Writer in the Making

Looking for a cozy mystery? I recently reviewed Tracy Gardner’s Out of the Picture from Hallmark Publishing. Check out my review on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, and my blog at dariawhite.com

“Elements of setting: How to create a vivid world” at nownovel.com/blog is mentioned in this episode. Learn how to paint the picture into your novel with words. Having a hard time with descriptions? Establishing settings? Have a listen.

Where is your scene happening? Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi’s “Urban and Rural Thesaurus” guides and onestopforwriters.com are mentioned in this episode.

A lot happening, but things are going well. Wish for Love releases September 14th and Christmas Therapy has a cover! Wow!

This is the second topic you all chose. Thanks writing community! Your writer’s voice is essential. Why? It’s what makes your writing unique. How do you find it? Have a listen.

I’ll be celebrating my birthday tomorrow, August 31st, but I wanted to take the time to think you all. I’m grateful for your support of this podcast an my work. There’s more to come!

This is one of the two topics that won the vote! Thanks writing community. So... how do you stay consistent? Let’s see how we can tackle this one together.

What have I learned so far as I revise? So far I’m fifteen percent into the process, but I can tell a few things already. Have a listen and I’ll share.

As I revise, I’m tempted to want to rush through the process and get it done. Anyone else feel this way? My advice for us all, is take your time. **Due to a technical glitch this episode was deleted and uploaded again.**

“Save the Cat!” Never used it until now but it’s coming in handy. What does this have to do with revising? Sometimes we have to backtrack when writing. Now that your book is written, can you highlight the key scenes. Save the Cat by Blake Synder and Reedsy are mentioned in this episode.

I’m revising and can’t wait to share my first tip with you all! Do you have to use what I use? No, but I will share nonetheless. You’re revising! Great, but where do you start? Why not start with your key scenes (hook, inciting incident, 1st plot point, middle, etc.)? fictionary.co is mentioned in this episode.

I love reading! There’s no stopping it. Looking for something to read? Check out The Color of God’s Eyes by Christina Barr and Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa by Nancy Naigle.

Now that I’ve held a book launch, any tips? What are some best practices in my opinion? This is only what I did. Looking for any more suggestions, I suggest you search it out and find what works best for you.

Have I started the revising process? No. I’m taking a break. Guess what? It’s okay.

Looking to grow your mailing list? I’ve recently signed up for Bookfunnel. Have a listen and hear how you can use it to grow your readership. bookfunnel.com is mentioned in this episode.

Whether you finished for camp nano or on your own timeline, you wrote a book! That’s an accomplishment! Celebrate where you are. I am.

Camp nano is over! How did you do? Whether you met your original goal or not, did you write? How do I feel about 70K instead of my orginal 90k? Have a listen.

One more day for Camp Nano! How am I doing still? Have a listen.

This week has been super busy so here’s an update on my work in progress. I hope you all are still pushing to finish your goal. We’re in the home stretch. There’s also an announcement I have, so tune in to listen!

Last full week of camp nano. I’m nearly 20k away from finishing but it hasn’t been easy. Ever heard of hitting the wall? This phrase is common among runners right before they hit the finish line in a race. This “wall” technically doesn’t exist, but it can play on the mind to where most give up and don’t finish. I’m seeing the same with writing but staying the course is key. Have a listen.

I wanted to do a follow up on the Comparison Game episode. I recently painted a picture this week, and it made me think about what we face as writers. What did I learn? Paint your picture; write your story.

It’s one of my favorite things to write, dialogue. It comes natural to me to write a conversation. So... how do you do that? How do you write strong dialogue? “How to Write Dialogue: 6 Tips for Writing Powerful Dialogue” at thinkwritten.com is mentioned in this episode.

My work in progress for camp nano is coming along. So much so, I wrote a plot twist! How do you write them into your story? Which ones fit best? “10 Simple Tips for Writing Clever Plot Twists” at writersedit.com is mentioned in this episode.

To keep you posted, here’s my process from week 2. I didn’t realize how much I wrote until I checked this past Friday. 12K? I’m still stoked!

Thanks writing community for voting! We’ve been waiting for this topic for a while and I believe it’s long overdue. Should you compare yourself to another writer? I’ve struggled with this too so you’re not alone. What helps me? Have a listen and I hope it encourages you.