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

EPISODE 233I Since it's barely past the beginning of the year, I figure some people are having challenges in getting back into their writing on a regular basis. I know I've had some challenges trying to get my head out of vacation mode! So I came up with some ideas that might help you. I took my own advice and got a little more writing done this week! I hope you do too! TRANSCRIPTION [00:00:01.370]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 233, "If You Can't Get Started," an Encouraging Words episode coming to you on Sunday, February 7th, 2021. Some days start out great and end great. And they were pretty freaking good all the way through. And those are the best days. My experience is not that those are the most common days though. [00:00:32.240]There's often something that's just like, oh, I forgot that I had to do this thing, or crap, I didn't know I had to do this thing, or I did this thing and it didn't work an

EPISODE 232 Today's guest is https://ptbradley.com/ (Patricia Bradley), romantic suspense author of the brand new book, https://amzn.to/3tqebRY (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/ (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] - KittyToday's guest is Patricia Bradley. Patricia is the author of Justice Delayed, Justice Buried, Justice Betrayed and Justice Delivered, as well as the L

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 https://www.ingramspark.com/features (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 (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. TRAN

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 https://mirasee.com/ (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 229I Today's guest is story coach http://wiredforstory.com/ (Lisa Cron), author of https://amzn.to/3rBw6Ek (Wired for Story) and https://amzn.to/38HAzgb (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, https://amzn.to/37Whisc (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

EPISODE 228I Today's guest is https://www.allymachate.com/ (Ally Machate), professional editor, expert publishing consultant, and founder of https://thewritersally.com/ (The Writer's Ally). Ally shares the steps on what to do after you finish the first draft. First -- put it away! Don't look at it for at least a week. Then you can come back to it with fresh eyes. Next, read it all the way through and make notes about what you can see needs to be changed -- not the nit-picky things, but the big story elements. Ally gives lots of examples about what to look for in the draft, whether it's fiction or nonfiction, and next steps. She also shares how to know when to hire an editor to help make your book even better. So many great tips! Find out more about Ally and her services at https://thewritersally.com/ (The Writer's Ally (.com)) and https://www.allymachate.com/ (Ally Machate (.com)). You can also join her Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/thewritersallies/ (https://www.facebook.com/groups/thewri

EPISODE 227I Today's guest is agent https://theseymouragency.com/about-us (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 https://querymanager.com/ (Query Manager) and https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/ (Manuscript Wish List (MSWL)), and find many of them on https://twitter.com/juliegwinn (Twitter) and other social media. You can find Julie at https://theseymouragency.com/about-us (The Seymour Agency) as well. https://theseymouragency.com/about-us

EPISODE 226I In the second of five episodes all about editing, debut author https://www.elysiawhisler.com/ (Elysia Whisler) and her agent http://ktliterary.com/about/ (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 https://amzn.to/3ncpaeo (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. https://amzn.to/3ncpaeo (Rescue You) is available wherever books are sold in ebook and print, as well as in https://www.audible.com/pd/Rescue-You-Audiobook/1488210012 (audio). Learn more about Elysia, her upcoming books, and get links to follow her at her website, https://www.elys

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 224I Today's guest is https://www.authoraccelerator.com/ (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 (https://podcast.writenowworkshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Stoplight-Strategy.pdf). You can also get her Inside Outline at her website, https://www.authoraccelerato

EPISODE 223I Today's guest is screenwriter https://hilarygalanoy.com/ (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/, o

EPISODE 222I Today's guest is https://www.bryndonovan.com/ (Bryn Donovan), author of paranormal romance as well as books for writers, whose new book just released on Tuesday. https://www.bryndonovan.com/best-books-for-writers-manifestation-journal-paranormal-romance/ (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

EPISODE 221I Our guest today is award-winning author https://teriwilson.net/index/ (Teri Wilson), whose latest book, https://amzn.to/36x3m5M (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/index/ (https://teriwilson.net/), and on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you love puppy pictures, follow her on Instagram!

EPISODE 220I Today's guest is award-winning and bestselling author, https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/pages/davis-bunn-books/ (Davis Bunn). His newest book, https://amzn.to/2GyJfvg (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 t

EPISODE 219E It's always a good time to think about unity - feeling a sense of connection with others. In this Encouraging Words episode, I talk about finding a sense of unity with other writers and people in general. If we focus on our similarities, we can keep our differences from wrenching us apart. I hope this episode encourages you this week!

EPISODE 218I http://www.susanmaywarren.com/ (Susan May Warren) is back with us today to show us her new 2021 https://www.mybrilliantwritingplanner.com/ (My Brilliant Writing Planner!) This is my favorite planner! And this year you have four styles (and price points) to choose from. Susie May and I also talk about all kinds of time and energy management tips from our own experience and our years of teaching on that topic for writers. Whether you're a plotter or a pantser, you'll find great ideas for finishing this year strong and starting next year with a bang. If you already have a planner or journal you love, great. You may find some of our tips will help you get even more from it. If you haven't found something that really works for you yet, consider giving https://www.mybrilliantwritingplanner.com/ (My Brilliant Writing Planner) a try. One of the best things about it is that it incorporates your whole life, not just your writing. You can track your writing and plan your books for the year, but you can also

EPISODE 217I This week's guest is https://www.rachelledekker.com/ (Rachelle Dekker), author of the new suspense book, https://amzn.to/37fUkft (Nine). In addition to talking about writing and the writing life, you can hear me rave about how much I loved this book! We had such a great time talking about writing, what we learn through the process, and what themes you find yourself writing again and again. For Rachelle, it's all about identity. We talk about the different genres Rachelle has written, growing up as the daughter of a bestselling author (Ted Dekker) and then cowriting together, how she does a lot of her research, and some of her best writing tips. You can learn more about Rachelle and her books at her website, https://www.rachelledekker.com/ (https://www.rachelledekker.com/) as well as at Baker Publishing, http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/ (http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/). Find her on Facebook as Rachelle Dekker Author.

EPISODE 216I Today's guest is https://bryanlitfin.com/ (Bryan Litfin), author of the brand new novel, https://amzn.to/3j4GVJn (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/ (https://bryanlitfin.com/).

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 214I Today's guest is bestselling author https://www.rachelhauck.com/ (Rachel Hauck). Her newest book, https://amzn.to/2FgFNEY (To Love a Prince), came out in August and is book one in her new True Blue Royal series. Rachel has 30+ books out, and has taught dozens of writers how to improve their craft. From this perspective, we talk about worldbuilding in stories, whether contemporary or historical, in real places or fictional ones. Since Rachel has so many books about royalty, I asked her to explain how she creates new countries with princes and princesses that sound real and believable. She goes into detail about all the things she researched in order to develop new countries with real problems. She also talks about turning the story upside down - like when she created the wedding chapel that never had any weddings, or the first prince in history who was left at the altar. There is an enormous amount of advice in this episode and plenty of tips no matter what kind of stories you write! You can fin