Writing in first person has both its advantages and disadvantages. It opens up the interiority of your protagonist for unfiltered and unfettered exploration, but constrains you to only the things they know. In Episode 45, we talk with author and editor Amy L. Bernstein how when to first in first-person POV and how to make the most out of it. I reached out to Amy after first reading her article, The Peril and Promise of Writing in First-Person POV . Amy L. Bernstein's website: https://amywrites.l...
Aug 29, 2023•41 min•Ep. 45
D.R. Ransdell has been writing fiction for years. She has done writing workshops and worked on her novel-writing craft along the way. But it wasn't until she got serious about screenwriting that she obtained transferable skills with writing dialogue and quickly diving into a story that improved all of her fiction writing. D.R. Ransdell's author website: https://www.dr-ransdell.com/ Barbara Hinske's author website: https://barbarahinske.com J. W. Judge's author website: https://jwjudge.com...
Aug 22, 2023•37 min•Ep. 44
In Episode 43, we talk with Dr. Millicent Eidson about using her background in disease and epidemiology to inform the fiction that she writes. She also discusses using short stories and short form fiction to experiment writing styles and points of view and to expand her skill set as a fiction writer. The portion of this conversation about point of view builds on last week's conversation that we had with Savannah Gilbo (Ep. 42). Millicent Eidson's website: https://drmayamaguire.com/ Barbara Hinsk...
Aug 15, 2023•32 min•Ep. 43
In Episode 42, we talk with developmental editor, book coach, and podcaster Savannah Gilbo about crafting a story that works. Specifically, we discuss choosing the writing point of view for your story, and the pros and cons of the most prevalent points of view, first person and third person limited. We also talk about what should go into choosing how many points of view characters your story needs. If you enjoy this episode, you'll also want to listen to or watch Episode 29 with Valerie Francis ...
Aug 08, 2023•30 min•Ep. 42
Diane Kelly is the bestselling author of several series spanning from cozy mysteries to white-collar crime. In Episode 41, we discuss the benefits of writing a series, including knowing when its time to close out a series. Diane talks about the business decisions involved in her hybrid approach to traditional and indie publishing. And she talks about the value and importance of being involved in writing organizations. Diane Kelly's author website: https://www.dianekelly.com/ Barbara Hinske's aut...
Aug 01, 2023•38 min•Ep. 41
In our conversation with USA Today bestselling author Kellie Coates Gilbert, we talk about setting reader expectations through your author branding (including your book covers) and meeting those expectations within the stories you tell. Kellie also talks about her love for the settings in which she sets her novels and how she brings them to life. Kellie Coates Gilbert's author website: kelliecoatesgilbert.com Barbara Hinske's author website: https://barbarahinske.com J. W. Judge's author website...
Jul 11, 2023•35 min•Ep. 40
In Episode 39, Brock Swinson stops by to talk about the principles that guide his creative life. He focuses on being prolific and diversifies the projects he works on. We discuss being generous with our time and experiences. One of the last things we talk about is how to develop relationships with people further down the career path of commercial success and when it's okay to tap into those relationships.
Jun 20, 2023•35 min•Ep. 39
In Episode 38, Barbara Hinske and J. W. Judge discuss various aspects of their writing businesses. J. W. is deep into the writing of his fifth novel, which has involved a significant amount of hurricane research so he can accurately terrorize his characters. Barb is focused on the business side of developing keywords that will prompt more search results, clicks, and purchases of her books.
Jun 13, 2023•26 min•Ep. 38
In Episode 37 of The Write Approach, Barb talks about how a recent trip to Paris has affected her inspiration, including one particular interaction that she definitely plans to incorporate into a future novel. We also talk about generally about building travel experiences and settings into your creative works.
Jun 06, 2023•28 min•Ep. 37
In Episode 36, we talk with developmental editor and author Tiffany Yates Martin about writing dialogue that drives your story and provides more color for your characters. Effective dialogue is as much about what your characters are saying with their body language as with the words they're using. Tiffany Yates Martin's website: https://foxprinteditorial.com/ Barbara Hinske's website: https://barbarahinske.com/ J. W. Judge's website: https://jwjudge.com/...
May 23, 2023•38 min•Ep. 36
In Episode 35, we talk with author and podcaster Kristina Adams about the physical, mental, and emotional toll that writing can have on a person. But we don't just identify problems. Adams also talks about things authors can do to better take care of themselves and improve their well-being. And ghosts. We also talk about ghosts. If you enjoy this topic on mindfulness and self-care, check out our past episode with Claire Parsons (Ep. 21). The Writer's Mindset Podcast: https://www.writerscookbook....
May 09, 2023•27 min•Ep. 35
J. W. Judge and Barbara Hinske discuss the value of consistently showing up to do your creative work regardless of your perceived progress. Consistency drives you toward hitting inflection points and give you the opportunity to success that you otherwise wouldn't have if you didn't persevere.
May 02, 2023•39 min•Ep. 34
In our conversation with NYT bestseller Alessandra Torre, we talk about launching into indie publishing in 2012 as a romance author and how her early success enabled her to quit her job to write full time. As a hybrid author, Torre has had huge success in both the indie and traditional publishing spaces. But more recently, she has made strategic business decisions about the kinds of novels she wants to write and who she wants to publish through, to attempt to amplify her success and reach new le...
Apr 25, 2023•34 min•Ep. 33
Many authors have the idea that working with a publicist can change the trajectory for commercial success or failure of their book. Frequently, their expectations are unreasonable or not aligned with the budget. Kathleen Schmidt is our guest for Episode 32 of The Write Approach to talk about what it's like to work with a publicist, what it is that publicists do, and how authors can have an effective relationship with the person doing the publicity work for their books. You can find Kathleen on T...
Apr 18, 2023•36 min•Ep. 32
One of the keys for a successful writing career marketing yourself and networking with other writers. It can take a while to figure out what sorts of marketing and networking are sustainable for you and your personality type. But like many other aspects of your writing career this is worth experimenting with and stepping out of your comfort zone. For Jessie Kwak, science fiction writer and author of Big Idea to Book: Create a Writing Practice That Brings You Joy , stepping out of her comfort zon...
Apr 11, 2023•31 min•Ep. 31
Author, lawyer, and entrepreneur Lisa M. Lilly knows what it's like to have ambitions of becoming a writer, setting that aside for a time, and coming back to fiction writing as a second career. In Episode 30, we talk with Lilly about practical measures that busy professionals can take to pursue writing as a second career. For a deeper dive into the topic, pick up Lisa M. Lilly's newest non-fiction book, Fiction Writing as Your Second Career . J. W. Judge's own book, Write Your Novel One Day at a...
Apr 04, 2023•40 min•Ep. 30
As a certified Story Grid editor and the co-host of the Story Nerd Podcast, Valerie Francis knows so much more about the art of story than we could have ever hoped to discuss in one episode. So in Episode 29 of The Write Approach, we keep the interview to a high-level discuss about how authors can study and apply story theory without getting lost or overwhelmed. Valerie Francis' website: https://valeriefrancis.ca/ Barbara Hinske's website: https://barbarahinske.com/ J. W. Judge's author website:...
Mar 28, 2023•33 min•Ep. 29
An author's decision about whether to pursue traditional or indie publishing, or a hybrid model that incorporates both, is a deeply personal one. It should be an educated decision that is made on the basis of (among other things) what business model the author is most comfortable with. In Episode 28 of The Write Approach we aim to help inform that decision. We discuss why we've each chosen traditional or indie publishing at various times, any why one of us is opening up our options. Barbara Hins...
Mar 21, 2023•30 min•Ep. 28
In Episode 27, we talk with best-selling legal thriller author Robert Bailey about his rise through the ranks of the genre. His early novel-writing career hit a snag when his publisher closed shop, but fortune shined on him when he caught the attention of Thomas & Mercer, who he's been working with ever since. We discuss how Bailey used writing to contend with turmoil and tragedy in his life, and how he launched his writing career while practicing law full time. Bailey is also friends and ne...
Mar 14, 2023•32 min•Ep. 27
In Episode 26, we talk with Michael La Ronn about what authors need to do to protect the legacy of the intellectual property they create, even after they've shuffled off their mortal coils. Creating an author estate is an essential act of empathy and kindness that you can do now that will benefit your heirs for years after you're gone. We highly recommend Michael La Ronn's books, The Author Estate Handbook and The Author Heir Handbook . Michael La Ronn's author website: https://authorlevelup.com...
Mar 07, 2023•32 min•Ep. 26
In Episode 25 of The Write Approach, Dave Chesson of Kindlepreneur talks with us about current trends on Amazon, scams that are prevalent on the Amazon platform and in the author community, problems with pirates, and dealing with copyright issues. Dave Chesson's website -- https://kindlepreneur.com/ Barbara Hinske's author website -- https://barbarahinske.com/ J. W. Judge's author website -- https://jwjudge.com/...
Feb 28, 2023•36 min•Ep. 25
In Episode 24 of The Write Approach, Laurie Fagen talks about writing novels with strong female leads, how to avoid harmful stereotypes, using news headlines to generate story ideas, and the role her career in journalism played in helping her find her voice as a novelist. Laurie Fagen's website -- http://www.readlauriefagen.com/ Barbara Hinske's author website -- https://barbarahinske.com/ J. W. Judge's author website -- https://jwjudge.com/...
Feb 21, 2023•33 min•Ep. 24
Karen Odden returns to talk about how we can make our secondary and side characters memorable to readers. Secondary characters help give our stories shape and our often the characters who readers fall in love with. Think Ron and Hermione from Harry Potter . Han Solo from Star Wars . They add depth and color. And if writers don't keep their side characters in check, they can try to take over. Karen Odden's website -- https://karenodden.com/ Barbara Hinske's author website -- https://barbarahnske....
Feb 14, 2023•34 min•Ep. 23
In Episode 22, we focus on how we decide which characters get points of view in the novels we're writing. We discuss in detail how J. W. Judge's work-in-progress has evolved from his expectation of having multiple viewpoint characters to deciding on only one. Barbara Hinske sheds light on how we can use viewpoint characters as accent pieces to make a story lighter or darker. We also talk about choosing between first-person and third-person narratives.
Feb 07, 2023•34 min•Ep. 22
In our interview with Claire Parsons, we talk about how mindfulness and self-compassion combine forces to make her a badass lawyer. Claire discusses how, through establishing a regular writing practice, she overcame doubts about whether she had enough to say to write a book. Now, she's written two and is on her way to a third. We also discuss dealing with fear. Claire Parson's website -- https://brilliantlegalmind.com/ How to be a Badass Lawyer by Claire Parsons Barbara Hinske's author website -...
Jan 31, 2023•38 min•Ep. 21
We frequently see writers on social media and other forums ask, "I've finished my novel. Now what do I do?" In Episode 20, Barbara Hinske and J. W. Judge discuss how they approach editing and editing and editing again the drafts of their completed manuscripts. We even give you takeaway spoilers: while there is no one-size-fits-all approach for what to do after you finish the first draft of your novel, you have to find what works for you, implement and hone it with consistency, and don't be afrai...
Jan 24, 2023•23 min•Ep. 20
Barbara Hinske and J. W. Judge have been using goal setting for years to motivate themselves and drive their work forward. In this episode, they look back at the goals they set for 2022, and discuss their business and writing goals for 2023.
Jan 17, 2023•33 min•Ep. 19
When you're already a bestselling author known for your legal thrillers and police procedurals, how do your agent and publisher respond when you tell them you tell them your new book is in a new genre. Your mileage may vary, but for Robert Dugoni, his team couldn't have been more supportive. We also talk with Dugoni about his journey to getting published, the myth of the overnights success, and the writing process that enables him to publish two books a year. For more from Robert Dugoni, check o...
Jan 10, 2023•35 min•Ep. 18
In Episode 17 of The Write Approach, we talk with Jennifer Hilt about the importance of genre tropes and how they color the works that we read, write, and watch. Jennifer is the author of The Trope Thesaurus and a paranormal mystery series about an undead detective. Jennifer Hilt's website -- https://www.jenniferhilt.com/ Barbara Hinske's author website -- https://barbarahinske.com/ J. W. Judge's author website -- https://jwjudge.com/...
Jan 03, 2023•39 min•Ep. 17
Christmas is nearly upon us, but for Brian Earl, Christmas is a year-round endeavor. In Episode 16 of The Write Approach, we talk with Brian Earl about Christmas Past, the title for both his popular podcast and his book about the traditions and stories that make Christmas such a central occasion to so many people's lives. Brian talks about how he started his podcast because it's the kind of thing he wanted to listen to, and he couldn't find it in the market. He tells us about its growth and evol...
Dec 20, 2022•30 min•Ep. 16
