The Misfit's Guide to Writing Indie Romance

By Adrienne Bell

What's The Misfit's Guide to Writing Indie Romance about?

Your weekly romp through the baffling and ever changing business of being both an artist and entrepreneur in the world's most popular genre. With your hosts Eliza Peake and Adrienne Bell.

The Misfit's Guide to Writing Indie Romance is a part of the Frolic Podcast Network. You can find more outstanding podcasts to subscribe to at frolic.media/podcasts!

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Misfit's Guide to Writing Indie Romance episodes:

10.09.2021
Keywords and Metadata
Oh, the dreaded search bar...How do you pick the keywords and metadata that will lead the right readers to your book page.
09.26.2021
Discovery Writing
What do you write before you write Chapter One? Eliza and Adrienne discuss their discovery writing process...and also a dessert brothel for some reason.
09.17.2021
The Basics - So You Want To Write A Romance?
What does it really take to write a romance? In this ongoing monthly series, Adrienne and Eliza go over the steps, from brainstorming an idea to designing your marketing plan.
09.03.2021
Bonus Episode - Our Worst Reviews
Everyone gets them, so why not celebrate them? This week Adrienne and Eliza take a trip down Bad Review Lane.
08.27.2021
Career Reinvention
Sometimes what you need is a fresh start. But how do you know when it's time to pivot or what changes to make? This week, Adrienne and Eliza talk about career reinvention.
08.17.2021
Kindle Vella with Audrey Carlan
The folks over at Amazon have a brand new story platform and this week we have bestselling author Audrey Carlan to tell us all about it!
08.03.2021
Putting the Romance in Romance Novels
You'd think it's be easy, after all romance is the name of the genre, but creating genuine emotional connection on the page is harder than you might think.
07.27.2021
BB Easton
This week, Adrienne and Eliza chat with author BB Easton about indie publishing and Netflix deals. Oh...and her reaction to *that* Episode 3 scene in Sex/Life
07.20.2021
Staying Healthy
Writing isn't just a solitary business; it's a sedentary one too. This week Adrienne and Eliza talk about staying healthy when you live behind a desk.
07.13.2021
Mentorship
Everyone needs a helping hand from time to time...especially in this business. This week Adrienne and Eliza talk mentorship.
06.22.2021
Hooks
This week Adrienne and Eliza dive into hooking readers attention on three levels--chapter, book, and series.
06.08.2021
Summer Reading
It's time for basking in the sun and plowing through that tbr pile. This week Adrienne and Eliza shard what's on tap for their summer reading.
05.31.2021
Guest Episode - Things Marginalized Authors Talk About When White Authors Aren't In The Room
Amy Z. Chan and Kilby Blades step into guest host as we wrap up Mental Health Awareness Month with a candid discussion of things marginalized authors talk about when white authors aren't in the room
05.25.2021
Celebrating Success
Maintaining Mental Health isn't just about dealing with difficult emotions. This week Adrienne and Eliza discuss keeping yourself balanced and celebrating success!
05.18.2021
Writing with Chronic Conditions
Mental Health Awareness Month continues! This week Adrienne and Eliza tackle the challenges of writing while coping with chronic conditions. This week's episode is sponsored by An Earl, the Girl, and a Toddler by Vanessa Riley. Find out more at...
05.11.2021
Resiliency
Continuing with Mental Health Awareness Month, this week Eliza and Adrienne discuss how to cope with getting knocked down and how to get back up again. This week's episode is sponsored by Lone Wolf by Diana Palmer, Rebecca Zanetti, and Kate...
05.04.2021
Maintaining Mental Health
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This week Adrienne and Eliza share their experiences and tips for maintaining mental health while writing.
04.27.2021
Host Hot Seat
Adrienne and Eliza introduce themselves to a brand new audience as the podcast starts a brand new chapter.
04.20.2021
Unpaid Promo
You need to get the word out about your books, sure, but not every marketing opportunity needs to break the bank. Just remember, sometimes you get what you pay for.
04.12.2021
Burnout
Every now and you just can't. Seriously. Just. Can't.
03.30.2021
Comfort Zones
Oh, the much maligned comfort zone--should you stick with what feeds your confidence or stretch your neck out into the unknown? Adrienne and Eliza have experience with both...and the scars to prove it.
03.16.2021
Action
So much more than dialogue tags, scene blocking, or fight choreography, action is the energy that makes your story come alive. This week Adrienne and Eliza discuss how every move your character makes is action.
03.02.2021
Titles
What's in a name? Well, depends on which name you mean. Is it the book title? The subtitle? The series title? This week Adrienne and Eliza take on the complicated task of naming your work.
02.17.2021
Character Voice
How a character sounds goes beyond the dialogue they speak. From deep POV to their unique expressions, a character's voice is what makes them come alive.
02.09.2021
TV Romance Adaptations
They used to be hard to come by, but now there are more romance adaptations than ever on tv. This week Adrienne and Eliza talk about the good, the bad, and everything in between when it comes to taking the...
02.02.2021
Cover Copy
You've finally finished your book. The hard part is over, right? Not so fast. Turns out those first 100k words were a cake walk compared to the next 100 words you need to write. It's time for the most dreaded...
01.26.2021
Backmatter
"The End" might be the end of the story, but it's not the end of the book. There's so much that goes into an indie novel after the final scene. This week Eliza and Adrienne talk backmatter.
01.19.2021
Deadlines
Every race needs a finish line. Whether you choose the date yourself or it's chosen for you, there comes a time to call a story done. This time around, Adrienne and Eliza talk deadlines.
01.12.2021
2021 Goals
Well, 2020 was a bust...so it's time for Eliza and Adrienne to move on to their 2021 goals
12.15.2020
2020 in Review
This has been one strange year. This week Adrienne and Eliza recap their highs and lows through 2020.
12.01.2020
Eliza's Organization Tips
Out of these two misfits, Eliza's always been the organized one. So this week she's sharing her tips for keeping her writing life running smooth.
11.24.2020
Vendors and Distribution
Exclusive or wide? E-books, paperbacks and audio. You're done writing your book, and now you need to figure out how best to get it into your readers hands. This week Eliza and Adrienne discuss distribution strategies.
11.17.2020
NaNoWriMo 2020
It's November...again (how can a year go by so fast and so slow at the same time?) Which means it's time to talk about NaNoWriMo!
11.10.2020
Secondary Characters
It's hard to hear, but not everyone can be a main character. Some of us...well, we have to content ourselves with living in the shadows of the greats. This week, Adrienne and Eliza talk about the role of secondary characters.
11.03.2020
Success
After a long (and unplanned) hiatus, Adrienne and Eliza are back to talk about success. What does it mean to you? How will you know when you've achieved it? And what the heck do you do next?
10.06.2020
Bonus Ep - Astrology
Eliza and Adrienne need a break, so no book talk this week, just woo-woo astrological fun.
09.29.2020
Typos
Misteaks happen. Hopefully, someone catches them before you hit publish, but sometimes they slip through the cracks. This week Eliza and Adrienne talk about what happens when you're best just isn't good enough. (yes, they're intentional)
09.22.2020
Fear
Everyone is afraid of something, and writers are no different. Whether it's failure, or success, or being an imposter, these fears hold us back in subtle--and sometimes not so subtle--ways. This week, Adrienne and Eliza talk how to break through...
09.15.2020
Linear vs Non-Linear Writing
Do you write your scenes in order or out? And does it really matter how you do it as long as the book gets done? This week, Eliza and Adrienne tackle linear writing.
09.08.2020
Beta Readers and Street Teams
Who can you trust to give you honest and useful feedback about your unpublished manuscript? How do you find reviewers who can give the same honest opinions about your new releases? This week Adrienne and Eliza tackle the ins and...
09.01.2020
Story Ideas
How do you come up with ideas for your books? And how do you organize those ideas? And how in the world do you decide which ones invest the time into writing and which to shelve? This week Adrienne and...
08.25.2020
Subplots
It should be simple...it's a story within a story. But when do you know when you need one, or--even harder to figure out--when should you cut one out. This week Adrienne and Eliza talk subplots.
08.13.2020
Timelines
Nothing can ruin a good story like time. Not time management. Actual time. Keeping timelines straight can be hard, from the simple (yesterday was Tuesday, but today is Saturday) to the baffling (how is it the sequel takes place two years...
08.04.2020
Research
Oh, rabbit holes. Sure, social media and binge tv can derail a good writing day, but nothing is better at *feeling* like work without actually being work like research. This week Eliza and Adrienne give their tips and tricks to...
07.21.2020
Launch Plans
Is there anything more nerve-wracking than getting ready to launch a new book. Well...probably. But Eliza and Adrienne can't think of anything, so this week they talk about their strategies and plans for putting new books out into the world.
07.14.2020
Hella Words Update
This week Adrienne and Eliza give an update on how their Year to Write Hella Words is going. **spoiler alert** It's not well.
07.07.2020
Sequel Bait
When setting up a series you've got to bait the hook if you want to reel in the readers for later books. (oh, fishing metaphors, is there anything you *can't* do?) This week, Eliza and Adrienne talk about setting up...
06.30.2020
Modifying Your Process
What do you do when what used to work no longer does? This week, Adrienne and Eliza discuss how shifting times have led to shifts in their process as well.
06.16.2020
Chapters
Cutting a story into chunks is a lot like gift wrapping a present. Or is it? Adrienne and Eliza don't know, but on this episode they talk about both.
06.09.2020
Discarded Ideas
Not every idea makes it from the spark of inspiration to The End. Some get tossed along the way. This week, Adrienne and Eliza talk about what story ideas they've had to toss, how to know when it's time to...

What's The Misfit's Guide to Writing Indie Romance about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Misfit's Guide to Writing Indie Romance episodes:

Keywords and Metadata

Discovery Writing

The Basics - So You Want To Write A Romance?

Bonus Episode - Our Worst Reviews

Career Reinvention

Kindle Vella with Audrey Carlan

Putting the Romance in Romance Novels

BB Easton

Staying Healthy

Mentorship

Hooks

Summer Reading

Guest Episode - Things Marginalized Authors Talk About When White Authors Aren't In The Room

Celebrating Success

Writing with Chronic Conditions

Resiliency

Maintaining Mental Health

Host Hot Seat

Unpaid Promo

Burnout

Comfort Zones

Action

Titles

Character Voice

TV Romance Adaptations

Cover Copy

Backmatter

Deadlines

2021 Goals

2020 in Review

Eliza's Organization Tips

Vendors and Distribution

NaNoWriMo 2020

Secondary Characters

Success

Bonus Ep - Astrology

Typos

Fear

Linear vs Non-Linear Writing

Beta Readers and Street Teams

Story Ideas

Subplots

Timelines

Research

Launch Plans

Hella Words Update

Sequel Bait

Modifying Your Process

Chapters

Discarded Ideas