Today I am so excited to have Steven James on the show!

Steve is the bestselling, critically acclaimed author of sixteen novels. Best known for his psychological thrillers, he has received more than a dozen honors and awards for his books, including 3 Christy Awards and being nominated as a finalist for an International Thriller Award.

He is also the author of the groundbreaking book on the craft of fiction, Story Trumps Structure: How to Write Unforgettable Fiction by Breaking the Rules, which won a 2015 Storytelling World Award. He also hosts the podcast “The Story Blender,” where he interviews great storytellers from the world of cinema, oral performance, and writing about the craft of great storytelling (and where I’ve had the honor of being a guest!).

Steve’s most recent novel, Every Wicked Man, is another exhilarating installment of the Bowers Files featuring his iconic character FBI Special Agent Patrick Bowers. I have to admit, this book kind of scared the living daylights out of me and had me frantically turning the virtual pages on my Kindle.

Listen in as we chat about this awesome suspense-filled story, and how to craft a novel that will keep your readers guessing until the very end.

In this episode Steven and I discuss:

• How to craft a dynamic relationship over the course of a series.
• Four questions to ask yourself to help shape your story.
• Why you shouldn’t plan out surprising twists before hand.
• Breaking down the four elements of the perfect plot twist.
• How to pivot your story to give readers what they want or something even better.

Plus, Steven’s #1 tip for writers.

About Steven James

Steven James is the bestselling, critically acclaimed author of sixteen novels. He has a master’s degree in storytelling and is a contributing editor to Writer’s Digest. Best known for his psychological thrillers, he has received more than a dozen honors and awards for his books, including three Christy Awards for best suspense. His book The Queen was also a finalist for an International Thriller Award.

His groundbreaking book on the craft of fiction, Story Trumps Structure: How to Write Unforgettable Fiction by Breaking the Rules, won a 2015 Storytelling World Award, recognizing it as one of the year’s best resources for storytellers. He is also the author of Troubleshooting Your Novel, another Writer’s Digest title.

Steven is the host of the podcast “The Story Blender,” where he interviews great storytellers from the world of cinema, oral performance, and writing about the craft of great storytelling.

His latest suspense novel, Every Wicked Man, is now available.

To connect with Steven check out his website at www.stevenjames.net.

And don’t forget to check out the upcoming Character Writing Intensive Conference (discussed in this episode) featuring Steven James, David Corbett, and Susan May Warren on October 26-27, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia.

This conference is designed to specifically help writers develop unforgettable characters that will emotionally resonate with your readers long after they’ve finished your story.

For more information about this awesome event visit www.characterconference.com. And if you use the coupon code ALUMNI you can save $25 off the cost of registration!

Every Wicked Man

A criminal mastermind’s chilling terrorist plot forces FBI Special Agent Patrick Bowers to the brink…

When a senator’s son takes his own life and posts the video live online, Agent Bowers is drawn into a complex web of lies that begins to threaten the people he loves the most. As he races to unravel the mystery behind the suicide and a centuries-old code that might help shed light on the case, he finds a dark pathway laced with twists and deadly secrets that touch a little too close to home.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 216

(Right-click to download.)

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Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 216: Perfect Your Plot Twists — Interview with Steven James appeared first on DIY MFA.