Feb. 7, 2025

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Introducing a lot of characters can lead to a muddle in readers’ minds. Erin and Anne-Marie explore why you may want to use a big cast, identify pitfalls to avoid, and break down how Kayvion Lewis introduces the nine teen thieves in Thieves’ Gambit in a way that draws readers in rather than confuses them.

Books we mention in this episode (affiliate links):

One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus

The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (also see Erin’s craft article on pacing and plot in Inheritance Games)

First Rule of Climate Club by Carrie Firestone

Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson

How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall (also see Anne-Marie’s craft article on POV in The Penderwicks)

The Lovely War by Julie Berry

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OTHER EPISODES IN THIS PODCAST

Thieves' Gambit, Ep. 5: Complicated Family Relationships

Jan. 17, 2025

In Episode 5, Erin and Anne-Marie examine the complicated family relationships in Thieves’ Gambit and explore why to use them, how to introduce them for maximum effect, and how to leverage those relationships to create more tension without taking away the main character’s agency. Things we ment…

00:39:38

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Thieves' Gambit, Ep. 8: Action Scenes

March 6, 2025

Action scenes in a thriller novel need to be fast-paced, but fast-paced means more than lots of really quick actions in a row. Erin and Anne-Marie break down three different kinds of action scenes in Thieves’ Gambit to find tips and tricks for hitting the perfect sweet spot of pacing. Books we …

00:37:12

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Thieves' Gambit, Ep. 7: Relationship Arcs

Feb. 21, 2025

Like character arcs and story arcs, relationship arcs can span the course of the novel, explore themes, reveal and challenge the main character, and complicate plot lines. In Episode 7, Erin and Anne-Marie examine Ross’s friendship arc with Noelia and her romance arc with Devroe. Things we ment…

00:38:43

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Thieves' Gambit, Ep. 4: Shifting Desire Lines

Dec. 6, 2024

In Season 1, we talked about internal and external desire, but how does it work when the character wants one thing at the beginning and switches to wanting something else? In Season 2, Episode 4, Erin and Anne-Marie dive into Kayvion Lewis’s YA thriller, Thieves’ Gambit, and dig into why it the mai…

00:23:00

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