Lyssa Mia Smith analyzes two successful q...
Minisode 6: Line Level Editing
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How do you take your amazing story to the next level? Line edits! This week, authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith offer tips and tricks on how the...
Minisode 5: Balancing Side Characters
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We know side characters are the best, but how do you prevent them from taking over?! This week, authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith discuss what ...
Minisode 4: When to Start Drafting
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith tackle one of the most difficult questions: when do you stop research and outlining and actually w...
Minisode 3: Putting it All Together
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith attempt to organize episodes of Turning to Story into a writing process. Spoiler Alert: The process is alw...
Minisode 2: Making the Internal External
17 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You have your character's misbelief, and you know exactly how they'll grow as a person. Now how the heck do you create a plot that pushes them...
Minisode 1: 3rd Rail
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
During their first ever minisode, authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith cover all things 3rd rail. Misbeliefs, wounds, and inner conflict all help ...
24: Big Idea
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It only took weeks of raving about it, but we finally got Emily Taylor, NYT Bestselling author of Hotel Magnifique, to share how her background in mar...
23: Anatomy of a Scene
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What is story but one event leading to another? WRONG. Well, at least according to Lisa Cron. This week, authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith anal...
22: Creating Depth with Setting
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, authors Lyssa Mia Smith and Anna Mercier nerd out about an often overlooked writerly tool: setting. From visceral sensory overload to theme...
21: Immersing Your Readers
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Want to keep readers turning page after page? The key is immersion! This week, authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith cover what sucks readers in- a...
20: The Three Horsemen of Publishing
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Do you hear that sound in the distance? The thunder of hooves. Hark! The three biggest monsters you'll face on your publishing journey are here: i...
19: Writing Habits
21 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You've got your outline, you know your characters, and your aesthetics are ready, but how do you actually sit down and get the words flowing? Auth...
18: Villains
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith discuss what separates a villain from a hero. Spoiler alert: it's not much! From flawed motivations to me...
17. But-So Salsa
07 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Plot is a chain of events in a story, but what actually links those events together? According to author Lyssa Mia Smith, it's But-So Salsa! Using...
16: Perfect Pitches
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, authors Lyssa Mia Smith and Anna Mercier and talk everything pitches with award-winning romance author Alexa Martin. From vibes to hooks, f...
15: Unlocking the Power of Dialogue
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, authors Lyssa Mia Smith and Anna Mercier uncover all the secrets (or most of them) to writing great dialogue. Lacking conflict? Characters ...
14: Maxing Out Vibes
17 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Enemies to lovers and dark academia and road trips, oh my! This week, authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith talk all about how to get the most enjo...
13: Turning to Taylor
10 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're back for a new season, and we're ready to talk craft, publishing, and... Taylor Swift? That's right! Authors Anna Mercier and Lyssa ...
12: No Wasted Draft
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
While season one comes to a close, Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith take the opportunity to review some pitfalls writers might fall into early in thei...
11: Writing Emotion
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Want to write a scene that has readers gluing a box of tissues to their eyes? Desperate to write characters that will steal readers' hearts? The s...
10: Satisfying Endings
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The end... or is it? Nothing sticks with readers quite like an epic ending, so Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith analyze what it takes to write a shows...
09: Making Boring Scenes Better
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Got a scene that has all the plot and dialogue, but it still falls flat? Struggling to figure out what makes a chapter less memorable than others? Ann...
08: Messy Middles
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have an astounding and a jaw-dropping ending, but the points between are hazy? Don't worry! Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith discover what can mak...
07: Side Characters
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith discuss the role and craft of side characters who leave us with the best punchy one-liners. Together, they unlock som...
06: Writing Romance
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Anna Mercier and Lyssa Mia Smith discuss how to write a romance that will make your readers swoon. From puzzle pieces of perfection to destination dis...
05: Writing First Chapters
30 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lyssa Mia Smith and Anna Mercier discuss all things first chapters including how to draw your reader in and make them turn the page.
04: Plotting a Novel with Truth vs. Lie
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lyssa Mia Smith and Anna Mercier dive deep into the power of developing strong character misbeliefs/lies. They chart a character's growth through ...
03: Deliberately Practicing Voice
15 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Struggling to figure out your novel's tone? Frustrated with writing that drags you out of the story? Lyssa Mia Smith and Anna Mercier give their f...
02: Seven Layer Plot Dip
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lyssa Mia Smith and Anna Mercier talk about the newest plotting technique they think could fix their revision woes! Using Dan Wells' Seven Layer P...
01: Character is Story
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lyssa Mia Smith and Anna Mercier start at the very beginning of their writing process: character. They provide insights into building character and ho...
Introductions in 7ish minutes
28 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this brand new podcast, authors Lyssa Mia Smith and Anna Mercier celebrate the joy of craft as a way to navigate the woes of the publishing industr...