Collaborcast

Hey Collaborist - today we go back to talking about how much description you need in your writing. We examine the idea using Ernest Hemingway's novel, 'A Farewell to Arms and Don Delillo's novel White Noise! We, once again, examine the idea of why it's important to know the rules before you break the rules.

How about you, Collaborist? How much description do you think you need in your writing?

On this week's episode we remind you to trust your reader. No need to go all in on details.

We also talk about Jasper's quest to get t-shirts from bookstores all across the country and how he found clarity in writing a scene during November. Also, Bryce talks about the effects painting has had on his writing.

Also! There's a request for you, dear Collaboring.

Happy Thanksgiving, Collaborist! On this week's episode we talk about what needs to go into a prescriptive non-fiction book proposal at the corner of Art and Commerce. How to participate in the hashtag publishing world, and Jason tells us about an observation he made on his book while out on a hike.

Hey Collaborist!

On this week's episode we help you understand how to know you are ready to query an agent or publisher. You've written a novel. Great! You want the whole world to read it. Also great! Now that you've typed "the end" you should start working on your query letter, right?

Well, not exactly. You need to remember that your query letter isn't the only one going out in the world and that other people are looking for representation, too. It's competitive, but there's a lot about it that is entirely within your control.

ABOUT THE HOSTS:

Jason Buchholz’s acclaimed debut novel, A Paper Son, published by Tyrus Books in 2016, explores themes of migration, borderlands, heritage, and the sometimes hidden stories that bind us all together. He has ghostwritten books and book proposals for a variety of authors and as an editor he has fostered the development of dozens of manuscripts, both in fiction and nonfiction. He has also worked as a journalist and a travel writer. A current nonfiction project has him hiking and kayaking deep into the quiet landscapes of the many wilderness areas of Northern California, where he lives. When he’s not writing or reading he spends his time playing and traveling with his son and daughter. Jason graduated from UC Berkeley and holds an MFA from the University of San Francisco.

Ben LeRoy has long been fascinated by the power of words and story to connect and expand the world. He was the founder and publisher of the critically acclaimed publishing companies Bleak House Books (2000-2009) and Tyrus Books (2009-2017) until the latter was sold to Simon & Schuster. During his time in publishing, Ben was a frequent speaker at conferences and routinely interviewed for pieces about the industry. In 2014, after the suicide death of a friend, Ben did volunteer work in all 50 states as part of the Be Local Everywhere project.

RESOURCES & LINKS:

Need an Editor, Ghostwriter, or Coach? Hire a Collaborist! – https://collaborist.org/services/

Looking for a Writers’ Group? - https://collaborist.org/writers-groups/

Interested in a book mentioned during the podcast? - https://bookshop.org/shop/collaborist

More about Jason Buchholz - http://www.jasonbuchholz.com/

More about Ben LeRoy – http://www.thebenleroy.com

Collaborist on Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/Collaborist1

Collaborist on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecollaborist

Collaborist on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/collaborist

On this episode of Collaborcast we answer a frequently asked question, "How long should a book be?"

And though we both agree that a story should be as many words as it needs to be, the business side of publishing has more specific numbers as far as word count. We go over the numbers. We give examples of books that went way over and a few that snuck in well under.

Ben also talks about his side project -- What Did I Just Paint? -- a YouTube project about my nightly learning process with paints and canvases. And we want to hear from those of you who are doing NaNoWriMo! How's it going?

ABOUT THE HOSTS:

Jason Buchholz’s acclaimed debut novel, A Paper Son, published by Tyrus Books in 2016, explores themes of migration, borderlands, heritage, and the sometimes hidden stories that bind us all together. He has ghostwritten books and book proposals for a variety of authors and as an editor he has fostered the development of dozens of manuscripts, both in fiction and nonfiction. He has also worked as a journalist and a travel writer. A current nonfiction project has him hiking and kayaking deep into the quiet landscapes of the many wilderness areas of Northern California, where he lives. When he’s not writing or reading he spends his time playing and traveling with his son and daughter. Jason graduated from UC Berkeley and holds an MFA from the University of San Francisco.

Ben LeRoy has long been fascinated by the power of words and story to connect and expand the world. He was the founder and publisher of the critically acclaimed publishing companies Bleak House Books (2000-2009) and Tyrus Books (2009-2017) until the latter was sold to Simon & Schuster. During his time in publishing, Ben was a frequent speaker at conferences and routinely interviewed for pieces about the industry. In 2014, after the suicide death of a friend, Ben did volunteer work in all 50 states as part of the Be Local Everywhere project.

RESOURCES & LINKS: Need an Editor, Ghostwriter, or Coach? Hire a Collaborist! – https://collaborist.org/services/

Looking for a Writers’ Group? - https://collaborist.org/writers-groups/

Interested in a book mentioned during the podcast? - https://bookshop.org/shop/collaborist

More about Jason Buchholz - http://www.jasonbuchholz.com/

More about Ben LeRoy – http://www.thebenleroy.com

Collaborist on Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/Collaborist1

Collaborist on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecollaborist

Collaborist on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/collaborist

Jason and Ben discuss Jason's mission to learn about and promote different independent bookstores across the country, a recent Twitter discussion about new books that take place in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, and lastly, a brand new query letter review. Also, if you want your query letter to be read and discussed on an episode of Collaborcast, we've got an offer for you.

If you're a NaNoWriMo participant this year, we're cheering you on!

Jason and Ben discuss who designs a book's cover and why the process is the way it is. We also discuss a FIFTH! POV that nobody ever knew about (except maybe Hemingway). Jason tells us about recent magic in nature with bioluminescence and not kayaking in shark infested waters on windy nights. Also, reminder, if you're participating in NaNoWriMo 2022, we're here to talk to you about your project ahead of time to make sure you feel prepared to do your best fast drafting.

In a busy, busy world, how can you make sure to keep tending to your purpose?

Jason and Ben discuss how to ease back into the real world after spending mindful time away on your creative project. What lessons can be learned from dedicating days or weeks to hyper focusing on one act? How do we continue to carry those lessons with us once we return to the routine of the 9-5 and the distractions of our regular life?

ABOUT THE HOSTS:

Jason Buchholz’s acclaimed debut novel, A Paper Son, published by Tyrus Books in 2016, explores themes of migration, borderlands, heritage, and the sometimes hidden stories that bind us all together. He has ghostwritten books and book proposals for a variety of authors and as an editor he has fostered the development of dozens of manuscripts, both in fiction and nonfiction. He has also worked as a journalist and a travel writer. A current nonfiction project has him hiking and kayaking deep into the quiet landscapes of the many wilderness areas of Northern California, where he lives. When he’s not writing or reading he spends his time playing and traveling with his son and daughter. Jason graduated from UC Berkeley and holds an MFA from the University of San Francisco.

Ben LeRoy has long been fascinated by the power of words and story to connect and expand the world. He was the founder and publisher of the critically acclaimed publishing companies Bleak House Books (2000-2009) and Tyrus Books (2009-2017) until the latter was sold to Simon & Schuster. During his time in publishing, Ben was a frequent speaker at conferences and routinely interviewed for pieces about the industry. In 2014, after the suicide death of a friend, Ben did volunteer work in all 50 states as part of the Be Local Everywhere project.

RESOURCES & LINKS:

Need an Editor, Ghostwriter, or Coach? Hire a Collaborist! – https://collaborist.org/services/

Looking for a Writers’ Group? - https://collaborist.org/writers-groups/

Interested in a book mentioned during the podcast? - https://bookshop.org/shop/collaborist

More about Jason Buchholz - http://www.jasonbuchholz.com/

More about Ben LeRoy – http://www.thebenleroy.com

Collaborist on Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/Collaborist1

Collaborist on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecollaborist

Collaborist on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/collaborist

Jason and Ben sit down on the beach to talk about creative time management, especially as it relates to protecting your time as a writer, storyteller, artist--human. The world is full of potential distractions, but you are under no obligation to be consumed by them. It's okay to prioritize your writing. It's okay to prioritize you. You're the one who has to make sense of your life and your purpose and so much of that begins with protecting your time.

ABOUT THE HOSTS:

Jason Buchholz’s acclaimed debut novel, A Paper Son, published by Tyrus Books in 2016, explores themes of migration, borderlands, heritage, and the sometimes hidden stories that bind us all together. He has ghostwritten books and book proposals for a variety of authors and as an editor he has fostered the development of dozens of manuscripts, both in fiction and nonfiction. He has also worked as a journalist and a travel writer. A current nonfiction project has him hiking and kayaking deep into the quiet landscapes of the many wilderness areas of Northern California, where he lives. When he’s not writing or reading he spends his time playing and traveling with his son and daughter. Jason graduated from UC Berkeley and holds an MFA from the University of San Francisco.

Ben LeRoy has long been fascinated by the power of words and story to connect and expand the world. He was the founder and publisher of the critically acclaimed publishing companies Bleak House Books (2000-2009) and Tyrus Books (2009-2017) until the latter was sold to Simon & Schuster. During his time in publishing, Ben was a frequent speaker at conferences and routinely interviewed for pieces about the industry. In 2014, after the suicide death of a friend, Ben did volunteer work in all 50 states as part of the Be Local Everywhere project.

RESOURCES & LINKS:

Need an Editor, Ghostwriter, or Coach? Hire a Collaborist! – https://collaborist.org/services/

Looking for a Writers’ Group? - https://collaborist.org/writers-groups/

Interested in a book mentioned during the podcast? - https://bookshop.org/shop/collaborist

More about Jason Buchholz - http://www.jasonbuchholz.com/

More about Ben LeRoy – http://www.thebenleroy.com

Collaborist on Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/Collaborist1

Collaborist on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecollaborist

Collaborist on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/collaborist

Jason and Ben talk about NaNoWriMo in the first ever in person edition of Collaborcast!

Planning to write 50,000 words in November? Hoping to find writing community? We've got things for you to think about as you embark on your book writing journey this fall! We're here with writing advice, writing tips, and gentle encouragement for those on the NaNoWriMo journey.