Landing an agent to advocate for your work is no mean feat. In Episode 15 of The Write Approach, Karen Odden tells us the research and effort she put into finding the right literary agent for her Victorian-era historical novels. We talk about the benefits of writing to a niche market and the significant role the research plays in her writing (and the joy she derives from that research). Finally, we talk about how about Karen's academic career has dovetailed with the novels she writes. Karen Odde...
Dec 13, 2022•43 min•Ep. 15
While working with rocket scientists as a defense contractor, Georgina Cross jumped into the world of writing suspense and thriller novels. She is now writing full time and has no intent to go back to her day job. In Episode 14 of The Write Approach, we talk with Georgina Cross about the grind of writing one novel while waiting from the previously written novel to sell to a publisher. We discuss the benefits of using locations local to you as the setting for your story and the benefits doing so ...
Dec 06, 2022•41 min•Ep. 14
In Episode 13 of The Write Approach we talk with author and podcaster Matty Dalrymple about using a frame to aid you in writing your novel. We distinguish a framework from a conventional outline and talk about how it can benefit both plotters and discovery writers. Matty gives personal illustrations of what prompted the need for developing a frame for her own writing and how it has benefited her. Matty Dalrymple's website -- https://www.theindyauthor.com/ (her article, Creating a Story Frame ) B...
Nov 29, 2022•37 min•Ep. 13
In our second episode with Linden Gross, we discuss the different kinds of editing that are available (and usually necessary) for writers. We shed light on how to distinguish between what you need (developmental editing, copy editing, line editing, and proofreading) and at what point in the process you need it. We also get personal and practical in this episode by having Barbara Hinske talk about a scene she wrote that wasn't as emotionally effective as it needed to be, how Gross identified the ...
Nov 22, 2022•29 min•Ep. 12
In the first of two episodes with Linden Gross, we talk about what it's like to work with a writing coach. Barbara Hinske and Linden Gross have worked together on twenty books, so we delve into how that relationship works and how they've refined their book development process over time. Gross talks about how, as a writing coach, she has to be flexible to meet the needs of her clients. Finally, we discuss the benefits that writers can obtain from working with a writing coach. Linden Gross' websit...
Nov 15, 2022•40 min•Ep. 11
Having listened to Dan Wells for years on Writing Excuses and Intentionally Blank, J. W. Judge and Barbara Hinske had about 4 hours worth of questions that we crammed into 40 minutes. Primary among the topics that we discussed with Dan was how his religious beliefs and worldview affect write he will (and won't) write about and how he approaches those topics. We also talk about how our early life experiences can color how comfortable we are writing about darker themes. On the business side of aut...
Nov 08, 2022•42 min•Ep. 10
Most readers no longer want large blocks of text that describe settings in intimate detail. If you are writing those kinds of paragraphs and were able to poll your readers about them, you'd likely find that those parts of the book are being skimmed or skipped. So the question becomes how to include those important descriptions details about settings and characters without beating the reader over the head with them. In Episode 9 of The Write Approach, Barbara Hinske and J. W. Judge give some idea...
Nov 01, 2022•38 min•Ep. 9
Most everyone focuses their attention on having compelling protagonists. But are you giving your antagonists the attention they deserve? Whether you're writing romance, mysteries, or fantasy novels, your bad guys need to be well-rounded to be interesting. Two ways to do this are through sharing their back story and identifying the motivations for their actions. Barbara Hinske's author website -- https://barbarahinske.com/ J. W. Judge's author website -- https://jwjudge.com/ J. W. Judge's writing...
Oct 25, 2022•33 min•Ep. 8
When you finish one writing project and are mentally (and let's face it -- emotionally) ready to take on a new one, it can be a daunting task to decide what to write next. If you're like us, you have no shortage of ideas. So how you decide what to write next? Barbara Hinske and J. W. Judge have had very different approaches to responding to this question. Because Barbara has multiple series going, her creative choices are colored by business necessities. J. W. has been a bit more willy-nilly abo...
Oct 18, 2022•32 min•Ep. 7
We had a different episode slotted for this date, but when Kevin Tumlinson told us his birthday is October 12, we couldn't help but give him an early birthday present. We cover a bunch of ground in this interview, and two parts of the conversation really stand out. Kevin talks about writing novels quickly, but also about that costs that can accompany doing that. We also discuss how his crossover stories have origins in being creative endeavors but have the effect of introducing multiple intellec...
Oct 11, 2022•36 min•Ep. 6
In Episode 5 of The Write Approach, NYT #1 bestselling author David Ellis talks about the tenacity and intentionality required to juggle writing and legal careers simultaneously, how collaborating with James Patterson has improved his writing, and why a writer must prioritize maintaining their readers' interest in every chapter. We also discuss David Ellis' newest book Look Closer and why he enjoys starting a new novel with a character in mind before he starts developing the plot. David Ellis --...
Oct 04, 2022•32 min•Ep. 5
Barbara Hinske and J. W. Judge start with personal updates about their author journey's, including Barb recounting how she responded to losing two hours worth of writing. In the day's topic, they discuss different methods of researching and the integral role that research has played in writing their novels. In the conversation, they discuss how research can be anything from going through historical archives to traveling to sites pertinent to a story to interviewing people who have the physical l...
Sep 27, 2022•31 min•Ep. 4
The Write Approach's first guest is #1 New York Times bestselling author Scott Turow. We talk about how marketing new books has evolved, the drive that kept him practicing law for more than 20 years after he was a well-established bestseller, and how he approaches new writing projects. Scott Turow's newest book, Suspect , releases on September 20, 2022, and Barbara Hinske couldn't find enough good things to say about its characters during the interview. Also on September 20, J. W. Judge's third ...
Sep 20, 2022•37 min•Ep. 3
There are many business decisions to make as an author. Primary among them is which name to write your works under. Co-hosts Barbara Hinske and J. W. Judge have both opted to write their fiction under pen names. In Episode 2 of The Write Approach, they discuss their personal reasons for using pen names, the benefits of using a pseudonym, and some of the difficulties that accompany it. Barbara Hinske's author website -- https://barbarahinske.com/ J. W. Judge's author website -- https://jwjudge.co...
Sep 13, 2022•26 min•Ep. 2
In Episode 1 of The Write Approach, Barbara Hinske and J. W. Judge introduce themselves to listeners and discuss: (1) where the ideas for their stories and series have come from, and (2) what they do with those ideas once they have them. Barbara Hinske's author website -- https://barbarahinske.com/ J. W. Judge's author website -- https://jwjudge.com/ J. W. Judge's writing blog -- https://expectantwriter.com/...
Sep 06, 2022•30 min•Ep. 1
