"I don't know what The Algorithm wants." This is the most common phrase I hear from authors trying to grow on social media. I have a secret. I know what it wants. The algorithm just wants people to stay on social media. That means it wants content that grabs attention fast, keeps it for a minute, and encourages them to stay for more. How do you do that, though? You tell me, you're the author. How do you do it in a book? How do you hook them with a great first line, make their tummy tickle in the first chapter, and get them to read 'just one more'? Don't worry about what The Algorithm wants, just give your audience what they want. Tell good stories.

Anyone else like me and think better without the constraints of a keyboard? I swear every time I'm stuck (in writing or in edits), I have to switch to writing on paper in order to get my ideas flowing again. There's something about the way the pen moves across the paper (and the way I can cross things out, write alternate phrases above or below a line, or draw arrows to connect ideas) that agrees with the way my brain works. Big respect to the keyboard warriors out there because it saves so much glorious time. Wish I was like you! But I wrote the entire first draft of my current WIP by hand (filled three or four notebooks) and then had to type the entire thing into a document afterwards. Maybe I was born for another era ☠️

Hi everyone! I'm Shion Carter. I am a senior studying Communications - Digital and Social Media and an author. I've been published three times through Owl Hollow Press from StoryCon's wonderful teen anthology contests, and I am working on my own novel and novella. I love everything artsy from photography, videography, drawing, writing and acting. I also adore the color yellow and am semi-fluent in Spanish! I believe Renegades by Marissa Meyer is one of the most underrated series for middle grade fiction, and I didn't learn proper grammar for writing until I was in college and started tutoring for the freshman grammar class. I absolutely adore the StoryCon community and I'm so excited to be a part of it here with all y'all.

I've been trying to get better at plotting and so I'm learning about different methods authors use to plot their stories before drafting. What is your favorite plotting method?

A Google doc has been created. I think that’s all for today. We will do more tomorrow. Haha!