Page by Page: Writing the Book in Real Time

Creation in the Time of Chaos: 3 Ways to Thrive in Quarantine

Do you have a lot of unexpected time on your hands?Feeling the pressure to create art can add more stress than freedom.In this episode of A Book and A Dream, Megan O'Russell discusses tips for creating in a stressful time.Tune in for the Facebook live chat on 3/25 for insight on turning the draft you create in isolation into a book. https://www.facebook.com/ORussellauthor/Find Ember and Stone here: https://books2read.com/EmberandStone Get full access to Page by Page Podcast Substack at meganorussell.substack.com/subscribe

Age Is(n’t) Just a Number: Showing a Character’s Age Through Action and Perspective

In this episode of A Book and A Dream, Megan O'Russell discusses getting a character's age across through experience, knowledge, and even sexual know-how.Also a special notice! Ember and Stone, book one in the Ena of Ilbrea series, is only $0.99 for a limited time. Escape the madness of the world for a little bit. Escape into Adventure. https://books2read.com/EmberandStone Get full access to Page by Page Podcast Substack at meganorussell.substack.com/subscribe

A Book By Any Other Cover: How Cover Art Affects Success

Don't judge a book by its cover. A great sentiment in theory...not so much in practice.In this episode of A Book and A Dream, Megan O'Russell discusses the importance of cover art, including how changing the cover art of a series (Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lunar Chronicles) affects our reading experience.Links mentioned:Sleepy Fox Designs: https://www.sleepyfoxstudio.net/Cinder Cover: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36381037-cinderScarlet Cover: https://www.amazon.com/Scarlet-Book-Two-Lunar-Chronicles/dp/1250768896/ref=nodl_ Get full access to Page by Page Podcast Substack at meganorussell.substack.com/subscribe

Can You Hear Me Now: Inner Monologues in Fiction

Did you know some people don't have inner monologues? Some individuals go throughout life without a voice in their head constantly commenting on what's happening.In this episode of A Book and A Dream, Megan O'Russell explores the world of fiction through characters' inner monologues, and imagines a world of writing in which no inner monologues exist.Prefer videos to audio only? Visit my Instagram @orussellmegan. Get full access to Page by Page Podcast Substack at meganorussell.substack.com/subscribe

Writing What You Know

Ever heard the phrase "write what you know"? Ever wonder if some of your favorite authors heeded that advice and to what extreme?In this episode of A Book and A Dream, Megan O'Russell shares some of her favorite (sometimes ludicrous) real-life encounters and how she wove those moments into her stories, and wonders what would happen if we could ask big name authors about their real-world inspiration. Get full access to Page by Page Podcast Substack at meganorussell.substack.com/subscribe

Heartbreaking Scenes in Fantasy and the Joy of Being in the Know

Have you ever watched someone read a book you've already read? You know they're about to get to a really upsetting part, and you just can't look away? You have to see what their reaction is going to be?In this spoiler free (as always) episode of A Book and A Dream, Megan O'Russell confesses her love of watching readers do this exact thing (i.e. Book Six of Harry Potter, that scene in Mockingjay...you know the one), and muses on why we love watching others get their hearts torn out.In case you missed episode 11, you can find it on Megan's website (by clicking here) or wherever you get your podcasts. Get full access to Page by Page Podcast Substack at meganorussell.substack.com/subscribe

A Grown-Up Love for YA Books: An Interview with Leah Stuhler

"Grown-ups" LOVE YA books. From The Hunger Games and Maze Runner to Twilight and Harry Potter, the vast majority of YA books are bought by adults between the ages of 18 and 64.On this episode of A Book and A Dream, Megan O'Russell talks with guest Leah Stuhler, author of The Cupcake Bullies, about how Leah's love of YA books and podcasts culminated in her starting a podcast of her own YA Book Chat.You can find Leah at YA Book Chat on Instagram and FacebookOr on Twitter @LeahStuhlerAnd feel free to email her at yabookchat@gmail.comAnd don't forget to check out When Worlds Begin, a new collection of novels by Megan O'Russell.Hope at the end of the world.Love stronger than magic.Courage to topple kingdoms.Adventures that reach new realms.When Worlds Begin offers four full-length novels by Megan O’Russell. From breathtaking adventures to dystopian darkness, this collection has something for every fantasy fan.Included in this collection: Ember and Stone, Girl of Glass, The Tethering, and The Girl Without Magic.Pre-order your copy by visiting https://books2read.com/whenworldsbegin/ Get full access to Page by Page Podcast Substack at meganorussell.substack.com/subscribe

Terrible Choices Fantasy Characters Make and the Real World Consequences for Readers

Did you ever crawl into a wardrobe in the hopes of reaching Narnia? Or dream of running head-first at the wall between platforms nine and ten at King's Cross Station?In this episode of A Book and A Dream, Megan O'Russell discusses the fears of blurring the lines between fantasy and reality in the reader's mind―from broken noses to terrible tragedies with a special shout out to the horror of following a true tale like Into the Wild and the sad fate of some fans.Be sure to connect with Megan O'Russell on:FacebookTwitterInstagramMeganORussell.com Get full access to Page by Page Podcast Substack at meganorussell.substack.com/subscribe

The Twists and Turns of Writing a Book

Before Harry Potter landed on bookstore shelves, entire scenes, entire story arcs were rewritten. Ever wonder what our favorite books would have been like in their original forms?In this episode of A Book and A Dream, Megan O'Russell discusses what it's like as an author to "kill your darlings" in order to give readers the best journey possible.*As referenced in this week's podcast, the number of books Megan has written totals twenty (with the twenty-first being written as this plays). Get full access to Page by Page Podcast Substack at meganorussell.substack.com/subscribe

Top Five Survival Lessons Learned from Fantasy Novels

Need tips on surviving natural disasters and stranger danger? These five fantasy novels might help.In this episode, Megan O'Russell shares the top five lessons in survival she learned from fantasy novels, ranging from The Chronicles of Narnia to Maze Runner.Did you know the CDC released a guide to surviving the Zombie Apocalypse? It's true! That was almost a decade ago, and it's what inspired this episode of A Book and A Dream. You can find the original CDC blog post here: https://blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/2011/05/preparedness-101-zombie-apocalypse/Tune in. Your survival may depend on it!Be sure to connect with Megan O'Russell on:FacebookTwitterInstagramMeganORussell.com Get full access to Page by Page Podcast Substack at meganorussell.substack.com/subscribe