Main Topic: Elements of a Nonfiction Book (Starts at 16:55)

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PATREON:

Thank you to our existing patrons for believing in our work offline and here in the podcast.

Become a patron of the arts at Patreon.com/valerieihsan for books, writing instruction, coaching, and planning. Go to Patreon.com/strangeairstories for short stories in the paranormal mystery genre.

Segment 1 (Announcements/Author Updates):

• (Valerie): learning IG Stories from @tidalbaymedia (Kat), updated passport, new Chiro, monthly reflection, carport, now buy print

• (Erick): Preorder up for Shadow Signals , ARCS out in the morning, back/front matter to write, re-release Witness accounts with new fresh content, experiment with going Wide on the print

What are you reading?

• Valerie: How To Be Old: Lessons in Living Boldly from the Accidental Icon (Lyn Slater)
• (Not ready to give up on them, but struggling to finish them:) Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman; The Year of the Puppy (Alexandra Horowitz) ; The Teller of Small Fortunes Julie Leong
• Erick:
• Mr. Mercedes (Stephen King),

Main Topic: 3 arcs in every book (begins at 15:31)

Up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one time purchases with code

VALERIE20 at checkout

You can claim it at: https://magicmind.com/VALERIE20

#magicmind #mentalwealth #mentalperformance

PATREON:

Thank you to our existing patrons for believing in our work offline and here in the podcast.

Become a patron of the arts at Patreon.com/valerieihsan for books, writing instruction, coaching, and planning. Go to Patreon.com/strangeairstories for short stories in the paranormal mystery genre.

Segment 1 (Announcements/Author Updates):

• (Valerie): writing How to Write a Novel (ask ChatGPT for new title), homework from the business coach, thinking about content creation and refining my book coaching offer; back pain

• (Erick): Trunk "shopping" for summer work = Witness accounts. Book a retreat for world-building. Preorder up for Shadow Signals (cover from Miblart)

What are you reading?

• Valerie: The Stars and Their Light (Olivia Hawker)
• (Not ready to give up on them, but struggling to finish them:) Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman; The Year of the Puppy (Alexandra Horowitz) ; The Teller of Small Fortunes Julie Leong
• Erick:
• Mr. Mercedes (Stephen King), Somna (gn) (Becky Cloonan)

• Segment 2 (Resources/Tips/Tidbits):

• Tidbit #1: • Tidbit #2:

Segment 3 (Main Topic):

The Three Narrative Arcs (Bill Kenower)

The Physical Arc (Story arc, plot, what happens in the book)

Character/Emotional arc (how the character changes)

Intentional Arc (Thematic arc)

Narrative arc (how the story is told)

If problems with character (flat, 2 dimensional, "Just didn't connect with them"):

Add inner dialogue for tension and character motivation;

Make sure your emotional arc is solid. (Character + Flaw + Death of Flaw at end = Character/Emotional Arc)

And don't forget: Get 48% off the Magic Mind :

https://magicmind.com/VALERIE20 and use Valerie20 at checkout.

#magicmind #mentalwealth #mentalperformance

Next episode:

Find Us:

Valerie's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/valerieihsan (Find Passion Planner discount codes here.)

Erick's Linktree link: https://linktr.ee/erickmertzauthor

Main Topic: The Confidence Paradox with guest Angus Nelson

Up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one time purchases with code

VALERIE20 at checkout

You can claim it at: https://magicmind.com/VALERIE20

#magicmind #mentalwealth #mentalperformance

PATREON:

Thank you to our existing patrons for believing in our work offline and here in the podcast.

Become a patron of the arts at Patreon.com/valerieihsan for books, writing instruction, coaching, and planning. Go to Patreon.com/strangeairstories for short stories in the paranormal mystery genre.

Segment 1 (Announcements/Author Updates):

• (Valerie): writing, gardening, homework from the business coach
• Angus: daughter just moved to Portugal a block away

• (Erick) Writing new novella. Great client meetings. Preorder up for Shadow Signals (cover from Miblart)

What are you reading?

• Valerie: Shadow Signals (Erick Mertz) The Stars and Their Light (Olivia Hawker)
• (Not ready to give up on them, but struggling to finish them:) Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman; The Year of the Puppy (Alexandra Horowitz) ; The Teller of Small Fortunes Julie Leong
• Erick:
• Houses of the Unholy (gn) Tender is the Flesh (horror) (Agustina Bazterrica)
• (Angus:) The Art of Possibility (Rosemund Zander and Benjamin Zander)

• Segment 2 (Resources/Tips/Tidbits):

• Tidbit #1: automated email sequences
• Tidbit #2: Notes App (writing)
• Angus's tips: use AI to write; helped me see perspectives I couldn't see. Prompt it to be a bestselling NY Times editor. What would you say about this passage? (Jeff Goins was his book coach.)

Segment 3 (Main Topic):

Up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one time purchases with code

VALERIE20 at checkout

You can claim it at: https://magicmind.com/VALERIE20

#magicmind #mentalwealth #mentalperformance

PATREON:

Thank you to our existing patrons for believing in our work offline and here in the podcast.

Become a patron of the arts at Patreon.com/valerieihsan for books, writing instruction, coaching, and planning. Go to Patreon.com/strangeairstories for short stories in the paranormal mystery genre.

Segment 1 (Announcements/Author Updates):

• (Valerie) taxes are done,

• (Erick) taxes are done! Preorder up for Shadow Signals (cover from Miblart)

What are you reading?

• Valerie: In the Dream House (Carmen Maria Machado) Broken Open (Martha Gies) Shadow Signals (Erick Mertz)
• (Not ready to give up on them, but struggling to finish them:) Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman; The Year of the Puppy (Alexandra Horowitz) ; The Teller of Small Fortunes Julie Leong
• Erick: (Claytemple Media podcast; (Laird Barron) The Imago Sequence and Other Stories

• Segment 2 (Resources/Tips/Tidbits):

• Tidbit #1: ChatGPT for not-writing ways; (tape defect 2 second warble)
• Tidbit #2:
• Segment 3 (Mindset-Craft-Biz Check):

Segment 4 (Main Topic):

Listen to people talking as an exercise

Great first lines (Oh, that where this fits..)

What I want to say is:

My name used to be:

For learning a new skill:

Free writing/journaling/morning pages

And don't forget: Get 48% off the Magic Mind :

https://magicmind.com/VALERIE20 and use Valerie20 at checkout.

#magicmind #mentalwealth #mentalperformance

Next episode: Angus Nelson on burnout and confidence

Find Us:

Valerie's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/valerieihsan (Find Passion Planner discount codes here.)

Erick's Linktree link: https://linktr.ee/erickmertzauthor

Patreons:

https://patreon.com/valerieihsan

https://patreon.com/strangeairmysteries

Tools:

ProWriting Aid: https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=9378 (affiliate link)

Bromance: How Dumb & Dumber and When Harry Met Sally are the Same Screenplay (21:42)

Up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one time purchases with code

VALERIE20 at checkout

You can claim it at: https://magicmind.com/VALERIE20

#magicmind #mentalwealth #mentalperformance

PATREON:

Thank you to our existing patrons for believing in our work offline and here in the podcast.

Become a patron of the arts at Patreon.com/valerieihsan for books, writing instruction, coaching, and planning. Go to Patreon.com/strangeairstories for short stories in the paranormal mystery genre.

Segment 1 (Announcements/Author Updates):

• Unlocking the Hearth of Your Memoir (Wordcrafters)
• Aligned Author: A Workshop in Intuitive Planning and Strategy (last weekend on Anderson Island)

• (Erick) Spring Break, busy, marketing, When can I slot in phone calls?, less writing

What are you reading?

• Valerie: In the Dream House (Carmen Maria Machado) The Girl from the Grand Hotel (Camille Aubray)
• (Not ready to give up on them, but struggling to finish them:) Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman; The Year of the Puppy (Alexandra Horowitz) ; The Teller of Small Fortunes Julie Leong
• Erick: Stephen Brust's The Book of Jhereg (Vlad Taltos)

• Segment 2 (Resources/Tips/Tidbits):

• Tidbit #1: simplyscripts.com to read screenplays (not the bound screenplays in bookstores); Drew's Script-o-Rama; Scott Myers' Go Into the Story (Read scripts you've watched before and ones you haven't.)
• Tidbit #2:
• Segment 3 (Mindset-Craft-Biz Check):

Segment 4 (Main Topic):

Romcom 90-100 pages

Same beats in every story (might take longer to reach the beat.)

Buddy comedies and romantic comedies reach beats at the same time.

1) Characters always odd couple. (Internal push/pull.) Emotional bonding early on.

D&Dumber (Harry and Lloyd)

WHMS (Harry and Sally)

2) Meet Cute (sparks the long term relationship/Will they survive as friends? Will they/Won't they tension at beginning of the movie--by page 5 (within 5-8 minutes) when the theme of the story is stated.

3) Page 12 is where story diverges and real problem starts. 12-25 emotional bonding is depicted. Quirky side characters introduced (opposite of main characters).

4) Page 25 is start of Act II. (25-30 central theme is tested. Page 30-55 Fun and Games, tested in fun ways (with minimal risk)

5) Midpoint (something happens and fun and games has more risk, stakes are different). Now antics are pointed towards each other. (Pages 55-70)

6) Page 75 (the dark night of the soul sequence starts here) characters hit rock bottom, how do the characters deal with it.

7) Ending (emotional payoff and repair what's broken).

And don't forget: Get 48% off the Magic Mind :

https://magicmind.com/VALERIE20 and use Valerie20 at checkout.

#magicmind #mentalwealth #mentalperformance

Next episode: Guest H.H. Rune on Letting Your Story Go Out into the World.

Main Topic: 5 Rules of Screen-Writing (starts at 18:23)

Up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one time purchases with code

VALERIE20 at checkout

You can claim it at: https://magicmind.com/VALERIE20

#magicmind #mentalwealth #mentalperformance

PATREON:

Thank you to our existing patrons for believing in our work offline and here in the podcast.

Become a patron of the arts at Patreon.com/valerieihsan for books, writing instruction, coaching, and planning. Go to Patreon.com/strangeairstories for short stories in the paranormal mystery genre.

Segment 1 (Announcements/Author Updates):

• (Valerie) movement (getting back into it); client work; work/life balance nonexistent (talked with Ali)
• Aligned Author: A Workshop in Intuitive Planning and Strategy

"Using strategic principles, core values, and your desired feelings as a guide, you can create goals that feel good to pursue. Aligned Embodied Action is an intuitive and authentic way to approach goal-setting and strategic planning.

Join life coach and author Valerie Ihsan for this experiential, full-day workshop packed with hands-on exercises, practical tips, valuable resources, and live coaching opportunities.

By the end of the day, you’ll walk away with a personalized action plan—clear, aligned, and ready to implement—so you can take your next steps with confidence."