Turning Readers Into Writers: Recent Episodes
Emma Dhesi
Hi, I'm Emma – your host of the Turning Readers Into Writers podcast.
Have you ever asked yourself, "How can I find the time to write when I am already so busy? How can I write my first novel when I have no confidence in my writing? How do I even write a book, anyway?"
Then you're in the right place!
Beginner writers dream of finishing their first novel and either getting an agent or publishing independently. Either way, they have a vision of holding their book in their hands and seeing it for sale in a bookshop or online. But they are totally overwhelmed with the thought of writing so many words and crafting an engaging story with characters their readers care about.
In this podcast I take you right back to basics and look at all the ways you can find time to write and build your confidence. Along the way we'll delve into the practical elements of story structure and writing great characters, as well as the tools and techniques you can use to keep yourself motivated when the going gets tough.
With my 3 Step approach (schedule, write, analyse), I deliver content to help you say no to procrastination and yes to creation. I have turned my own writing from snippets on my computer to fully formed, published novels that are out there in the world for readers to enjoy. Let me show you how to do the same.
Remember, you don't need to know it all you just need to get started. Join me every Tuesday for new episodes on how you can go from Reader to Writer.
Join Emma Dhesi as she helps turn readers into writers with a unique blend of interviews, personal experience and lessons learned from other writers.
She guides you through the emotional minefield of writing a novel, how you can improve your craft, how to keep your big vision at the forefront of everything you do - and how to enjoy the ride along the way.
Short and sweet, every episode has the potential to get your writing career off to a flying start!
Links:
Emma’s website
Support the show
Join Emma Dhesi as she helps turn readers into writers with a unique blend of interviews, personal experience and lessons learned from other writers.
She guides you through the emotional minefield of writing a novel, how you can improve your craft, how to keep your big vision at the forefront of everything you do - and how to enjoy the ride along the way.
Short and sweet, every episode has the potential to get your writing career off to a flying start!
Links:
Emma’s website
Support the show
Join Emma Dhesi as she helps turn readers into writers with a unique blend of interviews, personal experience and lessons learned from other writers.
She guides you through the emotional minefield of writing a novel, how you can improve your craft, how to keep your big vision at the forefront of everything you do - and how to enjoy the ride along the way.
Short and sweet, every episode has the potential to get your writing career off to a flying start!
Links:
Emma’s website
Support the show
Join Emma Dhesi as she helps turn readers into writers with a unique blend of interviews, personal experience and lessons learned from other writers.
She guides you through the emotional minefield of writing a novel, how you can improve your craft, how to keep your big vision at the forefront of everything you do - and how to enjoy the ride along the way.
Short and sweet, every episode has the potential to get your writing career off to a flying start!
Links:
Emma’s website
Support the show
Join Emma Dhesi as she helps turn readers into writers with a unique blend of interviews, personal experience and lessons learned from other writers.
She guides you through the emotional minefield of writing a novel, how you can improve your craft, how to keep your big vision at the forefront of everything you do - and how to enjoy the ride along the way.
Short and sweet, every episode has the potential to get your writing career off to a flying start!
Links:
Emma’s website
Support the show
Join Emma Dhesi as she helps turn readers into writers with a unique blend of interviews, personal experience and lessons learned from other writers.
She guides you through the emotional minefield of writing a novel, how you can improve your craft, how to keep your big vision at the forefront of everything you do - and how to enjoy the ride along the way.
Short and sweet, every episode has the potential to get your writing career off to a flying start!
Links:
Emma’s website
Line Editing Made Simple
Kick-start your editing for free!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
Join Emma Dhesi as she helps turn readers into writers with a unique blend of interviews, personal experience and lessons learned from other writers.
She guides you through the emotional minefield of writing a novel, how you can improve your craft, how to keep your big vision at the forefront of everything you do - and how to enjoy the ride along the way.
Short and sweet, every episode has the potential to get your writing career off to a flying start!
Links:
Emma’s website
Reclaim Your Author Career: Using the Enneagram to build your strategy, unlock deeper purpose, and celebrate your career - https://amzn.to/3LTyKQL
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
Join Emma Dhesi as she helps turn readers into writers with a unique blend of interviews, personal experience and lessons learned from other writers.
She guides you through the emotional minefield of writing a novel, how you can improve your craft, how to keep your big vision at the forefront of everything you do - and how to enjoy the ride along the way.
Short and sweet, every episode has the potential to get your writing career off to a flying start!
Links:
Emma’s website
https://www.denisedt.com/
https://drstephaniehan.com/
Support the show
Join Emma Dhesi as she helps turn readers into writers with a unique blend of interviews, personal experience and lessons learned from other writers.
She guides you through the emotional minefield of writing a novel, how you can improve your craft, how to keep your big vision at the forefront of everything you do - and how to enjoy the ride along the way.
Short and sweet, every episode has the potential to get your writing career off to a flying start!
Links:
Emma’s website
Premade Book Covers - Bookcoverzone.com
The Cover Collection
Prolific Works - free ebook giveaways
Critique Circle
StoryOrigin (storyoriginapp.com)
Line Editing Made Simple
Kick-start your editing for free!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
Join Emma Dhesi as she helps turn readers into writers with a unique blend of interviews, personal experience and lessons learned from other writers.
She guides you through the emotional minefield of writing a novel, how you can improve your craft, how to keep your big vision at the forefront of everything you do - and how to enjoy the ride along the way.
Short and sweet, every episode has the potential to get your writing career off to a flying start!
Links:
Emma’s website
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
Join Emma Dhesi as she helps turn readers into writers with a unique blend of interviews, personal experience and lessons learned from other writers.
She guides you through the emotional minefield of writing a novel, how you can improve your craft, how to keep your big vision at the forefront of everything you do - and how to enjoy the ride along the way.
Short and sweet, every episode has the potential to get your writing career off to a flying start!
Links:
Emma’s website
Line Editing Made Simple
Kick-start your editing for free!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
Join Emma Dhesi as she helps turn readers into writers with a unique blend of interviews, personal experience and lessons learned from other writers.
She guides you through the emotional minefield of writing a novel, how you can improve your craft, how to keep your big vision at the forefront of everything you do - and how to enjoy the ride along the way.
Short and sweet, every episode has the potential to get your writing career off to a flying start!
Links:
Emma’s website
Dean Wesley Smith
Plottr
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
Join Emma Dhesi as she helps turn readers into writers with a unique blend of interviews, personal experience and lessons learned from other writers.
She guides you through the emotional minefield of writing a novel, how you can improve your craft, how to keep your big vision at the forefront of everything you do - and how to enjoy the ride along the way.
Short and sweet, every episode has the potential to get your writing career off to a flying start!
Links:
Emma’s website
The 5 C's of Being a Writer | Nancy Christie
Roz Morris, author | 'A unique voice rising in contemporary fiction'
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
Join Emma Dhesi as she helps turn readers into writers with a unique blend of interviews, personal experience and lessons learned from other writers.
She guides you through the emotional minefield of writing a novel, how you can improve your craft, how to keep your big vision at the forefront of everything you do - and how to enjoy the ride along the way.
Short and sweet, every episode has the potential to get your writing career off to a flying start!
Links:
Emma’s website
ChatGPT launches boom in AI-written e-books on Amazon
Line Editing Made Simple
Kick-start your editing for free!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
Join Emma Dhesi as she helps turn readers into writers with a unique blend of interviews, personal experience and lessons learned from other writers.
She guides you through the emotional minefield of writing a novel, how you can improve your craft, how to keep your big vision at the forefront of everything you do - and how to enjoy the ride along the way.
Short and sweet, every episode has the potential to get your writing career off to a flying start!
Links:
Emma’s website
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
Join Emma Dhesi as she helps turn readers into writers with a unique blend of interviews, personal experience and lessons learned from other writers.
She guides you through the emotional minefield of writing a novel, how you can improve your craft, how to keep your big vision at the forefront of everything you do - and how to enjoy the ride along the way.
Short and sweet, every episode has the potential to get your writing career off to a flying start!
Links:
Emma’s websiteLaunchpad: The Countdown to Writing Your Book (Amazon UK)
Launchpad: The Countdown to Writing Your Book (Amazon US)
Support the show
Join Emma Dhesi as she helps turn readers into writers with a unique blend of interviews, personal experience and lessons learned from other writers.
She guides you through the emotional minefield of writing a novel, how you can improve your craft, how to keep your big vision at the forefront of everything you do - and how to enjoy the ride along the way.
Short and sweet, every episode has the potential to get your writing career off to a flying start!
Links:
Emma’s website
Launch Pad: The Countdown To Writing Your Book
Line Editing Made Simple
Kick-start your editing for free!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
Join Emma Dhesi as she helps turn readers into writers with a unique blend of interviews, personal experience and lessons learned from other writers.
She guides you through the emotional minefield of writing a novel, how you can improve your craft, how to keep your big vision at the forefront of everything you do - and how to enjoy the ride along the way.
Short and sweet, every episode has the potential to get your writing career off to a flying start!
Links:
Emma’s website
Launch Pad: The Countdown To Writing Your Book
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
Join Emma Dhesi as she helps turn readers into writers with a unique blend of interviews, personal experience and lessons learned from other writers.
She guides you through the emotional minefield of writing a novel, how you can improve your craft, how to keep your big vision at the forefront of everything you do - and how to enjoy the ride along the way.
Short and sweet, every episode has the potential to get your writing career off to a flying start!
Links:
Be a Bestseller 4.0
Emma’s website
Line Editing Made Simple
Kick-start your editing for free!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
Join Emma Dhesi as she helps turn readers into writers with a unique blend of interviews, personal experience and lessons learned from other writers.
She guides you through the emotional minefield of writing a novel, how you can improve your craft, how to keep your big vision at the forefront of everything you do - and how to enjoy the ride along the way.
Short and sweet, every episode has the potential to get your writing career off to a flying start!
Links:Emma's website
Facebook page
3 Easy Steps cheat sheet
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
For more info on how I can help you with your writing career, visit my website at: www.emmadhesi.com
Support the show
In today's episode, I ponder if there's such a thing as a balanced life.
Links
- Ericka Emends
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode, I give 3 reasons why it's important to set up a writing routine.
Line Editing Made Simple
Kick-start your editing for free!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
This week I take a look at some money blocks that have a surprisingly big impact on your writing life.
From fear of failure, to fear of success and fear of judgement by those we love, all contribute to how much or how little we turn up for our writing.
We have a complex relationship with money and it brings up a lot of issues for us. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about here, we all go through it. We’ve all learnt to view money in particular ways and in this episode I dig into some of those.
A perfect listen for you if you know money holds you back from writing your novel.
Links:
Interview with Michele Tracy Berger
Support the show
This week I introduce you to the new sound of Turning Readers Into Writers.
After two years of interview episodes, I’m stripping back all the fancy music and introductions, and instead talking to you straight from the hip!
Over the next 12 months I’m focusing on four areas I believe hold most new writers back from finishing their first novel.
I’m going to help you:
- Have a big vision for your writing life
- Tackle your creative blocks
- Put boundaries in place
- Enjoy the ride
I can’t wait to dive into these areas and offer my thoughts and techniques for moving past these obstacles so you can have the confidence and stamina to reach The End.
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
This week I take you through the power of a vision board. Manifestation board, vision board, mood board, or whatever you call them, are wonderful tools to help you achieve whatever you want in life, both physically and emotionally.
I go through what they are, how to create one and what to include on your board. Get 2023 off to a flying start and create your own.
Links:
- Manifestation Babe
- Jennie Nash
- Canva
Line Editing Made Simple
Kick-start your editing for free!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
Jennie gives me all the lowdown on how she got started in the publishing industry, her own writing career and why she ultimately created her book coaching business, Author Accelerator.
We talk about why working with a coach can be so transformative to your writing, but it all starts with understanding why you want to write, and the kind of writing you want to do.
Is it to write one book from your heart, or is it to win a big contract and write a commercially successful series of books?
Your goal will shape how and what you write, and your measure of success.
If you’re considering hiring a coach but are on the fence, Jennie Nash offers great insight into how, with the right coach, you can’t go wrong.
Author Accelerator doesn’t just match writers with coaches, they are on a mission to help writers write books worth reading by training book coaches to support writers through the process.
They offer a certification programme for prospective coaches in both fiction and non-fiction.
You can find out more here: All About Book Coaching | Author Accelerator (bookcoaches.com)
Links:
- Jennie Nash
- Author Accelerator
- Wired For Story, Lisa Cron
- Story Genius, Lisa Cron
Line Editing Made Simple
Kick-start your editing for free!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
Molly Fader's first fiction love was romance, which she discovered at the tender age of 12 and which was “Putting words to feelings I had.”
Having never thought of romance stories in that way, I really appreciated this new way of seeing the genre.
In our conversation, we talk about Molly's new book, The Sunshine Girls. It's a dual timeline story that tells the tale of BettyKay and Kitty who, in 1967, run away to Hollywood hoping to hit the big time.
A year later BettyKay returns home, and her life takes a new direction. Kitty stays in Hollywood.
Fifty years later, at BettyKay’s funeral, her daughters are shocked when the famous movie star, Kitty, makes an appearance and turns their world upside down.
It’s a love story between friends and examines the lengths women will go to protect their friends.
If you enjoyed The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, you'll love The Sunshine Girls, by Molly Fader.
Molly has been writing for many years now, publishing over 60 books and she kindly shared with us how she puts together a synopsis, what goes into that document, at what point she stops planning and starts writing, and what a writing day looks like for her.
Molly starts with her premise and builds upon it like a snowball. She figures out as much as she can ahead of time, but at some point, she says you've just got to write. It’s the gaps in her planning that allow for magic to happen, and that’s what she loves. She says that if she had it all worked out ahead of time, she’d lose interest.
Molly was incredibly generous with her time and expertise, and I for one cannot wait to step into The Sunshine Girls.
Connect with Molly:
- https://mollyfader.com/
- https://twitter.com/MollyOKwrites
- https://www.bookbub.com/authors/molly-o-keefe
- https://www.facebook.com/molly.fader
- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18435981.Molly_Fader
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:Liz Alterman and I discuss the dos and don’ts of writing a memoir, in particular how to write about people who have not been very nice to you, and are the reason you’re writing your story in the first place!
Sad Sacked is Liz Alterman’s memoir about her and husband being made redundant at the same time, and the effect it had on their large family. This is still a timely subject as we move into winter and prices are going up.
She tells me about her transitions from financial services to journalism and from memoir to fiction. Workshopping was the biggest breakthrough for her.
We then go on to talk about how to make more time in your busy week to write and Liz shares she had to make the change from long writing sessions to writing on the hoof.
Her first adult suspense novel, The Perfect Neighborhood, came out in July 2022 and is available on Amazon.
Her memoir is currently in audio only, but you can order it at your local library or, if you’re a member of Audible Plus, it’s free as part of your subscription.
If you’re not a member of Audible, you can find out more here: Audible UK | Free Audiobook with 30-Day Trial
Connect with Liz:
- https://www.lizalterman.com/
- Elizabeth Alterman | LinkedIn
- Liz Alterman • Instagram photos and videos
- A Perfect Neighborhood, Liz Alterman
- Sad Sacked, Liz Alterman
- Audible UK | Free Audiobook with 30-Day Trial
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
After a very successful career as a cellist, Alice McVeigh decided to try her hand at writing, something she had always had a passion for, but which took second place after her cello.
Alice has experienced the highs of being signed by a top agent and publisher on her first attempt, as well as the lows of losing both her agent and her publisher.
She’s worked with top hybrid publisher Unbound, and is now indie-publishing her latest books, a Jane Austenesque trilogy.
What Alice has learnt is that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself. If something doesn’t work, try something else. The most important thing is to keep trying.
If you’re feeling lost right now, you need to listen to my conversation with Alice McVeigh. She’ll help you make the right decision for you.
Connect with Alice:
https://www.alicemcveigh.com/
Alice McVeigh | Facebook
Alice McVeigh • Instagram photos and videos
Alice McVeigh / Twitter
Harriet: A Jane Austen Prequel, Alice McVeigh
Susan: A Jane Austen Prequel, Alice McVeigh
Last Star Standing, Spaulding Taylor
Line Editing Made Simple
Kick-start your editing for free!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
Distinguished Professor Emerita at Boise State University (USA), N.K. Napier has published widely on organizational creativity, innovation, and emerging economies over the years.
Because life is not just research and teaching, Napier reached out to leaders and managers in other formats. She co-created and hosted her NPR local affiliate’s Idaho Business Matters, was a regular guest on KTVB Channel 7’s Noon News, wrote for Forbes Vietnam, and continues to write for blogs for Psychologytoday.com and the Idaho Statesman. In the last few years, she has received two of Vietnam’s top honors for foreigners, the Medal of Honor, for contributing to the advancement of education in the country, and the Medal of Friendship for helping to build relationships between the U.S. and Vietnam.
After 35+ years in the academic and research world, N.K. Napier is embarking on something completely new: Fiction Writing, which offers her the joys and challenges of being a beginner again.
Links:
- https://nancyknapier.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyknapier/
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
Julie Artz started fast drafting back in 2011, when she took part in her first NaNoWriMo. All she had was a 5 beat cheat sheet and the resulting novel was very messy!
She now does a lot more preparation for NaNoWriMo, taking her time to think about the characters, plot points and end of the book. By the time November rolls along, she has a solid synopsis. She explains her process in the interview.
We talk about the benefits of having a synopsis, even if you’re a pantster which, at her heart, Julie still is.
We talk about how and when imposter syndrome can hit, and Julie makes great suggestions on how best to manage it. She even has a free downloadable for you (link below) to help you when you’re feeling uninspired and are wondering why you’re even trying to write this novel!
Today’s episode is perfect if you want to incorporate fast drafting into your life. It’s a great way to beat imposter syndrome because you’re powering your way through a skeletal first draft, upon which you layer and build the finished story.
Julie Artz is a fabulous writer and coach and I highly recommend you take a look at her website and take in all her wisdom!
Links:
https://julieartz.com/
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJulieArtz/
https://www.instagram.com/julieartz/
https://twitter.com/julieartz
Welcome | NaNoWriMo
Julie’s ‘Ready, Set, Draft’ mindset downloadable
Line Editing Made Simple
Kick-start your editing for free!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
Fran Hawthorne knew right from the beginning she was going to be a writer and even sent in her first submission aged eight.
At college, she joined the student newspaper before moving onto The Chronicle in San Francisco.
Fran tells me about her new novel, I Meant To Tell You and we discuss some of the themes and questions behind the book, which explores the nature of secrets and how much one person is willing to do for another.
She talks about her favoured point of view to write, which is a very close third-person. With this style, she omits all intermediary verbs such as she saw or she heard.
What Fran Hawthorne likes about this is how honest and immediate the voice is. This style brings the reader right into the scene, almost removing the narrator. She enjoys how clean this style is and that there are no wasted words.
We go on to talk about the business of submitting and publishing, and Fran shares her experiences of finding an agent and working with publishers.
Finally, we talk about how Fran shapes her day, so she can fit in everything that is important to her. For Fran, the day starts with a run, then she focuses on the small jobs that need doing before feeling free enough to be creative knowing that all her chores are completed.
This is the perfect listen for you if you’re stuck in your wip and want to try writing Fran’s very close third pov (she shares an extract from her novel as an example).
Connect with Fran:
- www.hawthornewriter.com
- https://www.instagram.com/hawthornewriter
- https://twitter.com/hawthornewriter
- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/339886.Fran_Hawthorne
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/franhawthorne/
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
Danielle M Orsino is a fantasy novelist whose lifelong vision is to create whimsical realms that her readers can escape to. Her compelling word-weaving pays homage to a multitude of personal musings from Chris Claremont and George Perez to Anne Rice, Jim Henson and Wonder Woman.
With an unwavering passion for cosplay and comics, it was a unanimous decision by her publishers to place her on the cover of each book in all her Fae cosplay glory (and the covers look amazing!)
The Birth of Fae, her book series, features Los, an affable chameleon dragon inspired by her fun-loving Yorkie named Carlos.
I had a lovely conversation with Danielle, her passion, her enthusiasm, her creativity and the joy that she takes in the work she does, and the cosplay that she takes part in.
It is clear right from the outset, she really enjoys her writing. She enjoys telling stories. She enjoys doing the marketing for it and the creative visual side of it all.
It was a lovely reminder to me that this is meant to be fun. It's easy for writers to get caught up in the seriousness of the work we're doing and the earnestness of the craft of writing. But really, what draws us to this is the chance to be creative, the chance to play, to explore, to be other people for a period. My conversation with Danielle was a wonderful and timely reminder of that.
So, if you've been feeling that you're getting stuck in the quagmire of the story you're telling and perhaps just taking things a little too seriously, then this conversation with Danielle is what you need. It will help remind you that you're doing this for the love of it.
Links:
- Home | Birth of the Fae
- Danielle M. Orsino (@birthofthefae_novel) • Instagram photos and videos
- Danielle Orsino – 4 Horsemen Publications
- Birth of the Fae series
- Booky Call | Book Discovery App
- BookyCon 2022: A Mega Meta Book Festival (flodesk.com)
Line Editing Made Simple
Kick-start your editing for free!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
Heidi Colthup, like so many of us, has been writing since she was a child, but it took her a long time to find her calling as a writer and academic.
We talk about getting a writing education, whether that be a formal qualification at university, or informally online or with a writing group. The important thing is to get the support you need.
Support that will challenge and improve your writing so you continue to grow rather than keep writing at the same level.
Interestingly, Heidi doesn’t believe everyone has a novel in them, but she believes everyone has a story to tell, and she explains more about that in our conversation.
If you’re unsure whether education is the next right step for your writing career, this episode is for you, particularly if you’ve been told at school you’d never be good enough.
If you’re interested in submitting to Heidi’s online magazine, Short Reads Magazine, you’ll find details below.
Links:
- Short Reads on Medium: https://medium.com/short-reads-magazine
- Short Reads Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/542063707596087
- Dr Heidi Colthup – Medium
- Dr Heidi Colthup (@Heidi_Colthup) / Twitter
- Dr Heidi Colthup (@heidi_colthup) • Instagram photos and videos
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
Lois Letchford exemplifies perfectly why you need to know who you are writing for and why it’s important to you. She had a message to share and, despite her dyslexia, worked hard to bring to life the beautiful tale of how one mother and son beat the odds and learnt to read.
I’m always going on about how every story deserves to be told and Lois Letchford proved me right because Reversed: A Memoir is about an ordinary family who found extraordinary ways to learn even when the school system failed them.
This is the perfect listen for you if you are dyslexic and want to write, or you have a child who is struggling to navigate literacy at school.
Links:
- Reversed: A Memoir
- www.loisletchford.com
- Lois Letchford - YouTube
Line Editing Made Simple
Kick-start your editing for free!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
Alanna Irving published her debut novel this year and fulfilled a dream she’s long held - to see her name on the cover of her book.
She also wanted to be able to buy that book in Waterstones and so, rather than go indie, she opted to work with a hybrid press and take advantage of their distribution channels.
She talks me through the advantages and disadvantages she found in working with a hybrid, and explains what she would do differently next time.
Alanna tells me about her novel - Abolish The Rose - and where the inspiration for the book came from and the funny story of how she started writing it.
This episode is perfect for you if you’re curious about working with a hybrid publisher, as I was. Despite the negatives, it’s a route I’m going to pursue. By the end of my conversation with Alanna you might too.
Connect with Alanna:
- Alanna Irving
- Abolish The Rose, Alanna Irving
- Alanna Irving (Author of Abolish the Rose) | Goodreads
- Alanna Irving (@alannairving) • Instagram photos and videos
- Alanna Irving (@alanna_irving) / Twitter
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
It’s the personal, specific and unique stories that make readers feel something. Small stories are so powerful and touch people’s hearts, and that’s why we read - to feel.
After reading Daniel Mendelsohn’s The Lost: A search for Six of Six Million for the third time, Edward di Gangi knew he had to at least try to find his birth mother and discover where and who he came from.
This led him on a voyage of discovery. His birth mother turned out to be Genevieve Knorowski, a very successful ice-dancer in the 1940s and 1950s, when ice-dancing was at the height of its popularity.
Di Gangi intertwines a homage to his mother’s success with his own research journey and how it shaped his understanding of what mothers go through when they make the difficult decision to give their child up for adoption.
The Gift Best Given is a story of love and drama against a backdrop of 1940s glamour.
Links:
- www.digangiauthor.com
- Edward Di Gangi • Instagram photos and videos
- The Gift Best Given, Edward di Gangi
- The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million, Daniel Mendelsohn
Line Editing Made Simple
Kick-start your editing for free!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
Susan Dennis published her first two books at 67 years old, exemplifying why you are never too old to write.
Susan compiled her book by writing snippets on the backs of utility envelopes or supermarket receipts. She pulled those little pieces together as and when she had time and would settle down to write when she had something tangible to put together, showing you don’t have to spend hours on a keyboard to write a novel.
Key to Susan’s success was giving herself the permission to write the novel, trusting her inner voice and her discernment, which not enough new writers manage.
From there she sought help from editors and readers, which led to an agent and then to the publisher, Atmosphere Press.
At its heart, Susan Dennis’ memoir is a love story. The love that grew between Susan and her husband, the now deceased photographer, Charles Dennis. It’s also a love story between one man and a creative passion.
This is a must listen if you are writing a memoir and are curious about how you can find a publisher.
Links:
- Susandennisauthor.com
- susan dennis • Instagram photos and videos
- The Swing, Susan Dennis
- Atmosphere Press - Home
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
On her 16th birthday, Ella Čolić’s Aunt Amelia gave her a series of letters she and Ella’s father, Denis, wrote when they were children living in war-torn Bosnia. So moved by what her father and aunt had gone through, Ella decided to write a book about their experiences.
She deliberately emphasised the emotional journey Denis and Amelia went through. Being children, they didn’t understand the political and religious background to the war. All they knew was that their family was being torn apart.
Ella is now an ambassador for BMG Tulza, and together they are on a mission to increase literacy amongst Bosnia’s children, and to encourage people of all ages to write their stories with the festival My First Book, which had its inauguration last year.
Submissions to the festival are now open and will close in November ahead of the festival in December.
If you want to know more about My First Festival go here >> BMG Bosanska medijska grupa
Links:
- Trees Without Roots, Ella Čolić
- www.treeswithoutroots.com
- Čolić ♠ (@ella.colic) • Instagram photos and videos
- BMG Tuzla Facebook Page (for My First Festival details)
- BMG Bosanska medijska grupa (@bmg.tuzla) • Instagram photos and videos
Line Editing Made Simple
Kick-start your editing for free!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
Tiffany Obeng has managed to combine passion and profit. She writes books she loves, and she knows there is a market for them. She’s filling a gap in the children’s picture book market and it makes her proud to know she’s playing her part in filling that gap.
Tiffany talks me through how she built her publishing team, what she’s learnt along the way and how she now helps new children’s authors navigate the complicated world of publishing.
Working full time, looking after two pre-school children and coaching new authors means that she is a busy lady, and Tiffany shares how she makes space in her week to write, publish and market her books. And it’s working, judging by her ranking on Amazon!
This episode is for you if you want to write children’s picture books and are unsure how to start, or where you can find an illustrator, editor and formatter.
Connect with Tiffany:
- Sugar Cookie Books
- Instagram: @SugarCookieBooks
- Facebook: @SugarCookieBooks
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
Fuelled by his desire to escape his corporate day job, Brian Livingston started writing his debut novel before work, and late into the night when everyone else was sleeping. Those gruelling hours were worth it because he published his debut in 2022 and he hasn’t looked back.
Brian Livingston was born and raised in Atlanta, GA. He earned his B.A. in History at Clemson University before setting off to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail in 2013 (where he earned his trail name “Mister Frodo”).
After his thru-hike, he started law school at Washington & Lee University School of Law, graduating in 2016. Since 2016, he has worked as a trial attorney in South Carolina.
He currently resides in Charleston, SC with his wife, Olivia, and black lab, Maddux. His debut novel, The Habits of Squirrels, is inspired by experiences and encounters on the Appalachian Trail.
Links:
- https://www.brianlivingstonbooks.com/
- Wild, Cheryl Strayed
- On Writing, Stephen King
- www.reedsy.com
- Elements of Style, Strunk and White
Connect with Brian:
- Brian Livingston • Instagram photos and videos
- Author Brian Livingston | Facebook
- Author Brian Livingston / Twitter
Line Editing Made Simple
Kick-start your editing for free!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:This week, I'm talking about the five ways to feel good about your writing.
It's so important to feel good about your writing in order to carry on and not give up because you think none of it's any good, none of it's worthwhile, and no one will want to read your work anyway.
But you need to keep on going, keep on writing and get to the end of that story, because your story deserves to be told and the world deserves to hear your story.
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
love lay down before me and we wept sprang from an essay that was published a couple of years ago in Boundless magazine about Helen Taylor’s experience of being admitted to a psychiatric ward and sectioned under the Mental Health Act. An experience which, as you might imagine, was pretty grim.
Amid the horror though, there were moments of pure comedy and unexpected comradeship.
And of course, plenty of material for writing.
When Helen first wrote the essay (Inside Ferguson House), her Open University tutor encouraged her to share it. But she couldn’t. Not back then. She was too vulnerable. Still too unwell, even if she didn’t entirely realise it.
Years later, she saw a Channel 4 News feature about proposed changes to the Mental Health Act in England. As she listened to the people who were interviewed, to their accounts of frustration and anger at their loss of agency and their sense of being treated as less than human, and even though all their circumstances varied widely, their experiences resonated so clearly with hers that Helen knew it was the time to send her essay out into the world.
Now, for the first time, she tells the entire story of why she was there, what happened, and the love she discovered during those dark days. This really is a story of love in the dark.
Helen Taylor is appearing at the WayWORD Festival in Aberdeen 23-24 September 2022. Tickets are free.
Links:
- Support Helen’s book on Unbound - https://unbound.com/books/love-lay-down-beside-me-and-we-wept/
- Open University - https://www.open.ac.uk/
- Inside Ferguson House - Helen Taylor’s personal essay
- Nick Cave - Red Hand Files
- Wayward Festival, Aberdeen, Scotland - https://www.waywordfestival.com/
Line Editing Made Simple
Kick-start your editing for free!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
Barbara Conrey worked in the health care industry for many years before opting for an early retirement which lasted all of three months. Retirement didn’t suit, so Barbara accepted a position in finance with a national company (for which she had absolutely no background), and four years later she decided to write a book. But not about finance.
In the early morning hours, you can find Barbara walking her neighborhood streets, head down and deep in thought.
Travel is a passion, along with reading, writing, hiking and exploring antique shops. Barbara’s greatest passion is Miss Molly, her rescue beagle. There are stories to be told about beagles and Barbara hopes to incorporate some of those stories into her books.
Barbara lives in Central Pennsylvania, close to family and friends, and of course, Miss Molly.
Links:
- Author Talk Network
- Nowhere Near Goodbye, Barbara Conrey
- My Secret To Keep, Barbara Conrey
- Red Adept Press
- Liza Royce Agency
- Women’s Fiction Writers Association
- www.facebook.com/baconreywriter
- www.Twitter.com/barbaraconrey
- www.Instagram.com/barbara
- www.barbaraconreyauthor.com
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
"I just want to write my book." This is what Heather Davis said to herself and what led her to find book coach and author, Lisa Cron, which led to Heather finding Jennie Nash and Author Accelerator, with whom she trained to be a book coach.
We both agree that being a coach has made us better writers and we talk about the difference between plot and story.
For Heather, plot is what happens externally to the character, but story is what happens internally. It's that “common human experience.”
Without that story, the plot wouldn't interest anybody, and so you have to have the two intertwined. When the story is done well, it's invisible.
Heather offers a tip to discover for yourself just how well expert writers incorporate the story elements of their novel into the plot elements. By doing this exercise, you'll see just how often writers express the emotions and feelings of their characters without you even realising it.
We move on to talk about "show, don't tell" and why so many new writers misunderstand what this phrase means. It means shifting from narration to an external video camera that does tell. What is happening to your character? But you also need to show specifically why someone is responding or feeling the way they do in a given situation.
For Heather, it’s not "show, don’t tell," it’s "show and tell."
This takes us onto the importance of putting feelings and emotions on the page. Don't leave your reader in suspense, but take them through the journey with you. We discuss how it's a mistake to hide things from your reader and how you, as the writer, must be very clear about what the character is trying to express in any given scene.
We move on to talk about how writers can stay accountable and just why working with a coach or mentor helps with exactly that. It’s why both of us work with our own coaches.
Working with a coach gives you, as Heather says, “someone to nerd out with” about your novel.
To round off our conversation, Heather tells me about the book she's been working on for the last two years with Lisa Cron. She's only just finished the first draft and is very proud of the work she's done. She knows it’s a great book because she got great coaching.
She also shares more about how she coaches new novelists and just why she is passionate about helping those telling stories about those who are more marginalised in our communities.
Connect with Heather:
- https://thekreativeauthorpreneur.com/
- https://www.instagram.com/h.leedavis/
- https://twitter.com/HLeeDavisWriter
Links:
- Tim Urban YouTube video on procrastination: https://youtu.be/arj7oStGLkU
- Billy Summers, Stephen King
Line Editing Made Simple
Kick-start your editing for free!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
Hannah Lyon, like so many of us, started her life in fiction as a reader. It wasn't until later that she wanted to figure out the formula or recipe for putting a novel together. She wanted to discover the magic behind the words, and that led her to editing.
What makes Hannah different is that she conducts what she calls a Comprehensive Edit for her clients. This means she does multiple edits in one go!
She’s trained herself to move easily between the more creative content edit and the detailed line edit at the same time.
This saves her clients the time and expense of going through multiple edits at different times. It saves them waiting months at a time, and it proves to be more cost effective.
Working so closely with her clients, Hannah can build a safe and empathetic relationship with them. She’s not just coming in at the end with a big red pen, but is invested in her client and what they want to share with the world. Relationship building is a very important part of her work.
And it shows in the way she talks about her role and the work she does. One of her favourite aspects of her job is watching her clients build their skill base between when they first start working together and when the book is finished. It lifts her heart to see that she's helped someone do what they love.
As long as her client is open to constructive feedback, she can help them grow as an artist. As she says, ‘Critique is part of any artist’s life.’ This is where you learn and grow.
Plus, she says, ‘There is magic in the rewrite.’ I know that to be true!
We go on to talk about some common mistakes Hannah Lyon sees in new writers and she gives suggestions on how to look out for those mistakes and rectify them.
I asked Hannah how she honours the author's voice while editing, and she explains that it's all about being a good listener. Before they start working together, she asks them about their motivation for the book, why they are writing it, what’s important about it and, crucially, who they are writing it for.
After that discussion, she can keep that vision in mind when editing, thus ensuring she honours the writer's voice while lifting the story.
Today's episode is perfect for you if you are hesitant about sharing your work with an editor. It might be that you're scared in case they tell you to go back to the drawing board!
Hannah shows that’s not what an editor does. She wants to see you succeed and, in our conversation today, Hannah shares how she does that in an empathetic and heart centred way.
Connect with Hannah:
- https://www.castlelyonediting.com/
- https://www.facebook.com/castlelyonediting
- https://www.instagram.com/ladylyon19
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
Kim Marsh is a writing and book coach. In her own words, she's "not a New York Times bestselling author, but still a worthwhile human."
Kim founded The Open Book Company to help authors, coaches, entrepreneurs, inspirational speakers and "but-I'm-not-really-a-writer" writers to find, hone and use their voice. She does this through a coaching practice rooted in empathy, authenticity and self-compassion. Her clients go on to create blogs and articles, pen speeches and presentations and publish manuscripts with her partnership and support.
In addition to providing one-on-one coaching, Kim recently launched Open Book Writing Circles to create a space for accountability and community to anyone experiencing self-doubt or a desire for more support when it comes to their writing process.
Kim firmly believes you don’t need to have a major book deal, a spot on a global stage or a PhD in English Lit to have a story worth telling.
In today's episode, Kim talks about building a community with heart.
Connect with Kim:
- Web: www.openbookco.com
- Instagram: @theopenbookcompany
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
Jo Bavington-Jones started writing her first novel when she was made redundant in 2016. This was the opportunity she'd been waiting for it to finally write her first novel, and she took it.
She explains why she opted for a Hybrid publisher and how that publisher differs from indie publishing and vanity publishing.
We go on to talk about why events, both in-person and online are so beneficial to spreading the word about your books, even if you find them terrifying!
Jo shares that she finds live events terrifying, even now, but she absolutely believes they are the best way of connecting with readers and promoting her novels.
To counter the nerves, Jo uses brown paper bags to stop herself from hyperventilating as well as essential oils and Rescue Remedy to help her stay calm.
And, she says, once she’s up and running at the event, her nerves calm down, she gets in the zone and has a great time.
Jo explains how she finds the events and why, especially in the early days, it’s a great idea to have a buddy go along with you, particularly if they’re a writing friend. You can support one another.
What she's discovered is that now she’s been around for a while, people tend to come to her and ask her if she’d like to be on a podcast or talk at a book group or have a stall at a festival. But she had to put the groundwork initially, and that included using social media.
Facebook and Instagram have been the best sites for Jo Bavington-Jones and she emphasises the importance of reposting the same things again and again. People won’t get irritated by it (on average people need to see things 16 times before they take a look!)
If you’re curious to learn if attending events and networking that way is a good move for you, this episode is well worth a listen.
Jo gives great ways to get started and manage those nerves!
Connect with Jo:
- https://jobavingtonjones.co.uk/
- https://www.facebook.com/JoBavingtonJones
- https://twitter.com/jbavingtonjones
- https://www.instagram.com/jobavingtonjonesauthor/
Links mentioned in the show:
- The Conrad Press
- Joanna Penn
If you're a first-time author and need help with your manuscript, then The Story Builder is what you need. It's a 12 month, small group programme that will get you from fearful and stuck, to feeling ready to achieve a long desired dream. Book a call today >> www.emmadhesi.com/StoryBuilder
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
14 year old Shanti Hershenson has always been a writer but when lockdown happened, she decided to take the plunge and transition from short stories to a novel.
Bursting with energy and enthusiasm for her writing, Shanti says it’s too easy for teen writers to underestimate themselves and think that because they're so young, they can't possibly write a novel.
But, she says, you can absolutely do it no matter what age you are. You just have to be consistent, write regularly and little by little you'll get better. But you must keep writing.
Shanti's best known book is You Won't Know Her Name, a novel that tackles the subject of bullying at school. Shanti was bullied and she was so angered by her school’s lackadaisical response that she wrote her novel - in verse form.
I asked why she chose to write it in verse, and she told me that’s the way the book wanted to be written. It was the most natural way to tell the story she had in her head.
The novel resonates with a lot of people her age because it acknowledges that most bullies are a friend of the victim. They are not a random kid from another class or year, but someone the victim knows.
Shanti Hershenson’s advice for anyone being bullied is to talk to a trusted adult, whether that be a coach, teacher, parent or other family member. Don't feel you've got to deal with it alone. There’s always one person you can reach out to who will know what to do.
Her advice for schools is to not shy away from the problem. Listen to the victim. They don’t make up being bullied. If the school doesn’t know it’s happening, then get observant. Make it a priority to find out what’s going on in your playground.
Shanti feels too many principals deny that bullying happens in their school, which doesn’t fix the problem.
Shanti Hershenson’s productivity rate is explosive and she shares her writing routine and how she balances school life and writing. The trick for her is to write as soon as she gets home, before switching off for the day.
We finish our conversation with Shanti telling me about book 17 and her hopes for the future, which I’m sure is very bright.
Book 17 is her most complicated story to date, and it’s clear she’s having fun writing it and is excited to share it with the world.
Connect with ShantiWebsite: Author | Shanti HershensonInstagram: @shantihershenson
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
Lucinda Sage-Midgorden grew up in Portland, and it was there she first got involved with a theatre company called The Musical Company. She was involved both on and off stage and really developed her stage and story craft.
While there, she had the opportunity to really study story structure and look for what made a play great - both plot and character-wise.
Lucinda told me about the inspiration behind her debut novel, The Space Between Time. The story delves into the grief one feels when a parent is ill or dies. It's a rite of passage we all go through, and writing the story helped Lucinda work through her own grief when her father passed away.
She later started a blog called Sage Woman Chronicles as a way for her to investigate her own emotions and feelings about what was happening in her life. This would help her write her fiction better and even a memoir. She says she wanted to break down her defences.
The blog did exactly that, and helped her grow comfortable being vulnerable.
In addition to the blog, Lucinda Sage-Midgorden has also studied miracle and energy work, and has read a lot of personal growth material, all of which has helped her grow her confidence and do things she would never have imagined, such as starting her podcast, Power-Story.
Lucinda Sage-Midgorden is a busy woman, and she also hosts a Patreon community for authors and storytellers, which is a great place if you want to explore structure more, as well as get together with fellow writers and storytellers.
In today's episode, Lucinda gives us a couple of starting points for analysing story, and you can find out more over at her podcast and in her Patreon community.
This episode is a great lesson if you are new to writing or haven’t yet analysed story before.
Lucinda gives you what you need to get started. And this really is a skill all authors need. Not only to study individual works, but the genre in which you write so you can look for trends and reader expectations.
Connect with Lucinda:
- Sage Woman Chronicles – The Arts, Spirituality, Life
- The Space Between Time, Lucinda Sage-Midgorden
- Lucinda Sage-Midgorden | Facebook
- L. Sage-Midgorden (@Wyrdwoman) / Twitter
- Lucinda Sage-Midgorden - LinkedIn
Cosmic Scene with Jill Jardine
Cosmic Scene with Jill Jardine, a cutting edge podcast, bringing in a new paradigm in...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
The Brief Dive
The Brief Dive offers a unique and unlicensed teen perspective, providing advice to...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
In 2019, photographer Melisa Caprio published Postcards to the Universe, a book that incorporates the ‘mood board’ postcards her students send to her, their manifestation stories and exercises, and fun stuff readers can do to bring more abundance into their lives.
What is abundance?
Melisa explains that everything is energy. The earth, animals, rocks, and even the emotions and feelings we feel.
The universe observes our actions and emotions and brings us what it perceives we are looking for.
Because we’re human, this is a mix of the positive life brings, and the negative. The magic of abundance is that it keeps you moving towards your goal, even when things get tough.
The affirmation and postcards seep into your subconscious and keep you working towards what it is you want - in your case, a finished novel.
What this means is we are co-creators of our lives with the universe. We bring in what we are thinking about.
One of my favourite quotes is from Tony Robbins, who says, “wherever our focus goes, our energy flows”.
If we focus on the negative, that’s what we invite in. But, if we can shift that to focus on the positive, then we invite that in.
How can we use the energies of abundance and manifestation to change the way we view ourselves as writers?
Melisa encourages us to enjoy being in the creative flow or the creative vortex. Even if the writing doesn't make any sense at the time, keep going. Trust in your creative process. Logic comes later.
She also suggests using affirmations. For writers, a great affirmation might be, “I am a published author.’
If you have that affirmation pinned up everywhere around you, if you see it regularly, in all different areas of your life, the message slowly but surely seeps into your subconscious, you change your inner dialogue and realise that yes, you are a writer.
We finish our conversation with Melisa telling me about how important gratitudes are in her life.
She believes in them so much she even has a free course for anyone who wants to learn more. The course shows you how to create a Postcard, and how to effectively use gratitudes in your day-to-day life and increase the abundance you bring in.
Links:
- Postcards to the Universe
- The Artist’s Way - Julia Cameron
- You Can Heal Your Life - Louise Hay
Red Fern Book Review
Sharing top book club recommendations, media and book reviews.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
The Proffitt Podcast
The podcast that shows you tips & strategies to create content with confidence!
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
It’s easy to look at writers who are selling thousands of books and earning six figures a year (some even seven figures) and think they are doing so much better than you.
You might think they have life worked out and know exactly what they’re doing and have a master plan they’re working towards.
But that isn't always the case! Everybody is on a journey of discovery, and that includes their money journey.
Michele asks the excellent question of what is abundance and what does it mean to you? What is prosperity? It's different things to different people, but it certainly includes money and we shouldn’t be afraid of that.
If writing comes easily to you and you find it fun, that doesn’t diminish the work you’ve put into it.
The old, very masculine, way of approaching work is changing. The mantra of 'You’ve got to work hard if you want to earn a good wage' is slowly changing. Just because your work is easy and enjoyable, that doesn’t make it any less valuable.
We talk about money beliefs and where they come from. Both of us have taken Denise Duffield Thomas’ Money Bootcamp, and have learnt so much from it. We’ve learnt that our beliefs around money come from our parents and childhood, even those we’re not aware of.
For example, did you know that families have a financial upper limit? It’s never spoken about, and most of the time we’re not aware it exists, but it inhibits how much we believe we are allowed to earn.
Listen to our conversation to find out why that is.
Those money beliefs are holding you back from investing in your writing. You probably don’t see it as worthwhile or offering a return on investment, not realising that the return is infinite.
If you recognise that you have money blocks, but aren’t sure how to start changing them, this episode will do just that for you.
Connect with Michele:
- Ten Ways to Keep Connected to Your Writing Self
- The Practice of Creativity
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
Caroline talks me through her journey to finding an agent, and the difficulties that come with working with the right editor and even having your agent purchased by one of the big houses!
Caroline lets me into a few secrets about who really reads that manuscript submission you spend hours holding, hoping that this is going to be your big breakthrough. I found it eye-opening!
We then go on to talk about Caroline Woods’ new book, The Lunar Housewife, and the inspiration behind it. It was, in fact, her agent who sowed the seed of the idea when she mentioned that the CIA were involved in creating arts propaganda during the Cold War. that prompted some research, which in turn prompted the novel.
The novel is a mixture of thriller and espionage, and includes a novel within a novel, as well as cameos by a number of real-life people, for example Ernest Hemingway, and Caroline explains why she chose to include them.
Caroline fills me in on how governments, not just the US, used arts and literature as a way of winning the cultural Cold War against communism. Not only does she give me snippets of what’s included in the novel, but she also divulged some information she found out, but which couldn’t be included!
We go on to talk about how Caroline managed to write her novel whilst raising a family and how she had to push herself to find those quiet moments when she could concentrate on the manuscript.
What Caroline points out is that the level of energy needed to push through was high but manageable because it takes only a few months to write the first draft.
Once that is down, the pressure eases off and she can revise in a more leisurely way. Such a great point to note for those of you who are around a job and family. It’s temporary, and that makes it doable.
Caroline shares her revision and editing process and what happens when the book goes to her agent.
We round off our conversation with Caroline telling me about her new project, based around Chicago in the 1880s.
If you’re writing historical fiction, this episode is for you!
Connect with Caroline:
- The Lunar Housewife, Caroline Woods
- Caroline Woods (carolinewoodswriter.com)
- Caroline Woods / Twitter
- Caroline Woods | Facebook
- Caroline Woods • Instagram photos and videos
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
Lauca started writing in 2018 and enjoyed it so much she decided she wanted to become a published author.
She started with micro stories, which are short stories up to between 400 and 600 words, and the main reason for her doing this was to establish a writing practice.
Because writing was new to her, Lauca knew she needed to find a way of normalising it and making the practice part of her weekly life.
We talk about how she fits her writing in around her job and social life, and for Lauca it's all about scheduling. Every Sunday evening, she looks at the week ahead, puts in all the things that she knows are happening, and schedules her writing around existing obligations.
That way she’s in charge of her time. When it’s time to write, she sits down and does the work.
This is the most important bit. You must show up for yourself if you want to finish the novel.
If Lauca doesn’t hit her goal, she doesn’t despair. She knows she can make up for it at her next writing session.
For example, she schedules nothing on the weekends, so can use a spare hour or so for her writing.
When it comes to starting a new habit, Lauca suggests giving yourself a baseline. If you ultimately want to write for 3 hours a month, start with something small, like 30 minutes.
The next month, write for 60 minutes, and keep building up the time so it feels comfortable.
This gives you the opportunity to be successful, rather than set yourself up for a fall by being too ambitious right out of the gate.
[I have a free cheat sheet to help you schedule your time, which you can get here]
Lauca tells me about the inspiration behind her first novel, Returning East. She was surfing the web and came across a French passenger cruise liner that travelled regularly between Europe and the Far East. Given that “China is my jam” this was the perfect starting point for Lauca’s historical novel.
I asked why she wrote from a male point of view, and Lauca explained that she didn't want to put herself in the book or for it to be autobiographical. By using a male protagonist, she could distance herself from the novel and let her protagonist tell his story.
Lauca explains that being a European writer, as opposed to an Italian writer, enables her to use the many and varied experiences she’s had as an adult.
She has travelled much of the world, moving countries, and sometimes continents, every three years.
This gives her a much more global view of life and she can reflect this in her choice of story, the language she uses and the outlook of her protagonists.
We finish our conversation talking about Lauca’s self publishing experience and what she’s learnt from it. She says it was a steep learning curve and had its challenges, some of which she shares in our conversation.
This week's episode is perfect for you if you are a traveller who wants to incorporate those experiences in your writing.
Connect with Lauca:
- Welcome - La
Fairy Tales with Granny MacDuff Podcast
Join Granny MacDuff as she reads classic children’s fairy tales in this award...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
In this episode:
Kathy Otten started writing stories when she was very small, but it wasn't until she became a mum and was nursing her children in the middle of the night that she discovered Harlequin romance books.
She tried writing her own, but discovered it was harder than she thought.
So, undaunted, she started taking classes and workshops, and kept on writing and little by little overtime she improved and started publishing short stories.
It was her father who introduced her to the great Westerns writers, like Louis Lamour and Zane Grey, and it was this that cemented her love of historical romance.
But she doesn’t write only American West stories. Kathy Otten told me she sees the characters first and then follows the story, and one of her books is set in WWII.
I ask Kathy about her working schedule and she explains she’s a teaching assistant and so her writing must work around that.
But in an ideal world, she works on her own fiction and research in the morning, and in the afternoon she works on her client’s pages, for Kathy Otten is also a book coach.
Pennwriters Inc is a writing group that started in Pennsylvania, USA but now is across many states. The organisation, and in particular their critique group, helped Kathy focus on areas of her work that needed help.
Members read her work, recommended books and workshops and enabled Kathy to continue working on her craft in a supportive way.
She tells me what she recommends you look for in a critique group and emphasises that the focus should be on the writing, not the person.
As a way of paying forward the help she’s received, Kathy now teaches writing to others and has held a lot of workshops for Pennwriters Inc conferences, her chapter of the RWA and Savvy Authors.
Latterly she’s become an accredited book coach and uses her skills to even greater effect by working closely with writers on their manuscripts over a longer period of time.
The coaching, Kathy says, comes in two forms. It’s either book coaching or author coaching. Both need help at different times of the process, and certainly that has been my own experience of both coaching and being coached!
We talk about writer's block, what it is and how you can move past it. Often the problem lies with the plot or the character and once those issues are resolved, the rest falls into place.
This is something Kathy can help with in her coaching role.
We finish our conversation with Kathy telling me what she’s working on at the moment and where you can find out more about her books and her coaching.
Connect with Kathy Otten:
- https://www.kathyotten.com/
- Kathy Otten (@KathyOtten) / Twitter
- Kathy Otten Historical Romance Author | Facebook
Links mentioned in show:
- Louis Lamour Westerns
- Zane Grey Westerns
- Anne Stuart, author
- Jane Friedman | Reporting on the Publishing Industry
If you're a first-time author and need help with your manuscript, then The Story Builder is what you need. It's a 12 month, small group programme that will get you from fearful and stuck, to feeling ready to achieve a long desired dream. Book a call today >> www.emmadhesi.com/StoryBuilder
Support the show
Tonya Duncan Ellis started her professional life as a journalist and although she always wanted to write stories, she didn’t think she had it in her to write a novel.
It was when she became a mother and read books to her children that she noticed they were not being represented in any of the books they picked up.
She decided she would write her own stories, where her children were represented, and set it in her hometown of Houston, Texas.
Tonya takes me through her journey from writing that first draft, making the decision to self publish, building her name as a local author and someone who visits schools and talks to the kids there.
Duncan Ellis is an incredibly determined woman and was clear from the start she wanted to get her books out into the world. She believes in her books and wants them in every Barnes & Noble!
Using her journalist skills, she pitched her books to local newspapers and garnered coverage that way. She also paid to have a Kirkus Indie Review, which was worth the investment because school librarians trust those reviews and bought her books as a result.
She also applied for Vendor Status, which she tells me is necessary if you want your books in public schools and into the school syllabus.
School visits are one of the things Tonya loves most about her author life. Mingling with the kids, hearing their stories and lightning to their ideas, is great fun and a source of wonderful inspiration for the next books in the Sophie Washington series.
One young black girl was so inspired by Tonya Duncan Ellis that she entered a competition held by Black Children's Book week, which she won and was awarded the prize of $400.
If that doesn't show a child it’s possible to make a living with words, nothing does!
We go on to talk about how Tonya finds the time to write amongst her family life, and she says time blocking is an important part of her scheduling. She gets up early in the morning, so she has at least an hour of quiet time to write before everyone else gets up.
She says in the early days she literally locked herself in her room so she could get the peace and quiet she needed!
Another part of Tonya’s business is the merchandise and printables she produces.
She owns the copyright to the images used in her books and uses them in colouring books, t-shirts and much more. She says it’s a great way to recoup some of the costs associated with her writing.
We finished our conversation with Tonya Duncan Ellis telling me about her Sophie Washington series and how each book has a Texas Twist. In each book the children see alligators or go to the rodeo, or interact with another ‘flavour of Houston’.
If you want to write middle grade books, this episode is for you. Tonya Duncan Ellis is a fantastic example of what you can achieve if it's something you really want.
Links:
Home - Tonya Duncan Ellis
Black Children's Book Week - Black Baby Books
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
“Leadership is a lifestyle”
Sam Thiara has written a book about Personal Storytelling and a memoir about his journey to India to discover his forgotten roots.
In 1903 Sam’s grandfather left the Punjab in India on a ship destined for Argentina, but decided to jump ship in Fiji.
From Fiji Sam’s family moved to the UK (where Sam was born) and eventually settled in Vancouver, Canada.
Aware that his family’s tie with India was getting thinner with each generation, Sam took it upon himself to find the family’s ancestral home. Armed with a single, colour photograph he headed to the closest town to where he thought his family came from.
In the memoir, Sam takes his readers through his journey of discovery and shares what he learnt from the experience.
Before the trip, Sam Thiara said of his heritage that he felt like a Thali tray with many distinct elements to his history, but all of which were kept separate.
By the end of his trip he realised that in fact the better analogy was more like Kedgeree - a mix of ingredients held in a delicious combination in one bowl.
In his professional life, Sam Thiara teaches and coaches on Leadership.
He describes himself as ‘the difficult monk’ who doesn't tell his clients what to do, but asks lots of questions because he believes that they have the answers inside of them. His job is to draw those answers out.
Ultimately, he says, Leadership is about followers. Followers are the ones who choose if somebody is a leader or not.
What does that have to do with being an author?
As an author of either fiction or non-fiction, you are a leader.
You use your words to share an experience, real or imagined. You share something important and it’s up to your readers to decide if they agree with you and will follow you.
If you share what’s important, says Sam, people will follow you. That includes readers.
‘Never hold back.’
You can change the world with your words, says Sam. From our ordinary lives come extraordinary stories and when we share them, we give others the opportunity to see the world differently.
It’s not our job to try to change people’s opinion, but offer an alternative.
As a writer, you are a Leader and Sam encourages you to embrace that position and believe in yourself. When you do, you stand a much better chance of sticking the course of putting your book into the world and finding your own ‘followers’.
Links:
My Writing / Sam Thiara (sam-thiara.com)
Sam’s books - Amazon
TedEx Talk - Discovering the extraordinary in the ordinary
TexEx Talk - Embracing rejection
Connect with Sam:
Sam Thiara - Chief Movitating Officer - Ignite the Dream Coaching and Consulting | LinkedIn
Sam Thiara | Facebook
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
After college, Carol Saller says she didn't know what to do and it was serendipity that she was in the careers office when The University of Chicago Press called looking for a graduate.
Carol got the job and didn’t look back.
We discuss whether writers need to hire an editor these days. With software like ProWriting Aid and Grammarly, many writers believe they can bypass the human touch, and we discuss the pros and cons to that approach.
I asked Carol whether it's better to self publish or seek a traditionally published deal, and she talked me through the kinds of books that work well for the indie space and those that work well for the traditional arena.
Carol shares her own journey in publishing, exemplifying just how the industry has changed in the last 10 years or so.
Carol sold her first books very easily, but now that the market has changed she’s aware her story might not have the same appeal it once did. Having a track record of sales and reviews doesn’t guarantee a book will get picked up twice.
Next, Carole takes me through some common mistakes writers make when formatting their manuscripts, for example not adding page numbers, or trying to make a manuscript look like a typeset novel.
A typeset book is not a manuscript, she says, so don't try to make it look like one. It signifies to the agent you’ve not been through the system and might have a lot to learn!
Towards the end of our conversation, Carol tells me about her middle grade book, Eddies War, which is based on her father's childhood diaries during World War II.
We finish our conversation with Carol telling me what she's working on now, the querying process and where you can find out more about Carol and her books.
This episode is ideal for you if you want the inside scoop on how to find the right agent or publisher.
Connect with Carol:
How to Start a NovelHow to Format a Novel for Submission
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
JV Hilliard is a debut novelist and published his first book, The Last Keeper in December 2021.
Like many, the global lockdown meant his work went online. He didn’t have to commute and suddenly had a lot more time on his hands. This was the opportunity he needed to write the book that had been brewing for the last two decades.
Joe has loved epic fantasy ever since a substitute teacher, Mr McKinley, read The Hobbit in class. He took that passion and turned to tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons, and that’s where his imagination really took hold and he practiced world building - worlds he uses in his fiction.
JV says he’s a one hundred percent planner. He doesn’t do anything unless it’s worked out ahead of time.
He knew his characters before he started writing, and he knew where he wanted them to end up. From there he reverse engineered the series, outlining each chapter before writing it.
Part of Joe's day job is to write policy documents. This gave him the advantage of already being able to write every day. His writing muscle was well developed.
What was harder was switching from non-fiction to fiction, in particular writing prose and dialogue.
To help him with this, JV Hilliard enrolled in a writing class at a local workshop. This give his manuscript the opportunity to be workshopped - something I really recommend - and improved.
For much of Joe’s professional life, he has been an entrepreneur, and that has been crucial in giving him the business principles needed as a published author.
As well as enjoying the creative side of the business, Joe recognises he’s a ‘start up business’. He has one book to his name and understands this may be a ‘loss leader' until he’s written the series in full and found his fan base.
Once he’s up and running, JV Hilliard knows he’ll see the return on his investment in himself and his books.
JV Hilliard tells me about Books 1 and 2 his World of Warminster series, and his serendipitous journey to publication.
Given Joe’s obvious enthusiasm for his work, his open demeanour and willingness to learn, it’s no wonder his books have attracted the attention of his editor and publisher and it’s clear to me JV Hilliard and his World of Warminster series have a very bright future.
Connect with J.V. HILLIARD:
J.V. Hilliard - author of The Warminster Series (jvhilliard.com)
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show
Dave Cole didn't publish his first novel until he was 60 years old, which just goes to show you're never too old (or young) to write your first novel.
Working full time, Dave has to fit his writing in around his job and he emphasises that a lot of pre-work goes on before he sits down to write.
He spends a lot of time thinking about his stories, jotting down ideas and planning the plotline. It's all a puzzle to be figured out and he loves it.
We talk about what makes a good middle grade story and for Dave it’s about getting to the action quickly, using accessible language and keeping up to date with what kids are interested in.
Dave Cole publishes two books a year. He writes intensively for five months, writing not only the first draft but doing the revisions as well. He then has a week or so of rest before starting the next book.
Pacing himself this way means he can keep up with the demands of writing and working, but not be burnt out by the process.
Towards the end of our conversation, we talk about marketing and how that is now an integral part of being an author. It doesn't matter if you're traditionally published or independently published. It doesn't matter if you sell five or five million books a year, you still need to engage with your audience.
What I love about my conversation with Dave is the real joy that comes across in the way he talks about his writing, his readers and book publishing in general. Dave Cole is a wonderful reminder that it’s why we do this. Because it’s fun!
Connect with Dave:
Dave’s Website - https://themathkids.com/ Dave Cole’s The Math Kids Series - Amazon Books
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Helen Starbuck started writing in her teens and even submitted a manuscript to Harlequin!
After a career as a developmental editor in academic nursing, Helen found the time to work on her own stories when she retired.
She rediscovered the beginnings of a manuscript and decided to work on it and see where it led. She liked the premise so much that she finished draft then hired an editor to help her revise and finesse it.
After six months of editing, Helen Starbuck published the book through a hybrid publisher and was delighted when the book, The Mad Hatter’s Son, won a National Indie Excellence Award.
I asked Helen what the most challenging aspect of writing is for her and she told me it’s writing the middle of her first draft. I think we can all relate to that!
She’s not big on outlining and as such has to work hard on keeping her characters from taking a turn she didn’t expect, or her storyline diverging down a new route.
Helen writes mysteries and romantic suspense, and I ask her about the differences and similarities between the structure of the two genres.
When I asked how she decides which genre or series to work in next, Helen told me it is very much based upon her creative energy at the time.
If she is struggling to write the next in series for her romantic suspense, she will move onto a mystery story. This gives her the opportunity to move past any writer's block. Writing, she says, should be joyful, not a slog.
Helen’s stories are set in Colorado because it's where she grew up and the place she knows best. The towns in her novels may be fictional, but they are based on places that she knows, and she feels that this gives her books an extra element of authenticity.
Towards the end of our conversation, we discuss Helen's decision to become an independent author rather than pursue the traditional space and we also talk about the research she does for her mystery novels.
She cites Writer’s Police Academy as being a mine of information and community, and Sisters In Crime, who recently hosted a talk called Burned, Drowned, and Eaten.
I think you can guess the substance of that talk!
We finish our conversation with Helen telling me about her current work in progress and where you can find her books.
Links:https://www.helenstarbuck.com/Amazon Book StoreTana FrenchCraig JohnsonMichael ConnellyTami HoagSandra BrownWelcome to a new era in self publishing! | My Word PublishingWriters' Police AcademySisters in CrimeBBC One - Expert Witness
Connect with Helen:Helen Starbuck—author
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Teri M Brown always wanted to be a writer, but it wasn't until the year 2000 that she started writing non-fiction for small businesses, and it took until 2017 for Teri to leave an unhappy marriage, turn 50 and fulfill her dream of writing a novel.
The most important aspect of writing that first novel was finding the confidence to believe she was capable of it. Non-fiction, she says, is something practical and unemotional. But fiction comes from somewhere inside, and that takes a lot more courage.
If someone doesn't like your book, it's like they're saying they don't like you and we talk about how to handle that rejection and not take it personally.
A big turning point for Teri was when she attended a writing retreat because not only did she have the time and space to write, but the community was so supportive and, as she says, ”you feed off each other.”
The inspiration behind her debut novel.Sunflowers Beneath The Snow was a young Ukrainian student who joined Camp America back in 2014.
When it was time for her to return to the Ukraine, war had broken out and she couldn’t get back to her home country.
Nor could she remain in America because she didn’t have a greencard. She was told she’d be taken to a refugee camp in Poland but she didn’t want to do that because it wasn’t her home, she didn’t speak Polish and she didn’t know anybody there. Instead, she disappeared!
She later obtained the legal right to remain and two years later she got back in touch with Teri.
She told Teri a story about what had happened to her in New York, and it was that story that planted the seed for Sunflowers Beneath The Snow.
I was desperate to know what the story was, but the whole novel leads up to that one moment, and Teri, understandably, didn’t want to spoil the ending!
We go on to talk about the research involved in writing about a country and culture you know nothing about.
Sunflowers Beneath The Snow is a historical novel so Teri started with a broad overview of Ukraine’s history before narrowing down her research to the year about which she was writing.
By researching only what she needed, it meant she could weave fact into fiction in an organic way, and it didn't feel forced.
Even though she first had the idea for the story in 2016, the book wasn’t published until 2021 and Teri M Brown takes me through her writing process and how she subsequently found her publisher, Atmosphere Press.
We finish our conversation with Teri telling me about her new novel, which is set in World War Two. It's loosely based on her grandfather's experiences fighting in Germany and is particularly poignant because her Grandfather is of German heritage and the book raises the question of what if my enemy is also my family?
A tear jerker in the making!
What will you get from this episode? You'll learn a little bit about Ukrainian history. You’ll see it takes time to write a book you actually want to publish, and you’ll also learn that you have publishing options. The important thing is to enter a contract knowing what your rights are.
LInks:
Sunflowers Beneath The Snow, Teri M Brown
Te
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Carissa Andrews has been publishing for over a decade now.And published her first novel at the age of 14.
Since then, she discovered 20 books to 50K and has gone on to publish over 20 books.
Using a rapid release strategy this has helped her build a back catalogue quickly and grouper income at the same time.
She has taken what she's learned over the last ten years and put it together in her rapid release road map online program for writers who are looking to grow their own back list and publish multiple books a year.
One of the big teaching blocks within her course is taking charge of your editorial calendar and being in control of your time she notices that many of us are involved in toxic productivity where we have never ending To Do List, and it always feels like we're playing catch up we create more chaos rather than tidy it up.
We talked to about the millionaire mindset, something Carissa is very keen to help authors with a loss of writers are reluctant to invest either in themselves or in their books.
Having what's known as if poverty mindset.
Carissa is on a mission to help people shift out of that and into an abundance mindset.
Where they learn to see that they themselves are worthy of investment as human beings, but also that their books are worthy of investment.
This is a great episode for you if you are unsure of why you should continue with with long with lifelong learning for your writing many people feel that they won't see the financial return on that investment others feel that they're not worth making an investment on and these are two issues that Carissa talks into.
She challenges both the idea that you, as an individual or not worth spending money on or investing in, and she also challenges the belief that nobody can make money from being an author but does acknowledge that it won't happen overnight?
Being an author is a long term gain and only when you stick with it do you start to?
The reap both the financial and the personal rewards.
Go to Millionaireauthormindset/challenge
And you can sign up for it there.
Connect with Carissa:
International Bestselling Paranormal & Urban Fantasy Author Carissa Andrews - Carissa Andrews
Carissa Andrews's Author Revolution
www.Millionnaireauthorcoach.com/challenge
Author Revolution with Carissa Andrews | Facebook
Carissa Andrews (@CarissaAndrews) / TwitterAffiliate Link:
https://author-revolution-academy.mykajabi.com/a/2147508978/GG7HiL2r
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
It’s been over two years since I started my podcast, Turning Readers Into Writers.
When I think about when I first started out, and that very first trailer, that very first episode, and how nervous I was about recording everything, how new it all felt.
I was so happy when I found the wonderful Krystal Proffitt, who guided me through everything in lovely easy to follow steps.
So what have been some of my Podcast episode highlights?
My first author interview was with Elisa Menz, a really brave thing to do as a new author. It was her first podcast. She was doing it in her second language and I was so grateful she put her trust in me.
A big turning point for me was interviewing Bethany Tucker, who generously shared her techniques when she’s editing her clients’ work.
Rhonda Douglas was another highlight. She’d written a great blog post on her 4 Folder Method, which I loved and find out more, and so she shared with me her 4 Folder Method.
Physical Therapist, Dr. Alexa Harrigan, talked to me about being a pain-free writer. She touched on desk ergonomics, general health and well-being, and how to make activity a part of your daily life without going to the gym.
An episode I learned a lot from was with author Sylvia Hubbard, who says you don't need to have everything worked out beforehand. Just having a general idea of where your story is going to go is enough to get started writing. You can iron out the wrinkles later.
In terms of crafts, one of my favourite episodes was with September C Fawkes, and she talks about how to use a cliffhanger, and to date, it’s still one of my most downloaded episodes.
In June of last year, I talked to Nadia Coburn, and we talked about healing trauma through narrative. This has been a very popular episode as we’ve all experienced trauma at some stage in our life.
At the end of last year, I chatted with Nikki Vallance, a debut author. She’s also a life coach who uses her skills to help mid-lifers who feel stuck.
As she says, she wants to inspire ‘closet novelists’. We talked about the benefits of coaching and both agree that even if the focus of the coaching is on the book, it can impact all areas of your life.
I recently interviewed Imogen Clark, the multi-million selling author of contemporary women’s fiction. Despite her enormous success, she is incredibly down to earth and pragmatic and epitomises for me the ‘career author’.
After raising her family, Imogen took time for herself and explored what it was she wanted in this next stage of her life. She’d always loved writing and so invested in herself by taking a degree course.
In March 2022 I interviewed Yuktha Asrani, who really epitomises, for me, the opportunities lockdown has afforded us if we’ve chosen to take them, and she certainly did!
Yuktha is a wonderful example of how, if you have a passion and you decide to follow it through, you can do anything.
For those of you who have been with me since the beginning, I want to say a big, big thank you. Thank you for being part of this journey.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Reyna Marder Gentin worked as a criminal defence lawyer for over 25 years and at the age of 50 decided it was time for a change.
After considering a number of different avenues, she was bitten by the writing bug and since 2014 has been learning and writing and publishing via workshops and the life of hard knocks!
Taking a memoir class, and really enjoying it, Reyna took her characters and turned them into a novel. After repeated rejections she knew she had more to learn.
Since then, Reyna Marden Gentin has taken multiple workshops and that’s where she devises and writes the first drafts of her novels.
With the workshops she gets weekly feedback on what’s working and what’s not. She can bounce ideas around with her fellow students to craft better characters and work out plot problems.
Reyna talks about how she made the transition from the legal world to the writing world and some of the different ways in which she’s adjusted. She’s learnt it’s important to be flexible because you never know what life is going to throw at you.
Gentin explains her writing process and how it’s changed over the years and with each project. She exemplifies how novel writing is a process, not a formula. Each book has its own journey to publication and she is happy to try new ways of working.
If you’re thinking about a career change, you’ll learn how freeing it can be, but that it also comes with challenges. We talk about money, research and time management.
We discuss how terrifying it can be to change your job and identity, but also how liberating it is.
As Reyna Marden Gentin says, “you can figure stuff out”.
Connect with Reyna:
Reyna Marder Gentin | Writer - Author
https://www.facebook.com/reynamardergentin/
Reyna Marder Gentin (@reynamardergentin) • Instagram
https://twitter.com/reynagentin
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Yuktha Asrana admits she wears her heart on her sleeve, and that’s the reason she loves Romantic stories so much.
A new novelist, the idea of writing a book came to Yuktha nearly two years ago. She soon realised that writing a novel comes with its own set of rules and regulations, and set about learning as much as she could.
To do that, she turned to YouTube and Fictionary. There she learnt the basics of scene structure, character development and dialogue, citing Jenna Moreci (who is very funny!) in particular.
One of the things I so admire about Yuktha is her willingness to learn. She knew she was a debut novelist and so would get a lot of things wrong, but that didn’t stop her from pursuing her dream.
Writing is a long-term profession and our writing gets better with experience and practice.
Nervous so share her work at first (she admits she was petrified!) Yuktha Asrani chose a few select people to share her first draft with because she knew they would be brutally honest.
But their comments, whilst honest, were also encouraging, and that was enough for Yuktha to keep revising and later publish.
We talk a lot about research and why Yuktha believes it to be such an important part of her writing process. Yes, fiction is made up, but she wants her stories rooted in reality so that her readers can really engage with the characters and the worlds they live in.
Towards the end of our conversation Yuktha Asrani talks to me about how she found her editor, and what she considers important when finding the right person.
Yuktha was a joy to chat with and if you’re nervous about writing, or even publishing, your first novel, she will inspire you to take a chance on yourself and your writing.
Links:
www.yukthaasrani.com
YUKTHA ASRANI/ Romance Author (@yukthaasraniauthor) • Instagram photos and videos
Yuktha Asrani Author | Facebook
Fictionary | Book Writing and Editing Software
Writing with Jenna Moreci - YouTube
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
In today’s episode, I talk to Maxwell Ivey, the Blind Blogger, about his childhood spent in his family run carnival. It taught him a lot about life generally, and also give him the skills he would need as an independent blind person.
Skills like seeing past his ego and asking for, and accepting, help where he needed it.
Or, of asking for what you want, not just what you need. As Max says, if you don’t ask someone you don’t give them the opportunity to say yes!
We talk about how writing, and being creative generally, is good for your mental health. It makes you feel good about yourself and lets you connect with others who ‘get’ you.
A big component of what Max teaches is to look for the positive in life and he gives me examples of when he’s been challenged and had to work hard to see the positive in a situation - but it’s always there if you look for it.
This is so relevant to you as a writer because there will be times that you don’t like what you write, or an agent rejects your manuscript or short story. How will you navigate those challenging times so that you come out the other side still in tact?
He gives advice on how to start and run a blog or podcast, so if that’s something you’ve been thinking about, this interview is a great listen.
Max is building a network called the WYE Network (What’s Your Excuse) with the aim of helping disabled people start and publish their own podcast, and support the disability community.
As always, you’ll find all links in the show notes.
Links:
The Blind Blogger – Helping you share your story and grow your passion through the power of TV, radio, and podcast interviews.
What’s Your Excuse Show – What's Your Excuse? Network (wyexcuse.com)
Leading You Out of the Darkness Into the Light: A Blind Man's Inspirational Guide to Success - Maxwell Ivey
Mobility Matters 2022
Connect with Maxwell:
Maxwell Ivey (@maxwellivey) / Twitter
(19) The Blind Blogger | Facebook
Email: justask@theblindblogger.net
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Stacy will take you through the different types of edits available to writers - structural/developmental, copy and line edits.
Stacy focuses on the structural/developmental edit which is the big picture edit. It makes sure that the overarching storyline and character arc works and has a smooth cause and effect trajectory.
After editing many manuscripts, Stacy noticed that new writers struggle with the same problems. Writers were hiring her too early. What her clients needed to do was learn how to make their manuscript the best they could by themselves, before hiring a professional.
From that observation came Stacy’s Book Editing Blueprint. This is a comprehensive course that teaches new writers how to improve their manuscript on their own so they’re not sending a first draft to an editor, but a much more advanced draft.
This applies to traditionally published authors as well indie authors.
The course takes you through the big picture edits of plot, characters, POV and dialogue. She then takes you through how to do a line edit and a copy edit.
I’ve been through the programme and the Book Editing Blueprint is a resource all writers should have in their toolkit.
Stacy talks too about the importance of having a strong blub/jacket copy. When this is strong and concise, it shows the editor (or agent) that you know exactly what happens in your story and understand it’s overarching premise.
She gives examples of what works and what doesn’t!
Head over to Stacy’s website, Shortcuts for Writers, where you’ll find a free course, Line Editing Made Simple: 5 Days To More Polished Pages to help you get started.
Links
Book Editing Blueprint
Shortcuts for Writers
Facebook Group
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Emily breaks down the process of creating and writing a series into 13 actionable steps:
- You first need a small idea, which becomes the big series idea, that you come back to repeatedly throughout the series.
- Then play around with the setting and where you want scenes to take place. This is also the time to think about world-building.
- Have fun with this stage, play with it. You can tighten things up later on in the process.
- Decide on the sort of ending you want - to have an ending for this story, or an open one that leads onto the next book?
- Have a feel for the general length of the series. This isn’t set in stone, but you need some idea so you can start building your character arcs.
- Now it’s time to start building the basic storyline of the main character, from beginning to end. Then start adding secondary arcs for your side characters. Keep in mind your story idea, so your secondary stories don’t contradict the main storyline.
- It’s time to start writing! Go - follow your map and your instincts. Don’t worry too much about the details!
- Sectioning and writing mechanics - follow your map.
- Look at your exposition!
- Trim your cast if needed
- Watch your tone and general escalation
- Three quarters the way through your series, stop writing and read your story from beginning to end.
- You’ve now written your entire series - now it’s time to read the series from beginning to end
You can access the slides here: http://clockworktwist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/13-Steps-to-Writing.pptx
If you’re interested in listening to Waking, the first book in Emily’s Clockwork Twist series, you can hear it being read live every Saturday at 5pm PST on Twitch. Here is the link: thetakanome - Twitch.
Connect with Emily:
Clockwork Twist | The official website for the Clockwork Twist novel series.
Email - info@clockworktwist.com
Clockwork Twist | Facebook
Clockwork Twist (@CWTwist) / Twitter
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
We talk about what point of view is and ways to think of it. It’s more than just the pronoun use of it. But it’s also how you tell the story.
It’s the filter through which you tell your story, and determines the voice and tone you use.
One of the biggest mistakes she sees with newer writers is when the point of view slips, otherwise known as head hopping. When we do this, we run the risk of alienating our readers.
Traci then goes on to go through the different points of view, with examples of how they are used, and why the writers made that choice.
One of the things Traci loves about writing is the puzzle of making all the pieces fit together in a compelling way!
We also touch upon narrative distance, the space between the telling of the story and the events of the story. Are they happening side by side, or did the events happen last week?
We finish our conversation with finding out what Traci was working on at the time.
Some links mentioned in the show:Welcome to the Writing Journey - Traci Skuce - The Writing Journey
Lifetime access to Traci’s online summit, Write Your First (Or Next!) Book 2.0Monkey Beach, Eden Robinson
100 Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Toni Morrison
El Canto, Ann Patchett
Little Fires Everywhere, Celeste NgClaire Davis, Pacific University
Hills Like White Elephants, Ernest Hemingway
A Passion for Narrative, Jack Hodkins
Harry Potter series, JK Rowling
Connect with Traci:The Writing Journey with Traci Skuce | Facebook
Traci Skuce (@SkuceTraci) / Twitter
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Bethany Tucker takes you through the elements of a structural development of your novel. These are the stages any editor will be looking at. She takes you through setting, characters, the mid-book turning point, what happens in the second half and of course how you create a final showdown at the end.
She offers the great reminder that your novel will go through many revision passes. With each pass you’ll make new improvements. Don’t rush over things, spend time writing scenes you enjoy.
Bethany encourages you to let your characters fall flat on their face and fail forward. Put them through the wringer!
Why would you want to do your own structural edit?
Because hiring someone to do it is an expense you may not be ready for. As Bethany says, editing is writing, so you’ll be imp
She finishes her session with some questions to ask yourself as you're revising.
Throughout the episode, Bethany mentions a handbook. That handbook was the basis of her book, Editing Your Novel’s Structure, which is available on Amazon.
Connect with Bethany:
The Art and Science of Words – Editing and Author Education
Blog – Representation Matters - Doing Diversity In Writing Podcast
Editing Your Novel’s Structure, Bethany Structure
The Adelaide Series, Mustang Rabbit
Great Stories Don’t Write Themselves, Larry Brooks
The First Five Package - Bethany Tucker
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Cheri Merz is a twenty-year serial entrepreneur who returned to her dream of a writing career after retirement. Today, with more than thirty indie-published novels and one memoir behind her, Cheri’s mission is to guide entrepreneurs to write the right book to attract their ideal audience.
Because most have self-doubt about writing, publishing, or marketing their books, Cheri works with her clients to remove the barriers and write the books that will establish authority, provide credibility, and engage prospects organically. Bottom line, they confidently liberate the transformational message inside them, write and publish their books for impact and income.
Connect with Cheri:
Home - The Write ExpertHome - Metaprosperity
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
In this episode:
CritiqueMatch is an online platform that connects writers, beta readers, and freelance editors. Its founder and CEO Mike Cavaioni kindly talked to me about the benefits of working with a critique partner as well as pitfalls to look out for.
Mike explains how CritiqueMatch can help you find the right person and build a relationship with them.
Since Mike and I chatted, CritiqueMatch has gone from strength to strength and last year was named one of Writer’s Digest best websites for Writers. Not only can you find a critique partner, but beta readers and reviewers.
Unlock this amazing platform and your writing life will never be the same again.
Connect with Mike:
CritiqueMatch | Find Critique Partners, Beta Readers, Editors
CritiqueMatch | Facebook
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
In this episode:
Mariëlle Smith shows you how you can use Tarot cards to inform and inspire your writing life.
But where Mariëlle differs from other readers, she doesn’t use Tarot specifically for storytelling, but (or any other card system) for developing your author mindset.
What struggles can you use Tarot for?
- Connect with your intuition
- Finding your voice
- Tackling imposter syndrome
And much more...
Mariëlle admitted that when she ‘came out of the card slinging closet’ she was amazed at how many other authors use them, and I can back that up with my own experience.
I’ve been amazed by how many authors use non-traditional tools to improve their writing and writing mindset.
So if you’re curious, don’t be embarrassed - you’re in good company :)
"If there’s a book you want to read but it hasn’t been written yet, you must write it." - Toni Morrison
Mariëlle will take you through how to ask your deck questions and how to interpret the cards.
She does emphasise that, like anything, interpreting the cards takes a bit of practice. Don’t worry if it feels awkward at first!
Despite writing her own book on tarot for writers, Mariëlle generously shares a lot of other free resources available for people new to Tarot.
If you're interested if Tarot can help you, today's episode is a must-listen!
If you want to watch the FB video, you can watch it here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BwBZwn5pAtC_FFsnEz1Hwu0mXcBjuDnY/view?usp=sharing
About Mariëlle:
Mariëlle is an editor, writing coach, and writer. She's half Scottish, half Dutch, and was born and raised in the Netherlands. She now resides in Cyprus, where writing and helping others to write is her full-time job.
Links mentioned:
- Kristen ~ Over The Moon Magic a Coffee. ko-fi.com/
- Intuitive Wellness with Kristen
- The MysticMakerMuse Question Cards for Creatives - An interview - M.S. Wordsmith
- Marielle Smith’s Books
- Podcast - Healing Thru Tarot
Connect with Mariëlle:
- www.mswordsmith.nl (in English)
- Mariëlle Smith (@mariellessmith) • Instagram photos and videos
- M.S. Wordsmith | Facebook
- M.S. Wordsmith - YouTube
- Marielle S. Smith | Patreon
- Doing Diversity Podcast
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Today I talk to Kenny McKay, an author and podcaster who is on a mission to help new writers publish their first novel.
His book, Author Your Dream: A Guide to Writing and Self-Publishing Your First Book takes you through everything you need to know, as a complete newbie, to writing and publishing your novel.
Kenny takes me through everything you need to know about publishing and marketing your book. Get your notebook out because this episode is jam-packed full of practical ideas on how to find an editor, get a book cover, format your book and, importantly, find readers.
Discover why writing your book is only the beginning of your exciting author journey!
Links:
Author Your Dream website Author Your Dream bookUpworkFiverr
Connect with Kenny:InstagramFacebookEmail
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
About Sharon Hughson:
Sharon loves stories, having escaped into them for many years, and she understands the struggles writers face to finish a book, get it ready for a publisher’s eyes and then getting it into readers’ hands. The journey can be soul-sucking…when you try doing it alone.
As a certified Hope Writers coach, Sharon ascribes to ICF standards. With experience as a published author and freelance editor, Sharon can’t wait to be your Story Sensei, Plot Wizard and Brainstorming Buddy. Links mentioned in the episode:
- Reflections Series - Sharon Houghton
- hope*writers (hopewriters.com)
- Sweet Promise Press – Books you can believe in
- One Stop For Writers
- Kristen Lamb
- Everyone needs a coach blog post
- Welcome | NaNoWriMo
- Kindle Vella
Connect with Sharon:
- Sharon Hughson, Author – A Hero on Every Page
- Sharon Hughson, Author (facebook.com)
- https://twitter.com/SharonLHughson
- Sharon Hughson | Goodreads
- Write Your Book Nook | Facebook
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
About Imogen:
Internationally #1 bestselling author Imogen Clark writes contemporary fiction about families and secrets.
Her books have sold over one million copies worldwide and have topped the Amazon kindle chart eight times. Her third book, WHERE THE STORY STARTS, was shortlisted in the UK for Contemporary Romantic Novel of the year 2020.
Imogen initially qualified as a lawyer but after leaving her legal career behind to care for her four children, she returned to her first love - books. She went back to University, studying English Literature part-time whilst the children were at school. It was a short step from there to writing novels.
Imogen’s great love is travel and she is always planning her next adventure. She lives in Yorkshire with her husband and children. Links mentioned in the episode:
- Open University
- Lucinda Fox (Imogen’s YA pen name)
- Scrivener
- Reedsy
Connect with Imogen:
- Imogen Clark - Author
- Imogen’s books
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
About Nikki:
Nikki is an author, speaker and a creative writers coach.
Her debut novel, Pivotal, was published in 2019 and reached the 2020 finals of both the People’s Book Prize and the Page Turner Awards.
It is a relationship mystery which explores the impact of a life-changing dilemma on four seemingly unconnected lives, and the multiple paths a life may take at the crossroads of each significant decision.
In 2021 Nikki founded the Facebook group, Lost Books of Lockdown matching authors with readers who may otherwise never have met. Many new and upcoming authors have struggled to reach their readers and many avid readers are seeking out new authors. Both were unable to meet at festivals and book events during the pandemic. The group helps bring them together.
Nikki is on a mission to give a voice to mid-lifers who may be feeling stuck. Through both her novels, featuring women in their forties, and her coaching she hopes to inspire the closet novelists to give themselves permission to follow a different path and write the stories they have always dreamt of writing. Links mentioned in the episode:
- Nikki Valance Website
- Thetawaves
- The Lost Books Of Lockdown
- Pivotal - Nikki Vallance
- Anne Williams - Book Blogger
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
About Paulina:
Paulina Pinsky is a writer and educator based in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. She received her MFA in Nonfiction Creative Writing from Columbia University, where she has been teaching comedy writing to high schoolers since 2017.
She received her B.A. in American Studies with a concentration in Media and Popular Culture from Barnard College, where she wrote her undergraduate thesis on Joan Rivers.
She is the co-author of IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE AWKWARD, and, most notably, in October 2021 she was a finalist for Longridge Review’s Barnhill Prize for her essay, “Other Mother”.
Additionally, she was a 2021 MacDowell fellow and has been published in Narratively, Human Parts, Columbia Journal, Slackjaw Humor, and HuffPo Women, among others. She is currently working on a memoir.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- The Artist’s Way
- Paulina Pinsky
- Dr. Drew Official Website | drdrew.com
- Joan Rivers
- Amazon.co.uk : the artists way (abc.com)
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
About Sara:
Sara Letourneau is a poet, freelance editor, writing coach, and workshop instructor who lives in suburban Massachusetts.
She works with writers to help them craft stories they're proud of, start or finish their projects, and develop the confidence they need to trust their creativity and achieve their writing and publishing goals.
Her specialty genres include speculative fiction, YA fiction, poetry, memoir, and prescriptive nonfiction.
Her poetry has received first place in the Blue Institute’s 2020 Words on Water Contest and appeared in Mass Poetry’s Poem of the Moment, Aromatica Poetica, Muddy River Poetry River, Constellations, Soul-Lit, Amethyst Review, and The Aurorean, among others.
Her manuscript for her first full-length poetry collection is currently on submission.
Connect with Sara:
- Heart of the Story Editorial & Coaching Services — Heart of the Story Editorial & Coaching Services
- Sara Letourneau Website
Links mentioned in the episode:
- www.gofundme.com
- www.flickr.com
- Iceland Writers Retreat
- DIY MFA
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
In today's episode:
Like so many of us, Dr Rachel Grosvenor knew she wanted to be a writer from a very early age.
Unlike so many of us, she didn't let life get in the way!
She completed a BA, MA and PhD in Creative Writing. She explains why she chose to complete all three, and what the benefits were.
She fell in love with The Lord of the Rings at an early and that was the start of a love affair with Fantasy books and that's the genre in which she writes. In fact, she's writing a book at the moment she would describe as 'wild west fantasy'!
I ask Rachel where she gets her ideas from and she says that the character comes first. She needs to fall in love with them and later devise a plot for them. That's a big part of her process. Rachel likes to have a chapter by chapter knowledge of the story before she writes.
We go on to discuss finding the time to write in our busy lives. Rachel is a big believer in time blocking and task batching, and explains her process to me.
We also talk about the Creative Tap. This is about training inspiration, rather than waiting for it to turn up.
Learn how to be creative on demand.
Dr Rachel Grosvenor rounds off our conversation by telling me about her coaching and editing services and the writers she works with, and what she gets from working with her own coaches.
With 2022 looming, you can grab a copy of Rachel's Planning Workbook. This will help you plan your writing year.
Connect with Rachel:
Home - Rachel Grosvenor Author
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram Links mentioned in the show:Boston Spa University
Terry Pratchett
3 Act Method
Rachel Grosvenor’s Planning Workbook
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
In This Episode:
Emma Robinson shares with us how she got started in her writing career. Like so many of us, she took the scenic route!
By the time mid-life came around she knew this was her time to put a stake in the ground and write her debut novel.
She's now writing her ninth novel and says the best bit of advice she received was simply to get in the chair and write. You keep going until it's done.
Emma kindly shares her own way of managing her time between writing and family life, both now as a published author with deadlines and expectations, and when she was doing it herself and didn't have the space in her day to write.
It all comes down to boundaries.
Later we talk about how Emma Robinson found her publisher. Great advice for anyone out there who wants the traditional route - Emma tells you how to do it.
We go on to discuss Emma's process of taking an idea and turning it into a story, as well as the research she does for her books.
Our conversation rounds off with Emma telling us what she's working on now and when it will hit the shops!
Connect with Emma Robinson:
www.emmarobinsonwrites.comMotherhood for Slackers | Emma Robinson
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Molly Thornton is a successful writing coach and poet, and I was thrilled to talk to her about building a strong and sustainable writing habit, something that eludes so many of us.
As Molly says, she’s lived nine lives, and one of those was as the owner of a vintage clothing store - something I’m very envious of!
Molly’s story epitomises the winding journey so many of us take before ending up on the writing path. She tells us about her own journey and why a strong, yet flexible, writing habit is at the heart of her success.
I ask Molly Thornton to share some of her own habits, and to provide practical and effective ways of building a writing habit if we’ve been off course for a while.
Given the past two years, many writers have fallen off the wagon and Molly gives you great ideas for getting back on!
Our conversation moves on to the author services Molly provides, in particular her 1:1 coaching. She explains how she works with her students, and why it’s so important to be patient with yourself and your writing.
We finish our conversation with Molly Thornton sharing where you can find out more about her online.
Connect with Molly:
Molly Thornton (mollythorntonwrites.com) mollythorntonwrites@gmail.com
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Grace Sammon published her debut novel in June 2020 and since then her life as a fiction author has gone from strength to strength.
In our conversation we talk about Grace’s journey to writing and the inspiration behind The Eves.
The Eves is about Jessica who, despite her flaws, is taken in and accepted by the women living in a nearby commune. The women range in age from 15 to 92 and each of them have life experiences to share with Jessica.
Grace and I discuss writing about women who, at first, are not particularly likeable, and whether or not readers will warm to such a character.
We also talk about Jessica’s love interest in the book and why it was important that Grace explore that side of her life.
We go on to explore Grace Sammon’s journey to publication and why she chose the route she did, and just how exciting the publishing world is at the moment.
Not only does Grace write but she hosts a radio show called The Storytellers, which was an unexpected adventure and one she loves.
Grace and I are both members of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and we discuss the benefits of finding a community and using the network there.
We finish our conversation with Grace sharing how you can find out more about her online.
Connect with Grace:
https://www.gracesammon.net/ grace@gracesammon.netwww.facebook.com/gracesammonwriteswww.instagram.com/gracesamoonwrites(12) Bookish Road Trip | FacebookJulie Cantrell
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Steve Adams, writer and coach, began his professional life in theatre, before turning to screenwriting and then to prose writing.
Adams writes creative non-fiction and personal essays and I ask him what makes a good personal story. For the memoirists amongst you, Steve offers great advice on how to determine if a moment or stage of your life warrants a story, and how to find it.
Steve is primarily a short story writer, but has made the transition into long form fiction (his debut novel is due out next year) and kindly shares the best resources out there to help you make the same transition.
One of those is Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott - an absolute game-changer in my opinion!
Not only is Steve Adams a writer, but he’s a book coach. He helps writers, both beginner and established, get their books into their best shape so they are ready for querying or publishing.
He loves to watch his students move through the many aha! moments that come with writing, whether that be a craft breakthrough or an epiphany about the characters or story.
To round off out time together, Steve tells me about his debut novel and the inspiration behind it. Set in New York City, it’s the story of an illicit love affair and it’s far reaching consequences.
I so enjoyed my conversation with Steve Adams and love his enthusiasm for story and the beauty of language.
Links:
Albert Goldbarth Poet
Bird By Bird, Anne Lamott
Story, Robert McKee
Into The Woods, John Yorke
Steve Adams (steveadamswriting.com)
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Daniel Willcocks first discovered a love of writing when he wrote a stage script as part of his English and Drama degree. It received such positive feedback, that’s when he realised he could perhaps make a living from his creativity.
After a few turns and twists via editing and marketing, Daniel wrote and published his first short story in 2015. Since then he’s gone from strength to strength and this year alone has written 35+ books in both his own name and as a ghostwriter.
We talk about the NaNoWriMo Camp he’s hosting next month. So if you’re looking to kick start your next project, or get to the end of your current one, this Camp will get you there.
He ran it last year, and it proved so that he kept it going all year, and has recently renamed it Activated Authors.
Activated Authors is a community for both aspiring and established writers. It’s a private community, so it means everyone who is in there is there to contribute and support the other members.
Daniel talks me through the philosophy behind it, and what Activated Authors members can do inside the community.
Given how busy he is, I asked Daniel about his own productivity strategies and how he accomplishes so much in his day.
Daniel also reminds us to do what we love. Many people can get caught up in the money side of things, and whilst that’s important if you're a full-time writer, so is enjoying what you do. Stay passionate!
This is a wonderful interview with an experienced career author. Don’t miss out on what he has to share.
Connect with Daniel:
Activated Authors – Transforming WritersNaNo 2021 – Daniel Willcockshttps://www.hawkandcleaver.com/https://theotherstories.net/https://www.devilsrockpublishing.com/https://danielwillcocks.com/nextlevelauthors
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Martha Alderson may have grown up dyslexic and non-verbal, but it didn’t stop her love of stories and writing.
Her dad was trying to write a biography about one of her ancestors, but he wasn't getting anywhere. So she said she would get him organised. She found she loved working on the biography and was hooked on storytelling.
What she didn’t understand, though, was plotting and she made it her mission to learn so she could do her stories justice.
This in time led to her book, The Plot Whisperer, in which she guides her readers through the basic principles of plotting, and beyond.
Martha Alderson shares the more common mistakes she sees new writers make, and suggests how they can be corrected.
For her the most important elements to devising a universal plot are Dramatic Action and Character/Emotional plot.
We discuss the importance of finishing your first draft. It’s vital writers practice finishing their stories, not just starting. Only when you finish your story do you really understand what it’s about.
As Martha says, you don’t need to plug every gap in your manuscript to get to the end.
We go on to talk about her book Boundless Creativity. It’s aim is to help writers see themselves as the protagonists of their own lifes and work through their own emotional arc.
This lets writers see the journey they’ve taken and how writing their book has changed them for the better. It allows writers to flourish and bring their gifts forward to the world.
Martha Alderson founded PlotWriMo, which she offers to writers post NaNoWriMo. Now that you have 50,000 words, what do you do with them? Martha tells you!
She has a free YouTube series that takes you through that revision process.
We finish our conversation by talking about Martha Alderson’s own fiction. Her first book was Parallel Lives, and she’s just finished her second novel, The Avenue, which she’s looking to query later this year.
It was a delight to speak to Martha and I know you’ll get a lot out of our conversation, particularly if you are curious to understand the fundamentals of plotting.
Links:
Home - Martha Alderson
Martha Alderson’s books - https://amzn.to/3p0sOvk
PlotWriMo - https://www.youtube.com/user/marthaalderson/featured
Plot Whisperer blog - https://marthaalderson.com/plot-whisperer-blog/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/plotwhisperer
Facebook: (2) The Plot Whisperer | Facebook
Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/plotwhisperer and www.Instagram.com/marthasalderson
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Today I had the privilege of talking to Sage Adderley Knox, who grew up in a creative household. Both her parents were artists, so creativity was normal in her life.
Her foray into writing began in the Zine community. Sage says this is a world of its own within Indie publishing. The joy with Zines, she says, is that they are rough and ready, raw and authentic.
When Sage first got into the scene, she used good old-fashioned pen and paper. These days, however, young Zinesters create digital editions. For Sage, there is now right or wrong way, as long as they keep being created!
Not only does Sage write YA fiction, and is currently writing the third book in her The Triple Goddess Series, but she helps other writers find their feet in the book community.
Sage is a writer’s coach. She noticed that a lot of her clients had trouble actually opening their projects and working on them. There was a lot of Imposter Syndrome going on and feelings of inadequacy.
That’s when she pivoted and focused on helping writers move past those limiting beliefs and set themselves free to write the book they want.
For example, many writers worry about getting it right. They don't like the idea of not being in control or feeling out of their element. By focusing on the here and now, her clients feel confident about working on the step they’re in now.
Once the book is written, Sage helps writers produce and market their books.
Production is formatting the text on the page, writing the blurb, designing the book cover for ebook and for paperback.
It’s getting the ‘product’ ready for publication and placement on the self.
Marketing side is all about finding readers. It might seem counterintuitive, but writing the book is often the easiest part of the author's life. Finding readers and making an income is even harder, and this is something Sage helps her writers do.
An example of how she does this is by organising Blog Tours for her writers. She says this is great for visibility of the book and creating relationships with other writers and book bloggers. It’s a way of building community and feeling like you belong.
Blog tours are different from Vlog Tours. They are text based and are usually an interview about the book being promoted and the writer’s life. So, for the more introverted writer this is a less stressful way of marketing their book.
Finding The Writer Within is Sage’s annual online summit. It’s a free and convenient way for new writers to discover those with more experience and who have knowledge or expertise that helps writers build their confidence and their skills.
Cosmic Smash Books is a specific way of creating that Sage uses within her Storytellers And Wild Creatives membership programme. In our conversation together, she tells me what it involves and just how it helps her clients.
Finally, if you are interested in attending an online writing retreat, Sage is hosting later this year (2021). If you go to her website and sign up for her newsletter, you’ll get the details as and when they are released.
I really enjoyed my conversation with Sage. She is a true creative with boundless energy, a joy for colour and a passion to help writers.
Connect with Sage:
Sage Adderley (sageadderleyknox.com) Sage’s YA books - https://amzn.to/3utp7PN
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Patricio was 16 when he decided he wanted to be a writer. It was when he read The Leaf Storm by Gabriel Garcia Marquez that Patricio understood his calling.
But like many others, life took a scene route into the film before switching his major to fiction.
“What is a novel but a point of view?” - Joan Didion.
Maya’s first published novel, Reggaeton Cruise, was inspired by a man Patricio knew who was a short-lived, and unexpected, YouTube sensation, when a video he made went viral.
Patricio knew he wanted to use this story as the basis of a story but he didn’t know how. It wasn’t until, a number of years later, when he met someone else who was a war refugee who shared parts of his life story.
It was at this point Reggaeton Cruise started to form.
It is almost a series of interconnected short stories, Patricio says. Each of the characters slowly but surely makes their way towards a cruise ship where their stories intersect.
One of the themes of the book is globalisation. To illustrate just how diverse we are, Maya wanted to incorporate a large cast of characters who all come from disparate home countries.
In cities, particularly, we have to set aside a little of our own culture and background in order to fit in with those around us. When we all speak different languages and come from different backgrounds, popular culture becomes the common currency.
As a dual Spanish and English speaker, Patricio shares how his work changes depending on what language he’s speaking in. He’s noticed his tone changes when he uses English because it’s not his first language.
He says he's naturally drawn to write poetry in Spanish, enjoying the language’s rhythms and cadences. He prefers English for long form fiction.
“The heart is a lonely hunter” - Carson McCullers
We talk about how Patrico balances his time between teaching and writing. But he says he doesn't have any clear division between the two. He's always thinking about his work. And his work is influenced by the teaching he does.
Instead, he says the division he makes is between his creative life and keeping physically fit is very important to him. It gives him the right mental balance so that he feels good when he sits down to write.
Creativity and physical health go hand in hand.
Currently, Patricio is working on a Spanish novella.
Contact with Patricio:
Reggaetón Cruise - https://amzn.to/3tFyviA
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/elpatocuervo/
Website - Reggaetón Cruise by Patricio X. Maya (reggaetoncruise.net)
Joan Didion - https://amzn.to/2XpOwgN
Gabriel Garcia Marquez - https://amzn.to/3zjfELz
Carson McCullers - https://amzn.to/39cPfEM
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Alicia McCalla began writing and self publishing professionally back in 2012. In the beginning, she wrote part time while she worked full time as a school media specialist tragedy struck and her only child an officer in the US Navy was lost at seeing this single event changed everything.
With the overwhelming intensity of her grief brain. She had to relearn how to live fully while honoring her son's legacy, and she often takes time to acknowledge her grief journey in her blog posts. Now Alicia is a full time writer and merchandiser, sharing stories and products of courageous, brave and strong black women warriors.
She enjoys writing sisters with skills, swords, and superpowers.
Alicia is black girl nerd, and regularly cosplays strong female superheroes, warriors, and maybe even a fairy because of her love of fan merchandise, and a desire to see black women represented in sci fi and fantasy merchandise.
She launched her own shop Alicia McCalla's Emporium, featuring superheroines, vigilantes, huntresses, and much, much more.
And in this interview today that Alicia very kindly came into my facebook group to do, we talk about how you can write fight scenes, and how it can become more than just a kick and a punch, Looking underneath the fight scene and how you can actually give that some depth how you can bring it out to be a vital part of the story.
Connect with Alicia:
Website - Free Book - Alicia McCalla
Alicia’s emporium - Alicia McCalla's Emporium - Alicia McCalla
Alicia’s books - https://amzn.to/3BItsAW
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Bonnie Wolkenstein’s journey to writing was not a singular path. Having written throughout childhood, she wanted to study writing at college but was encouraged to take a more professional degree, and psychology beckoned.
Since then, she has made her career as a clinical psychologist, while writing in her free time for the sheer joy of it.
Bonnie is a wide reader and after taking the time to think about the sorts of stories she most enjoys writing, she realised it is internal stories. Stories that excavating what lies beneath.
She uses her psychology training on her characters, asking them the same question she might a client, enabling her to delve deeper into their psyche and discover just how complex they are!
We talk about how to submit poetry, and Bonnie says it's a numbers game. You must submit, submit, submit. After taking a lot of advice from other poets and writers, she realised she cannot take rejection personally. It is a part of the process.
She uses the feedback she gets to revise her work, build her writing muscle, and resubmit.
She recommends you start at the bottom of the ladder, and slowly make your way up the rungs. Don't start by submitting to the big journals like The Atlantic.
We go on to talk about how she balances her work, family and her writing. Bonnie says she's happy to get the balance wrong because it's impossible to get it right all the time.
And, she says, she's learned the magic of saying no.
She recognises that there aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything perfectly, and so is happy to be selective about what she says yes to.
This includes saying no to the people in her life but saying it with love.
Bonnie tells us about her year-long sabbatical in Spain and Mexico and shares why she decided to do it. We comment on how when you say yes to things, the universe opens up and opportunities present themselves.
Her sabbatical wars a year of change, and a year to live a writer’s life. She says it was a joy to wake up every day knowing she could write, could travel, and experience life at its fullest.
So inspired was she by her year away that she accepted the challenge to host her own writing retreat in Guanajuato, Mexico. The retreat is entitled Writing From Our Depth and is an opportunity for attendees to dig into their own lives and writing and reach a new level of craft.
If you want to listen to Bonnie speak her poem, Becoming Sepia, head on over to my Patreon page and become a member today.
Links mentioned in episode:
Guanajuato Writing Retreat 2021 – Guanajuato Writing Retreat 2021
Bonnie H. Wolkenstein, Ph.D. | Home (drbonnie.net)
Thoughts from a Thinking Girl (thinkinggirlthoughts.com)
Wild – Cheryl Strayed
Night Sky With Exit Wounds - Ocean Vuong
Julie and Julia – Julie Powell
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Traci Skuce’s taste of publication was while in grade 11. Her teacher chose Traci’s well crafted sonnet as an example of great work, and seeing her work up there on the board felt wonderful, and was perhaps the first time Traci enjoyed finding just the right work to express what she was feeling.
It was whilst at college she decided she was going to be a writer, but didn't do much about it until she became a mother, and a friend gave her the book Writing Down The Bones by Natalie Goldberg.
That was Traci Skuce’s starting point. She worked her way through the exercise in the book and discovered she had an ‘appetite for the craft’ and needed to know more. She signed up to complete an MFA.
We discuss how Traci came to short stories, and what it is she loves about them. Ultimately, for her, they contain ‘intense energy and power’ in a way that longer novels don’t have.
Traci's own book of short stories, Hunger Moon, was published in 2020 and she explains how she decided what to include in the collection and what to leave out.
She also talks us through how long it can take for her to write one short story, and the many iterations it may have to go through.
As an essayist, Traci works with a number of memoir students and we talk about the different ways writers can write about their life’s experiences, but without upsetting the people in their lives.
She urges you to write from a place of honesty and integrity, and from digging into your own perceptions of life. It’s not a place to exact revenge on someone who hurt you.
Find the humanity in that person because even those who have committed despicable acts have a past and their own experiences. This is part of the healing process.
We go on to talk about an event Traci Skuce is hosting in August 2021 called, Write From The Heart. She shares where the title idea came from and what will be happening over the course of the two-day event.
Finally, she tells us about what she's currently writing.
Connect with Traci:
(20+) Write Your Story Society | Facebook
Welcome to the Writing Journey - Traci Skuce - The Writing Journey
https://www.traciskuce.com/write-from-the-heart/
Judy Gardner
Alice Munro
John Gould
The Bluest Eye – Toni Morrison
Writing Down The Bones – Natalie Goldberg
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Beth Barany always wanted to be a writer. Her great grandmother was a writer and she remembers asking her how to publish a story.
At 13 she realised she could do it and started a journal, which she continues to this day. It wasn't until she was 18 years old, however, that she made the conscious decision to be a writer. She just didn't know how to do it!
At that time non-fiction was easier for her to write and so she found the courage to put herself forward and submit some small pieces to magazines. She had her first submission accepted, and that gave her the confidence to carry on.
Later in life she realised she had to either stop with the dream of writing a novel, or do it. And so she spent the next five years slowly but surely making her way through The Weekend Novelist by Robert J Ray, completing the exercises and, little by little, writing her first novel.
“The point was to finish.”
Beth tells us about her Janey McCllister series, describing it as ‘CSI in space’.
Beth Barany talks about her coaching programmes, both 1:1 and small group. Her strength with coaching is that not only does she use her experienced coaching skills, but she is also a developmental editor so helps students become better writers as they go through the programme.
We then talk about her book for writers, Plan Your Novel Like Like A Pro. Beth talks me through each of the stages of the book, which are divided into weeks.
Week one is all about the elevator pitch, because it's a great way to start planning your book.
Week two is all about getting to know your characters. Beth talks us through the many ways you can do this, including the Empathy Formula:
Recognition
Pity
Humanity
Admiration
Emotional Stakes
Beth goes into each of these in more detail in our conversation.
Week three is about structure, but rather than tackle it in the usual way, Beth Barany encourages her students to examine the genre they write in.
This is a great way of approaching your story because it teaches you to include those expected scenes ahead of time, rather than fitting them in when it’s time to market the book.
Something I wish I’d thought of before I wrote my first book!
Week four is about outlining and we discuss how this can be used by both detailed planners, and intuitive writers like Bethany.
The key is to think of each scene having a problem and a solution. She describes it as a daisy chain of problems and solutions, one scene leading seamlessly onto the next.
We finish the conversation with Beth telling me what she's working on now, and where you can find more about her online.
Connect with Beth:Fiction Coaching for Novelists (bethbarany.com)
e-Books – Beth Barany, Novelist
Plan Your Novel Like A Pro: And Have Fun Doing It! · Writer's Fun Zone (writersfunzone.com)
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
After university, Mark applied to be a runner with Talkback Television. Later, in 2012 he went back to university to study an MA at the University of East Anglia, one of the best programmes in Britain.
He shares with me some of his key takeaways from his time at UEA, the principle one being that the degree took away any excuses for him to hide behind. He wasn't busy doing other things. He was there solely to write, and so he had to write.
The other benefit was meeting other writers. It was wonderful to be part of a community or everyone was learning new skills and having a shared experience.
He also learned a lot about himself as a writer, the habits and tricks he used in his fiction, that he had learnt whilst writing TV scripts.
Later in our conversation Mark delves a little deeper and tells me what he feels are the key differences between writing for TV and writing a novel.
Mark tells me about his fantasy comedy series, Heroes of Histovia. He shares came easily and what came with a lot more difficulty. And he also explains the key themes behind each of the trilogy.
One of the things Mark Boutros learned whilst completing his MA was that until then structure had dictated his characters, not the other way around. What he discovered through studying was that his characters were the ones who should dictate the stoked structure of the story.
This is one of the things that prompted him to write his book, The Craft Of Character.
He says that there isn't a story until the character wants something. Then it's up to you as the writer to find out why they want it and what about it feeds the characters' needs.
Mark talks through why it’s important to flesh out the bones of your character. Their worldview and their background inform how the respond to the character around them and the action that takes place.
It's very easy to make the decision that your character will do something, simply because it sounds good. But is it an integral part of their personality?
Mark also talks about how you get your character moving and playing an active role in the story, not just sitting back and letting the story happen to them. It's very important not to protect your principal character, says Boutros.
By doing that, you give them the opportunity to get into real trouble and therefore real redemption.
He emphasises that the more time you spend on understanding your character, the more unique your work will be.
I asked Mark to share one of the most common mistakes he sees new writers make and he explains that it's that new writers write very passive characters, or spend spend enough time looking for the unique spin on that character.
For example, he says, you can base a character on Joey from Friends, but what is it that makes them unique from Joey, or anybody else.
Mark Boutros rounds off the conversation by telling me what he's working on now, and where you can find out more about him online.
Connect with Mark:
Mark Boutrosmark-boutrosHeroes of Hastovia Boo
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Hannah Bauman is a book editor by day and a fiction writer by night. She’s been editing since 2011 and specialises in science fiction, fantasy and romance. She also works with select non-fiction books.
She gives us a rule of thumb for how long it takes to edit an epic novel. Most, she says, take between 6 to 8 weeks, some of the really big ones take 12 weeks.
Be patient, she says. In that time work on your next book. Or, do as Joanna Penn says and refill your creative well.
Hannah outlines the different services she offers, from editorial to proofreading.
The heart of our conversation focuses on how to write emotional scenes. We first discuss why emotional scenes are important and necessary for every story, including thrillers and action adventures.
Hannah then shares her top tips on how to dig deep into your emotional scene, get underneath the skin of your characters and fully engage your reader.
She gives us a couple of bonus tips, including how to improve errors by yourself, why it’s important to lay the groundwork of your story, then the big buildup to your emotional scene.
She finishes by telling us a little about her own fiction, how she manages her time and how, even as a professional, she gets thrown off track by things like a pandemic!
Connect with Hannah Bauman:
Home - Between the Lines Editorial (btleditorial.com)
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Stephanie BwaBwa has been a lifelong reader, starting with pop-up books as a child, which brought fairy tales to life. She cemented her love of fiction when she discovered Lemony Snicket and the crazy world described there. But she says it was the Mortal Instruments series that turned her into a writer and put the desire to write into her heart.
She wrote her first book in 2013. It was a story came out of nowhere, tackled big themes and where she made a lot of mistakes. At that time she didn’t fully understand structure, but writing that book was a great way to start her career.
“so much beauty can come from ashes”
We talk about how dark times in your life can result in something beautiful. Stephanie went through a dark chapter in her own life, but it what spurred her on to write that first book.
“balance is bogus”
We discuss how you can, or can’t, have the perfect balance between work and back home. Stephanie’s coach reminds her that ‘balance is bogus’, that it’s impossible to strive for, or expect, to have the perfect balance, and Stephanie agrees. She says we have to know what our priority is in each season of life. I for one find this a refreshing perspective.
We talk, too, about how to make time for your writing. For Stephanie it comes down to time blocking. She needs to look at her schedule, blocking the time she can write because she knows if it doesn't go in her diary, it doesn't get done!
It's a tough thing to swallow, she says, but we each have to make a sacrifice if we want to write a book. That might mean going to bed a bit later, getting up a bit earlier or even missing that TV show everyone is talking about.
Stephanie tells us about her universe Elledelle, and where it came from. Primarily it came from the stories she learned in church as a child, She wondered what if? What if she mixed God’s world with her imagination?
From there she adopted the stories, invented new ones about Angels and demons and so her universe was born.
Stephanie has fantastic ideas for how new science fiction and fantasy writers can start their own world-building. First you have to know why the story is important to you, what draws you to that particular story. When you know you can delve right in.
Next, you can approach your world-building from either a character perspective or a world perspective. Pick an angle and deep dive with it.
Don't forget that your character is a product of the world you're creating, so how will the atmosphere, the food, the roles people play, impact your character.
We discussed how you can stay out of that research rabbit hole. Trust your gut, she says. Recognise when you have enough to get started. If you continue to research and not write, ask yourself what are you running from? What is stopping you from writing?
To tackle the fear of imposter syndrome, Stephanie urges. Think from a place of service, don't think about yourself, but your reader.
There are readers waiting to hear your story, and you owe it to them to tell the story in your way with your voice.
Connect with Stephanie:
Stephanie BwaBwa | Novel Writing Strategist, YA Fantasy Author
Elledelle | A YA Epic Fantasy World With Black Angels
Build the Writing Life You Love - Indie Author Lifestyle
Launch Yesterday | Design VIP Days, Professional Templates, and Resources for Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Nadia comes from a family of writers and publishers. She was determined not to follow in their footsteps but inevitably ended up studying English, which she loved more than any other subject.
In our conversation Nadia shares the themes that interest her most in her poetry and nonfiction. One of those themes is motherhood, but a stronger area of interest is the idea of healing trauma through narrative. She describes her themes as exploring “waking up”. We discuss whether it can be used to heal trauma with a big T or a small t.
Another theme that interests Nadia is environmental healing. Our relationship with the natural world has turned violent and is not respectful. Nadia would love to see a spiritual revolution, of which literature would be apart. We debate whether literature itself can change the world.
Nadia tells me about the Life and Times of her first collection, The High Shelf. She put together the draft 15 years before it was published and she explains its route to publication. It was a finalist for more than 20 first books competitions, but never quite making it to the final.
This leads us to talk about the intricacies of the publishing world, particularly that of poetry and literary fiction. It's not necessarily about the quality of the work, there is a degree of who you know!
Ultimately, Nadia encourages you not to give up. Writing is a long game, so keep going.
We finish our conversation with Nadia telling me how meditation and yoga influences her writing practise and has even changed the way she intuits the words. A fascinating process and one that feels, certainly to an outsider, easy and fluid. I'm sure she would disagree!
On her website Nadia has a number of free meditations you can download to explore whether meditation can help you bring out your best words.
Connect with Nadia:
Online Creative Writing Coach in Boston | Writing Classes | Nadia Colburn
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Autumn and Jesper share their journeys to writing. Jesper came to writing later in life, it was something he always wanted to do, but it wasn’t until he went on holiday to Finland that he had an ‘ah ha’ moment, one that led him to start writing straight away rather than wait for the perfect time.
She wasn’t long out of college when Autumn began writing, and have been doing so for a number of years before she met Jesper on Twitter and they became friends.
Later they decided to pull their assets and respective skills to start writing non-fiction books together. A few years later they decided to write fiction together.
We discuss the benefits of co-writing. For Autumn and Jesper this includes brainstorming and pulling ideas together, the advantage of one person coming up with an idea that the other person might never have come up with on their own.
By combining their two styles, they have developed a voice that is neither one nor the other but unique.
They share how they actually write their books. Jasper devises an outline using the seven pillars of story structure. He sends that outline to Autumn.
They discuss it, decide on any changes or alterations that need to be made, and once it is agreed, Jasper writes the first draft. He then sends that to Autumn who “overwrites” his first draft.
Jesper emphasises is the need for compromise and being open to ideas for a successful co-writing relationship to flourish.
They later tell me about their podcast, Am Writing Fantasy, and the new project they are working on.
If you’re thinking about co-writing a book, this is definitely an episode to listen to.
Connect with Autumn J Birt and Jesper Schmidt
Welcome - AmWritingFantasy
Ylecium | A New World Awaits
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Kate Cumiskey discovered she was a poet whilst in high school. In fact, it was her high school boyfriend who suggested she start writing things down because she saw the world in such poetical ways.
She attended a class by Robert Creeley and that was when her writing life really took off. But it wasn't until about seven years ago she started writing fiction and has just had her first manuscript accepted by finishing line press.
"gruelling work"
This is how she describes writing poetry for her. The frame of the poem comes to her quickly, but it can take up to seven years to refine the piece.
She says she learns about her work from the comments of others, and they have noticed her themes include Florida, the space programme, man's relationship to nature.
We talk about why some people are very fearful of poetry and are reluctant to try it. She feels that this is because many think they have to examine and understand poetry, rather than simply experience it.
We talk about "found" poems and what a straightforward way they are into writing poetry.
A piece of advice she has for new poets is to describe and write about the external, rather than the internal. And she gives a great tip and writing prompt on how to do this.
Kate herself doesn't write rhyming poetry in its traditional form, but she has a lot of internal rhyme in her poem. We talk about how she has struggled to know the best way to end a line. To overcome this problem, Kate uses sculpture to navigate the endings.
Sculpture enables her to see the poem as a physical object and so seeing its form becomes much easier and she sees where the line ends and the next one begins.
Cumiskey has worked with several small presses and she kindly shares her experiences, as well as how to find a small press to work with.
She also offers some caution, encouraging you to understand your author rights, that the poems are your intellectual property and to be careful what you sign.
Kate recommends Submittable as a wonderful place to find publishers for short stories and poems. She even has a top tip for Submittable which you can find out by listening to the episode!
We finish our conversation with Kate sharing what she's writing at the moment and how Natalia Ginzburg's Little Book Of Virtues has inspired her to write a new essay.
Connect with Kate:
Authors Talk: Kate Cumiskey – s [r] blog (asu.edu)
Other Links
Surfing at New Smyrna Beach - https://amzn.to/3pFaOU1
The Women Who Gave Up Their Vowels by Kate Cumiskey—Finishing Line Press
Allison Joseph - ALLISON JOSEPH, POET - Home (allisonjosephpoetry.com)
Poets and writers website - Poets & Writers | Contests, MFA Programs, Agents & Grants for Writers (pw.org)
Submittable - The Social Impact Platform | Submittable
Natalia Ginzburg - https://amzn.to/2Tr3xN9
Robert Creeley Robert Creeley | Poetry Foundation
William Carlos Williams - William Carlos Williams | Poetry Foundation
Found poetry - Found poetry - Wikipedia
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Chris Andrews writing life began almost with a dear . He felt he could write storeys better than some of the ones he was reading and his friends dear him to do it!
So he did!
Chris now writes across two series and many standalones in a universe called Vale of gods. The universe gives him lots of scoop for characters and plotlines .
Initially though Chris found he had so many ideas that he would get stuck . He didn't know where to start and realised he had to make a decision to write one book, stick with it until the end and only then move on to the next book.
The most recent release is a book from his mermaid series . He wrote it's as part of nanowrimo an it was entirely discovery written. As a result he had a lot of rewrites to do, and almost didn't publish it. But he's very pleased he continued because now it's I exciting fast paced Storey .
One of the problems he had was when the book got boring and he didn't know how to fix it. So he asked himself the question, what's the worst that can happen? When he asked himself at, storeys opened up and the character started speaking for themselves and the result is in the published Storey.
A discovery writer by nature, he does need to have some sort of plan so that he can blend the emotional and logical parts of his brain. he knows too that structure is important because readers are expecting certain elements in a Storey and if they thought they are the reader is unsatisfied even if they don't know why.
Chris used to feedback on other peoples manuscripts and notice they were making a lot of the mistakes that he made in the beginning and that with a few tweaks the books could be ready for editing. With that in mind he was prompted to right his character and structure workbook series .
The structure that he teaches within the workbooks is the three act structure . We delve into that in the interview, as well as taking a look at themes and why they can be an important part of your Storey.
Chris Andrews is currently working on 2 new novels, one set in his hometown of Canberra, Australia. The other is set in Las Vegas.
Connect with Chris:
The website of Chris Andrews - Author
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Heather Wright tells her students “not to feel defeated before you try” She started her writing life with short stories and then articles on how to write for teens.
Heather coaches a lot of teens, and I asked her about the difference between coaching teen writers and adult writers.
Teenagers, she says, come to the writing table believing their writers. They come with lots of material and lots of ideas. They are willing to share their work, comments on other people's work and accept comments on their own work.
Adults, however, are far more reticent. They don't believe they are writers; they criticise their own work and or less willing to try new things or share their work, and even less willing to comment on other people's work.
One of the roadblocks for new writers is the size of the project. It feels very overwhelming to write 50,000 plus words. To overcome this, Heather suggests creating many habits.
This is a process by where you give yourself small goals, for example writing only 50 words at each writing session.
That way it's much easier to achieve and when you do achieve it you leave the writing table feeling like a success because you achieved what you set out to achieve.
The other thing she says writers must have is forgiveness for themselves. Life gets in the way sometimes, things happen and if you don't get to write that day, so what? The world won't end and you can get back to it the next day, so don't be so hard on yourself. Forgive yourself.
As a writing coach Heather sees herself as the guide. She guides her student to write the book they want to write. Sometimes that takes a bit of digging and that's part of her role.
She works with writers at all stages of their book. Sometimes they come to her with an idea that they need to talk through and then go off and write the book. Some come to her with a manuscript and it needs tweaking and moulding before it goes off to an editor.
We discussed the importance of having a mentor or a coach and how pivotal that can be to someone's success.
Finally, Heather shares that she turned 70 last year but has taken up screenwriting. She had never thought to pursue this before but she says she's never been happier writing than she has been with her screenplays.
What that can teach you is that it's never too late to start writing. Creativity knows no age barrier.
Connect with Heather:
http://www.wrightingwords.com
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
About the Episode:
Cat Lumb has been writing stories for over a decade: since she was diagnosed with two chronic conditions and was forced to rest more, meaning her imagination was often her only escape. Her first love is novels, and she has eight manuscripts in various stages of completeness, but also enjoys the ease of short stories for a quick fiction fix.
Cat starts by talking me through how she became a writer and book coach. She is a prolific short Story Writer and I asked her about her method for coming up with ideas . She shares with me the what if tree as a great way to develop a plot line . And she recommends using newspaper headlines as a way of coming up with an idea. What is the Story behind the headline , or rather what is your Story behind the headline?
She gives advice for submitting your short stories to magazines and periodicals and the importance of knowing the themes in your work full stop when you understand the themes in your stories you can target your work too particular competitions and magazines. Cat also recommend the small press guide, published by mslexia as a great way to find upcoming competitions.
Cat then goes on to explain her process for writing longer form novels, and this includes using nanowrimo as a jump off point.
We talked to about writing blocks and where they come from. Often those blocks are not to do with your writing, but what's going on in other areas of your life.
Cat runs the Write Catalyst, a coaching community. She coaches her clients one to one as well as in small groups. She hosts monthly webinars covering all elements of the writing life and in her Facebook group "The Write Catalyst", she goes live every Tuesday sharing her top tip Tuesday.
One of her mantra's is “you can do this”. Often self belief is one of the biggest stumbling blocks her clients have . And a lot of her job as a book coach is to guide her clients through their limiting beliefs
“If it’s important to you, it's important.”
We talk about what it takes to finish a novel and again it comes down to self belief and not comparing your first draft to the finished product of another author on the shelf.
Connect with Cat:
Website www.catlumb.com
Twitter (19) Cat Lumb (@Cat_Lumb) / Twitter
Facebook (9) The Write Catalyst | Facebook
The Memorial Tree https://amzn.to/3mXiPUE
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
About the episode:
Vanessa Soto is a book coach, helping first time nonfiction authors get their book out into the world.
She talks to me about what attracted her to the publishing journey call my house listeners can decide whether to self publish or pursue a traditional deal.
She highlights the three questions listeners must ask themselves before they even think about writing their book proposal.
Once those questions are answered and feel confident they want to go ahead, Vanessa explains the different stages of developing a book proposal and what listeners need to do to write it.
She shares with us what, in her experience, are the hallmarks of a successful book proposal and even tells us about her newly started podcast, She Has A Book In Her.
Connect with Vanessa:
- She Has a Book in Her | Vanessa Soto Book Coach
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
About September C Fawkes
September's approach to editing has been described as "thorough," "precise," and "kind."
She has worked in the fiction-writing industry for over eight years and has been editing stories for longer. She has edited for both award-winning and best-selling authors and have worked on manuscripts written for middle grade, young adult, and adult readers, with most of my experience being in the genres of fantasy and science fiction.
Previous to freelance editing, she was mentored by a creative writing professor, an award-winning international best-selling author, and a professional editor.
Links:
- September C. Fawkes
- Freelance Fiction Editing - Fawkes Editing
- Novelist and Writing Teacher David Farland – Official Website of David Farland
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
About Susan DeFreitas
Susan DeFreitas is the author of the novel Hot Season, which won a Gold IPPY Award, and the editor of Dispatches from Anarres: Tales in Tribute to Ursula K. Le Guin (forthcoming from Forest Avenue Press).
An independent editor and book coach, she specialises in helping writers from historically marginalised backgrounds, and those writing socially engaged fiction, break through into publishing.
Connect with Susan
Susan DeFreitas | author, editor, coach
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
About Lisa M Lilly
An author, attorney, and adjunct professor of law, L.M. Lilly founded Writing As A Second Career to share information with people juggling writing novels with working at other jobs or careers. She has written and published multiple books on writing craft, including Super Simple Story Structure: A Quick Guide to Plotting and Writing Your Novel and Creating Compelling Characters From The Inside Out.
Writing as Lisa M. Lilly, she is the author of the Q.C. Davis Mysteries and the bestselling four-book Awakening supernatural thriller series.
She also hosts the podcast Buffy and the Art of Story.
Mentioned in the episode:
- About Lisa M. Lilly - Lisa Lilly
- Writing As A Second Career - Juggling writing fiction with another career? Read On
- Rosemary’s Baby, Ira Levin
- Buffy The Vampire Slayer
- Awakening Series, Lisa M. Lilly
- Q.C. Davis Mysteries, Lisa M. Lilly
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Who's in this episode?
After having a kid, losing her job, going broke, and moving across countries to live with her parents, Crys Cain started publishing romance under a super secret pen name in 2017.
She now shares what she's learned as a full time, occasionally-six-figure author on The Write Away Podcast and with The Author Success Mastermind community.
Connect with Crys:
Crys Cain – Science Fiction Author
About (writeawaypodcast.com)
Crys Cain (@itscryscain) TikTok | Watch Crys Cain's Newest TikTok Videos
https://theauthorsuccessmastermind.com
Associated blog post:
https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/crys-cain
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
In this episode:
We talk about Andrea's start in the writing world, and eventual move into ghostwriting. She explains how she 'got into character' to write in someone else's voice.
Andrea talks me through the essence of her book, Your Fabulous First Book: How to Write with Clarity, Confidence & Connection.
Confidence comes in stages. First there's confidence in your writing, in your subject, in marketing.
She encourages you to take small steps, learn a little at a time, and you'll grow your confidence and find a connection with your readers.
Andrea also shares her checklist guide on how to write a successful book that inspires its readers and prompts them to change their life. You'll find access to the checklist on her homepage.
She emphasises the importance of knowing who your reader is so you know who to speak to, both in the book and with your marketing.
With her book coach hat on, Andrea Glass talks me through how she works with her clients, and the common things they need help with. Often it's capturing many ideas and tying them down, and developing the book's structure and table of contents.
'I know the joy of writing a book and I want everyone to experience that'
- Andrea Glass
Links mentioned in the episode:
- https://www.AndreaSusanGlass.com
Associated blog post:
https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/andrea-glass/
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What's in this episode:
Dr Stephanie Han was my writing teacher in Hong Kong and today I ask her to take us through her journey to writing, which was being a kid who didn't fit in and wanted to figure out where she belonged in the world.
She was the inaugural PhD student at The University of Hong Kong, researching Asian American Literature.
Stephanie Han has lived in many cities and countries, and I ask her what influence that has had on her writing. The biggest lesson was learning to look at different people and situations with a fresh perspective, and forced her to look at how she fit into her environment.
Stephanie reminds me of what deep reading/close reading is, and why it's an integral part of the writer's learning. That's what helps us refine our own work in the editing phase.
An experienced teacher and mentor, Stephanie Han talks us through some common mistakes she sees new writers make, and how to work past them.
Stephanie tells me about her Warrior Women Writers website, explaining why she chose that title and what a warrior woman writer is for her. It's taken from the title of Asian American writer's book called The Woman Warrior.
For her these writers are women who put their voice out there, take a risk in being seen and won't be silenced. It's an opportunity to for women to author their own lives.
Stephanie now teaches Asian American literature because it's not something that's offered in many colleges. It was a gap she was asked to fill by Asian American students who were looking to learn more about the the history of their stories.
In our conversation she talks about why set up the class, as well as her class on intersectionality.
We move on to discuss how getting published does not mean you are a writer. Writing means you are a writer.
"I'm a professional rejection" says award-winning author Stephanie Han. Stephanie has powerful words to share around publication and validation. This alone is worth listening to!
We finish our conversation with Stephanie telling me about a book she's writing to help women write their divorce story. This can potentially be used in court, or simply as a therapeutic exercise.
She is also writing a new book of poetry and prose.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- The Woman Warrior, Maxine Hung Kingston
- Empowering Women Through Narrative | drstephaniehan
- Stephanie Han - Author. Educator. Woman Warrior.
- Stephanie Han (@drstephaniehan) • Instagram photos and videos
Associated blog post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/stephanie-han/
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What's in this episode:
Like many of us, Ross' journey to writing was a meandering one, starting off with songwriting, moving into film making and now storytelling.
Ross Hartmann tells me about the tools of story rather than the rules of telling a story. There are two sets of tools: dramatic and thematic.
These sets of tools are what make a story both meaningful and engaging. We choose which tools to use that will serve the story, rather than what we're told to write being a beat sheet.
Hartmann discusses too the difference between dramatic irony and dramatic tension. These different approaches serve two different purposes and result in a different type of story.
Dramatic tension is when the protagonist is in active pursuit of something, dramatic irony is when the audience knows something the protagonist doesn't.
Using the analogy of house building, Hartmann's book guides us through how to lay down the foundations of an engaging story. Once the foundation is strong, you can go on to build the walls, windows and interiors.
Even if you're a discovery writer, he encourages you to use a 'story engine' so that a story evolves organically, rather than being plotted ahead of time.
We delve into what a 'beat' is and why it can be confusing! Beats can happen within a scene, but they can also happen within the story as a whole. So how do we understand them and how to use them?
Ross Hartmann is developing a 'one stop shop' for writers writing, formatting and publishing their books. If you're interested in being involved in the Beta programme, email Ross directly at www.kiingo.com/contact.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- The Structure Of Story, Ross Hartmann
- The Story Grid, Shawn Coyne
- The Graduate Movie
- The Silence Of The Lambs, Thomas Harris
- Kiingo, Tools To Help Writers
- Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
Associated Blog Post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/ross-hartmann
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What's in this episode:
Sylvia Hubbard tells us how she got started in fiction (thanks Mom!) and explains that when she got the bug, she didn't stop writing and eventually started using her skills to earn a living. She's now been a bestselling author for 20+ hours.
Sylvia writes Suspense Romance and explains the rules and boundaries of this hybrid genre. The trick is to weave the key elements of each in a way that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.
"I make people fall in love and I kill somebody."
She sets her stories in her hometown of Detroit and she describes the city as a character in her books. It's one of America's top murder cities, perfect for her suspenseful stories!
Sylvia talks me through her Black Family series. "Crazy needs love too." The men in her books all have hidden facets. For example, one has multiple personality disorder, another has food issues. But everyone wants and deserves love.
Hubbard delves into why these men are the way they are, they all have complex backstories.
"Love is really complicated...it's easy to get to the door, but opening the door and walking through is harder..."
Not only does Sylvia Hubbard write fiction, she writes non-fiction and blogs. She explains how she manages to write so prolifically and says she's "a pantster with a drip of plotter."
She's always on the lookout for interesting people and flaws and likens her process to the movie Glass.
Then she makes sure she goes through the 3Rs.
"When you make plans, God laughs. Sometimes the life you plan is not the life you need."
We discuss how you don't have to have everything worked out before you start writing, you can iron out the wrinkles later.
"You can't give yourself an excuse to fail."
We discuss how she manages her time and keeps her sense of fun! She says she wakes up with the attitude that she cannot fail. Sylvia emphasises how important it is to tell your loved ones that writing means a lot to you. If they want you to be happy, they need to let you write.
Everything can be done in 10 minutes. You've just got to figure out how to do it in that time.
We delve into how Sylvia started the Motown Writers Network and because she was sharing such valuable information, the network grew quickly and people couldn't get enough.
Sylvia's top advice is to not give up, no matter how hard it is. That's where success lives.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Sylvia's website
- Motown Writers Network
- Author Services
- Sylvia's Facebook Group
- Motown Writers & Michigan Literary Network
- Glass, the movie
Associated Blog Post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/sylvia-hubbard/
Don't forget, you can support the show for less than a Caffe Mocha at www.patreon.com/emmadhesi
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What's in this episode?
Founder and CEO of The Novel Smithy, Lewis Jorstad takes time out to tell me about his journey into fiction, working with writers and starting his online business.
A fantasy writer at heart, Lewis has given himself the freedom to write in whatever genre and tell whatever story he wants. Writing non-fiction gives him that level of freedom.
Positive feedback from readers, and noticing a number of common questions about novel writing, he knew he had to put the posts together in a cohesive way.
We discuss the importance of getting that first draft down. Once it's written, you can revise and improve.
The Story Structure series on The Novel Smithy has been one of the most popular, even for those that want to go against the trend. Understanding the rules of structure, give you the freedom to break them.
If you're someone who finds it difficult to find the time to write, The 10 Day Draft is the book for you. It's not easy, says Jorstad, but it's doable. Getting that first draft down takes away the fear factor, proves to yourself that you can do it, and will release you to repeat the process.
Lewis kindly talks us through his outlining process, going from the vaguest of idea to the concept, to who's the protagonist and what do they want.
From there, you can build everything else. Lewis digs into this more in our conversation.
We then move onto how Lewis Jorstad organises his schedule so he can fit in 'all the things'. He describes himself as a 'binge writer'. He focuses on the project at hand until it's complete because he can't split his attention over the course of one day.
Listen to how Lewis organises his month to ensure everything gets done on time, and more about how he works with writers, helping them finish their manuscript so it's ready to publish or query agents.
We move onto Lewis' own fiction and the pros and cons of using a Pen name if you write across genres.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- How to Start Your Dream Novel | The Novel Smithy
- NaNoWriMo
- 10 Day Novelist Series, Lewis Jorstad
Associated blog post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/lewis-jorsad/
Don't forget, you can support the show for less than a Caffe Mocha at www.patreon.com/emmadhesi
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What's in this episode:
Jo Buer is the perfect example of why, even as a child, you mustn't let anyone stamp on your dreams. If you want to write stories, ignore the naysayers (even your primary school teachers) and follow your heart.
As a teenager, she went through the usual 'anxty' poetry and journals. As an adult she continued to write, but didn't pursue it with intention. She talked the talk, but didn't walk the walk until she noticed that a lot of her contemporaries weren't happy with their lot in life, instead were going through the motions.
She didn't want that for herself so started digging into publishing, submitting short stories and finally reworded one of her NaNoWriMo drafts and published it last year.
Jo took an undergraduate in English Literature, a big component of which was Creative Writing. From this experience she learnt how to give and receive feedback on her writing, which attributes to her confidence and future success.
I ask her what gave her the impetus to make 2020 her year for change, despite the pandemic and the anxiety that was going around the globe. She says,
"if we don't go after our dreams now, when will we?"
She wants freedom in life, and fiction is the way to attain that.
We talk about being an Authorpreneur, and why having a website, however simple, is an integral part of your business as a writer. Jo shares her experiences and how she decided what to include on her site.
We talk about the challenges around fitting in writing around the day job. As someone who already gets up at 4.30am, Jo Buer needed another way!
Accountability is a big part of Jo's success, not only by booking her editor in advance, but by telling her mailing list what she's doing and when it'll be done by. She doesn't want to disappoint anyone.
Jo Buer tells me about her debut novel, and what it is she loves about the gothic and ghost stories.
We talk, too, about the benefits of examining your mindset and the ways you can strengthen it to ensure resilience and success.
To round off, Jo Buer tells us about what she's working on now and her deadline of 1 March 2021.
You can more of our conversation around mindset and useful resources to boost your own resilience over at Patreon.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Self Publishing 101 Course from Self Publishing Formula
- Jo Buer's website
- Rest Easy Resort, Jo Buer
- Authorcats, Nick Stephenson
- The Right To Write, Julia Cameron
- Don't Keep Your Day Job, Kathy Heller
Associated Blog Post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/jo-buer
If you're ready to stop talking and start writing, embrace a new writing practice and get your words on the page, then Ready To Write coaching is exactly what you need.
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Do you love writing fantasy?
Then I've got great news for you!
My friends at ProWritingAid are excited to announce Fantasy Writer's Week, an entire week jam-packed with events specifically designed for fantasy authors.
Best part?
It's FREE!
Fantasy Writer's Week includes live sessions from bestselling fantasy writers like TJ Klune, Angela J. Ford, David Farland, and Stephanie BwaBwa, as well as workshops on topics like world-building and fantasy editing.
There are even software demos of products you can use to create your fantasy bestseller!
Fantasy Writer's Week kicks off on February 22 and runs until February 26. If you can't make it live, don't worry! All the sessions will be available via replay, so you can sign up anyway and watch the sessions when it's convenient.
To get your free ticket, go to www.emmadhesi.com/FantasyWeek
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What's in this episode:
Thomas started his writing life as a journalist, editing, writing headlines, trimming and tightening other people's work, which was key in improving his own writing.
What journalism taught him was how not to waffle!
"Know the chase and cut to it."
Whilst working as a journalist, Thomas was also writing plays, short stories and novels and it was at that time he landed his first book deal.
I ask Thomas Emson how he balanced his day job and writing on the side. This was how he learnt to be productive and make the time to do it.
As the author of werewolf novel Maneater, we talk about what it is he loves about horror. He references his love of Clive Barker and Stephen King. There was a thrill that came from being scared in the safety of his own home!
It's also a kind of therapy, a way of expunging a person's darker moments.
When under contract to write two books a year, Emson needed to devise a method by which he could deliver by his deadline.
In our conversation Thomas takes me through his method, from first draft to end product. He says that goal setting is the engine that drives his productivity.
I ask him about plotting, revision and how he writes his chapters.
We talk to that it's important to be self-critical if you want to produce the best work you can, and it comes back to 'kill your darlings' which might be painful but is worth it in the long run.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Thomas Emson's website
- How To Write A Novel In 6 Months, Thomas Emson
- Thomas Emson's fiction on Amazon
- Follow Thomas Emson on Twitter
- Stephen King
- Clive Barker
- Jack Ketchum
- 30 Tip Tips To Find Time To Write Cheat Sheet
Associated blog post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/thomas-emson
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What's in the episode:
“I'm the technician helping them get it on the paper .” - Ruby Peru
The story already belongs to them, says ghostwriter Ruby Peru, and as such she's happy to stay in the background.
If she was a fiction ghost writer, however, that would be different. In fiction, she'd be making up a story from scratch, it would be her imagination and so she'd want to be acknowledged for that.
I asked Ruby Peru about her process when it comes to ghostwriting a memoir, and she says it all starts with a series of intense interviews that allow her to get under the skin of her subject.
From those she can create a very detailed synopsis of the book and so the client knows exactly what they are getting.
However, she doesn't do this with her own memoir writing!
She is currently writing a coming of age memoir, examining her teenage years, when she underwent her biggest personal transitions. Instead, she's writing her memoir as a series of short stories.
What are the memories you have from your teenage years, she asks. Why is you you remember them? Because they were the events that changed you in some way, that's why you remember them.
These are the moments that make a great short story. Why are short stories so hard to write? Because they force you to be a better writer. In many ways they're harder than writing a full length novel.
I ask Ruby about her time studying under David Foster Wallace and later with Kurt Vonnegut.
“he gave me permission to be as uptight as I wanted to be,” she says about David Foster Wallace.
Kurt Vonnegut, she says, liked the stories best when they were ambiguous. When the internal conflict is at its highest, that's when the readers feels the most 'unsafe'. For him, that was when the story was most interesting.
Ruby Peru also tells me how her first published novel emerged - by making the rule that for one hour everyday she had to write something fun with strange characters and weird situations.
She describes her book as an Upper Young Adult book, and explains that she wanted it to look like a classic children's book and so commissioned illustrator Philip Harris to do the beautiful pen and ink drawings.
We discuss how book ideas can begin as a messy collection of plots, subplots, characters and themes, and how you don't need to stick to the classic convention of novel writing but can mix things up with short storeys, novellas coma series and serials.
Instead of writing 100,000 plus words, she suggests trying shorter for him books as they are selling very well these days.
We finish up our conversation with Ruby telling me about her own press, Pangloss Press, and the ways in which she helps writers, particularly with book promotion.
She helpfully gives a rundown on all the different types of editors available and how they will help prepare your novel for publication.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- David Sedaris
- Kurt Vonnegut
- David Foster Wallace Books
- Philip Harris Illustration
- Bits Of String Too Small To Save, Ruby Peru
- Pangloss Press | Website
- www.rubyperu.com
Associated Blog Post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/ruby-peru/
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What's the episode about?
Mark Grenside comes from a TV and film career and wanted to write a story with the movie industry in the background. He tells us about his debut novel, Fall Out, published in May 2020. Not only does it have a movie backdrop, but incorporates a famous money heist.
Grenside talks us through how he's made the pivot from Lloyd's of London to Jim Henson's The Muppets, and eventually the movie business.
Mark admits he's always marched to the beat of his own drum, and this has allowed him to take advantage of the fun opportunities that came his way, including starting his own a music representation business and, more recently, a move into CBD oil production.
"blind as a bat and full of hope"
Not a man of routine, Mark accepts that, when it comes to writing a first draft, he's just got to get the job done. He freely admits he hates writing that first draft, but loves editing. As a discovery writer, he is as much in the dark as the reader and only has a vague idea of what's going to happen next.
"don't fight the subconscious"
He says it's amazing how you can write something down that doesn't make sense at the time, but when you get towards the end of the book, all the pieces come together. Essentially, trust the process.
If you are a movie buff, you will enjoy Mark's anecdotes and how he used to work a lot with screenplay writers, talking us through the difference between writing in the two different mediums and the skills he's brought with him from one industry to the next.
"character is action."
For Mark, you truly learn about a character from the way they behave and respond to their fellow characters. He uses Jack Nicholson in Chinatown as a splendid example. He advises you keep exposition to a minimum, otherwise it slows the story down.
We talk, too, about cycles in the thriller genre. For a long time, thrillers in the movies were very dark, but now we're moving into a lighter type of movie, and books, he believes, are following suit. Perhaps that accounts for the rise of the cosy mystery!
We also discussed his plans for the book's franchise, and even who he would like to play the characters in any future TV series.
Mark is a wealth of knowledge and was great fun to chat with. You'll learn a lot about not only the movie business but how you can take the speed and action of a screenplay and transpose it into a fast-paced and enjoyable novel.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Mark's website - M. N. Grenside
- Fall Out, M N Grenside
- Dragonfly CBD oil
- Chinatown (1974) - IMDb
- Reservoir Dogs (1992) - IMDb
- The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) - IMDb
- Murder Mystery (2019) - IMDb
Associated Blog Post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/mark-grenside
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What's in this episode:
Originally from New Orleans, Todd Sullivan moved to Asia 12 years ago, living in Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
Todd talks about his experiences doing an MFA, and the main learnings he took away.
He also shares his love of vampires and the wider horror genre. It all started with Sesame Street's The Count, and Count Duckula.
We discussed Twilight and what made it different to the other vampire stories, admiring how she gave a unique twist to an old story.
Many genre stories have their tropes, and we examine what they are for horror.
Todd explains where he got the initial inspiration for his vampire series and then how he fits writing into his life.
Sullivan is a fantastic example of how if you do "a little bit over time" you can see the words build and before you know it, you have a book. This approach stops him from burning out.
Critique workshops have been a great help to Todd, both in person and online groups. He sites Scribophile as a great place to find critique partners.
Todd is a martial arts fan, studying kendo and fencing, and this passion shows up in his fiction with lots of action scenes.
Sharing details about his web series, For The God's Open Eyes, Todd explains that it's based on African mythology. He and his co-creators have built on the original tales by mixing African, Korean and American mythology/superhero stories together, creating something new.
Listen to today's episode and discover how you can make room in your life for your writing by doing just a little bit every day.
Todds latest release is an anthology of short stories called The Vampire Connoisseur.
You can follow Todd Sullivan on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Windchime Chronicles Series, Todd Sullivan
- Vampire Chronicles Series, Todd Sullivan
- For The Gods Open Eyes
- Twilight, Stephanie Myers
- Sesame Street
- Count Duckula
- Scribophile
Associated blog post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/toddsullivan/
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What's in this episode:
Author Celeste Stacy shares her journey to publication, letting me in on her screenwriting past. In fact, her novels are adapted from her own film scripts - a switch to how it's usually done!
We discuss the main differences in writing for screen and writing prose, and she explains that dialogue was one of the things she had to change the most. The way people speak on film is different to how they talk in a book.
Celeste Stacy takes us through her SAI: Secret Agents of the IlluminaRti series, and a companion series called Tales of the IlluminaRti.
Her stories are a spook take on the Marvel stories, with a healthy dose of Charlies Angels, which I love!
In 2020 Celeste took the plunge and became a full-time writer. She explains what prompted her decision and how her life has changed.
As an indie author, she has to stay on top of her marketing efforts. Facebook and Instagram are two of her favoured sites, and from which she generates downloads.
Celeste Stacy has recorded an audio version of her book and explains how found the right narrator for her books, and the mechanics of doing the recording and uploading the audio file via ACX.
We also talk about Celeste's approach to finding book reviews and how well advertising is working for her.
We discuss, too, the growth in the popularity of novellas. Many enjoy a shorter story that they can digest in one sitting.
If you want to see Celeste Stacy's film appearances, you'll find them over on my Patreon page.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- https://secretnarti.com/
- ACX for audiobooks
You can contact Celeste Stacy here:
- celestestacy67@gmail.com
- https://twitter.com/CelesteStacy67
- https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004312179984
Associated blog post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/celeste-stacy/
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What's in this episode:
Henry ball recently published his debut novel, Sister of Sorrows. It’s set in Louisiana and tells the story of woman’s struggle to provide for her family.
In our conversation together, Henry shares that he always wanted to write a book about his challenging upbringing, influenced strongly by his indomitable mother, Delores. Henry explains the backdrop to Sister Of Sorrows, and as he says, "there was a story there I needed to know".
Henry Ball didn't intend for it to be, but writing this novel was a very cathartic experience and helped him process some very difficult memories.
The road to publication began with writing coach Lisa Tener, who then recommended he take it to editor Stuart Horwitz of Book Architecture.
Stuart is credited with shaping the book into the great story it is today, and Henry Ball shares how he found the editing process to be a period of growth and learning, as it should be with all talented editors.
For book design and formatting he went to 1106 Design, who took Henrys vision for the book and created a beautiful cover, which Henry talks about in our conversation.
Henrys love and respect for his mother, Dolores, is evident in how he talks about her, and I hope my children talk about me this way when they are adults! Whilst Henry's father was on the scene, he was not a great example of fatherhood.
As Henry says, his father exemplified the kind of father he didn’t want to be.
We talk about balancing work, family and writing. Henry acknowledges how hard this is and that while things move slowly, but they do move.
Not only is Henry writing sons of sorrows, the sequel to sister of sorrows, these also writing a non-fiction book with his business partner and co-owner of their publishing press, Storey press.
As a result, he writes what he can when he can, rather than fulfilling our daily target.
Whilst originally working as a discovery rights are, Henry ball has gravitated towards a more structured approach without lining, and he explains why he made this transition.
At the time of our conversation, sister of sorrows hadn't been published. I'm pleased to say the book launched on 23rd December 2020 and you can find it on Amazon.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Sister of Sorrows, Henry Ball
- Book website - Sisterofsorrows
- The Bleacher Report
- Deborah Dahlmann, Editor - Facebook Group
- Stuart Horowitz, Editor - Book Architecture
- Lisa Tener, Editor, Ghostwriter, Co-writer - Facebook Group
- Billy Cannon - Billy Cannon - Wikipedia
- Book Design, 1106 Design
- Alessandra Torre - Goodreads Webinar Registration — Alessandra Torre Ink
Associated Blog Post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/henry-ball
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What's in this episode:
Alexia Harrigan is a Dallas/Fort Worth based physical therapist, health coach, and author. She believes that “health and wellness begins with mindset”. Using her 15 years of physical therapy experience in orthopaedic and women’s health/pelvic floor therapy, Alexia has set out to coach mums into optimal health and unconditional self love.
Her mission is to help mums be their best for themselves so that they can be their best for their families bringing movement into your life.
"...we feel guilty for taking care of ourselves..."
In this week's episode Alexia and I briefly touch on the physical changes mother's go through after pregnancy and childbirth, and how they can be treated. We expand this to the common ailments writers' experience.
We talk about eyestrain, neck pain, wrist ache and back support, and Alexia has practical solutions to alleviate these aches and pains. Even a simple break every 45 minutes or so can make the difference.
Alexia Harrigan is an author herself and understands only too well what you're going through.
We talk about posture support, whether or not you've got back pain. She says to think about elongating your spine rather than having a straight back.
Alexia touches on desk ergonomics and even general health and wellbeing. We discuss how to make activity a part of your daily life, without going to the gym.
Alexia's techniques and practical solutions are a must listen for all writers.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Blue light glasses
- Wrist support for computer keyboard
- wrist brace for short-term support
- Lumbar support for back pain
- Alexia Harrigan's website
- Connect with Alexia Harrigan on Instagram
Associated blog post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/alexia-harrigan/
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What's in this episode:
Elysia Nates has been working on her novel for over 25 years, on and off. It’s been a passion of hers for the majority of her life and she’s now taken the plunge and put it out into the world.
When she was a teenager, Elysia Nates went through ovarian cancer. Forced, at such a young age, to confront her own mortality was the starting point for her book, Written & Directed By Me, Mackenzie.
She shares openly how she used fiction as an escape mechanism from the fear of her illness and how her family was responding to her health.
Unusually for an indie-author, Elysia Nates has opted to publish a paperback first. She explains her reasons and talks about her experiences with Ingram Spark.
Elysia Nates shares how she fits in her writing around being a single parent, managing a busy household and working part time.
‘If you want to do it, you find time to do it’ says Elysia, ‘even if it’s at ten o’clock at night.’
She shares the method by which she writes and edits her first draft, which involves reading it from the beginning every day so that her voice stays consistent.
We recorded the conversation in October and discussed the impact of lockdown on Elysia’s writing routine. As an introvert, she didn’t find it hard and was able to carry on almost as normal.
Elysia Nates is clear about her future and knows she has at least 5 Young Adult books in her future. She’s started writing her second novel, giving her daughter the final say on which of the 5 she would work on next!
We discuss writing series versus writing standalone and how Elysia needs to let go of her characters and meet new ones, and what influenced her new story.
As a debut novelist, Elysia Nates is growing her online presence and learning how social media can help her find new readers.
Links mentioned:
- Written & Directed By Me, Mackenzie, Elysia Nates
- Loving April, Melvin Burgess
- The After Series, Anna Todd
- Ingram Spark
- The Creative Penn
- Normal People, Sally Rooney
- Shelly Mack children's stories
Associated Blog Post:
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What's this episode about:
Diversity is a hot and scary topic for many people.
Diversity it not just about race, it's about gender, sexuality, disability, neuro-divergence and all the other ways human beings differ from one another. It's acknowledging others come from a different background and life experience to yours.
Bethany Tucker talks about her own experiences meeting a diverse mix of people at college and gives us a framework for what 'diverse' is.
Bethany brings the conversation back to literature, highlighting that you write what the 'norm' is within your culture.
We then dive into personal bias and how, as writers, you can increase awareness of your own bias, in both your fiction and your real life. Bethany suggests you start with two questions:
- Who do you trust?
- who do you not trust?
Bethany Tucker explains that ingroup/outgroup behaviour is when you change your behaviour to fit in with a group, so you're not seen as 'other'.
To break down your biases, Bethany encourages you to get to know those who are 'other' to you. Read about them or watch movies with those people in them, so in time they stop being 'other' and become human. Find the commonalities.
Should majority writers write about others? Yes, says Bethany Tucker, because literature is one of the ways we create community and who we align with in society.
You have, as writers, the power to change the way society perceives itself. Britain, for example, is no longer a purely English speaking, Caucasian society, and that needs to be reflected in story.
The topic of gender/sexuality is another hot potato, and we discuss how language changes over time and how one term may be right for one person, yet trigger another.
We delve into the world of sensitivity readers and where you can find one. Start with your real-life and virtual community, says Bethany, and work out from there.
Bethany Tucker talks, too, about her upcoming podcast with Mariëlle Smith, which will focus on the many aspects of writing diversity, and how to do it right!
You can find out more by contacting Bethany HERE.
A book will follow later next year.
If you have questions around diversity you'd like to see discussed, let Bethany know HERE.
You can find out about Bethany's own fiction HERE.
You can learn more about Bethany Tucker's editing service here on her website, The Art and Science of Words – Editing; Education; Author Support
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Mexican Dirt, Jeanine Cummins
- Salt & Sage - Sensitivity readers
- Salt & Sage - How to write black characters
- Mariëlle Smith - Author, podcaster, editor
- Adelaide And The Dragon Castle (Adelaide Series Book 1), Mustang Rabbit
- www.reedsy.com
Associate Blog Post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/diversity
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What's in this episode:
Science Fiction writer Steve Exten shares his experience of world building. He explains how he mixes his love of history and mythology with future possibilities.
Steve explains what a Reader Magnet is and how it fits into his plans to build his readership. He sites Mark Dawson's Self Publishing 101 as a place of learning and has big plans for his AtomSphere Legacy series.
Steve Exten also shares how he writes in bursts of creativity, rather than having a daily word count.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Club 5 Eight Zero 6, Steve Exten
- Steve Esten’s mailing list
- Steve Exten - The AtomSphere Legacy Facebook Page
- Self Publishing Formula
- Bernard Cornwell books
- Terry Pratchett books
Associated Blog Post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/steve-exten/
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What's in this episode:
Dom Brightmon hosts the podcast Going North! He is a motivational speaker and writer who was first drawn to the world of books when he wanted to make a change in his life. He found himself in the leadership section of the library. Everything changed after that.
He is a passionate advocate for libraries and believes there are as relevant now as they ever were, especially in 2020 with Covid-19 putting a lot of people out of work.
Dom wants to share the benefits of a positive mindset, a skill essential to a successful author career. He uses the RAVE method:
Read good material
Audio emersion
Virtual Stimulation
Encouragement
Dom Brightmon has words of encouragement, especially for Millennials who want to reach their potential.
He shares his productivity strategy and tips for getting started if you've ever thought about starting a podcast.
Find out more about Dom HERE.
You'll find Dom on Facebook, Twitter, IG and YouTube.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Going North! podcast
- John C. Maxwell books
- Marc Guberti
- Dan Blanchard
Associated blog post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/Dom-Brightmon/
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What's in this episode:
Romance writer Cadence Keys explains to me what steamy romance is, and tells me about her LA Wolves series, about American Football's hottest quarterback!
Cadence is rapid releasing the series and explains her strategy.
When we recorded our conversation Cadence was prepping for NaNoWriMo and completing an online course with Mary Buckham.
She talks about how writing sprints have transformed her writing life and productivity and wants you to discover them too!
Cadence also talks to me about her marketing strategy, which I took notes on!
Cadence Keys is a powerhouse of a writer and has so much to teach you in this episode.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Plottr
- NaNoWriMo
- Mary Buckham
- Alessandra Torre
- Facebook Group - Wide For The Win
- Cadence Keys' website
- Laurelin Paige
- Megan Quinn
- Amy Dodds
- Bet Me, Jennifer Cruise
- Black Tangled Heart, Samantha Young
Find Cadence Keys on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Associated Blog Post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/CadenceKeys
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What's in this episode:
Tasha Hunter is a social worker who works with those who have experienced childhood trauma and women who are experiencing infertility.
Tasha was inspired by Toni Morrison to write her memoir because she didn't see anything on the shelves that reflect, in an honest way, the impact of childhood trauma in adulthood.
She believes pain can be purposeful, that everything we experience in our lives can be used to a higher purpose. If we make that decision.
She shares with you her childhood experiences, her relationship with God and why, 20 years later, she was compelled to write her story in order to help others going through what she did.
This is a must-listen for anyone who has experienced childhood trauma but feels scared to share aspects of their history. Tasha Hunter will give you the courage to tell your story.
If you want to connect with Tasha Hunter you can email her at tashahunterauthor@gmail.com.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- What Children Remember, Tasha Hunter
- Tasha Hunter's private practice
Associated blog post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/TashaHunter
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What's this episode about:
Eric talks openly about how the biggest and hardest step is pressing 'publish'. He calls it Button Fear!
We discuss how everybody starts with their first book, their first review, and it's a matter of building on those first steps.
Eric shares his secrets to planning and outlining a series. Secrets that will help you figure out how and when to introduce characters later in the series.
Learn how he invents names and terms used within his Traceverse.
Eric doesn't work to word count goals, but to time goals. Flexibility, especially in a pandemic, is critical to his success.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- First Draft Software
- Eric's books on Amazon
- Eric's website
- Save The Cat Writes A Novel, Jessica Brody
Associated blog post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/eric-swanson
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What this episode is about:
Wendy May's Regenerative Purpose is a new way of approaching your writing purpose.
Wendy sees purpose as having 4 core elements to it. Purpose is Dynamic, Relational, Experiential and Receptive.
Purpose is Dynamic, it's fluid and changes all the time depending on how you relate to the world around you.
Purpose is Relational and evolves as you move forward in your purpose.
Purpose is Experiential, and rather than being reactive to your world, it's important to be responsive. There's a subtle difference, which Wendy explains.
Purpose is Receptive. Be open to appreciativeness and being valued. Notice those synchronistic connections you make and that align with your purpose.
Wendy illustrates how you can use Regenerative Purpose in your writing life, as well as sharing how she used Kickstarter to fund the publication of her book. You can do the same.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Kickstarter
- www.regenerativepurpose.com
- www.heywendymay.com
Associated Blog Post
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/wendy-may
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What's this episode about?
Andrea Fink is a 2nd grade teacher, and it was a pupil who encouraged her to pursue her dreams.
Her debut novel, Mask, has been growing and morphing over the past ten years. It was time to put the story down on paper.
She has big plans for the series, including short stories and a spin-off series.
To make room for her writing, Andrea dropped to part-time hours, but with the impact of COVID-19, her plans for 2020 changed. Find out how she pivoted to make the most of her time in quarantine.
Andrea shares how she uses beta-readers as she writes to get feedback as she goes along, and talks to me about her book launch. Because of lockdown, she again had to pivot from a live launch to a virtual one.
Find out how she did it, and what an AMA is.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Mask, Andrea Fink
- Connect with Andrea Fink on Instagram
- Connect with Andrea Fink on Goodreads
Associated Blog Post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/Andrea-Fink
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What's this episode about:
Stewart Gatsi talks about his global travels and why he decided to write his travel memoir. He explains that people can go to the same place and see the same things but experience them in a totally different way. He wanted to share his experience.
We talk about his influences, how he wrote his memoir and the role journalling played, where he finds his beta readers and his musical career.
Stewart’s book, Rough Guide To Planet Earth, chronicles his adventures and misadventures starting out in Zimbabwe, then subsequently migrating to the U.S, Cyprus, Dubai, and ultimately a return to Zimbabwe after almost a decade of living abroad. Ensuing events eventually lead to him travelling yet again, with experiences taking him through South Africa, Vietnam, Singapore, Cambodia, Hong Kong and Malaysia.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Chiluba Musonda
- Rough Guide To Planet Earth
Associate Blog Post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/stewart-gatsi/
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
What's in this episode:
Kat explains how journalling has helped her through difficult times and was her route into her writing career. She includes the journalling she does today as part of her writing practice.
We also explore why it's important to reflect real life in fiction, as well as how balancing life and writing is always tricky. For Kat it's a mixture of taking advice of others and applying it to her own live.
She explains too when she went from feeling she could never write like her heros, to thinking how can she learn how to write like them. This change in mindset was key to her developing her own writing craft.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Kat Caldwell Website
- Kat Caldwell Books
- Pencils & Lipstick Podcast
- 5 Days Mini Course
- Writing Community
- The Poisonwood Bible
- Under A Scarlet Sky
- The Boys In The Boat
- David Rawlings
- Twyla Tharp
Associated blog post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/kat-caldwell
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What's in this episode?
Devon J Hall is a blogger and writer, and in today's episode she shares how she started writing her book Uncomfortable, and why she had to write it.
She explains how she uses her blog as a way of introducing readers to fictional characters she's developing and using it as a way of plotting her future novel.
She reminds us that our stories and experiences are meant to be passed along, that each of us writes on the shoulders of giants.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- https://loudmouthbrowngirl.com/
- Uncomfortable, Short Unedited Essays From The Loud Mouth Brown Girl
- Essay Submissions page
Link to accompanying blog post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/devon-j-hall/
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's in this episode:
Over the course of her editing career Stacy noticed many of the manuscripts she saw weren't ready for editing and knew there had to be a more cost efficient way for beginner writers to improve their work.
Hiring an editor is expensive and should only be undertaken when the manuscript is in the best shape you make it by yourself. Only then should you find an editor who works in your genre.
Discover how Stacy can help you get there, and her top tips on how to improve pacing in your novel.
Links mentioned:
- A Writer's Guide To Active Setting, Mary Buckham
- Stacy Juba novels
- Book Editing Blueprint
- Shortcuts For Writers Facebook Group
Associated Blog Article:
- www.emmadhesi.com/StacyJuba
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's in this episode?
If you want to finish your novel, there are three things you need to do. None of it is rocket science, but it does involve consistency and you must honour your creative self.
If you want to finish your novel, you need to do these three things:
One. Figure out why you want to write a novel.
Two. Find an accountability partner.
Three. Schedule your writing time.
Uncover just why these strategies are so important to finishing your novel.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Canva demo - Design your book cover
- The Four Tendencies, Gretchen Rubin
- National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)
- Preptober
- Critique Circle - accountability partner
- 30 Ways To Find Time To Write free cheat sheet
- The Historian, Elizabeth Kostova
- Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott
- 30 Top Tips To Find Time To Write cheat sheet
Associated Blog Article:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/finish-your-novel/
Book Editing Blueprint
A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's in this episode?
It’s said that it's the plot that makes a reader pick up your book, but the character that keeps them reading. It’s vital that you have an interesting and engaging (although not necessarily likeable) character to keep your reader interested.
How do you develop that character? How do you know where to start? I have 5 questions you need to ask all your principal characters.
- What do they want?
- Why do they want it?
- What do they need?
- What's standing in their way?
- What's at stake if they fail?
Listen to the episode and find out more about how to answer each question.
Books mentioned in the episode:
- Emma, Jane Austen
- The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
- Tai Pan, James Clavell
Associated Blog Article:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/writing-tips-for-character-development
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's in this episode?
You all know what the Inner Critic is. It's that loud voice that goes off like a car alarm when something unexpected happens to you. It's there as a preservation mechanism and grew out of the beliefs you developed when you were a young child.
The critic wants you to be safe and keep you out of harm’s way, and it’s very persistent.
The Creative Self is much quieter, but in a way is much more confident than the critic. Because it is so quiet and unassuming, you don't focus on it. It's easier to ignore the Creative Self, but it’s the one that makes suggestions and comes up with the good idea.
Caroline Donahue likens your creative self to an iceberg - the critic is the small bit that sits on top and dominates, but your creative self is the enormous powerhouse the keeps the critic afloat.
Discover the 4 ways you can silence your critic and give voice to your creative self.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- The Secret Library Podcast
- Caroline Donahue
- Elizabeth Gilbert
- Joanna Penn
Associated Blog Article:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/innercritic
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's in this episode?
Time management is one of those things that all new writers struggle with in the early days. Originally I thought this was because they didn’t have enough time, but I discovered that the problem for some is they have too much time!
Which camp do you fall into?
Nobody could have predicted the tumultuous pandemic that’s swept the globe this year. It feels like it took us all by surprise and no one had time to prepare. That includes writers.
To help you continue with your work in progress, I thought it timely to pull together some information about time management.
Each of the blog posts mentioned in today's episode will help you do this.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- 9 Time Management Tips For Writers, Joanna Penn
- How Should Indie Authors Manage Their Time, Debbie Young for Self Publishing Advice
- Time Management For Writers, Maggie Linders
- Making Time To Write, K M Weiland
- 5 Ways To Write Your Novel, Australian Writer’s Centre
- Plan Like A Boss, Dani Thomson
Associated Blog Article:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/top-5-time-mangement-blogs-for-authors
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's this episode about:
Rhonda Douglas helps writers finish their books and create a writing life they love. She's an award-winning poet and fiction writer based in Ottawa, Canada. You can find her on Facebook by looking for Resilient Writers, or at rhondadouglas.com.
She talks to me about her journey to publications, the benefits of finding a community and her 4 Folder Method.
Rhonda's 4 Folder Method (Draft, Research, Reading and Random) is a simple way of organising everything related to your WIP. It's an ideal way to help structure your thinking so you don't get anxious and too caught up in your head.
Links mentioned:
- https://rhondadouglas.com/
- Welcome To The Circus, Rhonda Douglas
- Some Days I Think I Know Things, Rhonda Douglas
- Resilient Writers page on Facebook
Associated Blog Post:
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's this episode about?
Gretchin Rubin is one of my go to life-hack gurus and in her book, The Four Tendencies, she uncovers four personality types that help us meet our expectations of ourselves, and the expectations of the world.
Take The Four Tendencies quiz and discover if you’re an Upholder, an Obliger, a Questioner or a Rebel.
When you know what Tendency you are, you can work in a way that suits you, ensuring maximum success.
Links in the episode:
- Gretchen Rubin
- The Happiness Project
- Happier At Home
- Better Than Before
- The Four Tendencies
- The Four Tendencies Quiz
Associated Blog Article:
- https://emmadhesi.com/TheFourTendencies
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's in this episode?
Jess DuBose is a coach who helps women struggling with relationships to connect deeply with themselves so they can step into their power and stand in the highest versions of themselves.
Jess has helped dozens of women grow in their self-love, understand their worth, create boundaries, hold the vision for their dreams and more.
Today she talks to me about how the idea to write her book, I Don't Hate My Ex-Husband, emerged and the steps she took to make it a reality.
She set herself a deadline and once that happened time expanded and she made room in her life for the writing.
Despite building and running a business Jess used a mixture of typing and dictating the content to ensure she got her words down.
That mantra that helped Jess move past self doubt about her writing was 'This is for me'. Writing the book was for Jess and if anyone else benefitted, that was a bonus.
Links mentioned:
- I don't hate my ex-husband, Jess DuBose
- Instagram, Coaching with Jess
- Facebook, Coaching with Jess
- www.CoachingWithJess.net
Associated Blog Post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/JessDuBose
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's this episode about:
If you want to be a published author, you have to let others see your work!
Finding a critique partner or beta readers is a great way to get used to letting others read your work, and to get feedback.
Learn why it's important to show your work to others, when you should show your work and where you can find a trusted partner.
Links mentioned:
- Anne Lamott
- www.CritiqueMatch.com
- Inkitt
- Wattpad
Associated Blog Post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/showyourwork
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's in this episode:
What does it take to be successful? What does success mean to you?
To be successful, there are a few things you need to do: Dump 'comparisonitis', face your fears and to stop apologizing for what you love.
Find out why these things are important, and how to trust yourself writer self.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- P D James
- Free Story Checklist
Associated Blog Article:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/what-does-it-take-to-be-successful/
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's in this episode:
Every author needs to have a mailing list. Fact.
Even if you’re still writing your first draft, you need one.
Even if you are a debut author, with no published novel, you still need to have a mailing list.
Perhaps it’s only your mum on the mailing list, or your spouse or your sibling. That’s okay, it’s a start.
The first reason for having a mailing list is so you can build a relationship with your readers. But I don’t have any readers, I hear you say. Not yet, you don’t, but one day you will.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Mailchimp
- Active Campaign
- Reader Magnet
- Wordpress
- GoDaddy
- Wix
Associated Blog Article:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/mailing-list/
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's in this episode?
If you are writing fiction it is equally important to do some research, even if it is solely about where your story takes place, or pertinent details as and when they arise.
When you research a novel it adds a little extra authenticity to your story.
Discover the top places to do your research, and how you can store that research
Links mentioned in the episode:
- YouTube
- Google Maps
- Trello
- Slack
- Dropbox
- Evernote
Associated blog post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/researchanovel
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's in this episode?
You want to write a novel, in fact it’s something you’ve wanted to do for as long as you can remember, so what stops you writing?
A lack of confidence is usually your main stumbling block. You doubt your competency, you're worried that people will think the actions and views reflecting in your characters actually belong to you.
You may also have been told by friends and family that it's a waste of time, and that can definitely knock your confidence.
The other stumbling block is time. You've been told you need to write for at least two hours a day, or write a minimum of 1,500 words per writing session and that simply isn't possible for you right now.
How can you overcome these barriers? Be patient. Confidence, craft and time all require a bit of grace, so give yourself some.
Ultimately, however, the choice is yours. Do you want to write?
Links mentioned in the episode:
- On Writing, Stephen King
Associated blog post:
- https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/what-stops-you-writing/
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's this episode about?
You’ve had a dream for years now to write a novel. Lots of ideas have flitted in and out of your head, and finally one has stuck. You think this could be the big idea that will get you published.
The trouble is, life keeps getting in the way. You find it hard to stay consistent and sit down at your desk on a regular basis and ensure that you get to The End. How can you break this cycle?
How can you push past your own inconsistencies and insecurities and write that last sentence?
The answer is to give yourself a deadline! You might think that deadlines are just for published authors who have agents and editors. But that is not the case.
Mentioned in the episode:
- Lindsay Buroker
Associated Blog Article:
- https://emmadhesi.com/finish
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's this episode about?
This 7 point story structure is so named because it comprises 7 important elements that build out your novel’s story arc.
Point 1 – Hook
Point 2 – First Plot Point
Point 3 – Pinch Point 1
Point 4 – Midpoint
Point 5 – Pinch Point 2
Point 6 – Second Plot Point
Point 7 – Resolution
Many recommend that with the 7 Point Story Structure you have to start from the resolution and work backwards for this structure to be most effective.
Mentioned in the episode:
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J K Rowling
- Dan Wells
Associated Blog Article:
- https://emmadhesi.com/7point
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's this episode about?
If you’re nervous about starting your writing journey, this is a must listen for you.
Krystal Proffitt is an entrepreneur, podcaster and author. She hosts The Proffitt Podcast, which is all about how to start, launch and market your podcast, and is the mentor who got me started on my own podcasting journey.
Her motto is ‘We all have to start somewhere’ and this applies to me in podcasting, and you in novel writing.
Krystal used to work in the corporate world but after being a stay at home mum for a few years was ready to tackle something new and a journey of self-discovery led to The Proffitt Podcast and an unknown world of books.
First she discovered Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way and then Janet O’Connor’s Writing Down Your Soul, both of which encouraged her to start journalling.
She now has three journals - one for creative writing, one for gratitude and one for her poetry!
Krystal talks about a children’s book she wrote a few years ago, her experience of a writing conference and the world of pitching.
She will inspire you with her try it and see attitude to life. She certainly inspires me with her energy and how open she is to life’s adventures.
I am sure she will do the same for you.
You can discover more about Krystal on Instagram, YouTube, and her podcast, The Proffitt Podcast.
Mentioned in the episode:
- https://krystalproffitt.com/podcast/
- The Rookie Devotionals
- On Writing, Stephen King
- Joan Didion
Associated Blog Article:
- https://emmadhesi.com/KrystalProffitt
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's this episode about?
Think of the Hero's Journey as a big circle that leads your hero from their comfortable and happy home, out and over the threshold of the known world and reluctantly into adventure.
They circumnavigate many trials and tribulations until they return to the top of the circle and their comfortable home. Only they have returned a new and stronger version of themselves.
Follow each of Joseph Campbell's 12 steps with the help of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit.
Links mentioned in the episode:
Joseph Campbell's The Hero's Journey
The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
Associated Blog Article:
- https://emmadhesi.com/theherosjourney
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What's in this episode?
Bethany wrote her first novel at the age of 13 and hasn’t looked back. She cannot imagine a life without writing in her life.
She emphasises that writing is something you have to study, and she has studied it for years at home with all the advice that craft books could give her. She practiced diligently by writing every day.
She advises on how you can write around your other responsibilities. When she worked in Japan she used to cycle to and from work. It was while commuting she would mull on her stories, think about how she might tell them, and at lunchtimes she would take herself to a quiet space to put the words on a paper.
A wonderful tip she gives is to use your NET time to think about your stories. Washing the dishes? Folding laundry? In the shower? Use the time to think about your story.
When it comes to imposter syndrome, she advises that all you can do is try. You turn up to all other aspects of your life imperfect, writing is no different.
While Bethany has an idea of her perfect writing day, she acknowledges she needs to be flexible because she has family responsibilities and must be able to adapt to those demands.
She reminds you it’s easy to let other people take over your writing time, but she urges you to honour your boundaries and treat your writing time with respect.
Bethany used to be a discovery writer but now plots her stories because she sees plotting as ‘discovery writing on fast forward’.
She was once advised to ‘write to the end because only then do you know what the beginner looks like’. She says that changed her life!
Stay tuned until the end because Bethany will give you wonderful advice on how to manage fear, not just in writing but life.
Bethany offers a service call The First Five Package. It’s a critique service for beginner writers. She’ll assess your first 5,000 and send you back a personalised letter with where she thinks you need more guidance and resources you can turn to for that help.
You can find more here: https://theartandscienceofwords.com/author/bethanytuckerwriting/
Bethany writes Young Adult Fantasy under the pen name of Mustang Rabbit.
Not only has Bethany shared with you her years of advice and wisdom, but she is giving you the opportunity to get your hands on a copy of her YA book, Adelaide and the Dragon Castle. To claim your copy go HERE.
Links mentioned:
- Characters and Viewpoint - Orson Scott Card
- Dialogue - Robert McKee
- 52 Weeks of Writing - Mariëlle S. Smith
- The Virgin’s Promise - Kim Hudson
- Story Solution - Platt and Truant
- The Fiction Formula - Platt and Truant
- Deep Point Of View - Marcy Kennedy
- www.critiquematch.com
Associated Blog Article:
- https://emmadhesi.com/bethanytucker
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's this episode about?
This is the first of a 3 part mini-series demystifying the 3 most commonly used story structures; the traditional 3 Act Structure, the Hero's Journey and the 7 Plot Point Structure.
Today we examine the traditional 3 Act Structure. The key components are an inciting incident, multiple obstacles and then a finale!
Associated Blog Article:
- https://emmadhesi.com/3actstructure
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's the episode about:
Elisa Menz is a beginner author I met online. She told me she was close to finishing her novel, and I thought she would be a marvellous person to chat to because she’s in the same position as many of you – close to finishing your elusive first draft!
She kindly joined me from lockdown in Chile and we chatted about how she got started and why she writes Fantasy.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Inkitt
- Follow Elisa on Instagram
Associated Blog Article:
- https://emmadhesi.com/elisamenz
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's this episode about?
This episode advises on when to write your first sentence (it's not necessarily when you think!) and, more importantly, what makes a good first sentence.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Conversations With Friends, Sally Rooney
- Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
- My Husband's Wife, Amanda Prowse
- The Hobbit, J R R Tolkien
- The Blackhouse, Peter May
- The Woman I Was Before, Kerry Fisher
- Turning Readers Into Writers Facebook group
Associated Blog Article:
- https://emmadhesi.com/firstline
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's this episode about?
The episode discusses what learning tools are out there and how they can benefit you.
Craft books, YouTube, writing classes and retreats.
They all have value to offer, but they can't offer what a good writing course does.
Associated Blog Article:
- https://emmadhesi.com/writingcourse
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's this episode about?
This is the last part of the three-part mini-series, where I take you through to publication.
I talk about the importance of getting your book cover just right. You don't want to be original; you want to fit your genre.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Dragon Anywhere - dictation software
- Mark Dawson - thriller writer
- Turning Readers Into Writers Facebook Group
Associated blog posts:
- Part 1
- Part 2
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's this episode about?
Part 2 of this 3 part mini-series explains how I go through the editing process and how, as an Indie author, I have several financial considerations to bear in mind.
Find out what they are, and why you must consider them too.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Dragon Anywhere software
- Writing Process - Part 1 blog post
- Writing Process - Part 1 podcast episode
Associated Blog Post:https://emmadhesi.com/writingprocess2
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's this episode about?
In this 3 part series I take you through my entire writing process, from mulling the story idea over, to pressing publish, so you can take from it what you need, just as I did with those memoirs and YouTube videos.
Part 1 - When I first decided I would write my book I did a lot of research into the habits of other writers. I read memoirs, magazine and newspaper articles, craft books and eventually turned to YouTube for inspiration.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Elizabeth Kostova YouTube Interviews
- Kate Atikinson books
- On Writing, Stephen King
- Big Magic: How to Live a Creative Life, and Let Go of Your Fear
- Blog Post: Mulling it over
- Turning Readers Into Writers Facebook Group
Associated Blog Post:www.emmadhesi.com/writingprocess1
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's this episode about?
This episode discusses why it's so important to develop your own writing routine, and what you need to think about as it grows.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Author JF Penn
- Tropical Thunder sound scapes
- Writer's Routine podcast
Associated Blog Post:https://emmadhesi.com/writingroutine
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's this episode about?
Stephanie Ferrara is the owner of the business consultancy Empowered Creativity Coach, and she recently interviewed me about my writing life.
Stephanie coaches women entrepreneurs who are in the early stages of their business go beyond the logo and nail down their most profitable niche. She works with them to build a personal brand that attracts their ideal customers like a magnet for increased profit and impact.
What's that got to do with writing, I hear you ask! Well, how you approach your business and how you approach your novel writing have some interesting overlap.
They both involve having a positive and resilient mindset, being consistent and developing confidence in your own abilities.
Learn more about how I've gone from having a collection of handwritten notes to two fully written, edited and published novels.
If you want to connect with Stephanie, you can find her on Facebook and at her website, Empowered Creativity Coach.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- https://empoweredcreativitycoach.com/
- The Slight Edge, by Jeff Olsen
- My cheat sheet, 3 Easy Steps
Associated Blog Post:https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/writinginthemargins
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's this episode about?
My latest manuscript has come back from its first round of edits. One thing my editor highlighted is that I've done too much telling, and not enough showing!
I want to share with you what she's taught me, so you don't make the same mistake.
Associated Blog Post:
https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/showdonttell/
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
What's this episode about?
When you start writing its hard to get used to the sound of your own voice, so to speak. You might not like your word choices and compare yourself unfavourably to your literary heroes.
This episode tells you when it's unfair to compare yourself to published authors and suggests practical ways you can get used to your own voice and style of writing.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Bird By Bird - Anne Lamott
- Susie Dent
- NaNoWriMo Meetups
- Turning Readers Into Writers Facebook Group
Associated Blog Post:
https://emmadhesi.com/likewhatyouwrite
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's this episode about?
Being a stay at home mum can give you a chance to reflect on your life to date and what you want in your next stage of life.
You're already out of the rat race, you've been through some seismic shifts in your personal, professional and financial life. Can you take it one step further and create a whole new career for yourself?
You are encouraged to embrace the change and follow your heart!
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Marie Forleo - Everything Is Figureoutable!
- Turning Readers Into Writers Facebook Group
Associated Blog Post:
https://emmadhesi.com/transition
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
What's this episode about?
When you're starting out on your writing journey you might be wondering what the right chapter length is. If you are, let me reassure you that this is something you don't need to worry about! Your chapters will be as long as you feel they need to be.
This episode looks at when it's good to use short chapter lengths, short chapter lengths or no chapters at all. Varying your chapter-length allows you to play with pace, especially at the end of the book as a way to build tension.
Learn to trust your writer's instincts. You know when a chapter-length is too short, too long or just right.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Reedsy table of books
- Books by Gabriel García Márquez
- Marilynne Robinson
- To The White Sea, James Dickey
- At Swim-Two-Birds, Flann O'Brien
- 3 Easy Steps To Start Writing Your Novel
Associated Blog Post:
https://emmadhesi.com/chapterlength
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)
An introduction to the upcoming podcast, Turning Readers Into Writers, hosted by Emma Dhesi.
Emma Dhesi writes women’s fiction. She began writing seriously while a stay at home mum with 3 pre-school children.
By changing her mindset, being consistent and developing confidence Emma has gone from having a collection of handwritten notes to a fully written, edited and published novel.
Having experienced first-hand how writing changes lives, Emma now helps beginner writers find the time and confidence to write their first novel.
If you're a new author, I'm hosting a free challenge - 5 Days To Plot Your First Novel. It runs 5-9 October 2020 and will be a lot of fun. If you'd like to take part, go to www.PlotYourNovel.com and sign up :)
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/emmadhesi)