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...

EPISODE 266I The lovely https://www.rachelhauck.com/ (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...

EPISODE 265I Bestselling author https://diannmills.com/ (DiAnn Mills) returns to share with us tips from her new book, https://amzn.to/3zZjQRM (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...

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 263I Bestselling authors http://amandacabot.com/ (Amanda Cabot) and https://leighduncan.com/ (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...

EPISODE 262I Today's guest is Dr Tayo, a physician, world traveller, and social entrepreneur. In this episode, Dr Tayo shares illuminating information about how we can find more energy in the second half of life so we can continue to live out our dreams. To book a free 15-minute call, go to https://go.oncehub.com/DrTayo (https://go.oncehub.com/DrTayo). You can follow her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tayodee (https://www.facebook.com/tayodee), and she also has a private group for...

EPISODE 261I Today's guest is https://www.markasquith.com/ (Mark Asquith), serial entrepreneur, podcast expert, and CEO and co-founder of podcast hosting, analytics, and monetization platform https://www.captivate.fm/ (Captivate.fm). As writers, we are always wondering what marketing we should be doing that we're not doing, and podcasting is one of the things we wonder about. Mark shares great tips and ideas on how to know if podcasting is for you, either as a guest or as the host of your...

EPISODE 260I Author http://shawnsmucker.com/ (Shawn Smucker) returns to the show to talk about his brand new book, https://amzn.to/3yD4Ok4 (The Weight of Memory). I'm a big fan of his magical realism books, and this one didn't disappoint. Shawn and I talk about memory, how we think it works and what studies are showing about it. This conversation -- of course! -- led into how we create fictional stories, what makes a protagonist make their decisions, how that affects what happens next, and...

EPISODE 259I Author https://www.lizjohnsonbooks.com/ (Liz Johnson) is back with us to talk about her brand new book, https://amzn.to/3lfOhyr (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...

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,...

EPISODE 257I Author https://susiefinkbeiner.com/ (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, https://amzn.to/2WBn0fN (The Nature of Small Birds), about a family involved in Operation Babylift after the Vietnam War. You can find the book...

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 255I Today's guest is https://kindlepreneur.com/ (Dave Chesson from Kindlepreneur) talking about a brand new piece of writing software, https://www.atticus.io/ (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...

EPISODE 254I https://gwenhernandez.com/ (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...

EPISODE 253I Today's guest is http://www.myauthorconcierge.com/ (Maria Connor of My Author Concierge), a company that provides services like author assistant, project management, and more so that authors have more time to write. Maria shares with us 10 reasons why getting organized will help you, and 6 tips to get your author business more organized today. She also explains how to use her https://amzn.to/2SNVxG9 (Self-Publishing Checklist Series) of short books, and talks briefly about her...

EPISODE 252I Today's guest is autistic biohacker, http://thrivewithautism.ca/ (Jackie McMillan), chatting with us about how the lymph system in our bodies affects our ability to be creative. Jackie shares a lot of ways we can help our bodies to help our minds, helping our lymph system to carry away the waste and deliver the nutrients we need to be at the top of our game. This is a don't-miss episode! You can learn more about Jackie at her website, http://thrivewithautism.ca/...

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 250I Welcome to the 250th episode of the show! Today's guest is https://jodyhedlund.com/ (Jody Hedlund), author of the new https://amzn.to/3cebKLi (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...

EPISODE 249I Today's guest is https://annkroeker.com/ (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...

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!

EPISODE 247I Today's guest is literary agent Cynthia Ruchti of https://www.booksandsuch.com/ (Books and Such Literary Management). You may remember Cynthia from https://podcast.writenowworkshop.com/episodes/reaching-out-with-deep-emotion-an-interview-with-cynthia-ruchti/ (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...

EPISODE 246I Today's guest is former stealth pilot and award-winning novelist, https://jamesrhannibal.com/ (James R Hannibal). His latest novel, https://amzn.to/2Sv48gl (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/ (https://jamesrhannibal.com/). Read his blog...

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...

EPISODE 244I Today's guest is Dr Debra Holland, https://debraholland.com/ (award-winning romance author) as well as https://drdebraholland.com/ (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...

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!