Working with a 3 Act Structure

May 13th, 2024  |  Season 8  |  7 mins 46 secs

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

The three-act structure has been the standard in Western storytelling for millenia. How can we create innovative, exciting work in a format the audience is expecting? How do we make the middle part powerful and lasting when most of the attention-grabbing moments are at the beginning and end?

Yes! That IS a Real Word

May 6th, 2024  |  Season 8  |  3 mins 36 secs

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

Language exists to share a thought or concept. If you manage to do that? Congrats! You've used a REAL word. At least in my opinion.

Warning Signs for New & Independent Authors

April 29th, 2024  |  Season 8  |  11 mins 6 secs

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

It’s a jungle out there for new writers. Do you know the difference between a real publisher and a vanity press? What kind of scams are currently circulating? What rights are you giving away when you sign that contract… or even enter that contest?

7 Ways Writers Handle Rejection

April 22nd, 2024  |  Season 8  |  5 mins 51 secs

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

How do you deal with rejection?

13 Types of Responses Writers Get When Querying Agents

April 15th, 2024  |  Season 8  |  12 mins 35 secs

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

Otherwise known as "Tales from a form rejection letter connoisseur"

How many of these have you gotten? Any I missed?

Picking a Point of View

April 8th, 2024  |  Season 8  |  6 mins 18 secs

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

When you're writing a story, you need to pick a point of view. (POV)
First, second, or third? Close or omniscient? And whose story are you telling?

Drafting a Manuscript Using Voice-To-Text

April 1st, 2024  |  Season 8  |  9 mins 38 secs

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

When your words aren't flowing, sometimes that means you should mix things up. Have you tried using your phone and these 5 tips?

The 5 Components of a Query Letter

March 25th, 2024  |  Season 8  |  13 mins 9 secs

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

Writing Query Letters seems intimidating, but it's just a business letter. Past the gimmicks and bios, here are the 5 things you really need.

9 Terms All Querying Authors Should Know

March 18th, 2024  |  Season 8  |  8 mins 44 secs

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

While many publishing terms are used to mean multiple things, these are a few basic concepts that the industry mostly agrees on.

5 Songs to Query To

March 11th, 2024  |  Season 8  |  5 mins 47 secs

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

There are many emotional states that a querying author goes through. So, let’s explore a few of them through song.