Write Your Damn Novel: A podcast about writing a book in a month

What is "voice" when it comes to writing and how do you develop your own? Can it change over time, and do you need one at all? In this week's episode, hosts Kristina and Liz discuss why voice is important, define the difference between character voice and author voice, and share some of their favorite voice-y authors.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Enjoy the show? Like this epis...

It's November 1st! Happy NaNoWriMo! Now... where on earth do you START?  The good news is, the only wrong way is to not start at all. In today's episode, best friends and hosts Kristina and LIz discuss some strategies for starting your NaNo novel, how to hook your reader, how to write a killer opening line, and more!   Send us Fan Mail Support the show Enjoy the show? Like this episode,...

Do you have limited time to write this November? Are you going on vacation, or just know there will be days you wont be able to focus on writing? Are you worried you wont have the full thirty days to spend on this? You're not alone! In this week's episode, best friends Kristina and Liz discuss some strategies and tips for finishing NaNoWriMo early, recalculating your word count goals, or...

Last season we covered our survival kits for Planners and Pantsers, but there's another category of NaNo participant we wanted to make sure was represented on the podcast.  In this week's episode, your hosts Kristina Horner and Liz Leo welcome guest host Katrina Hamilton to talk about what it takes to be a Plantser. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Enjoy the show? Like this episode, giv...

Have you ever wanted to take part in a writing retreat, but don't know how? What if we told you it could be as easy as setting one up yourself? In this week's episode, best friends Kristina and Liz are joined by their good friend Katrina Hamilton to talk all things writing retreats. We discuss what they are, why they can be such a big help to writers, and how to DIY one on a budget! Send...

Do you listen to music when you write? Does music inspire ideas for your writing?  In this week's episode, best friends Kristina and Liz talk about the many varying ways music can help or hinder us as writers, and delve into a plethora of strategies for using music to your advantage this November! Send us Fan Mail Support the show Enjoy the show? Like this episode, give a thumbs up , or bette...

Do you have an idea for a series? Are you planning a novel you know will have multiple installments, or maybe you've already written book one and you're ready to tackle book two for this year's NaNoWriMo? In this week's episode, best friends Kristina and Liz talk about what it takes to write a series and how to use NaNoWriMo to acheive your goals. Send us Fan Mail Support the s...

Lots of novels have more than one author, but how do they make that work? What's the writing process like? And is it at all feasible during NaNoWriMo? In this week's episode, best friends Kristina and Liz talk about what it takes to co-write a novel with another person. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Enjoy the show? Like this episode, give a thumbs up , or better yet - leave a review...

Having a hard time deciding what to work on for NaNoWriMo this year? Are you flirting with the idea of starting a brand new, shiny project while your older ideas give you side eye from the shelf?  In this week's episode, best friends Kristina and Liz talk about the pros and cons of going either direction. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Enjoy the show? Like this episode, give a thumbs up ,...

Another season of NaNoWriMo is upon us, and what better way to celebrate that than with the advent of our fifth season of this podcast? It's hard to believe how long we've been doing this, and couldn't be more grateful for your support. In today's episode, best friends Liz and Kristina look at what's coming in Season 5, and take a moment to discuss some of their own favori...

It's our last episode of Season 4! We might have forgotten to wrap up this season, so here's a farewell episode before we jump into Season 5 for the upcoming NaNo season!  In today's episode, we talk about how to take advantage of the break between Camp NaNo July and November, when to start prepping for the next NaNoWriMo, and say goodbye...for now! Send us Fan Mail Support the show...

There's one universal truth when it comes to writing: IT'S HARD. Listen, we get it. We've all had those moments where we question why we even try. If you've ever sat in front of your laptop feeling like a fraud, you're not alone. In today's episode, best friends Liz and Kristina discuss why this happens, give advice on what to do when you get discouraged, and suggest...

It's officially April! That means we're camping , fam!  In this week's episode, best friends Kristina and Liz talk a bit about their own experiences camping (NaNoWriMo and otherwise - who says this podcast is only about writing?!) as well as sharing ten uninterrupted minutes of inspiring music to write to this month, custom made by our very own Liz!  Happy writing. :) Send us Fan Ma...

It's a writer's worst nightmare: the dreaded "Writer's Block".   In this week's episode, your hosts Kristina and Liz discuss what writer's block is, whether or not it's real and what can you do about it if you're feeling stuck. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Enjoy the show? Like this episode, give a thumbs up , or better yet - leave a review !  Follo...

We're back for the first time ever in SPRING to talk about Camp NaNoWriMo! Stay tuned for 10 more episodes for a very special part two of Season 4.  What is Camp NaNoWriMo? How is it different than the NaNoWriMo that happens in November? Join us this week for a discussion on what kinds of projects you can do for "Camp" and how to track unconventional project progress. It's good...

Book titles are the first thing a potential reader sees! But they can also be super hard to come up with. In this episode, best friends Kristina and Liz walk you through a number of things to consider when thinking up a title for your novel. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Enjoy the show? Like this episode, give a thumbs up , or better yet - leave a review !  Follow us on: Instagram: @ writeyour...

NaNoWriMo 2022 is now over! In this episode, best friends Liz and Kristina talk about why why they keep coming back to this challenge, year after year.  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Enjoy the show? Like this episode, give a thumbs up , or better yet - leave a review !  Follow us on: Instagram: @ writeyourdamnnovel Threads: @writeyourdamnnovel Join our Discord server to hang out with a communi...

Are you wanting an extra challenge this year? Are you interested in trying out a story idea using braided narrative, found documents, non-linear narrative, captain's logs, etc? Best friends Liz and Kristina talk through all the ways they've gone off the beaten path in their writing and how you can too! Send us Fan Mail Support the show Enjoy the show? Like this episode, give a thumbs up...

There's no avoiding it: people are always going to ask you what your book is about. It's extremely helpful to have a succint answer ready for this dreaded question! In today's episode, best friends Kristina and Liz discuss the difference between a "blurb" and a "pitch" and how to get people hooked on your idea without putting them to sleep first. Send us Fan Mail...

Do you have kids? Are you a caregiver? Are you responsible for the day to day care of another human in some way? In this episode, best friends Kristina and Liz walk you through tips for making space for writing amidst the chaos of caregiving, and more importantly - discuss why it's so important that you feel empowered to take that time. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Enjoy the show? Like t...

Maybe you JUST learned about NaNoWriMo and haven't had time to prep. Maybe you weren't sure you were going to do it this year and made the decision to try in the eleventh hour. Or maybe you're a panster and just haven't figured out what you're doing yet because that's how you roll! Whatever your situation, we've got you covered. In this episode, best friends Liz...

A very special bonus episode for Halloween!  One of our Discord members requested we talk about some of our favorite NaNoWriMo memories from over the years! So in today's episode, best friends Liz and Kristina take little a trip down memory lane. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Enjoy the show? Like this episode, give a thumbs up , or better yet - leave a review !  Follow us on: Instagram: @...

Ever wished there was just a TEMPLATE for how to write an entire novel, start to finish, in November? 50,000 words, 30 days, every step of the Hero's Journey accounted for. Now, there is!  In this episode, best friends Kristina and Liz map out where you should be in your novel at each point in the month, so feel free to use this episode as the ultimate hand-holding guide for not just starting...

Are you a planner? Do you wish you were a planner? In this episode, best friends Liz and Kristina break down the basic neccessities planners need to prepare for (and survive) NaNoWriMo.  Thanks to listener lexisnexis for this great topic suggestion! Send us Fan Mail Support the show Enjoy the show? Like this episode, give a thumbs up , or better yet - leave a review !  Follow us on: Instagram: @ w...

Are you a panster? Do you turn your nose up at outlines, but still want to find some way to prepare for NaNoWriMo? In this episode, best friends Liz and Kristina break down the basic neccessities pansters need to prepare for (and survive) NaNoWriMo.  Thanks to listener lexisnexis for this great topic suggestion! Send us Fan Mail Support the show Enjoy the show? Like this episode, give a thumbs up...