The Writing Forge

Explore character backstory on this episode of The Writing Forge! YA author Traci L. Jones joins Bonnie and Miranda for a look at how backstory adds depth and authenticity to your characters. They share strategies for using dialogue to reveal character history organically, integrating flashbacks to enhance your plot, and avoiding excessive exposition. Discover how to maintain balance between movin...

Join Bonnie and Miranda for a thought-provoking episode on the art of switching genres in your writing career. Drawing from John Dedakis 's experience pivoting from seasoned journalist to novelist, the conversation delves into the challenges and rewards of venturing into new creative territories. Learn how to leverage your strengths, adapt your skills, and incorporate your background into a fr...

Poetry and story mix beautifully to make a novel in verse—an increasingly popular form of writing. Miranda and Bonnie learn more from Megan E. Freeman , author of middle-grade novel-in-verse Alone , about what makes a novel in verse, the freedom it can provide, its relatability across different demographics, and of course, tips and tricks for succeeding in the format.  Had you heard of a novel in...

*cue evil laughter* While most of us love a good villain, antagonists can be so much more. Parents, best friends, even the protagonist themselves can make some of the most compelling antagonists. Kat Falls joins Bonnie and Miranda to discuss how to develop well-rounded, multidimensional antagonists.  And remember: Go too far—it's easier to pull back during revisions than it is to heat up a tep...

Whether you’re officially a freelancer or just trying to get writing done in your free time, we all need to find what works to keep us motivated and organized. Long-time freelance writer Holly Day joins Bonnie and Miranda to talk about their favorite tools for staying organized and tricks for keeping motivation up—especially when mental health inteferes with productive writing. What are your best...

Marketing expert Penny Sansevieri joins Bonnie and Miranda as their guide through the jungle that is Amazon Author Central . Authors often underestimate the importance of an updated Amazon Author page, and Penny gives us best practices for picking book categories, utilizing the author page, and funding Amazon ads to increase your book sales. Smart marketing can be the key to getting your book seen...

In this Bonnie and Miranda solo episode, your co-hosts break down pacing from the micro level to the macro. Small things like individual word choice and sentence length can impel your readers forward or slow them down to get them thinking. Pacing at both the micro and macro level can help give your characters and readers time to think and react to the developments of the plot. Ultimately, pacing i...

Librarian and storyteller David Sharpe joins Bonnie and Miranda to discuss the elements of storytelling that translate across different media. From oral storytelling to theater to novels, emotional connection draws listeners and readers into the story for a more engaging experience. Switching media can be difficult as you navigate the different tropes and formats, but sharing or experiencing the s...

Writing down stories from your life can be great for therapy or family history purposes. But you might also be thinking about publishing these stories. This is where memoir comes in. Awyn Dawn , author of Paganism for Prisoners , joins Bonnie and Miranda to talk about publishing memoir—finding your niche, setting realistic expectations, and defining success. While publishing always involves a grea...

Miranda and Bonnie jump on board the AI-discussion bandwagon with screenwriter Alan O’Hashi to theorize how the future of writing will change with improvements in AI technology. Is using AI in your writing comparable to using a calculator in math class? Will ChatGPT become the next tool like Grammarly and ProWritingAid? Though AI-generated content still lacks the human element, how can it be used...

Today we talk about the nitty gritty of genres and how to cross them. Whether you want to write paranormal romance or your fantasy novel has an unexpected dash of horror, you may find that one genre is not enough to contain your story. Sarah Reichert joins Bonnie and Miranda to discuss the pros and cons of crossing genres: everything from the importance of choosing a genre to the importance of und...

Though everyone knows a book needs a good cover, writers often overlook the importance of a well-designed book interior. Book designer Tamara Cribley lends her expertise to a discussion on the nitty gritty details of interior book design: from choosing (and licensing) fonts, formatting ebooks, preparing margins in a print book, deciding when and how to hire a book designer, and more. Have you read...

Bonnie and Miranda discuss their takes on the infamous writing advice, “Show, don’t tell.” They explore the advice from an editor’s perspective as well as a writer’s, give some examples of showing and telling, and discuss when you would want to use one or the other. So, what do you think about “show, don’t tell”? @ our socials to let us know your questions and comments on the hotly debated maxim....

Whether your story is set in a fantasy world or downtown Cleveland, scenic details are important—but how do you avoid getting caught up in the minutiae? Today, Steve Stratton joins Miranda to talk balancing worldbuilding details with story, in a variety of genres. Facebook: @writingheights Instagram: @writingheights Join the Writing Heights community at writingheights.com Cover art by Maggie Walke...

In today’s episode, Bonnie and Miranda chat with Leah Busboom about outsourcing for authors. They discuss what self-published authors can or should outsource; some best practices for collaborating with other publishing professionals; and how to balance budget, time, skillset, and enjoyment levels as you navigate the publishing process. Facebook: @writingheights Instagram: @writingheights Join the...

Prolific romance author and publisher Bernadette Marie brings her experience with the genre to help Miranda and Bonnie nail down the differences between Romance as a genre and romance as a B-plot in a greater story. Along the way, they’ll talk about the different aspects of romance from the importance of setting, to building relationships between characters, to different “spice” levels. Happy Vale...

Erin Austin , teacher and author of The Ultimate Guide to Selling Your Original World Language Resources , talks with Bonnie and Miranda about how to find time and motivation for your writing while balancing all other aspects of your life.  Facebook: @writingheights Instagram: @writingheights Join the Writing Heights community at writingheights.com Cover art by Maggie Walker

Dr. Melanie Peffer , author of Biology Everywhere , joins Bonnie and Miranda for this episode’s discussion of the old adage “Write what you know.” Whatever their day job is, any writer can utilize their day-to-day experiences to inspire and strengthen their writing. Facebook: @writingheights Instagram: @writingheights Join the Writing Heights community at writingheights.com Cover art by Maggie Wal...

Bonnie and Miranda welcome in Season 2 of the show by discussing goal setting for writers. It’s important to define what your goal as a writer is, and we discuss four broad paths you can take to define what kind of writer you want to be. Thanks for listening, we can't wait for the amazing guests and information coming up this season.  Facebook: @writingheights Instagram: @writingheights Join t...

On this holiday special of The Writing Forge, Bonnie and Miranda get in the Christmas spirit by discussing the movie The Man Who Invented Christmas . Though the movie is a historical fiction take on Charles Dickens writing A Christmas Carol , it has a lot of relevance to modern writers. We cover a range of topics from publishing vs self publishing, traditional book binding, tropes about authors, a...

Humor writer Julie Vick joins us this week to talk about all things funny. Tips and Tricks: Surprise is a key element for writing humor. Play up the unexpected. The rule of three is part of this. If you’re going to be satirizing someone directly, make sure not to “punch down.” You don’t having to be funny on the first draft. Editing can and should make things funnier. Read your work out loud to ju...

Lawyer, author, and publisher Thea Rademacher, of Flint Hills Publishing , joins Bonnie and Miranda to talk about common copyright misconceptions writers have as well as ways to protect and strengthen your copyright. Tips and Tricks: As soon as you’ve written something original, you own the copyright to it. Copyright law, under the umbrella of intellectual property law, protects the intangible ass...

Amanda Headlee joins Miranda and Bonnie to discuss subgenres and tropes—their similarities, differences, and how you can utilize either to strengthen your writing. Tips and Tricks: Properly identifying your subgenre can be important for marketing and successful sales. Sometimes a trope becomes popular and used enough to set up a whole subgenre. Depending on how much your story relies on a certain...

In this twofold Halloween episode Miranda and Bonnie talk with Steve Anderson about how to write for Kindle Vella as well as how to write spooky stories. This week’s question: Have you tried out Kindle Vella? Let us know of any stories you’ve liked and link them at our socials! Tips and Tricks: Kindle Vella is a new(ish) platform on Amazon that specializes in serialized content and is separate fro...

Today Miranda and Bonnie are talking with Stina Branson about National Novel Writing Month ( NaNoWriMo for short). This week’s question: Have you participated in NaNoWriMo before? If you have, or are signing up this year, drop your username in our socials—we’d love to be NaNo buddies with you! Tips and Tricks: ● NaNoWriMo takes place in November with the goal of writing 50,000 words in 30 days, wh...