Episode 213 – Putting Story Theory Into Practice With Valerie Francis

Mark has a conversation with Canadian author Valerie Francis, a literary editor, podcaster, story nerd, and the bestselling author of the steamy romance, Masquerade (think Bridgerton for the 21st century).

Prior to the main content, Mark shares a personal update, recent comments, thanks Patrons and offers a few words about this episode’s sponsor regarding their forthcoming marketplace.

This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices.

You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway.

In their conversation, Mark and Valerie talk about:

– Valerie’s introduction to becoming a StoryGrid editor in 2015 when she had finished her first novel, a middle-grade fantasy she had written on instinctThe New York trip Valerie took to a two day workshop and how her writing took a quantum leap from thatHow, despite learning the intricacies of story and breaking elements apart, Valerie hasn’t lost her love of storyThe different tools that writers can use when crafting a storyThe concept of the “potato chip length” chapterThe origin of Valerie’s 12 part serialized novel MasqueradeThe tagline for Masquerade: “What would you do if you knew you wouldn’t get caught?”The designs that Valerie commissioned for the print book versionDefining the target audience for Masquerade and how it was designed specifically as an escape for themCreating a romance with protagonists in their 40sThe five different plot lines involved in the Masquerade storyHow the entire project of Valerie’s novel Immortal came aboutLearning how to create a story within a story, multiple story lines and a non-linear structure Challenges that come with having to hook your audience multiple times with multiple story linesThrowing away the entire first draft of her manuscript after 18 months of workThe fact there are 57 million books on Amazon right now and what that means for authorsAnd more…

After the interview, Mark reflects on Valerie’s long-term hard work ethic of writing the best books she can and really understanding her target audience.

Links of Interest:

Valerie Francis’ WebsiteValerie’s Book ClubLove Stories for Busy WomenPsychological Thriller: ImmortalMiddle Grade FantasyBooks for WritersEpisode 104 – Living the Editing & Writing Life with Valerie FrancisEpisode 199 – Chelle Honiker & Chrishaun Keller-Hanna of Indie Author MagazineEpisode 128 – Healthy Home Workspaces with Roland DenzelFindaway VoicesAnnouncing MarketplaceThe 2nd Annual Online Sci-Fi & Fantasy Writers Conference (Oct 16, 2021)Brantford Public Library Online Workshop: Writing True Ghost Stories (Oct 6 and 7, 2021)Patreon for Stark ReflectionsThe Relaxed AuthorBuy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook DirectPublishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author’s Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark’s Canadian Werewolf BooksThis Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big City

Canadian writer, Valerie Francis, is a bestselling author of fiction for women and children. She’s so obsessed with the craft of storytelling that she’s started an online book club featuring stories by, for and about women. You can join the book club by clicking here.

Originally published under the pseudonym, Robin St. Croix, Masquerade is a love story designed for busy women on the go. At a dinner party one night, Valerie’s friends (all avid readers and busy women) confessed that due to their hectic schedules, they didn’t read as much as they used to. So, Valerie designed a book in 12 parts that could easily be read on a cell phone while they waited in dentists’ offices or stood on the sidelines of soccer fields. Each part is about the length of a glass of wine or a commute home. Guilt-free moments of escape for readers in their otherwise chaotic days!

Nature Knights is a fantasy adventure for kids ages 9 and up. The idea came to her after seeing a photo of a turtle that had died because of plastic garbage it had ingested. She wondered what would happen if nature could fight back and that evening, she began to write the story.

Although Valerie writes across genre, there is a common thread in her work and that is, strong female characters. Women and girls of all ages have a particular perspective on the world and it’s this point of view she’s keen to explore.

The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0