Bright & Ambitious - Writing, Revising, Sharing Your Next Novel

This writing podcast has always hosted tons of advice that YA fantasy author Kailey Bright has learned while on her personal writing journey, but this episode is the culmination of an entire year’s worth of one-on-one mentorship. Join Kailey and her author mentee, Natalie Gale, for a discussion about how they found each other, the lessons they learned, and how a mentorship program helped them both...

Shownotes: Every author dreams of having their books in store shelves across the country, but some have made that dream a full-on life mission. Romantasy author Whitney McGruder has archived her adventrures on social media as she works to visit every single independent bookstore in the states of Texas and Utah, garnering an impressive numbers of likes and comments along the way. In this episode of...

Many authors try to surprise their readers with big reveals and plot twists, but oftentimes they feel underwhelming, predictable, and even frustrating. When indie author Kailey Bright read Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibañez though, she was surprised at how much the twists and turns impacted her, even after she predicted one of the book’s biggest reveals. What made this book so different? In this epi...

Whether you’re an aspiring author, or planning your next Dungeons & Dragons campaign, worldbuilding is often one of the first and most difficult challenges to overcome. But with years of playing table-top RPG’s for a living comes with the advantage of wisdom and insight. In this episode of the Bright & Ambitious Writing Podcast, Noah Woodyard (professional dungeon master and host of the li...

When writer Daniel Waters and director Michael Lehmann released their teen black comedy "Heathers" into the theaters in 1989, they were likely hoping for critical and financial success, and a devoted fanbase for their work. What they likely weren't expecting was for others to find inspiration in their work and transform it into an off-broadway musical nearly 30 years later. While "Heathers: The Mu...

With so many social media options, authors may be tempted on skipping out on a newsletter. But as it turns out, newsletters are actually one of the most important resources indie authors have. In this episode of Bright & Ambitious, Kailey Bright talks with Rachel A. Greco (author of The Firebird and The Gift of Dragons series) about how to make sure you release newletters consistently, get you...

When you’re building a whole new world from scratch, it’s easy to get lost in all of the small details. But when your characters are literally inhuman, how do you make sure they are still relatable to your readers? In this episode of Bright & Ambitious, Kailey Bright talks with Sophia L. Hansen, author of Water’s Break about how she came up with her narrative, developed her aquatic world, and...

YALLfest 2025 may be over, but we’re still not over the experience! In this episode of Bright & Ambitious, indie author Kailey Bright shares her experience of the two-day extravaganza, as well as the exclusive mini-interviews she recorded with authors like Marissa Meyer, Victoria Aveyard, Rebecca Ross, and more! Links: Check out the other BookTok pages we interviewed! Tay’s Cafe SBU English Cl...

Some scary movies use jump scares as a cheap trick to get a startle out of you, but if you’re writing a horror novel, you don’t get the same luxury. How do you make your writing actually scary, and why would you want to in the first place? In this episode of Bright & Ambitious , Kailey Bright talks with horror novelist Gaeli Love Weiss ( Stagnant Water ) about the role scary stories have playe...

We’ve all heard the advice “write what you know,” but what happens when you want to tell a story about a character with different life experience than your own? How do you make a diverse story, and how can you make sure you do so well? In this episode of Bright & Ambitious, Kailey Bright talks with indie author and editor Whitney McGruder ( The Throwaway Queen, The Destiney Seeker duology) abo...

After you’ve already completed multiple drafts of your story, it can be tempting to skip out on what can feel like an unnecessary step. But beta reading can be one of the most important steps in the entire publishing process. In this episode of Bright & Ambitious, Kailey Bright talks with E.H. Taylor, author of the upcoming YA romantasy novel “The Heart Box” about how to find the best beta rea...

View the Presentation Here . Every writer dreams of having their book on store shelves, but it can be intimidating to try to figure out the path to publishing alone. In this episode of Bright & Ambitious, YA author Kailey Bright explains the differences between traditional publishing houses and self publishing, how to get your book published with one of the big 5, and the steps taken to get yo...

From choosing a target audience to picking out your book cover, being an author requires a lot of bold, difficult choices. How do you know you’ve made the right decision? In this episode of Bright & Ambitious, Kailey Bright talks to fellow self-published author Rebecca Garner about writing for an overlooked audience, recording her own audiobook, and how she responded after her book was banned...

Completing a first draft can be a difficult process, but it’s not impossible. In this episode of Bright & Ambitious, Kailey Bright talks to aspiring author Arielle Wilder about how she’s kept herself accountable as she completes her first draft, what she’s learned about character development, and how to finish writing those difficult chapters. Links: The Un Series Paperbacks Also available on...

For many writers, coming up with story ideas isn’t the hard part; it’s figuring out which one to actually write. In this episode, indie author Kailey Bright catches up with producer Joel Seymour about her writing goals for 2025, the challenges she’s faced along the way, and how she’s able to filter through her ideas to find her next novel. LINKS: The Un Series Paperbacks Also available on Kindle U...

Publishing your next novel traditionally takes a lot of work, connections, and most of all time. In this episode of Bright and Ambitious , indie author Kailey Bright talks with Moriah Chavis (author of Heart of the Sea ) about how to network with publishers, what tools you need to query your books effectively, and why shelving a project may help it get published in the long run. Links: Preorder Th...

Finding time to write is hard, but it’s possible if you know how to do it. Poet, artist, and short story author Amber Mulinax gives advice on how to keep up with your creative passions while balancing a busy schedule. She also shares a warning to new writers who may be miss out on their opportunity to get their work published. LINKS: Read Amber Mulinax’s publications The Un Series Paperbacks Also...

After publishing the final installment of her debut trilogy, Kailey Bright (author of “The UN Series”) returns to the microphone. In this first episode of Bright and Ambitious , Kailey and her husband Joel discuss how to set realistic writing goals in 2025 as well Kailey’s personal hopes for the new year. Read a transcript of this episode Here . Links: The Un Series Paperbacks Also available on Ki...

This Episode is an archive of the Bright and Ambitious radio segment, originally airing on XLR Lander Radio on Apr 18, 2022. In conversation with Catherine Downen ( @authorcatherinedownen ) , we discuss her new p ortal fantasy duology " Ending in Cadence " , self-publishing tips, and how to succeed in a rapid release. Links: The Un Series Paperbacks Also available on Kindle Unlimited

This Episode is an archive of the Bright and Ambitious radio segment, originally airing on XLR Lander Radio on Nov 30, 2021. “ I'm joined by Lauryn Fenwick ( @ldaishaneli ) as she discusses her poetry roots, how she writes poetry, and her advice to all poets out there! ” Links: The Un Series Paperbacks Also available on Kindle Unlimited

This Episode is an archive of the Bright and Ambitious radio segment, originally airing on XLR Lander Radio on Nov 23, 2021. “I'm joined by Catherine Downen, the #1 Best Selling author of the Markings trilogy as we discuss how she wrote her books! You can find out more about Downen and her books on her personal website and Instagram @catherinedownen” Links: The Un Series Paperbacks Also available...

This Episode is an archive of the Bright and Ambitious radio segment, originally airing on XLR Lander Radio on Nov 9, 2021. I'm joined by Angelina Vita, the head editor for New Voices, Lander University's literary magazine. We learn about the inner workings of the editorial process, how to publish in magazines, and what to completely avoid. Links: The Un Series Paperbacks Also available on Kindle...

This Episode is an archive of the Bright and Ambitious radio segment, originally airing on XLR Lander Radio on Nov 2, 2021. “Professional Writing major, President of the English Club, and recently published author Amber Ballenger joins me as we chat about writing hardships, overcoming those hardships, and remembering why writing is ultimately worth it. Read "All the Texan Poppies" by Amber Balleng...

This Episode is an archive of the Bright and Ambitious radio segment, originally airing on XLR Lander Radio on Oct 12, 2021. “ I'm joined by Joel Seymour again and fellow friend Isaac Cook from the LU's Writing Center. We laugh as we read an excerpt from my first book ever--a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan-fiction written when I was 13 years old. Don't d eny your roots. Garbage is our starting l...

This Episode is an archive of the Bright and Ambitious radio segment, originally airing on XLR Lander Radio on Oct 5, 2021. “I'm joined by Senior Mass Comm major, podcaster, animator, and photographer Joel Seymour as we discuss the revision process, tips for killing your darlings, and recognizing when content is unnecessary. Play his new animated choose-your-own adventure game with Hilda the Howda...