If you're just starting your writing career, there are several steps you can and should take to get started, on the most solid foundation possible. Writing coach Karena Akhavein speaks with many writers at all stages of their journeys and she has learned quite. alot from both their regrets, and from the things they tried to turn their writing careers around. In this episode of the How to be an Author podcast, we'll be talking about the key aspects of starting out or starting over, from wriitng skills to author platform, to mindset. Whether you're just starting out, or thinking it's time ta start fresh, this will inspire and motivate you.

As a writing coach focusing on a holistic approach, Karena Akhavein, PhD, has spent years talking to writers in various stages of their careers about the things that help them, and the things that hurt them. 

In today's episode we'll start talking about identity: how it shapes your writing career in multiple surprising ways.

Next, we'll talk about a crucial part of one of Karena's biggest writing productivity hacks: using transcription to smash your writing word count goals. In order ot make this powerful technique work for you, you need to know how to write scene by scene. In this episode of the How to be an Author podcast, we'll be talking about why writing scene by scene is such a powerful method, and what makes a great scene.

This is stuff you may have thought your alreday knew, especially if you've been an author for a while and this isn't your first book, but it is key information that is sure to inspire you.

Throughout history, certain writers have faced public backlash, some of it well deserved. Today, easy access to social media means that anyone can broadcast their criticism of any public figure, and that commentary can go viral, often destroying or at the very least negatively impacting that person's reputation.

Being an author means subjecting yourself to public exposure and critiques. Writing and publishing a book is always challenging, but in the era of cancel culture, it can be even harder.

Writing Coach Karena Akhavein has spoken with many authors for whom the fear of getting cancelled has led to self-censorship and  lack of creative freedom, and eventually writer's block.

In this episode of thre How ot be an Author podcast, we'll be talking cancel culture, fear of getting cancelled, how to write despite fear of being cancelled, and what to do in the face of negative criticism. This is a must listen for any author in our modern era.

Authors often feel that using a pen name, also known as a pseudonym or a nom de plume, has some advantages. 

While it’s true that using a pen name can offer a writer added privacy and distance from their book and possibly facilitate branding, there are some potential drawbacks that need to be examined before you take the leap.

In this episode of the How to be an Author podcast, writing coach Karena Akhavein takes you through the true benefits and difficulties inherent in adopting a pseudonym, from legal and financial ramifications to marketing and mindset.

For any professional, especially creative professionals, especially writers, taking a break can be crucial. Taking a break from your writing, from your book, or from your author platform tasks can feel like the key to avoiding burnout, but starting up again after a break is not so easy.

Just like taking a break from the gym and trying to start up again, ramping up again with your writing can be painful and can mess with your mindset.

Listen to this crucial episode to hear the lowdown on how best to come back after a wriitng break, with actionable tips that will make you more productive, with a better mindset, new motivation,  and an emphasis on finding joy in the writing process.

Many newer writers have dreamed of writing a novel for a long time, but they find that they really struggle with not only starting with writing a book, but also following through until publication and beyond. The process of writing a novel is daunting. It can be intimidating to understand all the principles of storytelling, to go from idea to plot, and to keep going through beta reader revisions, editing, and publication. Writing Coach Karena Akhavein has been through it, and has helped numerous other authors go through the process, with a unique holistic point of view that takes into account not only technical writing skills, but also mindset and author platform. As Karena celebrates the launch of her masterclass, From Idea to Published in 6 Months, this week, she lets you, the How to be an Author podcast listener, into the secrets of how to write a novel in 6 months, with or without her course. You're going to want to take notes as we go through the whole writing process, step by step and month by month.

Being an author can be overwhelming. Writing is a huge job. It’s not just about jotting down a few words. It’s about writing book after book, editing your written work, promoting your novel, creating content, fostering mailing lists, growing your author platform, keeping up to date on publishing trends, and that is on top of every other obligation we have in our lives, and keeping our writer mindset positive. In this episode, wriitng coach Karena Akhavein lets writers in on her best techniques and hacks for fighting burnout and overwhelm, breaking the writer's block guilt cycle, and finally finding time for writing in a way that will help both new writers and established authors to establish a productive writing habit while building their author platform. Get ready to get off the treadmill and really start moving ahead.

The title of your book really does matter.

Books are often sold by word of mouth so the title is literally the first thing that gives a potential reader an opinion of your book. When someone sees your book on Amazon or in a bookstore, the combination of cover and title will catch their attention- or not. 

Some writers try to decide on a title too early, or they become overly attached to a title that doesn’t work. This happened to writing coach Karena Akhavein and she'll tell you about her misadventures so you don't make the same mistakes, and also touch on:

-Why title really does matter

-What makes a great book title

-How to choose a title

-Title mistakes, and more.

Suspense is not just for mystery and thriller novels. Suspense can add a layer of urgency to reading- it is one of those things that make your book unputdownable. There is an art and a science to creating scenes that build up the suspense. In this episode we’ll be breaking it down for you.

-What is suspense and why do all kinds of books need it

-Different types of suspense in different genres

-HOw to create suspense

-Foreshadowing

-Pacing

-Red herrings

-Suspense mistakes

What was it that made you finally go from dreaming of being a writer, to actually being a writer? Can you remember? 

In fiction, too, inciting incidents are so important. They are the thing that launches your book's plot into gear, the thing that forces your main character out of complacency and into action. 

Considering how important these inciting incidents are for authors to master, in this episode of the How to be an Author podcast, writing coach Karena Akhavein will be talking:

-What makes a good inciting incident.

-Inciting incident troubleshooting.

-Inciting incident mistakes.