Month: January 2021

A Manuscript Diagnostic Tool: Story Rubric and Nonfic Rubric

In this episode, J, J.D., and Zach talk about setting parameters for writing excellence using Story Rubric and Nonfic Rubric.

Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today’s publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business – editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins.

Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouses, J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• An update on Audiblegate
• Why Story Rubric is completely open-sourced
• How the rubric differs from the Three Story Method
• How to use Story Rubric to edit your own manuscript
• The importance of unifying language among authors

Links:

J. D. Barker – http://jdbarker.com/

J. Thorn – https://theauthorlife.com/

Zach Bohannon – https://zachbohannon.com/

Story Rubric – http://storyrubric.com 

Nonfict Rubric – http://nonficrubric.com 

Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life – https://kobowritinglife.com/

Music by Nicorus – https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep 

Voice Over by Rick Ganley – http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio – http://www.millpondstudio.com

Contact – https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/ 

*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.

Taking Risks to Pursue Your Dreams with Lisa Gardner

Lisa Gardner is no stranger to taking calculated risks as a writer. From leaving high-paying jobs to constantly letting go of agents and switching publishers, she has always lived by the phrase: “If you really want to write, you’re going to write.” Lisa is a #1 New York Times bestselling thriller author who has sold millions of books worldwide. Among many outstanding works, she is well known for her debut novel, The Perfect Husband, a twisted story of love and suspense. Her latest publication, Before She Disappeared, is available tomorrow.

From Amazon.com:

New York Times #1 bestselling crime novelist Lisa Gardner began her career in food service, but after catching her hair on fire numerous times, she took the hint and focused on writing instead. A self-described research junkie, she has parlayed her interest in police procedure, criminal minds and twisted plots into a streak of bestselling suspense novels. Her 2010 novel, THE NEIGHBOR, won Best Thriller from the International Thriller Writers. Most recently, she was honored with the Silver Bullet Award for her work with at-risk kids and homeless animals. Lisa loves to hike, travel the world, and yes, read, read, read!

Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today’s publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business – editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins.

Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouses, J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How to kill a friend and maim a buddy
• Why Lisa gets inspired by true stories
• Why writing is a personality, not an art
• The differences between calculated risks and impulsiveness
• How to find your unique writing process

Links:

J. D. Barker – http://jdbarker.com/

J. Thorn – https://theauthorlife.com/

Lisa Gardner – https://www.lisagardner.com/

The Perfect Husband by Lisa Gardner – https://mybook.to/PerfectHusband

Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner – https://mybook.to/SheDisappeared

Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life – https://kobowritinglife.com/

Music by Nicorus – https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep 

Voice Over by Rick Ganley – http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio – http://www.millpondstudio.com

Contact – https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/ 

*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.

The Benefits of Writing in the Morning with H.M. Gooden

As a mother of small children and a vivid lucid dreamer, H.M. Gooden needs to wake up early. Regardless, she knows early writing can be beneficial to many because morning-writers tend to self-edit less, their dreams and ideas are still fresh, and they can easily dictate while brewing coffee or making a commute. H.M. published her first book, Dream of Darkness, in 2017 and has published almost twenty more stories since. Her upcoming novel, A Destiny Found, releases later this month.

From Amazon.com:

In October of 2017, her love of writing and the characters in the world she created burst into public view in her first book, Dream of Darkness, which follows the adventures of a group of girls fighting evil with abilities that H. M. Gooden would love to have. When not writing fantasy, H. M. Gooden writes non-fiction pieces exploring the emotions and situations that arise in her day job as a rural family doc. As a result, 4 am has never been busier, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today’s publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business – editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins.

Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouses, J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How H.M. uses recurring dreams in her stories
• Why urban fantasy is becoming so popular
• How to define what genre you’re in
• The importance of learning from your readers
• How dictating can help flesh out ideas

Links:

J. D. Barker – http://jdbarker.com/

J. Thorn – https://theauthorlife.com/

H.M. Gooden – https://www.hmgoodenauthor.com/

Dream of Darkness by H.M. Gooden – https://mybook.to/DreamDarkness

A Destiny Found by H.M. Gooden – https://mybook.to/DestinyFound

Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life – https://kobowritinglife.com/

Music by Nicorus – https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep 

Voice Over by Rick Ganley – http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio – http://www.millpondstudio.com

Contact – https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/ 

*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.

Overlooked Marketing Tips with International Thriller Writers’ Jeff Ayers

ThrillerFest Co-Executive Director Jeff Ayers is dedicated to exposing authors to useful but commonly avoided marketing techniques. Through ThrillerFest, Jeff and others like him teach underappreciated skills like pitching a book to an agent, writing a query letter, and reflecting on edits and feedback. Jeff is an accomplished author who has published both fiction and non-fiction works. He is well known for his Star Trek companion, Voyages of Imagination, writing book reviews under The Associated Press, and for his contributions to the International Thriller Writers. To contact Jeff, write to jeffayersauthor@gmail.com.

Guest Bio:

Jeff Ayers is the author of several works of fiction and non-fiction, including Voyages of Imagination: The Star Trek Fiction Companion, in which he covered over 550 novels and interviewed 350 authors to cover the history of the Star Trek publishing landscape. He wrote the upcoming Sigma Guide for author James Rollins and his agent is currently shopping to various publishers a mystery, a conspiracy thriller, and a non-fiction project. He is a freelance book reviewer for The Associated Press, a retired public research librarian, and the Co-Executive Director of Thrillerfest for the International Thriller Writers. He co-hosts a podcast with John Raab of Suspense Magazine called Beyond the Cover, and earlier this month produced the Night of a Thousand Authors for the Atria Mystery Bus.

Whether you’re traditionally published or indie, writing a good book is only the first step in becoming a successful author. The days of just turning a manuscript into your editor and walking away are gone. If you want to succeed in today’s publishing world, you need to understand every aspect of the business – editing, formatting, marketing, contracts. It all starts with a good book, then the real work begins.

Join international bestselling author J.D. Barker and indie powerhouses, J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon, as they gain unique insight and valuable advice from the most prolific and accomplished authors in the business.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How Jeff became an author
• Why you need to know how to pitch a story
• Other marketing tips that most writers forget about
• How to learn new skills through the ITW
• If ThrillerFest will happen in 2021

Links:

J. D. Barker – http://jdbarker.com/

J. Thorn – https://theauthorlife.com/

Runes, Ravens, & Revenants (J.’s 2021 short story experiment). Offer expires on January 8, 2021 – https://jthorn.net/2021shortstories/ 

Jeff Ayers – jeffayersauthor@gmail.com

Voyages of Imagination: The Star Trek Fiction Companion by Jeff Ayers – https://mybook.to/voyages

ThrillerFest – https://thrillerfest.com

Proudly sponsored by Kobo Writing Life – https://kobowritinglife.com/

Music by Nicorus – https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep 

Voice Over by Rick Ganley – http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio – http://www.millpondstudio.com

Contact – https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/ 

*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.