Writer in the Making

Which tense should your story be written in? Past or present? “Past or Present Tense: Which is Best?” www.novel-writing-help.com is mentioned in this episode.

I can’t believe this is episode 100! Thank you so much for tuning in all over the world. Your support is greatly appreciated. Tune in to hear more about me, what’s in the future for the show, what I’m working on, and more!!!

Some of us do have the natural gift with words, but a lot of us have learned what it takes to craft a story. I had no knowledge prior to publication in what it took to write a great story. Should you invest in writers’ guides, conferences, and writing courses? Have a listen!

Are you repeating yourself? Whether it’s crutch words such as “like,” “just,” “I admit,” and my personal favorite “well.” Or perhaps you rehash things in your manuscript. Did you point something out in one chapter but repeated it again in another? Have a listen. Big shout out to the writing community for their tips!

Should you do a book tour? Since everything is digital now, what about a blog tour? Is it worth it to spread the word about your book? I’m considering this so have a listen. ”Everything You Need to Know about Organizing a Blog Tour” at authornews.penguinrandomhouse.com

Welcome my next guest to my podcast, Rachael Bloome! She’s a fellow sweet romance author and if you haven’t downloaded her free novella, Puzzle Pieces, do so now at her website and online stores such as Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, and Apple Books. Rachael is an amazing writer! Not only does she share about her life as an author, but we discuss imposter syndrome and having confidence as a writer....

While I’ve grown accustomed to writing on my laptop, I recently picked up a pen and notebook to help me out of a creative slump. Having trouble with your work in progress? You may need a pen.

Here’s some encouragement for my fellow writers. This was not easy to talk about, but I hope it helps you in one way or another. I don’t have all the answers, but I will share how I walk through this every day. I can only say so much, so it really boils down to you making the decision.

Once a month is usually common when sending out announcements, book cover reveals, book launch dates, etc. to readers. Is that it? What else can you put in your newsletter? Running out of ideas? Just getting started and don’t know what to do? authormedia.com and 20 email tips & tricks for Author newsletters from shaylaraquel.com are mentioned in this episode.

Are you an underwriter? What is it exactly? Well... you’ve run out of words to put into your manuscript. If you’re like me, you’re close to the end of your book at 50K when you want 85K. That’s 35K away! What do you do to add more without dragging your story? noveldoctor.com is mentioned in this episode.

My newsletter is here! If you haven’t subscribed to my mailing list, go to dariawhite.com to sign up through the pop up window. What I’ve learned from this process? Be yourself. viladesign.net

I recently was a guest panelist on The Write Track podcast. I had an awesome time getting to know Valencia Stokes, Rebekah Dodson, and Aksa Mahmood. Have a listen to the episode as we discuss the romance genre itself, industry news, and how to protect yourself from trolls. Available on Podbean and Spotify. https://www.thewritetrackpodcast.com/

Bad reviews. I hate to break the news to you but they’re inevitable. No matter how hard you work to have a polished manuscript (traditional or independent), there’s always going to be a small group of people that don’t like your book. They won’t even like you and there is no justifiable reason. What do you do?

Marketing can seem daunting for a writer. Not only do you want your book to sell well, readers want to connect with you. You’re basically selling yourself, but in a good way. When does this process start? Before your book’s finished? After you’re published? Have a listen. Check out Vivien Reis‘ “How to Market Yourself as an Author” on YouTube. Great stuff for indie and traditional authors.

Awesome news! Meet the main characters of Wish for Love coming to you later this year! We have our leading lady, Leah Morris, and our leading man, Cole Parsons. Have a listen!

It’s a new month! Congrats if you made your CampNaNoWri goals, and congrats if you didn’t! I didn’t so you’re not alone lol. Not set topic here. Just an update of my goals for the month and others projects for the future.

The first draft is only the tip of the iceberg. Your manuscript is no where close to being finished. So... how many do you need?

With the launch around the corner, how do I feel? Well... this is dedicated to the authors that wonder is there book good enough. I hear you and I know how you feel. Here’s some motivation for you and myself.

With only a few days left, what have I learned from participating in Camp NaNoWriMo? A lot believe it or not. Have a listen.

Keeping the finish line in view as you write your story. Is the journey frustrating? Yes. Do you get stuck? Yes. Do we quit? No way. I used to play basketball so one of the things I learned was to pivot so I wouldn’t travel with the ball as the guard. Same with writing, when things happen, pivot. https://thecompletecreative.com/ is mentioned in this episode.

Another episode for my traditional writers! For the manuscripts I did query, what was my strategy? I personally invested and had my editor write my query letter since I was so new to the process. I’m so glad she was able to summarize the words that I had already written. I felt much more confident sending it out to the publisher I chose. If that’s not in the budget for you, here are a few tips bas...

As promised, this is part 2 of pacing your story. Not much different from what I shared in part 1, but I’ll share anyway. nownovel.com and well-storied.com are mentioned in this episode.

You’re sitting in front of the laptop, and you get nothing. Perhaps you have your phone on social media? Does life get in the way? How are you supposed to finish your story? Are you distracted without even knowing it? Or could it be... procrastination?

Another Camp NaNoWriMo update. How’s it going?

For all my authors wanting traditional publishing, this one’s for you! Though the majority of my work is self-published, I did query my most recent manuscript back in February. I hit the send button! So... what now? I’m waiting just like you. What do we do when we’re waiting. I’ll tell you what I’m doing.