Thriller 101

Benefits of Being in a Community & Storyteller's Society Exclusive Sneak Peek

• David • Season 2

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David Gwyn: [00:00:00] On Friday, I introduced all of you to the storyteller society. And today I want to talk a little bit more about the community. So we're diving into two game-changing benefits for thriller suspense, mystery, and crime fiction writers. That will give your work a serious edge. 

 Today, we're talking about our targeted writing workshops and our exclusive agent pitch events. 

I'm David Gwyn, a writer navigating the world of traditional publishing during the second season of the thriller one-on-one podcast, we're going to continue our focus on building the skills necessary to write the kind of thrillers that land you, an agent and readers. During the season and I'll be sharing some of my own insights while also talking to agents authors and other publishing professionals about the best way to write a novel. 

If you want the experts secrets, thriller 1 0 1 is where you're going to find them. 

 If you're aiming to take your writing to the next level, or if you dream about that book, deal with a major publisher, then stick around because these two perks might just be what you've been searching for. And just so you know, it is limited [00:01:00] seating for cohort one and it's the lowest price it will ever be at the time of recording this we're nearly 40% filled in cohort one. 

And by the time you're hearing this, that number will be higher. So don't wait. The last day to sign up is Friday, November 15th. But at the rate, people are joining. It's looking like I'll have to close the community before that deadline. So if this is something that you're interested in, make sure you sign up right away. 

So you don't miss the cutoff so, like I said, I want to get into two benefits of being in the community. But before we do, I want you to hear what literary agent Lori Galvin has to say about finding a writing community. 

Lori Galvin: I do look for that and I do ask about that. You know, maybe you don't have to have been published, but do you have some sort of, you know, writing community?

Do you, are you in a writer's group or do you have beta readers?

David Gwyn: Let's start with writing workshops in the thriller one-on-one storytellers society. We focus on skills that make a direct impact on your writing. We're talking about genre specific techniques that you can apply right away to improve your craft, but [00:02:00] also your draft. These aren't your typical lectures. They're more hands-on and interactive than that, they're designed to dig deep into the nuances of writing thriller and suspense novels. So you're not someone who feels like your. Sitting on a zoom meeting. 

With your camera off and just half listening, but rather that your, a participant in a workshop. 

These workshops are designed for you to implement the elements of the lesson that you want to while leaving behind anything that doesn't serve you. 

But we want to give the information to you so that you can learn immediately and implement immediately. The changes you make in your query letter or first pages could be the difference between a full request and a form rejection. So, whether it's a session about reworking, a scene or adding layers to your characters or tightening your pacing, every workshop is going to give you the tools to make changes in your writing practice or your manuscript or both. Right away. 

This isn't about like abstract theory. It's about taking practical steps that [00:03:00] will develop your story and develop your craft. 

So if you've been looking for ways to refine your craft, our writing workshops might be perfect for you. You don't just attend and listen. You walk away with actionable insights that can transform your manuscript. 

Okay, before we get into the next segment, I want to talk about some of the amazing guests that we're going to have in just the first month of this community. First our author resident will be Elle Grawl. Well, she's the author of what still burns. And one of those faces, if you're in the storytellers society, you'll get to do a meet and greet and Q and a with L plus she'll be in the community for a whole month commenting and answering questions. I mean, talk about a great way to get your questions answered and learn all about her publishing experiences. 

Daria white Osah is going to talk to us about. How to create a schedule that balances work life and writing. She'll be talking about prioritizing your writing, like a business meeting. Using time pockets and creating a writing first routine. Cindy Cisneros is going to share about writing through a [00:04:00] neuro-diverse lens. 

She'll be talking about strategies for embracing your unique creative brain, which will include things like practical strategies for productivity, creating flexible routines that align with your creative flow and balancing focus and rest. 

Now let's talk about something. A lot of writers find even more intimidating than writing the book itself. Pitching, if you're aiming for traditional publishing, you know, how crucial a solid pitch is, but here's the thing. Crafting a compelling pitch. Isn't easy, especially if you're doing it on your own. In the storytellers society, we offer exclusive pitch events where you can pitch your thriller directly to agents. Yes, like live over zoom. 

Now, maybe you're thinking. David, this doesn't sound very different than any of the other pitch contests I hear about all the time. But it is different for a few very important, fundamental differences that will set you up for success. First. In other contexts writers often pitched agents who are sitting through 2030, or even more pitches in a single day. Imagine [00:05:00] being pitched number like 27. That's gotta be hard to stand out, right? 

Like that. Agent's never going to remember your pitch.

But here's how we make our pitch events different. In hours. Agents listened to a maximum of seven pitches, seven, that's it? No more than that. This way you get the agent's full attention and you're not competing against dozens of other voices. Plus we match you strategically with agents who are actually interested in your genre and themes, which massively boosts your chances of a successful pitch. Oh, and there's another bonus. Not only our pitch events, exclusive to people in the storytellers society.

But we make our pitch events affordable. They're not free because if you ever want to not pitch that month. You don't have to and feel like you're missing out. So for just $20, you get access to four agent pitches, not $20 per pitch, $20 total to put that into perspective, most pitch events charge 25 to $40 for a single pitch to one agent. 

Not only that, but first you have to [00:06:00] buy a ticket to their conference, which could be hundreds of dollars. 

With us, you're getting multiple shots with agents tailored to your story for a fraction of that cost. And we go even further to ensure you're set up for success, because what if you're not sure if your pitch is ready? I've done these pitch events before, and I just had to practice by myself

instead, when you sign up for one of our pitch events, you also get a one-on-one practice session with me to refine and Polish your pitch before the big day. This personalized feedback session is included with your entry. 

But it's all about giving you the confidence and clarity to make an impression on who's hopefully your future agent, and guess what. If you don't get multiple full requests from our event. We'll give you free entry to the next pitch event. You're not going to find a guarantee like that anywhere else. But 

before we wrap up, I want to hear from author Jessica Payne about the importance of having a writing community. 

Jessica Payne: It really is community. It is building a community. It is being a part of a community. And if you are an unagented [00:07:00] unpublished writer, now is the time to start that.

David Gwyn: Okay, so there you have it between our hands-on writing workshops and our exclusive agent targeted pitch events. The thriller 1 0 1 storytellers. Society has everything you need to refine your craft and break into the publishing world. If you're ready to take your writing seriously and want a community that will support you every step of the way and consider joining us in the thriller one-on-one storytellers society. You'll find resources, support, and connections that can really make a big difference. 

All right. 

Thanks for hanging out tomorrow. We'll hear from some members of cohort, one who signed on right away. As soon as the storyteller society was available. They're going to talk about why they're joining. And what they're most looking forward to. You won't want to miss that episode. If you're on the fence at all about the storyteller society. 

Remember what I said about the spots filling up. You don't want to miss out on this opportunity. So be sure to subscribe. And if you have a friend who might benefit from this community, be sure to let them know. They'll thank you. I promise. 

All right, that's it. 

I will see you [00:08:00] all tomorrow.