WRITE NOW! Workshop Podcast: Write a Book, Change the World with Kitty Bucholtz

Chris Fox is the author of his newest book, Plot Gardening , as well as Write to Market , 5000 Words Per Hour , and his latest favorite series, the Magitech Chronicles . He has been a full-time indie author since 2016, and spends his free time hiking, and making stuff up. In today's episode, Chris explains how his new book, Plot Gardening , will help you get started on a new book or series idea in...

Last Thursday, author Laura Drake spoke to us about how to improve the first five pages of your novel to grab an editor's or reader's attention. She very kindly offered listeners a copy of her Checklist for Openings , a document she created to remind herself how to make her book and chapter beginnings the best they can be. Today I pulled a few items off the list and talked about how they work and...

I've been doing some work the last week or two on recovering my lost joy and regaining deep peace. I've found a lot of helpful references in my Bible and with my friends. But a lot of introspection led me to think about the adage that frustration comes when expectations don't meet reality. That's so true, isn't it? And it certainly speaks to my life the last few years. Knowing the root cause of my...

Explicit Warning for this episode Award-winning author Laura Drake shares with us what she's learned about making the first five pages of your novel the absolute best they can be from her years working with an editor in traditional publishing. She's currently writing for Grand Central. Among the tips she offers: People come to books for the characters Great plots without great characters might hav...

One of the most obvious reasons we start thinking about vacation is the approach of summer - which is the case in the Northern Hemisphere right now. Maybe you have plans to go someplace exciting, or visit family, or stay home and relax. If you're in the Southern Hemisphere right now, you might have had an exciting, busy summer and now you need a vacation from your vacation! :-D Or maybe you are ha...

Have you ever been so crazy tired that nothing appeals to you anymore and you can't remember why you used to love this, or what exactly about that used to delight you? I kinda feel that way right now. I was telling my friend that I don't know if I even want to be a writer anymore because I'm too tired to see it as anything other than another weight on my shoulders, something that "should" be done....

Lee Batchler and Janet Scott Batchler are the writers of POMPEII, SMOKE AND MIRRORS, and BATMAN FOREVER, among many other projects. They have recently moved into producing, with Executive Producer credits on a movie to be released in 2018. In addition, Janet is a writing professor at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. If you're interested in screenwriting, or even ju...

As spring jumps into summer in the Northern Hemisphere, I've been thinking a lot about the weather. Where does the weather fit in our stories? How can we make it more interesting, not just a box we tick off our list of Everything That Goes Into a Scene? One way is to use the weather to make a twist in the story. A bright and sunny kitchen makes most people think happy thoughts. But what if there i...

In this episode, I share with you something I heard last Sunday at church - when I was supposed to be paying attention. Haha! But that's the thing. If someone is really interesting, I get caught up in the tangents in my head when they say something that gets me thinking! Last week during the sermon, the preacher Michael told us that when he was a young man he piloted ships between Sweden and Denma...

Last week's guest is back for an encore presentation to give us some stretches and exercises we can do to feel better and have better brain function while we sit and type! Bonnie DePue is an Occupational Therapist, therapeutic riding instructor, and owner and founder of CHUM Therapeutic Riding in Dansville, Michigan, in the United States. As a therapist, Bonnie uses the horse's movement and enviro...

When I published Love at the Fluff and Fold in August 2017, I realized it was the best book I've written so far and I entered it into the RWA Rita Awards. When it didn't final, I was disappointed and took some time to try to process my feelings. In the end, I came to a decision I could live with. Create a new goal: write better . Since I'm still living out of suitcases, my 3-point plan is pretty s...

Sometimes fear protects us - like when we hear a rattle snake rattling a warning while we're hiking in the desert, or when we hear a car coming when we're about to cross the street. Other times it can be a snare for us - like when we fear that agents and editors have more control over our writing careers than we do. We need to take the time to discern what exactly we feel (are we actually excited...

Bonnie DePue is an Occupational Therapist, therapeutic riding instructor, and owner and founder of CHUM Therapeutic Riding in Dansville, Michigan, in the United States. As a therapist, Bonnie uses the horse's movement and environment as a treatment strategy for children and adults with disabilities; as an instructor, she uses the therapeutic nature of horseback riding to help individuals make phys...

Last week, in Episode 52 , I went through the first half of my list of ten things you should know to help you decide if self-publishing is a path you might want to take. Today I'm going through the second half of the list so that you know what questions you need to ask yourself, and so you can eventually come to an educated decision about whether this publishing path is for you. Continuing from la...

When we work hard on a big project, we tend to be tired when it's completed. You know what's the best thing to do when you're finished? Take a break. Seriously. But how often do we do that? How often do we say, "I want to, but I don't have time"? On the other hand, when was the last time you fell asleep on the couch on a Sunday afternoon? Both your body and your mind need time to recover after a b...

Author Sarah Sundin just published her tenth historical romance novel set in World War II. Why such a niche period? She's heard so many stories from family members that the period just seemed right for her. With so many books in the same era, Sarah is known as a WWII author now. It's become her brand. She publishes a blog with "Today in WWII History" facts for every day of the war. She says she ke...

Many people believe that you need to commit to your publishing path before you even fully understand your options. They want you to choose traditional publishing or self-publishing and then learn what is required. I want to help you understand self-publishing so you can think about it and make an informed decision when you're ready . I've presented this workshop several times, and today I've broke...

For several mornings in a row, I woke up with the song "Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down playing in my head. It's a good song, I like it, and it's on my superhero writing playlist. But I have no idea why it was in my head for days . It got me thinking, though. What is my kryptonite? What takes away my energy and saps my strength? What makes me feel like I absolutely can't go on? How about you? Have you...

In addition to teaching writing in the UCLA Extension writing program, Lisa Cron is the author of both Wired for Story and Story Genius . She is an energetic and enthusiastic speaker who will reignite your fire and passion for writing! Lisa says that her first book, Wired for Story , is more of an explanation of how it all works in the audience member's brain when they are reading or watching a st...

I love using sticky notes to get and stay organized in my writing. They work great for both fiction and nonfiction! You can use a variety pack and color code your brainstorming or your plotting, or you can use the plain yellow ones. (The plain yellow can be cheaper.) They work great for flat, non-textured surfaces like counters, mirrored doors, flat walls, white boards, etc. You can also move them...

We have a lot of freedom in life, no matter who we are. Arguably, our greatest freedom is choosing who will we be. No matter what circumstances or people put obstacles in our way, we get to choose how we react and what principles will guide us. Choosing to be committed to those principles is a large part of what can bring peace into every day of our lives. I talk about an interesting challenge I h...

YA Author Elena Dillon is the queen of helping confused and terrified writers learn to do things they didn't think they could! Her website, Confused and Terrified Writer , is filled with helpful information about how to create excellent visual content for writers, as well as other helpful things, like a free how-to-use-Scrivener class. In this incredibly helpful interview, Elena gives us a lot of...

I've moved a lot over the last 25 years, and taken even more trips. Whether it's an overseas move or a weekend getaway, I've had to decide over and over what I can take with me to be able to keep working on my current project(s). The usual limits are space and weight, so taking your collection of history books or all of the color-coded binders you've created about your story world is often not pos...

Since this episode is coming out on Easter, I thought it would be fun to look at what the Easter Story - and the story of the entire Bible - can teach us about writing a great story! I start with the end - writing a story where the reader is asking, "How can the hero possibly get out of this situation?" Writing an ending that makes sense is important for readers, but other elements of the story mu...

Bestselling author Louella Nelson is a novelist, editor, and writing teacher. After the death of her mother, Louella found it difficult to write for nearly two decades. One day, she found inspiration for a new story, and things started coming together again for her. Louella was already editing Debra Holland's books, so she was very familiar with the Montana Sky series. Again, one morning she woke...