We're back after a long break with a new episode -- maybe the most useful one yet -- and an update on future plans. If you want to stay in the loop re future opportunities to learn from Amie, make sure you're on the mailing list, which you can join at amiekaufman.substack.com

We’ll be back in a couple of months with the second half of Season 4, and in the meantime, I have a couple of fantastic bonus episodes for you. When I got a question about how to turn a character idea into a story idea, I knew Lili was the person to answer it. Listeners, you can find Lili on Instagram at @liliwilkinson, or online at her website, wh…

We’ll be back in a couple of months with the second half of Season 4, and in the meantime, I have a couple of fantastic bonus episodes for you. First up, we're going to hear from James Sutter. James is the co-creator of the Pathfinder and Starfinder roleplaying games—if you’re not a tabletop gamer, they’re similar to games like D&D. He’s also an au…

Creating a magic system that really works takes effort. Every time you think you’ve got it working, someone points out some what-if hypothetical, and you’re back to the drawing board, trying to plug more leaks in your logic bucket. When it does work, though – well, all of us have been swept away at one point or another by the feeling we’re truly in…

I started writing an episode to answer a question about worldbuilding and research—and then I realised that I already have the perfect resource for you. All of you know by now that my lovely producer Kate is also Kate J. Armstrong, author of Nightbirds, a brilliant book about girls who can gift magic to you with a kiss. Kate and I host the Pub Date…

The way a character narrating a book—or even just a character whose point of view we share—is going to describe someone they see every day is going to be really different to the way they describe a newcomer. Let's break down some of techniques you can use to describe a familiar character in a way that serves the story and feel true to the person de…

I LOVE maps: I think they really add something to a world—when done well, everything from the style in which the map is drawn, to what’s included can contribute to the story. Today I'm going to give you my three best tips for creating one for your story. I have a new book out in a week! The Isles of the Gods is a fantasy novel set on the high seas,…

All my books are romances. I love them: the yearning, the will-they-won’t-they, and sometimes just the how-on-earth-can-they of it. Whether it’s a tortured, star-crossed love affair or a cosy romance set somewhere sweet, I’m here for it. Today I’m going to give you three tips I keep in mind when writing my own romances. I have a new book out in jus…

When I got a question about writing apocalyptic worlds, I knew that London should be the one to answer it. She has so much wisdom on this subject to share. Find out more about London at her website. You will find a transcript of this episode on my website, which is also where you can sign up for my new newsletter and find out about my other podcast…

When I recieved a question on how to create a compelling cast of characters, I knew M.K. England was the person to answer it. M.K. is a pro at building a dynamic ensemble cast, and this episode is jam-packed with their practical advice on how to make sure your cast of characters are all distinct, unique, and play well off each other. Find out more …

I get a lot of questions about co-authoring, and so I'm dedicating the last three episodes of the season to answering them. This week’s question is by far the most frequently asked question I get about co-authoring. What to do when you and your co-author disagree? You can find a transcript of this episode on my website. You can also sign up for my …

I get a lot of questions about co-authoring, and so I'm dedicating the last three episodes of the season to answering them. If you missed last week’s episode, it was about the practicalities of preparing to co-author a book. This week, I’m talking about the writing itself. A transcript of this episode is available on my website. You can sign up for…

The most frequent questions I get are about how co-authoring works. So I’m going to devote the last three episodes of this season to co-authoring, answering one question each week. This episode kicks us off with some advice on how to set up a co-authoring relationship for success from the outset. A transcript of this episode is available on my webs…

My books are famously huge, so I am very intimate with this issue! A long word count isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if it feels like your book is long because the story has gotten away from you, I offer four tips for what you can do about it. A transcript of this episode is available on my website. You can sign up for my newsletter there, which…

When you come to a story, you might have a very basic idea of who a character will be. But how do you go about building those characters, making them feel real and engaging, so the reader cares what happens to them? A transcript of this episode is available on my website. You can sign up for my newsletter there, which is full of information about u…

Let's talk about point of view. What's the difference between first and third person, and how does a novel change depending on which you choose? A transcript of this episode is available on my website, as well as info about my books and how to sign up for my newsletter. That's also where you can find out more about my new podcast, Pub Dates, which …

This week, I am giving you a quick tour through the basics of the three act structure: what it is, why it matters, and why you might want to keep it in mind when crafting your story. A transcript of this episode is available on my website, as well as info about my books and how to sign up for my newsletter. That's also where you can find out more a…

If you want, or even need, to write, but you're having trouble finding the time, this one's for you. This is a guide for busy people that I hope will help you carve out that time while encouraging you to rest when you need it. You will find the transcript for this episode on my website, as well as info about my books and a place to sign up for my n…

You might find you’re immediately inclined to lay out your story before you begin, or you might be showing up to give it a try because your writing stalled out. Either way, there are lots of good options, so let’s get into them. You'll find the transcript for this episode on my website, as well as information about my books and access to my newslet…

Welcome to Season 3! To kick us off we have a question about plotters and pantsers. We often say that writers fall on a continuum from plotter at one end, all the way to pantser at the other. What do these terms actually mean and which approach works best? You can find a transcript of this episode at my website, where you can also subscribe to my n…

I am thrilled to announce the new podcast I'm making with my friend, and this show's producer, Kate Armstrong. Come behind the scenes on the making of our books, The Isles of the Gods and Nightbirds, which are coming out in 2023. This is your backstage pass to our characters, our worlds, and all the stories of their making.…

Abby Ranger is a brilliant editor. Over the years, she's worked at HarperCollins, Disney-Hyperion, and Scholastic, with a who's who of authors. In fact, she was my editor on my first book, These Broken Stars. She's smart, insightful, and she doesn't just make your current book better - she teaches you to make all of your future books better too. In…

When I asked you all who you’d like a guest episode from in our break between seasons, today’s guest was a very popular answer. I think Jay’s sense of storytelling is incredible, and when I saw today’s question in the mailbag about what makes for a satisfying ending, I knew I wanted you to hear from him. You can find Jay on Twitter or on Instagram …

You can find a transcript of this episode at my website, where you can also subscribe to my newsletter, get behind-the-scenes peeks at how I write, and any other news about new books, events or the podcast. You can also submit a question for the podcast on my website. You can find me on Twitter or Instagram.…

You can find a transcript of this episode at my website, where you can also subscribe to my newsletter, get behind-the-scenes peeks at how I write, and any other news about new books, events or the podcast. You can also submit a question for the podcast on my website. You can find me on Twitter or Instagram.…

You can find a transcript of this episode at my website, where you can also subscribe to my newsletter, get behind-the-scenes peeks at how I write, and any other news about new books, events or the podcast. You can also submit a question for the podcast on my website. You can find me on Twitter or Instagram.…

You can find a transcript of this episode at my website, where you can also subscribe to my newsletter, get behind-the-scenes peeks at how I write, and any other news about new books, events or the podcast. You can also submit a question for the podcast on my website. You can find me on Twitter or Instagram.…

You can find a transcript of this episode at my website, where you can also subscribe to my newsletter, get behind-the-scenes peeks at how I write, and any other news about new books, events or the podcast. You can also submit a question for the podcast on my website. You can find me on Twitter or Instagram.…

You can find a transcript of this episode at my website, where you can also subscribe to my newsletter, get behind-the-scenes peeks at how I write, and any other news about new books, events or the podcast. You can also submit a question for the podcast on my website. You can find me on Twitter or Instagram.…

You can find a transcript of this episode at my website, where you can also subscribe to my newsletter, get behind-the-scenes peeks at how I write, and any other news about new books, events or the podcast. You can also submit a question for the podcast on my website. You can find me on Twitter or Instagram.…

When I think about writing from the deepest parts of myself – something I’ve done often – I always think of an incredible spoken word poet called Abe Nouk – his surname is spelled Nouk, if you want to look him up – who I once saw speak at a conference. He said, ‘Do not be afraid to reveal yourself to your pen.’ And I wrote that down, took it home, …

There’s nothing worse than finding yourself slowly growing more confused as you read a book – realizing that you’re not sure if you’re meant to know what’s going on, in which case there’s a problem, because you don’t, or whether the author wants you to stick with them because all will be revealed in good time. How do we as writers reassure them, an…

I know we all know that feeling when you’re reading a story you should be enjoying, but it’s taking a while, and your mind is starting to wander, and… eventually you start to skim, or worse, you put the book down, and you don’t come back. Whether this is a book you’ve written, or someone else’s that you’re reading, you can feel that the pacing isn'…

While you’re waiting for us to bring you Season Two, I wanted to share another bonus episode, with some really inspiring advice about researching for historical novels from one of my favourite writers, Ryan Graudin. She’s the award-winning author of a stack of novels, including my favourites, Wolf by Wolf and Invictus, two of my go-to book recommen…

Ellie Marney is an Aussie crime author with a huge and loyal following – I count myself as one of her fans. She’s so smart, and so meticulous with her work. She’s gone behind the scenes at Westminster Mortuary in London, interviewed forensics experts from around the world to get her stories right, and lived all over the world too. She definitely kn…

I loved this week's question about writing morally ambiguous characters, and since we’re in bonus episode territory I thought we should do something fun. So I called on one of my dearest friends, and one of the smartest and most insightful people I know, to see how she’d answer Sarina’s question. Marie Lu is the #1 New York Times bestselling author…

This week we’re going to talk about how you convey it to your reader—because done well, your setting can contribute to the mood of your story, help shape the action, and guide the experience of the reader in ways they don’t even notice. We talked last week about avoiding White Room Syndrome—the feeling that your story could be set anywhere. Let’s t…

Your setting is essentially a character in your story, and has so much to tell us. The location in which your story is set should matter—it should be relevant that the story takes place here, rather than somewhere else, and it should influence the way the story unfolds. Setting is so important that I’ve dedicated the final two episodes of season on…

The answer definitely isn’t to avoid familiar storylines completely—sometimes a path is well-trodden for a reason. So let's get into the difference between a cliché (something we’ve seen over and over) and a trope (a familiar storyline or story element) and talk about how tropes might actually serve you. You can find a transcript of this episode at…

There’s a lot to say about the start of stories, and we’ll get to more of it in future seasons. In this episode, I talk about the tip I use to locate the start of my stories - and, if that doesn’t magically solve my problem, the two questions I ask myself from there. You can find a transcript of this episode at my website, where you can also subscr…

The protagonist—or the main character of your story, the star of the show—is often tricky. I’ve got two questions I ask myself about my protagonist that can be useful in figuring out who they should be if I’m starting, but they’re also useful later as a diagnostic tool—if you think your protagonist might be a bit boring, you can ask yourself these …

This is something that happens to everyone—I don’t buy it when people say they never have writer’s block. They might call it by another name, but there’s no creative out there who doesn’t sometimes have a moment, or a day, or a week… or longer… when they either don’t know how to push forward with their story, or can’t seem to make themselves. So ho…

I work hard to make my stories unputdownable; there’s an art to getting a chapter just right. I’ve got four tips for you when it comes to keeping readers up well past their bedtime. You can find a transcript of this episode at my website, where you can also subscribe to my newsletter, get behind-the-scenes peeks at how I write, and any other news a…

When we hit those paragraphs that are just the author telling you stuff they want you to know about their world, we call them infodumps. We need to show readers what’s different about our world, but the truth is that we don’t think or speak about this stuff very often. Nobody gets on their commuter train every morning and thinks: “Once upon a time …

Building a world for your story or your series is a huge job, and though we all know the one about how the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, how do you figure out which step to take first? This isn’t just a problem if you need to invent an original world—say, for a sci-fi or fantasy novel. Your novel can be set at a high school…

Welcome to Amie Kaufman on Writing, a short podcast that answers one question each week about how writers do what they do. If you’re a writer, or you’re a reader interested in how your favourite authors craft their stories, then you’re in the right place. This season, we’re going to cover lots of topics: worldbuilding—how to do it and how to show i…