The Casual Author

In this episode, I talk about the many things we've been up to on our homestead in the past couple of weeks, from moving nine tons of hay to processing over 50 meat and old egg laying chickens. I go into how I've finished some important drafts of books and am continuing to edit some older ones in an effort to get a book out every six months. With Bob, we dive into his complicated history with his...

In this episode, I talk about our new flock of chickens and how we are starting to get eggs from them in a very timely fashion. I explain more about buying a lot of hay in advance and taking the time to organize and stack it. I also walk through my new publishing schedule, how I've planned it out (against my normal process) so I can puslish a book every six months consistently. With Caitee, we go...

In this episode, I dive into the troubles of training a calf to a halter as well as rationing feed for and raising meat chickens. I talk about the release of my next book Dragon Blooded, and the plan to publish the rest of the series a little more quickly than I have in the past, including some unexpected planning. With Zachary, we discuss the importance of setting up characters and making sure th...

In this episode, I give an update about our homestead regarding our calf and disbudding experience, dealing with copious amount of manure and composting it as best as possible, as well as shifting chickens around. I talk about how Dragon Blooded is now available direct from my direct sale website at www.dankennerbooks.com and how flexible indie publishing can be. With L.G., we talk about her debut...

In this episode, I give an update about our homestead regarding our various chicken operations, such as moving them to and from pastures. I discuss the various ways we use our six gallons of milk a day. In author updates, I discuss my upcoming book, Dragon Blooded, and my decision around publishing to my direct store early before it's available on retailers. With Andrew, we dive into his decis...

Connecting with your readers, wherever they are around the world, is essential to not only make a living as an author, but build a community and an audience to sustain it for the future. With increasing costs of living and the challenging economy, many turn to social media, which is, aside from time, free marketing. But what if you don't know what to do there? What if showing your face or book...

Your writing process is unique to you and should remain that way. As we navigate the throng of advice for writing and the 'best way to do it', more often then not you'll find plotting and organization helps. What about discovery writing? Join me and KimBoo as we discuss the skill and strategy around discovery writing, the pros, the cons, the goods and the challenges. SHOW NOTES: Find o...

When life hits you hard, sometimes the only thing you need is to sit in front of an empty page and write your heart out. Though it may not mend broken hearts, it can aid you in processing challenges, but also help you craft beautiful stories along the way. Join me and Kelly as we talk about her experience with writing through tragedy and how disibility representation is both important and necessar...

Writing (and any creative outlet) can be such a cathartic experience, helping authors with their mental health and to keep a positive life. Join me and Abdul as we talk about his health and mental health challenges and how writing helped him flip his life around. SHOW NOTES: See my conversation on The Greatest Podcast in the Multiverse: https://youtu.be/3sSGC4lZVeQ?si=03qrB9aXL7P3GYlO Find out mor...

Scaling a business is a challenge that all companies go through, so authoring is no exception. Whether you are casual or not, at some point, we have more readers to reach and more books to write. How can you go about scaling that? Join me and Jennifer Carr as we discuss technologies and strategies she's used to scale her author business. SHOW NOTES: Find out more about Jenn and her books/podca...

Many of us have wished we could write the book that we've wanted to for most of our lives, but what does it take to actually get there? Join me and Sebastian as we talk about how he set out to write the books in his heart, how he gets into the flow, and where he gets inspiration for the books he writes. SHOW NOTES: Find out more about Sebastian and his books at https://books.gotopublish.com/pr...

As authors, finding your set of readers, whoever they may be, is such an important part of finding success. But that isn't the only part! Understanding their desires and knowing how to set and keep up with their expectations is key to building a business and doing well. Join Mr. Pixel Ate and myself as we dive into his strategies for communicating with and meeting expectations of his audience....

Writing has a tendency to bring out the best and the worst in us as we discovery the way our mind works, our history and life experiences, as well as other hidden thoughts and feelings. Join Dani and me as we discuss how self-discovery through writing, and the Enneagram, can work to enhance your experience and your character development in many way. SHOW NOTES: Find out more about Dani and her ser...

Whether you are new to writing, or you've been doing it for years, you owe it to yourself and your craft to continue growing and developing both personally and professionally. Humans thrive on progress, and we tend to feel when we miss the mark in this area. Join Irene Hill, Small-Town Crime Thriller Author, and me as we discuss this essential piece of self and how she's grown as an author...

So you've decided to query agents and publishers directly, but you wish you had some insight from someone who's been through the process. Wait no longer! Join Kay and me as we talk through her decision to go down the traditional publishing route, things she's learned, and how she's navigated working directly with two publishing companies directly. SHOW NOTES: Find out more about Ka...

Writing doesn't have to 'get in the way' of your normal life. The same is true in the other direction. Every experience, hobby, and interest can work in tandem with the others to create a rich experience for you and those around you. Join Tommy-Lee and me as we talk about how his love for martial arts, reading, writing, and many other things work together for a collective whole. SHOW N...

The things we experience in our lives, however raw or real, can sometimes fit just perfectly in a story. You know that person you talked to at the checkstand with all the cool interests? Or that hairdresser that may have been more sour than they should have been? Fuel for stories. Join James and me as we talk about his inspiration and how he brings real life scenarios and people to life in his sto...

Everyone's authoring journey begins differently, and for some of us, pivots in business and writing strategy are prone to happen in the changing market and our shifting lives. This can sometimes be necessary to make forward progress in your own objectives. Join Herman and me as we discuss his strategies and experience for paving the way for his authoring over the past few years. SHOW NOTES: Fi...

Writing in truth can look like and mean a lot of different things for each author, but we all know that a piece of us comes off in everything that we write, whether we like that or nor. For Dr. Larry James Ford, his memoir is full of history and truth as he describes his method and decisions around writing his memoir about living through the de-segregation of schools in his teenage years. SHOW NOT...

When you have a story stewing inside for years and years, it can often feel discouraging to push forward. But there is a reason it won't leave your mind alone. It needs to be told to the world! Join Chris and me as we discuss his writing journey over nearly 20 years and how he's never giving up on his story. SHOW NOTES: Find out more chris and his upcoming works at https://www.instagram.co...

Life has a way of throwing unfortunate curveballs in your direction, but those curveballs don't need to prevent you from seizing opportunities to grow and thrive in your life, or your authoring. Join Jim and me as we discuss his somewhat unexpected foray into writing and how he has, and will continue to live positively. SHOW NOTES: Find out more about Jim and his books at: http://ftperrybooks....

Creativity should never have to take the back burner even if you have a lot going on. Life can and should work together in harmony with your creative work to flourish it to its maximum. Join Joe and me as we discuss how he goes about maximizing his creativity to ensure he's living his best creative life. SHOW NOTES: Find out more about Joe and his books at: https://www.legendsuniverse.net/

Table top gaming has taken the world by storm in the past twenty years, and it continues to sweep the population, giving people a taste of building and living in new worlds. Join me and Will as we talk about his foray into tabletop gaming and the writing and creavity behind it all. SHOW NOTES: Find out more about Will and his books at: https://cyanstarlight.space/ https://adepticarus.com/

Have you ever wondered why lacking a creative outlet can sometimes lead to a bad day? As humans, creativity is what has helped us advance through time, and it will continue to help us move forward. Join me and Kyro as we discuss how writing became her creative outlet and how it can increase your quaity of life in many ways. SHOW NOTES: Find out more about Kyro and her upcoming books/publishing com...

Whether you thrive on it during your writing, or just enjoy it as a reader, structure in writing and formatting leads to better books and better reading. Join Jon and me as we discuss the importance of structure not only for him, but for all authors in the publishing game. SHOW NOTES: Find out more about Jon and his books at https://jonmcbrine.com/home Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jon_mcbr...