Welcome back for another author interview!
In this episode of the Chats and Chapters podcast, Caitlyn reconnects with a returning author who is pursuing writing and publishing full-time. The conversation covers updates on the author's life, and insights into her writing process. They discuss the challenges of handling feedback and reviews, the themes and progression of the author's book series, and the evolving landscape of the publishing world. The episode also hints at upcoming projects and reflects on the continuous journey of personal and creative growth.
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00:00 Introduction and Catching Up
00:40 Life Updates and Career Changes
01:57 The Leap of Faith
03:54 Educational Pursuits and Writing Passion
06:17 Book Launch Reflections
11:47 Character Resonance and Reader Feedback
13:50 Navigating Reviews and Reader Expectations
15:27 The Etiquette of Tagging Authors
15:48 Dealing with Criticism as an Author
17:33 Writing for Yourself vs. Writing for Fame
18:35 Incorporating Political Themes in Fiction
19:36 Introducing the Third Book
21:18 The Healing Power of Writing
24:40 Shifts in the Publishing World
28:36 Expanding Genres and Audience
29:46 Wrapping Up and Future Plans
Understanding Plot Structure: A Fresh Approach
In this episode of the Chats and Chapters, Caitlyn introduces a different way to think about plot structure. She discusses classic story structures like the hero's journey, Save the Cat, and the three-act structure, and provides a detailed explanation of the universal story structure.
Using Harry Potter as an example, Caitlyn breaks down the key components: exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, and resolution.
She emphasizes the importance of mini arcs within the larger story structure to make plotting more manageable, especially for new authors.
Caitlyn also touches on the benefits of her Editing for Authors course. You can sign up for the waitlist here
Inquiry about editing here
00:00 Introduction and Host Welcome00:39 Overview of Classic Story Structures01:11 Exposition: Setting the Stage02:19 Inciting Incident: The Catalyst03:23 Rising Action: Building the Story04:07 Climax: The Turning Point04:40 Falling Action and Resolution06:08 Mini Arcs: Breaking Down the Story07:21 Practical Examples from Harry Potter09:34 Tips for New Authors11:20 Conclusion and Course Information
Five Reasons I Might Not Be the Editor for You
In this introductory episode of the revamped Chats and Chapters Podcast, host Caitlyn Howarth discusses five key reasons she might not be the right editor for certain writers.
She emphasizes the importance of finding an editor who aligns well with your needs and style. Caitlyn outlines that good editing takes time, requires openness to feedback, should be a collaborative process, may involve a higher cost, and benefits from a strong editor-author relationship.
She also shares her dedication to immersing herself deeply in her clients’ stories, ensuring the best possible outcome for their manuscripts.
00:00 Introduction to the Podcast
00:30 The Importance of Finding the Right Editor
00:51 Understanding Subjectivity in Editing
01:37 What Professional Editors Look For
03:12 Reason 1
07:56 Reason 2
11:21 Reason 3
13:34 Reason 4
15:56 Reason 5
18:03 Conclusion and Contact Information
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Thank you for listening!
The Journey of Debut Author AJ Chase: Writing, Editing, and Balancing LifeIn this episode of the Chats and Chapters podcast, host Caitlyn interviews AJ Chase, a debut author of the fantasy novel Sword and Veil. They discuss his intensive writing process, taking only seven weeks to write the initial draft, and the challenges of editing and marketing. AJ shares insights on balancing his career as a family medicine physician associate with writing and family life. They also delve into AJ's discovery writing process, his inspirations from authors like Brandon Sanderson and Ted Dekker, and his philosophies on storytelling and character development.
Caitlyn and AJ explore the importance of strong familial support and the collaborative power of writing buddies.
Tune in to learn more about AJ's upcoming projects, his self-publishing journey, and thoughtful advice for aspiring writers.04:04 Coordinated Recording and Podcast Introduction05:09 AJ Chase's Origin Story12:23 Balancing Writing with Life22:31 Writing Process and Discovery Writing31:23 Personal Reflections in Writing32:49 Challenges of Being a First-Time Author34:54 Navigating the Publishing Process35:28 The Importance of Beta Readers36:08 Creating a Guide for New Authors36:49 Advice for Aspiring Writers39:10 Influences and Inspirations43:17 Balancing Creativity and Criticism53:44 Traditional vs. Self-Publishing57:29 Future Writing Plans01:01:59 Final Thoughts and Reflections
Order Sword and Veil on Amazon
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Thank you for listening!
Welcome Back to Chats and Chapters: New Directions and Exciting AnnouncementsIn this episode of the Chats and Chapters podcast, host Caitlyn Howarth celebrates the return of the show with a new focus. Caitlyn shares insights into the podcast's hiatus, her busy life as a book editor, and an exciting announcement about an upcoming author interview. She also teases some of the upcoming content, including bringing on various editors to offer a range of services to writers, and details about her first course on editing for authors. Additionally, Caitlyn provides a personal update on rescuing a kitten and highlights her plans for more engaging and informative content on multiple platforms, including YouTube. Tune in next week for an exciting interview!
If you are an author or know an author, I am a book editor, the link to work with me is HERE.
Follow me on TikTok HERE. Let's connect!00:00 Welcome Back to Chats and Chapters00:46 Why We Took a Break01:45 New Direction for the Podcast03:19 Exciting Announcements and Updates06:05 The Journey of an Internship11:16 Rescuing a Kitten and Other Life Updates14:10 Editing for Authors Course17:59 Conclusion and Future Plans
Chats and Chapters: LA Tucker on "In The Line of Rebellion"
Join host Caitlyn Howarth as she sits down with author LA Tucker to discuss her highly anticipated new book "In The Line of Rebellion," releasing April 20th! Dive into LA's unique writing process, discover the inspiration behind this captivating story, and get exclusive insights on her exciting future projects.
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If you are an author or know an author, the link to work with Caitlyn is HERE.
Follow Caitlyn on TikTok HERE.
Order In The Line of Rebellion from Amazon on April 20th!
Thank you so much for being a part of the Chats and Chapters journey!
This week on Chats and Chapters is our first author interview of 2025, Zoe T Conley!
In this episode we talk about her upcoming book A Hold on Darkness, her writing process, the books she has in the works right now, how she healed through writing, and a little bit about how her self-publishing journey went.
A Hold on Darkness releases on APRIL 10th!
You can find it on Amazon
Follow Zoe on TikTok to stay up to date on all of her projects!
If you're an author or know an author who needs an editor, reach out and let's see if I am a good fit for your story. Fill out my inquiry form here!
As always, thank you for being a part of the Chats and Chapters journey!!
Grab your favorite beverage and get comfy for this one!
Torii and I dive deep into our experience reading ACOTAR and TOG earlier this year. We talk through our thoughts, theories and how we are NOT SATISFIED and NEED MORE of BOTH!
SPOILER WARNING - We touch on CC but I haven't read it so we don't go too far down the rabbit hole.
/!\ACOTAR AND TOG SPOILERS GALORE/!\
I am currently accepting editing clients for February 2025. Reach out HERE!
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Please rate and review the podcast if you enjoy this episode or any others!
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In today’s episode we are joined by Kelly Rickards who just self-published her first novel, Adventures of Angie Amazonite! It is available on Kindle Unlimited and paperback on Amazon. Spoiler - she is planning four more in the series!
We talk about her writing process, lessons she learned writing her first book and how you can’t aways know your path until you stumble onto it.
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Please share the episode if you enjoy these discussions, rate and review the show as well. It all helps us grow!
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In today's episode we are joined by the lovely new author K.T. Carpenter! Her debut novel released on November 8th and I am so excited to share our conversation with you!
In this episode we cover her inspiration for the book, her writing process, how she accomplished so much in a year and a lot more!
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Thank you for being a part of the Chats and Chapters journey!
Another short episode for you for easy reference!
In today's episode we go over the four types of editing, what they are, when you need them, and how they move your writing process along!
Let's work together on your manuscript!
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I always say thank you for being a part of the Chats and Chapters journey, and I truly mean it.
Tune in to this very short episode to dive a little deeper into our mission and what you can expect from us going forward.
Follow along on TikTok for more.
Today we are joined by the lovely Emm Cole! This is my first author interview and I am very hopeful it will not be my last!
In this episode, Emm shares some of the inspiration behind The Short Life of Sparrows, her writing process, how we can use fantasy books as therapy and a little bit about her future book plans!
Tuck in for a whole lot of fun, prepare to feel inspired and ready to dive into the world of The Short Life of Sparrows!
The link for the paperback on Amazon is below!
It is also available on Kindle Unlimited!
Grab the paperback from Amazon here!
Follow the podcast and leave a review, if you can. It really helps out the show!
If you're an author or know an author who needs editing, let's chat about getting your book ready for your readers!
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In this episode, we wrap up The Secret History deep dive and finally figure out what happens with all of these characters!
2:07 - The Aftermath of Bunny's Death
10:30 - Unraveling Friendships and Guilt
19:50 - The Funeral and Its Consequences
29:39 - The Tension between Charles and Henry
39:30 - The Fallout of Secrets and Lies
49:30 - The Disintegration of the Group
57:25 - The Tragic Climax
1:00:15 - Epilogue: Reflections and Regrets
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BUCKLE UP!!! It is time to talk alllll things THE Secret History!
I hope sharing my love and shock over this book will heal the hole it left in my heart.
Join me if you have read it and want to relive it or haven't read it, don't plan to but you want to know what happens!
LET'S GO!
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August slipped away into a moment in time...
August went by so fast! I am very excited to have this episode on time finally!
In this episode, we talk about the ToG tandem read and Kingdom of Ash (no spoilers).
A fun witchy book I read and LOVE.
And I give you my initial thoughts on a dark romance and dark academia book I started!
Don't forget to follow me on TikTok now!
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BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!!
In this episode, we talk about what has been going on in my life (why the episode is so late) and, of course, dive into all the books I read in July! A little Throne of Glass love and some other amazing ones! No spoilers <3
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FULL SPOILERS for Assassin's Blade and Throne of Glass
*you have been warned* :)
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Cheers to reviewing May and getting set up for June! I used to be really good at doing this monthly, and have fallen off this year, especially the last couple of months when things have gotten really busy. Very excited to be back in it and bring it to you in case you could use a bit of reflection and planning!
Let’s connect on Instagram! Do you do any kind of monthly refresh??
The Digital Productivity Method Planner I Use
The Physical Productivity Method Planner
Hope you enjoyed this episode!
Thank you for being a part of the Chats and Chapters journey!
The May Book Wrap Up has arrived! A fun and interesting mix of books, some new series I am absolutely obsessed with and can't wait to dive into more and share with you along the way!
Let’s connect on Instagram! Let me know what you are currently reading!
May book list -
Stone Heart - ebook only (free)
Death at the Beach - I read this on Kindle, pretty sure it’s on KU.
Hope you enjoyed this episode!
Thank you for being a part of the Chats and Chapters journey!