Subject: Summit tomorrow! + Ep. on Genre, Tropes, and Character Arc

Summit tomorrow!

+ Ep. on Genre, Tropes, and Character Arc

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Pre. PS. Starts tomorrow! Daniel David Wallace's Develop Your Premise summit for fiction writers. Het's doing some unique, fun things! Join us!

Friday, July 17, 2026

Hi Friend,

I'm still fighting a summer cold, so my energy has been low — hence the delay in getting the newsletter out. But I’m on the mend!

My one tip for you: prioritize wellness!

For me that means enough sleep.

How about you?

What's your #1 wellness tip for yourself?

Please share!

I love expanding my menu of options.

Segue...

Last night in the regular group mastermind group, we talked about line edits.

Here's what I shared and we practiced with 2 short writing exercises:

why line edits matter: reader glue and guide
and how word choice, sentence structure, pacing choices ground the readers in a POV character's worldview, senses, and voice -- which is that reader glue!

Here's an exercise for you:

Exercise #1: Sensory

What is your character’s hobby/special interests/likes (pick one)?
Write a 2-3 sentence description of their setting using their hobby’s words and be sure to use 1-3 sensory verbs and/or nouns.

Write for 4 minutes.

Share with me! I'd love to cheer you on.

Line edits are my jam to teach! So is story structure and developing deep POV.

Okay, I love it all -- except for comma placement. Do not ask me to teach that! LOL

❤️

Upcoming events for writers and creative entrepreneurs

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🎤 Editing Your Sci-Fi/Fantasy Novel: Genre, Tropes, and Character Arc

How To Write The Future podcast, episode 213

“Identify in your own book what tropes you're using that are identifiable by any reader. And notice if they're all working for you."

– Beth Barany

In my latest episode, I explain why the "Edit Your Novel Checklist" is a great resource for writers who have finished their rough draft.

I also encourage you to think about your reader and genre expectations as I provide an example and a walkthrough of a story that shows you how to problem-solve issues with your character arc.

This episode also includes discussion of book tropes; how to hone in on the biggest problem in your story; the next stages of your story writing; and whether that stage includes beta readers or an editor.

Do you have a question?

Then get in touch, and your question could be shared in an upcoming podcast episode.

Editing Your Sci-Fi/Fantasy Novel: Genre, Tropes, and Character Arc

How To Write the Future podcast, episode 213

Read | Listen | Watch

❤️

Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts: Spark new ideas. Beat writer’s block.

Download here: $9.99

Get 24 sci-fi and fantasy writing prompts to jumpstart new worlds, characters, and plots, and keep you writing when you feel stuck.

❤️

Happy Writing!

Best,

Beth

PS. OMG! Check out the thousands of prizes available for joining Liz Wilcox's Christmas in July waitlist for her email marketing membership Annual Pass. (I am a lifetime member, btw!) Such a fun promotion! (She's a wiz at promotions!)

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⭐️ Check out our NEW Substack channel:
Creative Entrepreneur Incubator

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Start Tomorrow!

I'm speaking at Daniel David Wallace's July summit, Develop Your Premise for writers.

This four-day event starts tomorrow, Saturday, July 18th.

Join here and be sure to download the cool and useful welcome bundle!

Next week!

And I'll be speaking at Monica Leonelle's next summit, Expand, on heart-centered sales for creative entrepreneurs. July 22nd - 25th, 2026.

Sign up here!

🌟

If you find my resources helpful, please forward them to a friend who may need them too.

Help me help more writers!

Thanks!

❤️

Beth Barany
Creativity Coach for Writers

Teacher, Speaker, Workshop Facilitator
bethbarany.com

I not only teach and coach novelists, I am one too!

*Magical Tales of Romance, Mystery, and Adventure* author.bethbarany.com

Including the award-winning, Henrietta The Dragon Slayer (Book 1), and Into The Black, about Janey McCallister space station investigator (Book 1)

__________________________

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Here to empower you with core principles, mindset tools, and doable roadmaps to build your sustainable, thriving, creative career on your own terms.

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Passionate about supporting science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction writers; and creative entrepreneurs serving writers.

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Filmmaker with a BIG mission: to celebrate warrior women!

Writer's Fun zone blog by and for creative writers, published by Beth Barany

Subscribe to be notified when each blog post goes live. Or wait for the weekly round-up in this newsletter. *Write for us.

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Support This Creative Entrepreneur

My mission is to support your adventure as a creative and step into your next best self.

If you want to support my mission, I invite you to:

📚 buy my books

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🎬 support my Henrietta The Dragon Slayer short film

Or share my products or services with your friends. Thanks!

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How To Write The Future podcast with Beth Barany

Beth Barany is an award-winning science fiction and fantasy novelist, and certified creativity coach for writers.

For the last 20+ years, she's been working with writers of all kinds.

She specializes in helping sci-fi and fantasy publishing-oriented novelists experience clarity, so they can write, revise, and proudly publish their books to the delight of their readers.

Here be the legalese: In connection with the operation of this newsletter and business, Creativity Sparks includes affiliate links to trusted partners. Barany Consulting earns a commission from the Affiliate Links which commission is based on the number of sales that are made as a result of users of the Newsletter clicking over to the Affiliate Link and purchasing from the Affiliate Link a product and/or service. Thus endth the legalese.

I live in the territory of Huichin, part of the stolen land of the Chochenyo Muwekma Ohlone, the successors of the historic and sovereign Verona Band of Alameda County, in Oakland, California, the San Francisco Bay Area. Northern Hemisphere. Earth.

The Solar System. → Carina–Sagittarius Arm in the Milky Way galaxy. Milky Way subgroup → Local Group → Local Sheet → Virgo Supercluster → Laniakea Supercluster → Local Hole → Observable universe → Universe.

I stand with people of Ukraine and all peoples 🎗️ in their fight for freedom from oppression and the right to self-determine. Yes, all peoples. Not just some.

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