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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
How to Cure Writer's Block
Regardless of who I’m talking to—an audience of kid readers, or a group of teachers at a workshop, the most common question I receive is: how to cure writer’s block?
How Long Should a Book Be?
Writers have a love-hate relationship with word count. It’s one of the necessary evils we deal with to determine if a manuscript meets an acceptable published length. So how long should a book be? Here’s a guide to help you answer.
Writing Flashbacks
Writers are often cautioned away from flashbacks, but they can connect the dots between the past and who the characters are now. Read on for tips on writing flashbacks that function well.
Episode 40: Danielle Marietta, Creator of Books & Things Publishing
Danielle Marietta joins the podcast to discuss Books & Things Publishing, the children’s book sphere, and the importance of promoting diverse authors. Tune in to learn more about Danielle’s writing journey, and her tips on self-publishing, social media marketing, and connecting with your target audience.
Journaling to Productive First Drafts
In a world where life constantly competes for our time, we don’t have the luxury of writing twelve to fifteen drafts of something before we can say it’s done. We need to work smarter, not longer. We need to write productive first drafts.
Crafting Your Novel’s First Line
Your first line must grab the reader’s attention and make them not want to put your book down until they get to the last page. So, what makes a great first line? Here are some tips on how to make your novel’s first line zing!
How to Describe Emotion
We want our readers to connect emotionally to our characters and to feel their pains and struggles—but it can be tricky to know how to describe emotion to create that connection. Here are some effective ways to describe emotion.
List of Character Reactions
Reactions go beyond what a character’s body does in the moment. Check this list for ideas for digging your characters out of their physical clichés and moving your story forward.
Episode 39: Allison Speka, Self-Published Romance Author
Romance author Allison Speka joins the pod to discuss her journey into writing and self-publishing. She talks about her love for the romance genre and shares her experience with self-publishing, including tips on cover design, book marketing, and the value of learning from other indie authors.
How to Write the Beginning of a Novel
The beginning of your story sets the foundation from which the plot will unfold. This foundation creates impact with the developments and conflicts that make up your narrative. If you need help with how to write the beginning of a novel, consider these three elements.
Writing Quotes To Motivate and Inspire
Pithy writing quotes can motivate and inspire with just a few words. We’ve put together some of our favorites to keep you motivated when the going gets tough.
Daily Writing Practice: Five Tips For Writing More
Having a daily writing practice is one of the best ways to improve your writing. The more you write, the more you’re able to learn about your style and voice. So, here are five tips to make this dream a reality.