How to Start Writing the Book of Your Dreams

Want to start writing that novel you've been dreaming about, or perhaps simply break into a new genre? Today, Abbie and I are breaking down our top essentials for starting any new writing project, period. This episode is designed to equip you to write your best and make your story matter to you and your readers. So grab a notebook, some coffee, and let's get started!
Keep this podcast alive and free of interruptions: / thekateandabbieshow
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Connect with Kate on Instagram (@lonehawkwriter) or her blog: www.heretocrea...
Connect with Abbie on Instagram (@makeyourstorymatter) or her blog: www.abbiee.com/

[@nai6703]

One thing I do to get to know my characters (call me crazy) is I get my notebook and I write a skit of conversations between me and them. It actually works!

[@Amy_Mi6]

A SERIES TOGETHER?!! I’M DEAD!! I NEED this in my life and I don’t even know what it’s about yet lol

[@opalgaffney9510]

im 13 years old and this is amazing.thank you for helping me start my writing dreams

[@Bfi3]

me too

[@ang5824]

I am 13 years old too 😁

[@nai6703]

@Kane Legacy same!

[@naomievelyn2062]

I can't believe you guys are doing a series together! I am so stoked!

[@Amy_Mi6]

Side note: I love how Abbie struggles with a frog in her throat yet it’s Kate who takes a drink lol... they truly are connected on a whole other level 😄

[@KAEmmons]

😂😂your comments make my day, Amy!

[@Amy_Mi6]

@@KAEmmons 😄💜 Love you guys!! 🥰

[@Friendship1nmillion]

@@KAEmmons I feel that your sister Abbie is a really good teacher However , I feel uncomfortable watching her videos . It's NOTHING to do with her , it's me . It's { that } watching her videos I feel I'm back in a classroom and i NEVER did well with school work 😮‍💨🤳🇦🇺🇳🇴 . My occupational therapist said to me I should do mindfulness exercises to prepare for watching your sister's videos . Not sure what exercises he is suggesting exactly . Did try posting questions to Abbie { Emmons } on her channel { hashtaged and even maybe posted on Facebook } Although she hasn't { as far as I'm aware } tried to mention me Or my questions . 😓

[@Friendship1nmillion]

@@KAEmmons By the way , have you and Or your sister considered getting a Twitter account ? I see alot of similarities between you K.A. and KZbin singer/songwriter ReinaDelCid . { hope that doesn't offend you } . 🤳🇦🇺🇳🇴

[@amanyhassan9565]

😊

[@juliaherkel8051]

That's so cool that you guys are writing a story together! 😃 Best of luck! I know it'll turn out great 😊 I agree that you should definitely try to experiment all the time; trying new things is how you find what works and what doesn't for you.

[@spacewhales2118]

A beginners mindset is something that I’ve intuitively been working with but I didn’t quite understand the importance of this lesson till now. You two have been one of the biggest positive influences, connected so many dots, and helped me to stop and transform so many toxic things. I’m glad I’m hearing all this while I’m still in the beginning of my career, thank you.

[@EYTSIRHC1]

I loved Lois Walfrid Johnson’ The Riverboat Adventures In elementary and junior high. I reread them and memorized them and collected the new covers and wrote a screenplay for them to be a movie and that’s when I really fell in love with writing and I name my main characters after those characters and I want to name my children after those characters because I felt like I knew them when I was younger. I connected with Libby because she had red hair and her father was a single father and she was never good enough for her aunt and she wanted to be accepted. I liked Caleb because he was strong, brave, wise, etc. He took care of Libby and was a good friend to her and you could feel the romance building and it was believable because they started with animosity and tension and then they were close friends who helped each other and talked about things that were important to each other and they were there for each other. They encouraged my relationship with God. I visited areas mentioned in the book and enjoyed learning about things they mentioned in school like I had been in the story and I had been on a time machine.

[@dalemaki7603]

Oh I'm so excited that you guys are doing a new work together That's awesome!

[@Amy_Mi6]

Watching this for the second time today... this podcast feeds my creative soul 🙌💕💜

[@tinubaby5448]

Thanks guys! I just had a novel idea in my mind❣️ I am so excited🤩

[@katies8080]

Loved the section on character development. I was a pantser in the past but through watching your writing videos I'm starting to realise how important making an outline is and perhaps this is the reason why I have failed in the past. I also struggle with finding voice for different characters.

[@evelinapaslanicenka269]

I think the writing and then taking notes about the characters or world will really help me. I think I've found something that will really work for me, thank you. 💖💖💖💖

[@helendrew-bradley9167]

Great news that you guys are going to write together, how exciting!

[@nai6703]

"You can't edit a black page." Best quote EVER

[@dalemaki7603]

Yay I love your videos!

[@BKPrice]

Boom indeed.

[@goddessdejour]

💙 being able to SEE a podcast 🎙 in action!

[@EYTSIRHC1]

The Vow mentioned reading your favorite book for the first time and it was romantic.

[@goddessdejour]

Now, you guys have to vlog the podcast set up...whomp, whomp, whoommmmmp 😩

[@jayashreechakravarthy4949]

After testing me with so much physical suffering, you’ve seen me think about introducing romance in the novel, and even wonder what would be funny. That was after I couldn’t breathe yesterday, for hours. Sir or sirs, are you sure you’re testing me or are you just torturing me? You’ve seen a lot more than you need to, and I’ve proven myself a lot more than I needed to. This is enough testing to think about. Please let me be normal now.

[@wolfbird6613]

As a painter it always makes me laugh when they constantly use the painter analogy and its always incorrect lmao. Yes, people say that shit to painters too. As someone who's both I can confirm being a painter and a writer and extremely similar experiences.

[@annejia5382]

okay but Kate is aging backwards 😍 she looks even younger as time passes by 💓

[@emeraldeye14]

Is this podcast on spotify?

[@moonyloops]

Yep!

[@jazzmineanderson6330]

You guy should do Clubhouse

[@jameswarren2150]

First, this is great. Second, I think the difference between a pantser and an outliner is. . . nothing. Let me explain. I do both myself but lean toward outlining. I outline the spine of the story, but I pants everything in between. The book I am writing now, has over a 26K words outline. And that is not counting the scene/sequel outline. Myself, I can't understand how a writer can write a story with a theme and endpoint and NOT outline and because of character arc and because of cause and effect (underline "Cause and Effect," the most important aspect of fiction writing, with "Why if matters," as understood). Quite honestly, I'm not smart enough to keep everything in my head and end up at an endpoint of my theme of my story that I want to scream from the rooftops. But as I pants, sometimes my outline doesn't work. So I can change the outline instead of various segments in the whole story where my story will meander because of ignoring cause and effect. Builders have blueprints, travelers have maps. I DO NOT know of any contractor who starts a building without a blueprint. When a traveler wants to go across America, they start with a map and the quickest LINE of travel. How does a traveler get to point "B" from point "A" WITHOUT knowing in which direction they want to go. Outlining tells the quickest and straightest way to travel (cause and effect). Pantsing gets there eventually but will meander ALL OVER America, and thusly destroying cause and effect. My voice is probably no good but the hard part is each character's voice so they don't sound the same. Thanks for this blog. Many nuggets here.

[@blackpinkluv9869]

You shouldn’t outline Me: looks down at my outline

[@0OB08O]

The way you talk about "no wrong way to write" is definitively great! The theme of my story is kinda about that: "I'ts not always right or wrong, as long as your spirit's strong, it's not always win or loose, it's the road you choose, the answer's within. It's not always black and white..." (Yeah, I got it from a pokemon opening)

[@jaydaalmonte539]

Wait- yes! A new series? Together!? IM HERE FOR IT!!

[@Author-ESHart]

I work in a partnership in writing as well. The great thing about it is that we don't deal with writer's block all that much because we have each other to bounce ideas off of, and it works. Don't get me wrong, sometimes it's difficult writing with someone else, but through time we've learned how to do it effectively without fighting too much. lol

[@hellgast0]

So my biggest problem is I have ADHD and I'm a perfectionist, so I almost never get past writing 2-3 chapters before I quit. I'm good at creating the big outlines (in my head). I can usually describe you what happens and the progression in a scene, but I'm just getting stuck on the rest. I just can't write natural sounding dialogue and the flow of time is always ambiguous to me. It's like my characters are in a hurry all the time. So what I do is I keep revising the scene over and over and over.

[@ummmmno411]

This literally just described me and the issues I'm having with my own

[@ang5824]

Dialogue is really really hard to write.

[@ang5824]

@@ummmmno411 my thoughts right here

[@annejia5382]

maybe put in the content of the dialogue that you want in there and then go towards chapter 4 and continue typing all the ideas that you have in your head after that get back to that part as long as you know what you want to be included in the dialogue so that even if you skipped over that part in the present time, you're not bound to go into a different direction for the later chapters opposite to the dialogues that you planned for the earlier chapters.

[@annejia5382]

i know what i wrote was confusing but i hope you understood it 😂

[@fatimasajid9224]

I've started drafting a book and my mind jumps between the personality of my characters.. I totally understand your voice in writing now! I had so much fun!!

[@Amy_Mi6]

Abbie, how do you know about my “intimidation corner”? Lol

[@michaelbjrklund9304]

What do you guys think of a series like Isaac Asimov's Foundation series?

[@coastalbeer]

Robert C Bauer, "The Kid Gallagher Story ".

[@ViviH-o8w]

I gave my friend a list of books and told her that if I ever get amnesia and lose my memory to give me the list and force me to read them so I can experience them for the first time again

[@louisesb]

Your show is literally the joy of my week ☀️

[@Amy_Mi6]

The stoked feelings are mutual 💜!!

[@thevintageplaylist7191]

OMG I'M SO EXCITED FOR THE NEW SERIES NOW

[@sallyscrive]

can't wait to know more about your series :)