The Writer's Mindset

Kevin Wilde is an award-winning, American screenwriter. His horror/thriller screenplay 'Murdock' is currently signed to a shopping agreement with Four Thieves Productions, and his co-written LGBTQ romantic comedy 'Get the Girl' is signed to a shopping agreement with Disrupting Influence. Kevin has a passion for writing compelling character-driven stories that often represent the LGBTQ+ community.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why you're never too old to start writing
• How to get into the screenwriting industry
• The importance of feedback from your peers

Show notes

• 00.00 – Introduction
• 02.22 – Writing themed Room 101!
• 05.20 – Interview with Kevin Wilde
• 07.15 – What made him commit to writing?
• 09.20 – How did Murdock come about?
• 11.22 – Should you use a screenwriting formula?
• 13.45 – What’s Kevin’s writing process?
• 21.25 – Does living in the middle of no where stop you from being a writer?
• 23.50 – Is networking important for success as a writer?
• 28.30 – What is so surprising about the screenwriting community?
• 30.48 – What is the best trait to learn for a writer?
• 33.05 – How to build patience as a writer?
• 35.26 – Are you ever too old to write?
• 37.05 – Which book changed Kevin’s life?
• 38.34 – Where can you find out more about Kevin?

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

Resources mentioned

• Ellie's blog post - 5 Stories That Prove You're Never Too Old to be Published
• Digital Writers' Room

*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.

Daniel Willcocks is an international bestselling author and award-nominated podcaster of dark fiction. He is an author coach; one fifth of digital story studio, Hawk & Cleaver; co-founder of iTunes-busting fiction podcast, ‘The Other Stories‘;’ CEO of horror imprint, Devil’s Rock Publishing; and the co-host of the ‘Next Level Authors’ podcast.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The BIG mistakes indie authors make
• Why it's important to remember publishing is a long-term game
• How horror reflects the human psyche
• Why some people look down on genres like horror and romance

Show notes:

• 00.00 – Introduction
• 04.30 – Podcast update
• 06.25 – Personal updates
• 09.28 – Interview with Daniel Wilcocks
• 10.25 – What are the biggest mistakes that indie authors make?
• 15.25 – What should you do if you’re terrified of anyone reading your first book?
• 19.48 – What are the first steps to launching a book?
• 23.32 – What are the biggest mindset issues writers face?
• 28.40 – Why is it so important to show up for yourself?
• 32.10 – Why is it important to see through the bullshit?
• 38.14 – How does Daniel get focused during his writing sessions?
• 43.00 – Who is Deathbed Dan?
• 49.58 – What’s appeal of horror?
• 1.03.15 – Is there a benefit to writing shorter projects?
• 1.06.52 – Some horror books for anyone looking to get into the genre.
• 1.09.28 – Which book changed Daniel’s life?
• 1.10.53 – Where can you find out more about Daniel?

Self-Publishing 101

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

Visit Daniel's website.

*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.

Nicholas Erik is a sci-fi and fantasy novelist who has written over 20 books.

For fellow indie authors, he writes comprehensive guides on how to sell more books, build your fanbase, and be more productive.

We sat down with him to talk about the trifecta of indie success: craft, productivity, and marketing.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The best way to market a single book
• Why mailing lists are so important
• How to find a writing routine that works for you
• Which type of paid advertising will get you the highest ROI

Show notes:

• 00.00 – Introductions
• 02.23 – Personal updates
• 6.12 – Interview with Nick Erik
• 7.30 – What is the trifecta of success, and why is it so important for indies to get right?
• 9.00 – Why should indies use the 80/20 rule?
• 18.00 – Quick wins with minimal budget
• 21.50 – Do regular promos devalue your writing?
• 25.28 – What's the best way to promote your first book?
• 37.55 – What if you have no idea what you’re doing?
• 41.20 – Can you sell yourself too much?
• 45.25 – How to deal with bad reviews.
• 55.30 – Why do people put money into the books that don't sell?
• 1.00.00 – What's the biggest book marketing myth?
• 1.06.00 – How to be in it for the long term
• 1.22.00 – How do you cope when it’s hard to write?
• 1.29.25 – Which book changed Nicholas Erik’s life?
• 1.33.24 – Where can you find out more about Nicholas Erik?

The Ultimate Guide to Book Marketing

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

The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

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

What I learned Losing a Million Dollars - Jim Paul and Brendan Moynihan

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

*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.

Cosy mystery author Elizabeth Spann Craig is a library-loving, avid mystery reader. A pet-owning Southerner, her four series are full of cats, corgis, and cheese grits. The mother of two, she lives with her husband, a fun-loving corgi, and a shy fluffball of a cat.

We spoke with Elizabeth about her history as a traditionally published author with Penguin, her transition to indie publishing, and her writing process.

You'll learn:

• The differences (and similarities) between traditional and independent publishing
• About traditional publishing marketing models
• How much traditionally published authors make
• The reasons Elizabeth switched to indie publishing
• Why it's important to work with the right team, regardless of how you publish
• What it's like to write multiple long-running series

• Join our free Facebook group
• Support us on Patreon

Show notes:

• 00.24 - Introductions
• 03.30 - Personal Updates
• 12.40 - Interview with Elizabeth Spann Craig
• 13.31 - Why go from traditional publishing to indie publishing?
• 18.30 - What would you say to someone who can’t decide whether to go indie or trad?
• 21.45 - What are the biggest changes when moving to indie publishing?
• 25.15 - How does the marketing process differ between traditional publishing compared to indie publishing?
• 29.35 - What are the pros and cons of traditional publishing?
• 34.22 - How has Elizabeth’s writing changed over time?
• 41.15 - What’s it like writing a really long series?
• 47.55 - Why publish some books under a pen name?
• 56.00 - Is it worth creating an author blog?
• 1.00.40 - Which book changed Elizabeth’s life?
• 1.02.45 - Where can we find out more about Elizabeth?

Read Elizabeth's Myrtle Clover Mysteries:

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

Read the Memphis Barbecue series:

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

Read Elizabeth's zombie book, Race to Refuge:

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

Download What Happens in New York:

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

Read Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None:

• Amazon US *
• Amazon UK *

About Agatha Christie's disappearance on BuzzFeed Unsolved.

*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.

Tim Lewis is a former IT manager in a financial markets company who, after the death of his wife, decided to try and become an author, writing time travel and then later fantasy books. In his efforts to try and work out how to sell books online, he became fascinated by using social media for business and to improve your life. 

His latest book Social Media Networking he explores how to use social media to build connections to get ahead in your career, personal life and business. He has spoken at Cambridge Social Day and most recently at Agorapulse's What's Up Social event about the future of social media. 

He's a host of the Oh No! Not Another Live Show! - a topical live show on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and runs the #indieAuthorChat Twitter chat for the Alliance of Independent Authors. Recently he has started to concentrate on author and social media productivity and is creating courses on this for the SmallBusiness.live training site.

Would you like to improve your networking skills, particularly when it comes to social media? Tim Lewis is the author of Social Media Networking, and we picked his brain about all things writers are doing right - and wrong - with social media.

You'll learn:

• The pros and cons of focusing on one platform instead of trying to be everywhere
• The benefits of using social media for authors
• Why automatically sharing posts between platforms is a bad idea

Show notes:

• 3.15 - Personal updates
• 7.07 - About Tim Lewis
• 9.55 - Why is networking important for writers?
• 12.10 - Should we be networking with readers or writers?
• 20.15 - How do you deal with networking and marketing as an introvert?
• 26.40 - Do writers need to be on social media to network?
• 29.10 - What mistakes do writers make on social media?
• 34.50 - Where to start with networking
• 39.55 - Is LinkedIn as useful for fiction authors as it can be for non-fiction?
• 45.30 - Social media DON’TS.
• 48.17 - Should we be using social media scheduling tools?
• 49.45 - If someone wants to stop cross posting, what should they do to change that?
• 53.50 - Which book changed Tim’s life
• 56.00 - Where can you find out more about Tim?

Sacha Black is a bestselling author, host of The Rebel Author Podcast and Next Level Authors, and a professional speaker. She writes amazing educational nonfiction books for writers, and fantasy for Young Adult and adult audiences. She lives in Cambridgeshire with her wife and son.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why side characters drive your plot forwards
• Why your story needs a theme
• Juggling a writing (and podcasting!) schedule with raising small people
•  How to use time blocks effectively
• The benefits of a morning writing routine (and how much of a different it's made to Kristina's writing in a week!)

Show notes:

• 3.30 – Patreon shoutout
• 4.04 – Personal updates
• 11.50 – About Sacha Black
• 12.50 – Why are side characters so important?
• 14.50 – How side characters can be used to represent the theme of your story
• 17.30 – Do different genres require different characters and different characterisation?
• 21.45 – Is it time to cut that side character?
• 28.00 – The two types of character deaths
• 40.00 – Stop fridging your characters!
• 33.15 – How literal and metaphorical deaths affect your characters
• 48.50 – How to juggle writing books, raising a child, and everything else
• 55.05 – Setting an example for the next generation
• 59.10 – Time management when you’ve got too much to do
• 1.08.15 – The two books that changed Sacha’s life
• 1.11.25 – Where to find Sacha online

Preorder 8 Steps to Side Characters by Sacha Black:

• Amazon UK*
• Amazon US*
• Apple*

Preorder the 8 Steps to Side Characters Workbook by Sacha Black:

• Amazon UK 
• Amazon US 
• Apple 

Sacha's most inspiring books:

The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham:

• Amazon UK*
• Amazon US*
• Apple*

Divergent series box set by Veronica Roth:

• Amazon UK*
• Amazon US*
• Apple*

Other books discussed:

Lifelong Writing Habits by Chris Fox:

• Amazon UK*
• Amazon US*
• Audiobook on Apple*

The Heroine's Journey by Gail Carriger

• Amazon UK*
• Amazon US*
• Apple*

*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.

Get a taste of what's coming up in season 3 of The Writer's Mindset - starting 5 August 2021!

Coming up, we've got:

Sacha Black on writing side characters - 5 August

Tim Lewis on social media networking for authors - 12 August

Elizabeth Spann Craig on indie vs traditional publishing - 19 August

Nicholas Erik on book marketing - 26 August

Daniel Willcocks on self publishing 101 and the horror genre - 2 September

Kevin Wilde on life as a Hollywood screenwriter - 9 September

Matty Dalrymple on podcasting for authors - 16 September

Kristina Stanley from Fictionary on editing with AI - 23 August

And that's just for starters ;)

Get access to early episodes, bonus content, and more over on Patreon for less than a coffee a month: https://www.patreon.com/writersmindset

In this final quick tip before the start of season three, we're talking all about rest. Do you get enough of it? Do you feel recharged?

Download The Ghost's Call: http://books2read.com/the-ghosts-call

Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/writersmindset

Sitting down to write all day when you're not used to it isn't a great way to hit your word count. If you're not used to writing in long bursts, your brain won't be able to focus for that long. Here's what you should be doing instead.

In this quick tip to tide you over until season three, it's time to focus on focus.

Download The Ghost's Call: http://books2read.com/the-ghosts-call

Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/writersmindset

Are you a perfectionist?

How much writing does that allow you to get done?

Here's what you should be focusing on instead.

In this quick tip to tide you over until season three, we're going to look at how perfectionism holds you back in your writing career.

Download The Ghost's Call: http://books2read.com/the-ghosts-call

Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/writersmindset