Bestseller Emily St. John Mandel is well versed in the realm of writing science fiction novels. Drawing upon decades of story elements from her favorite sci-fi books, she creates stories that are true to herself while sticking to the rules of the genre. Emily has written six novels, winning notable acclaim from people like President Barack Obama, and had Station Eleven adapted for TV by HBO. To purchase her latest novel, Sea of Tranquility, follow the link below.
Continue reading “Writers, Ink Podcast: Episode 138 – Writing Science Fiction with NYT Bestseller Emily St. John Mandel”
Q&A Episode – May 2022
In this monthly q & a session, the guys answer listener questions.
J.K. Rowling was nearly homeless when she wrote the first Harry Potter book. Stephen King penned CARRIE on a small desk wedged between a washer and dryer. James Patterson worked in advertising and famously wrote the Toys “R” Us theme song long before becoming an author.
Join New York Times best-seller, J.D. Barker, and indie powerhouses J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon as they pull back the curtain on some of the world’s most prolific authors. Where did they start? What is their process? The biggest names in publishing all have origin stories, all have a process, all have tips and secrets… What does it take to consistently top the bestseller lists? Get your notepad out. School’s in session. This, is Writers, Ink.
Questions asked:
- This is a difficult question – I’ve been pondering this for some time. I suspect you might be unable to answer this. There are a series of TV films starring Tom Selleck based on Robert B Parker novels called the Jesse Stone series. If you could use one word to describe the atmosphere in the films it would be melancholy. It’s mostly achieved by music photography and Tom Selleck’s slow drawl dialogue. How can one achieve this melancholy feeling in writing?
- How do you reconcile multiple streams of income (in multiple author services) and the simplicity of offering ONE thing on your website for clients? I know that in order to build clientele, we need to focus our efforts, time, and attention (and maybe even marketing) on one service so as not to overwhelm the potential client with too many options. But, I receive (small amounts of) income from various author services I perform–editing, coaching, audiobook narration. How can I keep my website, newsletters, and “elevator pitches” simple enough and still allow clients to know what they can hire me to do? For instance, I thought of putting up my signature offer on a featured website page, and then list “other author services” with a link to a different page so it doesn’t clutter up the featured page.
- If you could go back in time and change one decision you made in your writing career what would it be and why? If you wouldn’t change a thing…why not
- I’m appreciating more and more the benefits of hybrid publishing through traditional and self. While I start my query process, I’m curious to best practices. How many agents should you submit queries to at one time? If you have two novels in different genres, should you submit both and see which one is picked up or focus on one? Also, where are the best places to meet agents? I write in the fantasy and superhero fiction genres. Where would I find agents that represent my genres? Does a personal meeting help the process of query acceptance?
- Sounds like JD has “won” the treadmill that most authors hit in terms of making enough money to retire on without having to work with all his investments. What keeps him writing?
- I think Steven King said that 1 million words published is an achievement to make you a great writer. Do you think that number is correct? if not what is the number? Or does it mean you need to have an editor and ensure you have deliberate practice in order for the million words to count?
Bestselling husband-wife team Lars Kepler knows a thing or two about writing with your spouse. In writing as in marriage, the Kepler duo must routinely navigate around indecision, such as compromising on important plot points, in order to maintain an efficient and fun writing environment. Kepler is an international bestseller, having sold 16 million copies in 40 languages. To purchase their latest novel, The Mirror Man, follow the link below.
Continue reading “Writers, Ink Podcast: Episode 136 – Writing with Your Spouse with International Bestseller Lars Kepler”
Stephen King called Don Winslow, “one of America’s greatest storytellers,” and for good reason. For decades, Winslow has consistently produced international bestselling works. His newest release, “City on Fire,” is no exception. Don writes daily, sometimes reading poetry for inspiration. “City on Fire” is the first book of a new trilogy that will probably be Don’s last.
Continue reading “Writers, Ink Podcast: Episode 135 – Poetry and Persistence with NYT Bestseller Don Winslow”
Jennie Nash has a blueprint for any successful book. By focusing on the pure fundamentals of writing and gaining marketing experience through pitching or proposing, she helps both fiction and nonfiction authors tell their best stories while earning a profit. Jennie is the author of eleven books and founder of Author Accelerator book coaching. To preorder her latest book, Blueprint for a Nonfiction Book, follow the link below.
Continue reading “Writers, Ink Podcast: Episode 134 – Blueprint for a Book with Jennie Nash of Author Accelerator”
Meg Bowles of The Moth knows the secrets to telling a good story. The Moth is an international organization that helps everyday people master storytelling through public speaking by focusing on authenticity, vulnerability, and confidence. They host public speaking events and workshops all over the world, and community events like The Moth Education Program. To purchase How to Tell a Story, follow the link below.
Continue reading “Writers, Ink Podcast: Episode 133 – How to Tell a Story with Meg Bowles of The Moth”
Q&A Episode – April 2022
In this monthly q & a session, the guys answer listener questions.
J.K. Rowling was nearly homeless when she wrote the first Harry Potter book. Stephen King penned CARRIE on a small desk wedged between a washer and dryer. James Patterson worked in advertising and famously wrote the Toys “R” Us theme song long before becoming an author.
Join New York Times best-seller, J.D. Barker, and indie powerhouses J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon as they pull back the curtain on some of the world’s most prolific authors. Where did they start? What is their process? The biggest names in publishing all have origin stories, all have a process, all have tips and secrets… What does it take to consistently top the bestseller lists? Get your notepad out. School’s in session. This, is Writers, Ink.
Join us on Patreon and ask a question guaranteed to be answered on the podcast!
https://www.patreon.com/writersinkpodcast
Questions asked:
- Just wondering how much your children are involved in your writing business and/or how much you plan to get them involved in the future. Would you discourage them from pursuing writing full-time?
- A question for each of you today: What one writing skill would you like to improve about your own fiction writing?
- Is there something you’ve been wanting that represents a level up investment for your writing life (e.g. joining an exclusive mastermind, going to a new conference, buying a new computer, etc.) that you’d like to do by the end of the year?
- I’m going to a conference that has a ‘pitch fest’ where you have 5 minutes (3 minutes to speak and 2 minutes for editor to respond) to pitch your project to editors and agents. Have any of you taken part in a pitch session? The conference organizers have provided some guidelines but would love to hear any tips. I’m pitching a non fiction book proposal. Thanks!
- Having talked with so many authors at this point, what seems to be the same thing or advice all of them say/do (besides that they write books)?
Links:
J. D. Barker – http://jdbarker.com/
J. Thorn – https://theauthorlife.com/
Zach Bohannon – https://zachbohannon.com/
Free Writing Challenge from AutoCrit – https://autocrit.com/challenge2022
The Author Life Summit 2022 – https://theauthorlife.com/summit2022/
Death of the Black Widow – https://amzn.to/3rsA97v
Curse of the Spiral – https://books2read.com/cursespiral
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/dev/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.
Kingdom of Bones, the sixteenth book in James Rollins’ Sigma Force series, put the bestselling author to the test. From drafting the book during the rise of COVID-19 to managing the complexities of maintaining a long-standing series, he used decades of marketing and storybuilding experience to overcome the difficulties of writing and publishing a novel during the pandemic. James is the #1 NYT bestseller of international thrillers, best known for writing Sigma Force and six standalone thrillers. To preorder Kingdom of Bones, follow the link below.
Continue reading “Writers, Ink Podcast: Episode 131 – Kingdom of Bones with #1 NYT Bestseller James Rollins”
Bestseller Carter Wilson never writes the same book twice. By choosing to write standalone novels instead of series, he keeps his worldbuilding skills sharp, forcing himself to write new, unique characters in new settings for each book. Carter is a bestselling author of eight standalone psychological thrillers, including The Dead Girl in 2A and Revelation. To preorder his latest book, The New Neighbor, follow the link below.
Continue reading “Writers, Ink Podcast: Episode 130 – Sticking with Standalones with Carter Wilson”
Elissa Sussman knows how to keep her writing on schedule. Drawing from her past experience as a ghost writer and manager, she maintains a strict working regimen with set writing hours each day to maximize her productivity and availability. Elissa was a ghost writer of 15 young adult novels before writing adult novels under her own name. To preorder her latest book, Funny You Should Ask, follow the link below.
Continue reading “Writers, Ink Podcast: Episode 129 – Staying on Schedule with Elissa Sussman”
Q&A Episode – March 2022
In this monthly q & a session, the guys answer listener questions.
J.K. Rowling was nearly homeless when she wrote the first Harry Potter book. Stephen King penned CARRIE on a small desk wedged between a washer and dryer. James Patterson worked in advertising and famously wrote the Toys “R” Us theme song long before becoming an author.
Join New York Times best-seller, J.D. Barker, and indie powerhouses J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon as they pull back the curtain on some of the world’s most prolific authors. Where did they start? What is their process? The biggest names in publishing all have origin stories, all have a process, all have tips and secrets… What does it take to consistently top the bestseller lists? Get your notepad out. School’s in session. This, is Writers, Ink.
Join us on Patreon and ask a question guaranteed to be answered on the podcast!
https://www.patreon.com/writersinkpodcast
Questions asked:
- Probably one for JD; Do you think it is easier to sell a completed manuscript or screenplay assuming the same quality and all other things being equal?
- What are the arguments you check when deciding to pitch to a publisher versus publishing yourself?
- Curiosity question: Are you writing in silence or do you listen to music or sounds? If you listen to something, is it the same all the time or do you vary? And what are you listening to?
- How do you choose the right editor?
- How do you decide your WIP is done and ready to publish?
- How does a new author determine who their target reader is?
- If you provide author services and run an author business, as well as author books, what is a good ratio of time spent on either endeavor?
- For Zach: You’ve mentioned that the past two or three years have been your most successful. What are you doing to reach readers? How many books do you have out now?
- What are the best first steps for a FT indie author looking to branch out into the trad-pub world? What are the things that traditional publishers would be looking at in terms of platform and prior sales?
Gillian Flynn never expected GONE GIRL to become an international bestseller, or for the movie directed by David Fincher to become a Hollywood blockbuster. Instead of chasing trends or trying to anticipate the market, Flynn wrote the kind of story she wanted to read. It wasn’t supposed to work. And yet it did. Gillian writes with a cinematic flair, which translates well to adaptations. She fuels her passion for movies inherited from her father, and now passed along to her son. She’s going to need a bigger boat.
Continue reading “Writers, Ink Podcast: Episode 127 – Lifelong Dedication and the Pursuit of Craft with #1 NYT Bestseller Gillian Flynn”
Book bans, terrorist plots, and topping the New York Times Bestseller lists. Brad Meltzer has seen it all. His newest book, “The Lightning Rod” explodes onto the page with thrilling action and complex characters, exactly what readers of the Zig and Nola Escape Artist series expect. Meltzer goes deep on his research, lending an unmistakable authenticity to his novels. In addition, Brad’s work for the History Channel has turned up artifacts believed to be lost forever. Get “The Lightning Rod” now from the link below.
Continue reading “Writers, Ink Podcast: Episode 126 – History, Thrillers, and the Secret Underground with #1 NYT Bestseller Brad Meltzer”
Emotion is Everything with Scott Steindorff
Producer Scott Steindorff knows that emotion is everything to any good book, show, or movie. By writing characters that are round, relatable, and emotionally involved, he commands the attention of his audience and keeps them coming back for more. Scott is a TV and film producer well known for projects like “The Lincoln Lawyer,” “Las Vegas,” and “Station Eleven.” To watch “Station Eleven” now, follow the link below.
Continue reading “Writers, Ink Podcast: Episode 125 – Emotion is Everything with Film/TV Producer Scott Steindorff”
Q&A Episode – February 2022
In this monthly q & a session, the guys answer listener questions.
J.K. Rowling was nearly homeless when she wrote the first Harry Potter book. Stephen King penned CARRIE on a small desk wedged between a washer and dryer. James Patterson worked in advertising and famously wrote the Toys “R” Us theme song long before becoming an author.
Join New York Times best-seller, J.D. Barker, and indie powerhouses J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon as they pull back the curtain on some of the world’s most prolific authors. Where did they start? What is their process? The biggest names in publishing all have origin stories, all have a process, all have tips and secrets… What does it take to consistently top the bestseller lists? Get your notepad out. School’s in session. This, is Writers, Ink.
Join us on Patreon and ask a question guaranteed to be answered on the podcast!
https://www.patreon.com/writersinkpodcast
Questions asked:
- What steps do you take to try to even out your cash flow over the course of the year?
- Do you think the idea of a solo writer in a cabin in the woods is outdated in this hyperconnected day and age?
- How do you structure your days and working times when you work on multiple books at the same time? What works well, what didn‘t work well in this regard?
- How would you recommend going about setting up an author website?
- Name at least one book which has influenced some of your writing and say what you got or learned from this book.
How to Pivot Your Story with Eliza Jane Brazier
Eliza Jane Brazier knows the benefit of pivoting your story at the right time. When her latest book, Good Rich People, wasn’t living up to her expectations, she put in the effort to rewrite her entire manuscript twice in order to achieve a rounder, more complex story that she could be proud of. Eliza is well known for her thriller, If I Disappear, and works as a screenwriter and journalist when she isn’t writing. To purchase Good Rich People, follow the link below.
Continue reading “Writers, Ink Podcast: Episode 123 – How to Pivot Your Story with Eliza Jane Brazier”
Finding Time to Write with NYT Bestseller Jonathan Kellerman
Bestseller Jonathan Kellerman knows how to find time to write. From raising children for almost thirty-two years to practicing psychology professionally to maintaining a dedication to playing and collecting guitars, he still finds time in his schedule to pursue his love of writing. Jonathan wrote his first book, When the Bough Breaks, in 1985 and has published a bestseller every year since. His latest novel, City of the Dead, is available below.
Continue reading “Writers, Ink Podcast: Episode 122 – Finding Time to Write with NYT Bestseller Jonathan Kellerman”
Writing Complicated Characters with NYT Bestseller Gregg Hurwitz
Bestseller Gregg Hurwitz knows the importance of writing complicated characters. By blurring the lines of good and evil, choosing to write protagonists and antagonists rather than heroes and villains, and incorporating complex moral dilemmas into his plots, he creates characters whose moral vagueness is both interesting and relatable. Gregg is an international bestselling author well known for his Orphan X thriller series and for his role as co-president of International Thriller Writers. To order his latest Orphan X novel, Dark Horse, follow the link below.
Continue reading “Writers, Ink Podcast: Episode 121 – Writing Complicated Characters with NYT Bestseller Gregg Hurwitz”
The Secrets to Success with #1 NYT Bestseller Dean Koontz
In this episode, legendary author Dean Koontz shares his secrets to success; from sticking to a rigorous daily writing routine to writing across genres, he shares his tried and tested tips and techniques for becoming a better author. One of the most well known authors in the world, Dean has been writing for over fifty years and has sold over 500 million copies worldwide. To order his latest novel, Quicksilver, follow the link below.
Continue reading “Writers, Ink Podcast: Episode 120 – The Secrets to Success with #1 NYT Bestseller Dean Koontz”
Drawing Inspiration From Real Life with NYT Bestseller Lisa Gardner
Lisa Gardner loves to draw inspiration from real life when writing her books. Whether she’s using her favorite hiking trail as a setting, reading a fascinating true crime article, or interviewing field experts for accurate information, her commitment to the realistic and plausible makes her stories all the more thrilling. Lisa is a NYT bestselling author who is published in thirty countries and is well known for books like The Neighbor and Before She Disappeared. To order her latest novel, One Step Too Far, follow the link below.
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!
J.K. Rowling was nearly homeless when she wrote the first Harry Potter book. Stephen King penned CARRIE on a small desk wedged between a washer and dryer. James Patterson worked in advertising and famously wrote the Toys “R” Us theme song long before becoming an author.
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 write everyday characters
- How physical activity can impact your writing
- The craft of writing a non-human character
- How to maximize danger within your setting
- The importance of excellent research
Links:
J. D. Barker – http://jdbarker.com/
J. Thorn – https://theauthorlife.com/
Zach Bohannon – https://zachbohannon.com/
Lisa Gardner – https://www.lisagardner.com/
One Step Too Far – https://mybook.to/OneStep
Story Rubric – http://storyrubric.com
Nonfic Rubric – http://nonficrubric.com
Scene Rubric – http://scenerubric.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/dev/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links.