Michael Hearns, an author, retired police, detective, and undercover agent who investigated drug cartels, money laundering networks, homicides, and other crimes in the shadows of sunny South Florida talks about the real-life details he writes into his detective fiction so that his novels feel authentic. He calls this genre of gritty realism Dark Tropics and says writing characters with emotional depth and getting the details accurate from street names to menu items are essential to respecting the readers and keeping them engaged.

Find more about Michael at MichaelHearns.com

Join our Simply Write community, at https://simplywrite.substack.com, for more on the writing craft and crafting a writer's life.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether you want to publish a novel or nonfiction book, essay, or article, you will need a query letter to sell your idea and yourself to agents and editors. In this episode, we cover the things that need to be in that letter as well as a couple of tips that can help you sell your work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dianne Pearce loves reading so much that it seems natural that she would become a writer and publisher. Now as the founder of Current Words, an indie publisher, she has some suggestions for authors to keep in mind if they truly want to publish and release their work.

For more on Dianne Pearce and Current Words, https://currentwords.com

For more on the writing craft and crafting a writer's life, join our Simply Write community at https://simplywrite.substack.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode ran our first season, but writers and rejection will always be an issue. Rejection can be a painful part of the job. But, when we learn to accept and manage rejection we can use it as a motivational tool to keep writing.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Award-winning romance writer Susan Carlisle dictates 1500 to 2000 a day on her phone to quickly get the first draft out. Then she spends most of her time in revisions and editing. That process helps her publish multiple books a year.

What does it take to write compelling romance novels? Carlisle says there are some common tropes, and she wants to leave readers with a feel-good ending, but the "trope is the umbrella of the story, but that's not the part that makes a story work," Carlisle says. Readers must be invested in the characters, intrigued by the setting, and propelled forward by everything that happens along the way.

Listen for more on Carlisle's writing process and why she says she's in the "feel-good" business.

Go to https://susancarlisle.com for more on Carlisle and her books.

Join the Simply Write community, https://simplywrite.substack.com, for more on the writing craft and crafting a writer's life.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Being a writer requires more than putting words on a page. It's a whole mindset. You have to believe you can do it and then give yourself permission to go after it and write consistently. I remember the first moment I called myself a write without any other qualifiers. It was awkward, embarrassing and life-changing.

In this episode, I'll explain why the declaration was so important and why I think calling yourself a writer is essential to becoming one.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Book coach and author Caroline Donahue explains how we can manage our fears and even use it to build excitement and energy around our writing process. In this enlightening interview the author of three books including her newest, Writing through Fear: A Story Arcana Guide, Donahue says we can make fear an ally in our writing.

For more on Caroline Donahue and her work go to https://www.carolinedonahue.com.

And join our Simply Write community on Substack for plenty more on the writing craft and crafting a writer's life at https://simplywrite.substack.com/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What pressures is your character facing? What does she want and why does she want it? What kind of risks will she face and what obstacles will she encounter as she strives tor her ultimate goal.

In other words, what are the stakes?

In this episode, we define the stakes of both nonfiction and fiction stories and explain why they matter. Then we cover some things to consider when ratcheting up the risk/reward scenarios for your main.

To get in touch with Polly and learn more about the writing craft and crafting a writer's life join our Simply Write community at https://simplywrite.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lorna Hollifield starts "every single day of my life with a bath in the morning" and doesn't bother to make her bed, but she is self-aware and has used her strengths to forge a thriving career as an author, columnist and now managing editor of Charleston Women Magazine.

One of the tips she gives to writers who want to make a career out of freelancing is to study the style and tone of the magazine, its articles, and headlines, and then give them a clean and polished draft that would fit in the pages.

Her books Tobacco Sun and The Ocean At Night can be purchased wherever books are sold. You can find more about Lorna and her books here: https://lorna-hollifield.com/my-books/

And join our Simply Write community at https://simplywrite.substack.com and sign up for our Paid Subscriber Perks Program to access tip sheets, craft reports, full essays, writing assignments, and feedback on your work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Freelancing does have its perks, but paid time off is not one of them. Knowing how to manage your to-do list when life's unexpected (toothache) and planned moments (vacation) take you away from the work, is the key to managing stress and getting the work done In today's episode I'll share two of my strategies for staying on track and avoiding the pressure and overwhelm even when you are pressed for time.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices