A Novel Ending

In this first episode of our Revising For Clarity series, we discuss three things writers should be aware of as they go: author intrusion, your main POV not driving the story, and unneeded or confusing head hopping. In case you might be slipping into any of these habits, we also share anecdotes and examples to help you adjust for them in your next revision.

For show notes, visit anovelending.com.

Joanna offers editorial services! To learn more, visit her editorial page.

Connect with Joanna on her website or Instagram @jmercerbooks.
Connect with Kat on her website or Instagram @katsawriter.

It’s almost the end of the year, which for a lot of us means reassessing goals and making plans for the fresh new year ahead. In this episode, we chat about different kinds of writing goals as well as various ways you can break them down to make them easier to attain. In addition, we share some ways to help you meet those goals, and resources to help you level up your craft in 2024.

Visit our Episode 31 show notes page to see a list of all the resources discussed.

For show notes, visit anovelending.com.

Joanna offers editorial services! To learn more, visit her editorial page.

Connect with Joanna on her website or Instagram @jmercerbooks.
Connect with Kat on her website or Instagram @katsawriter.

It’s that time of year where you’re hunting for that perfect gift for your friend or favorite person. What if they’re a writer and you’re not? Or what if you need ideas to put on your own list? Tune in for a variety of writerly gift ideas for any budget. We’ve got options you can wrap, ways to be of service, ideas to help inspire and motivate, and little bits to keep your writer warm and cozy, as well as fueled, for when they sit down to write!

For show notes, visit anovelending.com.

Joanna offers editorial services! To learn more, visit her editorial page.

Connect with Joanna on her website or Instagram @jmercerbooks.
Connect with Kat on her website or Instagram @katsawriter.

We all know there are a ton of different ways to go about writing a novel, and this also includes which program you use. In this episode, Kat interviews Bayley Mae on how Scrivener has helped her writing process. Bayley shares her favorite Scrivener tools, as well as breaks down how writers can use the program to stay organized.

Connect with our guest!
bayleymae.com
Instagram @bayley.mae

For show notes, visit anovelending.com.

Joanna offers editorial services! To learn more, visit her editorial page.

Connect with Joanna on her website or Instagram @jmercerbooks.
Connect with Kat on her website or Instagram @katsawriter.

Vision boards can help you draw inspiration for your stories, keep you motivated while writing, and help you craft dynamic descriptions and sensory details as you draft. In this episode, we chat about two different ways to approach vision boarding, from the angle of a reporter (who, what, when, where, why) and by focusing on the senses. We also share some different formats and tools available if you’re unsure how to collect all of the above!

For show notes, visit anovelending.com.

Joanna offers editorial services! To learn more, visit her editorial page.

Connect with Joanna on her website or Instagram @jmercerbooks.
Connect with Kat on her website or Instagram @katsawriter.

What if you want to write a novel, but don’t have any ideas in mind? Join us in this episode as we share different techniques to help you brainstorm project ideas. Assuming this will help you make a short - or long - list, we then offer tips on how to determine which of your new ideas are most story-worthy for you right now. The rest you can tuck away for later!

For show notes, visit anovelending.com.

Joanna offers editorial services! To learn more, visit her editorial page.

Connect with Joanna on her website or Instagram @jmercerbooks.
Connect with Kat on her website or Instagram @katsawriter.

In this episode, we chat about what to do if you have multiple story ideas and don’t know which one to work on next. We share ways to organize all of your ideas, practical writing exercises to narrow down your focus, and some things to keep in mind with regards to your passions and marketability. If you’re planning to do NaNoWriMo in November or are just looking to start a new project, then this episode is for you!

For show notes, visit anovelending.com.

Joanna offers editorial services! To learn more, visit her editorial page.

Connect with Joanna on her website or Instagram @jmercerbooks.
Connect with Kat on her website or Instagram @katsawriter.

There are many non-fiction books on writing to help you dig deep into the craft of story, but there’s nothing like seeing it done masterfully in an actual novel. In this episode, we share fiction book titles that we think are strong in various categories, from world building and characterization to voice, along with prime examples of successful villain POVs and more.

If you'd like to purchase any of the books we mention and help support the podcast, we have an affiliate Bookshop.org shop!

Visit our Episode 25 show notes page to see a list of all the books discussed.

For show notes, visit anovelending.com.

Joanna offers editorial services! To learn more, visit her editorial page.

Connect with Joanna on her website or Instagram @jmercerbooks.
Connect with Kat on her website or Instagram @katsawriter.

There are multiple stages to writing a book, from ideation to plotting to first draft and beyond. At any stage, it can be hard to know if you should continue to revise and work on your story or if you should set aside your project in pursuit of other shiny ideas. In this episode, we chat about the different types of quitting and how to know when you should revise and when you should quit.

For show notes, visit anovelending.com.

Joanna offers editorial services! To learn more, visit her editorial page.

Connect with Joanna on her website or Instagram @jmercerbooks.
Connect with Kat on her website or Instagram @katsawriter.

Joanna and Kat interview history maven and writer, Jenn Van Haaften, on creating accurate and immersive historical fiction. As a historian with 30+ years of experience, Jenn notices all the little details that make or break effective world building. She shares which elements to focus on for a more immersive and authentic feel and offers tips on how to vet research for the highest quality sources.

Connect with our guest!
Instagram @thehistoryeditor

Link to JStor.

For show notes, visit anovelending.com.

Joanna offers editorial services! To learn more, visit her editorial page.

Connect with Joanna on her website or Instagram @jmercerbooks.
Connect with Kat on her website or Instagram @katsawriter.