The Bookum Nook Show

How to Write Unforgettable Stories: Abbie Emmons on Storytelling Psychology, Internal Conflict & Great Characters

Today on the Bookum Author Talks Podcast, we are joined by author, story coach, and YouTuber Abbie Emmons, author of the new book “Make Your Story Matter.” In this conversation, we discuss the psychology of storytelling, writing unforgettable characters, building internal conflict, creating compelling plots, romance tropes, first chapter mistakes, world-building, false beliefs, and what truly makes readers emotionally connect with a story. Abbie breaks down why internal conflict matters more than plot alone, how to write layered protagonists and antagonists, the psychology behind storytelling, and the techniques writers can use to keep readers flipping pages late into the night. We also discuss: • The Enneagram and character psychology • The Open Loop Method • Three act story structure • Writing layered romance characters • First draft advice • Writing process and routines • Dual POV stories • Why stories emotionally resonate with readers Follow Abbie Emmons: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AbbieEmmons [https://www.youtube.com/@AbbieEmmons] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makeyourstorymatter/ [https://www.instagram.com/makeyourstorymatter/] Get “Make Your Story Matter”: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Make-Your-Story-Matter/Abbie-Emmons/9781637748909 [https://www.amazon.com/Make-Your-Story-Matter-Unforgettable/dp/1735716368] Download the Bookum App to join our book club and listen to more author conversations: https://www.bookumapp.com [https://www.bookumapp.com] Timestamps: 1:03 - Writing Recklessly 3:29 - Switching to Nonfiction 5:01 - Psychology of Storytelling 6:42 - What Makes A Story Unforgettable? 8:03 - Build Internal Conflict in Characters 9:52 - Character Profile and Backstory 12:01 - The Enneagram for Character Inner Conflict 14:02 - Giving Your Characters Flaws 15:03 - Characters False Beliefs 16:23 - Avoiding Perfect Characters 17:21 - Writing Quality Antagonist 20:25 - Developing Plot 22:01 - Three Act Story Structure for Plot 25:12 - Balancing Character and Plot 27:01 - Character/Plot Mistakes 27:40 - Plot Driven Story Mistakes 28:42 - Writing Side Characters 29:25 - Writing Connected Stories 31:11 - World-Building 33:58 - First Chapter To Do’s 36:35 - First Chapter Mistakes 38:33 - How the Subconscious Mind Works During Stories 40:22 - The Open Loop Method 43:11 - Helping People Write Their Story 45:32 - Questions Authors Should Ask Themselves When Stuck 47:23 - Advice on the First Draft 49:02 - Writing Process and the Perfect Writing Day 50:12 - Favorite Romance Tropes 51:32 - Writing Layered Characters in Romance 53:21 - Writing Dual POV Stories 55:01 - What Should Be in a Writer’s Toolkit? This Podcast is to brought you by Bookum - The book communities NEW and BEST way to host dynamic online book clubs. Download the App and Start your Book club today at www.bookumapp.com [http://www.bookumapp.com/]  Catch all of conversations live on the Bookum App Nooks!

How to Become a CEO with Shellye Archambeau: IBM to Silicon Valley Career Strategy

Today on the Bookum Author Talks Podcast, we sit down with Shellye Archambeau, former CEO of MetricStream and one of Silicon Valley’s first African American female CEOs. Shellye has spent over 30 years in business and technology with leadership experience at major companies including IBM, Blockbuster, and Loudcloud. She is also a Fortune 500 board member, serving on boards such as Verizon and Nordstrom Inc. She is the author of Unapologetically Ambitious, where she shares how she built a highly strategic and intentional career path from IBM to becoming a Silicon Valley CEO. Shellye is also the founder of Ignite Ambition, a nonprofit and community focused on helping early to mid-career professionals gain clarity, build strategy, and achieve their career goals. In this conversation, we explore ambition, career strategy, leadership, and what it truly takes to become a CEO in today’s world. We also dive into her journey through IBM, Blockbuster, Silicon Valley in the early 2000s, and leading a company through the 2008 financial crisis. ⏱️ Timestamps 1:22 - Family Legacy  2:38 - Being Organized // Resourceful  3:30 - Little Girl with Ambition  4:18 - "Life is not fair"  5:44 - Wanted to be CEO at 16  7:08 - Imposter Syndrome  10:12 - Setting and Achieving Goal  11:02 - Taking the right steps to win  13:12 - Being strategic  13:56 - Letting People Know what You Want  15:21 - Can you be too Unapologetically Ambitious?  16:23 - Courage Muscle  17:30 - Doing Business in Japan & Internationally  21:02 - Leaving IBM  23:01 - Working at Blockbuster  24:23 - Silicon Valley in 00s and AI  25:23 - Working at Loudcloud  26:34 - Core Principles of Marketing  27:33 - Becoming CEO of MetricStream  30:00 - Market Crash of 2008  31:10 - Leading as CEO During Uncertainty  32:21 - The Role of the CEO  33:10 - Bill Campbell and Mentorship  34:08 - Silicon Valley Leaders (Vinod Khosla, Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz)  35:34 - Phase II and Ignite Ambition  37:12 - Ignite Ambition App and Community  38:45 - Measuring Success of Ignite Ambition  40:12 - Family Life Integration  43:01 - Writing Process and Perfect Day  45:01 - Writing Real Holistic Business Books  46:25 - Unapologetically Ambitious Toolkit Resources Get Shellye Archambeau’s book: Unapologetically Ambitious Join Ignite Ambition:  https://shellye.com/ignite-ambition/ [https://shellye.com/ignite-ambition/] Join the Bookum community and book club conversations:  https://www.bookumapp.com [https://www.bookumapp.com] Topics Covered CEO career path, how to become a CEO, IBM careers, Silicon Valley leadership, ambition mindset, career strategy, leadership lessons, corporate growth, Black female CEO, MetricStream, Ignite Ambition, Unapologetically Ambitious book, executive leadership, business strategy, mentorship in Silicon Valley This Podcast is to brought you by Bookum - The book communities NEW and BEST way to host dynamic online book clubs. Download the App and Start your Book club today at www.bookumapp.com [http://www.bookumapp.com/]  Catch all of conversations live on the Bookum App Nooks!

Angela Nissel on Writing a Memoir, Processing Grief, Boondocks & Being a Caretaker

This week on the Bookum Authors Talk Podcast we sit down with writer, producer, and author Angela Nissel to discuss her powerful new memoir 'Good Grief, Pass the Bread, Mom is Dead'.  In this conversation, Angela opens up about grief, caregiving, family secrets, humor as a survival tool, and what it means to process loss while becoming the caretaker of a parent. We also talk about her work on The Boondocks, the emotional weight of writing a memoir, loneliness in adulthood and aging, and how storytelling helps us make sense of life’s hardest moments. 📚 Book discussed: Good Grief, Pass the Bread, Mom is Dead by Angela Nissel - Get your copy today! Timestamps: 01:05 - The Boondocks 4:40 - How Humor Helps us Deal with Life 8:24 - How the Title Came to Be? 10:02 - Christmas Stories and Family Drama 11:03 - Withholding Information from Family about health issues 12:20 - Keeping family secrets 15:20 - Caretaking for a Love One 17:45 - How to be a good caretaker 19:40 - Loneliness Epidemic in Elder Ages 22:10 - How Older People Are Getting Scammed from AI 23:01 - What to Share and Not Share in a Memoir 25:10 - The Craziness of Life 25:44 - The importance of sharing stories with each other 26:44 - Dealing with grief and losing 28:09 - Honoring her Mother with the book 30:22 - Enjoying the small things in life 30:33 - On Religion and Rev Bill 33:01 - Becoming the Matriarch 35:20 - Dealing with Mother's Day after loss 36:58 - Managing Emotions for Grief 37:54 - Writing Process for the Book 39:32 - Writing a Memoir 41:08 - What Should Be In A Writer's Toolkit? Join our book community and discover more conversations like this: https://www.bookumapp.com This Podcast is to brought you by Bookum - The book communities NEW and BEST way to host dynamic online book clubs. Download the App and Start your Book club today at www.bookumapp.com [http://www.bookumapp.com/]  Catch all of conversations live on the Bookum App Nooks!

Being a Reader in New York & Philly | Libraries, Book Culture & Community with Turnpageswithmimi

In this episode of the Bookum Creators Talk Podcast, we sit down with Turnpageswithmimi to explore what it means to be a reader in New York and how book culture continues to evolve across libraries, social media, and community spaces. We discuss growing up reading in Philadelphia and New York, the influence of the Brooklyn Public Library and The Book of HOV, and how fashion, identity, and culture shape modern reading experiences. This conversation also explores how book content creators are building communities online and offline, hosting book clubs, and redefining what it means to engage with books in a digital age. Topics include: *  reading culture in New York City  *  libraries and literary spaces  *  BookTok and book content creation  *  building a book community  *  hosting in-person book clubs  *  avoiding burnout as a creator  *  building a personal library  If you are interested in books, reading culture, book clubs, libraries, and literary community building, this episode is for you. 📚 Book Recommendations Mentioned: * Big Girl Blitz by Danielle Allen  * Where the Wildflowers Grow * Brady: A Memoir * The Seven Daughters * With Love From Harlem * Last Stop from Innocence * Burn Down Master’s House by Clay Cane  Where to Find More from Mimi: https://linktr.ee/turnpageswithmimi?utm_source=threads&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio ABOUT BOOKUM: Make sure to download our Book Club App to join our Book Club or Start Your Own at https://www.bookumapp.com This Podcast is to brought you by Bookum - The book communities NEW and BEST way to host dynamic online book clubs. Download the App and Start your Book club today at www.bookumapp.com [http://www.bookumapp.com/]  Catch all of conversations live on the Bookum App Nooks!

How Steven Spielberg, George Lucas & Francis Ford Coppola Built Modern Hollywood with Author Paul Fischer

In this episode of Bookum Author Talks Podcast, we sit down with author Paul Fischer, writer of The Last Kings of Hollywood, to explore one of the most important eras in film history. We break down how Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg transformed Hollywood forever, shifting it from the old studio system into the blockbuster-driven industry we know today. From The Godfather, Star Wars, and Jaws to Indiana Jones and the rise of “high concept” filmmaking, this conversation explores how a generation of filmmakers gained creative control and reshaped global entertainment. We discuss: *  What Hollywood looked like before the “New Hollywood” era  *  How American Zoetrope changed filmmaker independence  *  The business deal behind Star Wars that changed Hollywood economics forever  *  The creation of the summer blockbuster with Jaws *  How studio power shifted during the Paramount “high concept” era  *  And how this era compares to today’s creator economy  This is an hour conversation about storytelling, power, creativity, and the business decisions that defined modern cinema. Join our book community and book networking app:  https://www.bookumapp.com [https://www.bookumapp.com] This Podcast is to brought you by Bookum - The book communities NEW and BEST way to host dynamic online book clubs. Download the App and Start your Book club today at www.bookumapp.com [http://www.bookumapp.com/]  Catch all of conversations live on the Bookum App Nooks!