The Writer's Mindset

Liz Solar, a Boston-based voice actor and host of the Embark podcast, believes we could all use a little more conversation.

Her mission is to share stories -- that are both personal and universal -- to promote understanding, empathy and kindness.

Liz coaches reluctant speakers to communicate with more confidence, power and grace. Her signature talks include ‘No is Not a Four-Letter Word’. She founded and contributes to the writer’s blog Acts of Revision and just completed her first novel. She lives in greater Boston with her husband, and Goldendoodle studio manager, Jessie.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to have difficult conversations (even if you're conflict averse)
• Why practice is so important for writers
• How to get over writer's block
• Ways to deal with imposter syndrome

Show notes:

• 00.00 – Introduction
• 01.50 – Ellie has ABANDONED Kristina for the week, Kristina struggles to stay sane.
• 02.20 – Interview with Liz Solar
• 04.40 – Most people would literally rather die than speak in public.
• 04.50 – Self judgement hinders your public speaking.
• 06.25 – Writing difficult topics allows for reflection.
• 08.15 – Should you change how you speak depending on audience?
• 10.00 – How to address difficult topics in a diplomatic way.
• 14.30 – The importance of airing your emotions.
• 16.30 – Trying to not take it personally.
• 19.30 – Tips for writing difficult subjects.
• 21.00 – Expressive writing to get the emotions out.
• 25.00 – Why do so many writers suffer from imposter syndrome, and how to avoid it.
• 29.00 – The ups and downs of deadlines.
• 33.00 – The benefits of writing first thing in the morning.
• 34.25 – Does accountability help?
• 36.10 – How to build your confidence in your voice and have the difficult conversations.
• 42.30 – Which book changed Liz’s life?
• 48.10 – Where can you find out more about Liz?

Janice Hardy is the award-winning author and founder of the popular writing site Fiction University, where she helps writers improve their craft and navigate the crazy world of publishing.

She teaches writing workshops across the country, and her blog has been recognized as a Top Writing Blog by Writer’s Digest.

She also spins tales of adventure for both teens and adults, and firmly believes that doing terrible things to her characters makes them more interesting (in a good way).

She loves talking with writers and readers, and encourages questions of all types—even the weird ones.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The difference between conflict and tension
• Why internal and external conflict are equally important
• If all characters MUST arc
• Why Die Hard and Downton Abbey are great examples of conflict

Show notes:

• 00.00 – Introduction.
• 02.55 – Kristina injured her knee HOW?!
• 08.20 – Interview with Janice Hardy.
• 10.00 – Why is conflict so important?
• 12.00 – Conflict doesn’t mean tension.
• 15.40 – Using internal and external problems.
• 18.10 – The tension in Downton Abbey.
• 22.20 – Difference between internal and external conflict.
• 25.50 – And are both essential?
• 29.00 – The impact of great characters.
• 31.40 – An if/then statement
• 35.45 – What doesn’t kill characters makes them more interesting.
• 36.10 – Where to start with all the planning, plottin, and character arcs.
• 39.00 – If a process isn’t working for you, try a different one.
• 43.00 – Writing past self doubt.
• 46.00 – Which book changed Janice’s life?
• 49.00 – Where can you find out more about Janice?

Terra Kelly is an author who’s been publishing for almost seven years. She writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense. She’s also an author coach and helps aspiring writers to move past their barriers so that they can finally share their story. She does that through a course, membership, one-on-one training, and more.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• If imposter syndrome ever goes away
• The importance of HEAs and HFNs in romance
• Why rapid releasing can lead to burnout
• How to overcome what's holding you back from writing more

Show notes:

• 00.00 – Introduction
• 01.42 – Ellie is building her future every day.
• 05.21 – Kristina wrangles her subplots.
• 08.40 – Subplots are side quests!
• 10.00 – The Mummy’s Curse is now available to buy!
• 14.50 – There’ll always be bumps in the road.
• 15.30 – Shutting out the imposter syndrome.
• 17.15 – Interview with Terra Kelly.
• 19.20 – The dream that changed Terra’s path.
• 20:40 – How to face the doubt.
• 22.20 – Don’t compare your start to other people’s middles.
• 24.40 – The power of the Harlequin Romance.
• 26.20 – Does loving multiple genres affect your writing?
• 28.30 – Learning the pros of plotting.
• 30.45 – Why is the happily ever after so important?
• 33.50 – Can we drop the F bomb in romance?
• 35.45 – How do audience expectations differ between genres?
• 40.30 – Do people look down on romance?
• 42.25 – The power of a supportive community.
• 47.40 – How can you get your books to stand out?
• 50.30 – Why go permafree?
• 53.04 – How to build a community around your book.
• 59.20 – How has the romance industry changed since Terra started publishing?
• 1.02.40 – How did readers react to changing to and from rapid release?
• 1.03.45 – But did it help her improve as a writer?
• 1.06.00 – How does Terra support other writers?
• 1.08.20 – What holds people back from sharing their stories?
• 1.11.00 – Is NaNoWriMo a good motivator?
• 1.15.45 – Which book changed Terra’s life?
• 1.17.45 – Where can you find out more about Terra?

Alexa Whitewolf provides editing services through Luna Imprints Author Services (which is often shortened to LIAS) to new and established authors. Her mission is to help indies achieve their dreams of self-publishing their books by helping them fine-tune their novels to publishing quality.

Alexa is also a dog-loving, caffeine-addicted, all-around traveling enthusiast. Author of fantasy, paranormal and young adult books, she spends her nights dreaming up new stories and her days fighting reality. She lives in Ottawa, Canada, with her husband and two mischievous furballs, Zeus and Achilles.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The importance of worldbuilding in genres like romance
• How culture can show what your world is like
• The difference between worldbuilding in first and third person
• Common worldbuilding mistakes

Show notes:

• 00.00 – Introduction
• 01.35 – Kristina hates worldbuilding?!
• 04.22 – Kristina has had an epiphany.
• 05.50 – Interview with Alexa Whitewolf.
• 06.55 – Do you just need worldbuilding for sci-fi and fantasy?
• 09.10 – Is worldbuilding harder in the real world?
• 11.20 – Kristina almost gave up because of worldbuilding.
• 12.20 – When should you start worldbuilding for a piece?
• 14.20 – Adding in more magic as you go.
• 15.30 – Using the five senses to make magic.
• 18.10 – How much worldbuilding should be included in a story?
• 19.50 – Don’t break the pace!
• 22.45 – We all love Downton Abbey (and not just for Maggie Smith)
• 24.00 – What do your audience actually need to know?
• 27.45 – Worldbuilding in Vampire Academy is amazing.
• 29.45 – A big worldbuilding mistake…
• 32.30 – Don’t neglect the culture.
• 36.30 – What are the rules and restrictions?
• 42.00 – Breaking the norms.
• 46.00 – Do you build the world differently in first person?
• 50.00 – Stop head hopping and focus on the reader.
• 52.40 – What book changed Alexa’s life?
• 56.10 – Where can you find out more about Alexa?

• LIAS website
• Alexa's website

Lee Savino is a USA today bestselling author. Her books have sold millions of copies and have been translated into five languages. She teaches and coaches other authors and you can find her in the Millionaire Author Mastermind group on Facebook.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• If a creative writing degree can help you with your publishing career
• Why you need to focus on the books that sell, but still write the ones that don't
• Ways to help with physical and mental roadblocks that are holding you back
• How to embrace your writing style

Show notes:

• 00.00 – Introduction
• 01.40 – Public speaking and Kristina’s storytelling skills
• 05.00 – Ellie is dissertation free and loving writing again.
• 06.50 – Overlaps are causing problems for Kristina…
• 12.35 – Interview with Lee Savino
• 15.00 – Are Creative Writing degrees really all that?
• 17.00 – Hiding away to read erotica.
• 17.40 – Is erotica harder to market?
• 18.50 – Tess of the d'Urbervilles doesn’t get a happy ending.
• 19.30 – Who decides the heat level?
• 20.35 – Moving to menage e troi and playing to your strengths.
• 23.45 – Push your work horses!
• 25.25 – The best book marketing tactic.
• 27.15 – Choosing the marketing angle.
• 28.30 – Are tropes in genre fiction important?
• 32.10 – Digging deeper into your character emotions.
• 34.00 – The most successful tropes for paranormal romance.
• 36.40 – Readers remember the toilet snakes.
• 41.40 – What’s Lee’s favourite trope to write?
• 44.45 – Learning from romance novels, even if it’s not your normal genre.
• 47.30 – People really like office romances.
• 48.50 – Tips for writers who are trying to find their voice.
• 53.50 – Don’t lose your voice’s beating heart.
• 54.45 – There’s such a thing as too polished.
• 58.40 – Listen to your body!
• 1.02.00 – Writing while walking…
• 1.05.00 – The power of going back to the basics.
• 1.05.50 – What is one book that changed Lee’s life?

Join the Millionaire Author Mastermind Facebook group.

Gudrun had her first piece of work published in a national magazine 24 years ago and she’s been writing on and off ever since. She’s worked with a range of clients providing copywriting, content marketing, and repurposing, including IT & personal finance experts, digital marketers, personal trainers, coaches and consultants, but she’s now niching into history and heritage.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why networking is key for freelancers
• How niching can help you build your business
• The importance of charging what you're worth
• How to get your first writing gigs

Show notes

• 00.00 – Introduction
• 02.00 – Reluctant heroes and belated magical powers.
• 05.20 – Interview with Gudrun Lauret.
• 07.35 – Content marketing vs copywriting .
• 09.30 – How did Gudrun get into freelance writing.
• 12.40 – What’s the best way to get into freelance writing?
• 15.90 – How to get into copywriting.
• 17.50 – So is journaling the same?
• 19.30 – How to hook some experts to draw on.
• 22.50 – Networking by the coffee table.
• 27.45 – Newbie networking is invaluable.
• 29.50 – Time to write for pennies?
• 30.30 – Falling prey to low paying, picky clients.
• 37.25 – Tips for taking levelling up your writing experience.
• 42.35 – Which book changed her life?
• 47.25 – Where to find out more about Gudrun.

• Amazon UK *
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Christine Gritmon empowers small business owners and solopreneurs to tell their own stories on social media. You CAN do it – she’ll teach you how! She’s spoken on stages worldwide and is a frequent expert guest on podcasts, live streams, Twitter chats, and blog posts, as well as hosting her own weekly Twitter chat, #ChatAboutBrand, and live interview show, Let’s Talk About Brand.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why branding isn't what you think it is
• The pros and cons of having an author brand
• Where you should build your author brand

Show notes:

• 00.00 – Introduction
• 02.00 – Ellie finally finished a big project!
• 09.30 – Kristina eats her words when it comes to outlining.
• 12.50 – Interview with Christine Gritmon.
• 14.00 – Do authors need to worry about branding?
• 16.00 – Is it worth improving your brand, even though it’s scary?
• 21.20 – Success is all about human connection.
• 24.00 – How to safely put yourself out there when you’re scared to do it.
• 27.00 – Methods for building branding that you might not have thought of.
• 31.00 – How you can use your own imperfections to create relatable content.
• 35.22 – The three essentials for a new author brand.
• 38.17 – The importance of a website and an email list.
• 40.10 – The pitfalls of relying on social media.
• 42.35 – Should you be using Facebook groups?
• 47.10 – How to use content from Facebook groups to get engagement elsewhere.
• 52.26 – Is authenticity in branding even authentic anymore?
• 55.40 – How to be authentically authentic.
• 1.03.00 – Is social media important for branding?
• 1.03.50 – What is the best social media platform for authors to focus on?
• 1.06.10 – The impact of pen names on branding.
• 01.11.45 – Which book changed Christine’s life?
• 01.14.19 – Where to find more about Christine. 

Second book syndrome. The sophomore slump. Call it what you like; all writers will face it at some point. It can strike whether it's your second book, the second book in a series, or the second book of a new pen name.

In this episode, Kristina talks about how she faced second book syndrome with her What Happens in... series, and avoided it for her next two series.

You'll learn:

• What the sophomore slump is
• How to not get stuck on your work in progress
• The importance of research---and where to do it

Show notes:

0.00 – What is second book syndrome?

02.05 – Did Kristina suffer with second book syndrome?

02.30 – Kristina’s writing process for The Mummy’s Curse.

05.00 – Using Egyptian mummies for comas!

06.50 – Drawing on documentaries and more for research.

12.50 – How to avoid the sophomore slump.

17.00 – Support us on Patreon.

Kristina's books

The Mummy's Curse

• Amazon US *
• Amazon UK *
• Apple Books *

What Happens in New York

• Amazon US *
• Amazon UK *
• Apple Books *

What Happens in London

• Amazon US *
• Amazon UK *
• Apple Books *

Hollywood Gossip

• Amazon US *
• Amazon UK *
• Apple Books *

Hollywood Parents

• Amazon US *
• Amazon UK *
• Apple Books *

Books mentioned

• The Gateway Trilogy - E.E.Holmes *
• The Sage Trilogy - Alexa Whitewolf *

Other things mentioned

• The Mummy 
• Wondrium (free 1 month trial) *
• Kristina's character arcs course
• The Wall of Awful

*Affiliate link. It won't cost you any extra, but we'll get a small commission for each sale.

To get your Fictionary discount, use the code KADAMS at checkout.

Combining her degree in computer mathematics with her success as a bestselling, award-winning author and fiction editor, Kristina Stanley is the creator and CEO of Fictionary - creative editing software for fiction writers and editors. She is a Fictionary Certified Story Coach. Her novels include The Stone Mountain mystery series and Look the Other Way. She’s the author of The Author’s Guide to Selling Book to Non-Bookstores. She’s a passionate guide-dog trainer and hiker.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How a lack of story structure affects your reader
• How to develop your self-editing technique
• Ways Fictionary can make life more organised for writers and editors

Show notes

• 00.00 – Introduction
• 02.00 – Personal updates
• 09.10 – Interview with Kristina Stanley
• 11.00 – Why is story structure so important?
• 12.35 – The difference between form and formula.
• 13.40 – The best story structures for you to follow.
• 14.45 – The key plot points and why are they so important
• 18.40 – Does every scene need a purpose?
• 22.40 – Why do people struggle with editing?
• 25.40 – How can you improve your self-editing skills?
• 27.50 – Should you head hop in your story?
• 32.35 – How does Fictionary help you write your book?
• 35.50 – Why did Kristina start Fictionary?
• 38.25 – How does Fictionary’s editor compare to a real life editor?
• 42.55 – Which feature of Fictionary could Kristina not live without?
• 45.00 – Do you need to outline to use Fictionary?
• 46.45 – The book that changed Kristina’s life.
• 49.35 – Where to find out more about Kristina and Fictionary.

• Visit the Fictionary website.

• Amazon UK *
• Amazon US *

• Amazon UK *
• Amazon US *

• Amazon UK *
• Amazon US *

• Amazon UK *
• Amazon US *

*Affiliate link. It won’t cost you any extra to purchase through one of our links, but we will get a small commission for every purchase.

Matty Dalrymple is a thriller and suspense author who lives with her husband and their dogs in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and enjoys vacationing on Mount Desert Island, Maine, and Sedona, Arizona, and these locations provide the settings for her work. Matty is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Brandywine Valley Writers Group.

• Matty's author website
• The Indy Author Podcast

Show notes:

• 00.00 – Introductions 
• 01.30 – Personal update
• 03.10 – Interview with Matty Dalrymple
• 05.25 – Why did Matty start a podcast?
• 07.50 – What is the hardest part about podcasting?
• 18.20 – What is the most surprising thing about podcasting?
• 23.20 – The A, the B, and the three C’s of indie publishing.
• 25.45 – How to come up with podcast and interview topics.
• 31.00 – What types of writers benefit the most from podcasting?
• 32.40 – What has podcasting taught Matty about herself and her writing?
• 40.50 – Should you write first thing in the morning?
• 45.45 – Does podcasting have an impact on writing?
• 48.45 – Which book changed Matty’s life?
• 50.35 – Where can you go to find out more about Matty?

Mentions

• Listen to the interview with Patreon CEO, Jack Conte
• Listen to Kristina talk writing myths on The Indy Author