Writers in the Storm

by Jenny Hansen

November is here, which means our American Thanksgiving is at the end of the month. In other words, the holidays are upon us, which often leads to stress for writers. Over the years, I have noticed a remarkable similarity between Writer's Block and the Dreaded Turkey Block. I'll share my story, and let y'all decide.

I am late in reserving my organic grass-fed turkey this year. (Yes, I know. I'm from California.) I'm new in my town, so it took me a while to find the best local turkey dealers. And, as always, the minute I reserve that glistening gobbler, my stress-meter cranks sky-high.

My Holiday Confession

I am deathly afraid to take responsibility for the bird.

Really, really afraid. Like heart-pounding-faster-than-a-caffeinated-writer-on-deadline afraid. Obviously, I have a whopping case of the Dreaded Turkey Block.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this malady, it's like writer's block...only instead of a fear of the page, it's a fear of the bird.

My big brother (we call him the Bag Whore), talks about his Thanksgiving Bird like it's his holiday love muffin: rubbing it with butter, seasoning it...BRINING it, for Pete's sake. I can't listen to him.

And right now, at every cooking store, there's a whole freaking wall dedicated to the bird. An. Entire. Wall.

It's wigging me out.

My Short-term Solution

I can't take the responsibility of being in charge of the main event (aka The Bird). I just can't. So I pawned it off on my husband.

For a decade now, Hubby has been tasked with The Bird and I do everything else. Basically, I'd rather make sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry fluff, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and three pies than do ONE turkey.

Last year, I even got the Hubs a "brining kit," although I wasn't exactly sure what it was.

This year, my sis and the Bag Whore are coming and they're in charge. I heard rumors about a smoker and injections. (In my mind, that means they are giving the turkey Botox and lip fillers.) Whatever they're doing, I'm just happy I don't have to be involved.

The Remarkable Similarities

I saw the five main symptoms of Writer's Block, and I have ALL FIVE when it comes to The Bird. I'll put them below so you can see what I mean (and heap sympathy upon me in my time of angst).

5 Symptoms of Writer's Block

Writers Block has these five main symptoms when it comes to how people feel about working on their stories:

• No ideas
• Boredom
• Lack of confidence
• Anxiety
• Stress

I feel blessed because I seem able to overcome these feelings when it comes to writing.

Now, let's apply these to The Bird.

Symptom #1: No Ideas

If you are stuck and have no ideas, it is probably because you started writing, prepping your bird, without doing the groundwork of brainstorming and planning.

Remedy: Give the job to your spouse. If you're single, invite someone like The Bag Whore to your feast.

Symptom #2: Boredom

Either you have chosen a topic turkey you are not particularly interested in, or you've been assigned a topic bird you just don't care much about. Either way, you are stuck because you are bored with your topic turkey.

Remedy: Give the job to your spouse. Or run to the internet. Pray if you need to.

Symptom #3: Lack of Confidence

If you feel you aren't qualified to do the writing turkey, you will be stuck from the onset. You may worry that your grammar gobbler technique isn't good enough or you have poor spelling basting skills. You may be hearing criticisms in your head from previous attempts at writing turkey-making.

Remedy: Give the job to your spouse. Or open wine. Lots and lots of wine.

Symptom #4: Anxiety

When you are full of anxiety about something, you feel agitated, fidgety, jittery. Your mind goes in every possible direction except to the task at hand.

[Yesssss.]

Remedy: Sit or lie comfortably in a quiet, dimly lit space. Close your eyes and settle your breathing. Then picture yourself doing the required writing turkey. Don't think about the content bird that needs to be written conquered, only see yourself writing conquering said gobbler. Notice details surrounding you and the turkey...Then notice how you feel about the image and how the person you see feels. Sit with this image for as long as you can.

[I'm pretty much calling crapola on this "remedy." I absolutely don't feel less anxiety about jacking up the turkey.]

Symptom #5: Stress

When stress has its grip, you can't think straight. You can't even begin to sit still and do some writing turkey-wrestling.

Remedy: Have a pre-writing pre-bird ritual that helps you to slow down and relax. Know in advance where you plan to write cook, and prepare your space. Make it free of clutter and get out your supplies and materials. Then do some physical activity to relax your muscles and clear your mind. Take several deep breaths and do some long, slow stretches.

[Pffffftttt.]

Addendum: Nope. Not working. I'm still thinking about having to look my guests in the eye and apologize for a dry-as-hell pitiful bird.

Remedy: Give the job to your spouse. Make TONS of gravy. Drink more wine, or eat some chocolate.

Pep Talk Time

So there you have it...the five symptoms of Writer's Turkey Block and my remedies. I'll get through it. I always do. And whether you're thinking about your bird or your manuscript, I promise you will break through to the other side too.

Now back to you, my lovelies...

Have you conquered the Turkey Frontier? How about Writer's Block? What are your secrets? Enquiring minds (and Thanksgiving hosts everywhere) would love to hear them!

About Jenny

By day, Jenny Hansen provides brand storytelling, LinkedIn coaching, and copywriting for accountants and financial services firms. By night, she writes humor, memoir, women’s fiction, and short stories. After 20+ years as a corporate trainer, she’s delighted to sit down while she works.

Find Jenny here at Writers In the Storm, or online on Facebook or Instagram.

Top photo purchased from Depositphotos.

By Kris Maze

Writing teen dialogue and internal thought in Young Adult (YA) fiction can be a challenge. I mean, really, who wants to be in a teen-aged brain? Amirite? *grin* 

Impulsive and awkward, teens speak their own language, balancing between quick, sarcastic responses and deeply reflective inner worlds. Getting into that mindset can infuse an authentic feel in your writing. Done well, it can make your characters leap off the page and resonate with your audience.

This is part three of my series on YA writing elements to help writers create fiction that is more relatable to teens today.  Part one of this series looks at examples of teen characterization and can be found here. Part two explored world building elements and can be found here. Read more in this series to optimize your YA writing.

Below, we’ll look at how different YA authors master dialogue and teen voice, using quotes from popular novels like One of Us is Next, All The Bright Places, and Shadow and Bone. Then, I’ll provide 5 actionable takeaways you can use to make your dialogue sharper and your characters’ inner thoughts more genuine.

Examples of Teen Dialogue and Voice in YA

1. One of Us is Next by Karen M. McManus

What to look for: Quick, punchy dialogue with emotional undercurrents.

Phoebe: “Seriously, Maeve? You think this is some kind of joke?”  

Maeve: “No, I think it’s a game. And we just got pulled into the next round.”  

Knox: “So what? We’re supposed to just play along?”  

Maeve: “Do we have a choice?”

This exchange captures the high-stakes tension teens feel while maintaining a natural, conversational flow. Maeve's response is sharp, while Knox’s reaction shows reluctance—a perfect blend of uncertainty and urgency.

2. All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

What to look for: Reflective, introspective dialogue that digs into emotions.

Violet: “Why do you want me to see all this?”  

Finch: “Because I want you to see what’s out there. What you’re missing while you’re busy being scared of it.”  

Violet: “I’m not scared. I just… don’t feel anything anymore.”  

Finch: “Maybe that’s the problem.”

This exchange shows how teens often communicate deeper thoughts through indirect dialogue, giving space for emotional depth without being overly dramatic. Finch’s line is a gentle challenge, reflecting his complex internal world.

3. I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

What to look for: Intensely emotional and creative dialogue reflective of the characters’ artistic minds.

Noah: “I’m disappearing, Jude. I feel it. Like I’m fading out of the picture.”  

Jude: “No, you’re not. You just have to paint yourself back in. Use something bold, like fire-red.”  

Noah: “What if I don’t want to? What if I don’t want to be seen anymore?”

Here, the dialogue is almost metaphorical, reflecting the characters' creative nature while expressing very real teen emotions of self-doubt and the desire to hide.

4. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

What to look for: Awkward and unsure dialogue reflecting the struggles of a teen in an unfamiliar world.

Alina: “I don’t belong here. I’m not… one of you.”  

Mal: “That doesn’t mean you’re nothing. You’re still you, Alina.”  

Alina: “But what if I don’t know who that is anymore?”

In this scene, Alina’s vulnerability and confusion come through in her words. Her dialogue is hesitant and unsure, a true sign of teen uncertainty, especially when they feel out of place.

5. The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky

What to look for: Sarcastic and humorous dialogue that hides vulnerability.

Rachel: “You know what’s great about being the new girl? No one knows you well enough to realize how weird you are.”  

Freddie: “I dunno, I’m pretty sure they’re catching on.”  

Rachel: “Yeah, well, joke’s on them. I’m an acquired taste.”

Rachel’s sarcasm is a defensive mechanism, showing how teens often use humor to protect themselves in social situations. It’s quick, funny, and layered with meaning.

5 Takeaways for Nailing Teen Dialogue and Internal Thought in YA Fiction

1. Keep It Short and Real  

Teens don’t monologue—they react, text, snap, and keep it brief, just like in One of Us is Next. 

Actionable Tip: Cut out the fluff. Short sentences with strong emotional undercurrents work best for teen characters. Find my posts on fixing fluff words in your writing in parts one and two.

2. Let Their Inner World Shine  

Teens live inside their heads, like Finch in All The Bright Places. Their internal monologues are often deep and reflective.  

Actionable Tip: Give your characters introspective moments where they can reflect on their fears, hopes, and conflicts, making them more relatable. These moments can be placed in between tense or highly emotional moments in your story to even out pacing.

3. Lean Into the Drama  

YA thrives on emotional intensity. Take cues from I’ll Give You the Sun, where characters express feelings in bold, colorful ways.  

Actionable Tip: Don’t be afraid to ramp up the emotional intensity in your dialogue. Teens often feel things strongly, and it should show in their words. 

4. Be Vulnerable and Awkward  

Like Alina in Shadow and Bone, teens are often unsure of themselves and stumble through conversations.  

Actionable Tip: Write dialogue that’s imperfect. Let your characters say the wrong thing, hesitate, or second-guess themselves. It adds authenticity.

5. Show Defiance Through Sarcasm  

Sarcasm is a teen’s second language, like Rachel in The Mary Shelley Club. It’s often how they deal with stress or mask vulnerability.  

Actionable Tip: Use sarcasm and humor to layer your dialogue with meaning, especially in moments of tension or conflict.

Final Thoughts

Writing teen dialogue isn’t just about sounding like a teenager—it’s about capturing the intensity, vulnerability, and complexity of teen emotions. Whether through punchy lines, sarcastic humor, or reflective thoughts, each of these books shows how to use dialogue to build stronger, more authentic teen characters.

By taking inspiration from the examples above and following the takeaways, your YA characters will feel real, relatable, and unforgettable to readers. So, lean into the awkwardness, the drama, and the inner monologues that make teens so compelling to write—and to read about.

About Kris

Kris Maze is an author, writing coach, and teacher. She has worked in education for many years and writes for various publications, including Practical Advice for Teachers of Heritage Learners of Spanish and the award-winning blog Writers in the Storm where she is also a host. You can find her horror stories and young adult writing on her website. Keep up with future projects and events by subscribing to her newsletter.

Find her newest collection of spooky stories HERE .

A recovering grammarian and hopeless wanderer, Kris enjoys reading, playing violin and piano, and spending time outdoors. And sometimes she bakes an apple crisp.

by Jenn Windrow

Today we are going to talk about one of my favorite topics, reader magnets!

So, what is a reader magnet?

A reader magnet is a marketing tool that authors give away for free. They can come in many forms, but their purpose is to introduce readers to your characters, story world, and writing.

Intriguing reader magnets:

• Short stories or poems or even a chapter pulled from the final MS.
• Maybe some of the back story you didn’t include in your finished story.
• Prologues or epilogues that you decided against adding.
• Really anything that you don’t mind giving away for free to entice a reader to pick up Book One and start reading.

I have a collection of short stories, one poem, and a novella from my story world that I offer to readers who join my newsletter list. It’s an easy thank you, only about 95 pages worth of content that I am happy to give away for free to give readers a taste of my writing before they buy. But it also adds to the depth of my world.

Not only are reader magnets great marketing material, but they are inexpensive too. Make sure you place a CTA (call to action) at the end of any subsequent book or reader magnet, pointing your reader to the first book in the series, and you have officially marketed like a pro.

Tools That Help with Reader Magnets

There are promotion sites like BookFunnel and StoryOrigin where you can upload your reader magnet. Once you do, you can search out their lists of promotions and add your content to the list.

I have done several promotions with BookFunnel in the past and had great success with all of them. You can use promotion sites like these to collect email address and beef up your newsletter list. Both sites offer free and paid options depending on the kind of promotion you are looking for.

Note: This doesn’t have to be a pricy endeavor. I hop in and out of the paid option for BookFunnel all the time. I use it when I need to and save the money when I don’t. I retain all of my information when I change my pricing plan and can go back and look at my past promotions when I need to without worrying about my history being deleted.

Here are the paid options from both BookFunnel and StoryOrigin.

But if you don’t want to use the options above, you can always place a link on your website or social media site that directs readers to sign up for your newsletter list and email them their free gift.

Other ways to use Reader Magnets

In-person book signings are another great use of reader magnets. If you are speaking with a reader who isn’t quite sure they want to spend money on an author they have never heard of, giving them a downloadable QR code card can help with the sale even after they have walked away.

I have also seen authors print out their reader magnets into a small book and hand out a free physical copy. Then the reader walks away with a free gift and something new to read. This would of course have an overhead cost, so this is something you must decide if it’s worth it.

Giving away content doesn’t only have to be for enticing new readers, it can be a way to reward and thank your faithful readers for continuing to support you as an author. Reader’s love getting a behind-the-scene peek into the characters they have fallen in love with. Plus, if you are a slow writer like me, then the bonus content keeps them interested until the next book comes out.

Let’s talk about the Ominubus

In the past few years, the omnibus has become very popular with readers. An omnibus is a large volume book that contains all the content related to a book series. I created one this past spring for my urban fantasy series. It contains almost 900 pages of content that includes, 3 short stories, 1 poem, 1 novella, and all 4 novels. I bought a separate cover, spray painted the edges a fancy color ( a very stressful process), and created a fancy bookmark that they could only get with that book.

I called them a collector’s edition when readers inquired about the very large book at my table. I sold out on the second day of the event. And it wasn’t just new readers who were buying the special edition, it was some of my most faithful readers who wanted the whole Alexis Black world bundled in one fancy book.

Here is my omnibus in case you are curious what they look like.

So, the next time you cut a whole chapter or remove backstory or get rid of a section of dialogue between characters, don’t trash it. Save it and use it as a fun way to draw new readers into your world and reward those who have been with you since the start.

Now that you have an idea of what reader magnets are, can you think of any content you have deleted that you want to bundle together and give away for free? Do you use reader magnets already? Share the great ones down in the comments!

About Jenn

Sass. Snark. Supernatural Sizzle. 

Award winning author of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. Vampires, Greek gods, and a bit of Demon Destroyer fun for everyone.

Jenn Windrow loves characters who have a pinch of spunk, a dash of attitude, and a large dollop of sex appeal. Top it all off with a huge heaping helping of snark, and you’ve got the ingredients for the kind of fast-paced stories she loves to read and write. Home is a suburb of it’s-so-hot-my-shoes-have-melted-to-the-pavement Phoenix. Where she lives with her husband, two teenagers, and a slew of animals that seem to keep following her home, at least that’s what she claims.

Website: https://jennwindrow.com/

Top photo purchased from Depositphoto. All others are from Jennifer Windrow.

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 [JH1]Unless you plan to link to your earlier posts as a group, you don’t need this.