The Writing Podcast

Novelist and Memoirist Donna Freitas on Identifying the ”Why” of Your Book

Until you know the "why" of your book, you may struggle to structure it. So believes Donna Freitas, Brooklyn-based author of fiction and nonfiction. Her writing has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The LA Times, among other places. She is currently on faculty at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s MFA in Creative Writing. In this delightful episode, Donna discusses the "hooking and holding" approach to writing chapters. She says that your first draft is for you. You get to be selfish when writing your first draft, and it's important that you learn not to be afraid to sit down and write for you.

Writers Don’t Storytell, They Storyshow

"Show, don't tell" - that is the most basic advice given at every writer's workshop or conference. As a writer, you must show what is happening, not merely tell what happened. Writers do not have the luxury of sound to assist with narrating the story. Nor do writers have video or motion graphics. Or even images to illustrate their stories. Writers have only words. In this episode, Melissa and Dave offer six strategies for making sure you are "showing, not telling" in your novels, memoirs, and narrative nonfiction. Showing is how you evoke emotion in readers and sustain their interest.

Novelist Ann Hood on the Revision Process for Novels and Memoirs

Novelist and memoirist Ann Hood prefers the phrase "glorious mess" when referring to the first draft of a writing project. Ann recently published "Fly Girl: A Memoir," about her career as a life attendant in the late 1970s and 1980s. She has written 14 novels and four memoirs. In this episode, Ann discusses the revision process, quoting another writer who said that revising your work isn't cleaning up after the party, it is the party. She gives us insight into her revision process, how she prints out her manuscript and reads aloud to catch errors in flow, character development, and plot. She even explains her method for mapping out the narrative arc for her writing projects. Listeners will come away with practical ways to improve how they revise their work.

Jennifer Bisbing on Editing for Writers Who Plan to Self Publish

Your readers need you to be clear. Jennifer Bisbing, book editor and author of the mystery “Under the Pines," says that if an author writes with clarity about his or her theme, readers will have greater insight and appreciation. In this interview with Jennifer, she discusses how she researched her novel, which is told through the eyes of an eight-year-old. She also describes her experience in a writer's group and its value for an aspiring author. Jennifer is a professional editor, providing editorial services for authors who plan to self-publish. She says that copy editing and proofing are critical to a finished product, but even more important is specific feedback on the story itself and whether it makes sense to the readers.

How to Begin to Write Your Family Story

Most every family story includes heroes and scoundrels, and lovable as well as colorful characters. If you've ever considered writing your family history, you've probably asked, "Where do I begin the story?" In this episode, Melissa and Dave offer seven tips to begin writing your family story. One is to select a purpose early on for the writing project: "Why am I writing this?" That will help you decide what to include in your writing - and what to leave on the cutting room floor.

Book Publicist Julia Drake on the Three Key Ways to Promote Your Book

Promoting your book should begin the day you decide to write a book. That may seem like an overstatement, but the earlier you begin to think about your audience, the more success you'll have if later you decide hire a book publicist like Julia Drake, president and co-founder of Wildbound PR. In this episode, Julia identifies the three keys to book promotion (media, social media, and events).  She explains how authors can make their books stand out, even in a crowded, noisy marketplace. Julia offers tips for self-published authors as well as helping all authors understand the value and purpose of book PR.

Platform-Building Expert Stephanie Chandler on Growing an Audience for Your Writing

The word platform is a synonym for "audience." To build your writing platform means to build your audience. Many new writers groan at the idea of building their audience while also trying to write a book. It seems overwhelming. In this episode, Stephanie Chandler gives writers a simple roadmap for getting started in building an audience. CEO of NonfictionAuthorsAssociation.com, Stephanie is also the author of numerous books for writers, including The Nonfiction Book Publishing Plan and The Nonfiction Book Marketing Plan. Writers will come away from this episode with the building blocks for attracting an engaged audience for their writing projects.

Literary Agent Soumeya Roberts on How Agents Assess Your Manuscript

Even if they are not actively soliciting new ideas, most literary agents still long for the thrill of discovering a new writer who speaks to them. In this interview with Soumeya Bendimerad Roberts, she identifies the three elements that she looks for in a manuscript - style, structure, and setting. A literary agent with HG Literary, Soumeya represents literary novels and collections, upmarket fiction, and non-fiction, both narrative and prescriptive. Aspiring writers will come away from this episode with specific guidance on how to persist in the querying process.

5 Ways to Build a Following for Your Writing

"Publishing is a business." That statement is as true for those who self publish as it is for those who plan to pitch a traditional publisher. Who will purchase your book? And how do you reach them? Years ago, a popular writer named Michael Hyatt coined the phrase "platform building." It's the idea that if you want to publish, you need to simultaneously create followers who will purchase your book. In this episode, we identify the five main ways that writers can build their following.

Book Agent Miriam Altshuler on Effective Query Letters and Aspiring Authors

New York literary agent Miriam Altshuler looks for specific elements in a query letter. For starters, the query should not be longer than three paragraphs. In this delightful interview with Miriam on the wonder of books, she also offers some practical advice for first-time authors. If you're writing a memoir, for example, you need to complete the entire book before you pitch it to an agent. Publishing is a business, she says, and it's critical that you understand how to pitch your book - and pitch yourself.