Shows / PLOT TWIST
PLOT TWIST
Hosted by worldwide bestselling authors Victoria Aveyard (RED QUEEN series, REALM BREAKER series) & Soman Chainani (THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD & EVIL series), PLOT TWIST takes you behind the scenes of the biggest swings in our careers. Victoria’s TEMPEST, her very first novel for adults, an epic pirate fantasy… and Soman’s YOUNG WORLD, a red-hot young adult political thriller. Each week, we pull back the curtain of our creative process and give you our hot takes on thorny issues in publishing and…
Episodes
- PLOT TWIST
Is There an Optimist’s Case for AI in Art?
Is There an Optimist’s Case for AI in Art? Soman lays out 5 optimistic scenarios for how AI could be used positively by authors, and Victoria tries valiantly…
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Is the Algorithm Killing Authors?
Soman and Victoria lay out ten ways that the algorithm is destroying creative careers and the best ways to fight it. They also discuss world building tips and…
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Are Publishers Secretly Using AI?
Soman and Victoria discuss a bombshell story from WIRED about the rampant use of AI by publishers and whether AI is inevitable in the workflow. They also…
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SEASON PREMIERE! Is There a Secret Plan to Get Rid of Authors?
Live from Kansas City! Soman and Victoria welcome a new season of the pod and lay out the new Patreon! They explore the AI’s companies not-so-secret plan to…
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Re-Read: Is Writing Actually a Sport?
Soman and Victoria discuss the tricks of staying healthy as a professional artist. Also, they discuss celebrity ghostwriting and how not to fall out of love…
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SPECIAL EPISODE! What Did We Learn from the TEMPEST Release?
LIVE FROM ST. LOUIS! A special bonus episode, featuring Soman in conversation with Victoria during the TEMPEST book tour. Together, they explore what it took…
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Re-Read: Should Authors Want To Make Money?
This week on the podcast Victoria and Soman discuss the tension between the love of making art and the need to make money. Also they discuss questions about…
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Re-Read: Did We Ruin Fandom?
Soman and Victoria debate whether fandom is good for society or the sign of deeper decline. They also reveal what they talk about with readers at the signing…
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Re-Read: Is Your Idea Worth A Book - And A Book Deal?
Soman and Victoria debate the difference between a good idea and a great one that’s worth writing. They also sort through the different kinds of characters and…
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Re-Read: When Does Fan Fiction Cross A Line?
Soman and Victoria discuss when fan fiction crosses the line into grift. Also they answer questions about whether authors really need to be on social media and…
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Re-Read: Can You Like The Book and Hate The Author?
Soman and Victoria discuss the paradox of loving the book -- and rejecting the author. Also they talk duologies vs. trilogies and the hazards of publishing…
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What Happens if Kids Stop Reading?
Today on the show, Soman is joined by guest co-host Veronica Roth to talk about their (optimistic!) take on the future of literacy. Also they talk about what…
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What Is the Future of AI Publishing?
Soman and Victoria offer solutions to the generative AI crisis and how authors can prove their work is human made. They also talk about the writers whose…
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Are Authors Lying About Using AI?
Soman and Victoria discuss the arms race between the authors who are using AI to write and the ones that still write honestly. They also cover the difference…
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Are We In A Book Bubble?
Soman and Victoria assess whether the book market is perched atop a giant bubble waiting to crash. Also they discuss which books have impacted their writing…
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Your Book Is Being Made Into A Movie…How Should You Behave?
Soman and Victoria debate the best way to handle the politics of Hollywood when your work is adapted. Also they discuss the pros and cons of retelling a…
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Has It Become Legal To Steal Your Work?
Live from LA, Soman and Victoria discuss the rampant explosion of piracy, plus the use of generative AI to write fanfiction and play the lottery for a rich…
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Does Sex Make a Book 'Adult?'
Victoria and Soman go straight at the big question of the moment – do all adult books need sex? And what has made our brains so… horny? They also answer…
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Can a Book Be Popular…and Still Not Sell?
Soman and Victoria try to figure out what’s more important for a book – sales or a fandom? They also answer questions about galleys and ARCS being sold online…
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Is Ambition The Key To Success Or A Curse?
Soman and Victoria discuss whether ambition is an asset or a hindrance in today’s marketplace. They also discuss the ins and outs of their writing routines…
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Do Writers Compete With Each Other?
Soman and Victoria discuss whether competing with other authors is healthy and if it detracts or fuels their own work. They also answer questions about how to…
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What Happened To YA? (with Veronica Roth)
This week Soman is joined by Veronica Roth to trace the rise and fall of the Young Adult genre, from Twilight to today’s more muddled market. They also talk…
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How Do You Become A Bestseller?
Soman is back this week and he and Victoria decode the mysteries and magic by which a book becomes a best-seller. They also debate how readers “self-inserting”…
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How Do You Survive Social Media? (with Veronica Roth)
Victoria and guest Veronica Roth discuss how they’ve survived the evolution of social media from the fun of unfiltered chatting on Twitter to the algorithmic…
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Are We In A Time Loop? (with Veronica Roth)
Victoria and special guest Veronica Roth discuss how audiences are craving familiar stories at difficult times and what it means for them as authors who have…
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Is Release Week the Best Week for an Author… or the Worst?
It’s YOUNG WORLD release week!! Soman and Victoria discuss the glories and stress of putting out a new book and surviving the first 7 days. Also they talk…
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Can Books Survive The Future?
Live from Book Con 2026 in New York City, Soman and Victoria envision what books will look like in 10 years – for both readers and writers. They also cover how…
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When Does a Book Become a Cash Grab?
Soman and Victoria argue over what defines a cash grab and whether artists need to justify their work. They also debate approaches to imposter syndrome and…
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Are Book Influencers More Powerful Than Authors?
Soman and Victoria debate whether influencers have displaced authors at the top of the literary ecosystem. Also they consider how authors’ writing styles are…
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Can We Get Teenage Boys To Read Again?
This week, a special conversation between Soman and Dr. Rose Brock about whether we’ve lost teenage boys for good and how we can make books ‘cool’ again. They…
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Do Trigger Warnings Ruin Books?
Soman and Victoria disagree over whether trigger warnings are inherently a problem. Also they discuss how loopholes in contracts can affect your career, plus…
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Should Authors Who Use AI Lose Their Publishing Deals?
Soman and Victoria do a deep dive on the recent cancellation of a mainstream book due to AI concerns — and debate what it means for the rest of publishing…
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Why Do Publishers Keep Giving Deals To Fanfiction?
Soman and Victoria make the link between Timmy Chalamet’s comments about ballet and opera — and fanfiction IP. Also they discuss the pros and cons of writing…
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What Happens Behind The Scenes Of A Book Tour?
Soman and Victoria take you behind the scenes of book tours and give you all the insider secrets. Also they discuss the importance of trade reviews and how…
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What Makes A ‘Bad’ Book Cover?
Soman and Victoria pinpoint what gives you the ‘ick’ when looking at book covers. Also they reveal a general strategy for managing film/tv adaptations and the…
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Are Authors Too Sensitive?
Victoria and Soman stake out different positions on the question of whether authors are too sensitive to survive in today’s industry. They also explain how…
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Can a New Writer Survive?
Soman and Victoria lay out a clear path for how new – and established – authors need to approach their work to survive a future of AI and slop. They also…
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Has Publishing Lost Its Moral Compass?
A new New York Times article about AI-powered authors has set off a firestorm – Victoria and Soman are here to cover the fall out. They also discuss how…
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Should Authors Be Political?
Soman and Victoria tackle the tricky question of how artists respond to our current political moment. They also reveal how to deal with taxes as authors and…
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How Do Authors Make Money?
Soman and Victoria discuss the nuances of supporting yourself as an artist — and how to structure your advances and royalties to work for you. They also reveal…
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Should You Date An Artist?
Soman and Victoria debate what it takes to date an artist – and whether or not artists can successfully date other artists. They also reveal their approaches…
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How Do You Make a Book a Hit?
Soman and Victoria are in their pub year for their new books and debate how to make their books succeed – while also considering what “success” actually is…
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Victoria Can Finally Talk About TEMPEST – The Episode!
The cat is out of the bag, and Victoria can finally reveal some - but not all - of her TEMPEST secrets, with preorders open now. She spills the beans with…
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New Years Preview! Plus: 2025 Hot Takes & Funniest Moments
Victoria and Soman ring in 2026 with a preview of what’s coming this year for PLOT TWIST. Plus, a look back at our Top 10 most provocative arguments and 10…
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Is Jealousy Part Of Being An Artist?
Soman and Victoria take on the evil green-eyed snake – and consider whether jealousy isn’t so evil after all. Also they discuss the economics of buying books…
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What Do Editors Actually Do?
Soman and Victoria break down what an editor does — and more importantly, shouldn’t do. Also they commiserate over what to do on days where you don’t feel like…
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Should Artists Still Own Their Work?
Soman and Victoria forecast the disturbing future of professionally produced content. Also they discuss rewriting first drafts and what really sells books…
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Why Are Women Less Forgiving Of Women?
Soman and Victoria debate why women are so much harder on each other in publishing and entertainment. They also break down editing strategies and bemoan…
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Why Are Authors And Reviewers Fighting?
Soman and Victoria discuss the taboo relationship between authors and critics — and cautionary tales where either side crossed the line. They also debate the…
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When Did Authors Become Brands Instead of Artists?
Soman and Victoria consider whether authors themselves have become part of the book package in the new content economy. Also they discuss how to find the best…
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Did We Ruin Fandom?
Soman and Victoria debate whether fandom is good for society or the sign of deeper decline. They also reveal what they talk about with readers at the signing…
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What Is The Real Point of a Book Tour?
Soman and Victoria present their radically different philosophies on book tour — and debate which one is better. Also they answer questions about physical…
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Who Is Allowed To Write What?
Soman and Victoria tackle one of the most controversial questions looming over every artistic medium. Also they talk about when you should copyright your work…
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Would You Rather Be A Flop… Or a Fraud?
Soman and Victoria find the thin line between con and artist. Also they debate their favorite couples in literature and how to figure out if a literary agent…
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Is Your Idea Worth A Book - And A Book Deal?
Soman and Victoria debate the difference between a good idea and a great one that’s worth writing. They also sort through the different kinds of characters and…
- PLOT TWIST
What Do Authors Owe Their Readers — and Each Other?
Soman and Victoria debate the line between fandom and parasocial relationships, not just between authors and fans but also between authors. Plus, they try to…
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IS THIS BOOK THE FUTURE OF YA... OR THE END OF IT? (Plus a Special Announcement!)
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! Soman’s next book, YOUNG WORLD, is available for preorder with an insanely cool preorder gift. This week, Victoria and Soman discuss how…
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Can You Make Too Much Art? (Taylor’s Version)
Soman and Victoria wonder whether an artist can overproduce, using TSwift as a case study. Also they break down the art of writing transition scenes and how to…
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Can You Handle The Truth About Your Work?
Title: Can You Handle The Truth About Your Work? (Taylor’s Version) Soman and Victoria debate whether we’ve gotten too soft in how we handle feedback, both on…
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Can Good Writing Be Taught?
Soman and Victoria discuss whether good writing is nature or nurture. Also they discuss when is the right time to reach out to agents and how to avoid cliches…