Writing the Legacy

Sometimes, life puts you on vocal rest and makes you consider alternative solutions.

On this episode of A Book and a Dream, Megan's husband Chris is flying solo. Tune in to hear what a day in the life of a writer's spouse is like and how Chris contributes to the business.

How many names does it take to build a world?

In this episode of A Book and a Dream, Megan digs into how big a world Ilbrea has become and how the expansive nature of the Ena of Ilbrea series impacts the creation of the upcoming Ilbrean audiobooks.

2020 taught us never to get cocky in our plans. 2021 seems determined to reinforce this lesson. 

In today's episode of A Book and A Dream, Megan digs through her plans for 2021, exposing some...mistakes, and some awesome achievements (can you say more audio?) Great things happen when you learn to accept the gifts the world smashes into your face.

Hiring a narrator for an audiobook means turning over control of your characters. From how your protagonist is portrayed to how that laugh line lands, your audiobook listeners' journey through your story will be dictated by your narrator's performance.

In the case of Ena of Ilbrea, her journey through a society that holds onto negative stereotypes of strong women could end in triumph or disaster depending on how the narrator depicts her battle against the Guilds.

How many words does it take to complete a character arc with integrity while contributing to the greater narrative? How many miles can a rowboat travel along a coast in one day? How much backstory will your readers need, when do they need it, and what's the most efficient and entertaining way to offer that world building?

All of these questions become monumentally important when orchestrating an epic fantasy narrative. 

On this episode of A Book and A Dream, Megan O'Russell walks through her triumphs and terrors in the writing and editing process for Myth and Storm, book two in the Guilds of Ilbrea series.

Planning on making that move through the wardrobe a permanent one? Here's a helpful list of questions to ask before deciding to apply for citizenship in a new fantasy world.

It's release day for Soul of Glass, book two in the Heart of Smoke series!

In today's episode of A Book and A Dream, Megan shares the top four reasons you'll want to escape into this paranormal dystopian with chemically induced vampires...as if chemically induced vampires weren't enough of a reason.

Did you know the love interest dies on page 235?

Did you want to know long before you hit the tragedy that destroyed the hero's heart?

Whether you like to know the trauma ahead or want to be surprised as you turn the page, spoilers can ruin or (allegedly) improve the reader's experience.

Dive into the pros and cons of knowing the plot twist in advance in this week's episode of A Book and A Dream.

From fonts to story formula, branding has a huge impact on how readers perceive authors.

Whether an author presents a chipper personality or offers a stark website, every interaction with readers fosters a future relationship.

As an author, it's your job to create a consistent brand that clearly tells your readers what to expect. As a reader, you (often subconsciously) interpret these cues to decide which books to adore and which to pass over.

Peek inside the making of an author brand in this week's episode of A Book and A Dream.

700 years ago, the Great King of Inisvarden did...a bunch of stuff you won't need to know about until book six, but the author is dumping the information in the first part of book one.

If you've ever come across moments like this while reading, you're not alone. If you've ever come across moments like this while writing...you're NOT alone. The good news? There are many ways to avoid these info dumps.

Learn the tell-tale signs of a dreaded info dump and how to avoid them in this week's episode of A Book and A Dream.