Write Now! Workshop Podcast: Write A Book, Change The World

Most people don't consider taxes "fun" but I'd like to help you at least not think of them as "hard." The first step is helping you to organize your sales information so that you have the information you need when you need it.The easiest way to do that is to create an Excel file. Find out the first month of the sales tax year for where you live and type the twelve months of the year in the columns across the top. Then list all the cities where you sold physical copies of books or other physical products in the rows on the left.Now you only need to fill in how much you earned each month in each city. (See my example below.) I usually add a "comment" to each cell with additional information on each event, how many copies were sold, and any other helpful information like what "Receipt" this information is linked to in QuickBooks.Double-check the tax rate for each city - taxes do go up! - and calculate the total tax you expect to pay. (Remember, this is money you already collected from your customer at the sale.)

While talking with Kristin Billerbeck during the last episode, I was so excited to tell her that her new book, The Theory of Happily Ever After, really helped me during the difficult time I've been having in finding my joy again, finding out if writing is still part of what I'm meant to do with my life and my time.I worry that I may be an over-sharer, but I really believe that helping other people know they are not alone in what they're going through or how they're feeling is worth any judgement on my sharing too much of my personal feelings.That's why I share a little more about what I've been feeling, my hopes and fears about writing, and how I really related to the main character of Kristin's book who is going through something I felt was similar to my problems. Kristin's main character, Maggie, helped me think through my own fears and made me feel I wasn't alone in how I felt. And I wanted Kristin to know her book - a work of fiction about imaginary people - helped me in a difficult time.Perhaps more than

When Kristin Billerbeck, author of The Theory of Happily Ever After, proudly insisted during this interview, "I refuse to back away from the chick lit title" for her genre of books, my heart did a little happy dance! I love chick lit, and I love Kristin's books. :-DShe said that the first time she wrote a chapter of Christian chick lit, her friend and fellow author Colleen Coble told her, "Kristin, this is your voice, you have to do this." Kristin contends that there is definitely a difference between romantic comedy and chick lit, despite what we may hear publishers do or don't want want to call this type of storytelling. Readers know what they like, and they're happy to keep looking for it under the chick lit name.What follows in this charming interview is Kristin's experience writing sweet romance versus chick lit, the backlash that followed her first (award-winning!) chick lit book (What a Girl Wants, book one of the Ashley Stockingdale series), and how her own life experiences have influenced her st

Chris Fox came on the show last week to talk about his new book, Plot Gardening. I've been reading the book and making notes as I go through it, and it occurred to me that I might be able to help you as you work through a new book or try to figure out what to do with one in progress.In Chris's book, he talks about how to build the characters, the plot, the world, a step at a time. One question he asked was - how is your book different from others in your genre. As always, my first thought was, "I don't know. Uh-oh! It isn't!" :-DBut that's not necessarily true - our books can be quite unlike others, unique in their own fashion, but still within the tropes of our genre. How?Just for the fun of it, Google "<your genre> tropes." I Googled "romance tropes," "horror tropes," "suspense tropes," and others, and found a long list of websites, PDFs, and YouTube videos explaining all the things readers have come to expect from those genres. They can give you ideas, or help you refine an idea you already have.Don'

I've been reminded these last couple of weeks of the importance in my life of play - and how incredibly underestimated its value has become in my life over the last seven or eight years.I've been talking about the importance of the words we use - out loud and inside our heads, and how positive self-talk can help us be more joyful.Hitting the Restart button is another mantra of mine. We can always stop and start again - stop a negative thought pattern and restart it with something positive, stop telling ourselves we aren't good enough and restart the thought by affirming that we're always still learning. We can't change our situations in an instant, or even a day, but I like to say that if we stay in Today's Box, we can work on the things we can change today.How does all this apply to playing and working and healing? Play is an important part of our makeup as human beings. But as we become adults with more and more responsibilities, we push ourselves to work harder, leaving less and less time for play. We cons

Chris Fox is the author of his newest book, Plot Gardening, as well as Write to Market, 5000 Words Per Hour, and his latest favorite series, the Magitech Chronicles. He has been a full-time indie author since 2016, and spends his free time hiking, and making stuff up.In today's episode, Chris explains how his new book, Plot Gardening, will help you get started on a new book or series idea in a way that helps you dig deeper to write better stories. It works for both plotters and pantsers (those who write by the seat of their pants), and it can help writers think more creatively to come up with a signature series that really draws people in.As with most writing books, you won't find it as helpful if you don't apply what you learn! Each chapter ends with exercises you can stop and do right away, or you can read through to the end of the book and find all of the exercises listed together so you can work your way through them.Chris points out that plotters may find the techniques in his book will especially help t

Last Thursday, author Laura Drake spoke to us about how to improve the first five pages of your novel to grab an editor's or reader's attention. She very kindly offered listeners a copy of her Checklist for Openings, a document she created to remind herself how to make her book and chapter beginnings the best they can be.Today I pulled a few items off the list and talked about how they work and why they're important. I discuss the Story/Style Promise, Power Words, Compelling Cadence, and Universal Need and how they help the reader get more involved in your story from the very beginning.If you haven't listened to my interview with Laura yet, do it today and then contact her and ask for a copy of her checklist. Happy Writing!

I've been doing some work the last week or two on recovering my lost joy and regaining deep peace. I've found a lot of helpful references in my Bible and with my friends.But a lot of introspection led me to think about the adage that frustration comes when expectations don't meet reality. That's so true, isn't it? And it certainly speaks to my life the last few years.Knowing the root cause of my problem was a huge break-through in beginning to solve it! I share some things I've found to help me - like taking every thought captive and looking at it to see if it's really true or just feels true. I hope it gives you some food for thought, and encourages you to get more peace and joy in your life.

Explicit Warning for this episodeAward-winning author Laura Drake shares with us what she's learned about making the first five pages of your novel the absolute best they can be from her years working with an editor in traditional publishing. She's currently writing for Grand Central.Among the tips she offers:People come to books for the charactersGreat plots without great characters might have remained unsold booksHint at the character's backstory just enough so it raises questions in the reader's mindHint at the character himself so that readers begin to care right away - who is he, what does he want, and why should we care about what he cares about?Start the first chapter as late as you can into the story you're tellingOpening lines are very important! Go read some of the best ones and learn from them (NOTE: Laura reads an opening line that includes the F-word several times; you may want to listen to this episode when small children aren't present)The key to backstory isn't mechanical; it's visceralLaura h

One of the most obvious reasons we start thinking about vacation is the approach of summer - which is the case in the Northern Hemisphere right now. Maybe you have plans to go someplace exciting, or visit family, or stay home and relax.If you're in the Southern Hemisphere right now, you might have had an exciting, busy summer and now you need a vacation from your vacation! :-D Or maybe you are happy to be getting a break from being with your adorable but exhausting offspring 24/7.Maybe you are about to start a new book, or your company is about to do a big push at work. You might be thinking that now is a good time to go fill your creative well, catch up on sleep, and otherwise get ready to work super hard for the next couple of months. Another great reason to take a vacation!As for me, I just need a break. My life has been a whirlwind for the last few years and I haven't been able to take the time and do what I need to catch my breath and recover. I'm emotionally drained. I though a week or two of watching m

Have you ever been so crazy tired that nothing appeals to you anymore and you can't remember why you used to love this, or what exactly about that used to delight you?I kinda feel that way right now. I was telling my friend that I don't know if I even want to be a writer anymore because I'm too tired to see it as anything other than another weight on my shoulders, something that "should" be done.As I talked over my thoughts on this, I started getting my own little ah-ha moments - and I hope you find yours as you listen!Other podcast episodes I mention are this one with Graham Cooke talking about a guy who said it's not discipline that makes him the best in his field, it's the fact that he loves to do it! And this one on The Creative Penn Podcast where Joanna Penn interviews Charlie Hoehn about play.

Lee Batchler and Janet Scott Batchler are the writers of POMPEII, SMOKE AND MIRRORS, and BATMAN FOREVER, among many other projects. They have recently moved into producing, with Executive Producer credits on a movie to be released in 2018. In addition, Janet is a writing professor at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts.If you're interested in screenwriting, or even just another perspective on story, you'll love this interview! Among some of the tips they offer:When co-writing, you're looking for the third writer, creating a product that neither of you could have written on your ownIt's nice to map something out, but writing is also a process of discoveryYou have to have a story that's worth tellingWriting a pilot for TV isn't about writing one great hour of television, it's about having such a great idea that you can write one hundred great hours of televisionWrite something that is emotionally authenticRespect the nature of what you're writing - a screenplay isn't a novel in anot

As spring jumps into summer in the Northern Hemisphere, I've been thinking a lot about the weather. Where does the weather fit in our stories? How can we make it more interesting, not just a box we tick off our list of Everything That Goes Into a Scene?One way is to use the weather to make a twist in the story. A bright and sunny kitchen makes most people think happy thoughts. But what if there is a bowl of fruit moldering on the table?What do the words "It was a dark and stormy night" conjure in your mind? For most people, something scary or threatening. But what if it's just an excuse for a fire and hot cocoa and cuddling on the couch? A storm that knocks out the electricity is a trope in many a horror or suspense tale. But in my childhood, it meant a campout with flashlights and finger food and fun in the living room.You don't want the weather to be another caricature in your story. You do want it to add emotion to your setting.Remember, emotion - particularly curiosity - keeps readers reading! 

In this episode, I share with you something I heard last Sunday at church - when I was supposed to be paying attention. Haha! But that's the thing. If someone is really interesting, I get caught up in the tangents in my head when they say something that gets me thinking!Last week during the sermon, the preacher Michael told us that when he was a young man he piloted ships between Sweden and Denmark. He said they had to do passage planning from berth to berth for every trip. It sounded like this was the "map" of sorts that they used to get safely to where they were going.But, he said, they would still have to watch and listen and be prepared to make course changes. Something could be in the way this time that they'd have to get around, or any number of other things might come up that would force a change to the passage planning they'd done.This reminded me of the plans I make for my writing - weekly goals, deadlines, publishing goals, marketing timetables, etc. - and for my life in general. We need a well-thou

Last week's guest is back for an encore presentation to give us some stretches and exercises we can do to feel better and have better brain function while we sit and type!Bonnie DePue is an Occupational Therapist, therapeutic riding instructor, and owner and founder of CHUM Therapeutic Riding in Dansville, Michigan, in the United States. As a therapist, Bonnie uses the horse's movement and environment as a treatment strategy for children and adults with disabilities; as an instructor, she uses the therapeutic nature of horseback riding to help individuals make physical, emotional, cognitive, and psycho/social changes in their lives while learning to ride. She also runs an integrated 4H club, does research and presentations, and enjoys riding and competing herself.In this episode, Bonnie starts by reminding us all that these are ideas for you. You need to use your common sense and listen to your own medical professionals to decide what's best for you. That being said, any time you're doing any activity fo

When I published Love at the Fluff and Fold in August 2017, I realized it was the best book I've written so far and I entered it into the RWA Rita Awards. When it didn't final, I was disappointed and took some time to try to process my feelings. In the end, I came to a decision I could live with.Create a new goal: write better.Since I'm still living out of suitcases, my 3-point plan is pretty simple:Read more nonfiction books on writing. I brought Lisa Cron's Wired for Story and Strunk & White's The Elements of Style with me in my suitcase. I also have several similar books on my Kindle. And the library is just down the street.Read more fiction across genres. My birthday was last month and I got so many books as gifts! Over the next few months, I'll be reading fantasy, romance, science fiction, dystopian, thrillers, historical, suspense, and more.Do more daydreaming. And write more notes about story ideas that flit through my head, whether on paper, in Scrivener, or using voice memos on my phone.I go into

Sometimes fear protects us - like when we hear a rattle snake rattling a warning while we're hiking in the desert, or when we hear a car coming when we're about to cross the street. Other times it can be a snare for us - like when we fear that agents and editors have more control over our writing careers than we do.We need to take the time to discern what exactly we feel (are we actually excited more than fearful?) and try to figure out if what we're feeling is good for us, protecting us from something, or if it's a snare that's going to tie us to unhealthy emotions or untrue thoughts.I hope you find this episode to be encouraging to you this week and this year!

Bonnie DePue is an Occupational Therapist, therapeutic riding instructor, and owner and founder of CHUM Therapeutic Riding in Dansville, Michigan, in the United States. As a therapist, Bonnie uses the horse's movement and environment as a treatment strategy for children and adults with disabilities; as an instructor, she uses the therapeutic nature of horseback riding to help individuals make physical, emotional, cognitive, and psycho/social changes in their lives while learning to ride. She also runs an integrated 4H club, does research and presentations, and enjoys riding and competing herself.In this interview - recorded right after my own riding lesson - we discuss how movement not only improves physical health, but also heightens cognitive function. Bonnie gives a lot of great examples of how different kinds of movement can help us. She also talks briefly about the importance of nutrition in cognitive function, and underscores our need to drink a healthy amount of water. (Something many of us don't

Last week, in Episode 52, I went through the first half of my list of ten things you should know to help you decide if self-publishing is a path you might want to take. Today I'm going through the second half of the list so that you know what questions you need to ask yourself, and so you can eventually come to an educated decision about whether this publishing path is for you.Continuing from last week...6. You'll need to learn to work with other creatives - cover designers, editors, etc. 7. Which distribution channels will you use? 8. Are you prepared for the business side of self-publishing? 9. You'll need to be willing to always be learning new things. 10. Can you keep to a writing schedule even as you get busier with the business side?I hope this helps you as you try to decide if self-publishing is for you. If you have the personality for it, it can be an incredibly rewarding publishing journey. If you don't, it can be one of the most frustrating and unfulfilling things you can do with your time.Be honest

When we work hard on a big project, we tend to be tired when it's completed. You know what's the best thing to do when you're finished?Take a break.Seriously. But how often do we do that? How often do we say, "I want to, but I don't have time"? On the other hand, when was the last time you fell asleep on the couch on a Sunday afternoon?Both your body and your mind need time to recover after a big and/or long-term project. (Say, writing a book, or moving to Sweden!) Depending on how long you've been pushing yourself, you may only need a day, or maybe you need a week or longer.What if you could believe that you could be even more productive if you took a little time off once in a while? That is not procrastination, at least not a "bad" kind. You may find that breaks - even small ones - will help increase not only your productivity, but your joy as well. When you're well-rested, you worry less. These in turn lead to believing in yourself more, improving and increasing your positive self-talk, and seeing more/big