WRITE NOW! Workshop Podcast: Write a Book, Change the World with Kitty Bucholtz (Kitty Bucholtz)

EPISODE 247I

Today's guest is literary agent Cynthia Ruchti of Books & Such Literary Management. You may remember Cynthia from Episode 240 when she spoke to us about writing with deep emotion.

Cynthia gives us a great bird's eye view of what agents do and don't do, how that will differ among agencies, and things for you to consider in order to know when is the right time for you to look for an agent.

Part of what a literary agent does is to eliminate all the reasons why an acquisitions editor would say no to a manuscript, she says. But depending on the agent, they also help manage an author's career.

Learn more about Cynthia and Books & Such (and what they're looking for) on their website, https://www.booksandsuch.com/.

EPISODE 272E

Today's guest is Betsy St. Amant, the funny author of the new romantic comedy, Tacos For Two.

In addition to talking about writing food into stories, Betsy shares how she works with her critique partner, ways she's found to increase reader engagement, how she thinks about planning her books, and much more. A fun and informative interview!

Learn more about Betsy and her books on her website, https://betsystamant.com/, and follow her on social media. Sign up for her newsletter to learn about her upcoming book signings (including one in Shreveport, LA) and to be eligible for all the things she loves to give away.

EPISODE 258E

You may know that I'm a runner, not a fast one but I've finished every race I've started. And more to the point, I really enjoy it. More than a little surprising since I didn't start until the week before I turned 40. I've run a lot of half marathons since then. I sign up for races because it keeps me running. Trust me, I'd still be on the couch if I didn't have to prepare.

And all that training always reminds me of all the other things in life that require some training, including writing books. I hope you find my thoughts in this episode encouraging!

EPISODE 279I

Today's guest is Sarah Santacroce, author of Marketing Like We're Human and Selling Like We're Human, and host of the Humane Marketing podcast. As a ‘Hippie turned Business Coach’, Sarah works with heart-centered entrepreneurs to question their assumptions when it comes to marketing and give them permission to market their business their way, the gentle way!

We discuss Sarah's approach to marketing and how it differs from the traditional and online marketing styles, and talk about how the gentle marketing approach can work for writers.

Download Sarah's free 1-Page Marketing Plan at https://humane.marketing/1page. Learn more about her at https://sarahsantacroce.com/ and https://humane.marketing/

https://humane.marketing/humane-marketing-podcast/

https://humane.marketing/book1

https://humane.marketing/book2

EPISODE 238E

Not only should we "give it up for our writing" as in applaud and cheer, but sometimes we need to make choices about what we're going to give up in order to get more writing done.

What are you willing to spend a little less time on in order to move your writing business another step forward?

I gave up TV 6 days a week for Lent, and wow, has it opened up more relaxing time! In addition to going to bed a little earlier, I also have more personal reading time. And even with that extra sleep and extra reading, I'm finding more time to work on my books.

What is something you could cut back on for awhile, and how could you use that time?

TRANSCRIPTION

[00:00:07.650] 

Welcome to Write Now Workshop Podcast, where you can write a book and change the world, I'm your host, Kitty Bucholtz, and this is episode 238, Give It Up For Your Writing, an Encouraging Words episode coming to you on Sunday, March 7th, 2021. You know, there's a saying, let's give it up for... And then often it's something that's said at the beginning of introducing someone who's going to be like the speaker or something.

[00:00:33.150] 

And what it means is let's all applaud for... And so definitely let's give it up for our writing.

[00:00:38.490] 

Let's definitely applaud our writing and all the things that we're doing to create stories and books and how-to guides and who knows what you're making right now that will do something to help somebody, to cheer somebody up, to do something that could change somebody's life, who that person changes somebody's life and that person changes somebody's life. And altogether, we are contributing to changing the world in a more positive way. And that's one of the things that I love about writing and one of the things that I absolutely, positively believe that any of us can do.

[00:01:09.630] 

But another way is looking at the words very specifically, give it up. What are we willing to give up for our writing? And that's what I wanted to talk about today. So we are about halfway through the Lenten season on the Christian calendar. And John and I have given up TV for Lent, so we've given it up six days a week. So no Netflix, no Disney plus, no video games, no just sitting there relaxing because we're super tired and it would be nice to not do anything.

[00:01:41.910] 

None of that. No, we choose one day either Saturday or Sunday, whichever day. Honestly, we choose whichever day we'll have the most time, though, on this upcoming Saturday to me, yesterday for you if you're listening to this on Sunday, we had our little pod of people come over to watch "WandaVision" all the way through from episode one to nine, because the last episode is airing today.

[00:02:08.910] 

As I'm making this recording, we're super excited and of course, we can't watch it because we gave up TV. But tomorrow will be our one day and I don't know if we twisted their arm or if they were eager. But our little pod of friends, just two other people who also, like us, are trying to be super careful, not go anywhere, wear masks when we do, that sort of thing, at least until everybody can get vaccinations, right? We are going to make them watch WandaVision.

[00:02:39.930] 

So I'm very excited. But that being said, some days are definitely harder than others. I've had a couple of days this week where I was just like, please, I just want to sit in front of the TV. We had a very odd and brand new experience for us on Monday right before this episode came out. So it was March 1st.

[00:03:01.530] 

We woke up at 3:30 in the morning to a bomb going off in our apartment building.

[00:03:07.740] 

It's totally bizarre to me, but apparently organized crime is very,...

EPISODE 180I

Today's guest is bestselling and award-winning author James Scott Bell. We talk about two of his many nonfiction books for writers, The Last Fifty Pages and Plotman to the Rescue.

From the first book, Jim talks about the Ahhh and the Uh-Oh types of endings. There can be a satisfying ending where it all works out for the protagonists, or at the end, when things seem to have worked out, the reader glimpses some little thing that says something bad might still happen, like at the end of Stephen King’s Pet Semetery.

There are genre conventions for some books like the happily ever after in romance, but there are all kinds of shapes to endings. As an author, you need to find the right trajectory for your ending. Not having any idea what it is can lead to a lot of rewriting or a less than satisfactory ending for readers.

Plotman to the Rescue is a reference book to find the problem you’re having with your story and some suggestions on how to fix it. Jim has so many creative suggestions for writing books - this is a great episode for any level of writer!

You can find out more about Jim, his books, and his teaching on his website. He can also be found on Patreon where you can read his short fiction before anyone else!

EPISODE 268I

Today's guest is Certified Executor Advisor, David E Edey, talking to us about his new book, Executor Help: How to Settle an Estate, Pick an Executor, and Avoid Family Fights.

David has worked in the financial planning industry for over 35 years, and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to us. We talk about the writing of his book and then segue into how the topic affects us as writers. Estate planning includes not only making a will, but also deciding what we want our executor and heirs to do with our intellectual property and our writing business if we become incapacitated or when we die.

In addition to his book, David offers a wealth of resources on his website including free downloads, a blog, and a podcast. Be sure to check them out and get this administrative task checked off your To Do list this year! https://www.davidedey.com/

EPISODE 166I

Our guest today, Natalie Walters, has just published her second romantic suspense novel, Deadly Deceit, the followup to Living Lies. We have an enthusiastic conversation about scary movies, where to hide the bodies, and finding story ideas in your own life.

Natalie finds brainstorming to be the most fun part of writing. While usually a plotter, sometimes she brainstorms the main character first and sometimes it\'s the situation. For Deadly Deceit, she was excited to come up with the method of murder first.

We spend some time discussing suspension of disbelief in books and movies, and the questions that writers ask themselves in order to keep readers believing that the situation could really happen. Natalie suggests reaching out to fellow writers to ask them for contacts to interview to make sure your characters and situations are as realistic as possible.

You can find Natalie on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and all of her social media links can be found on her website.

EPISODE 232

Today's guest is Patricia Bradley, romantic suspense author of the brand new book, Obsession. This is book two in the Natchez Trace Park Rangers series.

Patricia shares lots of information about the Natchez Trace area, the kind of law enforcement in the U.S. National Parks, and how she came up with ideas for where the bad guys can bury the bodies there. She's also incredibly encouraging about not quitting, sharing that she wrote for over 30 years before publishing her first book. A great episode to help you keep going in your own writing!

Find out more about Patricia and her books at her website https://ptbradley.com/.

TRANSCRIPTION

[You'll need to add 03:28 -- 3 minutes and 28 seconds -- to the timecode below to account for the episode's introduction.]

[00:00:01.630] - Kitty

Today's guest is Patricia Bradley. Patricia is the author of Justice Delayed, Justice Buried, Justice Betrayed and Justice Delivered, as well as the Logan Point series. She's won an inspirational Reader's Choice Award in romantic suspense, a Daphne du Maurier Award and a Touched by Love Award. And she was a Carol Award finalist. She is co-founder of Aiming for Healthy Families, Inc. and she's a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Sisters in Crime. Patricia makes her home in Mississippi.

[00:00:33.910] - Kitty

Welcome back, Patricia.

[00:00:36.960] - Patricia

Thanks, I love being here. This is a fun time.

[00:00:40.350] - Kitty

I always love talking to you. I've actually I have thought that we had talked so much more recently, but the last time you were on the show was June 2018.

[00:00:51.310] - Patricia

You're kidding. I was trying to think when I was logging on, I was trying to think of how long ago it was, but I had no idea it was that. I know you hadn't been in Sweden very long.

[00:01:00.890] - Kitty

Right. Yeah, that's right. I had just moved here.

[00:01:05.350] - Patricia

Yeah. And the window was open and they were having a parade or something.

[00:01:08.710] - Kitty

That's right.I couldn't remember who I was talking to. It was the graduation parade. Yeah.

[00:01:15.530] - Patricia

Yeah. That was fun to get to see you get to say a different something different.

[00:01:23.080] - Kitty

Yeah. Yeah. Oh well so listen, if you are listening and don't remember talking or hearing Patricia talk before she was on episode 74 in June 2018. And Patricia, I don't know if I told you this, but I ran that episode as an encore episode on January 2nd 2020 because it's just one of my favorite episodes.

[00:01:45.400] - Patricia

It was a lot of fun. I like it. It's just a lot of fun. Yeah. And then I get this Southern accent.

[00:01:52.000] - Kitty

That's right. And I'm not sure if you were wearing pearls that day, but you have this like just totally put together elegant look. And to hear one of the first things that you say be I just love talking about murder. I was like, I'm going to love this interview.

[00:02:09.040] - Patricia

And do I do love talking about murder.

[00:02:12.130] - Kitty

Well let's do that some more.

[00:02:13.300] - Patricia

And justice. Yeah. And justice.

[00:02:15.400] - Kitty

I noticed that with all of your titles of your last series. Yeah. Justice is a big theme for you.

[00:02:21.310] - Patricia

It is.

[00:02:22.180] -...

EPISODE 215E

In this month's Encouraging Words episode, I talk about the idea of before and after photos in any area of our life. We see them all the time selling things like diet plans, gym memberships, and personal trainers. But can we use our imaginations to see our before and after photos for today's challenges? What will I look like in a month when I finish this book? So happy and excited and celebrating -- so now I have that energy in my head to use to actually finish the book. Or anything else that is a short-term goal or challenge.

EPISODE 251E

Some days it's hard to remember that it's perfectly okay to disagree...and that we can do so without having an argument or causing a rift. Today I want to encourage you to be willing to say, this just isn't working for me...and then calmly and kindly move on with your life.

EPISODE 272E

In this Encouraging Words episode, I talk about the fun benefits you can get out of writing during National Novel Writing Month and using the NaNoWriMo.org website. I also mention Rachel Aaron's fabulous book for writing faster, 2K to 10K: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love, and other tips I've used to write more words during this month. Even just having a grateful, positive attitude will help you write more (and possibly better).

EPISODE 175I

Today's guest is Lynette Eason, author of the new book, Collateral Damage. With over 60 books published, Lynette has a lot of experience in creating new characters, new series, and all kinds of interesting plots.

Lynette shares how she starts a book, how she gets started writing for the day, how she found law enforcement and military experts to ask questions, how she works with her critique partner, and so much more. She suggests you find the people you need to help you early on. Then you can ask these experts a few questions here and there over the course of writing the book rather than asking them all your questions and "please, read my whole book" at the end. :-D

She mentions several great references including the Killer Nashville conference, Writers Police Academy/MurderCon, Crime Scene Writers, and more.

You can find Lynette on her website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and find her books wherever books are sold. Be sure to check out Collateral Damage, book one in her new series, Danger Never Sleeps.

EPISODE 277I

Today's guest is mystery writer Amy S. Peele talking to us about writing her medical murder mysteries, Cut and Match.

Amy tells us the advice that mystery writer Michael Connelly gave her that moved her career forward, and she shares with us her journey -- and tips! -- as she began writing while still working a very demanding career with long hours.

We also talk about organ donation, a prime topic in her two mystery novels, and how you can make sure that your wishes in this matter are followed. If you have an iPhone, you can sign up for donation in the United States using the Health app. It connects to Donate Life America.

Learn more about Amy and her books at her website, https://amyspeele.com/. Follow her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/amy.s.peele, Twitter https://twitter.com/amy_peele, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/amypeele/, and LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-s-peele-b815801b/.

EPISODE 240I

Today's guest is author and literary agent, Cynthia Ruchti. Her newest book, Facing the Dawn, has just come out with Revell.

With over 30 years' experience on radio, Cynthia learned to write for the ear, how a passage sounds, and that experience shines through in her novels. She encourages listeners to think about how very many ways there are to tell a story -- novels, nonfiction, short stories, radio shows, plays, blog posts, magazine articles, etc. -- and find the one you're best at.

She talks about her writing process, how to find the emotion for your characters, even if you haven't experienced it, and she shares the best writing tip she ever got.

You can learn more about Cynthia and her books and speaking at her website, https://cynthiaruchti.com/ or hemmedinhope.com, easier to spell. Follow her on most social media as Cynthia Ruchti.

TRANSCRIPTION



EPISODE 193

Today's episode is a round-up of lots of interesting and fun information I've found that might help your writing career, your motivation, your creativity, and your overall sense of well-being as we keep working in our homes (whether we want to or not).

I also talked about the new book I'm working on, Encouragement for Writers, and I'll be adding a link shortly to a survey I'd love you to take to find out what you need encouragement on.

Here are all the promised links: :-)

Writers Digest - emails that include Monday Motivation, writing prompts, classes offered, and more. Website has lots of information for writers of every kind. https://www.writersdigest.com/

IngramSpark - Offering free title setup, free revisions, and print discounts in some countries through May 31, 2020. Lots of free resources on their website about how to self-publish and market your books, including a blog, a podcast, and free online courses. https://www.ingramspark.com/

Self Publishing Formula University - In addition to the SPF podcast and the information you get in the emails, there are great mini-classes in the SPF University (not a real university). Normally, you have to be a student in one of the classes or a patron in Patreon to have access, but Mark Dawson and team wanted to give people something to help with our lock-down time, so anyone can enroll for free for a limited time! https://selfpublishingformula.com/spfufree

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) - #StayHomeWriMo is a new initiative to support and encourage you in these trying times. It will be continued indefinitely at this point. Follow them on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and find out more here: https://nanowrimo.org/stayhomewrimo

Chris Fox is one of many writers with a really good YouTube channel, lots of great videos to help you with your writing and the writing life. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu6RYg6_-pTQxLVq3Fv6lYg

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, shared a great interview that explains in a few minutes what his (awesome!) 300-page book will help you with. Definitely watch it since we're all being forced into new habits for awhile. https://globalnews.ca/video/6272424/how-to-develop-good-habits-and-break-bad-ones?__s=ii8ggyxjigixqtm3if3n

Dear Future Me - a way to write yourself a letter that you receive by email at any point in the future you choose - a day, a week, a year. Great way to encourage yourself and/or give yourself some accountability. https://www.futureme.org/

Ep 256E

In a world where there is so much negativity, we need to focus on the positive things in our lives -- especially when life is going well! God has good plans in mind for us, and when we look for the good in our lives, we tend to find it.

What's going great in your life? Celebrate it!

EPISODE 265I

Bestselling author DiAnn Mills returns to share with us tips from her new book, Exploring the Art of Character.

DiAnn believes a good bestselling book must have characters that we want to follow and learn more about. She gives us lots of ideas on how to dig deeper during the interview, and there are exercises at the end of each chapter in the book. DiAnn even offers listeners a copy of her own character sheet!

You can learn more about DiAnn and her books at her website, https://diannmills.com/. Exploring the Art of Character, her brand new romantic suspense novel, Trace of Doubt, and all of her other books are available wherever books are sold.

EPISODE 170T

Today's guest is - ME! :-D In January 2018, James Blatch interviewed me on The Self Publishing Show Podcast (then called Mark Dawson's Self Publishing Formula Podcast) about time management for writers. I've been teaching a class called Going the Distance for over a decade, helping other writers plan their time so they can get more done.

I thought this would be a good overview of all the things I teach in my course, and give you something to mull on in the back of your mind while you're cooking or shopping or wrapping presents or lying on the beach. (Hello, Southern Hemisphere!) In January, I'll come back with more practical details you can use to make 2020 your best year yet!

Alessandra Torre is our guest today sharing her top 4 take-aways from just the marketing portion of the 2022 Inkers Con writers conference. (Not even her top 4 overall!) If you'd like to sign up for the conference, you can still access the digital version -- and Alessandra kindly gave us a $50 off coupon! Enter the code WNWPODCAST at Inkers Con to get your discount!

Download the Author Assessment Worksheet today! A gift from Alessandra!

EPISODE 281I

Today's guest is Olivia Bowser, founder and CEO of Liberate, the first mental fitness studio.

Liv explains to us how Liberate began and what it offers to help people develop and maintain mental wellness. The great thing about Liberate is that they work with both individuals and companies, in person and online. Check out their offerings and sign up for the 7-day free trial. Let's make 2022 our best year for mental health!

Learn more about Liberate at https://www.liberatestudio.com/.

EPISODE 290T

Podcast favorite Susan May Warren, author of the new novel Sundown, shares how she manages her time as she creates a book series.

Research, plotting, writing, she's got a time block for each piece. Listen to her process so you can figure out how to hone your own. Learn more about Susie May and all of her books, including nonfiction books for writers, at https://www.susanmaywarren.com/

Watch Kitty's free Masterclass series on writing at https://www.youtube.com/kittybucholtz for help on how to write more with less stress and more peace and joy. Available through December 31, 2022. Get $400 off the six-month Finish Your Book Group Coaching Program by using the coupon code "2022" through January 1, 2023! A great gift for yourself or another writer you love!

EPISODE 267I

Today's episode is a coaching session. You may not know much about working with a writing coach, so I thought I'd give you a taste of what it can be like. Stephanie Shackelford graciously agreed to come on the show and tell us about the writing problems she's been having with her fantasy novel. She's been working on this book for over 20 years, and wants to finish it and publish it soon.

Some of the questions I ask her may help you if you're struggling to finish a book long in the marking. Or it might help you help a friend.

EPISODE 231I

Welcome to season one of 2021! We'll now produce ten episodes every quarter, plus the monthly Encouraging Words episode. With the extra time, we're able to make some improvements to the show -- including a full transcript for each episode. Enjoy!

Today's guest is Ben Hughes, Business Development Manager at IngramSpark. Ben has a long history in publishing, both in traditional publishing and in working with independent/self-published authors. In our interview, he explains what IngramSpark does as a company, how they work with authors around the world, and what you can expect from them in the future.

Ben kindly agreed to take questions from the audience, so leave your question in the comments section below the YouTube version of the show. https://youtu.be/CzMt8-YIRFw

The transcript timecode begins at the start of the interview, so you'll need to add about 8 minutes (8:03) to the time to jump to that spot in the full episode.

TRANSCRIPT

[00:00:02.160] - Kitty

Today's guest is Ben Hughes. Ben is the business development manager for IngramSpark in the U.K. In this role, he oversees all lines of business as they relate to IngramSpark, including the customer service team, and has been in this post since January 2020.As the needs of authors develop in an ever changing publishing landscape, Ingram Spark is adapting to ensure that its author platform is second to none in terms of service, author, education, distribution options and customer satisfaction. Ben leads on these areas of focus for the U.K. business while also working closely with the parent organization in the United States and the other global office in Australia. With experience across physical and digital bookselling and publishing, Ben has worked for the lightning source, part of the Ingram business, and prior to that spent five years at Penguin Random House in various sales and operational roles.

[00:00:55.800] - Kitty

Welcome, Ben.

[00:00:56.740] - Ben

Thank you very much, Kitty. Thank you for having me. It's fun to see you. So it's been maybe well, by the time this goes live, almost a year you and I met in person in the last week of the Old World. I know it feels like a long time ago, and in some ways it is, but in others it's not really. And obviously, a lot's changed since then. But, yeah, you came to see us in sunny Milton Keynes in the UK where we're based. And yeah, it's great to great to see you again. It was so fun.

[00:01:27.330] - Kitty

I have to say that was one of the best parts of my trip. I mean, here I had never been to had I ever been to England before, maybe for my husband's a twin and his twin brother went to England, happened to be on their birthday, and we went to meet them for a weekend. But this at most was my second trip to England. And the most exciting part for me was going to the IngramSpark's facility.

[00:01:51.120] - Ben

I actually remember how excited you were and I think it was quite infectious. It was quite a small group. So we have these days where people can come, just for your listeners for context- we invite people to come and see where we print the books and what we do and how it works. We do these days maybe what we try to do one a month, but depending on what time of year it is, obviously we get less uptake the closer we are to Christmas. There are certain times of day where people are too busy. And yeah, that day it was quite a small group.I can't remember quite why, but it was nice in a way that it was a small group because it meant that we got to spend more time talking to each individual and it felt a little bit more personal, which is good.

[00:02:28.770] - Kitty

Yeah,...

EPISODE 168E

A friend told me the funniest thing the other day in a Facebook comment - and I had to share it with you. Such a smart, funny bit of philosophy that can apply to so many areas of life!

EPISODE 195E

In this Encouraging Words episode, I talk about how even though right now we are forced to stay at home and keep away from each other when we're out, we are still part of the larger body of humanity. We are connected even if we feel it less than ever.

We are finding new-normal ways of doing things together, and some of those just might be great things we can continue in the future when we go back to some semblance of our old lives. If you need someone to encourage you, make you feel less alone, please reach out to a friend! And if you haven't heard from one or more of your friends recently, text or call them and make sure they're doing okay, that they aren't feeling depressed or anxious, that they have what they need. The human contact will make you both feel better!

EPISODE 179I

Today's guest is Tom Threadgill, author of police procedurals and suspense novels. His newest book, Collision of Lies, just released this week and is the beginning of a new series.

For those of you who don't consider yourselves plotters, you'll love hearing Tom talk about how he writes - a true seat of the pants writer! He shares how he came up with the idea for Collision of Lies and how he wrote the first draft. A fun and funny interview with plenty of take-aways for listeners.

You can learn more about Tom on his website, and find his books everywhere books are sold.

EPISODE 245E

Spider-man is one of my favorite superheroes -- a regular guy with an unexpected and ginormous change in his life tries to figure out how to make the best of it. He's a good guy, although not perfect. He makes mistakes but mostly he's trying to figure out how to use his gifts in the best way, how to help other people, and he's also inclined to just enjoy his gifts. Swinging through the city must be fun!

There is a lot to be learned from Spider-man. We can take some of his lessons and apply them to our own lives, both in helping ourselves and in using our gifts to help others.

EPISODE 186T

This week I attended the first ever live event hosted by the Self Publishing Show podcast with Mark Dawson and James Blatch. It was awesome!!

First of all, there is nothing like being with your people, the folks who "get" you, who don't have a blank look on their face when you talk about your writing, or editing, or read-through rates, or ad ROI.

Second of all, the amount of positive energy running through the room, through the restaurants when we got together to eat, even as we walked together to the tube station in London to go home - I felt like I was high. :-D

The speakers were incredible and I wanted to share a little of what they talked about with you. I couldn't share a lot of details because it was a paid event and some of the speakers wanted the information to stay with those who attended or paid for the videos after, totally understandable. But I give you the highlights here and name a lot of people and companies you can Google to find out more about them!

I hope you enjoy the episode and feel inspired and encouraged by all the positive energy and publishing tips! :-D

EPISODE 269E

Our mindset is a crucial part of how we live our lives, how we react to and interact with the world around us. We can control our thoughts if we try to notice them, and we can choose to focus on the positive in life. I share some examples from my recent run of the Copenhagen Half Marathon, and I encourage you to look for the positive in your own life, focus on what you're grateful for, and start noticing the changes that grow out of these things.

EPISODE 246I

Today's guest is former stealth pilot and award-winning novelist, James R Hannibal. His latest novel, The Paris Betrayal, is a spy left out in the cold story so we decided to talk about exactly how to write a spy novel!

You'll have a great time listening to James explain how to create a great spy story! Learn more about him and his books at his website https://jamesrhannibal.com/. Read his blog post about escaping the research bog here: https://www.blueridgeconference.com/research-escaping-the-research-bog-part-three/. Find out what James is doing with the DragonRaid game at https://lightraiders.com/. And read The Paris Betrayal, out now.

EPISODE 284T

When there's so much going on in the world, it can be easy to feel like there's little to nothing you can do to make a difference. But there are lots of things that you could do.

In this episode I mentioned that City Hearts Sweden (https://www.cityheartssweden.org/ukraine) is doing a lot to help Ukrainians near the border and those seeking refuge in Sweden.

I also noted that there are lots of organizations near you, wherever you live, that could use some help. For example, my sister runs a 501(c)3 charity in Michigan called CHUM Therapeutic Riding. During the pandemic, they couldn't always be open for their clients but the horses still have to eat every day. If you'd like to help feed a horse, you could donate to CHUM (https://www.chumtherapy.net/donationrider-fees), or find an organization closer to where you live or that matches your passions.

Helping others -- whether physically, financially, or emotionally -- helps us to feel better about the things we can't control. And keep writing! Your book could make a difference in the world!

EPISODE 182I

Today's guest is fantasy author Kym Thurlow, writing as Eliza Raine. Kym tells us how she got started writing and why she decided to self-publish, sharing a lot of great information along the way.

Kym has learned a lot about writing and the business of publishing through online forums like 20Booksto50K, courses like Mark Dawson's Self Publishing 101 and Ads for Authors, and podcasts like Mark Dawson's Self Publishing Show, The Creative Penn, Six Figure Authors, and KM Weiland's Helping Writers Become Authors. She also loves the reports at K-lytics and recommends them.

In this episode, we talk about planning to leave your day job, changing and testing book covers, advertising, audiobooks, and more! I got super excited when Kym told us about a website called 4theWords that gamifies your writing to help you increase your word count. :-D

You can find Kym's book cover design work at Kim's Cozy Covers. Learn more about her and her books on her website, or by searching for Eliza Raine in Audible and Amazon.

EPISODE 287T

Our guest today is award-winning author Susan May Warren teaching us how to write a series.

There are several kinds of series and first Susie May explains them all. Then she shows us how to write a compelling series that readers can't stop reading. Plus she gives us a fantastic tip that we can use to help readers jump into a longer series.

Click below to get the wonderful handout Susie May gave us! And be sure to check out Sunrise, her latest book one in a series and one of the books we used for some of the examples, as well as Sunburst (June 7, 2022) and Sundown (Nov 1, 2022) to see how she puts a series together. (Also great books! I've read the first and preordered the others.)

Building a Powerful Series handout

EPISODE 165I

Today\'s guest is James R Hannibal, author of military thrillers for adults and fantasy adventure books for kids. His newest book is The Gryphon Heist, book one in a new series.

In this episode, we chat about James\' military background and how he came to write military thrillers. We also discuss how to create characters different from ourselves, and the kinds of research James did for The Gryphon Heist.

James is a big believer in the power of writers conferences to network, even if you\'re an introvert. Like many writers, he\'s made some lifetime friendships at conferences.

You can find James at his website, and on most social media as James R Hannibal. He\'s most active on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and is happy to answer questions on Facebook.

EPISODE 239I

Today's guest is Amanda Cabot, bestselling author of the brand new Dreams Rekindled, book two in the Mesquite Springs series.

Amanda has strong feelings about goal, motivation, and conflict (GMC) and choosing the internal and external conflict of her main characters. Don't like to think of all the ways you can make your hero's life worse? Want to give him or her a good life? Amanda has a great way to create compelling conflicts that will make you excited about the terrible things that are going to happen! (Torture is optional.)

Whether you're a plotter or a write-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of writer, Amanda has great tips for everyone. She believes in the power of fiction not just to entertain, but to heal. Inspiring food for thought!

Find out more about Amanda and her books, and get more writing tips, at her website, http://www.amandacabot.com/.

EPISODE 209I

Today's guest is Leigh Duncan, author of Hallmark's first contemporary romance series. The first two books are already available, A Simple Wedding and A Cottage Wedding, set in the town of Heart's Landing. A Waterfront Wedding will be released in April 2021.

She tells us how she got started with Hallmark Publishing - and how you can, too! Sweet romance is more than just no sex. Leigh explains what Hallmark is looking for in their books. There is so much great advice here if this is a publisher you want to pursue! This is an episode you'll want to listen to with a notepad and pen.

You can find out more about Leigh and her books at her website https://leighduncan.com/ and she's on social media as leighduncanbooks. Leigh loves to hear from readers and writers, so reach out!

EPISODE 198

Today's guest is the multi-bestselling humorous women's fiction author, Kristan Higgins. Her newest book, Always the Last to Know, releases on June 9, 2020.

Kristan's books tend to be funny and heart-warming, with gut-wrenching difficulties, laugh-out-loud moments, and immensely satisfactory endings. Interviewing her was a very similar experience.

She talks about getting started, how her career progressed, and the strange reader emails she's gotten. We discuss how she creates different characters for every book even though they are mostly everyday people like you and me. It's a conversation much like her books - laughing about life's funny/weird moments, discussing the seriousness of the problems we all face, and mostly feeling like you're now friends by the times it ends.

To learn more about Kristan and her books (and then feel like you know her as a friend), visit her website (https://www.kristanhiggins.com/) where you can also find your favorites social media links. You can preorder Always the Last to Know at your favorite bookstore.

EPISODE 286E

It's the second quarter of the year -- how is your writing going? Where are you in meeting the goals you set for yourself a few months ago? Here are some tips for getting more done this quarter...and maybe more done for the rest of the year! Good luck!

EPISODE 227I

Today's guest is agent Julie Gwinn from The Seymour Agency. With a decade in publishing and another two in marketing, she has a great perspective on what moves an author's career forward.

Julie gives us lots of great advice about how to get from the end of a first draft to a published book. We talk about how to create your best chances for a successful hybrid career, what a query letter is, how to build a great book proposal, what a simultaneous submission is, how to submit, and so much more!

Find Julie as well as other agents and editors and what they're looking for on Query Manager and Manuscript Wish List (MSWL), and find many of them on Twitter and other social media. You can find Julie at The Seymour Agency as well. https://theseymouragency.com/about-us

EPISODE 167T

A couple weeks ago, I spoke to my Rotary Club about myself and ended with what I hoped was an encouraging push for everyone to believe that they have a lot to give to the world, no matter background or age. I hope listening to my talk encourages you to believe you have more power than you realize! :-D

EPISODE 230E

Today's short episode is packed with encouragement for your new year! Taken directly from the fabulous T-shirt I received when I attended Mirasee's Teach Your Gift conference last month:

Dream Big!

Don't Give Up!

Reach Beyond Your Comfort Zone!

Teach Your Gift!

This January, more than ever, is a great time to rethink what you're doing with your life, and figure out how to focus even more on what's most important to you.

EPISODE 196

Our guest today is Bethany Turner, author of the hilarious new Hadley Beckett's Next Dish. If you like romantic comedies, or if you love celebrity chefs and their cooking shows, you'll love this book!

Bethany and I talk a lot and laugh a lot, but there's a lot of little things to pick up and consider for your own writing. For instance, you may be wondering when to use popular culture and current events in your stories, and how to know whether it will make the book dated. Bethany gives us her take on that since pop culture references are a trademark of her writing.

She tells us the unusual story of how she got started writing and how she published her first book, and we talk about writing amidst chaos. Since we're fiction writers, we also lied to each other about not gaining any weight during the current lockdown or when researching cooking shows. :-D

I hope you enjoy the crazy amounts of laughter in this episode! Like her books, it's a feel-good show. You can learn more about Bethany and her books at her website, http://seebethanywrite.com/.

EPISODE 222I

Today's guest is Bryn Donovan, author of paranormal romance as well as books for writers, whose new book just released on Tuesday. Blank Page to Final Draft will take you through the process of writing a book from the very beginning to the point of having a publishable manuscript.

Our discussion is chock full of helpful advice from an editor who is also a writer! Bryn shares with us her thoughts on when to get feedback on your story, how to find beta readers and why they're important, and when to stop writing and rethink your direction. (Tip: writing as fast as you can without thinking isn't always the best strategy.)

Bryn understands that some of her advice will be difficult for people to swallow, especially those who write by the seat of their pants. If you're a pantser, she says, and you like the end result, great! But if you wish your books were better, she encourages you to give some of her advice a try.

You can learn more about Bryn and her books on her website, https://www.bryndonovan.com/. Watch the videos as she created the Blank Page to Final Draft book by teaching it on her YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy1bE-x45k32XjKsXsdIX3g.

EPISODE 211I

Our guest today is Jennifer Graeser Dornbush, screenwriter, author, international speaker, and forensic specialist. Her father was a medical examiner with a home office, so Jennifer grew up around death. She participated in her first fatality investigation when she was eight years old, and she's been involved in writing about crime ever since.

Jennifer explains how she found a crime that she couldn't stop thinking about so she decided to write about it. That book, Hole in the Woods, was just released in August 2020. She shares how she decided what facts to keep in the story, what parts she wanted to change, and why. If you're at all interested in writing crime fiction - or nonfiction - this is the episode for you!

Learn more about Jennifer, her books - including Forensic Speak, a guide to writing about forensics accurately - and her speaking availability at her website, https://www.jenniferdornbush.com/.

EPISODE 207E

After eating some of the most delicious strawberries since last summer, I got to thinking about harvests - how grateful I am for the harvest of fruit in its natural season rather than that grown off-season in a greenhouse - and about the harvests in our own lives.

In order to have a harvest, you need to plant. What am I planting in my life, and what will that yield in the end? In my personal life, the thoughts I plant - or let someone else plant - become beliefs, and those lead to a harvest of behaviors. In my professional life, I need to plant by writing books, water the plants by publishing them, and harvest the plants by marketing and selling the books.

What do we want to harvest? In order to see if we'll get what we're hoping for, we need to look and see what we're planting and tending in our gardens.

EPISODE 235I

Today's guest is Jill Cruz, a Board-Certified Nutrition Specialist and the founder of Work with Your Nature Weight Loss.

I asked Jill to help us understand how we can be more creative in our work and keep up our good health even though most of us sit in front of a computer all day. She explained what some call the five pillars of health -- nutrition, sleep, stress management, physical activity, and mindset -- and how we can make small changes that will make a big difference.

Jill cautions us, though, not to tackle everything at once. That can lead to overwhelm and cause us to give up without seeing much progress. This is a brilliant interview with so many tips to help us improve our creativity by improving our health! The night after I interviewed Jill, I slept better than I have in a year!

You can find Jill on her website, https://wynweightloss.com/, where you can sign up for her amazing newsletter. Here's to a healthier, more productive year!

TRANSCRIPTION

[00:00:07.630] - Kitty

Welcome to Write Now Workshop Podcast, where you can write a book and change the world. I'm your host, Kitty Bucholtz, and this is episode number 235, "Better Health for Better Creativity," an interview with Jill Cruz coming to you on Thursday, February 18th, 2021. This episode could change your writing life. I am absolutely not kidding you. It actually might just change your life, period.

[00:00:36.010] 

In the time that it took Jill and I to do this interview, so, you know, an hour-ish, we talked for a few minutes afterwards so let's call it an hour and fifteen minutes tops, I slept better the night after we spoke than I have slept in months. And I am not kidding. I've been having some sleeping trouble. But she was explaining so many things in this podcast that helped me to understand - and I thought that I already understood, I thought I was bringing her on for you.

[00:01:04.300] - Kitty

Little did I know that she needed to tell me a lot of things that I just need to tweak this. I need to change how I look at this and that and this and that. Oh, my gosh. You guys, seriously, this is going to be a great episode for you. I think that if you've been having sleep trouble like me, possibly you might notice that your sleep is going to improve. I'll just tell you a little hint.

[00:01:29.560] 

It had totally to do with my mindset before I went to sleep, and I thought I had been doing enough, but apparently I hadn't. I just really, really focused on the things that made me super happy that I was super grateful for. I thought I just needed to relax. But when I really focused on thinking very positive, happy, strong thoughts like that is the best sleep that I've had in months. I am totally not using hyperbole.

[00:01:58.030] 

You know, I love hyperbole, not using it this time. I was like, holy cow, I got to do. This again. And, you know, I've gotten out of the habit a little bit, which again makes me go, wow, that obviously does make a difference because now I'm sleeping well, better, but like not like I had been those first couple of days after talking to her. So much information. And I really think that it's going to help both of us with with our general health and also the kind of health that leads to a clearer mind, clearer thinking and better creativity.

[00:02:29.170] 

So enjoy this episode, take notes. And remember, we now have transcripts on all the episodes, starting with this year, 2021. So go to podcast.WriteNowWorkshop.Com and find this episode 235 and you can read the transcript and remind yourself of all the things that she said that you want to make sure that you do. It's already changed my life. I'm sure it's going to change your life. Also...

EPISODE 259I

Author Liz Johnson is back with us to talk about her brand new book, Beyond the Tides. While she was writing it, some things in her personal life affected the storyline...in an amazing way! Listen to her story about how sometimes things going wrong can be the beginning of a good thing.

Since Liz works in marketing, and used to be a publicist, we also have a terrific conversation full of fabulous tips in this area as well!

You can connect with Liz on her website, https://www.lizjohnsonbooks.com/, to find out more about her and her books. Or follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, all of which are @LizJohnsonBooks.

EPISODE 257I

Author Susie Finkbeiner returns to have a discussion about how to get through the hard times...and how maybe adversity isn't always a bad thing. We talk about how we've managed the changes in our lives, how our writing has been affected, and what we've learned along the way.

We also discuss Susie's new book, The Nature of Small Birds, about a family involved in Operation Babylift after the Vietnam War. You can find the book at Baker Book House, Amazon, and your favorite book seller. You can learn more about Susie and her books at her website, https://susiefinkbeiner.com/, and on Instagram.

EPISODE 220I

Today's guest is award-winning and bestselling author, Davis Bunn. His newest book, Burden of Proof, just released this week and it is awesome!

Davis talks to us today about a lot of things - how his career has evolved over the years, how his two writing names (Davis Bunn and Thomas Locke) may become joined together because of his work in film (or they may not), how publishers are looking at what it takes to be a successful author right now, and much more.

But then we spend some time talking about how to take an idea that is so special to you that you're afraid to ruin it, and how you can become transformed through faith and mediation to let go of ego and allow yourself to grow beyond your comfort zone. When you can learn to go beyond yourself and connect to something much deeper, tap into a deeper creativity, your writing can become transformative, for yourself and for your readers.

Be sure to listen to the end to learn the best advice on research I've ever heard!

You can learn more about Davis and his books at davisbunn.com and tlocke.com/ as well as at http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/authors/davis-bunn/689. Follow him on Facebook as Davis Bunn Author.

EPISODE 248T

I have been saying since the beginning of this podcast 3 1/2 years ago that I believe YOU can write a book and change the world. Today I talk about how to finish your book.

The three most important things you need are time to write, the mindset to get started and keep going, and the structure for the kind of book you want to write. I share a lot of suggestions and tips in all three areas to encourage YOU to write and finish your book. Happy writing!

TRANSCRIPTION

If you’ve been listening for awhile, you know that I’ve been working with writers to finish their book and get it out into the world. Whether you want to go the traditional route and publish with a publishing house or take the entrepreneurial route and learn how to publish it yourself, if you have a burning idea inside, I think it’s important to get it out.

I absolutely believe YOU can write a book, and I absolutely believe books change the world. What if you and I could change the world for the better?

I’m a writer so I know how it feels to have an idea or a story tumbling around inside! For me, if I don’t write, I start feeling like I’m withering away inside. I feel much better when I write my ideas down. I feel a sense of satisfaction just by getting things down on paper.

But the incredible and intense sense of accomplishment I feel when I finish a book – there’s nothing like it for me. And I want to help other people feel that too!

That’s just the inward-facing side of why I believe finishing your book is important. The part that affects you.

There’s also the effect of your book on other people. Maybe you’ll teach someone how to do something you are good at. Maybe you’ll convince people to make a change to improve their health or the health of the planet. Maybe you’ll help someone to have a few hours of relaxation and enjoyment after a long, hard day.

ALL of these reasons are great reasons for finishing your book, whether you’re more interested in your own satisfaction or more excited about how it will affect others. All good reasons!

Now, if you have lots of ideas, and it’s fun to let them tumble around when you’re just standing in line or sitting in traffic, and they’re NOT pushing and shoving to get out – no problem. I love daydreaming, and not every idea is making me uncomfortable until I write it down. My goodness, I’d be writing something every waking hour! Haha!

So maybe you like the idea of writing a book, of holding a book in your hand with your name on it. But when you start thinking about the hours involved, the time it takes to learn and grow so that your writing is good enough for people to want to give you money for it…maybe that doesn’t sound so fun.

That’s perfectly fine! Writing for the joy of it is definitely a good reason! What you decide to do with the book afterward is a separate choice.

So whether you’re thinking about writing just for yourself, or to leave a family legacy, or to promote your work or business, or to have a career – no matter what your end goal – there is one thing you have to do.

Finish.

In order to have a book of any length, you have to finish writing it! Haha! Right?

So what will it take for you to finish your book?

I’ve found there are three main things required no matter what you’re writing, fiction or nonfiction, no matter the length.

Time, mindset, and structure.

You need the time to sit down and write until you come to The End.

You need to believe that this endeavor is worth taking time away from other things.

And you need to have an idea of what you’re trying to create. A romance novel will have a different structure from an epic fantasy. A how-to-fix-your-motorcycle guide will be set up differently than a ministry book for growing a church.

Time, mindset, and structure are all intertwined. If...

EPISODE 285T

In 2022, we're taking a direction change with the podcast and, instead of bringing you 50+ interviews during the year, you'll get 8-10 full-on teaching episodes. These are sessions you normally could only hear at a writers conference, about an hour long and full of practical advice to improve your writing and advance your career.

Today's guest teacher is best-selling historical author Amanda Cabot. Amanda explains about the different kinds of historical fiction with tips on how to write them well. Her latest novel, The Spark of Love, just released on March 1 and is available everywhere books are sold including Baker Book House (https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/381270, where you can find discounted pricing on paperbacks). Learn more about Amanda and her books at her website (http://www.amandacabot.com/).

EPISODE 275I

Author Natalie Walters returns to the show today to talk about how she finds ways to use some of the material that ends up being cut from a book, or reuse characters she created that never ended up in a published book. Natalie's new book, Lights Out, is a romantic suspense novel about a CIA analyst who brings together intelligence officers from around the world to combat global terrorism -- and one of them goes missing.

When the book she set in Egypt, written while she lived there, didn't sell, Natalie found lots of ideas about how we can make sure nothing we create is wasted. She has moved characters to another story, used settings somewhere else, given her readers snippets of deleted scenes, and more.

Learn more about Natalie and her books at her website https://www.nataliewalterswriter.com/ and follow her on Facebook and Instagram (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100041917969557 and https://www.instagram.com/nataliewalters_writer/).

And if you're interested in working with Kitty to finish your book, email her at kitty AT kittybucholtz DOT com to schedule a time to talk about what you'd like to accomplish and how she can help.

EPISODE 282E

In today's Encouraging Words episode, I share my experience of the first time I ran in the snow just last month. It was cold and wet and more miserable than fun, but I did it. And it reminded me of how I can look at the harder parts of my writing life and see how I can tweak my attitude to make it through -- and even enjoy it. I hope this helps you find a similar parallel in your own life to talk yourself through the harder areas and on to accomplishment!

EPISODE 171I

James Scott Bell is a Christy Award-winning and International Thriller Writers Award-winning author in several fiction genres, and a beloved and sought-after writing teacher. He has written many nonfiction titles on the craft of writing, including several for Writer’s Digest Books. In today’s episode, Jim talks about how he got the idea for his craft book, Write Your Novel From the Middle.

EPISODE 283E

The wonderful thing about stories -- whether reading or writing or listening to them or watching them -- is that they help us to know ourselves. We learn more about who we want to be, who we don't want to be, what makes us laugh and what makes us angry. I encourage you to find more of yourself this year in your writing and reading!

Mentioned in the show:

Switch on Your Brain by Dr. Caroline Leaf

Long Story Short on Netflix

Author Reading Room -- a monthly free virtual live event where readers can listen to authors read from their work and then ask them questions. Join us!

EPISODE 266I

The lovely Rachel Hauck joins us again today to talk about the disciplines of writing. There are so many things we need to juggle to write a book, to have a writing career, to create our art in a way that brings us more joy than frustration. Today we talk about some of the bigger things to keep in mind as a writer.

This episode will help you to readjust your focus and encourage you with the work you choose to do to move forward. Lots of great advice -- but don't get overwhelmed by it all, just choose what you'll focus on next in your writing business.

Learn more about Rachel and her books at her website, https://www.rachelhauck.com/, and follow her on social media.

EPISODE 221I

Our guest today is award-winning author Teri Wilson, whose latest book, Christmas Charms, came out last month with Hallmark Publishing.

After sharing her story of how she started, Teri jumps into all things writing. We talk about how she came up with many of her ideas, the pros and cons of writing first person versus third person point-of-view, the importance of voice, the ways she celebrates her victories, and her love of writing about royals.

She also explains the meet-cute in romantic comedies, creating secondary characters, writing visually, and the fun of writing Christmas stories - even if you live in Texas where it rarely snows.

Learn more about Teri and her books at her website, https://teriwilson.net/, and on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you love puppy pictures, follow her on Instagram!

EPISODE 255I

Today's guest is Dave Chesson from Kindlepreneur talking about a brand new piece of writing software, Atticus.

Dave and his team have been working hard to create a one-stop shop for writing, collaboration, and publishing. Atticus allows you to not only compose in the software, but to collaborate with co-writers, editors, and beta readers. When you make edits, you no longer have to worry about whether or not you are updating the latest version. Dave explains all this and more in the episode.

To find out more about Atticus, go to the website, https://www.atticus.io/. Learn more about Dave and Kindlepreneur, an amazing resource for writers, at https://kindlepreneur.com/ and check out the YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-s3Pb8uIBm0QN8MVaulJKA.

EPISODE 200!!

Today’s guest is the wonderful Joanna Penn, author, podcaster, speaker, and all-around lovely lady! When I asked myself who, in my wildest happy dreams, I would like to be a guest on my 200th episode, Joanna was my first thought. And lucky me, she said yes! :-D

I asked Joanna to start by taking us on a quick tour of her journey, how she started, how she learned about publishing, and how she earned and then surpassed the good salary she'd been earning in her day job.

Joanna urges listeners to consider the long-term game, and practice persistence. If you quit too soon, you might think you were failing only because you didn't realize the road was longer than you'd realized.

You also need to keep in mind that you don’t have to do everything, and you don't have to follow the path of those around you. Everyone will have a slightly different journey. You need to find what makes you happy and is sustainable. How do you want to live?

There is an abundance of information on The Creative Penn website, https://www.thecreativepenn.com/. Most of it is free, so take a look. She offers a free copy of her Author 2.0 Blueprint, plus you can find all of the episodes of her podcast, The Creative Penn, and links to all of her books -- nonfiction for writers as well as her thrillers, dark fantasy, and the rest of her books. Joanna welcomes questions on Twitter, @TheCreativePenn.

EPISODE 264E

I've been studying mindset quite a bit the last couple of years, and I've learned a lot about what happens in your mind, body, and life when you focus more on the positive or more on the negative. Whichever way you choose to think, you can end up in a spiral that continues in the same direction. I offer some encouragement today to help you notice which direction you're going and make course corrections along the way.

EPISODE 188I

Today’s guest is romantic suspense author Natalie Walters, author of the brand new Silent Shadows coming out on March 31, 2020. Listen to the end to find out more about pre-order goodies you can receive directly from Natalie if you order the book before March 31. :)

[Sorry about the audio and video hiccups in this episode! With sooo many people using the Internet and streaming at the same time, this was the best quality we could get at the time.]

Chatting just a couple weeks into the Covid-19 pandemic, Natalie and I decided to talk about what's happening, how it's affecting our lives and the lives of those around us, and how it affects us as writers.

So many people are having to give up things they’ve been working toward for years - graduation ceremonies and parties, celebrations like my 30th anniversary party and trip, and innumerable other events, large and small. But Natalie has been telling their son that they will celebrate, but differently now, and maybe do a bigger celebration later when people can get together again. Trying to put things in perspective, we need to remember that this will pass - and we may find ourselves being refined to become better people.

There are also lots of things to inspire us - people going to visit grandparents and playing tic-tac-toe on each side of a window, people finding a way to give some of the extra they have to others in need, people creating flash mobs in social media to open your windows at a certain time to sing or exercise together.

Because it's all about people. Our world is created by our actions and reactions, and while we may feel so many things are outside our control right now, our actions and reactions are within our control. Natalie and I share a lot of ideas for how we can all do things to help our little corners of the world survive and thrive.

Remember that exercising grace and care and encouragement towards those around you as well as yourself will help this crisis feel more manageable. Helping others in big and small ways will help you feel better about the world.

And no matter what genre we write in, there are ideas in the headlines and stories now that can help us add depth to our own stories as we write and edit. Or maybe you'll get new ideas, for even the smallest part of your story, when you ask “what if” based on how things are happening in the world around you right now. It can add the sense that this story feels like real life.

You can learn more about Natalie and her books at her website, where you can also find her social media links. And remember, pre-order goodies are available to anyone who orders Silent Shadows between now and Tuesday, March 31, when the book comes out!

EPISODE 289

Today's guest is Suzanne Woods Fisher, author of the new novel Anything But Plain. She shares a great presentation with ten things she learned during her writing career that she wants to pass on to you.

You can find Suzanne at https://suzannewoodsfisher.com/

EPISODE 241I

Today's guest is Ricardo Fayet, one of the founders of Reedsy, a one-stop shop for writers. At Reedsy, authors can find editors, book cover designers, marketers and more to help with the business of publishing a great book. Writers can also use the Reedsy Book Editor, and learn a ton from the blog, Reedsy Live (live webinars), and Reedsy Learning -- all for free.

We talk about these things as well as Ricardo's first book, How to Market a Book: Overperforming in a Crowded Market. It just came out in January 2021, and is free as an ebook, and also available in print. Ricardo gives us so much valuable information in this episode, you'll need to take time to write it all down!

Be sure to sign up for Reedsy's email newsletter on their home page so you don't miss anything! You can also follow them on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ReedsyHQ, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/wearereedsy, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/reedsy_hq/, and on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpo0MkTAyEl73PmIVs8CQvQ.

TRANSCRIPTION

[00:00:07.740] - Kitty

Welcome to Write Now Workshop Podcast, where you can write a book and change the world, I'm your host, Kitty Bucholtz. And this is Episode 241 -Reedsy and your publishing needs an interview with Ricardo Fayette coming to you on Thursday, March 25th, 2021. So yesterday was my birthday. Oh, I love birthdays they are one of my favorite things in the whole world, but I can't tell you what I've done because of course, I have to record this before the day that you hear it.So it's a surprise to me as well. But I will tell you that I took the day off. My husband took the day off because what else is he going to do with his vacation time? We can't go anywhere. And and I'm not sure what we did because we probably would have watched some Marvel movies or something like that, except for that we gave to gave up TV for Lent Monday through Saturday. So, yeah, if it's not raining then probably, hopefully we took a walk. Otherwise I literally have no idea what we will have done, but I'm going to assume I had a really good time. So hopefully you are doing something interesting fun. The weather is medium for you. You're not buried in ice or burning up in the heat depending on which hemisphere you're in. And hopefully the weather is good enough that you can at least get some fresh air outside depending on where you are.My thoughts and prayers are with you because it has been a tough year, hasn't it? But I am completely convinced that we can be in control of our mindset to a much greater degree than we often do. So let me encourage you to when you have a negative thought to take a captive, ask yourself, is this really the thought that I want to have running through my head right now? If not, no, then I'm going to replace it with something else. It's helpful to have a something else positive in mind beforehand so that you can be like, nope, that's not true, but this is true. For instance, I'll be thinking things like, I am so tired of working all the time and I never go anywhere and this is just not fun anymore. And then I'm like, wait, no, no, my job is fun. I do like it. It will be great when I can go out and see more humans, when I can actually hug people. My husband will be glad when I don't ask him for 14 hugs a day. So I just have to tell myself that's not true, actually. I mean, sometimes, you know, you're in that place where you're just like, but I love my job. I love writing. There are things that you're like, no, this is a good part about life.

[00:02:55.980] - Kitty

And you just have to know that I'm going to replace it and replace the...

EPISODE 208I

Today's guest is Liz Johnson, author of the brand new A Dazzle of Diamonds, final book in the Georgia Coast Romance series.

Liz shares her fun story about beginning to write stories at age 7 and selling her first novel at 27. We talk about the fun of research and how to find just the right elements from a research trip to add into your books. It's a great conversation with a lot of helpful nuggets of advice for writers, as well as laughs and inspiration.

You can find Liz everywhere on the Internet as "Liz Johnson Books" - including her website https://www.lizjohnsonbooks.com/ and all of her social media accounts.

EPISODE 249I

Today's guest is Ann Kroeker, writing coach, author, speaker and podcaster. Together we explore what it means to work with a writing coach.

How do you know if you need a writing coach and, more importantly, how do you know if you're ready? We discuss all the types of people you might work with to improve your writing, the different ways you can get help from a coach, and how to find the right coach for you. We also share tips on other ways you can get help without hiring a coach.

Learn more about Ann and everything she does at her website, https://annkroeker.com/ and get all the links you need at her Everything page, http://annkroeker.com/everything/.

EPISODE 224I

Today's guest is Jennie Nash, founder and CEO of Author Accelerator. Her book coaching clients have landed six-figure book deals with Big 5 publishing houses, so I asked her to come share with us her best tips for editing your book. This is the first of five episodes this month all on this one topic!

Jennie starts with explaining the kinds of editing a book can need, and helps us understand what might happen if we hire the wrong type of editor. Additionally, when we begin self-editing, we need to understand how to look at our fiction or nonfiction books with an editor's hat on instead of a writing hat.

She shares her three steps to revision and generously offers listeners her Stoplight Strategy handout here https://podcast.writenowworkshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Stoplight-Strategy.pdf. You can also get her Inside Outline at her website, https://www.authoraccelerator.com/insideoutlinebook. Find her course, How to Revise Your Book, on Mark Dawson's Self Publishing Formula courses page https://learn.selfpublishingformula.com/courses.

EPISODE 194

We hear a lot about being authentic, our true selves, but what does that mean? I think of my heart as both strong and vulnerable, something that is big enough to share with others but also often in danger of being hurt. So I have a protective fence around my heart, but the type of fencing used changes.

Do you have a tall steel fence around your heart? A big hedge? A split-rail fence? (That's the type I couldn't remember the name of in the episode! Haha!) How do you know if your fence is too big, cutting you off from real relationships with others? What can you do about it?

That's the conversation I have with you today. I hope it gives you food for thought - when we're all physically apart from each other, and in general as you choose how vulnerable you want to be with your readers.

EPISODE 280I

Today's guest is Lynn Bohart, writing teacher and author of the cozy mystery series, Old Maids of Mercer Island.

Lynn shares her experiences on many of the ways she leveraged her writing skills to get more work and make money quicker while she continued writing her book series. Great ideas that will spark your imagination for things you can do as well, whether you are also moving into retirement or you're busy and only have time for small projects. We also talk about her mystery series -- fun times!

Learn more about Lynn and her books at https://www.lynnbohart-author.com/, and follow her on LinkedIn, Facebook, or wherever you like to connect.

EPISODE 234I

Today's guest is Jennifer Deibel, whose debut novel, A Dance in Donegal, just came out!

Jennifer tells us about life as a debut author, and how she started writing. She lived in Ireland at the time, and felt she'd finally found her heart there. That made her want to write about Ireland in a real way, not how it's portrayed in some movies and TV shows.

We talk about using all the senses when you write, and trying to capture what a place feels like when you write it. Jennifer also talks about starting a book, setting it aside when she had a child, picking it up and working on it again, having to set it aside again -- and how some stories just won't let you go.

You can buy Jennifer's novel wherever you buy books, and find out more about her and her upcoming projects at her website https://www.jenniferdeibel.com/. You can follow her on major social media sites, especially Instagram and Facebook, and join her Facebook reader's group.

TRANSCRIPTION

[00:00:07.770] - Kitty

Welcome to Write Now Workshop Podcast, where you can write a book and change the world, I'm your host, Kitty Bucholtz. And this is Episode 234, The Magic of the Emerald Isle. An interview with Jennifer Deibel coming to you on Thursday, February 11th, 2021. So how is your writing going? You know, I have a little pop up message on my calendar and on the first of every month, it pops up and just says, how's the writing going?

[00:00:36.630] - Kitty

And it gives me an opportunity every month to ask myself, have I taken a step back and looked at the big picture and asked myself, am I making progress in the direction that I was intending to go? This is always a good question to ask yourself whenever you're doing anything that takes more than a day. Am I going in the direction that I'm trying to go? Am I not only am I going off in a wrong direction, but am I taking too much time to do something that maybe isn't quite as necessary as it seems fun, i.e. research.

[00:01:09.510] - Kitty

It's a good time for us to just ask ourselves, is this the right book? And do I need to do more on this particular kind of research or less on this? Am I making enough progress that I will have a book in a while? Could I be doing any more writing? Am I being too hard on myself? And I should just relax a little bit and when I relax, then I'll do better writing sometimes. That's one of the issues that I have to tell myself, you need to relax more because you're freaking yourself out. And I think you'll get more done if you just chill out. So what do you need to ask yourself about your writing also? Do you just need some more energy? Do you need some more people to be around even though you might not be able to physically be with people? You could join My Finish Your Book membership group. We get together twice a week and we do a 30 minute writing sprint. Everybody says this is what I'm working on. And then at the end, this is how many words I wrote. This is how much editing I got done. And we are getting a ton done. And it's also super fun. We've got more people joining and everybody adds their own kind of energy to it. And it's amazing how much faster you write and how much more excited you can be about your project, because in a few minutes you're going to tell a whole bunch of people, yeah, I got this much done.

[00:02:28.920] - Kitty

And sometimes you're saying, well, I only got two hundred words written, but I figured something out in the plot that I wasn't sure about, or I had to go back over my table of contents for my nonfiction book and realized that something...

EPISODE 278E

In this month's Encouraging Words episode, I talk about how I've been looking at Susan May Warren's Values-Based Planning from episode 276 to decide on my priorities for 2022. After struggling with the idea that I don't want to stop doing things I love and am good at, I finally decided that I needed to let some things go - at least for now - because I'm not doing the work that is most important to me.

As of January 2022, the podcast will be on semi-hiatus, meaning I'll still do the monthly Encouraging Words episodes, and I'll also have guest episodes at irregular intervals. This will free up an enormous amount of time for me to get back to focusing on my first love, writing. :-)

I hope my candid discussion on how I came to this decision helps you as you think back on the last year or two and ask yourself what worked, what didn't, and how you can plan next year based on the things you find most important in your life.

EPISODE 226I

In the second of five episodes all about editing, debut author Elysia Whisler and her agent Sara Megibow join us to discuss all of the aspects of editing from the author to the agent to the editor at the publishing house.

Elysia tells us about her writing journey, and how Rescue You became her first published novel (although it's not the first book she's written). She and Sara explain all the stages of editing from the self-editing a writer does before submitting all the way through the process to the finished, published book. They share a ton of tips useful to most any writer, whatever you write, wherever you're at in the journey.

Rescue You is available wherever books are sold in ebook and print, as well as in audio. Learn more about Elysia, her upcoming books, and get links to follow her at her website, https://www.elysiawhisler.com/. You can learn more about Sara and how to submit to her at the agency's website, http://ktliterary.com/. Or follow her on Twitter, @SaraMegibow.

EPISODE 223I

Today's guest is screenwriter Hilary Galanoy, co-writer with Elizabeth Hackett of the Netflix romantic comedies Love, Guaranteed and Falling Inn Love. (Note: You MUST watch the Disclaimer at the end of Love, Guaranteed - it's hysterical!)

Hilary shares with us how she and her partner and friend work together to write their screenplays, how their process works, and how others do it differently. She tells the story of how actress and producer, Rachel Leigh Cook, came up with the idea for Love, Guaranteed. And she talks about the Covid rewrite of Hilary and Liz's Hallmark movie, My Best Friend's Bouquet, so that most of the film could be made outside with social distancing in place.

There are lots of writing tips scattered throughout interesting stories of twenty years of writing with your best friend, so be sure to take notes. And don't be afraid to go watch all of their movies in the name of research!

You can find Hilary on her website at https://hilarygalanoy.com/, on Twitter as @drunchmenu, and on Instagram as @hgalanoy.

EPISODE 197I

Today’s guest is the lovely DiAnn Mills, bestselling author of the brand new romantic suspense novel, Airborne. The story of that novel coming out now is one of several great ones DiAnn tells during the interview.

She starts with the story of how her husband challenged her to stop saying she was going to write a book some day and just do it. She quit her job, studied the how-to books and the bestsellers, and wrote her first book – which was sold and published the next year! So begins how one author started with the end in mind, the idea that this would be her business, and worked to make the dream a reality.

The story of how Airborne came to be is equally enthralling! The exact sort of people DiAnn needed to talk to in order to research the book kept coming out of the woodwork, giving her heaps of information of the exact kind she needed. Not only that, but at the time the book was ready to be released – something similar was happening around the world! In a scary time, this is a book that can give closure, justice, and hope to readers.

DiAnn explains how to seek out the information you need from all kinds of organizations from the FBI to the CDC to the Texas Marshals. She encourages writers to pick up the phone and go right to the source to get the best information. Yes, it can be nerve-wracking to make a cold call, but think about how this is going to make your book so much better. You never know what great relationships will grow from it.

In fact, DiAnn encourages listeners to write her and ask her questions. You can find all of her social media links on her website, and you can get some free chapters to read when you sign up for her newsletter. https://diannmills.com/

EPISODE 229I

Today's guest is story coach Lisa Cron, author of Wired for Story and Story Genius, returning to the show to talk about editing your first draft and why NaNoWriMo is not the best way to write your story.

Lisa is known for approaching story through brain science, helping writers craft stories that will impact readers. Her new book comes out in March, Story or Die: Why Story Is the Only Way to Engage, Persuade, and Inspire -- and How to Use Brain Science to Create One That Will.

Lisa explains what story is not -- it's not about beautiful writing, and it's not just a plot, a series of things that happen. And it's certainly not about a word count goal. But when people are taught that this is how you write a book, that explains why more than 9 out of 10 books are started but never finished, and more than 9 out of 10 finished books don't get picked up by publishers.

Listeners will be encouraged not to give up, to understand how they can write a great book by thinking about story differently. This applies to novelists, of course, but it also applies to anyone trying to share information in a way that convinces others to change their minds or act on what they learn. A fascinating interview that will help and encourage writers of every kind!

You can learn more about Lisa and how to work with her at her website, http://wiredforstory.com/, and her books are available everywhere.

EPISODE 225E

In our final Encouraging Words episode of the year, we talk about making a list of everything that has gone right this year, all the positives. Set a timer for two minutes and see how many things you can list!

This is also a great time of year to not only make a list of what went well, but also to journal about your dreams (things you would love to happen but you have little control over) and your goals (things you can think through the steps to accomplish them).

You do have the ability to change the world -- for better or for worse! I urge you to choose wisely and take action. :-D Your words will make a difference!

EPISODE 216I

Today's guest is Bryan Litfin, author of the brand new novel, The Conqueror, an action adventure story set in the time of Constantine in the third century.

When Bryan wrote that he wants to write books with the action and adventure of the Indiana Jones movies, I was hooked - I had to interview him. What follows is a fun and informative jaunt through history, research, plotting, and writing that will get you itching to get back to your own book.

This is a fantastic interview with lots of energy and ideas for making the stories you love to write larger than life.

You can find Bryan and his books on his website, https://bryanlitfin.com/.

Episode 292: In the return of Write Now Workshop Podcast after a too-long sabbatical, Kitty joins Podcasthon (https://www.podcasthon.org/) and over 1000 other podcasters around the world who are highlighting their favorite charity. Today we welcome back Bonnie DePue and CHUM Therapeutic Riding (https://www.chumtherapy.net/), Kitty’s favorite charity!

Learn more about CHUM and what they do and how you can support them, and writers will find encouragement and ideas on how to add real-life charities to their stories to increase reader engagement.

EPISODE 202I

Today's guest is Susie Finkbeiner, author of the new novel, Stories That Bind Us.

We have an interesting discussion on when writing can be a healthy escape for us, and when it's an avoidance tactic keeping us from dealing with our own issues. Writing is a great way to process life, and we want to help our readers do the same.

Susie talks about the difference between vulnerability and weakness, saying it's okay to be sensitive. After all, we're trying to make our readers feel, so of course we need to be able to feel our emotions too. We want our words to not only thrill our readers, but impact their lives. In this way, writing fiction can be a noble pursuit.

To learn more about Susie and her books, visit her website at https://susiefinkbeiner.com/ and follow her on Instagram and Facebook.

EPISODE 270

Today's guest is James R Hannibal, returning to share with us the story of how he purchased the rights to DragonRaid, a role playing game, and not only prepared to reissue it with a new name -- LightRaiders -- but also decided to write a book series around it.

Wolf Soldier, book one in the series, is about the band of young adventurers who rekindle the Lightraider Order and have to travel to the Dragon Lands to battle to save their homeland.

James tells us all about the process, including the many other people involved -- collaborative storytelling at its finest! They even created a language to go with the new game!

Learn more about James, his books, and the LightRaiders game at https://jamesrhannibal.com/ and https://lightraiders.com/.

EPISODE 181

For my first EXTRA episode, I decided to have fun and read the first chapter of my short book, My Bullheaded Superhero Valentine, for your Valentine's Day listening pleasure. I hope you enjoy it! :-D

EPISODE 184E

I had a really crappy week this past week. Lots of good moments, but days that kept ending in stress and disappointment and frustration. By the end of the week, I was a bit of a wreck...which was no good since I was finally going to be enjoying some time with friends Friday night.

I kept thinking that I just needed to think of something that makes me happy, or think of some things I'm grateful for. I'm grateful for A LOT but I couldn't think of anything as I took the wrong bus to our friends' house. Until I remembered the forecast said it might snow overnight. That made me smile. It hasn't snowed here in over a year and I've been waiting and watching.

Then it made me giggle a little that the hope of snow was the thing that made me smile after a long week. I hope you are looking for and finding something that will make you smile when you're stuck in a pit of frustration. It helps! :)

EPISODE 276I

Bestselling author Susan May Warren joins us again to help writers and other creatives understand how to plan a new year of accomplishments in a way that works best for each one of us, individually.

She tells us how she developed My Brilliant Writing Planner and explains the many ways we can use it to have a more creative and productive and joyful year. The planner is not a compilation of weekly To Do lists, she says, but a way of choosing what is most important to you based on your own values in life.

Learn more about My Brilliant Writing Planner and get one of your own at https://www.mybrilliantwritingplanner.com/. Go to Novel Academy to find out about all the resources Susie May has for writers including courses and a membership group, https://novel.academy/. And at her writer's website, you can check out all of her books across multiple genres, including the new series under the David James Warren pen name, https://www.susanmaywarren.com/. Follow her on social media including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

EPISODE 172I

Interviewing the lovely Patricia Bradley was an exercise in paradoxes. Hearing this sweet Christian woman pronounce in her soft, Southern drawl, "Oh, I love to talk about murder. It's just fun" was just the beginning of my mind bending to look at things differently. :-D But I should have expected nothing less after I read the tagline for her website: Where love and faith cross paths...with murder.

Patricia writes romantic suspense and says that murdering your characters is a great way to kill off your anxieties. (I think I'm going to try that! :-D ) What follows is a fun conversation about how she writes - an encouraging look at writing for pantsers!

My biggest takeaway was when I realized that Patricia writes the scenes with the murderer or psychopath's point of view without knowing who the bad guy is - so it's just "he or she" - and later she'll have an ah-ha moment about who that person is in her story. I can't wait to try this!

Patricia has a lot of great stuff on her blog, and she also suggests several other blogs/websites including:

Suspense Sisters: https://suspensesisters.blogspot.com/...

Learn How to Write a Novel: 

http://learnhowtowriteanovel.com/blog...

Writers Police Academy: http://www.writerspoliceacademy.com/

Alicia Rasley's site: http://www.aliciarasley.com

Harlequin Heartwarming blog: http://heartwarmingauthors.blogspot.com/

The Crime Scene Writer Yahoo Group: 

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/c...

She also loves to use James Scott Bell's book, Super Structure, as she writes.

You can follow Patricia Bradley on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter and on her blog: https://ptbradley.com/blog

EPISODE 242I

Today's guest is best-selling and award-winning author Irene Hannon. We're talking about the latest book in her Hope Harbor series, Blackberry Beach, which releases April 6, 2021, with more books in the series coming.

Irene shares about standing at the fork in the road when she had to decide between pursuing psychology and something in writing. Later, she had to decide at another fork if she would continue with her amazing corporate writing job or pursue writing fiction full-time.

Along the way, she learned a lot about both writing better books and balancing all the pieces of the writer's life. She is full of encouragement and advice for listeners, no matter what you write.

Find out more about Irene and her books at her website, https://www.irenehannon.com/, and follow her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Irene-Hannon-426433004084567.

EPISODE 212I

Joining us today is bestselling romance author, Roxanne St. Claire. Rocki's latest book, Man's Best Friend, releases September 25, 2020, the day after this episode airs. If you like romance and fun and dogs, you'll love this book!

Rocki started her career in traditional publishing, first with Pocket Books at Simon & Schuster, and then also writing for Harlequin, Random House, and Grand Central Publishing. When she was offered her biggest contract, though, there was a clause she was unwilling to accept, so she said no.

Going indie was the best business risk she's ever taken. She has more creative freedom than ever before, more joy, and more money. She works hard - it is a full-time job - but it's the best thing she's ever done as a writer. Rocki shares her experiences so you can decide if indie publishing might be right for you.

You can find out more about Rocki and all of her books at her website, http://www.roxannestclaire.com/. If you're interested in joining her reader's group, go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/roxannestclairereaders.

EPISODE 192

We've had a lot of "new normal" forced on us lately, but what if we take charge and create our own new normal? We're creative people, we can think of ways to make our new circumstances work for us!

In this episode, I talk about how to redefine the structure of your day so you still attain your overall goals. I mention my own health goals, business goals, and keeping some fun time in the schedule - because it is way too easy to work all the time, or not much at all when you work at home.

You have more power over your life than you realize! Make choices that work for you, and you can add more joy and laughter into your life. Now is the time to harness your creative energy to make changes that just might continue working better for you after our current restrictions are lifted.

EPISODE 173E

As you start the new year, it's important to remember that over-planning and over-scheduling can lead to stress, disappointment, and - worst case scenario - burnout. To avoid that and enjoy your work all year long, plan some white space into your schedule. Some extra room in your calendar so you can move things around when necessary, and to take a little time out sometimes to stare at the ceiling and daydream. It'll boost your energy and your creativity, and lead to a more peaceful - and possibly more productive - life.

EPISODE 190E

This month for our Encouraging Words episode, I asked my friend Markus Watson to join us. We discuss how people weren't made to be in isolation, and some things we can do to overcome the emotional effects.

Markus explains the "Robinson stories" and we talk about the ideas of families and people being lost and in isolation. We also talk about a lot of ways we can use technology to overcome the feeling of being alone.

EPISODE 185I

Today's guest is historical fiction author Jill Eileen Smith. Jill's focus has been on Old Testament women of the Bible and, wow, does she have her research work cut out for her!

We talk about how to research from multiple sources, and how to fill in the blanks when written history doesn't give you many details. Jill is particularly encouraging when it comes to writing a story "everyone" has already done, like the story of Esther in the Bible. Her latest book is Star of Persia, her take on the story of Esther, including some known historical figures of the day.

If you've been wondering how to write a piece of historical fiction without much written history to go on, Jill may be able to give you some ideas.

You can find Jill and her books on her website, or look for Jill Eileen Smith on most social media.

EPISODE 213I

Today's guest is debut author, Amanda Cox. Her novel, The Edge of Belonging, came out in September and completely captured my heart!

Amanda tells us how, while in the process of getting an editor's attention and selling her novel, she took a story told in a single timeline and changed it to become two linked stories in their own timelines that come together in the end.

She also explains how she dug deeper into her characters using some of the questions and techniques she used to use with clients when she was a therapist. I found this brilliant and asked her to repeat it! Altogether, another fun conversation about writing and sharing writing tips.

You can find out more about Amanda and her upcoming books at her website, https://amandacoxwrites.com/, and across social media as amandacoxwrites.

EPISODE 274I

Today's guest is Dr Sunil Raheja, author of Dancing with Wisdom: A Sacred Quest to Restore Meaning, Purpose and Fun to Your Life and Work. He's also the host of the Dancing with Wisdom podcast, and a psychiatrist and executive coach.

"For the really important decisions in life, there’s no textbook that’s going to give you the answers," Dr Sunil tells us. He shares how he got started on his journey to understand how life works, and he gives us many tips about what he's found.

He intersperses in the story of the book the writing of the book as well -- what he had to give up to finish it, what his writing coach taught him, and how much more time and work he ended up putting into it than he expected.

To learn more about Dr Sunil's work, and to get the first chapter of Dancing with Wisdom for free, visit his website https://drsunil.com/.

For more information about working with Kitty to finish writing your book, sign up for a free strategy session on her website: https://www.writenowworkshop.com/writingcoach/

EPISODE 243E

HAPPY EASTER!! This month's Encouraging Words episode focuses on taking time to find renewal in your life and in your writing. It's important to take time to pause and think about whether we're still headed in the direction we meant to go.

Things have changed a lot for everyone this past year. Is there anything we need to do to smooth out the road in front of us for the next nine months? I hope this gives you some food for thought, and encouragement on your journey! God bless you!

EPISODE 250I

Welcome to the 250th episode of the show! Today's guest is Jody Hedlund, author of the new Come Back to Me, a time crossing historical romance.

Jody tells us a little about her new series and then jumps into how she creates buzz for her books. Her ideas will work for both traditionally published authors and indie authors, and many will be useful even before you are ready to launch a new book.

Learn more about Jody and her many books at her website, https://jodyhedlund.com/.

EPISODE 263I

Bestselling authors Amanda Cabot and Leigh Duncan return as our guests to talk about writing a series. We talk about the difference between continuing character series and connected character series and how you might choose which one will work best for your story.

Amanda and Leigh also talk about the kinds of information they collect and create to write a series, from character sheets to maps to floor plans to full-fledged story bibles.

You can learn more about Amanda, her books, and her social media links at her website, http://amandacabot.com/. Her novella collection, Brides of the Old West, is available for pre-order and will be released on September 14, 2021.

Learn more about Leigh and her books at https://leighduncan.com/. Her new Sugar Sand Beach series is available through Kindle Unlimited or for purchase on Amazon. Follow her at leighduncanbooks on Facebook and Instagram.

EPISODE 189I

Today's guest is James Blatch from Mark Dawson's Self Publishing Formula talking to us about one of their online classes that's open just a couple more days from when this episode goes live on April 2, 2020.

I'm a student in both of Mark's courses, Self Publishing 101 and Advertising for Authors. I took the 101 course after hearing Mark talk about a couple things I didn't know how to do on his podcast, The Self Publishing Show. I figured if I could improve my book's chances of selling even to a small degree, it would be worth the cost of the class.

I don't have any affiliate links, but I'm such a fan of everything Mark and James and John do, I wanted to be sure you knew about it as well. James also mentions in the interview that for a limited time, they are making their SPF University (not a real university) FREE to everyone! So click the link and sign up! And check out the 101 class while you're there. It might be just what you've been looking for.

https://learn.selfpublishingformula.com/p/101

http://selfpublishingformula.com/spfufree

https://selfpublishingformula.com/spf-podcast/

EPISODE 205I

Today's guest is Melissa Kosci, co-author of the new suspense book, A Dream Within a Dream, cowritten with Mike Nappa.

Melissa tells us how she came to be cowriter of a series that already had two books in it, and what it was like to help finish telling the story. (I read book one of the Coffey & Hill series, Annabel Lee, and didn't realize A Dream Within a Dream was the end of the same series. Exciting! I loved Annabel Lee!) MIke Nappa is a big Edgar Allen Poe fan, as you can tell in the book titles.

We talk about the cowriting process, similarities and differences to how Melissa writes on her own, writing under a pen name, and much more.

You can find her website and her social media accounts under the name Melissa Koslin. http://melissakoslin.com/

EPISODE 254I

Gwen Hernandez, author of Scrivener for Dummies, joins us today to talk about Scrivener, software to help you write and organize any type of writing.

After sharing how she got started with Scrivener and became an expert, literally writing the book on it, Gwen shares some of her favorite tips and tools in the software. We talk about how Scrivener can work well for both plotters and pantsers, fiction and nonfiction -- including keeping track of your blogs and guest posts -- and she gives tips for beginners and more advanced users.

You can learn more about Gwen, her books, her Scrivener classes, and other ways to work with her at https://gwenhernandez.com/ and https://scrivenerclasses.com/. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

EPISODE 187T

Since our world has been tipped on its side from the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), many of us find ourselves trying to make sense of a new normal. Maybe you're working from home for the first time, and it may not have transitioned in a smooth and easy way. Maybe other people are at home now that you're not used to having in your work space, and you all have to figure out how to get things done without getting irritated at each other.

I wanted to give you a whole bunch of reminders/ideas about things you can do to make this period a little easier. From taking an afternoon walk to spring cleaning to finishing watching that online class you never finished, we can find ways to make this temporary period not so bad.

I hope you enjoy my enthusiasm and encouragement, especially if you really needed a boost today! :-D

EPISODE 244I

Today's guest is Dr Debra Holland, award-winning romance author as well as psychotherapist and grief counselor.

Dr Debra taught an online class for our Romance Writers of America chapter once called "Understanding Men." It was so helpful, I've never forgotten it -- and I asked if we could talk about it on the show. With humor and insight, Dr Debra helps us understand both the biological and the emotional differences between men and women and why it leads us to think, act, and speak as we do.

This is a great episode for learning to write better, more believable scenes from the other's point of view. It's also a fabulous mini-course on better understanding the significant people in our personal lives.

You can find Debra's fiction on Amazon or on her writing website, https://debraholland.com/, and you can learn more about her counseling work at https://drdebraholland.com/.