Episode 16: Laura Sebastian, YA Fantasy Author
A conversation with YA fantasy author Laura Sebastian (ASH PRINCESS, out now from Delacorte) all about worldbuilding.
Episode 27: Roz Morris, Ghostwriter and Writing Coach
Roz Morris and Mary dive into the mechanics of storytelling and discuss how to connect with your audience—whether you're writing someone else's story or you're telling your own.
Episode 22: Kelly Madrone, Award-Winning Writer and Ghostwriter
Ghostwriter Kelly Madrone joins us to talk about writing as someone else, modulating a professional potty mouth, and creating a story arc in memoir.
Writing Across Age Groups with Alice Kuipers
Multi-published author Alice Kuipers chats with Mary about getting published, what it's like to have a writing career, and craft insights across categories.
Episode 14: Rebecca Coffindaffer, Science Fiction/Fantasy Author
A conversation with debut YA author Rebecca Coffindaffer (CROWNCHASERS, out now from HarperTeen) all about worldbuilding.
Episode 31: Lisa Stringfellow, Middle-Grade Fantasy Author
Lisa Stringfellow discusses her debut novel set in the Caribbean, “A Comb of Wishes.” She talks through her long journey from draft to finished book—plus plans for Book 2—and shares craft and industry tips she’s learned along the way.
Episode 32: J.C. Geiger, YA Author & Mixtape Creator
Tune in for a chat with Mary Kole's long-time friend in the children's publishing space, YA Author J.C. Geiger. He tells all about how he made an epic mixtape with music no one's heard before (and met his heroes in the process), and talks about writing young adult characters, the future of post-pandemic fiction, and—of course—the power of music.
Episode 21: Gabriela Pereira, founder of DIY MFA
Gabriela Pereira discusses her journey to founding DIY MFA, the do-it-yourself alternative to a Masters degree in writing, while living with bipolar disorder. She shares tips about unconventional learning styles, finding a writing community in your backyard, and using storytelling to effectively market your work.
Episode 12: John Cusick, Agent and Author
A conversation with John Cusick, literary agent and MG/YA author. We delve into writing for MG and YA readers, what agents are looking for, and breaking writing rules.
Episode 2: Ryan Van Cleave, Nonfiction Writer and Writing Teacher
A podcast all about nonfiction book proposals, nonfiction article pitching, and strategically growing your writing career, including a ton of tips for that ever-intimidating concept of marketing yourself and your writing.
Self Publishing in Five Easy Steps
Turns out, there’s more to self publishing than just putting your book out there and seeing what happens. Ideally, you’ll have other people’s help as well. Here, we’ll run through the basics of self publishing in five steps.
Episode 8: Jeff Lyons, Writing Teacher
Writing teachers Jeff Lyons and Mary Kole in conversation about craft, from the big picture to the nitty gritty.
Episode 1: Chris Baty, Founder of NaNoWriMo
An interview with NaNoWriMo founder and writing teacher Chris Baty, where we discuss plot, pantsing, not nipping good ideas in the bud, celebrating a hot pile of garbage, and the cult of busyness.
Getting Started with Social Media for Writers
Have you started on your writing journey and want to know how to handle the dreaded social media options? Think of social media as a way to connect to others in the writing community. While there are many platforms to consider, it’s important to pick and choose what you like and enjoy. Here’s a checklist to help you get started.
Episode 15: Cidney Swanson, Good Story Grant Recipient
A conversation with Cidney Swanson, sci-fi author and recipient of the 2020 Good Story Grant.
DIY Author Marketing 101
You’re published. Now what? However you got your book out into the world, you’re probably looking for more readers. Here are some DIY tips for author marketing.
Episode 17: Anna Staniszewski, Children's Author
On this month's episode, children's author Anna Staniszewski chats about her path to publication, writing for different age groups, and what it takes to make it as a full-time author.
Episode 4: Laura Elliott, Ghostwriter
A podcast interview with ghostwriter Laura Elliott, all about deep research, finding inspiration from various sources, and telling stories … even other people’s.
What Type of Online Presence Do You Need?
What’s the right way to have an online presence? Both before getting a book deal and after, this is a common question for writers. After all, we often hear that it is essential to get your name, your face, your everything out there in order to make potential readers aware of you.
Turning Anxiety Into Creativity
As the COVID-19 news around the world becomes steadily more serious, we wanted to share some tips and tricks to help you turn anxiety into creativity, and chaos into opportunity.