Episode 45: John Matthew Fox, Writer & Founder of Bookfox
Mary Kole is joined by writing expert John Matthew Fox to chat about his work helping authors and founding his company, Bookfox. Conversation topics include the different publishing paths available to writers, the benefits and drawbacks of traditional vs. self-publishing, the challenges of effectively marketing one's work, and going beyond commercial success.
Episode 44: Tracy Badua, Middle Grade & YA Author
Despite the challenges of balancing writing with a day job and parenting, middle grade and YA author Tracy Badua keeps churning out adventurous contemporary fantasy stories. Tracy’s books explore themes of cultural identity, family expectations, and folklore, even drawing inspiration from Filipino superstitions she grew up with.
Story Physics: Reaction Beats
Newton’s third law says every action will have an equal but opposite reaction. This is true in stories, too … or at least it should be. How do we get to know characters, even as they flit from one conflict-ridden chase scene to the next? Through reaction beats.
Episode 43: Farrah Penn, Young Adult Author
Young adult author Farrah Penn details her publishing journey, from striking out on submission to her debut novel. Listen in to this conversation for thoughts on the young adult genre, using tropes, crafting stakes and curveballs for your characters, and how screenwriting may help when writing a novel.
Adding Emotions to Memoir
Stories are memorable because of how they make us feel. Writing memoir means remembering and possibly reliving the emotions tied to the experience. I’ve come to think of it as a two-step process.
Literary Agent Cost
Get ready for some full transparency. How much an agent should be charging you, at what percentage, and when.
Picture Book Voice
Your voice is unique to you. It’s how you talk; the combination of sounds, the words you choose, your sarcasm or humor, etc. Those same idiosyncrasies factor into writing voice. It’s a writer’s stylistic choices, the POV character’s personality, and the audience you’re telling the story to. So, what’s picture book voice?
Query Letter Tips
Advice on query letters: personalization, comp titles, submission strategy, and more!
How to Write Active Dialogue
Writing dialogue is tricky. It seems like it should be the simplest part of the process, because we’re all familiar with what conversations sound like. There’s a difference, though, between a conversation you might have and how to write active dialogue in your story.
Presenting the Premise
A series of things happening doesn’t make a story. Without a clear premise, readers have no idea what to expect from the story or why they should keep reading. Here's how to establish your premise from the start.
Episode 42: Jenn Hanson-dePaula, Book Marketing Consultant
How do new authors find their ideal readers? Jenn Hanson-dePaula guides you through the steps of elevating your book promo! Tune in to hear her take on what marketing is and isn’t, tips for building your social media platform (including valuable advice on what to post), and why you should have a newsletter.
Picture Book Ideas
Picture book ideas can be hard to generate. Sometimes it seems like everything has been done! How can you come up with a good idea?
Writers Conference Recovery
There are plenty of articles online writers conference preparation—what to pack, what to wear, how to behave, and how to get the most out of your experience. But what about after the conference is over?
Avoid the Novel Prologue. Here’s Why.
You want to include as little backstory in your opening as possible, yet sometimes you feel you need to explain certain elements to the reader up front, so a prologue seems like an obvious solution. So why do so many people advise against them?
From Fiction to Creative Nonfiction
Everyone has a story to tell. But what if you’ve only ever written fiction? Maybe it’s time to try something new. Writing your life stories is a great way to expand your writer’s craft toolbox and will add creative nonfiction to your writing portfolio.
Writing Relationships Between Characters
Populating your world with interesting people can make readers care about your story, and writing relationships between characters can inspire them to ship, daydream, and root for your characters. Here’s how to help them come alive on the page as real, believable people.
Finding Critique Partners
You’ve typed ‘The End’ on your manuscript, and now you’re ready to get published. Not yet! First, finding critique partners will help you polish your work for submission.
The Importance of Premise in Memoir
Premise is the short summary of your story, also known as the hook or logline, that informs the reader’s expectations of where the story will go. Stay on track and learn how to structure your personal story with strong premise in memoir.
Episode 41: Jarrett J. Krosoczka, NYT Bestselling Author/Illustrator
NYT bestselling author/illustrator Jarrett Krosoczka shares the challenges and gratifications of reaching across different age categories and the importance of illustrations in storytelling. Listen to hear his tips on writing within established franchises (like Star Wars), how to pivot a picture book idea into a graphic novel series, and memoir writing.
Healing Writer Burnout
Writer burnout is a cousin to writer’s block, with a few key differences. Both states leave you feeling like you should write, you need to write, but you just can’t. I’ll share five tips that’ll help you recover from writer burnout.