Closing the Book on The Write Approach
In the final episode of The Write Approach, Barbara Hinske and J. W. Judge talk about what they've learned over the previous 74 episodes and what is next for each of them.
Jun 18, 2024•17 min•Ep. 75
The Write Approach
The Write Approach is a podcast for writers to learn more about the craft and business of writing. It is hosted by USA Today bestselling author Barbara Hinske and J. W. Judge. Hinske has written more than twenty women's fiction and mystery novels, including The Christmas Club which became a Hallmark movie. Judge has authored five novels, including the trilogy The Zauberi Chronicles, and the non-fiction book, Write Your Novel One Day at a Time. You can find out more about the hosts and this podcast at writeapproachpod.com.
Last refreshed: ⓘ
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more
Episodes
Hard Truths about the Bookselling Business with Angela Redden
For the last several years, Angela Redden has been the owner of Reading Rock Books in Dickson, Tennessee. In that time, she has had lots of experiences with authors peddling their books to her. As it concerns indie authors, more of those experiences have been bad than good. In Episode 74 of The Write Approach, there are some hard truths about the business of bookselling and information that will help authors when they consider approaching booksellers about selling their books. Reading Rock Books...
Jun 11, 2024•40 min•Ep. 74
Breaking Writing Rules with Intentionality with Randall Silvis
As a lifelong selective rule follower, J. W. Judge was overjoyed to come across an article written by Randall Silvis about writing rules that beg to be broken . In Episode 73, we discuss "rules" about writing that function more as guidelines and should only be considered if they work for you. We also talk about Silvis' writing path that in which he has traditionally published his fiction and is now indie publishing his non-fiction works. Randall Silvis' website: https://www.randallsilvis.com/ Ba...
Jun 04, 2024•32 min•Ep. 73
Unearthing the Joy in Writing and Farming with Jeanne Blasberg
In Episode 72, Jeanne Blasberg talks about how farming helps fill her creative well. She also discusses her trilogy of novels that are modern retellings of biblical stories, capturing their themes while putting them in a modern context. Jeanne Blasberg's website: https://jeanneblasberg.com/ Barbara Hinske's website: https://barbarahinske.com/ J. W. Judge's website: https://jwjudge.com...
May 28, 2024•43 min•Ep. 72
Finding Satisfaction in the Creative Process with Tiffany Yates Martin
In her return episode, Tiffany Yates Martin talks with us about finding joy and satisfaction in the writing and creative processes. You are going to encounter plenty of obstacles along the way, both internal and external. You can't control the outcome of what happens to your work once you release into the world. But if you can be determined to find satisfaction in the process of creating, you spark will remain steadfast. You can also hear Tiffany Yates Martin in Episode 36 about writing effectiv...
May 21, 2024•33 min•Ep. 71
Creating a Fascinating Cast of Characters with Vicki Delany
Whether you sketch out your characters and know everything about them before you begin writing or learn about your characters as you write, it's important that they be compelling and individualistic. Prolific crime writer Vicki Delany joins us for Episode 70 to discuss things we can do to ensure that the casts of characters with tell our stories through are interesting and help us achieve our story goals. Vicki Delany's website: http://vickidelany.com/ Barbara Hinske's website: https://barbarahi...
Apr 09, 2024•33 min•Ep. 70
Developing Characters through Their Backstory Wounds with Janet S. Fox
We all carry with us the wounds and trauma and scars that are, along with the good things we've experienced, integral to the people we've become. The same is true for your characters. While their story begins with the first words you put on the page, their backstory precedes your novel . Janet S. Fox joins us to talk about how to use your characters' backstories to develop and shape them into the person your readers experience. Janet S. Fox's website: https://janetsfox.com/ Barbara Hinske's webs...
Apr 02, 2024•33 min•Ep. 69
Don't Spoil the Twists in Your Suspense Novel with Samantha Skal
You work really hard to make sure you suspense and mystery novels have enough twists and turns to keep your reader guessing about how things will turn out. Samantha Skal joins us this week to talk about things you need to do to make sure you have twists that work, and don't fall into traps. Samantha Skal's website: https://www.samanthaskal.com/ Barbara Hinske's website: https://barbarahinske.com/ J. W. Judge's website: https://jwjudge.com...
Mar 26, 2024•36 min•Ep. 68
Managing the Dueling Responsibilities of Writing and Promotion with Kyla Zhao
Kyla Zhao wrote her debut novel, The Fraud Squad ( link ), with no expectations and no pressure. But as it came out with media attention and fanfare, she was writing her second novel in the midst of promoting the first and had to learn to juggle the dueling responsibilities of introducing one novel to the world while writing the next, Valley Verified ( link ). Kyla also talks about how the pandemic lockdown in 2020 directly resulted in her authoring her first book, and how she manages her author...
Mar 19, 2024•23 min•Ep. 67
Protecting Your Legal Rights for Your Written Works with Jodé Millman
For Episode 66, intellectual property lawyer Jodé Millman joins us to talk about what legal right we have for the written works we create. She helps distinguish between copyright and trademark laws, and what kinds of works fall under each category. She also takes about steps you can take to protect your work. Jodé Millman's website: https://jodemillman.com/ Barbara Hinske's website: https://barbarahinske.com/ J. W. Judge's website: https://jwjudge.com/...
Mar 12, 2024•29 min•Ep. 66
Embrace Your Niche and Market to Your Audience with Lynne Golodner
Lynne Golodner is a Jewish woman telling Jewish stories. She focuses her marketing efforts and community building on reaching Jewish readers. She is not excluding anyone, but she knows who her core audience is. She knows who will most closely identify with the books she is writing. And she is using her energy and efforts to draw in the people most likely to support her work. Lynne Golodner's website: https://lynnegolodner.com/ Barbara Hinske's website: https://barbarahinske.com/ J. W. Judge's we...
Mar 05, 2024•36 min•Ep. 65
Persevering with Purpose in Your Creative Work with Yasmin Angoe
Author Yasmin Angoe joins us for an inspiring conversation about perseverance and purpose. J. W. Judge's high school football coach referred to perseverance as stick-to-it-tiveness, a quality that all writers need to cultivate. Of equal (or possibly greater) importance is knowing why you are endeavoring to do your creative work. Listen to this refreshing conversation, and walk away with encouragement to keep carrying on with your creative work. Yasmin Angoe's website: https://yasminangoe.com/ Ba...
Feb 27, 2024•28 min•Ep. 64
Using a Four-Act Story Structure for Your Novel with Kimberly G. Giarratano
For Episode 63, Kimberly G. Giarratano joins us to talk about writing mystery novels in a four-act structure. Giarratano gives insights into using Scrivener to set up your story templates and even gives ideas to panters/non-plotters/discovery writers about applying structure after drafting to make sure your novel has the appropriate pacing and hits the right plot points. Kimberly G. Giarratano's website: https://www.kimberlyggiarratano.com/ Barbara Hinske's website: https://barbarahinske.com J. ...
Feb 20, 2024•36 min•Ep. 63
Letting Your Dreams Guide Your Writing with Tzivia Gover
Dreams don't have to be the strange things that live at the outer rim of your consciousness after you wake up in the mornings. You can use them to inspire you, to guide your writing, and to help you answer questions. Tzivia Gover joins us with practical ideas for incorporating dreams into your writing process and implementing methods that will enable you to capture and utilize your dreams. Tzivia Gover's website: https://thirdhousemoon.com/ Barbara Hinske's website: https://barbarahinske.com/ J....
Feb 13, 2024•35 min•Ep. 62
Researching the Right Literary Agent for Your Work with Christopher Hoffman
In Episode 61, Christopher Hoffman joins J. W. Judge and Barbara Hinske to discuss methods of researching literary agents to find those who represent authors in your genre and who you may want to query. The group also talks about the business decisions that go into query selections and whether to accept an offer of representation if one finds its way to your inbox. Christopher Hoffman's website: https://copywriteconsultants.com/ Barbara Hinske's website: https://barbarahinske.com/ J. W. Judge's ...
Feb 06, 2024•37 min•Ep. 61
The Importance of Scenes in Novel Writing with Margaret Lucke
Great scenes are the foundation upon which modern novels are built. In Episode 60, we talk with Margaret Lucke about writing compelling scenes and avoiding unnecessary exposition or explanation. Margaret Lucke's website : https://www.margaretlucke.com/ Barbara Hinske's website: https://barbarahinske.com/ J. W. Judge's website: https://jwjudge.com/...
Jan 30, 2024•32 min•Ep. 60
Creating and Holding Tension in Your Novels with Susanne Dunlap
We talk a lot on this podcast about maintaining reader interest. One of the keys to doing that is setting the right stakes for your novel. Susanne Dunlap joins us for Episode 59 to discuss how to set and maintain tension in our novels to keep the reader engaged and drive the story forward. You can read more of Dunlap's perspective on this topic in her article " How High Stakes Keep Readers (and Viewers) Invested, " which is where we first encountered her work. Susanne Dunlap's website: https://w...
Jan 23, 2024•28 min•Ep. 59
The Intrinsic Connection between Humor and Humanity with Joni B. Cole
Writing is hard. Writing humor is even more so. In Episode 58, Joni B. Cole visits to give us tips for writing humor more effectively and with more consistency. It's important to note that you don't have to be a "humor writer" to have funny lines, scenes, or characters. Humor is an intrinsic part of the human experience. For writing of any ilk to feel authentic to our humanity, humor is a natural component. You can also check out Joni B. Cole's article, " Find the Funny: 8 Tips on Writing Humor ...
Jan 16, 2024•33 min•Ep. 58
Coping with the Volatility of an Author Career with Kyra Davis
Sometimes podcast episodes choose us. As J. W. Judge was scrolling through Threads, he came across a statement by author Kyra Davis that was simultaneously honest and encouraging and disconcerting: "I’ve been relatively successful as an author. “Relatively” because I’ve occasionally struck gold but it has frequently been a struggle. I’ve made the NYT list, there have been yrs when my royalties have been 150-350k, & yrs when they’ve been 10-20k. There have been times when my publishers have l...
Jan 09, 2024•47 min•Ep. 57
Making Your Story Relatable with Deborah Williams
The Write Approach returns in 2024 with more practical discussions for authors. We start with interviewing Deborah Williams about making your story relatable to readers. You protagonist is likely going to bring different experiences to the table than your readers have ever experienced. Still, it is imperative that the reader is able to make an emotional connection with the protagonist, which you achieve through relatability. In Episode 56, Deborah Williams gets into the weeds about things author...
Jan 02, 2024•29 min•Ep. 56
Tackling Insidious Discrimination and Using Foreshadowing
In Episode 55, Barbara Hinske and J. W. Judge talk about their works in progress. After waffling between three different ideas, Judge made a business decision for writing his sixth novel. Hinske is taking on the issues discrimination and solitude that affect the visually impaired in her fifth Guiding Emily novel. They also talk about using foreshadowing to delight readers. Barbara Hinske's website: https://barbarahinske.com/ J. W. Judge's website: https://jwjudge.com/...
Nov 07, 2023•32 min•Ep. 55
Seven Ways to Strengthen Your Sentences with Erin P.T. Canning
In Episode 54, editor, author, and podcaster Erin P.T. Canning joins us for a practical and implementable topic -- strengthening your sentences. Canning shares seven ideas for ensuring that your writing has more dynamic sentences that will better engage readers and drive your story forward with more vivid language. Erin P.T. Canning's website: https://erinptcanning.com/ Erin's podcast, Parents Who Write: https://parentswhowrite.com/ Barbara Hinske's website: https://barbarahinske.com/ J. W. Judg...
Oct 31, 2023•37 min•Ep. 54
Starting Your Novel in the Right Place with Susan DeFreitas
There's a lot the opening pages of your novel need to accomplish so readers are completely engaged and to ensure you hit the benchmarks readers are subconsciously expecting. Susan DeFreitas share some practical advice for making sure you are starting your novel in the right place and what elements of story you need to establish to keep the reader to pages and not putting your book in the DNF pile. Susan DeFreitas is another in a growing line of Jane Freidman alums (along with Tiffany Yates Marti...
Oct 24, 2023•30 min•Ep. 53
Telling the Stories of the First Nations with Angie Elita Newell
In Episode 52, author Angie Elita Newell joins us to talk about her experience as an indigenous person trying to bring her novel All I See Is Violence into the world. We discuss how Newell researched for her novel by interviewing elders who share the oral histories of their people and coupled her lyrical storytelling with the magical realism that is intrinsic to the worldview of many indigenous people. Angie Elita Newell's website: https://www.angieelitanewell.com/ Barbara Hinske's website: http...
Oct 17, 2023•30 min•Ep. 52
How to Handle Conflicting Writing Advice with Allison K Williams
When you're writing there are plenty of people willing to offer their opinions about your work. Some of them are even qualified to do so. However, among professional editors there will be differing ideas, and the writing may receiving conflicting suggestions about revisions they should make to their work. When this conflict arises, how should the writer decide what to do? We walk about this with author and writing coach, Allison K Williams. Allison K Williams' website: https://idowords.net/ Alli...
Oct 10, 2023•33 min•Ep. 51
Lessons Learned in 50 Episodes of The Write Approach
In Episode 50, Barbara Hinske and J. W. Judge discuss the lessons they've learned over the past 49 episodes and how they've incorporated that into both their author business and their writing.
Oct 03, 2023•26 min•Ep. 50
Rapid Release and Writing Connected Series with Tammy L. Grace
Tammy L. Grace joins us to talk about her experience writing and releasing six books consecutively in 2023 in her Sisters of the Heart series. Tammy discusses her motivation for publishing this as a rapid release series and whether she would embark on a similar endeavor again. She and Barb discuss collaborating on connected series with other authors (like their series, The Wishing Tree ), including both the benefits and pitfalls. Tammy L. Grace's author website: https://www.tammylgrace.com/ Barb...
Sep 26, 2023•37 min•Ep. 49
The Value of Editors in Writing and Publishing with donalee Moulton
In Episode 48, we talk with donalee Moulton the role of an editor in the writing process, and how to have an effective (and positive) relationship with your editor. There are different ways to approach working with an editor -- either throughout the writing process or once the work is completed. Find what works for you and run with it. donalee Moulton's website: https://donaleemoulton.com/ Barbara Hinske's website: https://barbarahinske.com J. W. Judge's website: https://jwjudge.com...
Sep 19, 2023•30 min•Ep. 48
Writing Influences and Developing Your Author Voice
Who we read affects how we write. But the more we write and the more intentional we are about language choices, character decisions, and prose styles, the more definitively we establish our own voice from which we are telling our stories. In Episode 47 of The Write Approach, Barbara Hinske and J. W. Judge talk about the authors who have influenced (and continue to influence) their writing and they've cultivated their voices as authors. Barbara Hinske's author website: https://barbarahinske.com J...
Sep 12, 2023•34 min•Ep. 47
Being on Movie Sets and Finishing Energy for Novels
In Episode 46 of The Write Approach, Barbara Hinske talks about being on set for the filming of Guiding Emily ( Amazon link ), the second of her novels that has been converted to a movie by The Hallmark Channel. Guiding Emily is set to air for the first time on September 8 . Barbara was on set for the filming of the movie in Canada, and shares her experience of watching her written work transformed into scenes being acted out in front of her. Meanwhile, J. W. Judge talks about the energy that we...
Sep 05, 2023•29 min•Ep. 46
Hosted on Buzzsprout
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android