Write Now with Broadleaf Writers

Write Now returns with Tra Battle, former professional football player and author of When Two Homes Feel Like One , for a discussion on addressing the difficulties children face and how it might negatively affect their mental health. Tra lays out his five-book plan, how we can provide the tools kids needs as they move toward adulthood, and the phone call that saved his life. An inspirational conve...

Author, editor, and Broadleaf Writers founder, Zachary Steele is joined by Maryann Lozano, President of the Broadleaf Board and conference chair for the 9th Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference , coming September 21-22, 2024 at the Decatur Library in Decatur, Georgia. Zach and Maryann discuss why writing conferences are so important, and are joined by conference speakers, including #1 New York Time...

Author Paul Luikart joins us for a discussion on how building a story parallels a great expedition and why letting your characters guide the journey leads to the greatest discoveries. To learn more about Paul, you can follow him on Substack at https://paulluikart.substack.com/. _______ For those interested, the referenced archeology comparison includes the following steps: a.  Hypothesis...

Author Julian Winters joins Zach for a discussion on the differences between writing YA and adult fiction, story beats, and his process for building a great story. To learn more about Julian, visit his website at julianwinters.com.

In this episode, Zach is joined by Angela DeCaires, the CEO of Book Logix, for a discussion on common mistakes made in publishing and how you can avoid making them. To learn more about BookLogix, visit their website at booklogix.com.

On this episode, we're joined by John DeDakis, award-winning novelist and former editor on CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer”, for a discussion on Facing Your Fears … a struggle every author knows all too well. To learn more about John, visit his website at johndedakis.com.

Book coach and editor, Nicole Whisler, joins Zach for a discussion on when a writer should consider a book coach, what they do, and the line between editor and book coach is often blurred. For more on Nicole, visit her at https://www.whisleredits.com/.

Jessia Bowers, of the Broadleaf Board of Directors, and Broadleaf's Social Media Guru, joins one of our community--VC Marello--for a discussion on his writing journey.

On this episode of The Breakdown, author, editor, and Broadleaf founder Zachary Steele digs into show versus tell, why it's one of the most important writing lessons you can learn, and how to apply it in all that you write.

On this episode author and Broadleaf founder Zachary Steele is joined by author, podcaster, and indie tabletop game designer Bob McGough for a deep dive into the pros and cons of self-publishing versus traditional publishing. For more on Bob, visit his site at https://talesbybob.com/.

Have you wondered what copyright law covers in your work, or when or how to go about applying for a copyright? Join us as we welcome attorney Lee Morin for an in-depth conversation on copyrights and how you can ensure your work, and your livelihood, is protected.

Author, activist, and reknown storyteller Kimberly L. Jones joins Zach for a conversation on the elements of a good story, how improv helped her dig deeper, and why she'll never have to worry about writing a memoir. For more information on Kimberly, visit https://www.kimjoneswrites.com/.

Author Christopher Swann, 2022 Georgia Author of the Year, and the author of five novels, joins Zach for a discussion on how to build a narrative arc and handle character journeys through both a standalone and a series of books. Visit Christopher at https://christopherswann.com/.

On this spotlight, Broadleaf Board Member and Director of Social media visits with author Vanessa Howren Reid for a discussion on her writing journey, her inspirations, her recent short story publication, and why being involved with writing organizations and a writing community is so important. If you’re interested in joining Broadleaf to have your time your time in the spotlight, you can do so at...

Andy Davidson, the Bram Stoker nominated author of In the Valley of the Sun , The Boatman’s Daughter, and the Hollow Kind , joins Zach for a discussion on how to create characters the reader won’t forget.

On this special episode, we turn the spotlight on one the members of our writing community, Kristine Rudolph. Kristine is interviewed by Broadleaf Board member, Jessica Bowers. The duo discuss Kristine's writing journey, how she met her agent, Moe Ferrera of BookEnd Literary, at the 2019 Broadleaf Writers Conference, and dig into why Kristine writes for kids. If you're interested in joining Broadl...

On this episode of Write Now, Zach is joined southern literary icon, Ron Rash, bestselling and award-winning author of Serena , The Caretaker, The World Made Straight , and many, many more. Ron discusses his Southern roots, storytelling, why he chooses not to outline, his approach to editing, and how he uses time & place as a character in his novels.

Once you've signed with a literary agent, what can you expect from that working relationship? We're joined by literary agent Eric Smith of P.S. Literary and Adam Sass, author of Surrender Your Sons and The 99 Boyfriends of Michah Summers . At the time of the recording, Adam was represented by Eric, which gave us a great opportunity to talk about the author/agent dynamic.

We welcome literary agents Elizabeth Copps and Maeve Maclysaght of Copps Literary Services for a discussion on what you should, or should not, have in your first page. With the aid of three anonymous submissions, Elizabeth and Maeve also breakdown how the pages caught their attention, or where the writer might need some additional work. The first page is vital to your submissions to agents and edi...

On this this throwback episode, literary agent and founder of LCS Literary Services, Latoya Smith, discusses what happens after an agent signs a writer, the dark side of advances, and the advantages of retaining an agent for deals with small and mid-level publishers! Be sure to check out LCS Literary Services at lcsliterary.com.

Editing guru and author of Get a Grip on Your Grammar , Kris Spisak, joins author and Broadleaf Writers founder, Zachary Steele, for an in-depth conversation on the process of editing, why it's so important to get it right, and how to get the most out of your manuscript.

Literary agent Lauren Spieller joins us for a breakdown of what does, and does not, work in a query letter, offers some examples of query letters that led to signing clients and publishing deals, and discusses how the proper tone in a query can make all the difference.