EP498: Karen Storey - “How to Become a Short Story Superstar”
Mar 25, 2024
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Karen Storey, a successful short story writer, shares the secrets of her one-in-three win rate in over 40 competitions last year. She discusses the importance of great endings and receives the Bestseller Academy All-Star Award for her achievements.
Immerse in writing flow state for high word counts and creativity.
Infuse emotional experiences into writing for impactful storytelling.
Embrace unpredictability in short story writing with unique twists for competition success.
Deep dives
Karen's Remarkable Success in Short Story Competitions
Karen has achieved remarkable success in short story competitions, entering over 40 competitions with an impressive success rate. She delves into how she generates such high word counts, sometimes reaching 40,000 words a month, driven by getting into a flow state when writing. Karen's approach involves immersing herself in the story, losing track of time, and finding clarity through writing.
Karen's Writing Journey from Childhood to Adulthood
Karen reveals her lifelong passion for writing, starting from childhood where she wrote short stories from a young age. Family experiences and personal challenges led her back to writing in her adulthood as a form of catharsis and creative escape. She shares a poignant story about her father's final moments before his passing, emphasizing the emotional connection she infuses into her writing.
Karen's Writing Strategy for Short Stories
Karen's approach to short stories involves writing quick, unusual pieces with unexpected twists that capture readers' attention. She highlights the importance of adhering to word counts and competition rules, emphasizing the need for a strong story arc with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Karen's ability to swiftly draft short stories while embracing unpredictability contributes to her high success rate in competitions.
Karen's Creative Marketing and Newsletter Strategies
Karen addresses her initial apathy towards marketing her work and the Academy's role in transforming her perspective. With guidance from the Academy, Karen embraced creative marketing techniques, including developing a fiction-based newsletter featuring her grumpy cat, Tiffany. This unique approach garnered positive responses and significantly increased her subscriber base, showcasing the power of innovative and engaging marketing strategies.
Karen's Novel Progress and Agent Support
Karen shares her journey of revising her novel with enthusiasm and detailed in her collaborative efforts with her supportive agent. Her agent's admiration and excitement for the novel have fueled her motivation and confidence. Karen's dedicated revisions and collaborative spirit exemplify her commitment to honing her craft and pursuing her writing dreams with unwavering determination.
Karen Storey's name has become synonymous with success in short story writing. With an impressive one-in-three win rate out of over 40 competitions last year, Karen exemplifies what it means to blend passion with strategy in writing. In this episode, Karen shares the secrets of her success, including the importance of great endings. In a final twist, we surprise Karen with the Bestseller Academy All-Star Award for her outstanding achievements.
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