So You've Decided To Write A Novel? 7 Tips For Getting Started

October 4th, 2021  |  Season 3  |  10 mins 55 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, nanowrimo, writers, writing, writing tips

Whether you’ve just decided it’s finally time to write that book you’ve been thinking about on your own or you’ve been bit by the NaNoWriMo bug, starting a novel can be intimidating!

It doesn’t matter if you’re a pantser (writing by the seat of your pants), a plotter, or something in between, there’s still stuff you can do to prepare yourself before you start writing.

My 5 Biggest Misconceptions About Submitting Short Stories

September 27th, 2021  |  Season 3  |  9 mins 48 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips

Submitting short stories is a LOT different than querying a novel -- even if you're looking for so-called traditional publishing.

Wasn't I an Extrovert?

September 20th, 2021  |  Season 3  |  5 mins 13 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips

The past couple of years, I’ve noticed a trend -- in myself. I’ve been wanting to stay home and not deal with going out.
But wait, I thought I was an extrovert.

My entire identity has fallen into crisis!

What I Love Most About Writing

September 13th, 2021  |  Season 3  |  7 mins 31 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips

Sometimes, when you’re stuck at some writing stage for too long, it can be hard to remember why you started this thing in the first place. So, here are the 10 things I love most about being a writer.

The 4 Components Necessary To Bring A Scene To Life

September 6th, 2021  |  Season 3  |  6 mins 9 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips

When writing, we all strive to bring our scenes to life, but it’s easy to forget a component. Scenes need action, setting, sensory descriptions, and emotional impact.

How To Beta-Read: One Writer's Style

August 30th, 2021  |  Season 3  |  7 mins 53 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips

I almost entitled this “Beta-Reading: For Fun and Profit” but… I don’t profit. At least not monetarily. Anyhow, here's my technique for beta-reading that seems to keep my writing friends coming back for more.

1 Method For Incorporating Feedback

August 23rd, 2021  |  Season 3  |  7 mins 42 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips

If you’re a writer, at some point between you putting the words down and it going out to its intended audience, you’re probably going to solicit some feedback (and if you don’t, you probably should). But, once you get this feedback -- how should you use it?

3 Techniques for Fixing Your Pacing

August 16th, 2021  |  Season 3  |  5 mins 23 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, writers, writing, writing tips

There’s a writing skill that many novelists struggle with. It’s something that read-a-chapter-a-month critique groups often miss: Pacing.

We all know that you need to start off with an inciting incident — at least by the end of the first chapter. But after there, it can get a bit fuzzy.

7 Tips for Writing Better Villains

August 9th, 2021  |  Season 3  |  6 mins 21 secs

beta-reading, books, villains, writers, writing, writing tips

There is a difference between an antagonist and a villain. Your story doesn’t need a villain. However, if you’re going to have one, you should have a memorable one

3 Tips For Deciding What Point-Of-View To Use

August 2nd, 2021  |  Season 3  |  6 mins 50 secs

beta-reading, books, writers, writing, writing tips

Picking a POV can be tricky. The three main things you need to consider are:

1. What are you most comfortable with?
2. What are the genre expectations? and
3. What feels right for the story?