The Write Approach

Landing an agent to advocate for your work is no mean feat. In Episode 15 of The Write Approach, Karen Odden tells us the research and effort she put into finding the right literary agent for her Victorian-era historical novels. We talk about the benefits of writing to a niche market and the significant role the research plays in her writing (and the joy she derives from that research). Finally, we talk about how about Karen's academic career has dovetailed with the novels she writes.

Karen Odden's website -- https://karenodden.com/

Barbara Hinske's  author website -- https://barbarahinske.com/

J. W. Judge's author website -- https://jwjudge.com/

While working with rocket scientists as a defense contractor, Georgina Cross jumped into the world of writing suspense and thriller novels. She is now writing full time and has no intent to go back to her day job. In Episode 14 of The Write Approach, we talk with Georgina Cross about the grind of writing one novel while waiting from the previously written novel to sell to a publisher. We discuss the benefits of using locations local to you as the setting for your story and the benefits doing so can provide for your marketing efforts. We also talk about Georgina's use of book clubs and local bookstores to drive more sales.

Georgina Cross' website -- http://www.georgina-cross-author.com/

Barbara Hinske's  author website -- https://barbarahinske.com/

J. W. Judge's author website -- https://jwjudge.com/

 In Episode 13 of The Write Approach we talk with author and podcaster Matty Dalrymple about using a frame to aid you in writing your novel. We distinguish a framework from a conventional outline and talk about how it can benefit both plotters and discovery writers. Matty gives personal illustrations of what prompted the need for developing a frame for her own writing and how it has benefited her.

Matty Dalrymple's website -- https://www.theindyauthor.com/  (her article, Creating a Story Frame) 

Barbara Hinske's  author website -- https://barbarahinske.com/

J. W. Judge's author website -- https://jwjudge.com/

In our second episode with Linden Gross, we discuss the different kinds of editing that are available (and usually necessary) for writers. We shed light on how to distinguish between what you need (developmental editing, copy editing, line editing, and proofreading) and at what point in the process you need it. We also get personal and practical in this episode by having Barbara Hinske talk about a scene she wrote that wasn't as emotionally effective as it needed to be, how Gross identified the problem, and what they did to resolve it.

If you missed the first episode with Linden Gross, go back and check out Episode 11: How to Work with a Writing Coach.

Linden Gross' website -- https://lindengross.com/

Barbara Hinske's  author website -- https://barbarahinske.com/

J. W. Judge's author website -- https://jwjudge.com/

In the first of two episodes with Linden Gross, we talk about what it's like to work with a writing coach. Barbara Hinske and Linden Gross have worked together on twenty books, so we delve into how that relationship works and how they've refined their book development process over time. Gross talks about how, as a writing coach, she has to be flexible to meet the needs of her clients. Finally, we discuss the benefits that writers can obtain from working with a writing coach.

Linden Gross' website -- https://lindengross.com/

Barbara Hinske's  author website -- https://barbarahinske.com/

J. W. Judge's author website -- https://jwjudge.com/

Having listened to Dan Wells for years on Writing Excuses and Intentionally Blank, J. W. Judge  and Barbara Hinske had about 4 hours worth of questions that we crammed into 40 minutes. Primary among the topics that we discussed with Dan was how his religious beliefs and worldview affect write he will (and won't) write about and how he approaches those topics. We also talk about how our early life experiences can color how comfortable we are writing about darker themes.

On the business side of authorship, Dan Wells talks about the benefits of attending fan conferences, how writing in the horror genre changed his author trajectory, and how he has developed and maintained a significant readership in Latin America.

Dan Wells' author website -- https://www.thedanwells.com/

Barbara Hinske's  author website -- https://barbarahinske.com/

J. W. Judge's author website -- https://jwjudge.com/

J. W. Judge's writing blog -- https://expectantwriter.com/

Most readers no longer want large blocks of text that describe settings in intimate detail. If you are writing those kinds of paragraphs and were able to poll your readers about them, you'd likely find that those parts of the book are being skimmed or skipped. So the question becomes how to include those important descriptions details about settings and characters without beating the reader over the head with them. In Episode 9 of The Write Approach, Barbara Hinske and J. W. Judge give some ideas for effective means of doing this.

Also on this date, J. W. Judge's new book Write Your Novel One Day at a Time releases in bookstores everywhere (link).

And later in the week, the third book in Barbara Hinske's Guiding Emily series comes out (link).

Most everyone focuses their attention on having compelling protagonists. But are you giving your antagonists the attention they deserve? Whether you're writing romance, mysteries, or fantasy novels, your bad guys need to be well-rounded to be interesting. Two ways to do this are through sharing their back story and identifying the motivations for their actions.

Barbara Hinske's  author website -- https://barbarahinske.com/

J. W. Judge's author website -- https://jwjudge.com/

J. W. Judge's writing blog -- https://expectantwriter.com/

 When you finish one writing project and are mentally (and let's face it -- emotionally) ready to take on a new one, it can be a daunting task to decide what to write next. If you're like us, you have no shortage of ideas. So how you decide what to write next? Barbara Hinske and J. W. Judge have had very different approaches to responding to this question. Because Barbara has multiple series going, her creative choices are colored by business necessities. J. W. has been a bit more willy-nilly about it to date, but sees changes on the horizon. 

We had a different episode slotted for this date, but when Kevin Tumlinson told us his birthday is October 12, we couldn't help but give him an early birthday present. We cover a bunch of ground in this interview, and two parts of the conversation really stand out. Kevin talks about writing novels quickly, but also about that costs that can accompany doing that. We also discuss how his crossover stories have origins in being creative endeavors but have the effect of introducing multiple intellectual properties to new audiences.

There is also a discussion about how Kevin researches for his archeological thrillers, which ties in well with Episode 4, Research's Role in Writing Fiction.

One of the books we talk about specifically in the interview is Evergreen, so we wanted to make sure to link it, along with the newest story from Kevin Tumlinson, The Templar Tunnel.

Kevin Tumlinson's website -- https://www.kevintumlinson.com/

Barbara Hinske's  author website -- https://barbarahinske.com/

J. W. Judge's author website -- https://jwjudge.com/